He tells them two things:

1. Don’t hold your breath.
2. You’ll need to work with what you have.

“Do not expect any quick help on that front with wild oats,” said Micklich, precision ag specialist and owner of Progrow Agriculture in Vegreville, Alta., in a presentation at Agronomy Update 2026.

“It is an extremely complicated plant.

“It’s actually hexaploid, so it has six different sets of chromosomes. What that means is it’s extremely unpredictable on … how each chemical interacts with each other in the target sites. So it’s just an extremely hard plant to map out,” he added.

WHY IT MATTERS: Wild oat is a tough weed to control, with no one herbicide capable of tackling the Prairie pest.

But don’t despair. Cultural control practices — such as increasing seeding rates and adding an early-maturing crop to rotation — can go a long way towards removing these pesky oats from your field, he said.

“There is no shortage of options to be used in the fight against wild oats.”

However, producers may need to reconsider any “This is what I’ve always done” attitudes they may be harbouring, advised Micklich.

“We need to move to ‘What do I need to do?’ and ‘How can I manage this?’ We need to be more long-term focused.”

Maury Micklich
Progrow Agriculture

Herbicide-resistant wild oat (HRWO) is of “special concern” according to Alberta Grains. And for good reason: According to the most recent herbicide resistance survey, resistance is building and building fast.

The survey results reveal that 69 per cent of Alberta fields sampled for resistance in wild oat contain HRWOs.

Of that percentage, 62 per cent of fields are resistant to Group 1 herbicides, 34 per cent to Group 2 herbicides and 27 per cent are resistant to both.

Those numbers are growing. The producer organization points to “drastic increases” in HWRO in Alberta since a Western Canada-wide survey in 2000.

Make the switch to TKW

There are several tasks producers should perform prior, during and after the crop season when dealing with HRWO. Micklich pointed to examples such as scouting for post-spray efficacy, identifying cross-resistance, seed sampling and reaching out to dealers for resistance testing if necessary.

One of the most important things producers can do to fight HRWO is increase seeding rates. However, some may have to make an adjustment in how they measure seed.

For producers who haven’t made the switch from bushels or pounds per acre to 1,000 kernel weight (TKW, sometimes known as total seed weight or TSW), or the weight of 1,000 seeds, this is the time to do so.

In 2019, Harry Brook, agrologist with Alberta Agriculture, told Alberta Farmer Express why TKW is a more precise gauge of seed size measurement.

“Where there is significant variation in seed size between one variety and another, bushels per acre is a poor seeding tool to use,” he said.

“With peas, for example, there can be as much as 75 per cent seed size variation. That can have a big impact on plants per square foot.”

Adds Micklich, “When you’re just doing a two bushel an acre measurement, that’s a volumetric measurement. It’s just not that accurate anymore.”

“What we want to do is use 1,000 kernel weight and calculate it off of what your target plant per square foot is, because if you just use bushels off of seed weight, your rate will sway. It can sway up to 20, 30 per cent just based off of seed weight if you’re just doing 120 pounds an acre and that’s it.”

Add early maturing crops to rotation

Adding early maturing crops such as peas and winter wheat to a rotation is likely the most important tool growers can use prevent reoccurring wild oat growth, said Micklich. The idea is to kick wild oats out of the seed bank before they’re physically mature, decreasing their survivability drastically.

“So if we can knock it off the plant in mid-August where it’s not quite mature … you reduce the survivability of that seed over winter.”

Taking preventative measures against wild oat early — particularly with late-harvested crops like wheat and canola — makes sense because there aren’t many control options once the oats establish.

“That (wild oat) seed will reach maturity before we get to it and (the seeds) will drop. So you’re just replenishing that seed bank. I wouldn’t say you’re starting from square one, but you’re just not eliminating that seed,” noted Miklich.

“A lot of times in east-central Alberta, by the time we harvest canola, it’s getting close to freezing. Most guys aren’t going to be doing a post-harvest spray. So you just get yourself in a weird spot where there’s nothing you can do to try and reduce that seed bank until the spring.”

Herbicide layering now a must-do

With so much herbicide resistance already a part of wild oats, producers don’t have much choice but to layer herbicides to control the weed, said Miklich.

“This is mandatory — you’re just getting ahead of it by initiating this.

“The concept of it is we’re trying to use different groups or modes of action sequentially throughout the growing season.

“The basis of it is you do a fall apply in say Group 15; a pre-burn, say, in a Group 2 or Group 15, and then an in-crop, say, in a Group 1 … whatever group you would have the most efficacy with.”

Minimize tillage

There are several reasons to minimize tillage, but in the case of wild oat a big one is preventing the incorporation of wild oat seed underground where it can remain dormant for years, in the process increasing their life spans.

“When guys are high-speed disking their wild oat patches — that is one of the worst things we can do for it because you are burying that seed and it will sit in dormancy.”

What growers need to do, offered Micklich, is induce germination of the wild oat.

“So say, in a pea crop; if you’ve had that stubble sitting for a month in the sun, a lot of those wild oats will be germinated. Either the frost will get it or it will give us a point of attack to eliminate those seeds: A germinated seed that you can kill or do something with is one less seed in that seed bank.”

The post Think beyond the herbicide jug when dealing with wild oats appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Cash prices for flax across Western Canada ranged from C$13.91 to C$16.48 per bushel delivered as of Jan. 15, reported Prairie Ag Hotwire. That compares with canola bids of C$13.65 to C$14.01/bu.

Trade deal could boost new crop prices

The recent Canada/China trade deal that reduces China’s tariffs on their imports of Canadian canola is unlikely to have any effect on old crop flax prices, said Scott Shiels grain procurement manager for Grain Millers Canada in Yorkton, Sask.

However, Shield said “it could affect flax pricing for next year.”

Flax plantings

With Prairie farmers making their plans for spring seeding, Shiels said it’s likely flax acres will increase in 2026/27.

In 2025/26, more than 620,000 acres of flax went into the ground, up from about 504,000 in 2024/25, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. That produced 454,000 tonnes of flax this fall compared to 258,000 the previous year due in part to a stronger yield.

Farmers need premium

However, Shiels cautioned that any increase in canola prices don’t necessarily guarantee higher prices for flax.

“If canola rallies to $16/bu. then $16 flax isn’t good anymore,” he said. “We tend to want to see a couple of bucks per bushel premium compared to the canola market to get that flax into the ground.”

Shiels said Canada needs to grow more flax as to cut down on the amount imported. AAFC estimated 8,000 tonnes were brought in during 2024/25 and that increased to 10,000 tonnes in 2025/26.

“I’d rather see our Prairie farmers reaping the benefits from that,” he said.

The post A good year for flax could lead to more acres in 2026/27 appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“A really good flax crop this year. Acres were up and the quality on an overall basis was definitely better than what we have seen in at least five years, maybe 10,” Shiels added.

He said there’s a possibility of more flax being planted come spring.

Why it matters: flax can be a suitable alternative to canola

Statistics Canada reported earlier in December that Prairie farmers brought in an estimated 454,460 tonnes. That’s up from nearly 258,000 tonnes combined last year and well above the five-year average of about 383,700 tonnes. Virtually all of Canada’s flax is produced on the Prairies.

“It’s been a good year, a little bit of a resurgence for flax,” Shiels said, noting the increase in flax largely came at canola’s expense.

Good prices

While Canadian flax production pales in comparison to the record 21.80 million tonnes of canola harvested in 2025, Shiels said there are a few factors favouring flax going into 2026.

One of those is pricing. Shiels said flax continues to maintain its premium over canola of C$2 to C$3 per bushel, despite the flax pulling back from around C$20/bu. for brown flax to about C$17.

“(Flax) is down a couple of bucks off of the highs that we saw at harvest time and in the late summer,” Shiels said.

Good pricing also fueled the increase in flax production this year, as farmers were able to lock in for C$19/bu. versus C$14 to C$15 for canola, he continued.

Shiels said the demand for flax is strong, particularly when it comes to the bakery and health food markets. Also, the United States hasn’t imposed a tariff on its imports of Canadian flax.

“Flax isn’t for everybody,” Shiels warned. “It’s a little tougher to market and it’s a lot tougher to grow.”

Looking ahead

However, he wasn’t sure if flax prices would improve between now and when spring planting begins in 2026.

“If canola prices stay where they are, we could see another bump up in flax acres,” Shiels said, adding that it depends on flax’s premium over canola. “If that remains when the new crop pricing comes out, we will see (an increase).”

Although canola’s outlook is currently bleak, as the market grapples with this year’s record harvest grapples versus poor exports, Shiels suggested any increase in canola prices could push up flax prices “just to try to stay competitive.”

Shiels said he welcomes more increases in flax production as the North American market doesn’t produce enough and relies on imports.

“We’d love to see flax acres back on the Prairies,” he said. “We would like to buy local.”

Flax production 2024/25 2025/26

Planted hectares 203,800 250,900

Harvested hectares 204,100 249,100

Production (tonnes) 257,974 454,461

Yields (tonnes per hectare) 1.28 1.82

Source: Statistics Canada

The post ‘A little bit of a resurgence for flax’ appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Isolated showers had minimal impact on harvesting operations as 78 per cent of the province’s crops are now off the ground, an 18-point increase from a week earlier. This was compared to the five-year average of 69.8 per cent and the 10-year average of 56.2 per cent.

The south region led the way at 84.3 per cent, followed by the northwest at 80.1 per cent, the Peace region at 77.6 per cent, the northeast at 76.8 per cent and the central region at 71.5 per cent.

The winter wheat, dry pea, fall rye and lentil harvests are complete, while durum was 92.3 per cent done. The spring wheat harvest was at 88.8 per cent, while the barley harvest was at 87.4 per cent, followed by mustard at 84.9 per cent and oats at 82.1 per cent. The chickpea harvest was 71.1 per cent complete, compared to the canola harvest at 55.9 per cent, the potato harvest at 52.5 per cent and flax at 35.4 per cent.

Average crop yields were 76.2 bushels per acre for oats, 72.6 for barley, 54.6 for spring wheat, 46.8 for dry peas and 42.1 for canola. Except for dry peas, all estimated yields increased from the previous week.

Surface soil moisture in Alberta was measured at 34.1 per cent poor, 40.8 per cent fair, 23.2 per cent good and 1.9 per cent excellent. The five-year average was 45 per cent good to excellent. Sub-surface soil moisture was at 28 per cent good to excellent, down three points from last week.

Provincial pasture growth was rated at 28 per cent good to excellent, down four points from the previous report. This was below the five-year average of 32 per cent.

Fall-seeded crops were rated 40 per cent good to excellent, below the five-year average of 57 per cent. Provincial dryland hay yields were estimated at 1.3 tons per acre for the first cut and one ton per acre for the second cut, indicating that current dryland hay yields are in line with long-term averages. Provincial irrigated hay yields were only reported for the South Region and were estimated at 2.5 tons per acre for the first cut and 2.3 tons per acre for the second cut.

The post Alberta Crop Report: Harvest more than three-quarters finished appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

StatCan published its major grain deliveries report for August 2025 on Sept. 25. In total, 3.588 million tonnes were delivered compared to 4.329 million in August 2024. The agency noted that tariffs placed on Canadian goods headed to the United States may have an impact on deliveries.

All wheat deliveries in August totaled 2.259 million tonnes compared to 2.321 million one year earlier. For durum, 279,584 tonnes were delivered last month, up from 244,560 tonnes in August 2024.

Canola deliveries fell below one million tonnes for the first time since August 2023, dropping to their lowest monthly total since May 2022. StatCan reported 621,555 tonnes of the oilseed were delivered in August, compared to 1.32 million tonnes in August of last year.

August barley deliveries were 379,238 tonnes, slightly more than the 375,071 tonnes delivered in August 2024. For oats, 278,097 tonnes were delivered, up from 267,271 tonnes one year earlier. Rye deliveries were up from 29,375 tonnes in August 2024 to 38,098 last month. Flaxseed deliveries were down from 15,127 tonnes in August 2024 to 11,953 tonnes a year later.

Saskatchewan provided 36.6 per cent of all deliveries, followed by Manitoba with 22.2 per cent and Alberta at 20.4 per cent.

The post August grain deliveries down from 2024: StatCan appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Combining reached 29 per cent completion, the province’s weekly crop report said. The winter wheat and fall rye harvests were 99 per cent complete, while field peas were at 95 per cent. Barley and spring wheat were at 65 and 59 per cent, respectively, while oats were at 41 per cent. Canola was 10 per cent combined.

The most rainfall was recorded at Kane in the central region at 60.3 millimetres, with Dominion City in the east and Newdale in the southwest receiving 31.2 and 30.9 mm, respectively. Several areas across Manitoba received no rainfall.

Total precipitation accumulations this season were below 60 per cent compared to the 30-year average in the Interlake and parts of the Northwest and Eastern regions. Parts of the Southwest have accumulated higher than normal precipitation levels since May 1.

Spring wheat conditions ranged from 80 to 90 per cent good to excellent, while producing 50 to 60 bushels per acre. Winter wheat yields ranged from 50 to 80 bu./ac., while fall rye was at 60 to 110. Barley was at 60 to 70 bu./ac., while oats were at 100 to 150. Most corn was in the R5 (dent) stage of growth.

Canola yields were from 45 to 60 bu./ac. as swathing and desiccation were ongoing. Flax was in the brown capsule stage and most sunflowers have completed flowering. Avian Control, a bird repellent, received emergency registration in sunflowers to reduce damage by blackbirds. However, the treatment, which can be applied up to the day of harvest, can cause damage such as leaf discolouration.

Field pea yields ranged from 30 to 75 bu./ac., averaging approximately 60 bu./ac. Dry beans were in the R7 and R8 stages, while most soybeans were in the R5 and R6 stages.

Warm weather and improved moisture conditions in some areas allowed pastures to regrow, providing extra grazing days for livestock. Second cut harvest yields for beef producers were below-average and dairies were on their third cut, which were seeing higher yields than the second cut. Slough hay and straw yields appeared to be average. Silage corn harvest is set to begin in two weeks as most corn were in the dent stage.

Cattle on pasture were in good condition while producers monitor for foot rot, fly pressure and pneumonia. Water levels were mixed, causing some producers to move cattle or haul water. Winter feed supplies were also mixed with some producers sourcing additional feed and others with a surplus selling their own.

The post Manitoba Crop Report: Harvest nearly one-third complete appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Manitoba’s growers completed 10 per cent of the harvest, compared to four per cent one week earlier, according to the province’s weekly crop report released on Aug. 26. The central region’s harvest was 16 per cent finished while the northwest was at four per cent.

Winter wheat and fall rye were 85 per cent combined, followed by field peas at 65 per cent. Barley was 20 per cent complete, while spring wheat was at 18 per cent, oats were at 10 per cent and canola was at one per cent with its harvest starting in the central and eastern regions.

Yield estimates for winter wheat ranged from 50 to 80 bushels per acre, while those for fall rye were 60 to 110. Early in the spring wheat harvest, yields were from 50 to 60 bu./ac., with quality ranging from 80 to 90 per cent good to excellent. Oat yields were 100 to 150 bu./ac., while barley was 60 to 70. Most corn was in the R4 and R5 stages.

Canola yields so far were 45 to 60 bu./ac. with swathing and desiccation ongoing. Flax was in the brown capsule stage and sunflowers were either in full flower or have completed flowering. However, blackbird damage to sunflower fields has led to the emergency registration of Avian Control, a bird repellent to be applied in fields up to the day of harvest. However, it can cause plant damage including leaf discolouration.

Portage la Prairie in the central region received the most rainfall during the week at 111.1 millimetres, with 98.5 mm falling between Aug. 20 and 21. On the flip side, Treherne, located in the same region, only saw 0.2 mm. Several areas in the southwest region received no precipitation at all.

Moisture conditions for the top 30 centimetres of soil varied wildly. Parts of the Interlake saw dry to very dry conditions, while areas within the northwest, southwest and central regions were rated optimal and very wet.

Field pea yields averaged 60 bu./ac., while dry beans were in the R7 and R8 stages and most soybeans were in the R5 and R6 stages.

Pastures were rebounding due to improved moisture conditions and producers were taking advantage by providing additional grazing days for livestock. Many producers also have hay and greenfeed, but rain has prevented them from being baled and quality is a concern. Second cut harvest yields for beef producers are below average, while dairies are going ahead with a third cut with yields stronger than the second. There were also average yields for slough hay and straw, as well as average to below-average yields for cereal greenfeed. Feed corn is starting to dent with silage harvest three weeks away.

Cattle on pasture were in good condition, but fly pressure was a concern with producers monitoring foot rot and pneumonia. Rains have replenished water sources in some areas, but others have remained dry. Some areas are also sourcing additional feed for the winter, while others are selling some of their surplus.

The post Manitoba Crop Report: Winter wheat, fall rye harvests almost complete appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The province’s weekly crop report released on Aug. 7 said while crops have rapidly developed due to warm and dry conditions, isolated thunderstorms brought moisture to areas which could no longer help early seeded crops.

Old Wives in southcentral Saskatchewan received the most precipitation in the province at 132 mm, followed by Vanguard in the southwest at 119 mm and Cadillac, also in the southwest, at 95 mm.

Despite the rains, topsoil moisture levels for cropland areas were five per cent surplus, 54 per cent adequate, 33 per cent short and eight per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture was four per cent surplus, 48 per cent adequate, 37 per cent short and 11 per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture was four per cent surplus, 52 per cent adequate, 32 per cent short and 12 per cent very short.

Crops in areas that have received sufficient rain so far this year were generally at normal stages of development while moisture-stressed crops were typically ahead of normal growth stages. As a result, harvest progress across Saskatchewan was at one per cent with most operations in the southwest. The province’s winter wheat crop was 13 per cent harvested, followed by seven per cent of fall rye. One per cent of lentils and peas were also combined. Most producers were servicing equipment, hauling grain and cleaning bins to prepare for harvest.

Fall cereals were the most developed with 97 per cent developing normally or ahead of schedule. Pulse crops were at 94 per cent, spring cereals were at 92 per cent, annual forage was at 91 per cent, perennial forage was at 90 per cent and oilseeds were at 87 per cent.

Pasture conditions varied due to the wide range of moisture across the province. Six per cent of pastures were in excellent condition, 36 per cent were good, 32 per cent were fair, 19 per cent were poor and eight per cent were in very poor condition.

Minor crop damage was reported in areas experiencing hot temperatures paired with dry conditions. There were also reports of grasshoppers, wind and wildlife causing minor crop damage in certain areas.

The post Saskatchewan Crop Report: Varied precipitation as harvest begins appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Most areas received no precipitation whatsoever while the wettest place in Manitoba was Sprague in the eastern region at 19.8 millimetres. The Interlake region was especially dry as Moosehorn saw the most rainfall inside the region at 0.8 mm.

Most of the southwest, central and eastern regions have accumulated more than 100 mm this growing season. The northwest and Interlake regions have large areas of accumulations below 50 per cent of normal. Only Sinclair in the southwest region has seen more than 100 per cent of its typical rainfall amount since the start of May at 106 per cent (206 mm).

Despite the dryness, spring wheat was rated 85 per cent good to excellent in the Interlake with all other regions reporting at 80 per cent. The earliest seeded spring wheat was in the hard stage of development, while most barley and oat fields were in the soft to hard stages. Most winter wheat and fall rye were in desiccation timing, while most corn fields ranged from R1 to the blister stage.

The earliest seeded canola was fully podded and 30 per cent were showing seed colour change. Late seeded canola has only finished flowering. Flax was in late-stage flowering with the earliest seeded fields showing bolls turning colour. Sunflowers were in the R3 to R5 (flowering) stages.

Most field peas were in the ripening stage and approaching desiccation. Soybeans ranged from the R2 and R3 stages in the late-seeded crop to R4 with full pods in the early seeded crop.

Hay yields were below average across most of Manitoba due to dry and warm conditions. A second cut for beef herds is not expected and most dairy producers have completed their low-yielding second cut. However, in areas with more rainfall than most, growers will monitor the fields to see if a second cut is warranted. Cereal silage was ongoing with average to below-average yields, while corn intended for silage was tasseling.

Limited moisture has caused producers to haul water to dugouts due to low levels or quality. Many pastures have seen limited regrowth due to the lack of moisture while others were browning off or were affected by grasshoppers. Producers in the Interlake, near Swan River and in the eastern region were supplementing feed out on pasture, while others are grazing hay fields.

Cattle on pasture are in good condition overall, although fly pressure remains a concern and some cattle have acquired foot rot and pneumonia. Many producers are preparing to start feeding earlier than usual in the fall and lining up alternative feeds in the winter.

The post Manitoba Crop Report: Dry conditions across province appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The court dismissed the application from Chris Achter, who wanted to appeal the Saskatchewan court decision that a thumbs-up emoji served as a signature to the contract.

The court of King’s Bench ruled in 2023 that when a buyer from South West Terminal at Gull Lake, Sask. sent Achter a contract by text in 2021, and he responded with the emoji, it constituted a signed contract. When Achter didn’t deliver 87 tonnes of flax that fall, the company sued him for breach of contract.

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal later upheld the decision, leaving Achter responsible to pay more than $82,000, plus interest, and costs.

Achter took the case to the Supreme Court, which said today it had dismissed it with costs to be paid by the respondent.

The post Supreme Court gives thumbs-up emoji case the thumbs down appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.