In Brief… – for Jul. 7, 2011

EU drought eases:Rain in past weeks has saved European Union wheat from the worst impact of drought this spring but the 2011 crop will still fall on the year, analysts and traders said June 28. Much of west Europe has had regular rain in the past three weeks, relieving parched crops after the spring drought.

Scientists Race To Avoid A Bitter Climate Change Harvest

Charlie Bragg gazes across his lush fields where fat lambs are grazing, his reservoirs filled with water, and issues a sigh of relief. Things are normal this year and that’s a bit unusual of late. His 7,000-acre farm near the Australian town of Cootamundra is testament to the plight facing farmers around the globe: increasingly


Think Carefully Before Growing Out Volunteer Canola

Crops that were broadcast seeded before the crop insurance deadline but produce an uninsurable stand are eligible for Excess Moisture Insurance (EMI) payments, said David Koroscil, manager of Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporat ion’s (MASC) Insurance Projects and Sales. However, crops that were conventionally seeded before the deadline but have failed due to excess moisture are

Manitoba Monsoon Continues To Delay Seeding

Federal and provincial officials have started talking about aid under AgriRecovery after another week of heavy rains, hail and winds further delayed seeding. Both Manitoba Agriculture Minister Stan Struthers and his federal counterpart Gerry Ritz agreed to set up aid under AgriRecovery when they met May 31 in Winnipeg, Struthers said. Details are yet to


Seed Broadcasting Tips

Broadcast seeding, the option of last resort, could become the only option left to farmers struggling with wet fields and rainy forecasts. Extension officials don’t recommend the strategy, whether by air or floater, but with time running out, they’re offering their best advice for how to make it work. As of May 25 some farmers

Glyphosate-Resistant Canada Fleabane In Ontario

Asecond glyphosate-resistant weed has been confirmed in Ontario but Manitoba farmers shouldn’t be worried. Canada fleabane, also known as horseweed, hogweed or mare’s-tail, is not a major field crop weed in Manitoba, said Nasir Shaikh, a weed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. “With the kind of diverse agriculture we have, with the


Companies Chip In For CFGB Growing Projects

To be successful, Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) growing projects require land, people, time and energy. The fundraising efforts also need inputs like seed, fertilizer and other chemicals – products generously provided by some of Canada’s leading agro-sciences corporations. This year over $220,000 of inputs have been donated through CFGB to growing projects across Canada by

Letters – for May. 5, 2011

Accommodating different views on technology I read with great interest and then dismay the article in the April 21Manitoba Co-operator titled “KAP opposes Roundup Ready alfalfa’s release in Canada.” There are two things of note in regards to this article. The first is the quote made by Paul Gregory in regards to the Canadian Seed


Manitoba Forage Seed Grower Joins Anti-Monsanto Legal Action

In the age of patent protection, there’s lots of precedent for corporate giants suing farmers – but few farmers willing to take on the corporations. Well, meet Paul Gregory. He is among 60 farmers, producer groups and seed companies suing Monsanto Co. by challenging its patents on genetically modified seed. Gregory, who owns Interlake Forage

Soybean Farmers Advised To Check Out New Varieties

Soybean growers worried about getting low-heat-unit varieties to plant in 2012 after the patent expires on Roundup Ready 1 soybeans should talk to their seed retailer. That’s the advice Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) vice-president Rob Brunel offered here April 14 during KAP’s General Council meeting. “I think it’s important that if you’re a soybean grower