Poorly-treated wheat seed, inoculated with f. graminearum.  Photo: Lisa Guenther

Know how to identify these three seedling diseases

Seedling diseases can weaken cereals, leaving plants susceptible to other stresses, Brittney Kroeker told attendees at Bayer’s SeedGrowth Solutions Expo in Saskatoon this spring. Kroeker went through some of the top seedling diseases in cereals. Here are her tips for identifying three seedling disease in cereals.

Having a more direct connection with end-users is “more exciting” 
than just selling a commodity product, says Penhold-area producer 
Wade McAllister.

This malt’s for you — growers profit from ‘drink local’ movement

Alberta barley growers earn premiums — and satisfaction — by direct contracting with brewers

Reading Time: 4 minutes Wade McAllister didn’t expect to be a direct marketer when he returned to his family’s grain farm in 2010. But with the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board in 2012, McAllister found a whole new market open to him — direct contracts with breweries for his malt barley. “Ever since the wheat board was dropped,[...]
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Farmer in wheat field

Spreading the word about wheat

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Wheat Commission has launched its first consumer marketing campaign: ‘Life’s Simple Ingredient.’ “Our campaign is designed to make people feel good about eating wheat,” said general manager Tom Steve. The campaign aims to persuade Alberta’s urban public that the consumption of wheat is an essential component in nourishing their families. It features nutritionists,[...]
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Seven deadly sins of grain marketing

Seven deadly sins of grain marketing

Brian Voth has been telling producers about the “seven deadly sins of grain marketing” for several years, and although the catchy title gets them through the door to listen to him, the advice they go away with is invaluable. “What I talk about is, essentially, how to make marketing plans by doing it in reverse,[...]
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What will make you money this year?

What will make you money this year?

Reading Time: < 1 minute AgriProfit$ Cropping Alternatives has been updated for 2017. The crop-budgeting tool allows producers to project costs, margins and break-even yields for potential cropping choices. The data is presented by soil zones, with a mix of cereals, oilseeds, pulses and forage crops for each zone. Crop budgets include a projection of individual itemized variable costs as[...]
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Crop fact sheets available

Crop fact sheets available

Reading Time: < 1 minute Three crop varietal fact sheets are now available. The Varieties of Cereal and Oilseed Crops for Alberta 2017 that provides agronomic characteristics and disease-resistance information are provided for varieties of wheat, barley, oat, rye, triticale, flax and canola. Varieties of Pulse Crops for Alberta provides information on pulse variety performance for varieties of field pea,[...]
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Photo: Alberta Agriculture

Eight things to look for in your soil test report

When you understand your soil reports, you’re in a better position to develop fertilizer plans with your agronomist. All soil testing labs report the same basic information, but each lab has its own unique format. No matter what your report looks like, first, check the information at the top: your name, address, field name, etc.[...]
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Photo: Thinkstock

Four steps to a fair land rental agreement

As land values increase, so do land rental rates, but commodity prices don’t always follow the same trajectory, although input costs might. So how do you come to an arrangement to rent land that is fair and profitable for both parties, because that’s the number one consideration if both want a stable, long-term deal. “Communication[...]
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