Mike Palmier standing beside a white truck

Research on the farm

After observing higher yield in some fields, an agronomist worked with a farmer client to set up a trial that yielded practical results

Reading Time: 8 minutes On-farm research is one of those things that sounds great in theory, especially with the technology at hand today. But how can agronomists and farmers reap results they can use, and count on? Saskatchewan crop consultant Mike Palmier offers one case study. Working with a farming client, he’s found that leaving taller crop stubble in […] Read more



MNP to launch agronomy practice

MNP to launch agronomy practice

Company to consolidate six agronomy firms under MNP umbrella

Reading Time: < 1 minute MNP will consolidate six Prairie agronomy firms into its own practice, the accounting and professional services company announced today.

(Dave Bedard photo)

Flax production lowest since 1967, StatCan predicts

Returns on effort invested 'not attractive right now'

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — After going into its least acres seeded since 1950, the 2023-24 Canadian flax crop is projected to be at its smallest in decades. Statistics Canada (StatCan) reported in its principal field crop estimates on Thursday that 267,900 tonnes of flaxseed are expected to be produced in this year’s harvest. The total not only […] Read more


Flags marked the spot for consistent sampling throughout the season.

Sampling plant tissue for a mid-season boost

Precision ag technology provides an opportunity to determine if applications are effective

Reading Time: 5 minutes Growers are challenged to achieve the highest yields with the least inputs, and more agronomists, advisors, technicians and researchers are interested helping them focus on specific soil and plant needs such as what macronutrients and micronutrients are needed, and when and where is best to use them. The 2022 growing season was the first year […] Read more

Canola south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 3, 2017. (Dave Bedard photo)

Supply chain working but canola groups have concerns

Federal field trials need to continue and growers need protective equipment, they say

Reading Time: < 1 minute There have been no issues so far with supplies of inputs and parts, transportation or oilseed processing during the pandemic, canola industry officials report. “We’ve been really focused on making sure farmers have access to inputs and resources to get the 2020 crop in the ground,” Canola Council of Canada president Jim Everson said during […] Read more


To reach this point, there are a variety of things you can do to make sure your canola seed rises to the occasion come harvest.

At a glance: 10 tips to improve survival of your canola seed

Reading Time: 2 minutes Only about 50 to 60 per cent of canola seeds survive to become productive plants, on average. With the following tips, canola farmers can increase seed survival and get more from their seed investment. 1. Seed shallow. Half an inch to one inch below the packer furrow is the recommended seed depth for canola. This […] Read more

Farming Smarter general manager Ken Coles operates a hail simulator designed to test the effects of “rescue products” for recovering from hail damage.

Farming Smarter to make research pay

What’s the best way to fund local research when the usual sources dry up? This research group has new ideas

Reading Time: 5 minutes By keeping its efforts limited to southern Alberta, Farming Smarter, a farmer-led applied research and extension service, is proving it can respond quickly to local crop producers’ immediate needs. “We’re focused on creating opportunities and dealing with issues that farmers themselves face,” explains general manager Ken Coles. “It’s about crop producers saying, for example, ‘We […] Read more


Western Canada’s “King wheat” acreage is now equalled by the former “Cinderella crop” of canola, but that’s at the expense of the recommended frequency in rotation.

Taking a long-term look at agronomy for canola

Researchers say canola’s environmental footprint has improved but a new agronomic struggle is on the horizon

Reading Time: 4 minutes Canola-based rotation systems can improve long-term sustainability by using less energy and storing carbon below the ground, but keeping them going on top is proving to be a challenge. A study by Saskatchewan Research Council’s Susan MacWilliam, along with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist Reynald Lemke and others, compared the impact of changing management […] Read more

Screengrab from a Farm At Hand promotional video via Vimeo.

Telus buys Farm At Hand

Reading Time: 2 minutes Vancouver farm management software development firm Farm At Hand has become an arm of one of the Big Five in Canada’s communication services sector. Farm At Hand, which makes the cloud-based Crop Planner software suite for farmers and the Farm At Hand Agronomy suite for agronomists, announced Tuesday it has been wholly acquired by Telus […] Read more