With warming weather come weeds and pests. So far insect pest numbers on the agricultural Prairies have been light — although that can change quickly. “Given the late spring, no hot issues have popped up yet.” said Brent Flaten, integrated pest management specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Moose Jaw. During a recent Twitter chat, Alberta […] Read more
McMillan: Prairie crop insect pressure light, so far
McMillan: Aim high on seeding density, canola expert says
Seeding is now active across most of the Prairies, but is running one to three weeks behind normal, leaving farmers eager to get seed in the ground as soon as possible. It pays to ensure the job is done right the first time. Autumn Holmes-Saltzman, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, says “Take […] Read more
McMillan: Corn production set to soar
The season’s first official forecast of U.S. and world crop supply and demand prospects was released Friday morning by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Typically, there are no changes in sown acreage from USDA’s March Prospective Plantings report — and this year was no different. The real interest is in the harvested area and yield […] Read more
McMillan: Kansas wheat conditions remain variable
The annual Wheat Quality Council tour has confirmed expectations of poor crops across most of Kansas and neighbouring states. Scouts on the tour determined an average yield of 41.1 bushels per acre, 18 per cent below the tour’s thoughts last year. In 2012, the tour estimated Kansas yield at 49.1 bushels per acre. The U.S. […] Read more
McMillan: U.S. primary crop seeding remains stalled
Monday’s crop progress report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the impact of ongoing cold, wet conditions across the key growing areas. Of the 10 primary crops to be sown in 2013, not a single one was ahead or even at normal progress for this time of year. Seeding and crop progress as of […] Read more
McMillan: U.S. spring grain seeding at a standstill
Continued snow and below normal temperatures have kept most small grain seeding across the U.S. Northern Plains at a standstill. Al Dutcher, Nebraska state climatologist, said that even if temperatures return to normal, this April will be among the top-10 coldest. If temperatures remain below normal, April will rank in the top-five coldest on record. […] Read more
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