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

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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


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

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Prairie cash wheat: Bids firm as loonie falls

MarketsFarm — Spring wheat bids in Western Canada moved higher during the week ended Thursday, as heavy losses in the Canadian dollar more than countered the bearish influence of weakening U.S. futures. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, 13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices were up by $4.50-$7.40 per tonne during the week ended Thursday, […] Read more


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Prairie cash wheat: Spring wheat up, durum pulls back

MarketsFarm — Wheat prices on the Canadian Prairies were mixed during the week ended Thursday. Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheats incurred moderate gains, as Canada Western Amber Durum (CWAD) fell back. Good upticks in the U.S. wheat complex fueled price increases in Western Canada, along with a weaker […] Read more

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Prairie cash wheat: Talk of Black Sea corridor weighs on week’s bids

MarketsFarm — The prospect of Russia allowing food shipments to leave Ukraine — albeit with a few concessions — was the key factor in declining bids for western Canadian wheat during the week ended Thursday. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko on Wednesday said his country is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor in the […] Read more


Stock photo of a grain grower in India. (Triloks/iStock/Getty Images)

India bans wheat exports as heat wave hurts crop, domestic prices soar

Ban could push global wheat prices to new peaks

Mumbai | Reuters — India banned wheat exports on Saturday days after saying it was targeting record shipments this year, as a scorching heat wave curtailed output and domestic prices hit a record high. The government said it would still allow exports backed by already issued letters of credit and to countries that request supplies […] Read more

File photo of a wheat field in India. (Sahil Ghosh/iStock/Getty Images)

India sells record 1.4 million tonnes of wheat in April

Sales surge on unavailability of Black Sea supplies

New Delhi | Reuters — India exported a record 1.4 million tonnes of wheat in April, four trade sources said, providing some relief to grain markets as buyers scramble for alternatives to Black Sea supplies hit hard by the war in Ukraine. April is the first month of the fiscal year. India, the world’s second […] Read more


A combine unloads wheat on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in western India on March 16, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Amit Dave)

Heat wave threatens India’s wheat output, export plans

Thin supplies, rising prices indicate lower output

New Delhi | Reuters — India’s wheat output looks likely to fall in 2022 after five consecutive years of record harvests, as a sharp, sudden rise in temperatures in mid-March cut crop yields in the world’s second-biggest producer of the grain. The drop could curb Indian exports of the staple. Cashing in on a rally […] Read more