If you are a barley grower who likes to roll fields to make them level before harvest, don’t do it the day before your agronomist arrives to do field scouting. It makes it difficult for them to find the weeds. That may be one important reason to roll fields earlier in the spring as opposed […] Read more
Roll, roll, roll your fields
The next line might not be gently down the stream, but more along the lines of sooner rather than later
New faba bean variety may be the key
Improved nutritional properties well suited to plant protein market
[UPDATED: April 12, 2022] Terry Youzwa hasn’t grown faba beans for a couple of years, but he can see a time in the near future where the crop will be back in rotation with a good fit as one of the pulse crops regularly grown on his northeast Saskatchewan farm. Youzwa, who farms with his […] Read more
Get boots in the field as variables increase
Field scouting is even more important this year as farmers face an increasing number of variables
There are a few good reasons to put some real effort into field scouting this coming season. Crop growth and development, particularly with wild weather, can be much different than “normal.” And knowing what pests are out there or not out there, or the degree of severity if they are out there, makes for much […] Read more
Can you put a price on a smart dog?
The politically correct answer is no, but when it comes to pets, I think I might have a limit
Although we haven’t had a dog full time in the house for many years, there never seems to be one too far away. Both our daughter and son have or have had dogs at different times and we end up dog-sitting. Also, friends and other family members go on holidays and need dog-sitters. So, we […] Read more
Planter maintenance tips
Seed metering systems need to be checked for calibration and inspected for other wear-and-tear items
A row planter specialist in southern Manitoba says this is the time of year farmers should be readying their seeding equipment for the 2022 seeding season. Andrew Kippen, manager of North Valley Precision Planting at Homewood in south-central Manitoba east of Carman, has been busy these days testing planter metering systems for accuracy. “You can […] Read more
Some perspectives of what’s in store for 2022
By Lee Hart Between COVID-19, supply-chain disruptions and now the conflict in the Ukraine it seems like any calm or normalcy in the world is sort of out the window. Add in the effects of increasingly volatile weather patterns, and the question of what it all means to crop and livestock production in the year […] Read more
Keep tabs on crop disease risk
Even the occasional rain event during a dry growing season can stimulate a crop disease outbreak
Is there a need for an early-warning system for crop diseases during a dry growing season? Generally, most farmers and agronomists agree with dry or drought conditions the risk of crop disease outbreaks is greatly reduced, if non-existent. And that is true to a large extent. Looking at the classic crop disease triangle, the three […] Read more
Crop rotation built around winter cereals
For more than 30 years fall-seeded crops have been a key part of this Peace River region farm business plan
Growing winter cereals is anything but an afterthought on the Meyer farm in the central Alberta Peace River region. For the past 30 years, the family farm at Woking, which is about 45 minutes north of Grande Prairie, has included winter cereals in the rotation, and particularly over the past 10 years, winter crops have […] Read more
Short and long-term thoughts on forage management
Some good lessons to be learned from more than three decades of experience of what works and doesn’t work
A farm without a tractor. Some of the fences could use a bit of work. The cows have been known to eat thistles. And the farmer doesn’t hesitate to say “this really didn’t work out the way I planned.” So could a person trust any advice from this operation? If it was any place other […] Read more
Seed quality, seed supply and management tips for 2022
Deal with reputable seed suppliers and make sure all seed batches are tested ahead of the seeding season
Not that it is a major news blast, but if they haven’t done so already western Canadian farmers need to be thinking now about getting seed sources lined up for the 2022 growing season. Also, if they’re planning to use farm-saved seed, make sure it is properly tested for germination and vigour. The 2021 growing […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
