Plant larger seeds for more competitive crop (Oct 07) - Wheat and oat plants grown from larger seeds are more competitive with wild oats than plants grown from smaller seeds. Screening seed lots to remove the small seeds can improve crop yield in weedy fields. Combined with other management strategies like increased seeding rate, using larger seed has the potential to significantly improve weed management.
Making a case for perennial grains (July 06) - When Mother Nature doesn't seem to be co-operating with our agricultural system, it must be time to ask what we are doing wrong. Do you remember a growing season where timely rains were scattered among warm sunny days from seeding through harvest? It seems a nostalgic memory, or even a myth. Lately, Mother Nature has been a difficult partner in production.
Can the competitive ability of spring wheat be increased? (with Heather Mason Nov 04) - Wheat varieties that compete well against weeds could help farmers by allowing wheat yields to remain high in spite of weed pressure. This may also aid in controlling weed growth following harvest. Competitive wheat varieties may be especially important for organic farmers who generally face higher weed populations in their fields.
Capturing the potential of alfalfa (Sept 04) - A study by a University of Manitoba graduate student indicates that farming with alternating strips of alfalfa and grain can provide many of the benefits of a green manure without the drawbacks of tillage or the loss of grain income.
The challenge of biodynamics (Aug 04) - Biodynamic farming challenges scientists and farmers. Studies indicate that it has merit in terms of soil quality, ecological impact and economics relative to comparable conventional systems, yet biodynamic systems are misunderstood by some traditional scientists.
Cover crops can protect all the bases (with Gisela Duer Aug 03) - The Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada is developing cover crop mixtures suitable for the Prairies. In this project it is collaborating with Jill Clapperton and Michael David at the Agriculture Canada Lethbridge Research Centre and Dean Spaner at the University of Alberta.
