(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

Crop advisor dos and don’ts for #Plant21

Crop advisor dos and don’ts for #Plant21

A few pointers on what goes into optimizing crop production and profitability

One key message looking at the coming 2021 seeding and growing seasons from a panel of western Canadian agronomists and crop advisors in late March — pay attention to the details. That may seem like a no-brainer, but the agronomists point out there are plenty of important dos and don’ts — some small, some not […] Read more


The openings on the roots of soybean plants infected by SCN may cause the plant to be more susceptible to the development of root rot and seedling diseases.

Crop disease experts take stock of 2020

Your provincial roundup of pulse and soybean diseases, what to watch for this year and emerging threats

From east to west, pulse and soybean growers face disease challenges, and last year was no different. For example, producers from all three provinces struggled with aphanomyces root rot in peas and lentils, Manitoba’s soybean farmers were warned of increased cases of soybean cyst nematode (plants are more susceptible to root rot and seedling disease […] 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


Chickpeas. (Grigorenko/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Pulse weekly outlook: Seeding numbers may exceed USDA expectations

MarketsFarm — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) prospective plantings report, delivered March 31, provided a mixed bag for pulse growers in that country as far as the numbers are concerned. Some analysts, however, believe the actual acres seeded will top USDA’s projections. Increasing demand from China, India and a recovering domestic market have raised […] Read more

(Serts/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Lentil values mainly steady

'There’s no fire in the lentil belly, that’s for sure'

MarketsFarm — There hasn’t been much change in lentil prices over the last week and at least one marketer expects there likely won’t be any when it comes to the amount of lentils that Canadian farmers plant in 2021. “[Lentil prices] are just softer than what they were. There’s no fire in the lentil belly, […] Read more


A man waves an Egyptian flag after the Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, is fully floated on the Suez Canal in Egypt on March 29, 2021. (Photo: Suez Canal Authority handout via Reuters)

Pulse weekly outlook: Shipping delays aggravate growers, exporters

Montreal longshoremen's strike again possible

MarketsFarm — On top of disruptions to major supply chains and shipping routes already due to the COVID-19 pandemic, recent events are causing even more headaches for pulse exporters and growers. The six-day blockage of the Suez Canal by the grounded container ship Ever Given caused a major backup of container ships, tankers and other […] Read more

Pea root rot moves into new cropland about the same way as clubroot. Follow the clubroot protocol.

The looming Prairie-wide pea crop disaster

Follow the clubroot protocol to ensure your future as a pea grower

When I first became involved in checking out pea diseases in Alberta in 1974, pea crops were few and far between. Pea growing was somewhat of a disaster. The pea variety generally grown was called Trapper. This was a tall, six-foot vine that lodged as soon as pod-filling took place. The mass of lodged leaves […] Read more



Several participants attended a field day on Walker Farms to have a look at the cocktail blend of forages. Cattle, in the background, will eventually move into this productive feed as part of a high-intensity, rotational grazing program.

Livestock can benefit crop production

Combining the two benefits both beef and crops, says a Saskatchewan producer, and let’s not forget about the soil

Lance Walker says incorporating the livestock enterprise into more of the grain component on the family’s central Saskatchewan farm in recent years is already showing signs of increasing production, while reducing input costs. He’s excited to see where increasing the synergy between the two enterprises — that includes feeding cattle on cropland, multi-species cropping and […] Read more