Glacier FarmMedia – Agriculture and Agri-food Canada scientists have historically spent their time on things like improving yields, fighting crop diseases and increasing livestock feed efficiency — mostly agriculture production […] Read more
Canadian agri-food scientists urged to switch tracks
A new federal strategy asks scientists to focus on sustainability and climate change rather than production
Weed seed destructors gain ground among producers
Attaching a hammer mill to a combine is catching on in Australia, but North American farmers have been more cautious
Glacier FarmMedia – Nine hundred to 1,000 new combines are sold every year in Australia, according to the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia. Of those new combines, 25 to […] Read more
Opinion: Innovation is hard, hype is easy
There is no shortage of companies and researchers that claim to have a silver bullet to solve agricultural issues, but if truly helpful, it takes years before technologies are in the hands of farmers
Glacier FarmMedia – In November, the John Innes Centre announced it had discovered a gene that could lead to drought resistant wheat. The centre is a well-known institution in Norwich, […] Read more
Interest wanes in biopesticides, says scientist
A variety of roadblocks can impede commercialization of biological crop protection products, making them too expensive
Glacier FarmMedia – Biopesticides aren’t ready to compete with synthetic pesticides in broad scale agriculture, said a retired Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist. Research into biopesticides has waned in the […] Read more
U.S. gives green light to purple tomatoes
Purple tomato varieties already exist, but antioxidant levels are low because the colour is only in the skin of the fruit
Glacier FarmMedia – There are a surprising number of purple foods. There are purple potatoes, eggplants, grapes, cabbages, carrots, saskatoons and blackberries, though the latter may be more black than […] Read more
‘Sticks’ needed to improve soil health, Senate told
Committee begins hearings as it launches first soil study since senator Herb Sparrow released Soil at Risk report in 1984
Glacier FarmMedia – If the federal government and Canada’s agriculture industry want to get serious about soil preservation and soil health, rules and regulations may be necessary, said two speakers […] Read more
Farmer surveys may cease in 2026
Statistics Canada says surveys may be replaced by technology
Glacier FarmMedia – By 2026, Statistics Canada (StatsCan) may stop asking producers about their planting intentions, how many people they employ and other questions about their on-farm activities. StatsCan will […] Read more
University of Guelph scientist slams fertilizer emissions plan
Financial incentives and more cost-effective testing for researchers and farmers is needed, he says
Glacier FarmMedia – A scientist from the University of Guelph says the federal government is rushing its plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions from nitrogen fertilizer. Other scientists are concerned […] Read more
Regenerative agriculture reaches a crossroads
The jury is still out on whether the production philosophy will become a niche brand or a mainstream practice
Glacier FarmMedia – In early August, Prince Charles gave his stamp of approval to regenerative agriculture. While addressing an international soil conference held in Glasgow, the Prince of Wales said […] Read more
Winnipeg lab designated for African swine fever
World Organization for Animal Health designates CFIA facility as a reference laboratory to deal with the disease if it appears
Glacier FarmMedia – Canada now has a laboratory officially recognized as a world leader in African swine fever (ASF). The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said last month that […] Read more
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