
Author Archives
McMillan: La Nina, El Nino speculation may be premature
A major influence on global weather and climate is the La Nina and El Nino cycles, which involve warming of the waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. The changing ocean temperatures influence cloud formation and precipitation patterns. The El Nino phase describes warming, while the La Nina cooling in a similar area. In […] Read more
McMillan: Heat pushes Prairie crop development forward
Given the delays around seeding that stirred up fears of an early fall frost, many have said Canada’s Prairie crops needed a repeat of 2010 — in which a cool, wet slow growing season led into a September hotter than July or August. Prairie farmers have been blessed with hot and dry conditions over the […] Read more
McMillan: Prairie winter wheat harvest begins
Winter wheat harvest has begun in the eastern Prairies: Progress ranges from 25 to 30 per cent complete in eastern Manitoba, while in western Manitoba, and across Saskatchewan, the crop is ripening and will soon be ready for harvest. Following a late start to spring and a cool summer, winter cereal maturity was delayed. Maturity […] Read more
McMillan: USDA’s durum yield outlook brightens
The balance book for the U.S. wheat crop as a whole was largely unchanged in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest crop production report on Monday — but within its wheat classes, expectations for U.S. durum showed a significant change. U.S. durum saw the greatest change on a percentage basis compared to USDA’s July report, […] Read more
McMillan: Prairie oats crop looks good so far
While cool weather is a concern, western Canadian oat crops are in good to excellent condition so far, say industry analysts. In Alberta, the largest oat-producing province, the latest crop report from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development said that as of July 30, 89 per cent of the crop was rated good to excellent condition, […] Read more
McMillan: U.S. wheat harvest behind the curve
The U.S. wheat harvest continues to roll off the field, albeit at a slower than normal pace. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) on Monday reported that nationally, the country’s winter wheat harvest is 57 per cent complete, compared to the 2008-to-2012 average of 64 per cent. Crop growth and development […] Read more
McMillan: Prairie flax acres rise, shift
It may have fallen short of the initial estimates for this year, but flax has seen its first increase in acreage since 2010. Initial estimates by Statistics Canada in its April seeding intentions repor saw farmers indicate they may seed 1.24 million acres. However, based on the June 25 Field Crop Reporting Series from Statistics […] Read more
Winter wheat crops thriving in Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winter wheat crops are thriving across Alberta, contrasting multiple reports of challenges in the eastern Prairies. On May 27, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives reported that reseeding of winter wheat is occurring throughout the province due to poor plant stands. On May 30, the Saskatchewan government reported that some winter wheat fields in southeastern […] Read more
Cutting alfalfa an early line of defense against weevil
Researchers are working on an interactive map to help producers assess potential for weevil infestations
Reading Time: 4 minutes Many Saskatchewan forage growers dutifully waited for alfalfa to reach the 15 per cent bloom stage before cutting last year, but their patience went unrewarded. Thanks to the alfalfa weevil, a nasty little pest that has been gradually spreading across the southern Prairies since its arrival here in the 1950s, they were waiting for a […] Read moreMcMillan: Soggy spring leaves U.S. durum unsown
Wet seeding conditions in the U.S. Northern Plains have reduced durum wheat area to well below trade expectations, according to Friday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture acreage report. In North Dakota, the largest durum-producing state, sown area dropped to 850,000 acres, similar to the record low in 2011 when saturated fields limited seeding to only 750,000 […] Read more
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