Low moisture levels slow crop growth across Alberta

Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of June 18

Reading Time: 5 minutes Since the beginning of June, some parts of Alberta (especially in the western and central areas) experienced a more normal weather pattern, receiving up to 100 mm of rain. However, conditions in the Southern Region, eastern parts of the Central and North East Regions, northern parts of the North West Region and northern half of […] Read more





Smoke from wildfires can definitely delay plant growth but the precise effect on crops and pastures is largely unknown because very little research has been done.

Impact of smoke on crops is more than a little hazy

Field crops are impacted but the science is scarce and the subject is very complex, say experts

Reading Time: 3 minutes After watching smoke choke the skies over their fields for three years running, producers in Alberta are increasingly asking what effect it’s all having on their crops. But unfortunately, little research has been done on the phenomenon. “It is so plant and environment specific,” said Jeremy Boychyn, research extension agronomist with Alberta Barley and Alberta […] Read more

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Visible Canadian canola stocks back above one million tonnes

MarketsFarm — Solid deliveries into the commercial pipeline and lacklustre export movement saw visible Canadian canola supplies climb back above one million tonnes during the week ended June 9, according to the latest grain handling report from the Canadian Grain Commission. Farmers delivered 422,500 tonnes of canola during week 45 of the 2018-19 crop year […] Read more


Seeding in Alberta complete, forage growers struggle with dry weather

Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of June 11

Reading Time: 3 minutes With the exception of a few feed crops, seeding is essentially finished in Alberta. Producers are actively spraying and scouting fields. Areas of concern vary from smoke and frost in the north to flea beetles and cutworms in other pockets of the province. In the week ending June 11 there were rainfall events providing 15 […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Grain prices strong as dry weather persists

MarketsFarm — Producers are anxious to stock up on feed grains as weather across the Prairies has remained dry. “We’ve been seeing buyers being quite aggressive [when] bidding on all feed grains,” explained Nelson Neumann of Agfinity in Lethbridge. “Nobody wants to be caught without anything over the summer.” With little precipitation in the forecast, […] Read more


Only a small percentage of producers are able to attend research and advanced agronomy demos like this one. So Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley have hired an extension agronomist to deliver research results back to farms in the province.

Extension agronomist aims to bridge gap between research and producers

The two crop commissions want their investment in research to be put to use on Alberta farms

Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta’s wheat and barley commissions are determined to get their research into the hands of producers. They’ve hired a research extension agronomist to make sure that happens. “I don’t know if there’s anyone who has a similar role to me at this point,” said Jeremy Boychyn, who started his new job in October. The two […] Read more