Glacier FarmMedia — It makes some intuitive sense: stimulate weeds’ growth at the wrong time of the year and let the winter frost kill them off. The challenge, says a scientist, is finding the right stimulant to wake them up. Shaun Sharpe, a weed researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Saskatoon, may have […] Read more
Wake weeds up and let Mother Nature sort them out
Researcher finds value in wood vinegar in unique weed-killing process
Cereal leaf disease minimal in Alberta but be aware of blown-in stripe rust
The province received variable precipitation this spring which had pathologists and producers expecting the arrival of members of the leaf spot complex. However, Kelly Turkington with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre said they may have been scorched by the July heat wave.
Back to normal for cereal leaf disease in Saskatchewan
Precipitation has more or less returned to normal in Saskatchewan, but that also means cereal growers need to be more aware of leaf and other diseases, says a plant pathologist.
Seed growers offer proof that new varieties will work, says SeCan manager
Todd Hyra can't speak for the entire grain industry, but as far as SeCan is concerned, its western business manager says there's no such thing as a
'Version 2.0" of any of the varieties it distributes.
From AIM: Sawfly and midge-resistant wheat named AAC Oakman VB
The variety, which is in its first year of seed grower increase and marked for a 2026 release, is a surprise even to its future seed supplier. This is because naturally-bred insect tolerance is rare, said Todd Hyra, western business manager for SeCan at Ag in Motion 2024.
Feds announce $6 million beef marketing boost
Canada Beef and the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) are receiving up to $5,865,110 and $453,364 respectively for marketing activities such as advertising, trade missions, technical training and educational seminars.
Herbicide resistance flirts with crisis mode
Although not one-size-fits-all, integrated weed management may come to the rescue
They’re big numbers underscoring a big problem. In Saskatchewan, over 15 million acres of weed patches are resistant to Groups 1 and 2 herbicides. Of 31 known herbicide sites of action, 21 have confirmed resistance to a weed species. And, with 56 confirmed cases, Canada is third in the world for herbicide-resistant weeds. These are […] Read more
How broccoli may give canola traits a bump
Traits from related brassica species may improve canola diversity
Glacier FarmMedia – There’s little doubt that canola is a powerhouse crop. Nationwide, it covered nearly 22.1 million acres last year, more than 99 per cent of it on the Prairies. The Canola Council of Canada puts its economic contribution at nearly $30 billion a year. A University of Alberta researcher, backed by the Natural […] Read more
Dairy testing for bird flu expanded in Canada
Non-clinical dairy cattle eligible for funded testing
On June 17, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency updated their guidance for private veterinarians on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The update noted the expanded eligibility for testing, and that the CFIA would cover lab test fees at any Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network (CAHSN) lab that is approved to test samples in domestic animals. The agency will not, however, pay veterinarian fees for sample collection or shipment to the lab.
Bird flu found in Illinois, Florida wastewater
A U.S.-based wastewater detection dashboard has identified high levels of influenza A (a subtype of H5N1 bird flu) in Illinois and Florida—two states that have not yet reported positive cases of the disease in dairy herds.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
