family standing in front of a Christmas tree

Farming was the right choice

After 40 years of farming, Blair Rempel knows he made the right choice when he chose to come back to the farm

Blair Rempel has been farming for almost 40 years. The Nipawin area producer and seed grower earned his diploma in agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan, in 1976. He considered other careers but always came back to agriculture. “The things I found attractive was a certain degree of independence and the satisfaction of building your […] Read more

canola flowers in a field

New canola seed varieties for 2015

Disease resistance has been top of mind for canola researchers, and will stay that way for some time

A look through the new canola seed varieties submitted by seed companies reveals a focus on disease resistance. Most of the new varieties are blackleg resistant. Some also offer sclerotinia tolerance, fusarium wilt resistance, or clubroot resistance. Disease resistance is likely to remain front and centre in canola. Clubroot grabbed headlines this summer, as plant […] Read more


Vaccine reactions are normal — to a point

Vaccine reactions are normal — to a point

Proper injection practices help avoid infection, contamination

Noticeable reactions to a vaccine injection are becoming more common, as more vaccines are now given subcutaneously and especially with vaccines using oil-based adjuvants. The adjuvants are designed to protect the vaccine and give a much higher immune response, but reactions in the form of lumps are an expected albeit undesirable result. As many of […] Read more



Blackleg stem

Guenther: Wanted for science: Southern Alberta canola fields

Reward: Better industry-wide strategies for managing blackleg

Dr. Dilantha Fernando, a University of Manitoba researcher, is leading a group of researchers who intend to pinpoint avirulence genes in blackleg found in farmers’ fields. Researchers with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures are also involved. Researchers will also study how the fungus adapts to different canola cultivars and how […] Read more

blackleg disease on a canola stem

Protect your weapons in the fight against blackleg

New information and tools are in the works to help growers protect 
the durability of current resistant canola varieties

Last year’s record canola harvest of nearly 18 million tonnes was a significant achievement for Canadian producers and industry stakeholders, far surpassing the goal set by the sector of 15 million tonnes by 2015. On the heels of this accomplishment, canola disease experts warn blackleg could take a large bite out of future production if […] Read more