Did you know? & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

Dr. Alex Wu performing research in the field.

University researchers model photosynthesis

They say it’s an important window into this crucial biological process and how it affects crop yields

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff April 30, 2019

In the next two decades, crop yields need to increase dramatically to feed the growing global population. Wouldn’t it be incredibly useful if we had a crystal ball to show us what are the best strategies available to increase crop yields? A team of scientists have just developed exactly that: a dynamic model that predicts

Kochia or tumbleweeds can spread across fields by the tumbling action and get caught in fencelines. This is an example of landscape-scale weed spread issues.

Did you know?, News, Other

It takes a village to stop weeds

Researchers say the community nature of the problem of invasive weeds hasn’t been adequately incorporated into control efforts

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff April 24, 2019

Invasive weeds are a problem that defies solution, and only seems to get worse. That’s because they’re a community problem that cross property boundaries, according to weed scientist Muthu Bagavathiannan, of Texas A&M. Finding a real solution will involve recognizing the nature of weeds as a community problem, and managing them accordingly, he and other

This corncob is infected with Aspergillus.

Did you know?, News

Fungus vs. fungus

Non-harmful native fungus could supplant ones that cause harmful toxins

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff April 16, 2019

It’s not good when a fungus contaminates crops. Safe native fungi, however, show promise in the fight against toxic fungal contamination. One such harmful fungus is Aspergillus flavus, which can infect several crops, including corn, other cereal crops and some legumes. Some varieties, or strains, of A. flavus produce aflatoxins. Aflatoxin contamination costs farmers billions

Researchers exchanged soil microbes among alfalfa plants treated with different levels of P.

Did you know?, News

Study says excess phosphorus may reduce crop yields

Results suggest that excess levels can affect soil microbes

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff April 9, 2019

Excessive phosphorus fertilizer may do more harm than good for crop yields, say scientists at Penn State University. In a study published in Phytobiomes Journal, a team led by Terrence Bell and Jenny Kao-Kniffin found that soil treated with high amounts of phosphate can result in poorer plant performance and that it appears the soil

The pregnancy rate was 61 per cent for the 50-year-old semen against  59 per cent for a recently frozen sample.

Did you know?, News

Still swimming after 50 years on ice

Ram sperm frozen in 1968 successfully used to impregnate 34 ewes

By University Of Sydney Release April 2, 2019

Semen stored since 1968 in a laboratory in Sydney, Australia has been defrosted and successfully used to impregnate 34 Merino ewes, with the resulting live birth rate as high as sperm frozen for just 12 months. “This demonstrates the clear viability of long-term frozen storage of semen. The results show that fertility is maintained despite

University of California researchers say growing cannabis compounds may be supplanted by producing them using yeast.

Did you know?, News, Other

Yeast produces low-cost, high-quality cannabinoids

The development isn’t commercially ready yet, but it could change the budding cannabis and hemp industries

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff March 26, 2019

Before Canadian hemp and cannabis growers have even begun to capitalize on new markets, they could have new and novel competition. University of California synthetic biologists have engineered brewer’s yeast to produce marijuana’s main ingredients — mind-altering THC and non-psychoactive CBD — as well as novel cannabinoids not found in the plant itself. Feeding only

A samurai wasp lays an egg inside a brown marmorated stink bug egg. The samurai wasp’s offspring will develop inside the pest’s egg and emerge as an adult wasp. PHOTO: WARREN WONG, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Did you know?, News

Biocontrols often also invasive

They seem to be being unintentionally introduced  the same way their prey is

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff March 19, 2019

Regulatory limits to the introduction of biocontrols like parasitic wasps may prove to be a moot point. They could already be being unintentionally released into Canada along with their prey. Paul Abram, of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has been looking for native predators for the brown marmorated stink bug, a pest introduced to B.C. in

It isn’t just differences in climate and geology, but also the availability of symbiotes such as the mycorrhizal fungus, that influence plant diversity at different locations, for example here on the dry east coast of Tenerife.

Did you know?, News, Other

Fungi fight plants

These symbiotes are also sometimes screens when it comes to establishing plant ranges

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff March 13, 2019

Fungi can help plants thrive — but it turns out they can also filter them out. That’s according to new research from an international team of researchers led by Germany’s University of Göttingen. The results appeared in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. For example, in the colonization of islands by plant species, it isn’t

Wood frog embryos can suffer from exposure to cold, changing the biological nature of these amphibians for better or worse.

Did you know?, News, Other

Colder cold snaps under climate change?

The downside of climate change could have a  bigger-than-expected effect on nature

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff March 5, 2019

When it comes to global warming, it would appear the effect of cold temperature variability is being severely underestimated. A team of researchers from Binghamton University, State University of New York, say public attention often focuses on the effect of rising average temperatures. The researchers discovered that cold temperatures make amphibians more susceptible to road

Soybeans are among a small handful of crops that are dominating global agriculture, and that’s not a good development for sustainable agriculture, says U of T environmental scientist Adam Martin.

Did you know?, News

A very small number of crops are dominating globally

This concentration is coming as farms become larger and more industrial everywhere

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff February 27, 2019

A new University of Toronto study suggests that globally we’re growing more of the same kinds of crops, and this presents major challenges for agricultural sustainability. The study, done by an international team of researchers led by U of T assistant professor, Adam Martin, used data from the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle slip back, hogs gain

U.S. grains: Soy futures post biggest monthly gain in nearly five years on China trade optimism

Farm gate milk price to rise in 2026

Did you know?

University researchers model photosynthesis

It takes a village to stop weeds

Fungus vs. fungus

Study says excess phosphorus may reduce crop yields

Still swimming after 50 years on ice

Yeast produces low-cost, high-quality cannabinoids

Biocontrols often also invasive

Fungi fight plants

Colder cold snaps under climate change?

A very small number of crops are dominating globally

AgCanadaTV

AGCanadaTV: In case you missed it; your national ag news recap for Sept. 5, 2025

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

Latest Market News