Latest Newsletter

In this photo, the corn on the right has been treated with Utrisha N while the corn on the left hasn’t.
Crops

Major crops get a new source of nitrogen

Biological products like Envita and Utrisha N enable crops to harvest nitrogen from the air

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Glacier FarmMedia – It’s an essential element for plant growth, but nitrogen in the air all around us has been unavailable to major crops — at least until now. New biological products have arrived in the marketplace that enable crops like wheat, canola, soybean and corn to harvest nitrogen from the air. Why it matters: […] Read more
Canada sold only $17 million worth of beef and $1.6 million worth of pork to the European Union in the first 10 months of 2021, but markets like this one in Palermo, Italy, remained busy.
Markets, News

Red meat trade with EU remains nearly one-way street

Canadian livestock producers not seeing benefit from CETA

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Glacier FarmMedia – The red meat trade between Canada and the European Union was tilted significantly in favour of Europe in 2021, based on Agriculture Canada data for the first 10 months of that year. From January to October, European companies shipped $257 million worth of pork and beef to Canada. Most of that was […] Read more
Reproductive issues are often a sign of mineral deficiency and can occur whether cattle are grazing or being fed winter rations.
Livestock

Choosing the right mineral supplements for cattle can be daunting

Whether grazing or on a winter ration, cattle need mineral supplements to avoid health problems

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Beef producers might know they should supplement their herds with mineral, but trying to wade through all the choices at the livestock supply store can be overwhelming. Commercial suppliers seem to make claims and offer something different, but with tubs and bags of every colour and price available, how do you know which one is […] Read more
Lactanet recently updated its indirect herd life evaluation formula. Indirect herd life is an early predictor of daughter lifetime survival.
Livestock

Formula refined to breed for dairy cow longevity

Advent of genomics lessens impact of ‘indirect herd health’

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Lactanet has updated its indirect herd life evaluation formula, after adding metabolic disease resistance and fertility disorders to its bull proofs in Holstein, Jersey and Ayrshire. Indirect herd life was described in a recent Lactanet newsletter as “an early predictor of daughter survival (which) is calculated based on a formula that combines genetic evaluations for […] Read more
New features offered on the GEA R9500 robot include less per-cow box time, easier maintenance and a more accessible service drawer.
Livestock, News

GEA software upgrades boost milking system’s cost effectiveness

Box time reduced by up to 26 seconds in new R9500 model

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An upgraded version of German technology manufacturer GEA’s automated milking system, newly available in North America, allows producers to run up to four milking robots from one supply unit for power and water and decrease time-per-cow in the robot by up to 26 seconds. “We’re excited to help push farm efficiency even further,” said GEA […] Read more
Health Canada will likely regulate gene-edited crops the same as conventional plant breeding, which is praised by plant breeders but opposed by some groups.
News

Federal gene editing policy expected soon

Those opposing the technology have delayed policy development

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Glacier FarmMedia – Health Canada is expected to soon publish guidance on how gene-edited crops will be regulated. It appears the department will treat gene-edited crops differently from genetically modified (transgenic) crops, which means the oversight of gene-edited crops could be closer to conventionally bred crops. Gene editing is often described as removing or altering […] Read more
The T7 HD tractor series will include 14 models topping out at 300 horsepower and featuring “next-generation” PLM Intelligence.
Machinery

New Holland debuts redesigned T7 HD tractors

An all-new cab and enhanced digital features offered in 14 models

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Glacier FarmMedia – In a press event streamed live online from Europe last year, senior executives from New Holland announced the introduction of the new, 14-model line of T7 Heavy Duty series tractors, which join New Holland’s larger T8 and T9 series tractors by coming from the factory with the brand’s digital Precision Land Management […] Read more
Seed variety, both of the crop in the field already and the variety that’s being replanted, affect alfalfa auto-toxicity according to a Michigan State University researcher. She also thinks that genetic factors are likely involved.
Crops, News

Alfalfa autoxicity test would be useful tool

Not all factors behind autotoxicity are known but research is providing further answers

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Research at Michigan State University (MSU) aims to develop a test to determine alfalfa autotoxicity in a field, similar to tests for detecting residual herbicide that could damage a crop. That same research could lead to breeding varieties with resistance to the condition. MSU Forage and Cover Crops Extension Specialist Kim Cassida covered the topic […] Read more
Agriculture is one sector expected to benefit from the global economic recovery because consumers, such as these in Istanbul, Turkey, will want more protein and better quality food as their spending power increases.
Markets, News

‘Hot’ global economy finds its groove

A 5.5 per cent increase in global gross domestic product is predicted this year, despite a resurgence in COVID-19 cases

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Glacier FarmMedia – Export Development Canada (EDC) is forecasting another strong year of global economic growth in 2022. It predicts a 5.5 per cent increase in global gross domestic product, down slightly from six per cent in 2021. That is despite the Omicron-related resurgence in the COVID-19 pandemic. Why it matters: Consumers around the globe […] Read more
A critical first step in managing tar spot is predicting the risk of it developing. Experts say growers should keep up to date on the presence of tar spot in their fields and in the general area.
Crops

Learning to live with tar spot

Know what decisions to make, and when to make them, are key to controlling the disease

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Tar spot, the latest corn disease to cross the border, is in Ontario to stay.  Knowing when the risk of tar spot development is high, how to identify the pathogen, and when to take remedial action is now the name of the game.  Why it matters: A new fungal infection in corn could create the […] Read more

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