Lime improves alfalfa crop in Peace River Country. This photo was taken from Farming Acid Soils in Alberta and Northeast British Columbia by P.B. Hoyt, M. Nyborg and D.C. Penney.


Les Henry: Acid soils. A wake-up call

At the farm level, soil test, soil test, soil test

This piece came about because of a technical session I attended at scientific meetings in Saskatoon in July 2019. Rick Engel of Montana State University presented a paper showing soils on the Highwood Bench near Fort Benton, Mont., that had become so acidic crops like lentils and sunflowers would barely grow. The soils were at […] Read more


(ArmadaFoods.com)

Pulse weekly outlook: Turkey may see larger red lentil crop

MarketsFarm — Turkey is expecting to see an increase in lentil production in 2020, according to a processor in the country. White bean production is also expected to rise, although chickpea production could be down slightly on the year. Fethi Sonmez, CEO of Turkey-based Armada Foods, expects to see red lentil production in the country […] Read more

John’s lentil field had several large bare patches. Across the rest of the field, the lentil plants were at the eight-leaf stage and didn’t exhibit any signs of herbicide injury.

Crop advisor casebook: Bare patches in lentil crop puzzles Sask. grower

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the April 7, 2020 issue of Grainews

Back in early June, I was out scouting fields near Main Centre, Sask., when I came across a problem on one grower’s farm. A field containing lentils had several large bare patches, so I called John, the farm owner, to let him know what I’d found. John, who also grows durum wheat and canola on […] Read more



Crop staging is important to determine crop maturity and harvest timing.

How to get staging right in pulse and soybean crops

Understand crop stages for best results

One of the biggest reasons pulse and soybean growers need to understand the growth stages of their plants is to determine the correct timing of in-season herbicides and fungicides, which varies by crop and growth stage. The application of chemicals in field peas, for example, is typically determined by what node stage the crop is […] Read more



Fungicides with dual modes of action, a new insecticide seed treatment and foliar fungicides containing a brand new active ingredient are available for 2020.

Get ready for improved pest control

Companies offer new products and new actives for coming crop year

With the start of the 2020 growing season just a few weeks away, crop protection companies are introducing farmers to new products with new chemistries promising improved pest control — some with wider windows of application and some with dual modes of action — and all are intended to provide a bigger bang for the […] Read more