Canadian fertilizer giant Nutrien plans to shut down three of its Saskatchewan potash mines for up to two months in the fourth quarter of the year. The Saskatoon company said Wednesday it “expects to proactively take up to eight-week inventory shutdowns” at its mines at Allan, Lanigan and Vanscoy, Sask. during that period. If all […] Read more
Nutrien to idle three Saskatchewan potash mines
How one farm put data analytics to work
Saskatchewan grain farm makes money by assessing data on everything from employees to soil moisture
Reading Time: 6 minutes Most people say, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” But at Hebert Grain Ventures, their motto is, “If it’s not broke, you haven’t looked hard enough.” “We don’t believe that, just because we had a good year or a good yield, that’s enough,” said Evan Shout, the Saskatchewan farm’s chief financial officer. “If we […] Read more
Watch for nitrate accumulation in hailed-out crops
There’s extra value in a salvage crop this year, but nitrates are a risk in crops such as canola and wheat
Reading Time: 2 minutes The issue of nitrate accumulation needs to be considered when salvaging hailed-out crops. “Nitrate accumulation occurs in a plant when it is injured and is not able to convert nitrate to protein efficiently after a hail storm,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “In non-legume crops, water and nutrients are pushed into the […] Read more
Variable rate application good for soil, farmers’ bottom lines
MarketsFarm — For Saskatchewan farmer Terry Aberhart and research scientist Alan Moulin, variable rate (VR) application is a no-brainer. In representing Sure Growth Solutions Inc. at the Global Cash Crop Conference in Winnipeg on Wednesday, Aberhart explained the cost savings farmers can achieve by applying different amounts of fertilizer. “The mentality is, if you want […] Read more
Railways book higher grain freight revenue for Q1
Canada’s big two railways reported somewhat higher revenue from handling grain during their fiscal quarter ending March 31, despite both companies reporting winter weather woes. Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) on April 23 reported grain segment revenue of $380 million for the quarter, up six per cent from the year-earlier period, on about 92,800 grain carloads, […] Read more
Make sure your seed and fertilizer can get along
Side- and mid-row banding help, but watch that P in the seed row — especially in a dry spring
Reading Time: 4 minutes Fertilizer and seed are what you might call the best of frenemies. They need each other but if conditions aren’t right, one of them (in this case, the seed) is likely to get hurt. And that goes double if you’re growing a small-seed crop like canola under dry conditions. Three of the biggest concerns canola […] Read more
How to cause nine cropping disasters
There are many ways to increase your chances of crop loss. Here are nine.
Online training for safe handling of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer
The popular fertilizer is a toxic and highly corrosive gas that needs to be treated with great care
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers can renew their training on the safe handling and use of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer through a newly updated safety manual and video put out by Fertilizer Canada. Anhydrous ammonia is classified as a dangerous good under federal regulations. It bears the number 2.3 (8) — 2.3 means it’s a toxic gas while the (8)[...]
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How much fertilizer do you need to apply?
Agronomy research scientist offers his tips for planning your applications this spring
Reading Time: 2 minutes Soil tests are still the best way to determine your fertilizer requirements for spring. “We can determine where we’re starting from as far as the nitrate that is present in the soil and what’s there for the plant at the start of the year,” said agronomy research scientist Doon Pauly. “Phosphorus, potassium, and salinity don’t[...]
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Alberta input retail chain expands westward reach
A pair of independent crop input retail outlets in west-central Alberta will be networking with seven others by month-end. Crop Management Network (CMN), a joint venture between an employee-owned network of retail outlets and La Coop federee’s Agrico Canada arm, announced Wednesday it has reached a deal to buy Performance Ag Group. Performance Ag, which[...]
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