On a fairly regular basis, I receive story ideas from media relations people and readers. Several factors go into whether or not a story makes it onto the pages of Grainews, and they’re not all within the control of the person pitching the idea. But some things are. Here are the ingredients for a solid […] Read more
Perfecting your pitch for farm reporters
Reporter's Notebook: These tips for passing on story ideas to reporters will help get your passions in print
Increasing yields with natural landscapes
Researchers say maintaining some natural habitat next to your fields can bring yield increases
Researchers are looking at how natural landscapes can bump yield in nearby canola fields in Alberta, and they want your yield data. Previous research, done at various locations around the world, has shown that native habitat bestows yield gains and cuts insecticide applications on neighbouring farmland, says Gregory Sekulic, agronomist with the Canola Council of […] Read more
Protecting beneficial insects
Folks in crop production tend to focus on the pest insects. But usually most of the insects in a field are beneficial insects, says Dr. Vincent Hervet, pest management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Parasitoids are just one type of beneficial insect farmers are likely to find in their fields. They are wasps or […] Read more
Fair weather ups seeding efforts in Sask.
But "ferocious" flea beetles seen feasting on canola
A stretch of good weather has allowed most farmers in the Turtleford area to wrap up seeding, say local agronomists. Ian Weber, sales manager with Warrington AgroDynamic, estimates 90 per cent of farmers in the Turtleford area are done, or very close to done, seeding. Farmers in the St. Walburg area, about 30 km north […] Read more
Seed treatment equipment for large operations
Company representatives showing their farm-scale seed treatment equipment during Bayer’s SeedGrowth Solutions Expo in Saskatoon this spring also had information and treatment systems on display for operations treating larger volumes. AGI launched its Storm Pro, a new commercial applicator, in 2017. “It’s fast. It’s designed to go from bin to bin, yard to yard, quickly, […] Read more
On-farm seed treatment systems
Farm- and commercial-scale treatment systems on display at Saskatoon show
When should farmers consider buying their own seed treaters? It’s a question growers were likely pondering during Bayer’s SeedGrowth Solutions Expo in Saskatoon in late March. Brian Ellis, a pedigreed seed grower from Olds, Alberta, said farmers who buy certified seed each year can likely get treated seed from a seed grower. But those who […] Read more
The new phone app for info on aphids
AAFC’s first smartphone app will help farmers scout and sample for aphids and their predators
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is testing a new aphid app in the field this summer, which should be widely available by next growing season. The cereal aphid app is the first smartphone app developed by AAFC, says Dr. Tyler Wist, a federal research scientist based in Saskatoon. It will guide cereal growers and agronomists […] Read more
Seeding progress in Sask. runs the gamut
Many farmers playing catch-up due to wet conditions, dealing with last year's crops
About 30 per cent of the 2017 crop is seeded, according to the latest Saskatchewan Agriculture Crop Report. But while the province as a whole is close to the five-year average, actual seeding progress varies tremendously across the province and even within regions. Farmers in the southeast have 60 per cent of the crop in […] Read more
Spring harvests in effect, but “don’t get stuck”
Lisa Guenther visits a Glaslyn-area farm working to harvest last year's wheat
On a mild spring afternoon, with clouds overhead bluffing rain, the Pawliw family was harvesting the last of the 2016 crop. “We had about 100 acres of canola we took off earlier,” said Tracy Pawliw, as he took a brief break from combining a field of hard red spring wheat near Glaslyn, Sask. Glaslyn is […] Read more
A new growing season brings a new start
Reporter's Notebook: For the start of a new growing season, Lisa Guenther has some listening recommendations
I started writing this column on the last day of March. The snow was rapidly receding, the water running, the rhubarb in my backyard emerging and my recently- transplanted tomato seedlings were leaning into the light. To me, spring feels more like the New Year than January 1. A while back I was visiting seed […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
