Rethinking the natural water cycle

Rethinking the natural water cycle

The natural systems we rely on and think of as simple are actually very complicated

Groundbreaking water research out of the University of Saskatchewan has just been published in the international science journal Nature. Researchers Jaivime Evaristo and Dr. Jeffrey McDonnell of from the U. of S. and Scott Jasechko of the University of Calgary have taken a new look at the hydrological cycle, something that’s been pretty well established […] Read more

Seeding near the Goyder Line, Peterborough, South Australia.


Australians resilient to herbicide resistance

After the Millennium Drought, Australian farmers handle herbicide resistance with confidence

To understand how Australian farmers handle herbicide resistance, it’s useful to know about the Millennium Drought. The drought stretched over a decade and tested farmers’ mettle. But they emerged from those dry years with heightened confidence, says Brad Collis, editor of Ground Cover. “The industry’s come through it in very resilient frame.” Collis credits agriculture’s […] Read more


Irrigation: Past, present and future

Irrigation: Past, present and future

During the past few wet years, irrigation projects have lost their urgency. Now is the time to refocus

This column has dealt with irrigation many times over the past decades, but this instalment deals mainly with the situation in Saskatchewan. Alberta is the big irrigation province where irrigation has been going for the longest but it has pretty well maxed out the acres that have water available. Manitoba irrigation deals mainly with potatoes […] Read more

Drought brings its own package of health risks for livestock

Drought brings its own package of health risks for livestock

Pests, toxic plants and disease can all thrive under dry conditions

With the current lack of runoff moisture and few spring rains across much of Western Canada, certain disease conditions may become more prevalent. It will pay to be extra vigilant this year when checking your herds. We commonly see more blackleg and all the other clostridial diseases in dry conditions. With shorter grass, cattle and […] Read more


water irrigation equipment

Manage water to optimize wheat, canola production

Use your irrigation system to its full potential by asking these four question about water needs

Often the most limiting nutrient in irrigated crop production is water! Many irrigation farmers tend to under-irrigate their crops, which limits yield potential. Often the main reasons for under-irrigation are simply not checking soil moisture frequently and starting the irrigation system too late. Knowing the answers to these four questions can help. 1. How much water does […] Read more

crop sprayer in the field

Hard water hampers weed control

To get the most from the herbicides you’re spraying in your field, check your water quality first

A North Dakota State University extension specialist says the performance of some herbicides can be adversely affected by using hard water to prepare spray mixtures. According to Richard Zollinger, there are a variety of water quality issues that can impact herbicide efficacy, including the presence of clay, silt or organic matter in the water. But […] Read more


view of wet farmland from above

Mother Nature, as usual, holds all the cards for farmers

Farmers are optimistic about the growing season, as long as
 the weather doesn’t tip too far either way

While the spring seeding outlook was generally good as of late April, farmers in different parts of the Prairies described being close to feast-or-famine conditions as they planned to get the 2015 crop in the ground. Producers from mid-Saskatchewan and east were hopeful about getting the crop in as long as it didn’t rain, while […] Read more

pea plants in stubble

Aphanomyces hurting pea yield for Sask. producer

After repeated aphanomyces problems, Bernie McLean 
is taking a break from growing peas

Bernie McClean usually has a positive outlook on everything. But after three years of dealing with aphanomyces, he’s taking a break from peas. “It’s just too risky. I can’t afford the risk,” says McClean over a cup of coffee at his farm, which sits between Glaslyn and Medstead in northwestern Saskatchewan. Up until two weeks […] Read more


stubble soil moisture map of the Canadian prairies

Stubble soil moisture map

Les Henry’s annual stubble soil moisture map shows, for the most part,
an overall rise in the water table across the Prairie region

The situation as of freezeup 2014, brought a few changes. My red pencil was not used even in Alberta and “super wet” is back as it was in 2010 and 2012. “Super wet” is for areas that had significant rains on top of that needed to bring the entire soil profile to “field capacity.” The […] Read more

map of Lake Winnipeg watershed

Water quality: Part 2 of a three-part series

There is a lot of talk about water quality issues, but not 
all of the commonly-cited information is accurate

Note to readers: Before you read this article, I suggest you check back to page 14 of the April 15, 2013 issue of “Grainews.” The headline was “The Truth About Lake Winnipeg.” There will be some overlap with this piece. Water quality There are many aspects to water quality. For irrigation use, salt content is […] Read more