SR14501, a new six-row hulled spring feed and forage barley variety, 
should soon be in farmers’ fields.

“Incredible” new barley variety

This new higher-yielding, six-row barley 
variety is on the road to certification

A new six-row hulled spring feed and forage barley variety should soon be in farmers’ fields. SR14501 — which will gain a trade name prior to commercialization — was developed by Alberta’s Field Crop Development Centre in response to producers’ requests for a barley with good lodging resistance, says barley breeder Joseph Nyachiro. “It is […] Read more

The diamondback moth is capable of producing as many as four generations each year. The earlier they arrive and the better the conditions, they more they reproduce.

Why was 2017 an unprecedented year for diamondback moth?

Reviewing economic thresholds and 
action plans to control this insect pest

Last year’s growing season was a freakish one for diamondback moth in Western Canada, and while the probability that an outbreak of this calibre will be seen in 2018 is very low, the possibility is always there. Knowing what to do and when to act can help you to get this insect pest under better […] Read more


Spraying machine working on the green field

Stopping sprayer clean out errors

Curb those embarrassing mistakes with 
tips from sprayer pro Tom Wolf

When Tom Wolf told his audience at CropSphere in Saskatoon on January 9 that sprayer clean out errors can be embarrassing, the nervous laughter in the room made it clear that most farmers have made some sort sprayer mistake. And, as Wolf pointed out, making the crowd laugh again, those mistakes usually happens in the […] Read more

Dealing with dicamba

Dealing with dicamba

At CropSphere in Saskatoon in January, Tom Wolf warned that dicamba can cause issues with sensitive crops — whether due to sprayer cleanout issues or from drift. We’d better be prepared to deal with it, since we’re going to be seeing it more often. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are resistant to both glyphosate […] Read more


The three trays on the left represent 10,000 canola seeds that were not put through the Harrington Seed Destructor before researchers grew them out. The two trays on the right show the low germination rate of 10,000 canola seeds after researchers ran them through the Seed Destructor.

Mechanical harvest weed control

The Harrington Seed Destructor is a chem-free way to chew up weed seeds at harvest time

Recent research into harvest weed seed control is yielding some promising results. Breanne Tidemann, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist based in Lacombe, has been studying how effectively the Harrington Seed Destructor chews up weed seeds. Tidemann and her colleagues collected chaff from a bag attached to the back of a combine, then ran the […] Read more

Tame oats exposed to Axial, a Group 1 herbicide. Susceptible plants yellow and die after being exposed to a Group 1 herbicide.

Getting to know your herbicides: Group 1

A look at how Group 1 chemicals work and what you can do to manage weed resistance

Although wild oats are an annual, Group 1-resistant wild oats have become a perennial problem on the Prairies. And wild oats aren’t the only weeds developing resistance to this chemical group. Grainews takes a look at how Group 1 chemicals work and what farmers can do to manage resistance. Group 1 herbicides are commonly applied […] Read more


Chad contacted me about malformed pods on the upper portion of his glyphosate-tolerant canola plants.

Crop advisor casebook: What caused the malformed pods in Chad’s canola crop?

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

Chad, who owns a mixed grain and cattle farm near Togo, Sask., noticed something was not quite right with his canola crop. It was early August 2016 when Chad contacted me about malformed pods on the upper portion of his glyphosate-tolerant canola plants. “The pods don’t look right,” he said. “They’re all twisted up and […] Read more

Consider options for protecting nitrogen

Consider options for protecting nitrogen

N-stabilizing products are not new, but there are still questions about how they work

If you are concerned about the all-important nitrogen losses due to environmental factors, there are several solutions in the form of nitrogen stabilizing or Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer (EEF) products to choose from. All can be quite effective according to private, government and university researchers, but along comes the big depends. It depends on moisture conditions, […] Read more


New non-GMO canola variety for the market

Manipulation and natural plant enzymes create sulfonylurea-resistant variety

For western Canadian farmers waiting for a herbicide tolerant canola variety with a different mode of chemistry action to help reduce the risk of herbicide tolerance, SU Canola is here. Commercially available on a limited basis, Cibus (pronounced See-bus) is launching its first herbicide-tolerant, non-GMO canola variety, resistant to sulfonylurea herbicide, to Prairie farmers for […] Read more

Calvin and Andrea Kotylak moved to Calvin’s family farm to raise their three boys in a rural setting. Jonny (far left), Nate and Christopher (far right) are an integral part of almost everything that happens on the Kotylak farm.

Meet your farming neighbours: Calvin and Andrea Kotylak

This is the story of Calvin and 
Andrea Kotylak, from Kendal, Sask.

Every farm has its own story. No two farms (or farmers) are exactly alike. Everyone got started in a different way, and every farm has a different combination of family and hired staff who make the decisions and keep things running. But, in general, even after you consider all of the details, Prairie farmers are […] Read more