For optimum rebreeding performance cows need a proper body condition score and also a balanced blend of vitamins and minerals. When comparing "vit-min" products be sure to read the label for feeding level. The feeding rate of loose mineral or mixed into the beef cows’ diet is between 100 – 300 grams, per head, daily.

A balanced mineral-vitamin program is a good investment

The key is to be raising healthy animals in good condition and ready for breeding

Spring is a good time to review your cow herd’s mineral-vitamin program, as nursing cows (and bulls) should be in good mineral and vitamin status that drive a solid return to active reproduction by the breeding season. In order to do so, beef producers often collect and review several commercial feed labels. Most list the […] Read more

Mycosphaerella blight (shown in photo) may pose a disease threat to pea crops in Alberta.

Prairie crop disease outlook for 2023

Your provincial experts guide you through disease pressures and risks for this season

Predicting the crop disease outlook for the Canadian Prairies is never easy. With the wild swings in temperatures and precipitation the region faced over the past couple of years, the task has become even more challenging. “It’s always fun to speculate about what we might see,” says Michael Harding, a plant pathologist and crop health […] Read more


CBOT May 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago soybeans up on major U.S. crush

USDA says winter wheat at 27 per cent good or excellent condition

Mexico City | Reuters — Soybean futures gained following strong U.S. crushing data on Monday, while wheat and corn also closed higher after several eastern European countries banned grain and other food imports from Ukraine, casting further doubt on Ukrainian exports. Members of the National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) said the U.S. soybean crush jumped […] Read more

This photo is of a wheat plant at growth stage 31, which is generally the best time to apply a plant growth regulator to a cereal crop.

Application timing of PGRs

When to use PGRs and application guidelines

It’s said timing is everything and that is especially true when it comes to the use of plant growth regulators. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are hormone-based compounds used primarily as a harvest management aid to modify plant growth and development. They help produce plants with shorter, thicker and stronger stems and reduce the risk of […] Read more


CBOT May 2023 corn with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn continues climb, closes higher for fourth week

Traders watching cooler weather in U.S. southern Plains

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago corn futures settled higher on Friday, making the fourth straight week of gains, after a week of flash sales to China and demand for ethanol processing. Soybeans closed lower, ending a gains streak since late March, as a record Brazilian harvest tempered concern about drought losses in Argentina. The […] Read more

CBOT May 2023 corn with 20-day moving average (green line) and July 2023 corn (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago grains close lower as weather improves

USDA reports flash corn sale to China

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago grains futures reversed earlier gains to close lower on Thursday, as weather improved and despite Russia saying there would likely be no extension of the wartime grains corridor deal, analysts said. Soybeans lost ground from their earlier rally as weather in the Northern Hemisphere looked clearer. “U.S. weather is […] Read more


An aerial file photo of flooding in the Red River Valley near Rosenort, Man. in May 2022. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Allan Dawson)

CBOT weekly outlook: Weather in focus for Chicago grains, oilseeds

Heavy snowpack remains in parts of northern Plains

MarketsFarm — All eyes in the Chicago grain and oilseed markets are focused on weather conditions as the South American harvest progresses and North American farmers begin seeding their next crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly supply/demand report (WASDE), released Tuesday, left ending stocks projections for both soybeans and corn in the country unchanged […] Read more

CBOT May 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX May 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. May 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago grains up after jumpy day of Black Sea concerns

Markets await U.S. export sales data on Thursday

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago grains futures closed higher Wednesday, after a mixed day underpinned by renewed Russian criticism of the deal allowing Ukraine to export grain from Black Sea ports. Soybean and corn futures settled up, regaining some ground lost earlier in the session amid a bumper soy harvest in Brazil and an […] Read more


(OceanFishing/iStock/Getty Images)

USDA stands pat on U.S. soybean, corn ending stocks

Soy, corn crop projections cut for Argentina

MarketsFarm — Projected ending stocks for soybeans and corn in the United States for the current marketing year were left unchanged by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its latest monthly supply/demand report (WASDE) — coming as a surprise to market participants who had generally anticipated downward revisions to the carryout numbers. USDA left 2022-23 […] Read more

CBOT May 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago soy stronger on predictions for Argentina crop

Black Sea supply a risk as Russia challenges corridor deal

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures settled higher on Tuesday after the U.S. government slashed its estimate for production in Argentina to a 23-year low in a monthly report. Soybean production in Argentina will be smaller than previously thought at 27 million tonnes as a crop-wasting drought decimated fields in the key South […] Read more