In 1981, I heard a discussion on micronutrients in crop production by the late Jerry Stoller. He talked about the need to pay attention to the micronutrient needs of crops, because just like macronutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur — they can be depleted over time on even the best cropland. Stoller also said […] Read more
Peatland farming, the Prairies’ best-kept secret
Practical Research: Improving these lands' copper fertility could potentially pay significant dividends
Recognize the value of books, fact sheets, texts
Practical Research: Don’t assume that your phone will have all the answers at hand
During my long tenure with Alberta Agriculture we, as a crop protection unit, produced many farmer information presentations, fact sheets, books, booklets, broadcasts and seminars. From 2000 onward, Alberta Agriculture severely cut down on this and other farm information units. The books and fact sheets are fully relevant today but they need upgrading and maintenance, […] Read more
Keep verticillium stripe in focus this year
Practical Research: Don't let the fungi hitchhike between fields on your equipment -- or anyone else's
Where did such a destructive disease come from? Verticillium stripe was first reported in Manitoba in 2014, some 10 years ago. The fungus, Verticillium longisporum, has now been confirmed present in six provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. In a survey in 2023 across Manitoba, verticillium stripe was found in 38 per […] Read more
How a worldwide destructive cereal disease problem was solved in Alberta
In the story of ergot in wheat, barley and oats, the answer was simply 'copper'
When I was first hired by Alberta Agriculture as a diagnostic plant pathologist, I was told I would be primarily responsible for barley, oat, wheat and canola diseases. I was also asked to head up the provincial control program for bacterial ring rot of potato (BRR). The BRR program, run in partnership with the federal […] Read more
The facts we stumble over
Why the frost on your windshield didn't kill your crop, and other nuggets of wisdom
When I undertook field research trials in Alberta in the 1970s on fungicides and insecticides for disease and insect control, I was often stymied by the Imperial (Canadian), U.S. and metric measurement systems. While the metric system was fairly straightforward and in its Canadian infancy, I had a hard time reconciling U.S. and Canadian measurement […] Read more
Tomatoes and onions in gardens everywhere
Part 7 of a series: On all farms, tomatoes should go into ground not previously used for tomatoes
Tomatoes Tomatoes originated in South America from wild plants with grape-sized fruit. They were developed by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. They were first brought to Europe in the 1540s, to Italy in particular by the 1550s. North Americans were slow to pick up on tomatoes, regarding them as poisonous until almost the year […] Read more
Saving your own crop seed
Don't just assume two- or three-year-old seed, or even last year's seed, will still be viable
Look before you leap! Check your seed before you plant. Before getting into the topic of saving your own seed, whether it be cereals or legumes or any crop except for canola, I talked to several consultants and seed growers. Their answers were that few growers use all-new seed every year. These few exceptions actually […] Read more
More on Prairie vegetables and fruits
Part 6 of a series: Let’s look further at what grows well on the Prairies — and when it doesn’t, why
In previous issues I dealt with potatoes and the cabbage family of garden vegetables, but perhaps I should also take a look at all and any successfully grown Prairie vegetable crops. To do this, I should list all vegetable crops into related categories, as in the table shown here, so we can more clearly plan […] Read more
Alfalfa replant disease and related disorders
Whatever the cause, we can realize it's a problem and try to avoid it
Back in the 1980s I spent a lot of time on alfalfa diseases, particularly the verticillium wilt disease problem that was spreading across the Prairies, particularly in southern Alberta. In a few snow-free and cold Decembers in those years, a lot of damage was done to alfalfa, winterkilling entire fields of three-year-old stands. Even white […] Read more
Fruit growing on Prairie farms
Part 5 of a series on Prairie farm gardens
Fruit growing on the Canadian Prairies is much easier and more rewarding than most people ever imagine. I am an avid fruit grower on my Alberta acreage, growing everything from plums, pears, grapes, apples and cherries to currants and raspberries. You name it, I am growing it. I am familiar with backyard Prairie gardens all […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
