Symptoms will first appear at the base of the plant and will continue upwards as potassium moves up 
the plant to support new growth.

Manitoba soybeans not responding to K?

Soybean potassium fertility trials leave researchers scratching their heads

While it has generally been known that Manitoba’s lighter-textured soils are low in potassium, it took soybeans to really bring the issue to light. With soybeans taking up more and more acres, researchers felt it was time to conduct potassium fertility trials. While preliminary results are in, results are mixed. More data will be needed […] Read more

There’s a perception in the farming community that soil erosion and degradation are in the past, but that simply isn't the case.

Don’t forget lessons of the Dirty 30s

Although there’s a perception that dust is past, tillage erosion is on the rise in Manitoba

It seemed like the beginning of the end of the world: friends and neighbours dying of “dust pneumonia” and massive dust storms sweeping the land. These are some of the recollections of people who were alive in the “Dirty 30s,” recorded for an oral history project by Daryl Ritchison, interim director of the North Dakota […] Read more


High-tech and higher-level training

High-tech and higher-level training

Moving your farm to high-tech solutions doesn’t mean safety can take a backseat

Technology has brought about so many advances in agriculture. Automation and computers allow us to do more than ever before. But high-tech doesn’t always equal high safety. Understanding what can’t be replaced with technology and how to use technology as a tool is a new area of farm safety that will only grow as technology advances. […] Read more

Aphanomyces disease symptoms in the field.

AAFC projects focus on aphanomyces root rot in pulse crops

Good management practices still the best way to control aphanomyces in the field

While improving management practices and reducing risk factors are still the best ways to avoid root rot in pulse crops, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) researchers hope to find other tools. Syama Chatterton, an AAFC research scientist whose areas of expertise include diseases in pulse crops and soil borne diseases, is working on research projects that focus […] Read more


Blooming rapeseed field at sunset

New phosphorus research for canola on the way

Canola removes more phosphorus from the ground than the recommended safe rate


*[UPDATED MAR. 19, 2018] Farmers face a fertilizer dilemma each spring. The current safe rate for phosphorus in canola is 17 to 22 kilograms per hectare (15.2 to 19.6 pounds per acre). With good moisture, the recommendation goes up to 28 kg/ha (or 25.0 lb./ac.). But canola typically removes more phosphorus than the recommended safe […] Read more

Mental health is a farm safety issue

Farming is stressful, for farmers and their families. Make mental health a priority

Farmers had to be tough or we wouldn’t have started farming the Prairies. This toughness is mental as well as physical. It is also lonely. And with 60 per cent of us experiencing anxiety, 36 per cent suffering from depression and over 45 per cent living with high stress it is a farm safety issue […] Read more


’Tis the season for farm safety

The busiest times of the year are also the best times to slow down and plan for safety

Seeding. Harvest. Calving. Silage. Haying. These are busy seasons. We should also consider these busy times a great opportunity to invest in the safety of our team. Gearing up for the busy seasons often means getting equipment ready, preparing work areas and stocking up on supplies. Team members are coming back or are gearing up […] Read more

From the road, the crop had a purplish tinge to it. Although they appeared consistently throughout the field, the symptoms were more pronounced in drier areas, such as hilltops.

Crop advisor casebook: What’s causing extreme stem discolouration in this wheat crop?

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the March 13, 2018 issue of Grainews

While checking some crops, Ron, a Saskatchewan producer, was alarmed to find his wheat crop’s plant stems had turned a vivid reddish-purple colour within a very short period of time. It was August 9 when Ron asked me to investigate the cause of the stems’ colour change. Ron farms 3,000 acres of wheat, canola, barley […] Read more


first aid kit

72 hours or more…

Farm Safety Week: Canadians are advised to be prepared for 72 hours without services. Are you ready?

A few weeks ago, we had a big storm. Roads were terrible. Power was intermittent at best. It was cold. Our friends in town were struggling. They couldn’t imagine how we were managing the conditions. We handled the storm well because we were prepared. Canadians are advised to be prepared for 72 hours without services. […] Read more

The best time to deal with a weed such as kochia is when it's small.

In-crop mechanical weed control

Controlling weeds mechanically can help overcome Group 2 resistant weeds in pulses

Group 2 resistant weeds are an annual problem for lentil producers. But there are a few outside-the-box methods that may give farmers better control than herbicide alone. University of Saskatchewan grad student Alex Alba led a study looking at three in-crop mechanical weed control methods, including: Tine harrows; Rotary hoe; and, Inter-row tillage. Alba used […] Read more