Forty-three per cent of farmers think herbicide-resistant weeds have taken root on their farm, according to a recent Ipsos Reid poll carried out for BASF Canada. Ipsos Reid also reports that 47 per cent of surveyed farmers believe glyphosate alone isn’t effective for controlling weeds. “Glyphosate resistance is here in Canada. And it will continue […] Read more
Managing herbicide resistance
Farmers of North America
FNA’s spokesperson says their goal of getting the best possible deal for farmers doesn’t always make them popular with input supply companies
Saskatchewan farmer Jim Mann started Farmers of North America (FNA) in 1998 in a bid to make farming more profitable. Mann rounded up interested farmers and began approaching input supply companies to form mutually beneficial partnerships, by lowering transportation and transaction costs. “And they told him to take a hike,” says Bob Friesen, FNA spokesperson. […] Read moreHaukass wins award for new bale grapple
Haukaas Manufacturing Ltd., based in Mortlach, Sask., received a Gold Standard Award for its rotating bale grapple, and a Sterling Standard Award for its trailer mount conveyor at Canada’s Farm Progress show in Regina in July. The trailer mount conveyor is designed to make filling the air seeder during spring seeding more efficient, allowing farmers […] Read more
Saskatchewan insects – hoppers aren’t only around during drought
Despite wet weather, grasshoppers are plaguing Saskatchewan farmers this summer. Saskatchewan Agriculture’s most recent crop report notes grasshopper problems in every region except the east-central and west-central parts of the province. Dr. Julie Soroka, entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said the economic threshold for grasshoppers is eight to 12 hoppers per square metre, but […] Read more
Weevils, grasshoppers on Prairie farmers’ radar
As this year’s crops develop on the Prairies, several pests are growing right along with them. Cabbage seedpod weevils, grasshoppers and alfalfa weevils are all on farmers’ radar right now — and wheat midge may be, soon. Here’s a look at the insect situation across the Prairies: Cabbage seedpod weevils are popping up in Alberta […] Read more
Guenther: Rush at seeding left less-than-ideal crop treatment window
Whether cereal growers plan to treat for leaf disease or fusarium head blight, fungicide timing is essential — but this spring, in which many acres were seeded in a very short stretch, complicates matters. Kristina Polziehn, technical specialist with BASF, says farmers in such a situation with a lot of acres to cover may need […] Read more
Lakeside beef plant in reputation-rebuilding mode
Officials at JBS Canada are working to rebuild the food safety reputation at their Lakeside beef packing plant after last fall’s massive meat recall from the plant under the XL Foods banner. The 2012 recall was the largest beef recall in Canadian history. A federally-appointed review panel recently released a report blasting both XL Foods […] Read more
Guenther: Canadian cattle producers, U.S. packers dread COOL revisions
Canadian ranchers and North American packers aren’t looking forward to the arrival of revisions to the U.S. government’s country-of-origin labelling (COOL) rules. The prospect of Washington’s latest changes to COOL — and the length of the process to appeal against them under world trade rules — left ranchers and others in the beef industry cold […] Read more
New Sask. research chair to focus on new forages
The federal and Saskatchewan governments are investing $1.25 million over five years in a new research chair — to focus on breeding forages. The new chair’s emphasis will be on “developing new forage varieties with improved yield,” Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart said during the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association convention in Moose Jaw. Stewart said […] Read more
Don’t sacrifice beneficial insects to kill the pests
Including insecticide with herbicides may seem like a proactive, time-saving measure — but the practice can cause more harm than good. “Using insecticide ‘just because’ kills insects that reduce pest insects. Spray insecticide only when absolutely necessary,” Scott Meers, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s entomologist at Brooks, wrote during the most recent weekly bug chat […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
