While bacterial leaf streak (BLS) has been reported in Canada for at least 100 years, its incidence appears to be rising in both irrigated and non-irrigated Prairie wheat and barley acres over the past decade. BLS directly affects yield and grain quality and decreases emergence. Primarily seed-borne (at least for now), it is especially devastating […] Read more
Five tips for managing bacterial leaf streak
Currently no seed treatments or in-crop disease control options exist. Understanding the disease is critical to managing it
Clear, actionable steps to support mental health
Start today to build your mental health resiliency
Mental health is starting to get the attention it needs in agriculture, but the statistics continue to be worrying. According to a 2018 study by the University of Guelph, 35 per cent of farmers meet the classification for depression, 58 per cent meet the classification for anxiety and 68 per cent are more susceptible to […] Read more
Clubroot is everyone’s problem and responsibility
Plant clubroot-resistant varieties even if you don’t have clubroot in your fields
Clubroot was first discovered on canola in Alberta in 2003. Since then, it has spread across the Prairies, affecting many fields in Alberta and staking claim in Saskatchewan and Manitoba too. If you haven’t yet found clubroot in your fields, count yourself lucky — but also actively practice clubroot prevention on your farm. “Prevention is […] Read more
Effective insect sampling tips
An entomologist offers recommendations and insights on pest population sampling
As every farmer knows, insect pests of every kind and colour can — very literally — take a giant bite out of their crops. Limiting insect damage depends on timely control. That said, jumping too quickly to insecticides carries financial and long-term sustainability consequences. The key to good pest control is “all in the details,” […] Read more
Cereal crop disease outlook
An update on rust risks, FHB management and bacterial leaf streak threat
Although last year’s brutally hot and dry conditions across much of the Prairies made for very difficult cereal crop production, they carried one upside — disease pressure was notably low in almost all fields. Which diseases steal cereal crops’ yields and compromise their quality this year, and by how much, will depend heavily on weather […] Read more
Will 2021’s heat and drought conditions affect this year’s disease incidence?
Last season’s low disease incidence may decrease disease pressure, at least at the beginning of the season. “In much of the Prairies, we’ve had dry conditions for a few years in a row. Generally speaking, dry conditions provide poor environments for pathogens, so going into 2022, there may be a reduced buildup of pathogen inoculum […] Read more
How Hilton Ventures keeps a multi-generational farm operation running smoothly
Your Farming Neighbours: The extended family members that make up this farm team focus on communication, respect, freedom and trust
What does it take to manage a large and growing, vertically integrated, multi-generation Prairie farm business alongside not one or two but seven adult family members? Passion, dedication, innovation and commitment to teamwork are just the start, says Alberta farmer, Lynne Hilton. “I don’t have words to describe how exciting it is to have our […] Read more
A quick and easy way to compare grain prices
Farmbucks is an online tool that provides a localized snapshot of actual bids in real time geared to help farmers get the best prices for their grain
Sometimes an idea comes along that seems so obvious it’s hard to imagine why it hasn’t been thought of before. Farmbucks, an online tool to help western Canadian farmers get the best price for the grain they sell, falls into that category. Why it matters: Invented by a farmer for farmers, Farmbucks is a subscription-based, […] Read more
Bacterial leaf streak is a disease you want to watch for
This emerging disease, not to be confused with bacterial leaf spot, is reaching economic levels in some Prairie fields — here’s what you need to know
In case farmers don’t already have plenty of cereal diseases to worry about, there’s a new one pushing its way into Prairie fields — and it’s a difficult one to tackle. Called bacterial leaf streak (not to be confused with its less problematic cousin bacterial leaf spot), the disease is likely to become a major […] Read more
Top tips for managing bacterial leaf streak
There may not be in-season management tools yet, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have options
Bacterial leaf streak — a new-to-Canada pathogen that has started to cause economic damage in cereal crops over the last handful of years — is difficult to manage. With no effective, economical, in-season management tools currently available, farmers have few options to tackle the new threat. That said, proactive farmers aren’t entirely without options, says […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
