soybean field in ontario

Iron deficiency chlorosis took toll on Manitoba soy

IDC was a widespread issue last year as diminishing soil moisture left salts higher in the soil profile

Manitoba’s soybean acres had a hard time with iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) in 2024. The province’s soils are usually rich in iron, but when there’s too much moisture, soluble salts, nitrates or calcium carbonates, the plant’s ability to get that iron is impeded.

flies on flowers

Prairies’ pollinators play a crucial role

It’s estimated pollinators, mainly bees, increase the production of numerous species of crops by as much as 75 per cent

University of Lethbridge researcher Shelley Hoover recently explained how these tiny creatures contribute billions to the Canadian economy and why their well-being is crucial for crop yields.



syrphid fly larvae attacks aphid

Producers urged to protect beneficial insects

When battling crop pests, a research scientist cautions farmers not to throw the baby out with the bathwater

Prairie crop producers need to focus on conserving beneficial insects while simultaneously managing pest insects. Many of those beneficials help promote synergies and make the best use of other ecosystem service providers.





a seed terminator unit attached to a combine

A Saskatchewan farmer is combining weed control with harvest

The Seed Terminator, an attachment that destroys weed seeds on their way out of the combine, is being put to work on a farm north of Saskatoon

Josh Lade’s farm is all-in on a combine attachment called the Seed Terminator, on which he’s spent mid-six figures over the past seven years, making sure it’s put to work on every acre controlling what he calls “the fittest weeds of the year.”

a pile of lime awaiting application on a farm field

It may be time for lime on acid soils

Liming may be an expensive option — but it’s the only proven method to raise soil pH

Acidic soil can plague crop producers with nutrient deficiencies and poor root growth, leading to reduced yields. Lime can be expensive, but may pencil out as the most important fertilizer treatment for those soils.


Adding another crop such as faba beans to the canola-cereal rotation may not make buckets of money this year, but it offers benefits down the road.

Faba beans could help ease rotation pressure on canola

There has been little export demand, but new, safer varieties are expected to open doors in the domestic food market

Eric McLean, who farms near Oak River, Man., thinks farmers should avoid the “easy button” approach to crop production.“We have to keep trying different things. Honestly, that is the solution, to have that diversification in the crop rotation.”