When it comes to moving grain through a cramped system, farmers and grain elevators have more control than they might realize, says a transportation manager. And a lot of it comes down to reliability. “I want to be that preferred shipper. I want to be that farmer that when they say they need stuff moving, they […] Read more
Moving the grain
Prairie farmers are dealing with a bin-busting bumper crop this year. But moving that grain is easier said than done
Guenther: Dairy calves show benefits when raised socially
Cognitive development is a term more commonly heard in university psychology classes than agriculture research. But how a dairy calf’s brain develops has implications for housing systems. Whether farmers decide to house calves individually, in pairs or in groups, each housing system has its advantages. In the first few weeks of a calf’s life, most […] Read more
Guenther: A+W supplier seeking more ranchers
The Canadian supplier of A+W Canada’s “Better Beef” wants your cattle. Alberta-based Spring Creek Ranch, an operation known until now in farming circles mainly for its stewardship efforts, has become a featured player in the burger chain’s new promotions and is recruiting producers to help it fill A+W’s requirements at home. “There are many Canadian […] Read more
Diversity in the soil
A teaspoon of soil might just look like dirt, but soil scientists see a complex ecosystem affected by everything from crop rotations to fertilizer
Using DNA technology, researchers are finding that microbial diversity in the sea is huge, said Dr. Marcia Monreal, soil microbiology scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “But (their results) suggest the diversity in the soil is much larger.” Monreal explained that there is a food chain in the soil that includes bacteria plus other creatures […] Read moreClose call on the farm
Farmers face risk on a regular basis. Routine tasks can quickly turn life-threatening, as Dorothy Barr discovered while loading grain to feed her cattle. Dorothy and her husband, David Barr, farm just over 1,000 acres near Mervin, Saskatchewan. David also holds a full-time job off the farm, making seeding and harvest hectic. May 29, 2009, […] Read more
The next wave of canola research
Western Canadian researchers hope to give new canola cultivars a shot in the peduncle by introducing genes from other plants
Introducing genes from other plants into canola cultivars will do everything from bump up yields to fend off flea beetles to impart disease resistance. Dr. Habibur Rahman, a canola researcher with the University of Alberta, is working on several projects to improve future canola cultivars. In one project, he and his research team are introducing […] Read more
Managing wild oats
Controlling wild oats is not an easy task. But researchers hope a six-year study will reveal a recipe to manage wild oats with fewer herbicides
Wild oats is one of our most common weeds and the weed we spend the most money on in terms of herbicides every year. And of course resistance is building up,” said Eric Johnson, weed biologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Johnson said that there aren’t many herbicide groups available to control wild oats. Group 1 and […] Read moreGrowing carinata
With new higher-yielding carinata varieties on the market, farmers have another oilseed to add to their rotations
In the mid-19th century, Captain John Palliser described the region that now includes southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan as a desert or semi-desert, and deemed the area unsuitable for settlers. Despite climatic limitations, farmers have settled Palliser’s Triangle, and they now have another hardy oilseed to add to their rotations — carinata, also known as Ethiopian mustard. […] Read moreHerbicide carryover may not be in the past
Some soils are more susceptible to herbicide carryover than others, and herbicides from some groups are more prone to cause problems
Harry Brook hasn’t had a lot of calls on herbicide carryover recently, but he’s not sure it’s a problem of the past. “Actually, when you really come right down to it, it could raise its ugly little head again because as we’re having problems with weed resistance, guys are moving back to some old chemistries […] Read more
On farm traceability
On-farm traceability, and the paperwork that comes with it, is going to become more common, whether farmers want it or not, says an on-farm auditor
It’s going to be, in the long run, more about consumer confidence. And not necessarily in regards to safety of food, but in the sustainability of the food — where it’s coming from and that’s it’s being produced in a sound way,” says Jodi Holzman, auditor with Control Union Canada. Holzman has audited about 100 […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
