Features & Production Tips

More on QR codes

By Lee Hart January 6, 2022

Most Canadian farmers are certainly familiar with QR codes these days — the QR stands for quick response. First, they’ve been around for nearly 30 years — it’s a square with a maze of black symbols and markings inside its border, often found on the labels of various products. The QR code is described as […] Read more

Mike Shewchuk, Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association president, says the seed shortages generally affect crops across the board.

Features, News

The great 2022 seed scramble

Book your seed and lock in prices as soon as possible, warn seed growers’ associations

By Mark Halsall January 4, 2022

To say 2021 wasn’t a very good year for seed growers in Western Canada is putting it lightly. The combination of drought conditions and unrelenting summer heat across much of the Prairies hurt seed production and has some farmers scrambling to secure the seed they need for the coming growing season. “It hit crops hard […] Read more

The spray window for fusarium head blight in wheat may only be a few days, so timing is critical.

Features

Four tips for FHB spray applications in wheat

To prevent outbreaks consider spray preparation, double nozzles, coarser sprays and lower booms

By Mark Halsall December 24, 2021

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive wheat diseases in Western Canada, affecting the yield, grade and end-use quality of infected crops. Fungicides can be very effective in preventing FHB outbreaks, as long as they’re applied on time and sprayed the right way. Tom Wolf, a sprayer expert and scientist at Agrimetrix […] Read more

Spraying when it is too windy can lead to coverage issues, due to lost product, in addition to spray drift; however, it’s better to spray with some wind than none at all, says sprayer expert Tom Wolf.

Equipment, Features

Ten tips for spraying in windy conditions

Here’s how to optimize pesticide coverage and reduce spray drift risks

By Mark Halsall December 20, 2021

Farmers have several things they must think about when choosing the right time to spray. Important considerations include application windows and time of day, but the obvious question is — is it too windy out? “The wind speed is really the single most important factor that everyone uses to determine whether it’s safe to spray […] Read more

Equipment, Features

How to improve the productivity of your spray program

By Mark Halsall December 20, 2021

As Tom Wolf of Agrimetrix Research and Training points out, when the wind picks up or, perhaps, changes direction, this can throw a wrench into a spraying operation. This may mean returning to the field when conditions are more favourable for spraying, or perhaps switching to another product that is not as risky for the […] Read more

Corteva, Croplan, Dekalb, Maizex, NorthStar Genetics, Proven Seed, SeCan, Sevita International, Syngenta and Thunder Seed are releasing a total of 31 new soybean varieties for 2022.

Crops, Features, Soybeans

New soybean varieties for 2022

Good disease packages, stress tolerance and strong standability are just a few of the features on offer

By Mark Halsall December 10, 2021

Western Canadian Prairie farmers who want to try a new soybean variety in 2022 will have lots to choose from with 31 soybean options being rolled out for the coming growing season. Here’s a look at what’s on tap from Dekalb, Corteva, Croplan, Maizex, NorthStar Genetics, Proven Seed, SeCan, Sevita International, Syngenta and Thunder Seed. […] Read more

Corn, Features

New corn varieties for 2022

Varieties with excellent early season vigour, high yields, good drydown and more are on offer

By Mark Halsall December 8, 2021

Next year there’ll be 23 new corn options in the offing for producers in Western Canada. BrettYoung, Corteva, Dekalb, Horizon Seeds, Maizex, NorthStar Genetics, Pride Seeds, Proven Seed and Thunder Seed are all releasing new corn hybrids for the coming growing season. Please note, the following list includes only brand new releases for 2022. BrettYoung […] Read more

Features, Machinery

How to choose the right sprayer nozzle

Do some research, but also call a specialist for advice

By Lee Hart December 7, 2021

Under the heading “Perhaps Too Much of a Good Thing,” sprayer expert Tom Wolf says probably the biggest challenge about selecting the right nozzles for the field sprayer is having too much choice. “Finding the right nozzle is a bit of a chore simply because there is an overabundance of supply,” says Wolf. “The fact […] Read more

Alberta farmer Bob Taylor has never met a tractor he didn’t like. He was in his early teens when he began dealing tractors and now has more than 100 at Tractor Haven – a refuge for tractors and other farm machinery and equipment at Taylor’s farm homestead south of Calgary.

Equipment, Features, Machinery

Alberta farmer is a collector of tractors and preserver of history

Bob Taylor’s Tractor Haven is where old tractors and all kinds of other collectibles go to be remembered — and every piece has a story to tell

By Lee Hart November 23, 2021

It might be fair to say that southern Alberta farmer Bob Taylor never met a tractor he didn’t like. You don’t have to spend much time touring around the farm homestead about an hour south of Calgary to figure that out. Taylor still owns a large collection of farm tractors he’s met over the years. […] Read more

Dairy producers Michael and Jessica Lovich of Balgonie, Sask., were named Saskatchewan’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2021.

Features, News

Nominees lined up for national Outstanding Young Farmer awards

Plans and dreams of dairy, beef, poultry and vegetable producers featured in December program

By Lee Hart November 10, 2021

For the second year in a row, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF) national awards program planned for early December 2021, for the most part, will be a virtual event again, although the actual awards presentations will be live. While the information workshops and social networking during the awards program, being held Dec. 1-3, will be […] Read more

Daily Network News

Canadian agriculture must build on the moment federal politicians say

Prairie forecast: A north-south temperature split as spring struggles to move in

More canola, spring wheat likely to be seeded this spring