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’
Researchers join forces to dig deep into state of Prairie cow herd
The five-year project has researchers collecting hard data on topics such as antibiotic use, trace minerals, and Johne’s disease
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle in Western Canada tend to be deficient in copper, have a low incidence of Johne’s disease, and cow-calf producers don’t use antibiotics excessively. Those are three of the findings from the cattle health network, a five-year project begun in 2012, and based on the National Animal Health Monitoring System in the U.S. “This year […] Read more
Take care to remove or properly chop netwrap
Cattle will eat netwrap and this can lead to reduced gain and even, in some cases, sudden death
Reading Time: 2 minutes Should you be worried about cattle eating netwrap? The short answer is, maybe. Like twine, cattle will eat netwrap and it can accumulate in the rumen and cause impaction and bloat. The buildup, even if not severe enough to cause noticeable health issues, can reduce voluntary feed intake by three to five pounds a day. […] Read more
Red pens come out for postmortem report on CWB era
A researcher working for a group calling for the return of single desk marketing misinterpreted data in former Canadian Wheat Board annual reports to conclude the board paid lower rates for shipping grain. Several sources, including a former Canadian Wheat Board director, say University of Saskatchewan Ph.D. candidate Laura Larsen used an inaccurate comparison in […] Read more
Nasal spray vaccine more effective against BRD than injection
Reading Time: < 1 minute Vaccines for bovine respiratory disease are more effective when administered via nasal spray than injection, according to a University of Saskatchewan study. Dr. Philip Griebel’s study found vaccines administered at branding (age three to six weeks) and at weaning (age six to seven months) were more effective when given via nasal spray. “Intranasal vaccination at […] Read more
The secret life of your cow’s reproductive system
Becoming adept at artificial insemination takes time and a lot of practice — here’s what you need to know
Reading Time: 4 minutes Many people are nervous about artificially inseminating their cattle. But knowing a few of the basics about a cow’s reproductive system can help get you on the way to creating an artificial insemination program, said Colin Palmer, associate professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. “The ultimate goal is […] Read more
Beef nutrition expert honoured
Reading Time: < 1 minute Nutrition and management expert John McKinnon is the 2015 winner of the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. The researcher and University of Saskatchewan professor was honoured for his “phenomenal contributions to advancements in the competitiveness and sustainability of the Canadian beef industry,” said the Beef Cattle Research Council. McKinnon’s research focuses […] Read more
Genetic codebreaking on wheat years ahead of schedule
Sequencing the infamously complex genome for bread wheat — a game-changing task for wheat breeding that’s been estimated to take four or five more years — may now just take another couple of years, following a milestone announced Wednesday. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), a team co-led by Canadian researchers, announced Wednesday it […] Read more
What does your grain sell for at port?
When grain gridlock hit two years ago, the gap between the elevator and port price appears to have skyrocketed — and cost farmers billions
Reading Time: 4 minutes The jury’s still out on whether knowing the price of export grain relative to local cash prices will help producers get better prices. But the Alberta Wheat Commission intends to find out. “The port price would provide an indication of whether the system is constrained or functioning efficiently,” said Tom Steve, the commission’s general manager. […] Read more
Young cattle producer from Provost wins OYF scholarship
Reading Time: < 1 minute Myles Butt of Provost is one of two recipients of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers memorial scholarships. Butt and Ontario’s Deanna Ringelberg will each receive $1,000 to support their post-secondary agricultural studies in Canada. Butt is a fourth-generation farmer, and his family grows 3,000 acres of crops and raises about 700 head of commercial beef cattle. […] Read more
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