(Dave Bedard photo)

Saskatchewan adds new secretary for farm irrigation

A rookie MLA in the Saskatchewan Party caucus has been promoted to a legislative secretary post with responsibility for expansion of the province’s farm irrigation systems. Premier Brad Wall on Tuesday named Warren Kaeding, the MLA for Melville-Saltcoats since April, as legislative secretary to the minister of agriculture, for irrigation expansion. Kaeding was previously a […] Read more



Ted inspects developing strawberries growing in partial shade under floating row cover. Read below about the tarnished plant bug and how to avoid cat-faced strawberries.

More information on potatoes

Singing Gardener: Plus, some tips on strawberries

We can all identify with how time flies. The longest day or summer solstice for this year is now long gone. Little by little, daylight is sneaking away and shall continue to do so until just before next Christmas when we have our shortest day. Speaking of “sneaking,” let me put a question to you. […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Canada dilutes plan to limit temporary foreign workers

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s Liberal government on Thursday watered down measures to limit the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers firms can hire after complaints the restrictions would cause major labour shortages. Under rules introduced by the previous Conservative administration, the number of low-skilled foreign workers a firm could employ would have dropped to […] Read more

Campbell, which recently rolled out several Star Wars-themed products such as these Darth Vader-shaped SpaghettiOs, plans to label all its U.S. products for presence of GMO ingredients. (Campbells.com)

MP calls for mandatory GMO labels, echoes Vermont regulations

CNS Canada — A Quebec MP has tabled a new bill calling for mandatory labelling of genetically modified (GM) foods, following steps taken by lawmakers south of the border. Pierre-Luc Dusseault, the New Democrat MP for Sherbrooke, introduced Bill C-291 Tuesday morning, calling for the mandatory labelling of genetically engineered (GE) foods in Canada. Dusseault […] Read more


Pink rot fungicide resistance spreading

Phosphites offer a strong alternative control option for potato growers

In Prince Edward Island, potato growers may soon lose the use of metalaxyl, a key fungicide registered for use against Phytophthora erythroseptica, the pathogen responsible for pink rot. According to the results of a national survey, 50 per cent of isolates studied in Ontario and Eastern Canada are resistant to Ridomil, a single-site mode of […] Read more

Watch for wireworms in potatoes

Watch for wireworms in potatoes

If wireworm is not on Prairie potato growers' radar yet, it will be in the near future

According to Bob Vernon, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Agassiz, B.C., since the organophochlorine pesticide Lindane was banned in Canada in 2004, followed by the organophosphate insecticide Thimet last year, populations of wireworm have been slowing in some areas and “booming” in others. Vernon was in Brandon, Man., to present a […] Read more


(Bayer.com)

Bayer secures loan facility to fund Monsanto bid

Reuters — German drugs and crop chemicals group Bayer, which has made a US$62 billion bid for U.S. seeds company Monsanto, has secured a 60 billion-euro (C$87.75 billion, or US$66.9 billion) loan facility, business journal Handelsblatt reported Thursday. The loan facility can be expanded up to 75 billion euros (C$109.68 billion, or US$83.62 billion), the German […] Read more