Last year, 73 per cent of Prairie acres that grew two-row malt barley were seeded with AC Metcalfe or CDC Copeland. Because both of these varieties have been available for quite a few years, Michael Brophy, President and CEO of the Brewing and Malt Barley Research Institute (BMBRI), would like farmers to have more options. […] Read more
Recommended malt barley varieties
Tired of the same old thing? Try a new malt barley variety this spring
Editor’s Column: AGMs at Crop Production Week
Plus, five reasons to go to the AGM
You know it’s time for the Crop Production Show in Saskatoon when the temperature drops down to “wear your warmest coat.” This year’s show had the same format as the past two years, with a trade show on the exhibition grounds on one side of the city, a handful of meetings at the Saskatoon Inn […] Read more
Editor’s Column: Notes from a foreign country
Ottawa, that is...
No matter how you feel about our newly elected federal government, I think all Grainews readers can agree on one thing: federal government employees in Ottawa can never really understand Prairie farms. Before I married a farmer and moved to southeast Saskatchewan, I had a provincial government job in Regina. I can tell you — […] Read more
Flax researcher’s agronomy tips
Agronomy researcher Chris Holzapfel shares what he’s learned about growing flax
If you count each research plot as a crop, Chris Holzapfel has grown more crops in a few years than most farmers have a chance to grow in a lifetime. As research manager for the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that facilitates crop research and technology transfer. Holzapfel’s research includes several different […] Read more
Minogue: Wanna start a cereal seed company?
It’s clear from where the Prairies’ cereal growers’ groups sit that it’s time for farmers to get more involved in wheat and barley breeding — and they have a new report in hand suggesting ways to do so. Options in the report, from the newly-formed Wheat and Barley Variety Working Group, range from improving the […] Read more
New corn varieties ready for 2016
Get ready to research. Twenty new grain and silage corn varieties are hitting the market
Seed companies have reported a total of 13 new corn varieties on the market for the first time in 2016. These are only the new varieties available for the next crop year — this list doesn’t include other varieties that have been released in recent years. Dow Seeds 4085 grain corn 4085 has Herculex Xtra […] Read more
Protect grain sales against non-payment
The FNA's Market Power Assurance program can insure you potentially risky sales
While the Farmers of North America’s forays into fertilizer production (Project N) and distribution (Genesis) have been getting a lot of attention, the FNA have also launched another program that might be useful on your farm. The FNA’s Market Power Assurance program protects farmers when the buyer does not pay. “It’s interesting how many farmers you […] Read more
John Deere S Series combines get tuned up
More capacity for John Deere's 2016 lineup of S Series combines
John Deere first introduced its S Series combine for model year 2012. “Since then,” said Kevin Ripple, product manager, “we’ve continued to provide additional innovations.” The 2016 models don’t offer major changes, but there are several updates. One of those is greater shoe capacity and a new shoe drive system. Making the sieve longer (a […] Read more
Case IH upgrades its 140 Series combines
240 Series combine features trickle down to the 140 line
Case IH has made some major changes to its 140 Series combines for 2016. “Most of the innovative features that customers have come to love on the 240,” said Case’s North American combine marketing manager Cy Werda, “we’ve been able to bring them down to the 140 series, except for the CVT drives.” Tom Dean, […] Read more
Minogue: Campaigning heats up Sask. commodity board elections
Elections at the commodity association board level in Saskatchewan, often known for a landslide lack of interest, may get goosed this year with candidates investing bigger stakes in their campaigns. Ballots have been mailed out and board elections are now underway for the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (SaskWheat) and the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley). […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
