Algal blooms are nothing new on Lake Winnipeg. But what’s causing them is a very complex, multi-jurisdictional problem.

Getting phosphorus out of Lake Winnipeg and onto fields

Manitoba’s agriculture needs and waterways are on opposite sides of the phosphorus debate — or are they?

Lake Winnipeg might be drowning in phosphorus, but plenty of soils in the province are gasping for it. Lake Winnipeg has become infamous for its water quality, and not in a good way. Algal blooms and E. coli cases have become a familiar state of affairs in the south basin, while over half of samples

Soybean cyst nematode has been confirmed in Manitoba for the first time.

Soybean cyst nematode confirmation presents challenge for producers

Pests like soybean cyst nematode and clubroot are present and rising in Manitoba fields, but the steps to prevent both of those pests are largely the same

Farmers are being urged to keep equipment clean after the confirmation of yet another soil-borne crop threat in the province. Farmers got the unfortunate, but not unexpected, news that soybean cyst nematode (SCN) infections have been confirmed in four municipalities Sept. 16. The nematode, which can spread through water, has been present in North Dakota


Back when women weren’t soil scientists, Cindy Grant had to convince others agriculture research was the right place for her.

From convincing teachers agriculture was a real career to international honours

This retired AAFC soil researcher earned a long list of awards and honours while living on a farm and raising a family near Minnedosa

Cynthia Grant became a research scientist, just as she dreamed about while growing up on a farm near Minnedosa, but along the way she was also a pioneer. Her soil and agronomy research at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Brandon Research Centre has been recognized with numerous Canadian and international awards and honours. The most

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