Daily Network News

More News →

Irrigation

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
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
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
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
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
For most farmers, the simplest, easiest and cheapest way to measure soil moisture is using the hand-feel method.
Columns, Crops

How to understand and measure soil water

It’s important to estimate stored soil moisture at planting to adjust crop inputs

By
Water is often the most crucial factor in controlling crop yields. The amount of water used by crops can be affected by several factors including the availability of stored soil water, amount of precipitation during the growing season, crop rooting depth and various environmental aspects such as day length, amount of solar radiation, humidity, temperature […] Read more
(Fentino/E+/Getty Images)
General, Machinery, Weather

Carbon price exemption for farm gas clears Commons

Bill C-234 next headed to Senate

By ,
Legislative amendments that would exempt farmers’ eligible purchases of natural gas and propane from federal carbon pricing are now en route to Canada’s Senate. Bill C-234, a private member’s bill sponsored by Ben Lobb, the Conservative MP for the southern Ontario riding of Huron-Bruce, passed third reading for adoption in the House of Commons on […] Read more
The tree row catches the snow, and the big slough goes from dry to high water table. In years gone by, I spent many hours with three, two-inch pumps to move water from the slough to adjacent upland — not always a huge success.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Twenty-seven years of crops at my Dundurn farm

And a few lessons learned

By
In the early 1990s, agriculture in Saskatchewan was still suffering from the devastation of the 1980s. Drought and poor crops with low prices were bad news. But, interest rates as high as 20 per cent were the kicker that resulted in much land going back to FCC or the Royal Bank. (Yes, Virginia, interest rates […] Read more
The benefits of irrigation in Alberta
Columns, Crops

The benefits of irrigation in Alberta

Irrigation plays a significant role in increasing crop and livestock production

By
Irrigation is often referred to as the “lifeblood” of southern Alberta. Irrigation water was first diverted from the St. Mary River in 1900 and arrived by canal system to Magrath, Raymond and Lethbridge. Now, 122 years later, just over 1.8 million acres are irrigated in Alberta. Irrigated agriculture contributes about $6.5 billion to Alberta’s GDP […] Read more
Forecast probability of temperature above, below and near normal (calibrated) for the period of March, April and May 2023. (Map by Environment and Climate Change Canada)
General, Weather

‘Normal’ spring ahead for most of the Prairies

Below-normal rains expected for southern Alberta, western Saskatchewan

By
MarketsFarm — Canada’s Prairies are looking at normal temperatures over the next month to three months, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The federal department on Tuesday issued its temperature and precipitation probabilistic forecasts, which also called for normal precipitation for most of the region. “The forecast is really neutral for the Prairies, […] Read more
Marla Riekman says building a soil’s resilience will help it meet challenges during the growing season and improve overall crop growth.
Crops, Features

Strategies to increase your field’s potential

A panel discusses the importance of soil structure, tile drainage benefits and using precision ag and conservation to increase farm profitability

By
Farming has existed in one shape or form for more than 10,000 years. While farming methods have evolved considerably over that time, one thing that has remained the same is a desire among producers to get the most possible out of their land. Improving every acre was the focus of a panel discussion at Canola […] Read more

AgCanadaTV

AgCanadaTV Special Feature: Crop pest insects to watch out for in 2026

Sponsored by:
More Videos →

Latest Market News

More Market News →