Reading Time: 4 minutes For Alberta growers right now, the biggest clouds on the horizon are the lack of them — particularly the ones bringing rain. “It’s a real mixed bag throughout the province with some of the weather conditions that we’ve been dealt,” Rimbey-area producer Jason Lenz said earlier this month. “Certainly the south has some very, very […] Read more
Weather, crop conditions a ‘mixed bag’ for growers
Many came through a late, wet spring better than expected and dry hasn’t equalled disaster — but no one’s expecting a bin buster
Fusarium risk map launched in Alberta
Available on weatherdata.ca, the information is a tool to help producers decide whether fungicide is needed
Reading Time: 2 minutes The provincial government has launched a mobile-friendly tool that will allow cereal producers to measure their fusarium head blight risk. “Fusarium became a huge issue in Alberta last year,” said Brian Kennedy, grower relations and extension co-ordinator at Alberta Wheat Commission, which also worked on the tool. “It’s been sneaking up on the province for […] Read more
What’s your biggest disease threat this year?
The weather will tell the tale, but there’s one crop disease ‘producers should be thinking about and preparing for’
Reading Time: 4 minutes Predicting crop disease problems is like taking a shot in the dark at a moving target. “For disease to develop, we need certain weather, certain hosts, and certain pathogens, so it can really be like looking into a crystal ball,” said Stephen Strelkov, a professor and researcher at the University of Alberta. “As a result, […] Read more
Tips when feeding unharvested crops
Digestibility, nutrient levels, and presence of mycotoxins are factors to consider before swath grazing or baling
Reading Time: 2 minutes Using overwintered cereal crops for swath grazing this spring — or baling for use as greenfeed next fall and winter — is an option but raises some concerns. “Typically, protein and energy contents are lower in the spring compared to the fall,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “Digestibility of the feeds can […] Read more
Plant 2017: It’s all about making the best of a bad situation
It was never going to be good, but crop specialists say this seeding season may not be as bad as feared
Reading Time: 3 minutes To say that last year’s harvest season in Alberta was unusual would be putting it mildly. The exceptionally wet fall resulted in 967,569 unharvested acres reported to Agricultural Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) this past winter, representing millions of dollars in seed and inputs that have yet to be recouped. So the big question this spring […] Read more
Canadian hog prices to rise by summer
CNS Canada — Cheap prices for feed and a softer Canadian dollar have helped keep Canadian hog prices aloft so far in 2017. “Right now producers are looking at $180 to $184 a pig,” said Andrew Dickson, general manger of Manitoba Pork. “Prices are looking pretty good for June, July, August.” By July, he said, […] Read more
Fusarium is tough, but you can fight back, says crop scientist
Planting winter wheat and bumping seeding rates can help, but fungicides aren’t a silver bullet
Reading Time: 3 minutes The forecast is for more fusarium — and possibly a lot more if it’s another wet year. “As you know, the severity and incidence of fusarium is actually on the rise — if we continue to get the weather that we’re getting, we can expect the same,” Agriculture Canada research scientist Brian Beres said during […] Read more
Wheat disease risk sees farmers looking to oats
CNS Canada — Canadian farmers are showing an increased interest in seeding oats this spring, despite a lack of activity from a pricing standpoint, as quality concerns in wheat and barley have growers looking to other cereals. “We are seeing a huge influx of acres into oats,” said Scott Shiels, grain procurement merchant with Grain […] Read more
Don’t delay if you haven’t lined up seed
All that rain last year has elevated fusarium levels and lowered germination rates
Reading Time: 3 minutes The quality of cereal seed in Alberta is down — and disease pressure is up — across almost all classes, say players at the front lines of the upcoming growing season’s seed outlook. “Disease levels are a little higher this year and that’s having an adverse effect on quality,” said Trevor Nysetvold of BioVision, a […] Read more
Battling fusarium requires new initiatives
Reading Time: < 1 minute Both the grain sector and government need to respond to rising fusarium rates, says the president of Alberta Seed Growers. One of the first things to do is recognize that FHB has become a significant problem and then create policies that do not unnecessarily penalize producers, said Glenn Logan. Read more: Don’t delay if you haven’t […] Read more
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