Pea leaf weevil. (Alberta Agriculture photo)

Insects posing problems in Saskatchewan crops

Grasshopper, flea beetle damage already reported

MarketsFarm – Although it’s still early in the growing season, some insect pests have already posed a threat to crops in Saskatchewan or could do so in the near future, according to James Tansey, provincial specialist for insects/invertebrate pest management. Among the pests he cited were grasshoppers, flea beetles and pea leaf weevils.  Tansey said

Photo: File

Saskatchewan harvest underway: Report

CNS Canada – Harvest operations are underway in parts of southern Saskatchewan, according to the weekly crop report from Saskatchewan Agriculture. Crops were reportedly rapidly drying down across the province, with many pulse crops being desiccated. Most crops remain in fair to excellent condition, although later-seeded crops need rain to help heads and pods fill,


Custom silage harvest will run between $10 and $12 a tonne, and feeding requires some equipment changes, including a mixer wagon and a second tractor.

Silage is a growing trend for beef cattle operations

Weather woes and labour shortages are all adding up to a new case for parking the baler

As beef cattle herds get larger, the case grows stronger for silage instead of bales. Dwayne Summach, livestock and feed extension specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture told a session at last week’s Ag in Motion outdoor farm show here that larger operations can better absorb the higher overhead costs, and benefit the most from parking the

(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Hog market improving with solid exports

CNS Canada — Strong U.S. exports and declining cold-storage numbers have helped push hog prices on Canada’s Prairies to better levels than a few months back. According to the latest information compiled by Saskatchewan Agriculture, the U.S. exported 173,770 tonnes of pork in November 2016, up 13.5 per cent from 153,051 in October 2016, and

Canaryseed prices to whipsaw on weather

CNSC – Saskatchewan’s canaryseed spot prices have seen short-term gains, as wet conditions stalled harvest progress, but one industry participant expects the market may drift back down in the long run. “It’s a pretty good crop, it just isn’t in the bin,” said David Nobbs, managing partner of Canpulse Foods, and current chair of the


This plot was left unseeded intentionally. A wide variety of weeds took hold and participants were challenged to see how many they could correctly identify.  Photo: Leeann Minogue

Minogue: Back to school for hands-on learning

On the first day of Saskatchewan Agriculture’s annual Crop Diagnostic School about 100 ag retailers, agronomists and farmers gathered in Swift Current to get a hands-on look at common real-world crop problems. Anyone working in agriculture today has 24/7 access to online information about crop disease and pests, but there is no substitute for seeing

The Saskatchewan Horse Federation named a memorial scholarship for veterinarian Byrnne Rothwell two weeks after his death in 2014. (SaskHorse.ca)

Sask. livestock sector adds three hall-of-famers

It was only proper for Byrnne Rothwell, Florian Possberg and Barry Andrew to be announced in the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame’s next group of inductees during Canada’s biggest livestock show. The three inductees, all known for their contributions to the livestock sector, were announced Friday morning at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina. Ed McCall

Farmland south of Turtleford benefited from recent rain. (Lisa Guenther photo)

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,