CBOT July 2021 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn up on another sale to China

CBOT wheat, soybeans fall

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose for the second day in a row on Tuesday, supported by strong export demand as well as concerns that forecasts for dry weather in parts of the U.S. could stress the recently seeded crop, traders said. Wheat and soybean futures weakened on a technical setback after failing […] Read more

Seeding ultra early can produce good or better yield, says Graham Collier, a PhD candidate in agronomy at the University of Alberta.

Strong wheat yields possible in ultra-early seeding system

Study finds producers in some parts of the province may be able to seed their wheat as early as mid-February

Reading Time: 6 minutes Graham Collier’s grandfather used to time his seeding by the frogs. Once the frogs started singing in the spring, he knew the ground was thawed and it was time to get out into the field. Now, Collier is working on a less esoteric but still uncommon way to time wheat seeding — based on soil […] Read more


Flea beetle. (Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Forecast, flea beetles complicate canola timing

Dry conditions make ideal seeding time difficult to peg

Drought conditions, and the odds of more to come, have some Prairie canola growers pondering when to roll the dice on seeding, if they want to do more than feed the flea beetles. Small-seeded crops, such as canola, have garnered particular concern from agronomists and producers worried about germination, given power dry topsoil across much […] Read more

ICE November 2021 canola (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (light yellow, dark yellow, dark green lines). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Challenging crop year ahead for canola

MarketsFarm — With declines in canola following Statistics Canada’s bullish-leaning projections for acres, it’s becoming more difficult to determine which way prices will trend in coming weeks and months. “Where are prices going to go? In any given year that’s challenging, especially in this year,” said David Derwin, analyst for PI Financial in Winnipeg. “That […] Read more


CBOT July 2021 wheat with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat, soy step back after reaching new eight-year highs

Wheat at highest since February 2013 after U.S. crop rating fall

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn, wheat and soybean futures ended Tuesday lower after extending a rally to eight-year highs, supported by corn supply worries as adverse weather cast early doubts over harvest prospects in top exporters Brazil and the United States. A sharp decline in weekly U.S. wheat crop ratings also kept the focus […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

More canola, less wheat expected ahead of StatsCan report

'Returns per acre are just so much stronger'

MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers are seen as likely to plant more canola and barley and less wheat this spring, as market participants await the first survey-based estimates from Statistics Canada on Tuesday to confirm the extent of that shift. “Canola will gain acres and wheat will lose acres,” said MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville, pointing […] Read more


Although overlap can be greatly reduced with sectional control, it can’t be completely eliminated as was shown in trials conducted last year for Alberta Pulse Growers. The study also found there was less overlap of larger seeds (such as peas on left) versus smaller ones (like canola on right).

Sectional control minimizes, but doesn’t eliminate overlap

The theoretical savings are great but overlap still happens, and size of both seed and sections matters

Reading Time: 4 minutes Unless you farm some magical piece of land where there are no stone piles, hills, water bodies or other obstacles to get around, you will always have some overlap. That extra seed or fertilizer can cost you big bucks over time — which is why stories about sectional control technology often focus on the potential […] Read more

CBOT May 2021 corn (candlesticks) with 20- and 40-day moving averages (yellow and orange lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy climb to multi-year highs

Tight supplies, weather woes supportive; wheat also up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures climbed to multi-year highs on Wednesday, supported by firm cash markets as old-crop supplies dwindle and weather issues threaten prospects for the 2021 harvests, analysts said. Wheat futures also rose, drawing additional support from frosty temperatures in the Plains and Midwest. Chicago Board of Trade May […] Read more


(iStock photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Slight increase in lentil acres likely

Increase 'won't be as big as people think'

MarketsFarm — Lentil acres are likely to increase slightly when farmers take to planting this spring, according to Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. in Winnipeg. The pulse industry will get a better idea of what will be going into the ground over the coming weeks on April 27, when Statistics Canada releases its […] Read more

CBOT May 2021 corn (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (yellow line) and December 2021 corn (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn up on weather outlook, weaker dollar

CBOT May wheat down, K.C. May wheat up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose on Monday, flirting with multi-year highs set last week, as forecasts for frosty weather and precipitation raised concerns about the pace of planting and germination, analysts said. A weaker dollar lent support, theoretically making U.S. grains more competitive globally. Soybeans followed corn higher, but wheat was choppy, […] Read more