Ranchers in the Parkland and Interlake say they are worried that changes to the province’s Agricultural Crown Lands regulations will cost them their farms. It was standing room only at the community hall in Ste. Rose du Lac Oct. 2 as over 350 leaseholders came to express their outrage over incoming regulations. The new regulations,
Crown Land changes outrage Manitoba ranchers
Tension was high in the Ste. Rose du Lac community hall Oct. 2 during a last-minute meeting of forage and grazing Crown Land leaseholders
Getting phosphorus out of Lake Winnipeg and onto fields
Manitoba’s agriculture needs and waterways are on opposite sides of the phosphorus debate — or are they?
Lake Winnipeg might be drowning in phosphorus, but plenty of soils in the province are gasping for it. Lake Winnipeg has become infamous for its water quality, and not in a good way. Algal blooms and E. coli cases have become a familiar state of affairs in the south basin, while over half of samples
Soybean cyst nematode confirmation presents challenge for producers
Pests like soybean cyst nematode and clubroot are present and rising in Manitoba fields, but the steps to prevent both of those pests are largely the same
Farmers are being urged to keep equipment clean after the confirmation of yet another soil-borne crop threat in the province. Farmers got the unfortunate, but not unexpected, news that soybean cyst nematode (SCN) infections have been confirmed in four municipalities Sept. 16. The nematode, which can spread through water, has been present in North Dakota
Precautions urged as PED outbreak enters fall manure-spreading season
Producers are getting ready to begin fall spreading, but some manure lagoons will need extra precautions as the province’s PED numbers climb
Manitoba’s latest battle with PED has put a new focus on biosecurity as fall manure spreading gets underway. The province suffered another spate of PED confirmations this month. The Chief Veterinary Office (CVO) had confirmed 78 cases as of Sept. 20, with the last confirmed Sept. 13. Eight of those cases have been added since
Adding some IQ to smart spraying
Weeds are in for some one-on-one attention with the latest spot-spraying tech coming down the pipe
It looks like something out of science fiction. Above a Saskatchewan field, a line of drones rises in formation, sensors primed to pick out enemy targets below. But this isn’t the latest Terminator movie. This is Daniel McCann’s brainchild for green-on-green spot spraying, an offshoot of precision spraying that promises to identify and take out
Smart spot spraying still has a way to go
Farmers need to be 100 per cent confident these new technologies will work when they hit the field
Like any developing technology, spot-spraying systems are far from perfect. In a Manitoba demonstration this July, attendees noted that the WEEDit system missed some smaller weeds during a single pass. That could be addresses by adjusting sensor sensitivity or by turning on “dual mode,” which sprays a constant quarter-rate to take care of less hardy
Regenerative agriculture event to return to Brandon
Window closing on 'early bird' price regenerative ag conference tickets
The Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association isn’t resting on its laurels after last year’s two-day dive into regenerative agriculture. The production philosophy believes farm practices should build the environment and soil health rather than just maintain them, and will once again be the topic this fall when the MFGA launches its second regenerative agriculture forum.
The problem with phosphorus
Lake Winnipeg is suffering from phosphorus overload, but agriculture is just one contributor
Lake Winnipeg has a phosphorus problem. That’s not a controversial statement. But what can spark plenty of arguments is just what’s causing the problem. One of the handiest targets has long been local agriculture in general, and the province’s hog sector in particular. The hog sector and provincial government both claim the sector faces some
Using brassicas to feed cattle could pose a challenge
The best intercrop or cover crop grazing plans may hit a wall if the cattle turn into fussy eaters
Brassicas feature in most polycrop seed mixes on the market, but feeding cattle on those mixes may require some extra consideration. Jillian Bainard, of AAFC Swift Current, noted that cattle were less likely to graze brassicas during her ongoing study into grazing intercrops. The study hosted plots at Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives in Manitoba,
Has the time come to ditch your dugout?
After three years of dry conditions, a new approach to watering systems may be needed
Manitoba’s dwindling pastures have some provincial livestock specialists urging producers to take another look at watering systems. Pam Iwanchysko, livestock specialist in the northwest, is stressing the importance of, “getting those livestock out of the dugouts,” as water supplies in her area continue to lag in some areas. “Certainly that could be something that could