Among the pests he cited were grasshoppers, flea beetles and pea leaf weevils. 

Tansey said the grasshopper hatch is well underway in Saskatchewan, but recent rains could change how much of a problem they become. 

“We’ve had some rain in the south of the province and we are still waiting to see what… that has done with these grasshopper nests. The moisture can contribute to disease in these animals and contribute to direct mortality,” he said, noting there have been some reports already of crop damage, 

Tansey stressed the need for vigilance with farmers checking their crops and the surrounding areas for signs of grasshoppers and other pests. He said there has been estimates of 50 to 70 grasshopper nymphs per square meter in ditches, which normal rates tend to be around 40. 

There have also been reports of striped and crucifer flea beetles in the province, especially in the central area. 

“We are hearing about damage to seedling canola in the Saskatoon area,” Tansey said, also noting large numbers of striped flea beetles in the province’s northeast. That said, he cautioned there are still few reports to go on at this time and there was still something of a chance the problem might not be as bad as expected. 

“There’s no replacement for getting out and seeing what’s happening,” he said. 

Pea leaf weevils have been reported as well, though it’s still on the early side to fully know how much of a problem they could become this year. 

“There was a pretty dramatic increase in the number of pea leaf weevil numbers in the northeast last year,” he said, noting monitoring just recently started for this year. 

Some farmers recently began spraying for different insect pests in the province, he said, but added that when reports and numbers have firmed up, the province will make the insect situation well known to them. 

— Glen Hallick reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

The post Insects posing problems in Saskatchewan crops appeared first on Country Guide.

Crops were reportedly rapidly drying down across the province, with many pulse crops being desiccated. Most crops remain in fair to excellent condition, although later-seeded crops need rain to help heads and pods fill, said the report. Early yield reports so far range from average to well-below average, depending on field and moisture conditions.

Most areas of the province did not receive any rain during the week ended July 30, although the Arborfield area reported 22 mm and the Macklin area 20 mm. Many southern and central areas have not received significant moisture for well over a month, and any future rainfall may be of limited benefit since most southern crops are quickly ripening.

Topsoil moisture conditions worsened since last week due to the lack of rain and hot temperatures. Provincial topsoil moisture conditions on cropland were rated as 39 per cent adequate, 43 per cent short and 18 per cent very short. Hay land and pasture topsoil moisture was rated as 33 per cent adequate, 39 per cent short and 28 per cent very short.

The majority of crop damage during the week was attributed to lack of moisture, strong winds and hot temperatures. There were some reports of grasshoppers in the south. Haying was wrapping up for some livestock producers and yields remain significantly lower than normal. Pasture conditions were rated as two per cent excellent, 25 per cent good, 37 per cent fair, 26 per cent poor and 10 per cent very poor.

The post Saskatchewan harvest underway: Report appeared first on Country Guide.

Soil nutrients are essential to the production of a healthy, high-yielding crop. Soil tests are the best source of information on nutrient levels in the soil. A watchful producer can spot physical symptoms of a deficiency and confirm the diagnosis with a soil or tissue test.

Learning to read deficiencies

• Chlorosis or yellowing of plant parts, especially an interveinal chlorosis in leaves, is common when production of chlorophyll is interrupted. Chlorosis is usually followed by necrosis (the dying of plant tissue). Almost all deficiencies can manifest in this way, but it is especially evident in nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe) scarcities.
• Leaf loss occurs often, as the chlorosis leads to necrosis and leaves die.
• Symptoms that appear first on younger leaves are generally micronutrient shortages, as these nutrients do not translocate (move) in the plant.
• Purpling of plant parts — stems, leaves, veins, petioles, roots and flower parts — commonly shows up in older plants short on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P).
• Stunted growth is displayed in almost all deficiencies as plants struggle to survive and grow. Flowering and/or fruit setting that is deformed and/or aborted is also common.

Indicators by nutrient

• Nitrogen (N) is transferred from older to younger leaves, so older leaves will be the first to display deficiency symptoms by yellowing and turning purple.
• Plants lacking phosphorus (P) will display what is called “hidden hunger,” where plants are stunted with thin stalks. In addition, older leaves can develop a bluish tinge.
• A potassium (K) shortage will exhibit itself with tips of older leaves that turn brown and brittle before they drop off.
• Sulphur (S) deficiency presents with small leaves that will cup around the stem, which is especially evident in canola. Flower buds will be white instead of yellow.
• When copper (Cu) is scarce, “pigtailing” or spiralling of older leaves can occur; they will kink at the ends, especially in cereal crops.
• Zinc (Zn) deficiency shows up in flax as greyish brown spots and cereal leaves may turn bronze.
• Oats are more susceptible than other cereal crops to insufficient manganese (Mn), which shows up as “grey speck” on the leaves.
• When boron (B) is in short supply, symptoms include thickened, misshapen leaves. A “witch’s broom” effect occurs when the terminal bud or growing point dies off, resulting in poor seed set.
• Iron (Fe) chlorosis shows up as severe interveinal yellowing that can eventually result in bleached, almost white leaves.

Some deficiencies will show up early in a crop’s development and others later in the season. If a crop shows symptoms of a nutrient deficiency early on, the symptoms may recede as the growing season progresses. Scouting fields for these symptoms and for other problems is always a good practice.

Joanne Kowalski is a Regional Crops Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.

The post PHOTOS: Signs of what’s lacking appeared first on Country Guide.

According to the latest information compiled by Saskatchewan Agriculture, the U.S. exported 173,770 tonnes of pork in November 2016, up 13.5 per cent from 153,051 in October 2016, and up 16.8 per cent from 148,740 in November 2015. U.S. pork exports by volume in November were the largest by month over the last three years.

“The slaughter numbers early in 2017 have been steady to lower compared to where they were late in the fourth quarter which is how prices move higher,” said provincial livestock economist Brad Marceniuk.

On the Prairies, federal and provincial hog slaughter numbers for the week ended Jan. 21 were pegged at roughly 181,000 head, down slightly from the week before.

Cold storage numbers in the U.S. were also lower due to strong exports. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pork stocks on Dec. 31 were down eight per cent from the month before.

“Increased exports have eaten up some of those cold storage numbers,” he said.

In Canada, signature weekly prices averaged $157.06 per 100 kg, up $3.60 (2.3 per cent) from the previous week.

“We expect prices to be steady to higher into the spring,” said Marceniuk.

U.S. production is expected to rise by “a few per cent” in the second quarter of this year, he said.

“But new slaughter plants should be established in the U.S. by the end of the second quarter that should help deal with the increased numbers,” he said.

Pork cutout numbers in Canada are also good, according to Marceniuk.

“When you get all those factors put together it’s positive for hog prices,” he said.

— Dave Sims writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

The post Hog market improving with solid exports appeared first on Country Guide.

“It’s a pretty good crop, it just isn’t in the bin,” said David Nobbs, managing partner of Canpulse Foods, and current chair of the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan.

Producers in Saskatchewan had combined about half of this year’s canaryseed crop as of Oct. 24, according to the most recent Saskatchewan Agriculture crop report.

“It stalled there for about the past month, but recently harvesting has started again,” Nobbs said.

Warm temperatures and limited precipitation allowed producers to get back into fields in parts of Saskatchewan.

Areas in the southeast have been able to make the most progress, Nobbs said. The northeast is least advanced and west central areas are somewhere in the middle.

“We’re probably returning to fairly significant crop, just depends whether or not we get the crop off,” Nobbs said.

Canaryseed spot prices have moved from about 21 to 25 cents per pound due to harvest delays, but many buyers are disinterested in paying those higher prices, he added.

Since contracted canaryseed is still in fields, exporter-ability to ship those products overseas is limited.

“We have a made-in-Canada short squeeze going on and the buyers are just kind of waiting. They have purchases made, and the Canadian exporters are kind of squeezed in the middle right now,” Nobbs said.

He expects long-term prices will settle lower once the trade understands how much crop, if any, will be left to overwinter.

Saskatchewan Agriculture will be releasing their final crop report on November 24.

The post Canaryseed prices to whipsaw on weather appeared first on Country Guide.

Anyone working in agriculture today has 24/7 access to online information about crop disease and pests, but there is no substitute for seeing these problems in real life. Getting up close so you can see all sides of a plant or bug, or even smelling a “new” weed can really help agronomists out in the field.

Researchers from Saskatchewan Agriculture and the University of Saskatchewan brought actual weeds and pests out to the School site. This opportunity for a good look is especially helpful when a weed or pest is extending its area — if you get a preview of a weed on the move, you’ll recognize it when it settles into fields in your area.

• GALLERY: See more photos from the Crop Diagnostic School at Grainews.ca

It’s useful to see weeds in pots and bugs in jars, but where the Crop Diagnostic School really excels is with its field plots. Saskatchewan Agriculture organizers begin to plan for the event months before it takes place. They lay out, seed, and treat crop plots to display actual problems that farmers will face during the growing season. Some problems they demonstrated this year were lentils seeded without inoculant, soybeans suffering from accidental herbicide drift and canola plants sprayed at the wrong time. Some of these “problem” plots were clearly labeled so participants could learn from them. Others were intentionally left unlabeled, and agronomists were challenged to use their own skills to diagnose the underlying issues.

Cory Jacobs, Saskatchewan Agriculture regional crops specialist likes this event because “you get the people out in the field, and you actually have the real plant species here to show people.”

As with regular farming, not everything goes as planned. Some of the plots that were intended to show common mistakes appeared to be quite healthy. This year’s good growing conditions allowed the plants to compensate for the intentional stress. “We never expected this much water in Swift Current,” said Kim Stonehouse, Saskatchewan Agriculture regional farm business management specialist. If only all real-world farming mistakes were so easily accommodated.

This year’s Saskatchewan Crop Diagnostic School takes place at the Wheatland Conservation Farm near Swift Current from July 26 to 28 (programming is the same each day). In Manitoba, a similar Crop Diagnostic School took place earlier in July at the Ian N. Morrison Research Farm at Carman.

Because they require so much time and plot space, these events are not the type that can be replicated in several areas. There may not be a Crop Diagnostic school conveniently located near you. But be on the lookout for dates and locations next year. This hands-on experience is well worth the travel time.

The post Minogue: Back to school for hands-on learning appeared first on Country Guide.

The three inductees, all known for their contributions to the livestock sector, were announced Friday morning at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.

Ed McCall described veterinarian Byrnne Rothwell as one of the “steadiest hands” he knew, with a reputation as a “quiet, very resourceful, thoughtful person.” he added.

Rothwell passed away in January 2014. McCall, a fellow veterinarian and classmate of Rothwell’s at Ontario Veterinary College, was at the announcement on behalf of Rothwell’s family, who were unable to attend.

Rothwell, who grew up near Nipawin, Sask., traveled with McCall through many blizzards on long drives between Saskatchewan and the OVC campus in Guelph in the 1960s, McCall said.

Rothwell, who died in January 2014, worked for a year for Burns and Co. as a cattle buyer out of Prince Albert, and went on to establish a veterinary practice at nearby Shellbrook, Sask., before joining the federal agriculture department, McCall said.

Rothwell also volunteered with organizations including the Saskatchewan Horse Federation, Agribition and the Prince Albert Exhibition. While reviewing the Hall of Fame nomination forms, McCall said, organizers realized Rothwell was either a member of, or recipient of awards from, over 20 provincial organizations.

“His knowledge of people and organizations in this province was almost encyclopaedic,” because of this committee work, McCall said.

With over 40 years in the pork industry, Florian Possberg is well known as an advocate for the hog industry.

Possberg earned a degree in ag economics from the University of Saskatchewan, and, with his wife, Betty, built a 60-sow operation near Humboldt in 1976. He also helped found Big Sky Farms, the second-largest hog producer in Canada before it was bought by Olymel.

Six years ago Possberg and his son, Brian, founded B+F Polar Pork Farms Ltd., which has since expanded to include four of Florian and Betty’s children.

Possberg has been a pork industry leader through his roles with Sask Pork, the Canadian Pork Council and the Prairie Swine Centre. He has spoken to parliamentary committees on behalf of the industry. As chair of the National Farm Animal Care Council’s pig code development committee, he helped roll out a new code of practice for handling hogs.

Family was on hand to remember the late Barry Andrew, who ran a beef and grain operation north of Regina and “was dedicated to improving agriculture at a grassroots level,” daughter Joan Thomas said.

“So we’re very proud that he’s going to join his peers in the Agricultural Hall of Fame,” she said, noting Andrew’s work nationally and internationally with Agribition and with Counselling and Assistance for Farmers.

Andrew, who died in December 2012, was a founding member and director of Agribition and served as president of the Saskatchewan and Canadian Shorthorn Associations. As a program director (1982-90) for Counselling and Assistance for Farmers, he helped producers facing tough economic times and high interest rates.

Jeremy Andrew said that while growing up, he took his grandfather’s volunteerism for granted. “You think it’s normal. Something like this really puts it into perspective.”

Reed Andrew, Barry’s son and chair of the Hall of Fame, thanked those who had nominated his father.

“He did a lot for the community and did a lot for these organizations,” said Reed.

The nomination also put Reed’s work into perspective, said Jeremy. “He won’t tell you that, but it means the world to him that Grandpa’s going into the Hall of Fame.”

In all, six new members are to be inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame next summer, on Aug. 6. The other three inductees will be announced at CropSphere in Saskatoon in January.

— Lisa Guenther is a field editor for Grainews and Country Guide based at Livelong, Sask. Follow her at @LtoG on Twitter.

The post Sask. livestock sector adds three hall-of-famers appeared first on Country Guide.

Tom Brown raises cattle and is a crop reporter for Saskatchewan Agriculture and the reeve for the Rural Municipality of Mervin. His farm at Turtleford, about 80 km east of Lloydminster, received 11 mm of rain on Thursday night, an amount he said was pretty consistent throughout the RM.

After that first shower, the fire chief “felt we had enough green growth now that we could take the fire ban off. So that’s a plus,” he said Friday afternoon.

Thursday’s shower was the first of several over the weekend. A weather station in the RM reported 1.8 mm of rain between Saturday and Monday.

Crop district 9B, which includes Mervin, reported 20 per cent of cropland acres and 23 per cent of hayland and pasture was very short of topsoil moisture in Saskatchewan Agriculture’s most recent crop report.

“The cereal crops are actually in pretty good condition,” said Brown. “They’ve rooted deeply and there is moisture down there. It’s the oilseed crops, the native and seeded pasture, that I think that have probably suffered the most.”

Earlier this month, much of the canola was reseeded, said Brown; crops have been under drought and frost stress, some farmers have sprayed for flea beetles and much of the canola hadn’t germinated as of last week, he added.

While the rain is likely a relief for ranchers as well, Brown said it may have come too late for some of the pasture. Cold and dry weather has set back both hay and pasture in the area, he said.

Brown has been a crop reporter for about 18 years. He said the springs of 2002 to 2004 started out quite similar to this one, but the heavy frosts, some dipping below -5 C for over four hours, were unusual. “We had a number of them this time around and I don’t recall that (in past years).”

More crop reporters needed

At interview time, Brown was the only crop reporter in the RM. “It would be nice to have the reporters scattered out,” he said, adding he’d like to see one more reporter in the east, and one in the northern part of the RM. Some RMs have a few reporters, he said.

Brown knows many people who keep detailed records. “But I guess it’s another thing to do a detailed crop report and send it in every Tuesday morning because it is a volunteer position.”

Asked why he’s crop-reported for 18 year, Brown said he’s always had an interest in weather conditions and how they affect crops because of his involvement in farming, and tracks weather conditions anyway.

Because he’s rented out his grain land, he also checks with local agronomists about crop conditions before submitting his reports.

Mervin wasn’t initially included in the disaster zone after the 2002 drought, he said, because the municipality didn’t have an official Environment Canada recorder — but his weekly reports convinced the government to add the municipality to the drought zone.

That designation allowed livestock producers to access financial assistance to haul forage and to defer income from breeding animals sold that year.

Brown said he has no idea how many people benefitted that year. “I know in my own case it was significant because we had to haul feed from southern Saskatchewan and we did sell off some of our herd.”

To learn more about becoming a crop reporter, call Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.

— Lisa Guenther is a field editor for Grainews and Country Guide at Livelong, Sask., and is also a provincial crop reporter in northwestern Saskatchewan. Follow her at @LtoG on Twitter.

The post Guenther: Rain drops in on NW Sask. appeared first on Country Guide.