U of M researcher recognized for revolutionary work in grain storage

Digvir Jayas changed industry understanding of grain storage worldwide, U of M president says

A University of Manitoba researcher will be recognized for work that revolutionized grain storage, the school said September 17. Digvir Jayas, vice-president (research and international) at the U of M, has received the 2019 Sir John William Dawson Medal from the Royal Society of Canada. The biennial award is “for important and sustained contributions in

Female soybean cyst nematodes feeding on soybean plant roots form bulbous, egg-filled nodules from which their young hatch the following spring. (Keith Weller photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Soybean cyst nematode confirmed in Manitoba

A damaging soybean pest that was expected to show up sooner or later in agricultural Manitoba has officially arrived. Crop surveys by University of Manitoba Ph.D. student Nazanin Ghavami with soil science professor Mario Tenuta and his students have turned up soybean cyst nematode at “extremely low” levels on soybean plant roots in one field


amy mangin

Split nitrogen pays off on protein, not yield

High-yielding wheat varieties need a lot of nitrogen, but new research suggests that splitting that application may decrease the economic and ecological risk while also paying dividends on protein

Split nitrogen application could boost protein in spring wheat, but it might be hard to gauge whether that boost adds actual financial value in a given season. Amy Mangin and Don Flaten, both crop nutrition researchers with the University of Manitoba, have been hoping to update nitrogen management in spring wheat, given the new genetics

Yvonne Lawley talks cover crops during Crops-A-Palooza in Carberry in July.  
photos: Alexis Stockford

Calculating a good cover crop plan

Set yourself up for success when it comes to cover crops

Farmers will need more than a cursory plan to reap the benefit of cover crops in the Keystone province. Cover crops have gained their champions in Manitoba. The practice is cited among other alternative grazing strategies like bale or swath grazing to extend the grazing season and, arguably, improve soil, according to livestock and forage


Crop yields on Robert Brunel’s fields, near Ste. Rose du Lac, have been well below average so far.

Dry conditions impacting crop yields for some Manitoba farmers

Moisture levels across the province are variable, as are crop yields, which aren’t quite disastrous

Near Robert Brunel’s farm, the Turtle River has run dry for only the third time in recollection for the oldest residents of Ste. Rose du Lac. “We’re extremely dry,” said Brunel, who farms 6,500 acres of cropland. “We haven’t seen any significant rain all summer.” Brunel said his hay is yielding about half a bale

Shoal Lake Grade 12 student Austin Tataryn received his laptop from Richardson Pioneer representative Rick Kienas at a June 12 presentation at Shoal Lake School.

Gently used laptops find a new home

Former Richardson employee works with the company to donate surplus machines to high school graduates

Thirty high school students from Shoal Lake and Strathclair each recently received a refurbished laptop thanks to a joint initiative by Shoal Lake School alumna Jennifer Stefansson and Richardson International Limited. The new program is for high school graduates who have contributed to their community but do not have a laptop and intend to pursue


People climb a dike formed by wind soil erosion during a field tour at the Global Forum on Soil Stewardship.

Soil degradation a costly global issue

About a third of the world’s soil is degraded, which has economic and food security implications

When Prairie-dwellers think of soil erosion, they may think of iconic photos from the Dirty ’30s: towering clouds of black soil blowing across desolate land, teacups turned upside down against drifting grit. But as Francis Zvomuya told the classroom of farmers and agronomists at the Global Forum on Soil Stewardship, soil degradation is far from

Lanny Gardiner goes through corn nitrogen uptake and staging during Crops-A-Palooza in Carberry July 24.

Busting nitrogen loss with late in-crop application

If you’re about N loss, you may consider a late boost

Corn growers may want to wait on nitrogen application, particularly in a wet year. A nitrogen application at the end of June or early July will help limit nitrogen loss and better time it to when the plant is actually looking for the nutrient, speakers said during a recent field day at the Canada-Manitoba Crop


“I would love to see this farm continue on into the future, into the next generation. I would say that’s my goal.” – Fiona Jochum

Young Manitoba farmer right where she wants to be — working beside her dad on the family farm

‘The goal is to farm,' says Fiona Jochum, who farms near St. Francois Xavier

Fiona Jochum has the weight of her first crop on her shoulders, and thus far it’s been a doozy. Flea beetles, cutworms and dry conditions have hampered growth in her fields, but Fiona, 25, doesn’t let it get her down. “Even though these things stress me out, I still love it. I still want to

This Carolina grasshopper is a common sight on gravel roads but it’s not a threat to your crops.

Mistaken identity

Not everything that looks like a pest insect actually is

One of Manitoba’s best-known insect experts is reminding farmers to be sure of what they’re seeing when they scout. For example, that “wireworm” problem may not actually be a problem at all. Therevid larvae (the precursor to a large, hairy fly) are often mistaken for wireworms, provincial entomologist John Gavloski said during a May 22