Reading Time: 3 minutes Producers should be on the lookout for fusarium head blight this year, even though the incidence of the fungal disease was down in 2017. “Forecasting head blight is really quite challenging,” said Mike Harding, a research scientist and plant pathologist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Read more: Provincial legislation isn’t helping fusarium battle, say seed growers […] Read more
Don’t let your guard down — fusarium still a risk
Dry weather greatly reduced the incidence of the fungal disease last year, but the threat is likely greater than ever
Provincial legislation isn’t helping fusarium battle, say seed growers
Grower groups argue a zero-tolerance approach is the wrong way to reduce its spread in Alberta
Reading Time: 3 minutes Fusarium graminearum is listed as a pest in the province, and that’s causing trouble for the crop industry. “Now that it’s in the pest act, it’s hard to get it out of the pest act,” said Ward Oatway, chair of the Alberta Seed Growers Association and owner of Oatway Seeds in Lacombe. His association, the […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Futures get weather boost
CNS Canada — The troublesome weather that gave Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn, soybean and wheat contracts a boost over the past week should remain supportive, despite nearby technical setbacks, according to a trader. “I’m still slightly bullish on beans, corn and wheat given the unfavourable weather situation in South America, with too much […] Read more
You might soon be seeding in February or March
Researchers successfully grow ‘spring-type winter wheats’ in Alberta and say it could be an option by 2020
Reading Time: 4 minutes What kind of wheat crop might you get if you seeded in February or March? One that’s not half bad, if the preliminary results of a recent federal research study are any indication. “How can you get a little more yield? Well, you can put it in the ground a little bit earlier,” said University […] Read more
Cash oats steady despite climb in futures
CNS Canada — Oats futures at the Chicago Board of Trade have posted solid gains over the past month, but the cash market in Western Canada remains steady overall. “It’s been a nice little rally up,” said Scott Shiels, grain procurement manager with Grain Millers Canada on the 35 U.S. cents per bushel rise in […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Prairie grains chopping around
CNS Canada — Dry subsoil moisture conditions and a lack of snow cover in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan continue to create worries for many farmers. Conditions range from abnormally dry in many areas to full-on droughts around Regina and some areas south of Calgary, according to Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. Feed barley bids in the […] Read more
Limagrain says GMO protests could force R+D relocation
Paris | Reuters — Limagrain, the world’s fourth-largest seed maker, will consider moving its research activities out of France if field trials in its home market continue to be sabotaged by opponents of genetically modified crops. The French co-operative group was targeted last month by protestors who invaded test fields southeast of Paris and scattered […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Markets stabilize following USDA reports
CNS Canada — Corn and soybean contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) are catching up following the release of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports last Friday. Corn “went down on Friday in response to the report. We couldn’t file through it all yesterday. So we actually ended up finding some short-covering and […] Read more
Prairie feed barley softens as packers bid up cattle
CNS Canada — Feed barley prices in the Lethbridge area are showing signs of softening as the February lull approaches and warmer weather moves into the province. According to Allan Pirness of Market Place Commodities, both feed barley and feed wheat prices are around the $220 per tonne mark, down a touch from the pre-Christmas […] Read more
Steady to lower durum market expected
CNS Canada — Larger-than-expected production, a seasonal slowdown in demand and looming Italian country-of-origin-labeling regulations all loom over the Canadian durum market, with steady to lower prices anticipated over the next few months. Italian COOL regulations are set to come into effect in mid-February and require pasta makers in the country to segregate foreign durum, […] Read more
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