Carbon sequestration” is a term with plenty of traction these days. Technically speaking, it refers to long-term storage of carbon dioxide or other forms of carbon to help mitigate the fallout from climate change — a subject that increasingly figures on Canada’s agendas. In agriculture, carbon sequestration finds a home in discussions about soil management […] Read more
Farmers ahead of carbon curve
Farmers practise soil management, and play an active part in carbon sequestration
Zero tillage can increase P loss
Phosphorus can drain off the soil during snowmelt. Periodic tillage may reduce the losses
The latest soil-management recommendation will come as a surprise: In some cases, producers should consider periodic tillage to reduce the risk of phosphorus (P) loss from conservation tillage systems. According to Don Flaten, a professor in the University of Manitoba’s Department of Soil Science, zero tillage actually increases P loading from soils to surface water […] Read more
Those critters are farming your soil
Soil Health: Healthy soil includes a healthy, complicated, diverse mix of bacteria and fungi
This was a clear message delivered by Mario Tenuta, Canada research chair in applied soil ecology and professor at the University of Manitoba, at a recent Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association lunch. “What the heck is soil health?” asked Tenuta. “You hear a lot about it these days, especially this year, the 2015 International […] Read more
Licensed to turn waste into fertilizer
Lystek International received authorization for another wastewater conversion facility
Lystek International has received another federal registration for its award-winning biosolids and organics processing technology. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has certified the company’s St. Mary’s, Ontario, facility for the production of LysteGro, a biofertilizer that can increase organic matter in the soil. LysteGro is made by treating sludge from municipal wastewater at approved facilities. “The Lystek […] Read more
Sask. mustard: small but mighty
There used to be more growers out there
2015 was a challenging year for many crops across the Prairies, and mustard was no exception. But Saskatchewan growers say the outlook is good. Although mustard acres decreased in Saskatchewan in 2015 — by as much as 100,000 acres, to around 300,000 seeded acres in the province — mustard prices remain high, ranging from 30 […] Read more
Training the next generation of plant breeders
U of M students get hands-on experience developing herbicide-tolerant rapeseed hybrids
According to Rob Duncan, professor in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba, the university is ahead of the curve in terms of canola/rapeseed breeding in Canada. “Most public breeding programs don’t necessarily release cultivars anymore,” he says. “They’ll do germplasm development or work on trait development, but to work on breeding […] Read more
Manitoba hits record potato yields in 2015
2015 will go down in the books as a record year for potato production in Manitoba. It was an almost charmed season for producers in the province, beginning with an early start to seeding, continuing with low pest pressures and good weather, and ending with excellent conditions for harvest. According to Dan Sawatzky, manager of […] Read more
Potato storage rots likely this winter
Potato farmers storing record 2015 production may need to battle potato rots
This fall might be a tough one for a few Manitoba potato growers battling rots like pink eye, bud-end decay, late blight and leak in storage. Generally, these diseases are present in storages but the levels are not abnormally high, so a caution is warranted. According to Vikram Bisht, Manitoba’s provincial plant pathologist, leak and […] Read more
New CPS variety fights clubroot
Crop Protection Services' new canola seed is the first "true" multigenic variety
Looking for a new tool for battling clubroot? Agrium subsidiary Crop Production Services (CPS) says help is on the way for 2016. The company launched Proven Seed PV 580 GC, the first “true” multigenic clubroot resistant variety, on October 27. PV 580 GC, a mid-season variety, is bred for resistance to the most common clubroot […] Read more
Plant breeder’s rights info online
The new CSTA database will create transparency for new variety information
In August, the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) launched a new web database to help everyone in the seed sector easily access information about plant breeders’ rights protection for new crop varieties. The database is a joint initiative of CSTA, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Variety Registration Office (VRO) and the Plant Breeders Rights Office […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
