Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta Wheat wants the Canadian Grain Commission to “modernize” its grading system, saying it doesn’t align with market demands of international buyers. “It all comes down to wanting more objective measurements for quality standards,” said Kevin Auch, chair of the Alberta Wheat Commission. “We’ve got some pretty good grading standards — don’t get me wrong […] Read more
‘Modernize’ grain grading, says Alberta Wheat
farm group says farmers would make more if Canadian grain Commission changes grading for sprouting and fusarium damage
Seven steps to accurate soil testing
Many Prairie farmers spend $250,000 or more on fertilizer each year. Are you getting your moneys worth? Applying fertilizer nutrient that is not needed is a waste of money. If you don’t apply a needed fertilizer, you’ll see a loss in yield and revenue. Soil testing can provide an excellent picture of the nutrient levels[...]
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7 tips for on-farm research tests
Is that shiny new product likely to work on your farm? To separate the heifer dust from the cream of the crop, farmers need to take a hard look at the research behind the marketing claims. John Heard, soil fertility specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, says the best way to learn about good research “is to[...]
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Four steps to managing herbicides
Cutting herbicide resistance risks comes down to managing herbicides, in part. Here are four tips for doing that better, courtesy of Kate Sanford Mitchell, who manages Bayer CropScience’s herbicide and insecticide portfolios for oilseeds.
Crop conditions improve, harvest operations underway
Alberta crop conditions as of August 9
Reading Time: 2 minutes Rains continued to fall across the province stretching from the Peace Region to the Southern Region. Provincially, crop conditions improved for all Regions from a week ago and are rated as 84 per cent in good or excellent condition, up one per cent from a week ago and up 13 per cent from the 5-year[...]
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Hail, flooding damage some crops, but most ‘good to excellent’
Alberta crop conditions as of August 2
Reading Time: < 1 minute Over the past week, rainfall activity has been convective in nature, with heavy downpours leading to localized flooding, and in some cases damaging hail across the province. This has maintained soil moisture levels, but slowed haying progress and reduced hay quality. In cases where crops are not performing well, it is largely due to excessive[...]
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Five tips for Keeping it Clean from Cereals Canada
With increased scrutiny from end-users farmers need to be vigilant to ensure their crops aren’t rejected
Stick to the pre-harvest interval (PHI). The PHI (or Spray to Swath Interval) is the number of days that must pass between the last application of a pesticide and swathing or straight combining. Read labels carefully and check out the provincial Guides to Crop Protection or consult your local provincial agronomist for more information. After[...]
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VIDEO: Canada’s agricultural markets update for Aug. 3, 2016
Reading Time: < 1 minute D’Arce McMillan, The Western Producer markets editor, monitors trends in the North American and global agricultural markets. Each week he hosts a market video about crops designed to help viewers understand the forces responsible for changes in the trade. The Western Producer is a member of the Glacier FarmMedia network.
Kellogg’s sales miss analysts’ estimates
Reuters — Kellogg Co.’s quarterly sales dropped 6.6 per cent, missing analysts’ estimates, as demand slid further for its breakfast foods and snacks, which include Corn Flakes and Froot Loops. Kellogg also said a strong dollar was expected to hurt sales this year more than it had anticipated, mainly due to a sharp fall in[...]
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Perennial grain: It’s two — yes, two — crops in one
It’s been a decades’ long search, but researchers believe the finish line is in sight for a crop that can be both grazed and then harvested for its grain
Reading Time: 4 minutes As concerns grow over sustainability in modern farming, researchers are looking to the past in search of crops that can both meet the needs of farmers and consumers as well as the environment. Thinopyrum intermedium — commonly known as intermediate wheatgrass — is one of the fruits of that research. It’s been nearly three decades[...]
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