University of Manitoba researchers are hoping to kill two birds with one kidney stone by mining manure
Struvite is a naturally occurring mineral that forms kidney stones, says Dr. Don Flaten, soil scientist. The mineral, which can be made from hog manure, is also a phosphate source which is less water-soluble than commercial phosphate fertilizers. Regular phosphorus fertilizers dissolve quickly, leaving high salt concentrations, which can kill seedlings if too much fertilizer […] Read moreMining manure
Seven tips to getting more from soil tests
Farmers can get more value out of soil test reports by digging deeper, according to an agronomic soils specialist
Look for some hidden values out of that soil report. Don’t just look at the obvious,” said Mandy Huska, an agronomic sales specialist at Taurus Technology. Huska spoke to farmers at Cavalier Agrow’s plot tour in July. Here are seven tips for sampling soil and interpreting test results. 1. Look for patterns Weeds can signal specific […] Read moreSix things to consider when intercropping
Intercropping can boost profits and provide agronomic benefits. But before jumping in feet first, farmers need to think through the process
Intercropping involves growing two or more cash crops in the same field. Farmers may also grow a cover crop over green manure. While some might assume intercropping is more suited to organic production, that’s not the case. “Under these conventional systems, with the right crop combination, you would get over-yielding,” says Dr. Martin Entz of the […] Read moreClaims for storm-damaged crops above average for Alta.
Many Alberta farmers were rocked by wild weather this summer, with overall claim activity 25 per cent above average, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association. The association’s latest report stated that although insurance companies saw more normal claim volumes from Alberta in August, storms struck southern Alberta early in the season. Central Alberta was […] Read more
Guenther: Late-season flea beetles are next spring’s problem
The growing season is winding down, but pest insects are still feeding in parts of the Prairies. Here’s an overview of what farmers, agronomists and entomologists are seeing in the fields — and what farmers can do about it. Late season flea beetles showing up Scott Meers and Shelley Barkley of Alberta Agriculture and Rural […] Read more
Hail tapers off on Prairies
Saskatchewan hail claims have slowed over the last two weeks, but some farmers were hit a second or third time this year, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association. An Aug. 5 storm nailed farmers in southeastern and southwestern Saskatchewan, netting hail claims from many communities, the insurers’ association report noted Monday. Farmers as far […] Read more
Storing grain using tarps and bags? Prepare the ground in advance
Tarping dry grain on the ground is OK for a day or a week, Dr. Chelladurai Vellaichamy says, but not any longer. Chelladurai Vellaichamy is a Ph.D. student in biosystems engineering at the University of Manitoba. Vellaichamy and his colleagues have been researching canola storage in grain bags for three years, with support from the […] Read more
Bertha not yet at threshold in Alta. fields
Alberta agronomists are seeing bertha armyworms in the field, but the pest hasn’t reached economic levels in most areas yet. Agronomists across the province shared information Wednesday during a weekly Twitter chat organized by Shelley Barkley and Scott Meers of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Meers and Barkley scouted about 25 fields in the Vegreville […] Read more
Alta. crop hail claims reported above normal
Hail is wreaking havoc in Alberta this summer, forcing farmers to file many more hail claims than normal to date, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association’s latest report. About 300 claims in the province stemmed from a July 20 storm that ran from Rimbey to Alix, the association said Tuesday. A July 27 storm […] Read more
Management practices can reduce fusarium
Fusarium head blight has plagued eastern Canadian farmers for decades. Over the years the disease has spread into Western Canada, and the Canadian Grain Commission has found the fungus as far west as northern British Columbia. The right management practices will reduce fusarium levels most of the time. But even farmers who do everything correctly […] Read more
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