“If you aren’t seeing symptoms in your crop and you continue to see no symptoms, our experience in what we see in commercial fields is that it’s likely not going to pay to spray a fungicide.” – Kelly Turkington

Rains were welcome but bring increased threat of crop diseases

There are host of factors to consider before spraying but get out in the field and look closely, says expert

Reading Time: 4 minutes Recent rainfall means farmers need to scout their crops and make decisions about spraying. “Certainly the rain that we’ve had would get things going,” said Kelly Turkington, a plant pathologist at Agriculture Canada’s Lacombe research station. For example, leaf spot diseases in barley and wheat can quickly flare up, he said on July 13. “Within […] Read more






In-ground moisture sensors coupled with advanced software and weather forecasts will substantially improve variable rate irrigation in the coming years, says Mark Johnson (right) of Ensemble Scientific (pictured with Lewis Baarda of Farming Smarter).

It’s worth trying winter-hardy crops, but success can be elusive

Reading Time: 2 minutes Profiting from winter-hardy crops can be challenging, but they’re worth planting in small test areas, says the head of research and development at Western Ag Innovations. “It’s something good to keep your eye on,” Eric Bremer said at the recent Farming Smarter field school in Lethbridge. “It’s still difficult to guarantee a good result. Winter […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Bids trend lower with U.S. futures

MarketsFarm — Spring wheat bids in Western Canada moved lower during the week ended Friday, as losses in U.S. futures more than countered the supportive influence of the weakening Canadian dollar. Seasonal harvest pressure contributed to the declines, as the U.S. winter wheat harvest progressed northward. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, 13.5 per cent […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Grains under pressure awaiting new crop

Farmers 'digging in and being patient'

MarketsFarm — Feed grain bids in Western Canada continue to come under pressure, as feedlots chew through corn imports from the United States and wait on the new-crop harvest. “We’re certainly seeing things soften,” said grain trader Shaun Smith of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. Declines in the Chicago futures and good Prairie growing conditions […] Read more



Cereal groups merger heads to a vote

Cereal groups merger heads to a vote

Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta wheat and barley farmers will vote on a proposed merger of the two crop commissions this fall. “Farmers can expect plebiscite information to come to their mailbox this fall, although voting in the plebiscites will be conducted online,” an article in the most recent Grain Exchange newsletter states. Provincial rules require separate plebiscites for […] Read more

The USDA building in Washington, D.C. (Art Wager/iStock/Getty Images)

Larger spring wheat crop expected in U.S.

USDA expects reduced total worldwide wheat crop

MarketsFarm — Early indications point to a much larger spring wheat crop in the United States in 2022 compared to the drought-stricken 2021 crop despite the late seeding, according to the latest production estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In USDA’s first official production estimates of the growing season breaking out the different wheat […] Read more