Reading Time: 4 minutes Practising low-stress handling techniques has its benefits — it may actually help reduce shrink during transportation. “It’s about how we set animals up to interact with humans — any time you interact with them you’re training them how to respond and what to expect from humans,” said Christy Goldhawk who did her doctorate work on […] Read more
You need to think about shrink long before the transport truck arrives
Training your cattle to stay calm and properly preparing them for the stress of transport pays big dividends
‘Change’ is the watchword in a warming world, says researcher
Longer summers and milder winters sound nice, but even the pluses come with some negatives
Reading Time: 3 minutes How will the Canadian cattle industry fare if global temperatures continue to rise? Count a reduced feed demand, a longer grazing season, and higher forage production among the benefits — but also expect more extreme weather, pests, and transport headaches, according to University of Manitoba research scientist Kim Ominski. “We know the future of our […] Read more
They’ve got your back — meet four new Alberta researchers
Ag Canada’s newest researchers are working on issues that hurting or holding back producers today — or will in the future
Reading Time: 4 minutes Agriculture and Agri-food Canada hired four new scientists in Alberta this past spring. Here’s a quick introduction to the newest additions to the research community: Nitynanda (Nitya) Khanal Integrated forage crops management, Beaverlodge The forage research position at Beaverlodge had been vacant for years following a retirement. But not any more — although it was […] Read more
Canola oil can help trim inches off the waist
Researchers found a significant decrease of belly fat in a clinical trial of obese subjects who included canola oil in their diets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canola oil can help reduce belly fat, a new study has found. About 20 per cent of adults in Canada have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions — including belly fat — that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Researchers at the University of Manitoba, Laval University, and Penn State University tested […] Read more
Three Albertans mentoring new researchers
Reading Time: 2 minutes A trio of Albertans is among the mentors in the 2016-17 edition of the Beef Researcher Mentorship program. The program pairs researchers with cattle producers and beef leaders so the academics can better understand “the needs of the beef industry in practical and meaningful ways,” said the Beef Cattle Research Council. Participants also receive a […] Read more
Perennial grain: It’s two — yes, two — crops in one
It’s been a decades’ long search, but researchers believe the finish line is in sight for a crop that can be both grazed and then harvested for its grain
Reading Time: 4 minutes As concerns grow over sustainability in modern farming, researchers are looking to the past in search of crops that can both meet the needs of farmers and consumers as well as the environment. Thinopyrum intermedium — commonly known as intermediate wheatgrass — is one of the fruits of that research. It’s been nearly three decades […] Read more
Pair of organic field days on offer
Reading Time: < 1 minute Organic Alberta and the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative will be hosting two field days on organic grain and field crop production. On July 11, there will be a tour of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research Station and Leffer’s Organic Farm. Federal researchers will talk about weed biocontrol, integrated pest management, soil health, and nutrient management. […] Read more
Prairie wheat growers wanted for gluten strength study
What's in it for you? Valuable data about your wheat, and potentially help boost returns for the whole class
Reading Time: 3 minutes Scientists investigating the effect weather, agronomics and genotype have on milling wheat quality are appealing to farmers across the Prairies to participate in their study. The goal is to improve the quantity, quality and consistency of Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat and in so doing increase returns to farmers. In return participating farmers will […] Read more
Three things to watch for when reading your grain contract
Two-part contracts, delivery terms, and extended delivery periods can cause problems down the road if you don’t read your grain contract carefully
Reading Time: 3 minutes Do you read your grain contracts from front to back? If so, you’re one of the few who do. A University of Manitoba study found only 17 per cent of Canadian farmers read their whole grain contracts — and that’s a mistake, says a grain industry expert. “For every grain buyer out there, the terms […] Read more
Winter wheat acres should double or triple: expert
AgCanada scientist says winter wheat acres could hit the five-million mark, if crop insurance rules allowed later seeding
Reading Time: 3 minutes If spring comes late or is wet seven months from now, growers waiting to plant spring wheat will be looking with envy at neighbours’ fields of winter wheat. But there should be less envy and more winter wheat than the one million to 1.5 million acres currently grown on the Prairies, says Brian Beres, a […] Read more
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