Potential clubroot control shows promise in the lab

Potential clubroot control shows promise in the lab

The next phase is greenhouse testing followed by field trials

Saskatoon-based MustGrow Biologics Corp. is working on a product derived from mustard seed it says will potentially control clubroot, a yield-robbing canola disease currently without chemical control. It has infected thousands of acres in Alberta and is spreading in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. “In the lab we are seeing 100 per cent control (of clubroot spores),” MustGrow’s chief operating officer Colin

Alberta opts for education over regulation of fusarium head blight

Alberta opts for education over regulation of fusarium head blight

The move better reflects the reality facing farmers on the ground

The Alberta government will stop trying to regulate fusarium head blight (FHB) in favour of managing the fungal disease that can reduce yield and quality in infected wheat and barley. Alberta Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen announced June 3 that Fusarium graminearum (Fg) is being removed from the province’s Pest Nuisance Control Regulation of the Agricultural Pests Act — a move


New pilot program for labour welcomed

Some well-established TFWs with solid foundation in Canada will qualify

Federal officials hope a new pilot program will help stabilize ongoing labour issues in certain sectors of the agri-food value chain, while also providing citizenship to some foreign workers. But critics contend more support is needed. “This pilot will help to ensure that farmers and processors have the much-needed skills, experience and labour so we can grow our economy and improve our living

Record grain movement in May

Record grain movement in May

Another month, another record

Canada’s two major railways moved a record amount of grain in May. For CN Rail May marked the third monthly record in a row having shipped 2.5 million tonnes of grain up from 2.4 million in May 2014, it said in a news release June 1. CP Rail moved 2.8 million tonnes of grain in May, beating its previous record set in May


The twisted frame of a cultivator tells the tale of a bad experience with a frost boil this spring near Somerset.

The year of the frost boil

The ground in rural Manitoba had some extra obstacles this spring, and farmers say it’s been hard on equipment

Les McEwan knows all about headaches caused by frost boils. He had just turned onto the gravel road after working up one of his fields near Somerset in mid-May. He was going slow, still folding up the wings of his cultivator. “I felt the tractor hit the soft spot in the road and I’m thinking, ‘Gee, I better be

Fields near St. Laurent show frost damage after cold temperatures May 30.

Weather divides first blush look at hay

The first hay fields are being cut and producers in the west are looking at some of their first good hay stands in several years, although the eastern part of the province is less cheery.

Hay producers have some hope that the last two years of difficulty are behind them, at least in the western part of the province. Initial reports suggest hay stands look promising in most of the province, although some frost damage was noted in the east as of the end of May. Why it matters: Manitoba’s


Canadian potato growers could soon benefit from the AgriRecovery program, and a surplus food-buying program for food banks.

Details on food buyback coming soon

Market disruptions are widespread, the federal agriculture minister says

The Canadian government is close to announcing more details on its program to buy surplus food, such as potatoes, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau told reporters during a video conference on June 9. “It’s a matter of days before we inform everyone of the criteria of the programs but we have already started to work with the different industries that have services that

The frost that hit much of agro-Manitoba May 30 only caused light damage for the most part but it's one more stress along with growing flea beetle feeding in canola, cutworms in various crops, packed soils and hot dry winds. This frost damaged canola seedling was photographed near Starbuck May 31.

MASC records more than 480 reseeding claims so far

Flea beetles, wind, crusted soil and frost have been the main perils

After the harvest from hell last fall Manitoba farmers are struggling with spring seeding setbacks. As of June 4 the Manitoba Agricultural Service Corporation (MASC) had received more than 480 reseeding claims representing 130,000 acres, due to perils including frost, flea beetles, crusted soils and hot, dry winds, or a combination of some or all,


Livestock price insurance a hard sell

Livestock price insurance a hard sell

Producers say it’s too expensive, too complex and lacks the supports seen in the crops sector

Despite current market uncertainty, cattle producers remain reluctant to buy price insurance. About 10 per cent of calves in Manitoba are insured annually under the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP), said David Van Deynze, vice-president of innovation and product support with MASC. By comparison, about 90 per cent of annual crop acres are insured. WLPIP began in Alberta in 2009 and came to

Flooded southeast Manitoba crops under threat

Flooded southeast Manitoba crops under threat

Initial reports suggest many farmers could soon be filing crop insurance claims

The final fate of flooded fields in southeastern Manitoba has yet to be determined, but initial reports aren’t good with the likely result that many affected insured farmers will submit crop insurance claims. “Approximately 20 to 30 per cent of the land in southern districts (of eastern Manitoba) was still unseeded and will now likely


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