Wm. A. Stewart Lecture & Reception featuring Mark Lynas

Pulse & Soybean Crop Update

Soybeans range from R3 (beginning pod) to R4 (full pod). Soybean plant height and biomass have increased dramatically over the last two weeks as the plants continued flowering and pod development. Varying degrees of stem, leaf, flower and pod deformations have been noted and have been attributed to a variety of causes including: Rapid Growth Syndrome – Shows up as bubbling and crinkling and curling of new leaves since the leaf interior is growing quicker than the leaf veins and edges can keep up with. See Figure 1 below. Suspected Herbicide Drift – Concerns regarding suspected Group 4 drift in particular have been reported this year. Caution should be taken with such diagnosis based on visual assessments only as rapid growth syndrome can produce some comparable symptoms. See Figures 2 and 3 below. Suspected Environmentally Induced Male Plant Sterility – Symptoms with this disorder can be very odd and hard to verify. Extreme fluctuations in temperature which includes very hot conditi

Drought Support for Manitoba Livestock Producers

Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture have reached agreement on the five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership policy framework. Governments will continue to deliver a complete and effective suite of business risk management (BRM) programs.  Business Risk Management (BRM) programs are in place to help farmers in managing risks from income declines resulting from drought, flooding, low prices, and increased input costs. The programs work together by providing protection for different types of losses, as well as cash flow options. AgriInvest helps cover small margin declines.  AgriInvest Publications and Forms AgriStability assists in cases of large margin declines caused by circumstances such as low prices and rising input costs.  AgriStability Publications and Forms Agristability Benefit Calculator AgriInsurance offers protection for production losses related to specific crops or commodities caused by natural hazards. Pasture Days Insuranc

Smoky conditions and hot weather impacting Manitoba's agricultural producers

In a growing season that's already experienced more than 30 days of air quality warnings, Manitoba's farmers are adjusting to keep themselves and their animals safe amid smoky conditions from wildfires burning across the province. In Pipestone, Man., the orange haze can get so thick it's hard to see more than half a mile, says cattle producer Melissa Atchison. That means during the tail end of calving season, they're taking extra precautions to keep themselves and their animals healthy. "It's not as if you are going to have pre-smoked meat," Atchison said. "It doesn't affect meat quality.… It's more about managing their health and their lungs and their respiratory system." Jonas Watson, a veterinarian at Winnipeg's Grant Park Animal Hospital, said the adverse health effects caused by poor air quality can also hurt producers' bottom line. The summer's intense heat can impact an outdoor animal's breathing at the best of times — but add in irritants like smoke and their health can be

Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station educates local producers

The Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station showcased 44 experiments and other projects it's doing this year to local producers at its annual summer tour day. Most notably, the station is adding 31 new varieties of all its crops to avoid stagnancy to sustain and improve crop yields, testing the greenhouse gas emissions of different enhanced-efficiency fertilizers and assessing whether these fertilizers could improve the efficiency of fertilizer use. “Even before I start seeding the experiments, I share what sort of experiments I’m going to do with farmers and ask them if there’s anything else they would like us to do,” said Tarlok Singh Sahota, the station’s director, who personally meets with farmers in their fields and barns for these discussions. “So, this is a very shared program with the farmers and (the) farm will be closely linked with the farmers. I think this is probably the only substation in our country, not only in the province, that works so closely with the f

FedNor announces funds for agriculture, video series

The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) is getting federal funding support to strengthen Northern Ontario’s agri-food sector. Announced on July 25, the $702,713 in funds will improve local value chains, advance technology adoption, and promote sustainable practices, according to FedNor, which is providing the funds. NOFIA will also assess key production and procurement challenges, and explore infrastructure investments to support aggregation, storage, and distribution.  The idea is to expand market opportunities and increase demand for products produced in Northern Ontario. “This investment is a game-changer for agriculture in Northern Ontario. It allows us to strengthen our regional food systems, support producers of all sizes, and explore innovative technologies that will shape the future of farming in the North,” said Emily Seed, NOFIA’s executive director, in a news release. “By working together with communities and partners, we’re helping to build a more sustaina