Rebeca Kuropatwa

Bentley barley, a variety bred for its malting properties, was introduced into the marketplace this year after Canada Malting contracted 30,000 tons of it to Alberta and Saskatchewan farmers. This is the first malt barley bred by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (AARD) to be commercially contracted for malt. Dr. Patricia Juskiw, Alberta Agriculture and […] Read more

This is the third time in his career that Ontario provincial cereal specialist Peter Johnson, has conducted trials on sulphur. After earlier trials in the early 1990s and again in 2000, he began again in 2011. “The first two trials, we got no response to sulphur, except the occasional little blip — but on average […] Read more

Saturation. Denitrification. Ruts. Saturated soils need special 
attention to come back to normal production


Excess water can deplete soils. During years of excess water, plants will experience extra stress. In the years after land has been saturated, it’s important for farmers to re-evaluate their fertility programs. Soil depletion “Soil testing is especially important since nitrogen levels may be depleted due to denitrification and the potential for salinity may increase,” […] Read more

The productive top layer of Prairie soils is relatively thin. 
Once it’s lost, it can take years to recover


Once topsoil erodes, it is slow to recover. Research indicates that “the estimated loss of a quarter inch would take over 10 years to replenish, assuming no further erosion occurs,” says Murray Lewis, land resource specialist with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Saskatoon Research Centre. Erosion is an ongoing issue that will always require management. […] Read more

Some pesticides will take longer to break down than others; the 
outcome will depend on both the pesticide and the environment

Canada uses over 35 million kilograms of pesticide active ingredients per year,” says Dr. Annemieke Farenhorst, a soil science professor at the University of Manitoba. Farenhorst studies the persistence and transport of agrichemicals — including pesticides — in soil, water, and air. Some active ingredients break down more quickly than others. Pesticide break down How […] Read more

Foregoing video games for farm work has encouraged the children at Spring Creek Farm to take up careers in agriculture


Spring Creek Farm, a 480-acre mixed farm, five miles south of Cypress River in Man., has been in the Wood family for three generations. Greg Wood and Lisa Clouston are very proud that all four of their grown children have an interest in agriculture. “We encouraged them to follow their dreams and passions, no matter […] Read more

Farmers who need more 
and more applications of herbicide and fungicide might want to put a local aerial applicator on speed dial

People used to think that hiring an airplane was the most expensive option, but that’s no longer the case,” says Brennan Jardine, a commercial aerial sprayer at Nipawin, Sask. “Farmers now know if they hire a ground rig or drive over it themselves it will cost as much or more than an airplane.” There are […] Read more

Brennan Jardine played a major role in “Dust Up,” a reality TV show about crop dusting that ran on the History Channel in 2011. “Dust Up” delivered an up-close and personal look at Brennan Jardine, his father Bud Jardine and their competitor Travis Karle as they ran their crop dusting businesses. The publicity matieral about […] Read more

When you’re growing soybeans, it’s best to start out with a clean field. Re-plant herbicides are essential to soybean production, says Dr. Nasir Shaikh, provincial weed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Initiatives’ (MAFRI’s), Crops Knowledge Centre. “With lot of growers moving towards zero or minimum tillage, this is the only option for controlling […] Read more

Herbicides are still the best way to control weeds, but adding integrated 
weed management practices can give you an edge

There are a wide range of herbicides that can for control weeds in cereals. However, most agronomists agree that, in the long run, herbicides alone are not a silver bullet. Ultimately, a proper integrated weed management (IWM) program is key. IWM is a farming system that incorporates various inter-dependent cultural, biological and chemical weed control […] Read more