Irrigation Archives - Page 4 of 13

Canadian Drought Monitor map as of June 30, 2023. (AAFC)

Much of Canada abnormally dry or in moderate drought

Southern Ontario among exceptions

By GFM Network News July 11, 2023

MarketsFarm — In a stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, a wide swath of Canada was contending with dryness, according to the latest report from the Canadian Drought Monitor. As of June 30, about 60 per cent of the country was abnormally dry to being in a moderate drought, with 76 per cent […] Read more

File photo of a potato field in Alberta’s Lacombe County. (COrthner/iStock/Getty Images)

Crops, Potatoes

Alberta potatoes chip in $2.9 billion for Canadian economy

New report verifies what many in industry suspected

By Jeff Melchior, GFM Network News July 4, 2023

Alberta’s potato industry is making a big impact — not just on that province but the entire country. A new report — dubbed a “landmark study” by the Potato Growers of Alberta — revealed the sector drove a total contribution of $2.87 billion to Canada’s economy in 2022. It also notes the nationwide creation of […] Read more

AAFC’s Drought Monitor map as of May 31, 2023.

General, Weather

Drought expands across Canadian Prairies

Dry conditions push eastward in Manitoba

By GFM Network News June 13, 2023

MarketsFarm — Warm and dry conditions across much of the Prairies in May caused drought conditions to worsen, especially in Alberta, according to the latest Drought Monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. As of May 31, an estimated 79 per cent of the Prairie region was classified as abnormally dry (D0) or in moderate […] Read more

RJ Sigurdson, MLA for Highwood, is sworn in on June 9, 2023 as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and irrigation. (Government of Alberta video screengrab via YouTube)

Livestock

Calgary-area MLA named Alberta’s new ag minister

RJ Sigurdson to handle ag file, Horner moves to finance

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News June 9, 2023

The Alberta government’s caucus lead on emergency medical services (EMS) reform has been promoted to handle the agriculture file in a post-election cabinet shuffle. RJ Sigurdson, MLA for the constituency of Highwood, just south of Calgary, was sworn in Friday by Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani as Alberta’s new minister of agriculture and irrigation, replacing Nate Horner. […] Read more

General, Markets

Pre-election reports analyze Alberta’s ag issues

Three reports focus on party histories, ag sector concerns, current platforms

By Jonah Grignon, GFM Network News May 27, 2023

Alberta farmers’ concerns with provincial policy, and the two major parties’ stances on those concerns, are the subjects of a three-part analysis leading up to a provincial election on Monday. The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy, a think tank operating out of the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, says its three […] Read more

In mid-summer, when prolonged hot weather occurs, a quarter section pivot system that puts out 900 U.S. gallons per minute may not be able to keep up with daily crop water use. If a pivot system cannot keep up with peak water use requirements, growth and yield may suffer.

Columns

How to manage and schedule irrigation, Part 2

Maintain proper moisture levels during the growing season for optimum crop yield

By Ross H. McKenzie May 25, 2023

Initially, at the start of a growing season, an irrigation manager wants to ensure adequate water is available for crop germination. Sometimes, light, frequent water applications are needed to ensure excellent, uniform germination, emergence, stand establishment and early crop growth. This is possible with low pressure pivot irrigation systems, which apply rates as low as […] Read more

File photo of a storm cloud from the southwestern end of Lake Winnipeg at Matlock, Man. (IanChrisGraham/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Crops, Reuters, Weather

More than half of world’s large lakes drying up, study finds

Gains in Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg come from runoff, rainfall

By GFM Network News May 18, 2023

London | Reuters — More than half of the world’s large lakes and reservoirs have shrunk since the early 1990s, chiefly because of climate change, intensifying concerns about water for agriculture, hydropower and human consumption, a study published on Thursday found. A team of international researchers reported that some of the world’s most important freshwater […] Read more

For irrigation farmers, two critical terms to understand are allowable depletion and readily available water. Allowable depletion is the amount of water that can be removed from soil without affecting crop yield or inducing crop water stress. The water between field capacity and allowable depletion is referred to as readily available water.

Columns, Crops

How to manage and schedule irrigation, Part 1

Here’s how to prevent water-induced stress on your crops

By Ross H. McKenzie May 4, 2023

Two costly mistakes irrigation farmers can make are not starting to irrigate soon enough in spring and not applying enough water to keep up with crop water demands during the growing season. Good irrigation water management simply involves determining the correct amount of irrigation water to apply at the right times. The goal of irrigation […] Read more

Larry Luba (left) and Paul Bullock with the Mobile drill. At the start, 45 feet was all of the augers we had, but before long a 75-foot hole was the first order of business at a new site.

Columns, Crops

Les Henry: The soil salinity story

How it all happened

By Les Henry April 13, 2023

Over the years, I have found readers like to hear about “how it all happened.” Sure, the results and how the results can direct crop practices is important. For soil salinity, our results have been communicated broadly for decades and practices have changed, but, in this piece, I will let you know how it all […] Read more

This apomictic process, if successful, allows superior combinations of plant traits to be captured and preserved without any cross-pollination.

Cereals, Columns, Crops

Hybrid wheat and apomixis

Practical Research: Are we any closer?

By Ieuan Evans April 11, 2023

Eureka! Not really. In the next year or so, Syngenta will release a hybrid wheat variety using complex crossbreeding systems just ahead of a few rival companies working on the same problem. Hybrid wheat varieties combine the traits of two parent selections. Work started on hybrid wheat around 2010, and by 2023 there will be […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle slip back, hogs gain

U.S. grains: Soy futures post biggest monthly gain in nearly five years on China trade optimism

Farm gate milk price to rise in 2026

Irrigation