Manitoba Ag soil management specialist Marla Riekman says soil compaction can limit yields and have an indirect effect on crop development.

Soil compaction could squeeze your yields

A look at the direct and indirect effects of compaction in your fields

For years, soil compaction wasn’t something Jeff Hamblin gave a lot of thought to. The Manitoba producer had heard about how the seasonal freeze-thaw cycle in the Red River Valley and elsewhere in the Prairies acted to naturally alleviate farmland soil compaction, but it wasn’t until he started investigating some problem areas in his fields […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Feds tighten forecast for wheat carryout

MarketsFarm — Canadian wheat carryout for the 2021-22 crop year will be even tighter than earlier forecasts, according to updated supply/demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released Wednesday. The October report included only minor adjustments for most crops, with the most notable change from September being a 500,000-tonne reduction in projected wheat ending […] Read more


ICE November 2021 canola (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (yellow line) and CBOT December 2021 soyoil (green line, left column). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola rally keeps going

Not yet back at $1K, but it's possible

MarketsFarm — With good gains from other edible oils, canola has remained on the rise so far during the week of Oct. 18. It’s uncertain as to how much longer the rally could press on, but analyst David Derwin of PI Financial in Winnipeg said canola punching through $1,000 per tonne again is possible. “Never […] Read more



Commodity prices — if it ain’t one thing it is another

I have been a fairly casual commodity market observer for many years, but the weather-related boom and bust nature of crop and livestock production still has me shaking my head some days. There is just so much variability around the world all due to whatever weather package Mother Nature delivers during the growing season. In […] Read more

This photo shows the affected area of discoloured plants fading into an unaffected area with healthy plants.

Crop advisor casebook: Why the discoloured canola plants in this Sask. field?

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the October 12, 2021 issue of Grainews

In June 2020, I was doing a routine herbicide efficacy assessment for Rick, who farms 13,000 acres of durum, spring wheat, canola, barley, lentils, peas and flax near Kyle, Sask. While walking a 320-acre canola field, I noticed some severe discolouration of the canola plants. The affected plants were pale green to yellow in colour […] Read more


ICE January 2022 canola (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola still rangebound

Selling pressure seen from U.S. soy

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts held rangebound during the week ended Wednesday, climbing to their strongest levels in two months at one point before running into resistance and retreating to trade well off those highs. “We’re still stuck in a trading range,” said Keith Ferley of RBC Dominion Securities in Winnipeg. Activity in outside […] Read more

In a dry growing season, producers may see considerable variability in crop maturity.

Canola traits increase harvest options

Pod shatter resistance can help producers get more crop in the bin

While changing the weather is beyond anyone’s control, farmers can make the most of the canola that does grow by selecting varieties that increase harvest management options, says a researcher with Corteva Agriscience. Making the decision on whether to swath or straight cut the crop often depends on how the crop looks heading into late […] Read more