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Variable rate herbicide application

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It’s not the best fit for every situation, but variable rate herbicide application could lower your chemical bills

Ty Faechner, executive director of the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA), says variable rate herbicide application can offer several benefits. Faechner has studied variable rate herbicide application, and ARECA runs projects looking at on-farm precision agriculture research. Variable rate herbicide is ideal when weeds are patchy, rather than evenly distributed throughout a field, Faechner explains. Farmers or custom […] Read more
Features

Farmer Panel: CWB makes a good start out of the gate

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The CWB program will no doubt need some adjustments over the coming months and years, but farmers like what they see so far

The new CWB may not be perfect, but Western Canadian farmers contacted for this Farmer Panel generally like what they see in the agency that becomes one more grain marketing company in a new open marketplace on August 1, 2012. As one farmer pointed out, the change that has taken place over the past year […] Read more
Features

Calculating your farm’s rate of return

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Knowing your farm’s rate or return on equity and assets is helpful in determining when to re-invest in the farm

A year ago, for this same Farm Finance issue of Grainews, I wrote an article encouraging grain farmers to update their net worth statement as soon as possible after harvest with current grain inventory, payables, receivables and so on. The idea is to get a clear snapshot of your financial position early and do a […] Read more
Features

Three ways to think about rotation planning

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The biggest challenge to rotation planning is finding the balance between short term profits and long term planning

There was a joke that once made the rounds about farmers moving to a two-crop rotation: canola and snow. It’s funny, but it also highlights the challenge that all farmers face when it comes to crop rotation planning: how to keep chemical rotation and pest issues in check, but still make money? It’s not always […] Read more
Features

Understanding hail insurance

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After a bad experience last year, Mark and Bobbie Bratrud have developed four new guidelines for buying insurance on their farm

Hail insurance is an important piece of the risk management puzzle on most farms. We generally insure the crop we have, meaning that we calculate the value of the crop that is coming and insure that amount. Thankfully we generally don’t collect hail insurance. But 2011 brought us the hail insurance claim from hell. By […] Read more
Features

Soybean Harvest Tips

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Many farmers have their first soybean crop in the ground this season. Here are five practical tips to make sure it all gets safely into the bin

Soybean area continues to expand in Western Canada as farmers become more familiar with the agronomics of the crop and realize how hardy and low management soybeans can be. Because many farmers will be heading into the field to combine soybeans for the first time this fall, here are some tips to help you maximize […] Read more
Features

The value of micronutrient seed dressings

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Micronutrient seed dressings are relatively new in Western Canada. 
Retailers generally don’t claim that these products will increase yield, 
but they may add value for some farmers

Micronutrient seed dressings, already well established in the U.S., are starting to appear on our side of the border. Unlike traditional seed treatments designed to combat plant disease, seed dressings are claimed to boost returns — if not necessarily yields — by promoting better emergence and seedling vigour. One product has received official CFIA registration. Other products […] Read more
Features

Deciding when to swath canola

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Agronomist Doug Moisey says if you really want to know whether or not your canola crop is ready, you’ll have to get out of your truck

To gauge harvest readiness of canola crops, farmers need to get into the field and pop open seed pods, according to an agronomist. “Seed colour change is the only true measure of maturity. Pod colour, plant colour (aren’t reliable). There are varieties out there that will turn a lighter shade of green, get to almost […] Read more
Features

Don’t use desiccants to hasten maturity

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Desiccants are designed to quickly dry down the crop, as well as any green weedy material growing in the crop that might otherwise hamper harvesting operations. “It’s a common misconception that herbicides put on prior to harvest, whether it’s a desiccant or something like glyphosate, will hasten maturity — which is not the case,” says […] Read more
Features

Spring conditions across the Prairies

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Spring is a crucial time for crop production. This spring condition round-up will help you see where you stand

Spring conditions can go a long way in determining the quality of grain that’s harvested. Fortunately for many Prairie farmers this year, conditions are greatly improved from previous saturated seasons. Saskatchewan Many farmers in the west-central and northwestern parts of the province welcomed the rain because, up until late spring, subsoil moisture conditions were low […] Read more

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