Joe Dales's Blog (72)

Falling Number is an Important Indicator of Wheat Quality

Falling Number is a critical test performed to assess wheat quality and the effects of sprout damage. The analytical team at Cereals Canada performs the Falling Number test as part of its routine testing, including its annual New Crop Harvest Assessment, and shares results with customers and buyers of Canadian wheat. “During crop years that have wet harvest conditions, Falling Number testing becomes a priority to ensure the quality and reputation of Canadian wheat is maintained,” says Elaine Sopiwnyk, Cereals Canada vice president of technical services. “Consistently producing high-quality wheat with a desirable Falling Number helps Canada build a good reputation with buyers and processors.” The Falling Number test indirectly measures the activity of the enzyme alpha-amylase in wheat, caused by pre-harvest sprouting. Sprout damage occurs when wet field conditions occur at or near maturity. The kernels absorb moisture and begin to germinate or sprout. Sprouting itself is subject to l

USask researcher honoured with top pulse crop award

The award is presented annually to an individual, company or organization that has made significant contribution to Canada’s pulse and special crops industry. Warkentin is a renowned plant breeder at the Crop Development Centre (CDC) within the USask’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources. He leads the Field Pea and Soybean Crop Breeding and Genetics program as the Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program (SRP) Chair. His research is centered on developing high-performing pea and soybean cultivars tailored for Western Canada and northern U.S. regions. With a strong foundation in both conventional and genomic breeding techniques, Warkentin aims to enhance crop resilience, disease resistance, and end-use quality. His work is instrumental in meeting the evolving needs of the agricultural sector, particularly as demand for plant-based protein continues to rise globally. Through his breeding efforts, he ensures that farmers have access to varieties that are not only producti

Signature Series research podcast: The future of wildfires with Dr. Colin Laroque

Laroque, a professor in USask’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources and the head of the Department of Soil Sciences, is an expert dendrochronologist. In other words, he is an expert in “tree-ring analysis,” which allows him to read the rings of trees to get a better understanding of our environment over years, decades and centuries. In recent years, the number of wildfires in Canada and around the world have increased, with more area being burned and more effort being dedicated to managing them. As Laroque puts it, the environment is changing, but those changes take long periods of time before they can be understood as trends or a “new normal.” For Laroque, the questions are not whether this more regular and severe wildfire season is here to stay, but whether we’ve reached the apex of what the future holds for this “new normal.” On this episode of the USask Signature Series podcast, we answer the question: “What will increasing wildfires do to our environment, and is there a

Saskatchewan Engages With the Mexico and United States on Agricultural Trade and Development

Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison will lead a trade mission to Mexico to strengthen our trade, research and investment ties with some of Saskatchewan's long-standing Mexican partners and to help companies and industry organizations in the province maintain and strengthen their relationships with Mexican stakeholders. The mission will reinforce the province's international reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality food, feed and value-added commodities. The mission will also promote research, investment and other collaborative opportunities in Saskatchewan's value-added sector. "Mexico continues to be a vital partner for Saskatchewan, particularly in the agriculture sector," Harrison said. "This mission will open new avenues to promote provincial agriculture export interests, bolster relationships with stakeholders and advance discussions with Mexico on priority agriculture issues." As part of the mission, Minister Harrison will be participating in the 2025 Tri-National Agr

Trade battle puts soybean farmers at risk

The leafy soybean plants reach Caleb Ragland's thighs and are ripe for harvest, but the Kentucky farmer is deeply worried. He doesn't know where he and others like him will sell their crop because China has stopped buying. Beijing, which traditionally has snapped up at least a quarter of all soybeans grown in the United States, is in effect boycotting them in retaliation for the high tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on Chinese goods and to strengthen its hand in negotiations over a new overall trade deal. It has left American soybean farmers fretting over not only this year's crop but the long-term viability of their businesses, built in part on China's once-insatiable appetite for U.S. beans. “This is a five-alarm fire for our industry,” said Ragland, who leads the American Soybean Association. If no deal is reached soon, some farmers hope the government will come through with aid as it did during Trump's first term, but they see that only as a temporary solution. Trump