Many wheat plants in Rodney’s field had turned pale green. The colouration wasn’t consistent throughout the fields and a regular pattern was evident.

Crop Advisor’s Casebook: Paling wheat plants a puzzle

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the November 11, 2014 issue of Grainews

Early one morning back in mid-June, Rodney came by my office to share his concerns about his wheat crop at his 4,500-acre mixed grain farm near Carrot River, Sask. His wheat fields had all displayed a lush green colour just a day or two earlier, but now the crop had taken a decided turn for […] Read more

seedling emerging from soil

Western agronomy research cuts

Agronomy Management: Funding cuts have left gaps in the unbiased agronomy research that Prairie farmers need

Over the past 100 years, agricultural research scientists, innovative farmers and private industry have done a remarkable job to develop and improve crop production practices across Western Canada. Advances in crop breeding, sustainable crop rotations, development of direct seeding technology, development of fertilizer and nutrient management practices and improved management to control weeds, insects and […] Read more


The Canola 100 challenge is achievable

The Canola 100 challenge is achievable

If Manitoba canola grower Ed Rempel was 10 years younger and had more than one field, he’d be all over the Canola 100 challenge. Even as it stands, he may still throw his air seeder into the ring and join what is expected to be a few hundred Canadian farmers involved in a three-year competition […] Read more

Building a 137 bushel CPS crop

Building a 137 bushel CPS crop

It’s the whole agronomic program that will allow farmers to push yields to new limits

Achieving a 137 bushel per acre yield on CPS wheat in a relatively dry year is certainly noteworthy, but Fred Wood, an Alberta consulting agronomist says the real story is about the benefits of having a complete agronomy program. Varieties are important to some extent, says Wood who owns Meridian Ag Consulting, but the real […] Read more


On the land.

Plant breeder’s rights info online

The new CSTA database will create transparency for new variety information

In August, the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) launched a new web database to help everyone in the seed sector easily access information about plant breeders’ rights protection for new crop varieties. The database is a joint initiative of CSTA, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Variety Registration Office (VRO) and the Plant Breeders Rights Office […] Read more

One acre of land, six inches deep, weighs about 2,000,000 pounds.

Soil sampling and soil testing

Fall is generally the most convenient time for soil testing. Plan now for effective testing

In the last issue of Grainews Les Henry wrote a great article on soil testing. I couldn’t agree more that soil sampling and testing is a great tool to assess the soil nutrient levels in your fields so you can wisely plan your fertilizer program for next spring. Here are some of my thoughts on […] Read more


Andrew Morrison, a mixed farmer in Victoria, Australia.

VIDEO: Farming down under on the other side of the world: Pt. 1

Lisa Guenther's two-part interview with a mixed-farmer from Australia

What does farming look like on the other side of the globe? In some ways, it looks the same as any farm in Western Canada, but in other ways it’s quite different. In this first interview, Andrew Morrison gives us an overview of his mixed farm, located in the Australian state of Victoria. He talks about […] Read more

Euan Evans, plant pathologist points out the value of providing a crop the whole nutrient package to optimize yields.

Soil testing more relevant than ever

If you don’t know what nutrients are in the soil it’s hard to meet your crop’s needs

To optimize crop yields, Ieuan Evans, a well-known western Canadian plant pathologist, urges farmers to get back to the basics — do a soil test and follow the recommendations. Evans, speaking to farmers at the Ag In Motion farm show near Saskatoon in July says farmers have been advised since the beginning of modern agriculture […] Read more


flax flower

Niche crops can pay well

Future crop prices are anyone’s guess; contracts can give you pricing security


What should I grow? What is going to make me money? These are common question this time of year. If only grain brokers had a crystal ball to answer that question with assurance! But at the end of the day the professional experts and even the coffee shop geniuses are really only taking a stab […] Read more

monosem vacuum crop planter

Seeding canola with planters

Two Westlock, Alberta farmers had a good harvest and saved costs after 
seeding their canola with a corn planter last spring

In 2014, two Westlock, Alberta, farmers cut their canola seed costs by $40 per acre by seeding with corn planters. They saw no yield loss. Is this the new way to go? At a Westlock seminar last winter, agronomist Geoff Doell of GROWTH Agrinomics Inc. told farmers that seeding canola using a precision vacuum corn […] Read more