After watching the throne speech yesterday I quickly remembered back to a conversation that I had with Gerry Ritz back in January at Farmtech regarding Canada implementing UPOV 91. (Canada's plant breeder's rights system is currently based on the 1978 convention). On several occasions Minister Ritz was very confident Canada would conform to the UPOV... Read More
Category: Crops
Research is often seen as an investment in new technology development, in whirring instruments or the roar of equipment. That might make it easy to forget that new technology results from new knowledge. And knowledge is key to preserving and advancing modern family farms. That reminder comes courtesy of Mildmay, ON dairy farmer Ralph Dietrich.... Read More
As the growing season winds down, it's time to think about the best parts of winter — planning for next season and conferences! (My version of "best" my differ from yours). One of the highlights of the conference season has to be FarmTech, where farmers are challenged to evaluate their current production practices and, perhaps,... Read More
2013 was a big year for western Canadian cereal crops, and with big yield can come big problems with toppling over. Lodging risk is a complicated mixture of genetics, a nutrient imbalance, nutrient deficiency, improper seeding rate or a combination of these factors. Having all those things in check is key, but if you still... Read More
Swede midge larvae and symptoms were spotted in much of northeastern Saskatchewan this summer, concerning producers and agronomists alike. This isn't the first time there has been concern over their movement, however. Three adult midge were found in Saskatchewan in 2007, only seven years after first being identified in Ontario, where their spread has been... Read More
A clean start at planting can mean a fall herbicide application, even well into October if conditions are right. Fall weed control is the equivalent of a pre-plant burn-off for winter wheat, for one, but it's also the best time to get a hold of several weeds, including perennials like dandelion and constantly germinating Canada... Read More
The Canola Council of Canada released a report today that demonstrates the recent growth in canola’s contribution to the Canadian economy, pegging it at $19.3 billion. "Demand for canola is growing as the world seeks healthier oils and more protein. Producers and industry are meeting that challenge and canola has become a powerful engine in... Read More
When you've got many hungry mouths to feed, efficiency counts. And while a big tractor or TMR mixer may help, the process of creating rations and feeding cattle can be made faster and more efficient through the use of a piece of equipment engineered specifically for the task at hand. The Faresin Ecomdoe self-loading TMR... Read More
No longer only the concern of Alberta canola growers, clubroot symptoms have been found in at least two Manitoba canola fields. This is a disease that, once established, is not easily controlled and is essentially impossible to eradicate. All canola growers in the Prairie Provinces need to be on the look out for this disease... Read More
Ah, Canada fleabane. This nasty weed isn't just an issue because of confirmed glyphosate resistance — its very nature of germinating whenever the heck it feels like it means that it's one weed that can't be well controlled by just one or even a few control methods. Canada fleabane control and resistance management requires a... Read More