Reading Time: 5 minutes Halfway through a study examining the role that harvest equipment plays in shatter losses when straight-cutting canola, Nathan Gregg is noticing some trends. “We saw higher losses out at the edges of headers,” says Gregg, a project manager with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) in Humboldt, Sask. “And losses dropped off as you moved […] Read more
Shatter losses in straight-cut canola
PAMI research funded by WGRF shows that the type of header makes a difference
CN to challenge latest grain revenue penalty
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ordered to hand over more than $7 million in Prairie grain handling revenue and related fines for the 2014-15 crop year, Canadian National Railway now plans to challenge the bill in court. Montreal-based CN on Monday filed in the Federal Court of Appeal, seeking leave to appeal the Canadian Transportation Agency’s (CTA) Dec. 29 finding […] Read more
Minogue: Wanna start a cereal seed company?
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s clear from where the Prairies’ cereal growers’ groups sit that it’s time for farmers to get more involved in wheat and barley breeding — and they have a new report in hand suggesting ways to do so. Options in the report, from the newly-formed Wheat and Barley Variety Working Group, range from improving the […] Read more
Mycotoxin detection may get even simpler, cheaper
WGRF-funded research produces test that can detect fusarium toxins at the elevator
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s a typical kind of research story,” says Maria DeRosa with a knowing laugh. “Something doesn’t quite work and you think, oh no! This isn’t what I anticipated. But then it turns into an opportunity you hadn’t thought of before.” She’s right, of course. Science is littered with stories of successful accidents, and for DeRosa, […] Read more
Getting better at fungicide application
You may be doing a good spraying job now, but new WGRF research shows it might be relatively easy to do a whole lot better
Reading Time: 5 minutes A set of new sprayer nozzles can cost $500 to $1,000, while a new sprayer can clock in at $400,000. “But almost the entire probability of application success depends on the nozzle,” says Tom Wolf, co-owner of Agrimetrix Research and Training in Saskatoon. He’s not saying that farmers shouldn’t invest in a new sprayer if […] Read more
Exploring the soybean nutrient cycle
New research aims to end the guessing on fertilizing soybean rotations
Reading Time: 4 minutes If you had asked Saskatchewan farmers 25 years ago if they thought they could grow soybean, they would likely have laughed out loud at the very idea. Fast-forward to today, however, and StatsCan says 300,000 acres of soybeans were planted in Saskatchewan last year, up from 170,000 acres in 2013, and the province’s soy acreage […] Read more
Five years of midge tolerance
As its acreage continues to climb, the message is to keep protecting the unique Sm1 gene
Reading Time: 3 minutes This summer marks the fifth anniversary of producers in Western Canada growing and protecting midge-tolerant wheat. Since the launch of the first commercial varieties in 2010, the industry has witnessed strong uptake of the technology that helps producers defend against orange blossom wheat midge, a pest that can significantly reduce crop yield and grade. Not […] Read more
The future of agronomic research
A new WGRF report sees urgent threats to the West’s research system
Reading Time: 5 minutes About five years ago, before she joined the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), Pat Flaten was thinking about the state of agronomic research in Western Canada. At the time, she and her colleagues were thinking about bug researchers in Saskatoon. “We knew we had this great group of highly productive and experienced entomologists who were […] Read more
Developing new seed varieties for better crops
Reducing risk for the entire grain industry is key to variety development
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s not easy growing grain for a living. Between bad weather, plant disease, insects, rising input costs and fluctuating markets, it can be tough to make a buck. That’s why new seed varieties are so important to Canadian wheat growers, says Ron DePauw, a senior wheat breeder with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s, Semi-Arid Prairie Agricultural […] Read more
CN overshoots 2013-14 grain handling revenue cap
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Western Grains Research Foundation will get a $4.98 million gift this season from Canadian National Railway, but not out of holiday spirit per se. The Canadian Transportation Agency on Thursday ruled CN, during the 2013-14 crop year, exceeded its maximum allowable revenue from Prairie grain handling by $4,981,915, above its previously set “entitlement” of […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
