A letter to the editor of Grainews regarding an April 8, 2025 column on the risks of selenium contamination in waterways.
Tag Archives water management
Letter to the Editor: Selenium, science and the risk of overstating harm
ReinCloud 3 app offers improvements for irrigators
Nebraska’s Reinke Manufacturing updates its software for farm managers
Compared to previous versions, the new version of Reinke’s ReinCloud is billed as more intuitive, allowing irrigators to flow more data-driven information into their water management.
Control drainage costly, but beneficial
Tiling can improve soil conditions, accelerate warming, boost crop growth and reduce nutrient runoff
“…soil will be ready for germination much earlier [and] drained soil will be better than undrained fields.”
Tile drainage can help manage nutrients as well as moisture
A South Dakota producer says improved draining not only increases plant health but also keeps nutrients on the field
The big benefit of tile drainage is preventing soil from becoming saturated, a major detriment to root development and crop yield, South Dakota farmer Brian Hefty says. “Plants will not grow into a water table.”
How plants conserve moisture in dry conditions
Plants do best when they have a little more moisture than they immediately require
In order to take in carbon dioxide to perform photosynthesis, a plant loses water vapour to the atmosphere as the stomata open. To counteract this, a steady supply of water is needed — hence what’s called the “transpiration paradox.”
Reinke introduces updated E3 irrigation system
The new model brings new features and improved distribution accuracy
The Nebraska company describes E3 as its first precision series of spans and end booms with uniform coupler spacing — which helps ensure a uniform water application rate along the entire length of the machine.
Selenium sits on thinnest line between health and hazard
Agronomy Management: Removing selenium from water is costly and difficult at best
There are increasing concerns about the potential effects of a proposed coal mine development in southern Alberta and the impacts selenium could have on the environment in southern Alberta and into Saskatchewan. The proposed Grassy Mountain Coal project would be an open-pit mine built on a former coal-mining area about seven km north of Blairmore […] Read more
Understanding tile drainage
Tiling can be a good solution for fixing multiple problems, but it can also be complex to install, and costs vary widely depending on the farm. Make purchasing decisions easier by doing your homework first.
Removing excess water is the big payoff for tile drainage. Submerged fields and saturated soils can slash yields, cause salinity problems and even spell the loss of the entire crop, if it’s bad enough. However, it is not an inexpensive fix, nor is it a simple solution, and it won’t work for every farm. That’s […] Read more
Prepare your ranch and business plan for bouts with drought
A Little Bit Western: There are ways to extend feed and water — but do so with caution and monitoring
In late summer I was invited to the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Saskatoon to share my perspective on navigating drought. I would prefer covering a more cheerful topic, but as a fourth-generation Palliser Triangle dweller who resides on a ranch abandoned not once but twice by its former occupants, I’ll admit I’ve got experience […] Read more
New Canada Water Agency to tackle water pollution and protect natural resources
The newly-launched Canada Water Agency will protect the country's water from pollution and damaging effects of industrial and agricultural activities, Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said today.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
