Posted: January 13, 2009

Prairie Soils & Crops: Scientific Perspectives for Innovative Management, is a new, subscription-based online journal published by the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association. Edited by noted researchers Guy Lafond and Neil Harker, the goal of the publication, according to its Web site at www.prairiesoilsandcrops.ca, is to make world-class agricultural research on the Canadian prairies more accessible to a larger audience by featuring concise articles written in a popular, non-scientific style.

The second issue, with a theme of "Weed management on the Prairies," may be of particular interest to producers using crop protection products. According to the Web site, the issue will be available in mid-February.

Posted: January 13, 2009

There's no faster way to contaminate a farm water supply than a backflow of polluted or contaminated water. Backflow is the unwanted reversal of flow in a water distribution system. When water moves in the opposite direction of the normal flow, water sources can become contaminated. Water systems on the farm can easily become tainted with bacteria, chemicals or animal wastes.

When it comes to spraying, one of the clearest things producers can do to minimize the risk of contamination from crop protection products is to avoid filling their sprayer tanks directly from a water source, says Bob Buchanan, agricultural water specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

"As a safety check, we suggest they first fill a nurse tank and haul it to the field to mix with their chemicals," he says. This eliminates any risk of chemical being back siphoned into the well.

The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company (www.AlbertaEFP.com), which delivers the Environmental Farm Plan program in the province, has done two articles on backflow prevention. "Backflow prevention devices keep contaminants out of drinking water," can be found here, while "Where should a backflow prevention device be placed on a water line?" is available here.