In every issue of Grainews you’ll see at least two or three articles about the benefits of long-term crop rotations. Or, if there aren’t whole articles, there are always a few comments from experts about using four- or even eight-year rotations instead of something like canola, snow, canola, snow. We’ve all heard about the benefits: […] Read more
Editor’s Column: Making plans for the long term
Recommended barley varieties for 2017
The Canadian Malt Barley Technical Centre has released its annual list of recommended barley seed varieties for the 2017 planting season. There are several two-row varieties on the CMBTC’s list (see table below), but only three recommended varieties of six-row barley. FP Genetics distributes pedigreed seed for two of these varieties, Legacy and Tradition. Canterra […] Read more
Editor’s Column: Bound up by resolutions
A few unhappy farmers probably went home from the commodity organizations annual general meetings in Saskatoon this January singing Rolling Stones tunes to themselves. (1) During this year’s Saskatchewan commodity group AGMs, the chairs of two levy-funded commodity groups explained to their members why they’d decided not to take action on contentious resolutions passed at […] Read more
Saskatchewan canola disease survey
Field surveyors found sclerotinia in almost all Saskatchewan fields in 2016
The incidence of sclerotinia stem rot in Saskatchewan oilseed crops was up in 2016, said Matthew Bernard, Saskatchewan provincial oilseed crops specialist. Bernard presented the results of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture’s 2016 canola disease survey at Oilseed Producer Meetings around the province in mid-November. In Weyburn, Bernard told oilseed growers, “there were 224 canola […] Read more
The 2017 crop input rebate roundup
Different input companies offer widely different rebate programs. Use the one that suits your needs
Some of the companies Grainews contacted for our annual “rebate roundup” feature say they don’t offer rebates — they prefer to stick to simple prices. Other farm input suppliers have plans so elaborate you’ll need a calculator to figure out how much cash you’re getting back. Whether you prefer simple up-front pricing or that “just […] Read more
CPT small plot data is now online
Small plot data from the 2016 Canola Performance Trials has been posted online. At the CPT website you can look up average yield, height, lodging and days to maturity for tested canola varieties. Filters on the website let you look for results in specific locations, and directly compare one variety to another. These small plots […] Read more
Editor’s Column: New Internet plan, same problems
If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that I live on a farm in southeast Saskatchewan where our Internet access is not exactly stellar. I’ve written in these pages that the Internet has become a basic service — something we absolutely need in rural areas. And so, when I came home from our Christmas holiday […] Read more
High intensity, high yield. Canola plots at Ag In Motion
Ag In Motion Plots: A look back at some of the canola plots at the show
The best thing about an outdoor farm show is the opportunity to actually see crops growing and take a look at real-life equipment working in the field. With the Canola 100 Agri-Prize challenge underway, Glacier FarmMedia saw the Ag In Motion outdoor farm show near Saskatoon in July as the perfect opportunity to demonstrate high-intensity […] Read more
Stoller adds products for its Canola 100 effort
Ag In Motion Plots: Boosting yields with micro-nutrients
Stoller Enterprises Limited applied several of its products to its Canola 100 plot at the Ag In Motion farm show near Saskatoon last July. There are 140 products in Stoller’s portfolio, and they added as many of these as they could to increase their plot yields. Kip Workman, Stoller Enterprises’ commercial product manager for Canada, explains Stoller’s […] Read more
Agrium uses ESN to get to 100 bushels
Ag In Motion Plots: Agrium used its Canola 100 plot at AIM to showcase controlled release fertilizer
Agrium used its Ag In Motion canola plots to show visitors how ESN controlled release fertilizer can help farmers get to 100 bushels per acre. The plan included a lot of fertilizer. “My intention was to look at growing 100 bushel canola based on crop removal rates, having high rates of phosphate, high rates of […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
