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big green tractor
Crops, Features

Controlled traffic farming

As machinery gets bigger, that extra weight seems to take a toll on crop growth. Controlled traffic farming may offer a solution

By
From Grainews, Feb. 4, 2014, page 8: Controlled traffic farming uses tramlines to separate crop production zones and traffic lanes, Peter Gamache explains. “In practice, that means all implements have a particular span or multiples of (the tramline) and all wheel tracks are confined to specific traffic lanes.” Gamache led a three-year project examining the effects […] Read more
alternaria on a canola leaf
Canola, Crops, Features

Alternaria dust no cause for concern

By
While swathing napus canola last year, some Prairie farmers reported an odd phenomenon: blackish-green dust was covering their swathers. The cause, says Clint Jurke, a Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist, was more than likely alternaria black spot, and more of a curiosity than cause for concern. “The windows of their swathers were turning blackish-green. As far […] Read more
Sunflowers in a field.
Features, News

Watch for sunflower diseases

Farmers interested in planting sunflowers in 2014 should 
be ready to protect them 
from sclerotinia head rot 
and sunflower rust

By
Sunflowers are generating a great deal of interest for 2014 planting. “Interest in sunflowers is very high this winter,” says Anastasia Kubinec, oilseeds business development specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. “It’s price driven and contracts are being scooped up very quickly.” About 90 per cent of Canada’s sunflower acres are in Manitoba, […] Read more
peas
Crops, Features

Up and coming pea varieties

By
CDC Meadow and CDC Golden are currently the acreage kings for yellow peas in Saskatchewan. But two young guns could usurp one leader. CDC Saffron and Amarillo “could take the place of Meadow, for example.” Dr. Tom Warkentin told CropSphere delegates in Saskatoon last January. Warkentin specializes in pulse breeding and research at the University of […] Read more
Crops, Features

Seeding with thousand kernel rates

Agronomists promote using thousand kernel rates to calculate seeding rates. 
But many farmers still haven’t picked up the habit

By
Talk to almost any agronomist, and a lot of farmers, and they will tell you that they calculate seeding rates using 1,000-kernel weights (TKW) and target plant populations. They don’t use some arbitrary and antiquated volume measure. Why aren’t all farmers using this strategy? “The root of the reason, I believe, is there’s not enough […] Read more
Downy brome
Crops, Features

Controlling downy brome

This aggressive weed can be confused with fall rye. Luckily, 
there are several ways to keep it under control

By
Downy brome is a winter annual grass that is a problem in every Canadian province except Newfoundland. A prolific seed producer, it germinates in the fall and overwinters as a seedling. Come spring, it resumes growth rapidly. Generally, downy brome starts heading in late April to early May. By late April, it has an extensive, […] Read more
blackleg disease on a canola stem
Canola, Crops, Features

Protect your weapons in the fight against blackleg

New information and tools are in the works to help growers protect 
the durability of current resistant canola varieties

By
Last year’s record canola harvest of nearly 18 million tonnes was a significant achievement for Canadian producers and industry stakeholders, far surpassing the goal set by the sector of 15 million tonnes by 2015. On the heels of this accomplishment, canola disease experts warn blackleg could take a large bite out of future production if […] Read more
Crops, Features

Private crop insurance

Saskatchewan-based Global Ag Risk Solutions is offering Prairie 
farmers a private option to insure their production costs

By
How do you like the sound of crop insurance that guarantees a gross margin on your production, covers you when prices tank, provides something that the bank will lend against and gives you the kind of confidence that lets you sleep through the worst thunderstorm of the season? Sounds too good to be true doesn’t […] Read more
Railway car being filled with grain
Crops, Features

Producer cars to lower risk

Producer cars are an alternative to help Prairie farmers manage the uncertainty of basis and delivery opportunities

After seeing how the past winter evolved in regards to extremely high basis levels and limited delivery access because of the bumper crop, I have been looking at available options to help farmers better manage these risks. Today I want to take a look at producer cars and how they can help manage basis fluctuations […] Read more
Crops, Features, Lentils, Pulses

Lentils with blight can be misdiagnosed

Stemphylium blight is turning up in more and more seed lab tests, but 
is often misdiagnosed when it’s found out in the field

By
Stemphylium blight, caused by the fungal pathogen Stemphylium botryosum, is a lentil disease that has only been identified as a problem in recent years. But according to Sabine Banniza, a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, this may be due to misdiagnosis in the past. “There isn’t really very solid data out there, partly because […] Read more

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