Forage , Latest & Featured - Canadian Cattlemen

lab test results for testing forage seeds

Benefits to farmers of testing forage seed

The benefits of testing forage seed can be long-lasting

By Tara Mulhern Davidson June 26, 2025

When establishing a new forage stand that will ideally be productive for five or 10 years, producers want to set themselves up for a good outcome. Using high-quality perennial or annual forage seed that is certified — or tested for purity, germination and viability — is a good place to start. “There is a certain […] Read more

Forage brassica growing in a demonstration plot.

Crops, Forage, Forages

No recipe, only guidelines, to cover crops

There are many factors to consider when growing cover crops

By Becky Zimmer May 5, 2025

More farmers and ranchers are looking at cover crops for many reasons, ranging from animal health, to reducing erosion, to capturing moisture. But how can people make them work on their operation? Kevin Elmy sees the benefits of a more hands-on approach to cover crop management. Through Cover Crops Canada, he talks with farmers and […] Read more

Graeme Finn (left) and Kelly Boles (middle) in a field of corn in Mongolia. Both are consulting along- side Telus Agriculture for Metagro to advance agricultural practices in Mongolia.

Features, Forage, Livestock

Mongolian company turns to Canada for agricultural expertise

Mongolia is behind in technology, but borders on huge markets, motivating those working in agriculture to learn as much as they can

By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan December 10, 2024

When you think of Mongolia, you likely don’t think about how it may be similar to Canada. Instead, you might think about its vast wilderness or mountain ranges that run into the frigid Gobi Desert. You may know of the traditional culture of Mongolian nomads or the history of the Mongol Empire. Though there are […] Read more

Researchers have uncovered evidence that some alfalfa varieties respond differently to specific beneficial microbes in the soil.

Forage, News, News Roundup

Microbes matter during pasture restoration

By Robert Arnason November 1, 2024

Glacier FarmMedia – Choosing the right alfalfa variety can make a difference, possibly a huge difference, when producers are rejuvenating a pasture. After several years, a pasture’s productivity will decline and many ranchers choose to over-seed or sod-seed alfalfa to revive the pastureland. Farmers will likely select a high-yielding alfalfa variety that is adapted to […] Read more

Forage, Forage & Grasslands Guide

Forage markets hit by volatility

Exports have been down with less demand from Asia

By Trudy Kelly Forsythe October 16, 2024

Hay and forage export markets have been hit hard in the past few years. In 2023 the decline was caused by numerous challenges in global trade. Shipping disruptions lingering from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, commodity inflation, droughts in the U.S., Canada and Europe in 2022, and the U.S. dollar strengthening all contributed. This […] Read more

Forage, Research

Comparing tame forages under grazing

By Reynold Bergen June 28, 2024

Bart Lardner and colleagues recently published the results of a forage variety grazing trial conducted at the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence.

Forage

Alfalfa replant disease and related disorders

While the exact cause remains unclear, we now know it’s best to wait two or three years before trying to re-establish that alfalfa stand

By Glacier Farmmedia Contributor, Ieuan Evans May 23, 2024

It has now been shown you cannot plant alfalfa immediately on land that had grown alfalfa the same or previous year, nor even where one had been winterkilled. The current theory is that autotoxicity occurs when mature alfalfa plants excrete a chemical that inhibits the germination and growth of alfalfa seedlings

Cicer milkvetch at the Siklenka farm. The forage is becoming increasingly popular with producers, despite the long establishment time.

Forage, Livestock

Forage seed producers hold steady in changing industry

With nearly 40 years producing forage seed, the Siklenka family has seen some varieties fall in and out of favour, but other things remain the same

By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan May 13, 2024

Forage seed production may not receive the attention of many other parts of the beef industry, but it plays a crucial role. Nathan Siklenka and his father, Darrel Siklenka, own and operate Siklenka Seed Farm together near Glaslyn, Sask. The farm has been in operation since 1985. Siklenka Seed Farm is well known for its […] Read more

A plot of alfalfa at Ag in Motion in 2023. Producers are generally underusing legumes in forage mixes, says one expert.

Crops, Forage

Do you know what’s in your forage mix?

Understanding the benefits and risks of different forages, and whether they fit your goals, are vital to success

By Becky Zimmer April 18, 2024

Every forage plant holds some sort of risk without proper management, and it’s becoming harder for producers to get the right information. After an extensive career working with beef and dairy herds across Texas and South Carolina, Dr. Dan Undersander, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, still likes travelling around North America to talk […] Read more

Close-up file photo of an alfalfa plant in a Canadian field. (Jennifer Seeman/iStock/Getty Images)

Forage, Forage & Grasslands Guide

More N, more yield, less diesel

Perennial forage can keep nitrogen in the soil rather than escaping as greenhouse gas

By Trudy Kelly Forsythe April 2, 2024

A North American leader in advanced forage production systems wants producers to think about legumes as more than a feed source. University of Wisconsin professor emeritus Dan Undersander says they should also think of them as a nitrogen source for other crops, with a bonus of reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs). “By using legumes appropriately, we […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures continue rally on constrained supply

A missed opportunity for farmers says analyst

CBOT Weekly: Trade focuses on crop tour

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