After a transitional year, Western Crops Innovations (WCI) is gearing up to begin life on its own, and continue to provide value to farmers. Formerly known as the provincial government’s Field Crop Development Centre, it spent three years under a licensing agreement with Olds College. As of April 2024, WCI was registered as a not-for-profit corporation and new agreements were negotiated with the Province.
Commitment is a stressful word for farmers who are subject to the unpredictability of the weather and grain markets. Forward contracts with buyers allow them to lock in a cash price long before the grain is delivered. In doing so, these agreements reduce downside price risk and uncertainty.
The invisible fungal mycotoxin ochratoxin-A, or OTA, can spoil grain under high moisture and temperature conditions. Though it develops exclusively in stored wheat, oats, barley and other grains, OTA is produced by Penicillium verrucosum, a naturally occurring soil fungus.
BY TREVOR BACQUE • PHOTO COURTESY OF CORTEVA It’s taken many years of research and policy discussions, but it’s almost here. By 2027, American farmers will be able to purchase and grow hybrid wheat. Late in 2024, Corteva Agriscience announced its proprietary hybrid wheat system that pushes yield potential by 10 per cent and up […]
Popularly known as the Blue Book, Alberta’s Crop Protection Guide, is a manual for the use of crop protection products by Alberta farmers and agronomists. This trusted resource helps users navigate the complexities of chemical application.
Some have dubbed it “The Parthenon of Booze.” But Bryce Parsons, CEO and founder of True Wild Distilling, said the business’s impressive Calgary headquarters is a showcase for Alberta agriculture. The $14 million destination distillery, restaurant and event space is housed in a decommissioned electrical substation built in 1911. It boasts an imposingly beautiful white edifice, hence the reference to the ancient architectural wonder.
Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) has long raised concerns the deal may negatively impact Canadian farmers. The organization has cited warnings from the Canadian Competition Bureau and a University of Saskatchewan report that determined farmers will take a $770 million revenue loss should the deal go through without divestment from G3.
University of Saskatchewan master’s student Beatriz Montenegro is searching for economical feed options for cattle that are heavy on nutrition and low on water. Supported by the Government of Saskatchewan’s Agricultural Development Fund, her research aims to help farmers maintain high-quality beef production as feed availability fluctuates.
Hard work by durum breeder Yuefeng Ruan at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre has paid off. New variety AAC Frontier has a Resistant rating to ergot, leaf, stripe and stem rust as well as an intermediate rating for Fusarium head blight, the highest yet. Its FHB resistance is like that of AAC Schrader.
A gap has formed in agronomic research for barley, says a prominent industry voice. Pondering the problem, SaskBarley research extension manager Mitchell Japp recalled a Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture program, which established a five-year organic farming chair position to address that area’s own gap.
