University of Manitoba Archives - Page 7 of 8

Those critters are farming your soil

Soil Health: Healthy soil includes a healthy, complicated, diverse mix of bacteria and fungi

By Julienne Isaacs January 6, 2016

This was a clear message delivered by Mario Tenuta, Canada research chair in applied soil ecology and professor at the University of Manitoba, at a recent Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association lunch. “What the heck is soil health?” asked Tenuta. “You hear a lot about it these days, especially this year, the 2015 International […] Read more

Canola, Features

Training the next generation of plant breeders

U of M students get hands-on experience developing herbicide-tolerant rapeseed hybrids

By Julienne Isaacs December 15, 2015

According to Rob Duncan, professor in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba, the university is ahead of the curve in terms of canola/rapeseed breeding in Canada. “Most public breeding programs don’t necessarily release cultivars anymore,” he says. “They’ll do germplasm development or work on trait development, but to work on breeding […] Read more

Canola, Crops

The Canola 100 challenge is achievable

By Lee Hart December 1, 2015

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

Cereals, Crops

Producer group promotes barley

MWBGA is putting its research dollars into fusarium head blight resistance

By Julienne Isaacs October 13, 2015

The Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA) says it is committed to research and market development of wheat and barley in the province, including one project focused on genomic selection for improving two-row malting barley. Officially established on January 1, 2014, MWBGA is funded by Manitoba farmers through a checkoff on wheat and barley. […] Read more

This photo and the one further down are of the canola on my “breaking” land — recently broken land (this is only the second time its been under a seed drill). The pictures were taken on July 27, 2015. In fall 2014 the soil test N in this field was only 20 lbs./acre to one foot but the zero to six inch level organic matter was 6.5 per cent. The “normal” areas in this field got 94 lbs. N/acre as anhydrous. This area got only the 20 lbs. N/acre as broadcast 21-0-0-24. Obviously, mineralization is providing much of the N. My zone fertilization plan involves telling the custom applicator to leave out the breaking and salty ground. It works!

Canola, Columns

Soil: Test the right pound of ground

If you don’t measure what you have, you can’t know what to add. Know the basics of taking soil tests

By Les Henry September 17, 2015

First, some general tips around soil testing. The first thing to note about soil testing is that it is an index — it is not like a dipstick in a crankcase. A soil test (index) rates a soil as very low to excessive and is one piece of information to guide fertilizer use. But, use […] Read more

Fusarium symptoms: The seed on the left is healthy; the seed on the right is infected with the fungal disease.

Cereals

Resisting fusarium head blight

Plant breeders are making progress in developing wheat  varieties that are resistant, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint

By Lisa Guenther March 16, 2015

There’s been a lot of effort put into breeding fusarium-resistant varieties, Dr. Anita Brûlé-Babel told CropSphere delegates in Saskatoon in January. But developing cereal varieties resistant to fusarium head blight (FHB) is more like a marathon than a sprint. “There’s been a lot of breeding challenges. And I know a lot of farmers have been […] Read more

Cereals, Features

Copper applications have limited impact on wheat

Researchers say non-targeted copper application does not increase macronutrients

By Julienne Isaacs March 13, 2015

The importance of micronutrients, including boron (B), chloride (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni), has come under the microscope in recent years. Some researchers say a lack of micronutrients can cause yield loss. According to Tee Boon Goh, a specialist in soil chemistry and mineralogy at the University […] Read more

Crops, Features

Making money growing sunflowers

Sunflowers can be very profitable in some parts of the Prairies. If you can manage sclerotinia

By Julienne Isaacs March 3, 2015

Agronomists say the biggest threat facing Manitoba sunflower growers is sclerotinia (head and stem rot), but the fungal disease can be managed with proper crop rotation and fungicide applications. This formed part of the message of a presentation submitted to the Manitoba Agronomists’ Conference at the University of Manitoba in December. According to Troy Turner, […] Read more

Cereals, Features

Ten things to know about grain contracts

Cheryl Mayer explains 10 steps to better understanding and profiting from your grain contracts

By Leeann Minogue February 20, 2015

In a 2013 study, Jared Carlberg, a professor at the University of Manitoba, found that only 17 per cent of farmers read their entire grain contracts. This matters. How can we know whether or not we’re getting a good deal if we don’t know the details in the documents we’re signing? At a session at […] Read more

Columns

Building new farm leadership

Farmers need a strong voice, but getting new farmers into leadership roles is easier said than done

By Lisa Guenther January 26, 2015

Farmers need a stronger voice in the supply chain to balance the commercial system. That’s what Dr. Brian Oleson told delegates at Fields on Wheels in December. Oleson specializes in co-operatives and marketing at the University of Manitoba. Oleson saw the Canadian Wheat Board as the farmer representative in the supply chain, he told delegates. […] Read more

GFM Network News

ADM cuts 2025 profit outlook on biofuel and trade uncertainty; shares tumble

U.S. not ready to lift Mexican cattle ban over screwworm, Agriculture Secretary Rollins says

U.S. livestock: Cattle rally, hogs slide

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