A dry, cool spring has checked pasture growth in Saskatchewan and a hay shortage is looming. The province’s latest crop report notes topsoil moisture in hay fields and pasture is rated 42 per cent short and 24 per cent very short. Crop district 7A, in west-central Saskatchewan, has the dubious distinction of being the driest
Dry spring puts Sask. grass, hay in short supply
Guenther: Rain drops in on NW Sask.
Farmers and ranchers in northwestern Saskatchewan received much-needed rain late last week and over the weekend. Tom Brown raises cattle and is a crop reporter for Saskatchewan Agriculture and the reeve for the Rural Municipality of Mervin. His farm at Turtleford, about 80 km east of Lloydminster, received 11 mm of rain on Thursday night,
Soil bacteria may offer weapon against late blight in potatoes
Potato producers may soon have a new ally in their battle against late blight, and it’s right under their feet. Researchers have discovered bacterial strains in the soil that show promise as disease controls. Some bacteria suppress or inhibit late blight by over 90 per cent, according to an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) release.
Guenther: Buffalo bean more than floral for cancer researchers
Buffalo beans adorn the pastures, field edges and even kitchen tables of many Prairie farms and ranches — but the pretty plant is now also being picked for its potential properties as a cancer fighter. Experiments show compounds extracted from buffalo bean leaves have potential to fight a class of cancers that includes multiple myeloma,
Guenther (video): Northwestern Sask. fire hazard looms over farms
Judy Wilkinson was planting potatoes on Thursday when she had a bad feeling: the dry weather was just right for a fire. “It’s scary out there. The buffalo don’t want to eat hay anymore,” said Wilkinson, who with her husband Kevin raises bison on the forest’s edge near Turtle Lake, Sask. “They’re on the move,
Guenther: Alta. cutworms sought for mapping, posterity
If you’re an Alberta farmer and your crops have got cutworms, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development wants to know. Scott Meers, an entomologist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, is asking farmers to report cutworms online. The province uses those reports to create an interactive map displaying cutworm sightings. Meers and provincial insect research technologist
Guenther: Reseeding already considered in parts of Sask.
While farmers in northwestern Saskatchewan are getting seed into the ground, warm weather tops their wish lists. Frost is “going to be our biggest enemy here, coming up this weekend, I think,” said Geoff Schick, assistant location manager for AgriTeam Services at Glaslyn, Sask., about 65 km north of North Battleford. As of Friday, weekend
Crop tour in Russia, Ukraine finds mid-sized farms under pressure
Conflict in Ukraine has left the country’s farmers in a tight spot, as they’ve told agronomist Mike Lee. Lee, who grew up in the U.K. but has managed large farms in Ukraine and worked in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia, traveled 5,000 km through Ukraine and Russia in late March, evaluating winter crops and talking to farmers.
Guenther: Farmers keep minority stake in CWB, for now
While G3 Global Grain Group is set to scoop a majority stake in CWB, grain farmers will be able to hold onto some equity in the former Canadian Wheat Board over the next seven years at the least. G3 is a new joint venture between Bunge Canada and Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment (SALIC) Canada,
Guenther: ‘Full story’ sought on crop health in Ukraine, Russia
Given the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, the country might seem like a risky place to conduct a 10-day crop tour. But Mike Lee’s confident he can pull it off. “A lot of people think we’re completely nuts for going there. But to me, it’s not that crazy. It’s a fairly normal, straightforward place if
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
