A new Manitoba lab with federal, provincial and canola industry backing has been opened with the goal of staying a step ahead of canola diseases such as clubroot and verticillium wilt. The federal and Manitoba governments on Thursday announced $969,000 for equipment, including a polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) machine, and $250,000 for research at the […] Read more
Manitoba canola pest lab backed for equipment, research
Manitoba seeks more climate-responsive risk management
A Manitoba provincial task force has been set up to seek ways in which farm risk management programs could be “more comprehensive and sustainable” in handling “climate-related challenges” such as floods. “Manitoba’s farmers have told us existing agricultural programs can’t adequately address these climate-related challenges, especially as they become more common,” Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn […] Read more
Manitoba to boost insurance coverage on pedigreed soybeans
Increased coverage for pedigreed soybeans is among the changes planned for Manitoba’s provincial crop insurance program for the 2015 growing season. Soybeans are expected to be the largest pedigreed seed crop in Manitoba this year, the province said in a release, and the increased coverage is expected to reflect the “additional cost” of producing the […] Read more
Grasshopper risk light in most of Western Canada
CNS Canada — Most of Western Canada is expected to see low populations of grasshoppers in 2015, although there are a few areas of concern, according to forecasts from the three provinces. Most of Manitoba has a low risk of seeing high grasshopper populations this year, according to a forecast from Manitoba Agriculture, Food and […] Read more
A warm welcome from a very hospitable community
The number of producers is declining, but the spirit of the farming community grows stronger and stronger
Reading Time: 3 minutes I was running seriously late and my pal Rick’s email directions for the community supper were “four miles north of Vauxhall — lots of signs.” Judging when you’re four miles from a place you’ve never been before is a little tough, but surely I couldn’t miss all those signs. I did. I spotted one marking […] Read more
Seed, equipment quarantined at wilt-stricken Man. farm
Seed and equipment are now under federal quarantine at a Manitoba farm where a crop pathogen never before seen in Canada made its first-ever appearance in North American canola. Without giving the farm’s specific or general location, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Friday it’s placed a quarantine order on seed from the farm at […] Read more
Verticillium wilt makes jump to Canadian canola
A Manitoba canola field has been confirmed as the first in North America with Verticillium wilt, a fungal disease well known to northern Europe’s canola and vegetable growers. With no seed treatments or foliar fungicides yet registered against it — and with no resistant canola varieties available — the disease, if here to stay, may […] Read more
The straight goods on canola variety performance
Interactive database allows searches ranging from yield and maturity to lodging and height
Reading Time: 2 minutes Results are in for the 2014 Canola Performance Trials (CPT). Data from the science-based, third-party variety evaluations have been uploaded to the online comparison tool on the CPT website. A summary booklet is also available for download. The online tool includes interactive maps and the ability to refine searches by season zone, herbicide tolerance type, […] Read more
Manitoba corn quality better than expected
CNS Canada — Manitoba’s corn growers weren’t sure what they’d find when they combined their fields this fall due to unfavourable growing conditions, but overall quality was better than expected. “We were worried going in that it would be a lighter crop because of the frost in September,” said Morgan Cott, agronomist with the Manitoba […] Read more
Man. farmers to get compensation for swamped land
Farmers around southern Manitoba’s Portage Diversion whose fields were submerged by the province’s flood-control efforts this summer can expect some compensation. The province on Wednesday pledged up to $1.15 million to compensate growers following last summer’s use of the Portage Diversion to help regulate water flow and protect rural and urban residents along the Assiniboine […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
