Can we push feed and even malt barley varieties to sky-high yields? Steve Larocque, of Beyond Agronomy, has completed a four-year field trial that says yes, but there's a catch. Inspired by what he saw on a 2010 trip to New Zealand, where feed barley averaged 207 to 210 bushels per acre, Larocque started digging... Read More
Category: Tradeshows Events
Tough to say and even harder to control, aphanomyces has the potential to significantly reduce pea and lentil yields, and can stick around in the soil for an extremely long time. It's recommended that farmers not plant pea or lentil for five to six years if aphanomyces has been confirmed in a field, but that's... Read More
The announcement last week of a $400 million pea processing plant in central Manitoba caught many in the farm community by surprise. "Peas? Don't you mean soybeans?" was the most common response. By far. With another 20-plus percent increase in soybean acres expected, there will likely be north of two million acres grown on the... Read More
Despite the protectionist rhetoric coming from President Trump, the trade critic for the federal Conservatives sounds hopeful — even optimistic — about Canada's trading relationship with the United States. "It's fine to say you want to put America first. It's fine to say you want to create jobs at home, but at the end of... Read More
There's a concerning trend in Ontario's soils: organic matter is being depleted. The decrease may seem small — about 0.8% over 12 years — but organic matter is vital to soil's water holding capacity, nutrient-cycling ability, and compaction resiliency, to name just a few roles. What's more, replacing lost soil organic matter is a slow,... Read More
As crop yields and nutrient removal rates continue to increase, many growers wonder whether it’s time to top up fertilizer rates. At the core of the discussion in Ontario is whether critical soil test values for corn and soybeans are still valid and whether they pack the nutrient punch needed to allow new hybrids and... Read More
Canola seed in Canada could soon come with a label describing the variety's blackleg disease resistance package, similar to the labeling system used in Australia. After around four years of discussions between seed companies, researchers, and growers, an agreement-in-principle has been reached on blackleg resistance labeling, says Clint Jurke, agronomy director with the Canola Council... Read More
The Canola Council of Canada has started its search for a new president, following the announcement of Patti Miller's upcoming departure. Canola Council president since 2012, Miller has been appointed chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission, starting February 13. She sat down with us at CropSphere in Saskatoon last week to reflect on her... Read More
As Donald Trump takes office in the United States, questions abound regarding the impact of his promised economic, environmental, foreign, and trade policies. There's optimism in the agricultural regions of the U.S, as the president-elect has promised a major reduction of government agency regulation. The American people wanted something different in Washington and that is... Read More
Food companies and millers are knocking on grain buyers' doors looking for oats that have been grown without an application of glyphosate. Demand for "glyphosate free" oats has ramped up over the last few months, says Kenric Exner, merchandising manager with Viterra. "We're starting to see more end-users in the U.S. ask if it's possible.... Read More