Green peas. (PulseCanada.com)

Seeding underway in southern Alberta

CNS Canada — Alberta farmers are in the early stages of seeding this year’s crop, with operations expected to become more widespread over the next few weeks. “Southern Alberta is the most advanced, and (farmers) have been plugging away for as long as two weeks in some areas,” said Mark Cutts, a crop specialist with […] Read more



Ignore market chatter with AgriProfit$

Reading Time: < 1 minute Still watching the markets before finalizing your seeding plans? There are a number of factors affecting markets, and the challenge is filtering all the information, says provincial crop market analyst Neil Blue. “Rather than being caught up in day-to-day market chatter, most producers deal with the cropping decisions by considering some basics in addition to […] Read more

Late is not great when it comes to seeding wheat

Late is not great when it comes to seeding wheat

Wheat growers need to get their crop in the ground as early as possible if they want to maximize yields

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s time to start treating wheat like it’s a “real crop,” says Ontario agronomist ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson. “Wheat is the most responsive crop to management we grow, and yet it’s the crop that we manage the least,” Peter Johnson said at the Farming Smarter conference last month. “You just put it in the ground and […] Read more


It was a year like no other for canola crops

It was a year like no other for canola crops

Reading Time: < 1 minute It was a year when breaking the rules paid off for canola producers. Seeding deep and seeding late frequently produced better results than seeding early and shallow, which is rarely the case. And reseeding paid off, too. “There were a lot of things that worked this year that I hope you don’t do next year,” […] Read more

rain on the ground

For producers, it’s wait and pray time for rain

Pastures and hayfields have been hardest hit but AFSC analyst still expects a ‘slightly below-average crop’

Reading Time: 3 minutes The conditions across Alberta can be summed up in three words: It’s awfully dry. “As of Tuesday, we’ve been getting some moisture here in central Alberta, which has been a nice break, but I don’t know how general that moisture has been,” AFSC risk analyst James Wright said in an interview June 12. “We haven’t […] Read more


tractors seeding a field

Things not going as hoped? That’s normal, says crop specialist

Whether it’s production conditions or markets, producers need to have a Plan B

Reading Time: 2 minutes Preparation is key when dealing with the unexpected, says provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “There’s always a lot of talk about ‘normal’ when talking about cropping and agriculture,” said Brook. “Advanced planning and adjustments are needed to avoid possible devastating results when ‘normal’ doesn’t occur. Whether it applies to spring weather conditions or markets or […] Read more

Neil Harker of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Brace yourself — winter annual weeds worse than usual this year

Dry conditions earlier this spring gave winter annuals an edge and for some growers, it’s too late to manage them

Reading Time: 2 minutes The dry conditions of early spring could lead to a spike in winter annual weeds. “Winter annuals could be a problem,” said Neil Harker, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “We really haven’t had a lot of spring moisture, so the ones that were already established, like stinkweed and flixweed and winter annual cleavers, […] Read more


man resting his arm on a shovel

Fatigue during spring seeding is dangerous, work safe

Know the warning signs and 
set sensible limits

Reading Time: < 1 minute Seeding and the spring work frenzy puts you at greater risk of serious injury due to fatigue. “Too many farmers push themselves, especially during the really busy times,” said Kenda Lubeck, farm safety co-ordinator with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “Too often, it is a case of wanting to finish a field even though fatigue […] Read more