Corn is often described as a diva. It can thrive in the right conditions, but it does not like competition. That's especially evident when corn plants have to compete with weeds for moisture in dry conditions, as seen in Western Canada and the Northern Plains of the U.S. in 2021. "There have been many studies... Read More
Category: Crop Production
Many crops grown in Canada are traded on an active futures market: corn, soybeans, canola, and wheat being the most common. But plenty of other crops don't trade on futures, instead relying on cash prices, actual deliveries, and contracts for price discovery and risk management. Jon Driedger of LeftField Commodity Research says that when market... Read More
Whether undercutting or direct harvesting edible beans, a pre-harvest application of a desiccant can allow for a quicker harvest, while protecting yield and quality. Proper desiccation timing is critical for maximizing the crop's potential, explains Calem Alexander, field marketer with Hensall Co-op, in this Edible Bean School episode focused on setting the crop up for... Read More
Flax growers in Western Canada and North Dakota who have historically sold straw to Schweitzer-Mauduit International (SWM) are now scrambling to find a market for their straw. The Georgia-based company, which has processing facilities at Winkler and Carman, Manitoba, is planning to cease its flax straw operations by the end of 2021. As a result,... Read More
Ontario's approximately 85 sugar beet growers are likely to benefit from announced updates to the Michigan Sugar Bay City plant. Last week, Michigan Sugar announced a planned US$65 million upgrade to one of its four sugar beet processing facilities. The upgrade includes a de-sugaring addition for molasses, which will help the company improve overall sugar... Read More
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has updated its forecast for this year's crop, reflecting the impact of drought in Western Canada in its August numbers. AAFC's July report garnered more attention than normal, with a 19.9 million metric tonne (MT) canola production estimate coming in much higher than any other canola projections. In the outlook... Read More
Summer is winding down and many farmers are gearing up for the next stage of harvest. For some, that means swathing or timing a pre-harvest pass, and for others it means getting the cover crop seed down. For this episode of Wheat Pete's Word, host Peter Johnson has a few cautions for late-summer pesticide applications,... Read More
Wheat stem sawfly is thought to be native to parts of the southern Prairie provinces, and forecasting maps show that the pest is certainly present this year. "This is the time of the year where we're starting to see some of those wheat stems topple over from wheat stem sawfly," says Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research... Read More
The PRIDE Seeds Education Centre is into its second year, and Matt Chapple, agronomist with PRIDE Seeds, says it's like his sandbox — where the company can do studies and demonstrations, look at different genetics, or trial different practices that can improve yields. In this Soybean School episode, Bernard Tobin joins Chapple in his "sandbox"... Read More
Grain storage, when done right and with proper conditions, could be a boring topic. However, we are dealing with the environment here, and well, you know how unpredictable that can be. To help us navigate through the topic of safe grain storage is Lorne Grieger of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), and Shawn Senko... Read More