Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that soybean crops planted near pollinator habitat produce larger soybeans than crops not planted near pollinator habitat. “Even though soybeans are not thought of as being dependent on pollinators, we found that soybean plants are still attractive to bees,” says Hannah Levenson, a postdoctoral research scholar at […] Read more
Proximity to pollinator habitat linked to larger soybean size
Science Notes: Habitat was created by planting wildflowers on unused land
Beef producers squeezed while packers profit: new study
Farmer share of retail prices falls to 39 from 41 per cent, retailers drop to two from eight and packers rise to 59 from 51
Glacier FarmMedia – If Ontario beef producers feel they are getting squeezed into losses despite high beef prices, new analysis indicates they could be right. But it isn’t the grocery retailers who are gobbling up the profits, analyst Kevin Grier’s work suggests. Both ends of the beef supply chain are getting squeezed hard, while the […] Read more
Russia’s war to affect farmers, food security
Canadian grain growers can expect profits despite higher input costs, while some people will eat less
Glacier FarmMedia – The outcome of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine is unknown, but for Ukrainians it’s already a human tragedy of suffering, death and destruction, but also brave defiance. It’s likely to get worse — not just for Ukrainians and Russians, but for many of us. Why it matters: The Russian invasion of Ukraine […] Read more
Sevita launches 13 new soybean varieties
Sevita International has introduced 13 new soybean varieties across Canada for the 2022 growing season and will have another 10 new varieties available in 2023. Sevita has also launched a new online plot comparison tool that lets growers compare variety performance in on-farm plots across Canada. The 2022 roll-out of new varieties is the largest […] Read more
Critical to account for greater nutrient removal from crops
Adequate baseline P and K levels bring savings opportunities, little yield impact, when fertilizer is expensive
Want to save on potassium and phosphorus fertilizer this year? A joint Ontario agriculture department and University of Guelph analysis from 2015 highlights how growers who meet certain soil fertility thresholds can reduce expensive inputs without incurring notable reductions in yield. Why it matters: Lowering input costs by reducing fertilizer can be done without generating […] Read more
Addressing the potential impact of ASF
Progress being made on how the Canadian pork industry will handle the disease if it is found here
With African Swine Fever a step away from the North American doorstep, the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) launched a proactive initiative. Rene Roy, CPC’s first vice-chair, shared the four pillars of action within the year-old African Swine Fever Executive Management Board (ASF EMB) and the goals it hopes to achieve by 2023 at Ontario Pork’s […] Read more
Judge dismisses suit against feds over BSE
Glacier FarmMedia – The Ontario Superior Court has dismissed an $8 billion class action lawsuit over the federal government’s handling of BSE. In a written decision in late January, Justice Paul B. Schabas said Canada was not negligent, as the plaintiffs alleged, in preventing British cattle from coming into the country between 1982 and 1990, […] Read more
Nitrogen-fixing input touted for ease of use in all crops
Corteva enters the biologicals market with Utrisha N
Following successful in-field trials in various crops in 2021, Corteva Agriscience is using the N-fixing ‘biostimulant’ Utrisha N as the first product in its planned portfolio of biologicals in North America. Through a novel species of the methylobacterium genus, the foliar-applied Utrisha N enters the plant’s leaves through the stomata and converts atmospheric N into […] Read more
Nominations for 2022 ag hall of fame due May 1
There’s still time to nominate an outstanding Canadian to the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame Association (CAHFA). May 1 is the deadline for submissions to be considered for 2022 inductees. Every year, CAHFA recognizes Canadians who have made notable, life-long contributions to the agriculture and food industry. Inductees are chosen based on their career and […] Read more
Ontario tops farmland value increases at 22.2 per cent
Strong commodities and tight land supply contributors to the gain
Ontario’s farmland values increased exponentially in the last year across all regions, according to the 2021 Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Farmland Values report. Ontario reported the sharpest increase at 22.2 per cent, quadruple what it was in 2020, followed by British Columbia at 18.1 per cent, said the FCC report. Why it matters: Rising farmland […] Read more
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