If you’re used to growing spring wheat, your winter wheat stand in May might seem a little lacking. That’s to be expected, says Paul Thoroughgood, an agronomist with the Western Winter Wheat Initiative. “With winter wheat, growers need to be patient,” he says. “Winter wheat out-yields spring wheat by a sizeable amount most years, but […] Read more
Winter wheat stands: how thin is too thin?
Give your winter wheat crop time to fill in. Assess your stand in May
Is the winter wheat going to be alright?
Patience is key to judging the health of your winter wheat stand this spring
If you’re wondering how your winter wheat crop is faring in the field this winter, you’re not alone. Agronomists at The Western Winter Wheat Initiative (WWWI) — a project to build awareness and credibility of winter wheat — has already received calls from growers asking about how and when to judge the stand. Paul Thoroughgood, […] Read more
How high can we push sugar beet yields?
Rising yield and quality make sugar beets a sweet success for Alberta beet growers
Harvest just keeps getting sweeter for Alberta’s 208 sugar beet growers. The sector has seen a year-over-year increase in sugar beet quality and yield for much of the past decade. So what’s the secret to sweet success? Those closest to the sector suggest it’s a combination of climate, new varieties and sound grower management practices. […] Read more
Sugar beets just keep getting sweeter
Improving sugar beet quality and yield now comes down to small tweaks
Alberta sugar beet growers continue to see gains in yield and crop quality year over year, thanks to new genetics and 2009’s full adoption of Roundup Ready varieties. But can growers really expect the winning streak to continue? Arnie Bergen-Henengouwen, President of Alberta Sugar Beet Growers, (ASBG) says he believes there are still plenty of gains to be had, but […] Read more
These aren’t your father’s sugar beets
Roundup Ready adoption has made for big changes in the sugar beet fields
In 1982, when Arnie Bergen-Henengouwen rented his first contract to grow sugar beets, it was a different crop. Seed genetics and technology had a long way to go, and there was a lot that could go wrong in a season. “It was very intensive,” he says. “We were going over the crop at least once […] Read more
Sclerotinia a triple threat for Manitoba sunflowers
Minimize chances of sclerotinia infection in your sunflower field next season
Sclerotinia affects a variety of crops, from canola to pulses to soybean. For Manitoba sunflower growers, the disease is a triple threat, with the potential to strike plants at the base, mid-stem or head. In 2016, it was present in 94 per cent of Manitoba sunflower fields. Dr. Khalid Rashid, research scientist at Agriculture and […] Read more
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