Reading Time: < 1 minute A new labelling system now tells growers which strain of blackleg resistance their canola variety has. “The idea is not to use that same strain of blackleg resistance repeatedly,” said Canola Council of Canada agronomist Keith Gabert. “If you can rotate blackleg resistance and we can tell you what resistance your previous variety had and […] Read more
New canola variety labels show different strains of blackleg resistance
Chicken producers decry abuse shown in undercover video
Abuse on a B.C. broiler farm is an isolated incident but the poultry industry must ensure it doesn’t happen again, says Alberta Chicken Producers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Like its predecessors, the latest undercover video by Mercy for Animals showing abuse of animals on a farm has had a big impact. The 2-1/2-minute long video shows catchers from Elite Farm Services kicking, throwing, and simulating sexual acts with broiler chickens on a farm in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. Erna Ference, chair of the Alberta […] Read moreRCMP and Citizens On Patrol make it official
Reading Time: < 1 minute The RCMP and Alberta Citizens On Patrol Association (ACOPA) have officially teamed up. An Alberta RCMP release said the two have co-operated for many years, but deputy commissioner Todd Shean and ACOPA chair Beverley Salomons recently signed an official memorandum of understanding (MOU) which outlines their partnership. Citizens On Patrol is a police-supported, community-led program […] Read more
Algae could put dugout water safety at risk
Reading Time: < 1 minute An Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) water specialist has a warning about the dangers of blue-green algae. “Blue-green algae is actually cyanobacteria, and can produce toxins that can be very dangerous,” says Shawn Elgert, agricultural water engineer, Barrhead. Elgert says the first and most important step is to identify the type of growth. “Blue-green algae […] Read more
Sheep industry struggles to match supply with demand
Reading Time: 3 minutes The law of supply and demand may usually prevail, but it’s having a bit of trouble working in the Canadian sheep industry. “The No. 1 challenge we face is a shortage of supply,” said Miles Kliner, general manager of Sungold Specialty Meats in Innisfail. “That has been going on for 15 to 16 years. We […] Read more
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
Root rot pathogens deliver one-two punch to pea fields
Reading Time: 3 minutes Two root rot pathogens are teaming up to wreak havoc in Alberta’s pea fields. “Before 2016, I thought that we were just dealing with fusarium root rot in the brown soil zone, but 2016 completely changed that hypothesis,” said Syama Chatterton, plant pathologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “We saw a lot of aphanomyces root […] Read more
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