Grain bags are a great affordable, temporary solution to your grain storage problems. Until it’s time to get rid of them. Here’s a new solution
Grain bags have increased in popularity over the last few years. Grain bags are a relatively inexpensive temporary storage option that offer a number of benefits. One downside, however, is what to do with the bag once it is unloaded. There’s almost 300 pound of agricultural plastic film in one bag. Add to that some […] Read more
Hemp, quinoa, fababeans, camelina, hairy vetch, carinata and guar bean. Get the inside scoop
Some farmers love growing the latest “new” crop. Others drive by them in their neighbours’ fields and wonder what they are. There is no definitive list of “special” crops. Many crops we think of as “new” are actually very old. Some that are “special” in one area are standard in another. This is not an […] Read more
A quick look at camelina, carinata, hairy vetch, fababean and hemp
Here’s a look at five special crops that may have you craning your neck out the window of your pickup when travelling down gravel roads this summer.
With growing demand, Northern Quinoa plans to triple its contracted acreage for the 2015 growing season
Quinoa has been cultivated for thousands of years. During that time it has been variously revered as sacred, relied on to feed a people and it has also been misunderstood and under-appreciated. Quinoa can be grown in many geographies given the right conditions, but its origins are high up in the Andes Mountains of South […] Read more
As private companies step up cereal breeding investments, Andrea Hilderman reviews our public breeding triumphs
Dr. Ron DePauw has been actively involved in the breeding program at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre (SPARC) in Swift Current, Saskatchewan for many decades. Over the years DePauw has led diverse teams that have made extraordinary leaps forward in the agronomic and end-use qualities of durum for Western Canada. Durum team leaders have […] Read more
ICE Futures Canada’s president is confident barley buyers and sellers will benefit from new contracts
Something that has been around for over 100 years can hardly be called new, however, the ICE Futures Canada barley contract might be seen that way. Since the first barley contact was established on what was originally the Winnipeg Grain Exchange, it has seen several changes to reflect prevailing market conditions, domestic legislation and global […] Read more
Testing soil in the fall gives you time over the winter to plan your spring nutrient needs
As if there wasn’t already enough on the fall “to do NOW” list, experts advise adding soil sampling to the fall work load, if it’s not already part of the farm management plan. “The reality of the situation is if you don’t know what you have to start with, you won’t know how much or […] Read more
Whether you’ve got enough storage space this year after last year’s bumper crop or you need temporary solutions, try these four tips
We were probably all expecting a tough harvest, despite hoping for the luxury of good weather and an open fall. Rain, frost and even snow in early September likely mean there will be an even greater need to ensure grain storage management strategies are well in hand. “Just because you are done combining does not […] Read more
With new polymer-coated nitrogen products on the market, winter wheat growers have one more option when it comes to fertilizer decisions
Getting winter wheat seeded is a juggle of equipment, people and inputs that leaves little room for delays. On top of that, fertilizer and seed safety is top of mind for growers, more so in winter wheat, and for two good reasons. Getting the crop seeded is a challenge in the fall, and accommodating the […] Read more
Desiccants can simplify pulse crop harvest and weed control, but make sure to read the label and know your MRLs
Given this year’s cool, wet spring, harvesting in a timely fashion might become a challenge. In pulse crops, desiccant use can be a critical component of harvest management to dry down any remaining green material in the field as well as deal with actively growing weeds. Dale Risula, Saskatchewan’s provincial special crops specialist, starts almost […] Read more
