nitrogen on soybeans

The right amount of nitrogen for soybeans

Between hearing of U.S. farmers adding extra nitrogen, and 
warnings about choosing fields with low nitrogen for soybeans, it’s easy to get confused

Some western Canadian farmers new to soybeans are understandably a little confused about the issue of whether or not they need to add nitrogen fertilizer to achieve better yields, especially if they are sourcing production information from the U.S. Differences in soils types, conditions and crop rotations mean that U.S. information isn’t necessarily applicable to […] Read more



flea beetle damage on a leaf

Later canola seeding could mean less flea beetle damage

In addition to flea beetles, farmers should be scouting for cutworms, wireworms and grasshoppers

Flea beetles are munching on Manitoba canola crops but a provincial entomologist says the damage may look worse than it is. If there’s more than 25 per cent feeding damage after the canola crop has been planted for at least three weeks, an insecticide application could be economic, John Gavloski said in a Manitoba Agriculture, […] Read more



Sunflowers in a field.

Watch for sunflower diseases

Farmers interested in planting sunflowers in 2014 should 
be ready to protect them 
from sclerotinia head rot 
and sunflower rust

Sunflowers are generating a great deal of interest for 2014 planting. “Interest in sunflowers is very high this winter,” says Anastasia Kubinec, oilseeds business development specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. “It’s price driven and contracts are being scooped up very quickly.” About 90 per cent of Canada’s sunflower acres are in Manitoba, […] Read more

Tractor seeding a field

Farmers tweak rotations to reflect markets

Farmer panel: Farmers contacted for the February Farmer Panel are making 
changes to get the most from a falling market in 2014

While the high rolling wheat, barley and canola prices of the past couple years are into a market slump in 2014, that doesn’t mean western Canadian farmers are making major changes to their cropping plans this coming year. Some adjustments, yes, as they consider crops with lower inputs, or bring back specialty crops they haven’t […] Read more


Safe grain handling

We know the dangers of augers and PTOs. 
But we also need to be prepared for drowning in dry grain, or dust fires


Grain farming has its share of potentially deadly hazards. There are some obvious ones and some you may not think about. Augers, PTOs and bin cleaners Almost everyone has seen a video or knows of someone who has been caught by an auger or PTO shaft. We tell our children to stay away from them. […] Read more

Checking-in on the farm

The best way to know for sure your farm family and employees are safe is to make sure you check on them regularly

Communications are critical for safe farm operations. One often overlooked aspect of farm communications is check-in strategies. Farms are getting bigger, they are getting more equipment and doing more value added operations to increase profitability. Even smaller farms are doing their best to stay competitive and that can mean working alone or working in situations […] Read more


Writing a farm safety program

There are lots of economic, practical and common sense reasons to write a safety plan for your farm

You’ve seen the farm safety folks at the farm trade shows and farm events. They’re the loneliest booths there. And they’re a resource that is very under utilized by farmers. In a perfect world, safety would be first. But too often it is “safety third” on our farms. While, like emergency planning, safety planning is […] Read more

Farm implement in a field.

2014 rebate roundup

Corporate pricing programs on your 
spring inputs change every year. 
Here’s our annual listing of the major companies’ latest offerings

Many major chemical companies have simplified their rebate and reward programs for western Canadian farmers this year. Most companies have built their programming around farmer loyalty to one brand, and designed programs with bigger discounts for bigger farms. Arysta LifeScience Arysta LifeScience offered an Early Purchase Offer on Everest 2.0. If you bought an Everest […] Read more


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