Hail is wreaking havoc in Alberta this summer, forcing farmers to file many more hail claims than normal to date, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association’s latest report. About 300 claims in the province stemmed from a July 20 storm that ran from Rimbey to Alix, the association said Tuesday. A July 27 storm […] Read more
Alta. crop hail claims reported above normal
Saskatchewan insects – hoppers aren’t only around during drought
Despite wet weather, grasshoppers are plaguing Saskatchewan farmers this summer. Saskatchewan Agriculture’s most recent crop report notes grasshopper problems in every region except the east-central and west-central parts of the province. Dr. Julie Soroka, entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said the economic threshold for grasshoppers is eight to 12 hoppers per square metre, but […] Read more
Weevils, grasshoppers on Prairie farmers’ radar
As this year’s crops develop on the Prairies, several pests are growing right along with them. Cabbage seedpod weevils, grasshoppers and alfalfa weevils are all on farmers’ radar right now — and wheat midge may be, soon. Here’s a look at the insect situation across the Prairies: Cabbage seedpod weevils are popping up in Alberta […] Read more
Guenther: Rush at seeding left less-than-ideal crop treatment window
Whether cereal growers plan to treat for leaf disease or fusarium head blight, fungicide timing is essential — but this spring, in which many acres were seeded in a very short stretch, complicates matters. Kristina Polziehn, technical specialist with BASF, says farmers in such a situation with a lot of acres to cover may need […] Read more
Lakeside beef plant in reputation-rebuilding mode
Officials at JBS Canada are working to rebuild the food safety reputation at their Lakeside beef packing plant after last fall’s massive meat recall from the plant under the XL Foods banner. The 2012 recall was the largest beef recall in Canadian history. A federally-appointed review panel recently released a report blasting both XL Foods […] Read more
Guenther: Canadian cattle producers, U.S. packers dread COOL revisions
Canadian ranchers and North American packers aren’t looking forward to the arrival of revisions to the U.S. government’s country-of-origin labelling (COOL) rules. The prospect of Washington’s latest changes to COOL — and the length of the process to appeal against them under world trade rules — left ranchers and others in the beef industry cold […] Read more
New Sask. research chair to focus on new forages
The federal and Saskatchewan governments are investing $1.25 million over five years in a new research chair — to focus on breeding forages. The new chair’s emphasis will be on “developing new forage varieties with improved yield,” Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart said during the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association convention in Moose Jaw. Stewart said […] Read more
Don’t sacrifice beneficial insects to kill the pests
Including insecticide with herbicides may seem like a proactive, time-saving measure — but the practice can cause more harm than good. “Using insecticide ‘just because’ kills insects that reduce pest insects. Spray insecticide only when absolutely necessary,” Scott Meers, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s entomologist at Brooks, wrote during the most recent weekly bug chat […] Read more
Alta. pest watchers tweet on flea beetle presence
Alberta farmers, agronomists and entomologists reported flea beetle infestations during this week’s bug chat on Twitter — but so far spraying isn’t widespread. Farmers around New Norway and Viking wrote that they were seeing flea beetles in the area, but canola crops seem to be outgrowing the damage. Lisa Anderson, a sales representative with DuPont […] Read more
Guenther: Critical period now in sclerotinia cycle
Last year’s sclerotinia pressure on the Prairies means farmers should be prepared to spray again if conditions are right, and the economics and yield potential warrant it. Canola farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan saw what was probably the highest sclerotinia pressure ever last year, says Todd Friday, pulse and oilseeds market segment manager with DuPont. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
