Promise of self-fertilizing attracts investment

Promise of self-fertilizing attracts investment

Bayer bets big on a future where crops are designed to fertilizer themselves

There are a lot of efforts underway to optimize and minimize fertilizer use in crop production. Precision agriculture tools are improving the accuracy of where fertilizer is placed so that as much of it as possible reaches the plants that need it. And researchers from at least two Canadian universities — Ottawa’s Carleton University and […] Read more

Farmers and agronomists had a hands-on look at crops, weeds and pests at Saskatchewan Agriculture’s 2017 Crop Diagnostic School near Indian Head in July.


Four things to know about herbicide layering

Layer your herbicides to increase your odds of avoiding resistant weeds

Herbicide layering was on the agenda at Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Crop Diagnostic School near Indian Head this past summer. Cory Jacob, regional crop specialist in Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Watrous office, walked participants through the process. 1. What is herbicide layering? “We’re basically talking about layering on multiple herbicide modes of action and groups in sequential application. So, mainly your pre-seed and […] Read more


Jennifer and Andrew Lovell, fruit and vegetable producers from Keswick Ridge, N.B., at left, and Dominic Drapeau and Célia Neault, dairy producers from Ste-Françoise-de-Lotbinière, Que., were named Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2016. These two farm families were chosen from seven regional farm couples across Canada. The 2017 national competition will be held in Penticton, B.C. later this month.

2017 young farmers to be showcased

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers will 
gather in Penticton later this month

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) will be gathering in Penticton, B.C., later this month to select two farm nominees from seven regional finalists to be named national winners for 2017. About 150 OYF alumni and guests will be gathering at the Lakeside Resort convention centre from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 for the 37th annual […] Read more

The canola plants were wilted, with roots that came to a gentle point. 
These damaged plants were randomly distributed throughout the field.

Crop Advisor’s Casebook: What happened to these canola roots?

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the November 7, 2017 issue of Grainews

Dennis farms 3,400 acres of malt barley, wheat, yellow peas and canola near Vulcan, Alta. With canola samples in tow, he visited our office in early June. The plants he showed me were wilted, but had retained their green colour. However, it was the roots that caught my attention. They looked like they’d been put […] Read more


Vive le Québec différence

Vive le Québec différence

“Farming” in Quebec is definitely not what we’re used to here on the Prairies

When the Canadian Farm Writers Federation announced they were holding their 2017 meeting in Quebec City, I went straight to the Internet to find the registration form. As well as full programs of speakers CFWF conferences are known for featuring great agricultural tours. This year’s agenda didn’t disappoint, as delegates to the Quebec conference at the […] Read more

Bryce Geisel says that Group 2 herbicides are still important to Western Canadian farmers, despite resistance issues.

Developing resistance: Group 2 herbicides

Each herbicide group kills weeds differently. Weed resistance differs by herbicide group


When talking about herbicide resistance, Bryce Geisel likes to make sure people realize that spraying herbicides doesn’t cause resistance in a weed. Instead there are individual plants that, by chance, resist the herbicide. Those plants survive and pass on their resistance traits. “And with Group 2s in particular, it’s just altering the target site,” says […] Read more


Managing fungicide resistance

Managing fungicide resistance

Your risk of resistance will depend on the disease you have and the fungicide you spray

Should western Canadian farmers be concerned about fungicide resistance? And if so, how should they manage it? Fungicide resistance shares some fundamentals with herbicides, says Jared Veness, field marketing manager at Bayer Crop Science. By applying fungicide, farmers are applying selection pressure to a pest. Within that pest’s population, there are likely individuals with mutations […] Read more

This BASF-supplied photo shows a still vigorously growing pea crop (left) produced with Nodulator Duo compared to pea crop produced with a competing inoculant product.

New bacteria enhance N-fixing performance

Natural soil molecules recruited to help increase pulse crop growth and yield

BASF Canada and Monsanto BioAg have both added different naturally occurring soil bacteria to pulse crop inoculants to enhance the nitrogen fixing capability and growth of pea and lentil crops. Pulsea crop growers are no doubt familiar with BASF’s Nodulator and Monsanto BioAG’s TagTeam pulse crop inoculants. They’ve been around for years. For the 2018 […] Read more


The peasants driving the horse and wagon are in the majority of farmers in Romania.

Romania: One extreme to another

Marianne Stamm took an opportunity to learn about EU agriculture in Romania

I had the opportunity to join a group of 45 European agriculture journalists on a one-week press tour of the eastern part of Romania. It was one surprise after another. What I knew of Romania consisted of stories of those who took clothing to children’s orphanages, or of the report of corruption and hardship from […] Read more

Mark Heise, President and CEO of Regina’s Rebellion Brewery, shows off some of his brewery’s latest creations. Heise believes there is nothing but untapped potential ahead for Saskatchewan breweries.

Crafting a brand new industry

What the rise of craft beer in Saskatchewan means for Prairie barley growers

People in Saskatchewan are thirsty for a new kind of beer. Saskatchewan’s craft beer sector has been growing steadily in recent years and one brewer says the future continues to looks bright. “We just view it as nothing but untapped potential, especially for Saskatchewan,” says Mark Heise, president and CEO of Regina’s Rebellion Brewery, one […] Read more