This apomictic process, if successful, allows superior combinations of plant traits to be captured and preserved without any cross-pollination.

Hybrid wheat and apomixis

Practical Research: Are we any closer?

Eureka! Not really. In the next year or so, Syngenta will release a hybrid wheat variety using complex crossbreeding systems just ahead of a few rival companies working on the same problem. Hybrid wheat varieties combine the traits of two parent selections. Work started on hybrid wheat around 2010, and by 2023 there will be […] Read more

With the increasing incidence of herbicide resistance, producers must adjust their strategies to manage kochia and other resistant weeds.

Your provincial weed outlook for 2023

Make sure these weeds are on your radar this year

For as long as agriculture has existed in Western Canada, farmers have been waging a battle to control yield-robbing weeds in their fields. It will be a similar story in 2023. The difference this time around is that battle could be shaped largely by the location where it is being fought. While Manitoba received significant […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Prices continue to soften as April approaches

Seeding start in Alberta remains a question mark

MarketsFarm — Corn is still moving into feedlots in southern Alberta as it approaches not only the end of its contracts, but also the end of winter. “We’ve been seeing here in Lethbridge prices at $395-$400 per tonne ($10.03-$10.16 per bushel),” said Erin Harakal, trade manager at Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta. “It seems […] Read more

Manufactured in Saskatoon, Sask., the Redekop Seed Control Unit can be fitted onto the back of a combine to provide harvest weed seed control.

Use multiple strategies to control weeds in your crops

Rising herbicide resistance means it’s time to broaden your weed control arsenal with chemical, mechanical and non-chemical methods

Herbicides have long been the go-to solution for Prairie grain producers fighting weed infestations. Over time, it has led to widespread resistance development in many weed species and a shrinking list of chemical options for controlling pervasive weeds like kochia and wild oats that have become resistant to multiple modes of action in recent years. […] Read more



Oats. (Greg Berg photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Grain bids quietly drift lower

Oats still making their way into feedlots

MarketsFarm — Prices for feed barley and wheat in Western Canada drifted lower during the week ended Wednesday. Erin Harakal, trade manager for Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta., said a relatively milder winter across the Prairies has resulted in less consumption of feed grains in feedlots. In turn, feedlots are not purchasing as much […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Grain stocks come in as projected

StatCan report deemed neutral for canola and spring wheat, supportive for durum

MarketsFarm — Stocks of Canadian grains at year-end appear to be pretty much in line with market expectations. Statistics Canada on Tuesday issued its report on stocks as of Dec. 31, 2022, which highlighted notable increases in most grains, further signaling a recovery from the 2021 drought. “Stocks reports are important because they confirm the […] Read more

“It just makes tracking your inventory and your contracts a lot easier... I don’t have to spend days on the computer entering contracts and doing spreadsheets.” – Sean Edwards.

New tool for grain marketing at your fingertips

Combyne marketing app built for grain producers

A new software system developed by a Canadian tech firm promises to make grain marketing easier and more efficient for farmers across the country. Combyne was developed by Alain Goubau and his Ontario-based company, Combyne Ag. It was released to the public in November 2021 and is available for mobile devices and computer desktop use. […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley, wheat prices continue downward

Oats, canola meal also bound for feedlots

MarketsFarm — As colder temperatures descend onto the Prairies, buying activity for feed barley and wheat was just as frigid. “A lot of guys are fairly caught up with purchasing,” said Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities Inc. in Lethbridge. “You see the prices of wheat and barley start to trickle down a little bit. Corn’s […] Read more

Alumni of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers program Ian (left) and Karilynn (middle) Marshall of Bowden, Alta., receive the W.R. Motherwell Award from COYF president, Danny Penner (right), at the COYF national award ceremony in November.

Outstanding Young Farmers Awards go to Saskatchewan and Quebec

Organic farming receives national recognition

Cody Straza and Allison Squires say developing an organic mixed farming operation in southern Saskatchewan over the past dozen years was a reflection of their values in terms of creating a sustainable farm operation guided by proper environmental stewardship and social justice principles. Winning a national award recognizing excellence in farm management gave them reassurance […] Read more