By Glacier FarmMedia staff Will Bailey-Elkin, a graduate student in Plant Science at the University of Manitoba, wants feedback from growers who practice certified organic pea-intercropping. Bailey-Elkin has prepared a short questionnaire (click here to go to page to download doc file) as part of a research project focussing on the economics of organic pea-intercropping. […]
Category: Growing
Organic farming’s environmental friendliness questioned
By Robert Arnason Glacier FarmMedia staff The rise of the organic farming movement was touted as a way to save the planet and better protect the environment. But over the decades, the sector has drifted away from those original principles, says a University of British Columbia professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Change […]
Phosphate-unlocking inoculant cleared for organics
By Dave Bedard Glacier FarmMedia staff A Winnipeg company making what it bills as “go-green” inoculants has picked up approval for use of a phosphate-unlocking inoculant by organic canola, corn, wheat, barley and legume growers. XiteBio Technologies recently announced organic approvals in Canada and the U.S. for its XiteBio Yield+ liquid biological, which contains a […]
Roquette puts out call for organic peas
By Geralyn Wichers Glacier FarmMedia staff Manitoba organic producers will be able to sell peas to processing giant Roquette in the 2021 season, the company announced on Oct. 28. Interest among growers has already been high, said Glen Last, grain buyer at Roquette during a call with media. “We’re very confident that the grower base […]
Can organic plant protection products damage crops?
University of Göttingen – Protecting crops against pests and diseases is essential to ensure a secure food supply. Around 95 percent of food comes from conventional agriculture, which uses chemical pesticides to keep crops healthy. Increasingly, however, organic pesticides are also being sought as an alternative. Some organic pesticides contain live spores of the fungus […]
Choosing the right cover crop to protect the soil
American Society of Agronomy – Farmers around the world are keen to protect their most important asset: their soil. The soil supports and enriches their crops. But the relatively thin layer of topsoil can readily wash away into streams, carrying unwanted nutrients with it. Enter cover crops. Cover crops are inedible plants grown during the […]
Natural pest control saving billions
University of Queensland – Biological control of insect pests – where ‘natural enemies’ keep pests at bay – is saving farmers in Asia and the Pacific billions of dollars, according to University of Queensland-led research. Dr Kris Wyckhuys from UQ’s School of Biological Sciences said biological control involved the careful release of an exotic natural […]
Feds back first-in-Canada organic hothouse radishes
By Dave Bedard Glacier FarmMedia staff A Quebec vegetable grower will be spotted over $625,000 toward what’s billed as a first-in-Canada plan to grow organic radishes year-round. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Aug. 13 announced $625,419 in repayable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) funding through the AgriInnovate program for Les Jardins A. Guerin et Fils, […]
Cover crop roots an essential key to understanding ecosystem services
Penn State – To judge the overall effectiveness of cover crops and choose those offering the most ecosystem services, agricultural scientists must consider the plants’ roots as well as above-ground biomass, according to Penn State researchers who tested the characteristics of cover crop roots in three monocultures and one mixture. “Almost everything that we know […]
How to identify low soil organic matter
By Matt McIntosh Glacier FarmMedia – Did your fields show a lot of crusting this planting season? Was there standing water where there shouldn’t be? These and other indicators, say provincial soil health experts, mean your soil organic matter (SOM) levels could use some attention. Crusting is normal – but should it be? “Crusting is […]