Another season begins

Just getting started and almost done, and a range in between — that’s how farmers described their seeding status in mid-May

Pretty well everyone was on their cell phones in the tractor cab when the evening call came in from Grainews asking about plans for the 2013 season. Some farmers said the season was late by a week or two, others said it just a bit later than last year and last year was a bit […] Read more

Aster yellows: hard to pin down

Aster yellows caused significant damage and resulted in heavy yield losses in many canola fields across Western Canada in 2012. With no economic threshold established for the disease, and no known way to effectively control the problem, it’s something that’s hard for farmers to get a handle on. Aster leafhoppers have been arriving in Canada […] Read more


Bin installation and insurance

Many empty bins were destroyed by plough winds last summer. Not all damage is preventable, but there are steps you can take

Farmers are purchasing more and more on-farm storage these days. With more bins on farms, there are also more reports of bin damage due, particularly due to catastrophic winds. While some acts of God cannot be guarded against, farmers can take precautions. Meridian Manufacturing Inc. is the largest bin manufacturer in North America. Its head […] Read more

Tarps versus grain bags

For farmers short on storage, tarps or grain bags can be a low short-term 
solution. It’s not risk free, but these five tips can improve your odds

Farmers short on storage this year might consider tarping grain or using grain bags. But neither is good for long-term storage or high-moisture grain. Farmers short on storage this year might consider tarping grain or using grain bags. But neither is good for long-term storage or high-moisture grain. Tarping dry grain on the ground is […] Read more


Understanding market bulls and bears: Know your grain contracts

Knowing the ins and out of these four types of grain contracts 
could help you choose the best deal for your business

Let’s review types of pricing contracts offered by grain companies. Most grain companies have come up with a number of variations of price averaging contracts, minimum price/options contracts, premium plus and target price contracts. These innovations in contracting provide you with many different choices, but along with these choices comes more confusion. Choice is always […] Read more

Soybean yields

Saskatchewan soybean growers probably 
shouldn’t expect sky-high yields, but insurance
coverage has been expanded

Saskatchewan farmers growing soybeans this year probably shouldn’t bank on yields higher than 25 bushels per acre, says an agronomist. “Drought and cooler temperatures can push that lower, whereas moisture and heat can push that higher. There are many agronomics practices we need to put into place before we have Saskatchewan growers consistently over that […] Read more


Supporting beneficial insects

There are measures you can take to protect the beneficial bug population in your field, even if you have to spray

Along with only spraying when necessary, there are several things farmers can do to protect and even encourage beneficial insects. Making the decision to spray If you are deciding whether or not to spray, and there is a population of beneficial insects in your field, you may be wondering how they will affect the economic […] Read more

Beneficial bugs

This growing season farmers should not only keep an eye out for pest insects, but also the beneficials that prey on them. “If we are familiar with the natural enemies, we can make a better decision on whether the risk of damage by the pest insects is relatively low,” says Dr. Héctor Cárcamo, Agriculture and […] Read more


Controlling wireworms

As crop threats go, wireworm is one of the most difficult to predict. Its fickle behaviour, from feeding choices and patterns to life-span, makes it near-impossible to determine populations or geographic distribution. What we do know is that wireworm problems are increasing. Wireworms are among the most significant early-season stressors for many crops in Western […] Read more

Ungerminated wheat crops

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