Agripod Agripod

The farming industry is constantly changing. New innovations are being developed to make farms more efficient. A research project involving a Naicam Sask. Consulting company and the University of Regina are looking for a way to reduce environmental impact and save money. 

Cory Willness of Crop Pro Consulting will talk about SWAT BOX, a data collection sensor and how information it collects can be used to generate maps that will help farmers selectively apply herbicides.  

 

Everyone needs to eat. That’s why Canadians and governments should not take farming and food for granted. That’s the message from Kerri Holland with the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy who prepared a report on Canada’s Food Security. 

Holland says food security is vital and government policy must reflect the essential service agriculture provides for the entire country. She says there will be dire consequences if farmers don’t get the support they need.  
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Computer based artificial intelligence is offering new insights into animal welfare. A new tool being developed by the University of Saskatchewan is using A.I.at the abattoir. The University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have developed an automated swine welfare assessment system consisting of a digital security camera linked to an A.I. processor. Dr. Seokbum Ko explains how cameras record animal movement along the processing line and condensed AI models extract and assess images indicative of animal welfare.The 10th Annual Saskatchewan Beef Expo was recently held in Saskatoon. Kirk Stierwalt, a long-time cattle operator and clinician from Leedey, Oklahoma has been conducting show cattle clinics for 37 years. He worked with the 4-H members at Beef Expo providing guidance on clipping, grooming and showmanship.

He'll talk about some of the tip and tricks he shared with the young 4-Hers.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study from the Environmental Working Group has determined that 80 per cent of Americans are regularly exposed to the plant growth regulator chlormequat. It is used to control growth in grain crops such as oats, wheat, and barley in order to make them easier to harvest.Terry Tyson is the General Manager of Grain Millers Canada in Yorkton, Sask.  He provides his take on the situation and shares how this work aligns with the Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society's Interpretive Station.

The main export market for Canada's malting barley is China. Peter Watts, the managing director of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre in Winnipeg, says the industry wants to see the customer list expand to Mexico and various countries in central and South America.But, this comes with several challenges.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Swine Health Information Center has five new research projects approved for funding under the 2.3 million dollar Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program. The initiative was launched to enhance biosecurity during the wean-to-harvest of phase of pork production.Associate Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says five institutions, including Lowe Consulting, Pipestone Research, Texas Tech University, the University of Missouri and the University of Montreal, were awarded funding.It is a canola disease that is moving east across the Prairies . . . starting in Manitoba and now gaining a foothold in eastern portions of Saskatchewan. The ideal time to scout for verticillium strip is at harvest when symptoms are most obvious. Courtney Boyachek is an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada based in western Manitoba.Verticillium stripe is also similar in appearance to two other well-known canola diseases---blackleg and sclerotinia stem rot.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The value of Canadian farmland rose 11.5% in 2023, according to a new report by agriculture lending firm Farm Credit Canada. While, overall it's a slight slowdown from the growth in 2022, it's still a rapid pace given cooling economic conditions overall.The lender's latest report on farmland values found that they increased in every province tracked except for British Columbia. The highest increases in average farmland value last year was in Saskatchewan.Ken Gurney is a senior appraiser with Farm Credit Canada. He'll discuss some of the factors behind an increase in land values on the prairies.The Farm Credit Canada Young Farmer Summit brings farmers under the age of 40 together to dig into the business side of farming, connect with peers, and pass on knowledge to producers that will help them take their operation to the next level.Erica Leniczek is a Masters Counselling Psychology Candidate, Keynote Speaker and Crisis Responder from Marwayne, Alberta. She shares ways to reduce stress and explains psychological safety in agriculture.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canada ranks number three in the world for herbicide resistant weeds, only behind the United States and Australia. The last extensive survey in Saskatchewan occurred in 2019-2020 and estimated producer losses due to herbicide resistant weeds at $340 million per year.It found that green foxtail, volunteer canola, wild oat, wild buckwheat and kochia were the biggest concerns. The top instance of herbicide resistance in Saskatchewan five years ago was Group 1 resistance in wild oats. Herbicide Resistance wild oat was found in 77 per cent of 250 fields where wild oat was collected and tested.Charles Geddes is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and will be leading the herbicide resistant weed survey.

The federal carbon tax been completely ineffective in reducing fossil fuel use, it has also made it harder for farmers to afford the adoption of new innovations. That from Manitoba Pork General Manager Cam Dahl. He says farmers face many challenges as they work to adopt environmentally sustainable green practices while operating in the red. Dahl is calling on government to replace its policy of taxing farmers to stimulate decreased fossil fuel use with one where incentives are offered to stimulate the adoption of environmentally sustainable technologies and practices.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.