Wheat field sharks have caused much curiosity outside Dublin, Ont. this summer. The fins were the idea of Anne Melady, who sharecrops the field with a farmer. “I was up at Erin last year and saw someone with two fins in their field. It gave me a smile every time I went past,” she said. […] Read more
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Creating smiles with wheat field sharks
Fins emerging from a Dublin-area wheat field a popular photo attraction
Letters: Prioritize prime farmland above gravel pits
Dear editor, Prime farmland. It comprises less than five per cent of Ontario’s land base and is mainly concentrated in southern Ontario. It is considered by many, including government, as the foundation of our economic prosperity. Why then are governments willing to put this finite, non-renewable resource in jeopardy to gravel pits? In Waterloo region, […] Read more
Researchers give yeast a boost to make biofuels from discarded plant matter
Science Notes: Corn stover seen as an underutilized fuel source
If corn stover could be efficiently fermented into ethanol the way corn kernels are, stover could be a large-scale, renewable source of fuel. “Stover is produced in huge amounts, on the scale of petroleum,” said Whitehead Institute Member and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) biology professor Gerald Fink. “But there are enormous technical challenges to […] Read more
VIDEO: Improving soil health in the field
Field Talk with Kelsey Banks
Matt McIntosh discusses how to start a soil health plan and tillage reduction strategies with Kelsey Banks, crop representative and agronomist with Embrun Co-op.
Opinion: Robot farmers could improve jobs, help fight climate change — if they’re developed responsibly
Farming robots that can move autonomously in an open field or greenhouse promise a cleaner, safer agricultural future. But there are also potential downsides, from the loss of much-needed jobs to the safety of those working alongside the robots. To ensure the use of autonomous robots on farms creates more benefits than losses, a process […] Read more
Researchers collaborate to bring rugose resistant tomato varieties to Canada
The disease has been deemed a top priority for industry and government
The Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is working on solutions to a devastating disease in tomatoes, the brown rugose fruit virus. It has undertaken a breeding program in collaboration with the Ontario agriculture department and Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers. Why it matters: There are no varieties resistant to tomato brown rugose fruit virus and infection […] Read more
Market access a priority in Indonesia negotiations
First round of negotiations expected later this year
Canada’s consultations on a potential free trade deal with Indonesia demonstrate a strong appetite for negotiations to continue. The two nations are expected to launch formal talks this year. Why it matters: Canadian agricultural exporters hope a trade pact with Indonesia will stabilize and strengthen their market access to the Asia-Pacific region. Already 78 per […] Read more
The Royal to return in 2022
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (the Royal) is yet another in-person event that has been cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Royal’s board of directors made the decision to cancel the 2021 after “considerable research and consultation.” The board said in a release that the Royal will return to an education focused […] Read more
Rural fairs get another year of funding
Second year of cancelled fairs and exhibits causes financial squeeze for associations
Ontario agriculture and horticulture societies will get $1.1 million in provincial funding to offset revenue declines due to cancelled fairs and events. “We recognize Ontario’s agricultural and horticultural societies play a significant role in our communities throughout the province,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). “And the COVID-19 pandemic has […] Read more
Root rot, white mould and crop pest insects
OMAFRA Field Crop Report for July 13
There are mixed reports on the health of dry beans in Ontario this season. While many fields look good, rains following the initially dry conditions at planting have increased the incidence of root rots as well as the risk of white mould. Root rot In Ontario, the four main fungal pathogens causing root rot are […] Read more
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