Dr. Mario Tenuta looks at arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi through a microscope at CanolaPALOOZA, hosted by the Manitoba Canola Growers Association and the Canola Council of Canada at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, in June.

Nurture fungus for good growth

Find out why your flax suffers following canola. It’s all about the fungus

There are a of things to consider when you’re planning long-term rotations: herbicide rotations, nitrogen needs, rainfall. How about adding fungus to that list? The relationship between fungi in your soil and plant roots has a big impact on your crop health. This relationship can cause flax to be stunted when it’s grown in rotation after canola. […] Read more

LaserAg offers these small cups for soil collection. Sample takers can use LaserAg’s software to determine where to sample. Scanning the bar code on the top of the cup with a smartphone after the sample is taken will automatically record information about the sample, including the exact location. Filled cups can be submitted by mail, and results will be returned electronically within two weeks.

New soil test company on the block

New technology is bringing another way to test the soil on your farm

Jacques Nault’s brother Charles Nault first heard about Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technology at a pharmaceutical conference. “It was presented as a tool to do quality control, to make sure pills contained the right molecules,” Jacques Nault says. As co-founders of LogiAg, an agronomy service and technology firm based in Chateauguay, Quebec, the Nault brothers began imagining how LIBS […] Read more


This plot was left unseeded intentionally. A wide variety of weeds took hold and participants were challenged to see how many they could correctly identify.

PHOTOS: Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Crop Diagnostic School

On the first day of Saskatchewan Agriculture’s annual Crop Diagnostic School about 100 ag retailers, agronomists and farmers gathered in Swift Current to get a hands-on look at common real-world crop problems. Anyone working in agriculture today has 24/7 access to online information about crop disease and pests, but there is no substitute for seeing […] Read more

This plot was left unseeded intentionally. A wide variety of weeds took hold and participants were challenged to see how many they could correctly identify.  Photo: Leeann Minogue

Minogue: Back to school for hands-on learning

On the first day of Saskatchewan Agriculture’s annual Crop Diagnostic School about 100 ag retailers, agronomists and farmers gathered in Swift Current to get a hands-on look at common real-world crop problems. Anyone working in agriculture today has 24/7 access to online information about crop disease and pests, but there is no substitute for seeing […] Read more


Julian Heath, research operations lead at the newly expanded Saskatoon facility, explains the Saskatoon plots to open-house guests. (Leeann Minogue photo)

DuPont Pioneer expands Saskatoon research facility

DuPont Pioneer announced the expansion of its Saskatoon multi-crop research facility at an open house on Friday. The expanded facility will house breeding programs for canola, soybean and “ultra-early maturity” corn. “DuPont Pioneer is focused on developing early-maturing products, and high-yielding products for Canadian farmers,” said Bryce Eger, president of DuPont Pioneer Canada. DuPont Pioneer […] Read more



Watching the plants all season

The new way to scout: photos of your crop's progress through the growing season

I’m working on a new project,” Franck Groeneweg says. “I’ve been working with aerial imagery. There’s a lot of drone excitement out there, but to get it done, I am using a regular fixed wing plane on my farm.” Groeneweg is flying his plane over farmland and using attached cameras to take aerial pictures of […] Read more

Farm safety week 2016

Canadian Agricultural Safety Week runs from March 13 to 19

Beginning Monday, March 13 to 19 is Canadian Agricultural Safety Week. Here at Grainews we understand the importance of farm safety. We run articles from the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association in each issue, and do our best to make sure that none of our articles promote unsafe practices. Because we want our readers to be safe […] Read more