Glacier FarmMedia – Three years ago, startup Lucent BioSciences was producing one kilogram a day of its novel micronutrient fertilizer Soileos, drawn from crop byproducts like pea or lentil hulls. Once a recently announced manufacturing plant in Rosetown, Sask., goes online, it will be churning out upwards of 6,500 tonnes a year. Why it matters: […] Read more
Micronutrient fertilizer to fully commercialize
Announced facility will be the first major manufacturing facility for Soileos
BASF pegs InVigor canola woes
BASF says they are aware of the issues farmers are seeing in some of their canola varieties. A statement from the company, released in mid-June, noted that some InVigor hybrids “may be encountering various challenges that could be hindering crop establishment this season.” The issue had been noted in “select geographies” in Western Canada, according […] Read more
Funding announced to revive wool market
The Canadian Wool Council hopes to set a new direction for the natural fibre
Glacier FarmMedia – The Canadian Wool Council is seeking more visibility for its wares and recently received almost $150,000 to make that happen. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced the funding in late February, linking the money to development of environmentally sustainable textiles. Why it matters: Meat rather than wool is the main focus of […] Read more
Forecast, flea beetles complicate canola timing
Dry conditions make ideal seeding time difficult to peg
Drought conditions, and the odds of more to come, have some Prairie canola growers pondering when to roll the dice on seeding, if they want to do more than feed the flea beetles. Small-seeded crops, such as canola, have garnered particular concern from agronomists and producers worried about germination, given power dry topsoil across much […] Read more
Direct-seeded potatoes show no harvest hit
Both yield and quality were comparable in an initial trial comparison of traditional spring tillage and direct seeding
The amount and quality of the potatoes coming off Chad Berry’s field last fall weren’t that much different from one side to the other, but one half came with a lot less tillage. Results are in from the 2020 field-scale trial, which featured a side-by-side comparison of conventional spring tillage and direct-seeded potatoes. Why it […] Read more
Beef sector aims for new 2030 targets
Organizations involved in Canada's National Beef Strategy have announced new goals for the beef sector for the next decade
The Canadian beef industry has new benchmarks to reach for in the next decade. The organizations involved in Canada’s National Beef Strategy — the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canada Beef Breeds Council, Beef Cattle Research Council, Canada Beef, The National Cattle Feeders’ Association, Canadian Meat Council and Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef have announced new 2030 […] Read more
Canadian-made triple cutter cuts big hay swath
At up to 54 feet per pass, the Triple Cutter tool bar promises faster haying and less fuel use
Glacier FarmMedia – A Canadian company’s latest dive into haying equipment promises to vastly improve the speed of haying, while saving up to three-quarters of the fuel a producer would normally put through the tractor. A new tool bar system from PhiBer Manufacturing of Crystal City, Man. claims to cut up to 75 per cent […] Read more
Eastern Cargill plant taps into sustainable beef
Cargill’s Guelph plant is now ready to supply certified sustainable beef and the company hopes to grow that value chain
Glacier FarmMedia – Cargill says it is on its way to opening up Eastern Canada for its certified sustainable beef supply chain. The company says its Guelph processing plant had just been certified according to sustainability standards, as set down by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, when the COVID-19 pandemic gained steam. “It was […] Read more
China announces step forward on African swine fever vaccine
The pork sector has welcomed news that a viable ASF vaccine might be in the works out of China, but it’s early days yet
Glacier FarmMedia – The world may be one step closer to a workable vaccine for African swine fever (ASF), but one expert warns that a local debut is a long way off — if the vaccine makes it to Canada at all. According to a research article, recently published in a Chinese science journal, researchers […] Read more
Auction marts urged to introduce social distance
Cattle are still flowing through auction marts as scheduled
The Livestock Markets Association of Canada wants to see more social distance at auction marts in the wake of COVID-19. The association has released an emergency response policy, asking its members to implement social distancing and prevention measures against the virus. “What we are looking at is trying to get a consistent message out to […] Read more
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