Saskatchewan author and chef dee Hobsbawn-Smith offers a retrospective on the potato’s cultural journey from the Americas to Europe and back, and a recipe for butter-basted baby potatoes with rosemary.
Tag Archives Crop disease
Putting down roots, part 2: Potatoes
First We Eat: It didn’t take long for the versatile potato to become a staple in Europe, especially in Ireland
Ten years to study a pesticide?
PMRA dealing with a backlog of post-market reviews, bogging down Canada’s regulatory system
Health Canada and its Pest Management Regulatory Agency will have taken nine to 10 years to conduct an evaluation of the safety of glufosinate — a herbicide that is already on the market.
Researchers chase resistance to bacterial leaf streak in Prairie cereals
With symptoms that mimic tan spot and rust, BLS often goes unnoticed
Bacterial leaf streak is re-emerging in cereal crops on Canada’s Prairies. With no fungicides or resistant varieties available, researchers are testing genes for future control of the crop disease.
Ergot resistance may open new doors for durum on Prairies
Unveiled at Ag in Motion, Canada’s first durum variety classified as resistant to ergot may expand the wheat’s acreage in parts of the Prairies where it’s not been typically grown
Canada’s first durum variety classified as resistant to ergot may expand the wheat’s acreage in parts of Western Canada where it’s not been typically grown.
Ongoing research on chickpea-flax intercrop shows the mix reduces ascochyta blight
The intercrop works for reducing the disease, but Michelle Hubbard, an Agricutlure and Agri-Food Canada researcher, is still working on the why
Michelle Hubbard, an Agricutlure and Agri-Food Canada researcher, says chickpea-flax intercrop works to reduce ascochyta blight disease. She shares some theories on why.
Verticillium may undermine canola blackleg resistance
Verticillium stripe may compromise blackleg resistance protection in canola, new research out of Manitoba suggests
University of Manitoba research finds verticillium stripe in canola can break down blackleg resistance, creating challenges for disease management and yield protection on the Prairies.
Saskatchewan Crop Report: Varied precipitation as harvest begins
Dry areas begin harvest operations
Some areas of Saskatchewan received more than 100 mm of rain during the week ended Aug. 4, 2025, but others had little to none. Harvest operations began in those dry areas.
Good news, bad news for fungicides meant to fight stem rot in canola
A report lays out various levels of resistance and adaptation found in disease samples
A report shows overall insensitivity of sclerotinia to three fungicide groups hasn’t changed in a big way between 2010 and 2024 — but shows some sclerotinia populations have been discovered with elevated insensitivity to all three.
Pulse Weekly: Conditions vary across Saskatchewan
Weather, lack of moisture affecting crops
Pulse conditions in Saskatchewan are varied across the province with the worst-faring crops located in the western half.
How farmers can help map, monitor and forecast pest outbreaks
Researchers can help producers develop pest management plans — but farmers’ help is needed to know which pests are where, and how many
Prairie scientists conducting research into field crop pests can always use more help from producers — whether it’s by granting access to farmland, or just by reporting what they see in the field.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
