In both wheat and barley, boron deficiency causes the unfertilized cereal grain flowers to open up just like open pollinated rye. The consequences of deficiencies are failure to set seed, as in canola and wheat, and, in barley, the open, exposed cereal flowers can have very high levels of ergot.

Bring on the boron

Boron deficiency can cause failure to set seed and ergot infection

Over the last few years in the Prairies, there has been something of a resurgence of interest in boron. This micronutrient is critical for normal plant growth, particularly crop maturity, and water balance — and is a key factor in seed set and crop yield. In man and animals, this micronutrient is essential for weight […] Read more



The U.S. calf crop has been shrinking since 2018.

It’s a bullish market for feeder cattle

Market Update: This is a good time to buy bred heifers or cow-calf pairs

I’ve received many inquiries from cow-calf producers and backgrounding operators regarding the price outlook for feeder cattle. As of early September, tan steers coming straight off grass averaging 920 pounds were quoted at $199 in southern Alberta; Angus-based heifers weighing 850 pounds were valued at $187. Yearling prices have been hovering at 52-week highs over the […] Read more



File photo of emerging durum south of Griffin, Sask. on May 31, 2019. (Leeann Minogue photo)

BASF warns on seeding choices for drought-hit imi-treated fields

Steer clear of non-Clearfield canola, durum, canary seed in rotations, company says

Updated, Sept. 22 — The maker of Odyssey, Solo and Viper is warning grain growers whose fields were excessively dry in 2021 that those herbicides may not break down soon enough in those soils to allow certain seeding choices in 2022. BASF Canada on Monday issued an “urgent notice to growers” in which the company […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Finishing feedlot demand drives yearlings higher

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings traded $2 lower to as much as $5 higher. Strength was once again noted in southern Alberta where heavier yearlings recorded a fresh 52-week high. Calves were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Larger groups of quality weaned genetics traded as much $5 above average values. Feather-lite bawlers under […] Read more


A freighter is loaded with grain from a terminal at Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet. (Maxvis/iStock/Getty Images)

Grain exports running well behind year-ago pace

Prices, low stocks keep lid on demand

MarketsFarm — Canadian grain exports are running well behind the year-ago pace through the first few weeks of the 2021-22 marketing year, as smaller supplies and high prices limit offshore demand. Total exports of all of the major grains, oilseeds and pulses as of Sept. 12 of 3.162 million tonnes are down by about 2.1 […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Feed weekly outlook: U.S. corn imports to supplement tight supplies

Feeders seeking barley would 'have to pay up'

MarketsFarm — The looming corn harvest in the United States should keep a lid on rising feed grain prices in Western Canada, with more corn expected to make its way into Canadian feedlots this winter. “U.S. corn should start landing in Lethbridge sometime in October or early November,” said Jim Beusekom, of MarketPlace Commodities at […] Read more


It is important to make a well balanced mineral available, but also important to do your best to encourage cattle to eat their daily requirement.

Feed management affects proper mineral intake

Don't just dump a bag of mineral in a tub and walk away

It is easy to open a bag of loose cattle mineral and pour it into mineral feeders or a trough. Yet many beef producers don’t realize the importance of providing essential minerals and vitamins to their beef cow herd on a regular basis. That’s why I encourage people to choose a well-formulated cattle mineral and […] Read more

A soybean crop at Headingley, Man. on Sept. 2, 2021. StatsCan’s latest estimates project drought-hit Manitoba’s soybean production to drop by 22.2 per cent from 2021, while Canada’s soybean harvest overall is expected down 7.4 per cent on the year. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairie crops downgraded in latest StatsCan estimates

Corn, soybean crops upsized from previous report

MarketsFarm — Drought conditions across Canada’s Prairies cut into yields throughout the region in 2021, with production of most of the major crops downgraded by Statistics Canada in updated crop estimates released Tuesday. Using satellite imagery, the government agency now sees total canola production for the 2021-22 crop year at 12.78 million tonnes, which compares […] Read more