Insights and Stories on Crops

The farm data overload needs a fix

Aug. 30, 2019 at 2:10 pm CDT

Jay Bruggencate has a bit of a bone to pick with the ag tech industry. “We’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into smart equipment that knows what it’s doing but can’t talk to each other,” said the Lacombe-area farmer at the recent AgSmart event at Olds College. “There’s so […]

Cover crops: short-term pain but long-term gain

Aug. 23, 2019 at 11:22 am CDT

By Stew Slater

Is Canadian canola just a victim of China’s desire to be more food self-sufficient?

Jul. 26, 2019 at 1:34 pm CDT

By Allan Dawson

Getting the most from your wheat crop

Jul. 19, 2019 at 9:46 am CDT

By Leeann Minogue

Turning that workshop project into a business

Jul. 5, 2019 at 12:54 pm CDT

By Scott Garvey

Does genetically engineered alfalfa have a place in Alberta?

Jun. 28, 2019 at 1:34 pm CDT

Genetically engineered alfalfa is gaining traction in Ontario — but don’t expect to see it in Alberta any time soon. During its June board meeting, the Alberta Forage Industry Network reaffirmed its 2016 position that Alberta should remain GE alfalfa free. That decision was an easy one, said Strathmore-area hay […]

By Jennifer Blair

Water quality and herbicides

Jun. 14, 2019 at 10:48 am CDT

As we gear up to fill the sprayer and begin killing weeds maybe we should take another look at what is in the other 999 gallons in the sprayer. It is well known that the water should be clean with no silt or debris present, but this piece deals with […]

By Les Henry

Seeding tips for perennial forages

May. 10, 2019 at 9:01 am CDT

Traditional annuals and cocktail cover crop mixtures can make great forage for cattle on a temporary basis, but over the long haul a good stand of perennial pasture may be the best choice, according to Lorne Klein, range management extension specialist, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture at Weyburn. As a resource […]

By — Heather Smith Thomas

Myths, yarns and ridiculous claims

Apr. 26, 2019 at 9:43 am CDT

After 60 years of work and observations in Canadian, British and U.S. agriculture, most of it on the Canadian prairies, I still cannot believe how many farmers and scientists believe in plain falsehoods. Here are a few of those unsubstantiated myths. Manure causes lodging FALSE: If you apply 10 to […]

By Ieuan Evans

Will today’s seeding equipment work in a higher-yield future?

Apr. 17, 2019 at 3:19 pm CDT

When Jeremy Hughes, product manager for seeding and planting implement manufacturer Horsch, makes the rounds to customer events, one of the questions he puts to attendees is this: can the air drill of today still be the implement of choice when farmers expect to grow 80-bushel-per acre canola? “It takes […]