Reading Time: 3 minutes The 2017 growing season has yielded an interesting trend which few seem to be aware of. Acres planted to soybeans in Canada reached a new high for this year at 7.3 million, an increase of 33.2 per cent from 2016. Those numbers from Statistics Canada have been something of a surprise for some, especially considering […] Read more
New in IP soybean varieties
The market continues to follow the lead built by traited soybeans
From field to stream
Conservation authorities are working more closely with agriculture on watershed management. Have they found a model that will work?
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s no secret that agriculture is focused more than ever on the management of soil fertility as well as on balancing inputs with crop demand, which means keeping nutrients where they belong. Phosphorus usage in particular has become a favourite topic of discussion, both on conference agendas and around the tailgates of pickups on the […] Read more
Endangered species versus drainage
Farmers, contractors and municipalities are trying to cope with Ontario’s new Endangered Species Act
Reading Time: 7 minutes From time to time, farmers can find themselves caught by a development or issue that sneaks up on them. At first, it can seem trivial, even ridiculous. But it’s like ignoring a train in the distance: before you know it, it’s speeding up on you and it’s too late to react. Changes to Ontario’s Endangered […] Read more
Incredible hemp opportunity
Could the time be right to add hemp acres to your rotation?
Reading Time: 7 minutes For more than 20 years, advocates have promoted industrial hemp as a near-perfect crop for Canada’s farmers. A source of fibre for construction, plastics and textiles, not to mention the myriad food uses for its grain and oil, hemp’s potential is extraordinary. It has sparked interest and even excitement in the marketplace with promises of […] Read more
A ‘bio’ that works
Commercial use is still a couple of years away, but this bioherbicide is already raising eyebrows
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to biopesticides, most researchers say that despite today’s limited selection of bio-based fungicides, insecticides and herbicides, the technology’s potential is extraordinary. Public and private scientists are especially excited by an “all natural” basis for developing new active ingredients. Since most of the elements for these biopesticides come from natural sources, they point […] Read more
About the northwest
To this farmer, northwestern Ontario offers loads of advantages over the hustle of the southwest
Reading Time: 6 minutes Whether it’s through the longer days of spring and summer in northwestern Ontario or the darker nights that mark the passage of winter, Kim Jo Bliss puts a lot into every hour of every day. A full-time farmer, manager of the Emo Agricultural Research Station, a passionate advocate for farming, and a mentor for young […] Read more
Our CRISPR future
New technology promises to shove traditional GMO breeding aside, with huge gains for growers
Reading Time: 7 minutes Where were you when… you heard of GPS or Bt corn for the first time? Both were seminal moments of the past 25 years in agriculture that have led to further innovation and advances, increasing growers’ efficiency and productivity at practically every step of the way. Now, CRISPR technology represents another of these seminal moments, […] Read more
New in corn hybrids for the West
New hybrids prove that corn is migrating to Western Canada
Reading Time: 4 minutes In Eastern Canada, the saying is “Corn is King.” Although the migration of corn westward isn’t as brisk as in soybeans, indications still point to continued growth for corn acres. Manitoba seeded 410,000 acres of corn for grain in 2017, an increase of 18.8 per cent, and a record for grain corn seeding in the […] Read more
Plant Breeders Rights not so simple
New regulations give PBR regs more teeth, but breeders still want you to follow the law out of self-interest, not fear
Reading Time: 6 minutes When Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) got a major facelift two years ago, the seed trade in Canada responded with information campaigns saying that all was for the best. Upgrades in intellectual property protection weren’t a cash grab, farmers were told. Instead, they showed the international community that Canada takes property protection very seriously. That recognition, […] Read more
New in corn hybrids for Eastern Canada
2018 is bringing a host of new options for growers in the east
Reading Time: 14 minutes In the history books, 2017 will go down as a tale of two extremes. In parts of Eastern Canada, there was flooding while drought in the U.S. Great Plains reached north into Canada. And in between, growing conditions were anything up to and including perfect. So what’s in the cards for 2018? Few decisions are […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
