Hay sold off the farm takes away more nutrients than a grain crop. |  GETTY IMAGE

Your forage needs feeding too

A BCRC report says only 25 per cent of pasture and hay fields and 15 per cent of alfalfa fields are fertilized

It’s a bit too easy, particularly in the rush of spring, to forget about what might be going in your forage fields, or more accurately, underneath them. “Forage fertility is often overlooked,” says Mike Howell, senior agronomist with Nutrien. “Farmers tend to think of themselves as cattle producers and are not always focused on fertility […] Read more

Peak nitrogen uptake is from the five-leaf stage through flowering in canola and from before jointing to heading in cereals.

Didn’t get your fertilizer down last fall? What to consider this spring

Wet conditions mean you should pay particular attention to nitrogen

If you’re looking out your window at last year’s crop still in the field, you’re not alone — about four million acres went unharvested in Western Canada in 2019. And if you did manage to get your crop in the bin, maybe you couldn’t do much fieldwork before the snow and frost made it impossible. […] Read more


Could your crops have “hidden hunger”?

Could your crops have “hidden hunger”?

Most Prairie soils may be high in potassium, but that doesn’t mean all of them have enough of this essential nutrient

NPK – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – is the standard abbreviation for the major crop nutrients, but when it comes to soil tests in Western Canada, it’s traditionally been just NP. It’s been assumed that the soil supplies most if not all of the potassium needed, especially for mainstay crops such as wheat and barley. […] Read more

I have unharvested crop in the field. Is a Cash Advance still an option for my farm?

I have unharvested crop in the field. Is a Cash Advance still an option for my farm?

A cash advance can be a source of cash flow for farmers with unharvested crops

Harvest 2018 has been less than ideal. With unharvested crop still in the field farmers may be looking for new options to cover fall expenses. The Canadian Canola Growers Association’s Cash Advance program gives farmers flexible cash flow options that can help in times such as these.   We recognize that many farmers are having a […] Read more


Cattle producers say Can-Am’s side-by-side vehicles are ideal for chores such as hauling fenceposts and feed.

Can-Am ORVs aren’t just for recreation

The Defender and Commander are ideal for many uses around the farm or ranch

Life on the farm is hard work. It’s demanding and without reprieve. Farmers do more in a day than the people they produce for will ever know or give them credit for. “If you need to take it out for the day to do a little bit of fencing or take salt or anything that’s […] Read more

Dow: Simplicity GoDRI

Dow: Simplicity GoDRI

Unlike its predecessors, the GoDRI formulation mixes quickly and completely to let the product do its work

Bringing a new crop protection product to market can cost upwards of $250 million in research and development. But beyond the product itself is the way the technology is delivered. Advances in formulations allow growers to optimize a new product’s capabilities. Dow AgroScience spent 15 years developing and testing its GoDRI formulation to make sure […] Read more


Agriculture and its contribution to circular economy

Agriculture and its contribution to circular economy

It protects the environment, drives innovation and helps the industry stay competitive. Circular economy marks the next big step in our path toward creating a more sustainable future.

The circular economy has garnered much interest recently. The approach that challenges how organizations address resource efficiency is gaining traction globally. Here at home, many businesses have embraced the idea that today’s goods can be tomorrow’s resources and that an economy that works in loops can lead to cost savings, waste prevention, job creation and […] Read more

More than 5.2 million empty pesticide and fertilizer containers were collected last year through the CleanFarms program. With new technologies at the processing plants, recycled plastic can be turned into useful items such as farm drainage tile.

The opportunity with ag plastic waste

There's too much plastic waste making its way into our landfills, and the only way to address the problem is to go back to the basics: reduce, reuse, and recycle

Plastic is a key material in the world economy that can be found in virtually everything these days. Worldwide, 322 million metric tons of plastic were produced in 2015, and by 2050, that number could be four times higher. Canada’s agricultural community uses a great deal of plastic. It can be found in bale wrap, […] Read more


Managing blackleg this season — and next

Managing blackleg this season — and next

If you haven’t followed a one-in-four rotation, variety selection and disease scouting are even more important

Several years ago, after a crash in resistance to blackleg in the popular variety Westar, canola breeders got to work and introduced a gene that gave good protection against the disease. But as usual, Mother Nature responded and new blackleg strains have evolved, making the gene less effective. “A lot of research has been done […] Read more