Reading Time: 3 minutes Confirmed sightings of stripe rust in Alberta have prompted experts to encourage growers in southern Alberta, along with those in the Drumheller and Calgary regions, to scout their fields for the disease.
Stripe rust confirmed in Alberta fields
Farmers are encouraged to scout their fields for stripe rust disease so that they know if fungicide applications are warranted
Farming Smarter receives financial boost from Alberta government for potato research
Farming Smarter one of 12 research associations receiving part of one-time $3.2 million capital grant
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farming Smarter near Lethbridge got a boost to its research equipment, thanks to the Alberta government’s increase in funding for research associations.
Farming Smarter receives financial boost from Alberta government for potato research
Farming Smarter one of 12 research associations getting part of one-time $3.2 million capital grant
Farming Smarter near Lethbridge got a boost to its research equipment, thanks to the Alberta government’s increase in funding for research associations.
Brazilian tour proves fruitful for Alberta farmers
Farming Smarter tour shed light on farming practices in South American agriculture powerhouse
Reading Time: 6 minutes Farming Smarter gives 20 Alberta farmers the opportunity to tour Brazil’s agricultural centres for a look at how the South American agriculture powerhouse has grown into a top nation in world production.
Soil health main topic of Farming Smarter field school
Novel crops like prairie rice sparked discussion among attendees
Reading Time: 3 minutes Soil health was the main focus of this year’s Farming Smarter field school but novel new crops like rice also got some of the spotlight. Despite a cool and wet day in late June, a full house of farmers made their way through the damp fields. While a lot can be learned in a classroom […] Read more
They don’t wear lab coats but more farmers doing on-farm research
Getting scientifically valid data takes time and work -- and often at the busiest times of the year
Reading Time: 4 minutes With all the decisions that must be made in a growing season, on-farm research trials are a way for farmers to increase the odds of making the right call on major changes. “When you do something yourself on your own farm, you can be pretty certain it will work in your conditions,” said Lewis Baarda, […] Read more
It’s still ‘wait and see’ country when it comes to biostimulants
A multi-year study has found some products work sometimes on some crops -- but it’s hit-and-miss
Reading Time: 3 minutes Biostimulants work. Sort of. Sometimes. Depending. Dubbed the ‘vitamin supplements of farming,’ there are a wide range of biostimulants and they work — or don’t — in a host of different ways. Sometimes they’re worth applying and sometimes not, suggests a three-year study by Farming Smarter. “We did see an increase in yield for some […] Read more
Ground truthing: Are on-farm trials for you?
Testing something on the farm isn’t the same as a scientifically valid field-scale trial
Reading Time: 3 minutes We’re hearing more and more about producers conducting their own on-farm trials to sharpen their management decisions. And it makes sense. Before committing to a practice, product, or variety, many growers want to see results on their own land. But on-farm trials demand time, resources, and determination. “You have to keep in mind that what’s […] Read more
Spot spraying gets lots of looks but many farmers seem hesitant
Some are holding off on ‘green-on-brown’ weed tech until it costs less and does more
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to precision-farming technology, automated spot spraying of weeds would be a science fiction dream come true. If it lives up to its promise, farmers would save countless dollars in reduced herbicide use, benefit the environment, and maybe even gain the upper hand in battling herbicide resistance. In Canada, the face of spot […] Read more
Marvel or foo-foo dust? No verdict yet on biostimulants
Many products purport to boost plant health and yield but objective evidence needed, says researcher
Reading Time: 3 minutes The jury is still out on biostimulants. “Hopefully in two or three years, we’ll have a better recommendation and strategy for these things, but right now, it feels like there are more questions than answers,” said Mike Gretzinger, research co-ordinator at Farming Smarter. The recent buzz around biostimulants — a variety of products that boost […] Read more
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