Reading Time: 3 minutes A new piece of machinery is helping crop growers control broadleaf weeds on their farms — especially on organic operations. “Organic growers are buying these CombCut machines like crazy,” said Steve Shirtliffe, a professor of plant sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. “There’s a real buzz in the organic farming community. I’ve never seen equipment […] Read more
New Swedish machine slices problem weeds down to size
Organic grain growers have been snapping up CombCut machines ‘like crazy’
Three Albertans among new crop of Nuffield scholars
Reading Time: < 1 minute Three Albertans are among the four 2017 Nuffield scholars. Nuffield scholarships give individuals an opportunity to boost Canadian agriculture by allowing them to study the best production, management and marketing systems in the world. “The opportunities and perspective that a Nuffield scholarship can provide are priceless in today’s global agricultural community,” said Kelvin Meadows, chairman […] Read more
Alberta scientists discover new heat-resistant strains of E. coli
The new strains found by U of A scientists can survive the temperature recommended by Health Canada for proper cooking
Reading Time: 2 minutes You might need to cook your meat at a higher temperature next time you fire up the barbecue. Scientists from the University of Alberta have found a new heat-resistant E. coli that can survive at 71 C — the level of heat advised by Health Canada for proper cooking. “We discovered that some strains of […] Read more
Farm safety consultations get mixed reviews
AgCoalition is hopeful, safety expert is pleased, but at least one farm group says the entire process is another ‘slap in the face’
Reading Time: 4 minutes Take your pick: The Alberta government’s approach to consultations on workplace safety regulations are a “sham,” possibly OK, or just what’s needed. The provincial government has set up six working groups — each with 12 members plus an independent chair — to develop workplace safety rules on farms and ranches. Of the 78 members, 23 […] Read more
Does the ‘appetite gene’ make for better cattle?
A genetic mutation in cattle makes gains with a little help from its friends
Reading Time: 5 minutes Somewhat controversial in the early days of cattle genetic coding, leptin — a hormone that regulates appetite in animals and humans — is making a comeback among some cattle breeders. The difference this time is its common inclusion in a broad panel of beneficial genes tested in cattle, said Stephen Moore, a leading researcher in […] Read more
‘Baby’ those pastures in a drought year
Reading Time: 3 minutes Grazers hit hard by last year’s drought could be in for another difficult year. “Hopefully this is not setting up to be a 2002 year, but it certainly looks and feels like that,” said Ed Bork, a rangeland ecology and management researcher at the University of Alberta. “That can change in the matter of a […] Read more
Grasslands a carbon-capture colossus
Do the math: Take Alberta $15-per-tonne carbon tax and then look at how much carbon is stored in grasslands
Reading Time: 3 minutes If the Alberta government really wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province, it should start with an incentive for farmers to reduce annual cropping, says a rangeland management expert. “There’s a pretty compelling case about why there should be a direct economic incentive for producers to maintain or even increase the amount of […] Read more
University of Alberta-led swine study tackles next health frontier
Study focuses on using genomic tools to protect swine exposed to multiple disease threats
Reading Time: 2 minutes If Canada is going to maintain a successful position in the global pork marketplace, swine health and animal care promises to be one of the deciding factors. Sustainable production and competitive pricing will be priorities and swine health and welfare is both a social requirement and necessity for sustainable production. Porcine health management represents a […] Read more
Double-resistant canola variety now available
But the first variety with ‘multigenic’ resistance is not a silver bullet, experts warn
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new hybrid canola cultivar that offers double resistance to clubroot has been registered and is now available to farmers. Proven Seed PV 580 GC was developed by University of Alberta canola breeder Habibur Rahman and Crop Production Services (CPS). It carries a resistance gene from Mendel, a European winter canola cultivar, and a second […] Read more
Grazing grasslands is good for the environment, study finds
A research team conducted a study on 114 sites throughout Alberta and found that long-term grazing can have a positive impact on grasslands
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cattle are often demonized as environmental polluters, but grazing them can have a positive impact on grasslands. “Grasslands store a lot of carbon and we should be proactively thinking about the value of that carbon, not to mention all the environmental goods and services they provide,” said Edward Bork, professor of rangeland ecology at the […] Read more
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