Melanie Epp

There are still solutions for farmers whose winter wheat didn’t 
hit the crucial three-leaf stage before winter hit

Many Western Cana dian winter wheat growers found themselves in a tough predicament last fall. Although a dry fall led to early harvest, creating perfect conditions for seeding winter wheat, many fields didn’t germinate. If your winter wheat didn’t hit the crucial three-leaf stage before winter hit, there are still solutions. Viability? A lot of […] Read more

As most farmers know, Saskatchewan, represents more than 90 per cent of chickpea production in Canada, so what happens in Saskatchewan is usually a good indication of what’s going on across the country. Western Canada saw an increase in chickpea production in 2012, even though growers struggled with some familiar setbacks Overall, though, last year […] Read more

If you’re going to grow chickpeas, you’re going to need the right variety, 
good rotation practices, and, of course, a lot of fungicide

While chickpea production in 2012 was higher than 2011, there’s no doubt that Prairie production has been held back by ascochyta. When left uncontrolled, Ascochyta rabiei has been responsible for yield losses as high as 70 per cent. Although plant breeders are working on new varieties with higher resistance, the disease still needs to be […] Read more

Yellowdevil hawkweed has been found in the Crowsnest Pass area 
of Alberta. Learn how to control it before it spreads further

Yellowdevil hawkweed (Hieracium glomeratum) was recently found in southern Alberta, in the Crowsnest Pass area. In the Pacific Northwest, hawkweeds are some of the most troublesome weeds found. A perennial, yellowdevil hawkweed reproduces by seed, and vegetatively by rhizomes and root buds. It is thought that the weed most likely came into the province via […] Read more

Farmers sitting through the presentations at the Canaryseed Development Commission’s afternoon session at Crop Production Week in Saskatoon in January may have left the hotel wondering just how much nitrogen to apply to their canaryseed crops this spring. During the course of the afternoon, a federal research scientist and a Saskatchewan agronomist presented two very […] Read more

There are many benefits to zero and minimum tillage practices, but phosphorus loss can be a side effect

Conservation tillage, including zero and minimum tillage, reduces both soil erosion and the transportation of soil-bound nutrients to surface water. While one of the purposes of the practice is to minimize the negative impact of farming operations on the environment, recent studies have shown that even conservation tillage can have environmental trade-offs in some regions. “There’s a […] Read more