Paris | Reuters — French lawmakers approved plans for a total ban on some widely used pesticides blamed for harming bees, going beyond European Union restrictions in a fierce debate that has pitched farmers and chemical firms against beekeepers and green groups. The EU limited the use of neonicotinoid chemicals, produced by companies including Bayer […] Read more
France moves toward all-out ban on neonics
Both pros and cons to tile drainage
Being able to remove excess moisture is a big plus, but there are a lot of factors to take into account
Reading Time: 3 minutes It wasn’t long ago that if you asked most Alberta producers if they used tile drainage, they likely wouldn’t know what you were talking about. A common practice in Ontario and the U.S. Midwest, it’s only in recent years that Alberta growers have warmed to this system in which subsurface tubes remove excess moisture from […] Read more
Soil carbon challenge coming to Alberta
The Soil Carbon Coalition Challenge is a North American-wide initiative founded on the premise that carbon is key to soil health
Reading Time: 3 minutes Measuring your soil carbon is the ticket to improving soil health and can usher in dramatic productivity gains. That’s the message that Peter Donovan is bringing to Alberta this month — part of the American expert’s efforts to promote the Soil Carbon Coalition Challenge, a North American-wide initiative to show how you can improve your […] Read more
New working group gears up to get answers about habitat conservation
Maintaining habitat is also important for pollinators and parasitoids that prey on crop pests
Reading Time: 3 minutes When you cut down your shelterbelt or take out a windrow, you might not think about the effect it has on the beneficial species living on your farmland. A new working group, unofficially known as the Habitat Working Group, is gearing up to inform producers about the changes they can make to conserve habitat for […] Read more
Planning is key to preparing an effective shelterbelt
Specialist recommends visiting mature shelterbelts and talking to landowners
Reading Time: 2 minutes Trees and shelterbelt planting is a long-term investment that requires careful planning and design. “Ask yourself what you want to accomplish by planting trees or shelterbelts on your property,” said Toso Bozic, a provincial agroforestry/bioenergy specialist. Trees should always be managed with future generations in mind, he said. “The goals can be many — ranging […] Read more
Beekeepers bank on biodiversity in pasture lands
Canola is a great source of pollen and nectar — but only for one month of the year
Reading Time: 2 minutes As the Alberta countryside gets eaten up by field crops, pastures are becoming a “safe haven” for field crop pollinators. “Bees spend maybe a month sitting in a canola field, and in that month, they have adequate supplies of pollen and nectar from the canola,” said Adam Ovinge, a beekeeper from Granum. “The problem is […] Read more
Greenhouse media can be reused several times under certain conditions
In Europe, greenhouse operators are reusing growing media five or six times without raising disease levels
Reading Time: 2 minutes While reusing greenhouse media makes economic sense, disease and changes to physical properties are just two of the issues that need to be considered. “Greenhouse vegetable culture in Alberta has changed substantially over the last 30 years,” said Dustin Morton, a commercial horticulture specialist with the Alberta Ag-Info Centre in Stettler. “Currently, it is not […] Read more
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