New technology out of Saskatchewan hopes to nail down the ideal time for aeration and automate fan operation. Ron Palmer, of the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation, has released two projects, a bin-specific online calculator to determine if air conditions are right for drying and new software that monitors air going in and leaving the
Tech targets ideal aeration through bin-specific data
Farmers can access the free online calculator to hone in on ideal drying conditions, while an experimental algorithm looks to automate the practice
Measuring tillage impact
There may be a middle path that gives the best results
Conventional wisdom says less tillage is better when it comes to soil structure, but the issue is more complex when comparing organic soil health to zero till, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Dr. Alan Moulin. Moulin’s team looked at “soil aggregates,” or how soil particles bind together into larger groups, under high-input conventional
Can organic no till work in the field?
Environmental benefit is part of organic market value, but organic weed management usually means tillage, commonly considered a black mark for soil health. Is there a middle ground?
Hairy vetch may be the key to reducing tillage in organic farming, at least in the short term. Martin Entz, a professor and agriculture systems expert from the University of Manitoba has been looking at mulches for organic weed suppression, rather than the tillage typically used. “We found that when we used the right mulch,
Formerly parched grain now fighting moisture after September rains
2017 will be remembered as a dry year, but the latest harvest is still fighting high moisture after a series of rains in September
Manitoba’s early harvest was dry, but now a rash of rains has left producers fighting moisture and wondering when to give up on drying in the field. Francois Labelle, general manager for the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, said most grain being harvested is several percentage points above safe storage since the dry spell broke.
Avoid grain drying errors
There are a few things that farmers can do to sidestep common issues
Experts are weighing in on what not to do if grain must be dried in the yard. Dr. Digvir Jayas, a Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba and former Canada Research Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems, said that many producers confuse aeration with drying, when the two actually have separate goals. Aeration uses lower airflow
Infrared inspections look to curb barn fires
Farmers now have access to infrared inspections through the Manitoba Farm Safety Program
The barn fire that killed over 3,500 pigs near New Bothwell in June has led to a new program to prevent similar blazes. The Manitoba Farm Safety Program introduced infrared barn inspections Sept. 12. Inspectors use infrared cameras to map temperature and tag hot spots that might ignite, such as faulty wiring inside walls. Electrical
Weathering the swarm
Lady beetles were a welcome addition to the field this summer, but the overwintering habits of one non-native species now has some rural residents irked
They’re on walls. They’re on ceilings. They’re on cups left in cupboards and anything left outside. If you’re in south-central Manitoba and feel something crawling on your arm, chances are it’s a lady beetle. The annual swarm is nothing new to rural Manitobans during September and October, but populations are particularly hearty this year with
Fall field scouting can highlight diseases
Verticillium and Goss’s wilt are both easily spotted near or after harvest
Field scouting doesn’t stop with the combine, but it does become more specific, according to Dr. Vikram Bisht, pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture. “Usually, to scout for soil-borne pathogens is not an easy thing because you have to do a lot of laboratory work, but if you have the pathogens which survive in the crop residue
EIA down, but not necessarily out, with incoming cold
The risk of spreading equine infectious anemia is slowing down as cold weather lowers fly populations, but the CFIA warns that more cases might be detected next year
The federally appointed veterinarian in Manitoba’s equine infectious anemia (EIA) scare says he expects positive results to trickle in through 2018. Alex McIsaac, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) western animal health specialist, said a number of EIA carriers in the province have slipped through the cracks until now due to infrequent testing. Animals infected with
Manitobans sign up to Drive Away Hunger
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) hopes to add at least five million meals’ worth of support to Canada’s food banks through its over-month-long Drive Away Hunger campaign
Combines may be busy on the field, but Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is occupied with a different kind of harvest. This year marks 14 years of FCC’s Drive Away Hunger campaign, a joint fundraising and food drive held nationally by FCC each fall in support of Food Banks Canada. The program launched Sept. 6 and