Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada requires that all ingredients, as well as the percentage of each, must be on the label of a product sold in Canada. Your job as the product user is to read that product label.

Perceptions and misconceptions versus realities in agriculture

Practical Research: In the court of public opinion, the drama can fog the facts

Since my retirement from Alberta Agriculture in 2002 I’ve acted as a legal expert in a number of lawsuits. Often, when a farmer is sued by a lawyer on behalf of a client, the farmer will immediately seek his own lawyer or lawyers for advice. While the lawyer may be well apprised of provincial and […] Read more

This is one of the weather stations Shannon Winny has on the family farm in Saskatchewan. The round black device at the top is the ultrasonic wind speed sensor. The station, powered by a small solar panel, can also collect data on rainfall, temperature, dew point, humidity, solar radiation and leaf wetness. The cables near the bottom are part of an add-on feature for soil moisture sensing. Basic models start around $1,100. | Photo: Courtesy of Shannon Winny


On-farm weather stations help guide management decisions

The return on investment can come from improved efficiency, helping growers get the most out of a crop under variable growing conditions

An on-farm weather station doesn’t make the crop grow better, but farmers and agrologists using the technology say real-time information about precipitation, wind, temperature and soil moisture reserves can help guide decisions about if or when to apply crop inputs — and provide a good indication of what yield they might expect. Field scouting is […] Read more


Photosensitizers are expected to help control "soft-bodied" insects such as aphids, Loveland's Francisco Manzano says.

Nutrien buys into biocontrol

How did the seller — oil company Suncor — wind up in crop pest control?

Glacier FarmMedia — Photodynamic inactivation is not a phrase used in everyday conversation, but it could become an effective control of insect and fungal pests in agriculture. “Photodynamic Inactivation (PDI) of micro-organisms using natural photosensitizers has shown itself to be a powerful tool to combat bacteria and fungi (in crops),” says a 2019 paper published […] Read more

Bridgestone is introducing three new ag tractor tire lines to the North American market. All three are designed to extend tire life, as well as improve traction.

Bridgestone-branded ag tires come to North America

New radial tractor tires debut as a complement to the Firestone brand

In May of 1988 Bridgestone acquired Firestone. Since then the company’s ag tire line has continued on carrying the Firestone brand name, at least here in North America. In late August, though, the company launched its first Bridgestone-branded ag tire line on these shores. “In North America, historically, everything in our business has been Firestone-branded, […] Read more


Don Guilford with a group of first-calf heifers

Redefining a ranch

Holistic management has made the Guilford ranch more efficient — and it carries more cattle

Don and Diane Guilford have been practicing holistic management on their 1,200-acre ranch near Clearwater, Man. since the early 1980s. Don is the third generation of his family in that region and says holistic management has made a big difference in his success as a farmer. He took his first course with Allan Savory at […] Read more

Capacity to sit on this year’s crop waiting for a better price won’t be an option available to everyone.

Feeling the pinch

Uncertainty across commodity and input markets creates difficult choices for farmers

Farmers are facing a tight squeeze this fall. Commodity prices are low, and the lower input prices that they’re used to this time of year are not materializing. Keystone Agricultural Producers president Jill Verwey says it’s a tough time for growers. “Being able to make a profit this year is going to be pretty slim,” […] Read more


Jeff Schoenau.

Schoenau receives inaugural Les Henry Award

The late Les Henry announced the award’s first recipient earlier this year

Jeff Schoenau, a University of Saskatchewan professor and Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair in soil nutrient management, is the first recipient of the Les Henry Award. Henry, a renowned Grainews columnist, Saskatchewan soil scientist and professor emeritus at the university, died earlier this summer. He selected Schoenau to receive the award in April. […] Read more

One plant can have many aliases. Scarlet mallow, a native prairie wildflower, is also referred to as salmon pinks or “cowboys’ delight.” Biologists generally use Latin plant names to avoid common name confusion.

Plants and their identity crises

A Little Bit Western: One person’s weed is another person’s useful and cherished plant

Like many farmers and ranchers, I’ve always been curious about plants. After all, we are surrounded by plants, and humans depend on them for everything from food and forage to fibre and fun. Throughout the growing season, as interesting plants pop up in ditches, fields and pastures, I get texts, tweets and messages with photos […] Read more



Farming Smarter’s strip tillage unit at work.

Opposing exposure to erosion

Early indications in Alberta research are that soil stays put, with no adverse effect on crop performance

Strip tillage and cover crops are two techniques being tested in southern Alberta applied research trials, seeking practices that will help reduce the risk of soil erosion. Farmers on the Prairies — and across North America — have made huge strides over the past 40 years in reducing soil losses by applying conservation farming practices […] Read more