Spraying herbicides between rows to hit the weeds and not the crop could give producers more bang for their weed-control buck, but more research is needed, says Agriculture Canada research scientist Tom Wolf. Inter-row spraying has caught on in Australia, where farmers use hooded sprayers to apply non-select herbicide between rows. Wolf, an expert in
Between-Row Spraying Good Option, But Challenges Must Be Overcome
Avian Influenza Impact Devastating To Poultry Industry
Understanding how avian influenza works and how it spreads is the best way to prevent future outbreaks and the economic devastation they cause. That’s the message Dr. Colleen Christianson, a veterinary pathologist with Alberta Agriculture, delivered to an audience at the recent Wetaskiwin Poultry and Rabbit show. Avian influenza, also known as avian flu or
Spinning Bison Fibre Into Profit
Foreign buyers are clamouring to buy bison fibre. The only problem is figuring out a good way to get it off the hides of the ornery critters. Frequently compared to cashmere, raw bison fibre fetches $1 an ounce while an ounce of cleaned, carded down sells for about $12 and finished yarn commands $18 to
Taking The Pulse On Canada’s Bean Consumption
Do you eat chickpeas? Enjoy hummus or black bean stews? If so, you’re part of a small group in Canada. Researchers from Ipsos Reid recently conducted a survey in Canada and found that people don’t know how to prepare pulses, or don’t consider them when planning meals. This represents a significant opportunity for anyone involved
This Is An Animal That Will Really Fall For You
“They don’t actually faint… when they get scared, their muscles lock up and they sometimes fall over.” When Erin Orchard goes out to feed her goats, some can get so excited that they will just fall over. Orchard, who runs a goat farm called Caprine Falls, is one of the few breeders in the province
To Handle A Sheep, Learn To Think Like One
Just because you can’t read a sheep’s expression doesn’t mean it isn’t feeling emotion, says animal behaviour scientist Temple Grandin. When sheep are sick or hurting, they tend not to show it, Grandin told a sheep symposium here recently. Lambs haven’t developed the ability to cover up their fear or pain, but adult sheep mask
A Fungal Disease You’ll Love
“With different formulations and different rates, we’re able to get the same kind of control as a traditional chemical.” – KAREN BAILEY, AAFC When farmers think of fungal diseases, it’s usually not too favourably, especially if they’ve just shelled out the money to spray for leaf disease of sclerotinia. But researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food
Co-Op Model Suits Produce Growers
“Criticisms and comments come back from our customers, so we can improve and be better at what we do” Farming can be a lonely and difficult occupation, and a group of vegetable producers has found that working together can reduce risk and help to better serve their customers. The Innisfail Growers, a group of five
Forages Could Reduce Canola Yield
“Information about placing canola on forages is very limited, so caution is a definite must here.” Producers who have made the decision to put canola into fields previously in forages do so with a degree of risk, says Anastasia Kubinec, oilseed business specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. “Information about placing canola on forages is very limited,
Tips and tricks for running sheep and cows
“It’s the easiest way in the world to make more profit, as far as I’m concerned.” – LEN LARSEN Mother Nature doesn’t stick to one species on the landscape, and Len Larsen thinks she has the right idea. Larsen and his family run 900 ewes and 100 cattle near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. “It’s so much
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
