Growers should only use an insecticide when an economic threshold for a pest is reached.

Don’t jump the gun on pest control

It’s never a good idea to overreact when you see insects on your crops because jumping the gun, and spraying if it’s not really necessary, can do more harm than good. “Seldom, if ever, do preventative insecticides actually pay us,” says Scott Meers, insect specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “When we spray just to […] Read more





Children learn about fire safety at a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day in the Humboldt, Sask., area.

Rural community promotes safety

Anyone who has ever worked with children has likely wondered at times if those children are listening and learning anything. One rural community knows for sure that their kids are listening and learning. On an annual basis, volunteers come together in the Humboldt, SK region to talk to school-aged kids about safety. The Progressive Agriculture Safety Days […] Read more

AAFC's Dr. Abdelali Hannoufa says identifying a genetic regulator in alfalfa could lead to more drought-tolerant varieties.

Drought-tolerant alfalfa studied

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) researchers have discovered a gene in alfalfa that could help to make the crop more drought resistant. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Abdelali Hannoufa at AAFC’s London Research and Development Centre in Ontario, working in collaboration with industry partner, Forage Genetics International in the United States, discovered the […] Read more



Cool, wet start doesn’t slow seeding

Saskatchewan Crop Report for the week ending May 16

Saskatchewan Agriculture – Despite a cool and wet start to the week, seeding is advancing at a remarkable rate, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Fifty-one per cent of the crop is now seeded, well ahead of the five-year (2011-2015) average of 28 per cent for this time of year. Some producers have wrapped […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Drop in fed cattle prices weighs on feeder complex

Alberta fed cattle prices dropped sharply last week, with dressed sales falling $10 to $20 from seven days earlier. Despite the weakening Canadian dollar, wholesale beef prices also fell US$10/cwt which offset any currency benefit. Feedlot operators froze with disbelief as the market suffered one of the sharpest week-over-week declines in recent memory. The hot […] Read more