Reading Time: 9 minutes It wasn’t so long ago that the talk at farm meetings was of how everything was different this time. Demand would never fade. The emerging middle classes of the world’s developing nations were hungry and they were ready to pay. Plus, as if that wasn’t enough, new government policies in favour of biofuels had shot […] Read more
The big change
It’s a safe bet that today’s tough market outlook is already fuelling the next big wave of farm innovation. But which innovation?
Tufted vetch takes off
Tufted vetch not a new weed, just a different weed challenge
Reading Time: 3 minutes The battle with weeds just never seems to end, and now, as if resistant weeds, dandelions or Eastern black nightshade don’t provide enough challenges, there’s some concern that tufted vetch will be a growing issue for an increasing number of farmers. To be fair, Canada fleabane, giant ragweed and common ragweed are still the “Big […] Read more
The wild side of chickpeas
New genes from wild relatives will make chickpeas a better option for more farmers
Reading Time: 4 minutes It wasn’t all that long ago in Canada that it was hard to find hummus in a grocery store — unless you went to a specialty shop. “Now hummus is everywhere!” says Bunyamin Tar’an, associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan. “Any food store you go to has it, so it’s a growing market, and […] Read more
Fine tuning for weeds
With more resistance, it’s time to be sure we’re using the right words the right way
Reading Time: 4 minutes In Ontario alone, farmers are now facing three different weeds with resistance to glyphosate, and a considerably longer list of those that are resistant to Group 2 chemistries. No one is blaming farmers, or saying today’s farmers aren’t as sharp as their parents. After all, today’s farmers have had to learn about new pests, new […] Read more
A faster start
Cigi takes on early-generation testing in support of new wheat varieties
Reading Time: 3 minutes Testing early-generation samples is an important part of a process that is ultimately intended to improve the quality of Canadian wheat varieties. To support this process, the facilities at Cigi (the Canadian International Grains Institute) were put to the test from last November to the end of March, with more grain samples than ever coming […] Read more
12 insect tips for canola
Use these management tips throughout the growing season for effective, economic and practical insect control
Reading Time: 5 minutes Diamondback moths are in a deadly battle in canola fields — yet their primary adversary isn’t the grower. In fact, producers are learning to leave low populations of diamondback moth larvae alone because, in many cases, well-established beneficial insects will prevent the pest from becoming a major economic problem. The main parasitoids of diamondback moth […] Read more
What is the best way to clean your sprayer?
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAF and MRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cleaning the sprayer is a critical part of every spray day. Pesticide residues clog and corrode equipment and can injure crops. So what is the best process for sprayer cleanout? Operators should clean out their sprayers every time they switch pesticides, but respondents of a survey conducted by Colorado State University in 2013 said they […] Read more
Six questions for the ag entrepreneurs
So you’ve got an idea that might make a great new product or service. Should you invest in it?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Today’s agriculture isn’t your grandmother’s agriculture. While we still work the soil and practise animal husbandry, today we do so in wonderful ways that past generations could never imagine. From lasers and GPS to genomics and drones, agriculture has become a hotbed of innovation. Nor is ag innovation the exclusive domain of the major multinational […] Read more
Stacked deck
Weeds have put millions of years of evolutionary experience to work against just a handful of weed killing chemicals. The results are predictable
Reading Time: 5 minutes In the mid 1990s a team of computer engineers came up with a new way to plug devices into computers and called it a USB port. It was different from the old ports so it wasn’t compatible with older peripherals and they became useless. Computer companies called this progress but many users called it a […] Read more
Phosphate only in seed row
Fertilizer burn in the seed row causes hidden and costly damage in many canola fields, contributing to lower seed survival. Phosphorus is the only nutrient that shows any net benefit in the seed row with canola when soil levels are low
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canola is very sensitive to seed-placed fertilizer. We don’t know what percentage of canola seeds are lost to fertilizer burn or toxicity, given that many factors influence seed mortality, but generally, the more fertilizer placed with the seed, the more seeds and seedlings that will die. “Non-viable seeds and seedlings are a lost opportunity of […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
