Oat futures have climbed more than 30 cents a bushel since the start of the new year, raising the question: will more acres switch from wheat to oats? As of Wednesday, nearby and new crop oat futures in Chicago were in the 42 to 45 percent range relative to Minneapolis wheat. The flatter, quieter spot... Read More
Category: Crop Production
In a winter where most crop markets don't appear to be trying to buy more acres, mustard prices have been an exception. "For farmers looking for profitable opportunities, mustard is sticking out like a sore thumb right now," says Chuck Penner of LeftField Commodity Research in the video below, filmed at CropSphere in Saskatoon earlier... Read More
Interested in growing camelina for Three Farmers? Get ready to intercrop. Three Farmers, a Saskatchewan-based snack food company, is offering, for the first time, production contracts for camelina, an oilseed crop. A stipulation of the contract is that camelina be grown in tandem with either pea or lentil. Likely the first-of-its-kind stipulation in a crop... Read More
When trying to explain why wheat prices are where they are, there are some concerns with dryness and protein levels affecting regional bids, but there is one dominant factor that's underlying the entire market: Russia and its bumper crops. World wheat carryout has grown by over 20 percent in the last three years, with Russia... Read More
If you're targeting maximum corn yield, you need to fine-tune plant nutrition for a particular two-week period of the corn growing season, says Tony Vyn, professor of agronomy at Purdue University. That's because while we've been focused on more rows and kernels per row per ear, modern hybrids can pack tonnes of yield in if... Read More
Do you plant a cover crop before or after you harvest corn silage? It's an option dairy farmers should consider, says University of Wisconsin Extension crops and soils agronomist Heidi Johnson, especially when planting corn after corn. Removing corn silage and then leaving the ground bare risks soil erosion, decreases microbial activity, and reduces the... Read More
How confident are you in your selected nitrogen (N) rate for wheat? Do you adjust that number based on yield potential? Variety? Soil type? How much N is enough to reach maximum potential? You might be surprised to learn that existing nitrogen rate recommendations are based off of older research, with older varieties, and without... Read More
When we think of canola, we think Western Canada. And there's no doubt that the prairies are the canola capital, but Meghan Moran, canola and edible bean specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, reminds us that there are still canola growers in Ontario, too. While the all-time high of 90,000... Read More
The use of drones for spraying cleared a major regulatory milestone last summer, as Transport Canada issued its first approval for commercial spraying with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), according to the Elie, Manitoba-based company that received the permission. To fly any aircraft — manned or unmanned — for commercial purposes in Canada, you must... Read More
India's government made no attempt to veil the reason for imposing tariffs on pulse crop imports in late 2017. "Cheap imports, if allowed unabated, are likely to adversely affect the interest of the farmers,” said a statement from the Indian government, announcing the 30 percent import duty on lentils and chickpeas in December. The tariffs... Read More