Patrick Moores says mong the key issues he says is a need to further develop the renewable energy industry; the need to control world population growth; the need to control urban sprawl over good agricultural land and a need to reduce world poverty, disease and malnutrition.

Converting to zero till requires some new equipment and some new thinking

The durum-rye cross is showing new potential, and not just for the value of its grain

An Argentine company farms several crops on a massive scale, but doesn't neglect its most important captial resource — the soil

Carbon offsetting is officially out there and seen as a material asset to be managed and accounted for -- but as the market for offsets takes off, criticisms will follow, an Alberta expert predicts.

Work is underway in Saskatchewan and Alberta to boost the use of Polish canola, with several new hybrid and synthetic varieties scheduled to come on line by 2009.

A central Alberta producer sees "clear advantages" in family members working co-operatively and farming together as sole proprietors who share equipment and manpower. But you have to have open and honest communications with each other to make it work, he says.

A new process for evaluating crop production techniques may be as important as the research results from the field pea trial where it was put to the test.

If Canadian farmers think biotechnology has already gone a long way to improve crop production and efficiency, a lead researcher with Monsanto recommends that they hold onto their hats.

As Canadian Wheat Board directors and government officials continue to discuss the single-desk system, barley growers across the Prairies wonder what the outlook is for this season.

University of Saskatchewan researcher Ken Sapsford says assume any kochia is Group 2-resistant

Research results are useful information, but they don't always reflect what will happen on the unique conditions on every farm

Using some of the new trends in agriculture to help fine tune your crop production could improve the bottom line by $40 to $50 per acre, suggests a southern central Alberta crop consultant.

Western Canada's water supply is under heavy demand from cities, industry and agriculture, and with the prospect of reduced supplies from climate change, conservation is essential says a leading researcher.

University of Lethbridge professor Kurt Klein says biofuel is changing agriculture more than any other event in his career.

While most producers in Canada were feasting on Christmas dinner leftovers, Doug Wright was bringing in his crops.

FarmTech, Alberta's premier crop production and farm management conference is sold out with a record 1,200 delegates. But over the next three days, we'll keep you up to date with FarmTech show news, a daily e-mail newsletter brought to you by Alberta Farmer Express and Country Guide, and sponsored by Dow AgroSciences.

Staff writers and photographers will be bringing you highlights from speakers on a diverse range of topics including market outlook, biofuels, the environment and agronomic sessions on fertilization, weed control and variable rate technology.

This year's FarmTech features several keynote speakers, including:

Doug Wright on the challenges of farming in both Alberta and Australia,

David Schindler of the University of Alberta on "Water — will we have enough?",

Steve Padgette,  vice-president, technology for Monsanto on future biotech traits for North American crops,

Alejandro Lopez Moriena on Sustainable Farming in Argentina and

Patrick Moore on "Environmentalism for the 21st Century."

FarmTech 2008 winds up with Friday afternoon "Super Panels" on agronomy, environment and farm management.

Watch your e-mail box each morning for the latest updates, and visit the FarmTech website for the full program and proceedings of this year's meeting as well as others back to 2004.