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.
David Farran believes it is only natural Alberta distillers use the province’s own high-quality barley to produce their products. The founder and president of Eau Claire Distillery in Diamond Valley, he credits locally grown barley and a talented distilling team for a platinum trophy win at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in April.
If you like to read soil moisture maps in bed (and who doesn’t?), the latest of these may keep you up at night. Recent Government of Alberta precipitation and accumulated moisture maps picture zones of potential trouble. While they aren’t cause for panic, some spots warrant a closer look.
Gabriel Ribeiro is frequently asked about low bushel-weight barley. It has become a topic of interest and concern among ranchers and feedlot operators, particularly in Western Canada, said the assistant professor in the University of Saskatchewan Animal and Poultry Science Department.
Lethbridge Polytechnic was granted its new post-secondary status in September 2024 and has made applied research a high priority since it dropped “College” from its name. Central to this updated focus is the Agriculture Research Innovation Facility (ARIF), which has been in operation since the summer of 2023.
At first glance, Canadian farmers should be concerned about Donald Trump’s victory in the recent U.S. election. Canada is a trading nation, and its farmers rely on trade to sell their crops at a profitable return. Trump will retake office on Jan. 20, and has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports, including agricultural products.
The Canadian Grain Commission’s (CGC) variety designation lists released this past summer include four newly trialled hulless barley varieties. These include two food varieties for human consumption, CDC Valdres and CDC Henrick, as well as two hulless malting varieties, CDC Pristine and CDC Armstrong.
Seasoned Prairie farm journalists Jay Whetter and Toban Dyck team up for an entertaining and informative podcast that draws upon their ag knowledge and considerable conversation skills. Every second week, the duo publishes a new episode of The Extensionists: Conversations with Great Thinkers in Agriculture.
