crop rotation Archives - Page 8 of 11

Shawna Mathieson is the executive director of the Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA), which is working to develop new markets for Canadian oats.

Oat acreage forecast up

Price and disease a big factor in pushing oat acres across the Prairies

By Angela Lovell February 2, 2016

Around 2.9 million acres of oats were planted across Canada in 2015 according to Statistics Canada, and although acres have been dropping over the past few years, oat production will likely be up by more than 10 per cent this spring to around 3.3 million tonnes. Last year, the majority of those acres were planted […] Read more

Canola, Features

‘Canola and snow’ is not profitable

New research says mixing cultivars does not mitigate the effects of continuous canola

By Dilia Narduzzi January 27, 2016

Reconsider those plans to seed back-to-back to canola this spring, recommend Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists. And they have new data to back that up. Dr. Neil Harker and other study researchers recently published the results of their five-year of the effects of continuous canola crops in The Canadian Journal of Plant Science. The […] Read more

Crops, Pulses

Manage root rot before seeding

Saskatchewan plant disease specialist recommends good agronomy to reduce root rot

By Lisa Guenther January 25, 2016

Lentil and pea growers struggling with root rot need to manage the disease before the seed is in the ground, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s plant disease specialist. Fusarium, pythium, and rhizoctonia are root rot pathogens long familiar to farmers. But aphanomyces is a relatively new problem, only detected in Saskatchewan in 2012. “It probably was […] Read more

Columns, Crops

Western agronomy research cuts

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

By Ross H. McKenzie January 5, 2016

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

Columns, Crops

Agricultural sustainability and feeding the world

Sustainability, organic farming, and feeding the world: not as simple as they sound

By Les Henry November 27, 2015

Sustainability is a major ag buzzword today, mostly peddled by folks with little concept of what a farm is. It is being used in both crop and animal production but I will just talk about crops. To get on the “sustainable” list to market certain crops I see very strange requirements. You must not push […] Read more

Pea plants in the pale green areas were small and struggling compared to the larger, healthier-looking plants in the lush green areas.

Crops, Peas

Crop Advisor’s Casebook: Puzzling patterns in a pea field

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the October 21, 2014 issue of Grainews

By Mike Wassill November 26, 2015

Back in late spring, Allan was alarmed to see some strange patterns showing up in his crop of field peas at his 2,000-acre mixed grain farm near Aylsham, Sask. Irregular sections of pale green peas were appearing in the field, in contrast to the lush green growth of the rest of the crop. The pea […] Read more

In provinces such as Manitoba and Ontario, fusarium head blight is now a given.

Crops

17 crop disease prevention strategies

Fungicides are key, but there are many other parts to an effective long-term strategy

By Patty Milligan September 25, 2015

As you can tell by the fact that this article includes 17, yes 17, strategies for crop diseases prevention, there are no quick fixes. Crop disease prevention is going to be an ongoing struggle. 1. Use multiple strategies: Understand that multiple strategies are the way to go. There isn’t one big hammer, rather lots of little hammers with […] Read more

Andrew Morrison, a mixed farmer in Victoria, Australia.

Crops

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

By Lisa Guenther September 23, 2015

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

This photo shows uneven growth in a Montana barley field on June 22. The field is highly infested with cereal cyst nematodes.

Cereals, Crops

Cereal cyst nematodes getting closer to the Prairies

These nematodes are in Montana, and their symptoms are worse in drought conditions

By Julienne Isaacs July 23, 2015

Prairie grain producers should be on the lookout for cereal cyst nematodes (CCN) this year. This soil-borne pest has not yet been discovered in the Prairie provinces, but the species Heterodera filipjevi has been newly confirmed in Montana. Cereal cyst nematodes are worm-shaped, microscopic soil-dwelling organisms that can cause yield losses of 30 to 50 […] Read more

Canola, Wheat & Chaff

Does it pay to spray fungicide for blackleg?

By Syngenta June 18, 2015

When you’re looking to guard your canola against blackleg, does it pay to spray a fungicide? The short answer is yes — especially if you’re running a tight canola-wheat rotation. Short rotations put you at the highest risk of developing a blackleg infection, since the fungus can overwinter on diseased canola stubble year over year […] Read more

China soybean imports hit record June high on strong Brazil shipments

Alberta crop conditions improve: report

U.S. grains: Corn sets contract lows on expectations for big US crop

GFM Network News