CBOT March 2022 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-m 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat rises on Ukraine-Russia tensions

Corn, soybean futures end firm

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose 2.2 per cent on Thursday, supported by rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia and expectations that war between the two export countries could improve demand for U.S. supplies, traders said. Soybeans and corn futures closed in positive territory after trading both sides of unchanged, with concerns about […] Read more

an Alberta Agriculture variable-rate fertilizer research site near Lethbridge

How to determine the recommended rate of phosphorus fertilizer

Understand how your crops will respond to phosphorus and under what conditions

In the Jan. 18 issue of Grainews, I discussed developing nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendations. In this article, I will discuss developing phosphorus (P) fertilizer recommendations. For many Prairie farmers, phosphorus is the second most limiting soil nutrient in crop production for cereal and oilseed crops. With respect to fertilizer use, phosphorus is second only to […] Read more


Saskatchewan producer Stuart Lawrence minimizes his insecticide use by letting lady beetles, a natural enemy of his problem aphids, do as much of the work as possible.

Beneficial insects play key roles on Prairie farms

The benefits of beneficials are many and varied, some parasitize or feed on crop pests while others can pollinate crops and improve seed set

A growing number of crop producers are recognizing the role of beneficial insects on their farms. It seems like just about every crop pest has a natural enemy that can keep their populations at bay, while many crops have beneficials that aid their growth and sustainability. Stuart Lawrence, Dean Hubbard and Ian Steppler are three […] Read more

Have a well-prepared crop plan for 2022

Have a well-prepared crop plan for 2022

Q & A with an expert

Q: What factors do I need to consider when planning my 2022 crop rotation? A: With 2021 safely in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to finalize plans for the 2022 crop year. When planning for the new season, there are many different agronomic factors that must be taken into consideration. With crop prices sitting above […] Read more



CBOT March 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn rise as traders watch weather

Chicago wheat futures flat

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rallied on Wednesday, rising 2.3 per cent to halt a two-day fall with the market underpinned by concerns that forecast rain may be insufficient to avert further drought damage to crops in Argentina and southern Brazil. “It is the size of the crop in South America that will […] Read more


A highly saturated area in a canola field in Manitoba’s Interlake in 2016, and a good visual of what happens when water comes in faster than it can dissipate.

Les Henry: Some facts on precipitation cycles

What goes around comes around

This piece deals with long-term water table records as a basis for tracing long-ago annual precipitation. I am dedicating this to the memory of Bill Meneley (1933-2000), who was responsible for establishing the observation wells, which are the basis of what I have to say. He started that work while with the Saskatchewan Research Council. […] Read more

CBOT March 2022 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn fall as fears of Black Sea disruption retreat

Soybeans down on chance of South America rain

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat and corn futures fell on Tuesday as Moscow’s announcement that some of its troops were returning to base after drills tempered investor fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine that could disrupt Black Sea export flows. U.S. soybeans fell as traders assessed chances for rain in […] Read more


CBOT March 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans ease on South American rainfall

Wheat underpinned by Black Sea supply worry; corn adds on strong export inspections

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybeans fell on Monday, pressured by rainfall in parts of South America that could refresh parched crops as Argentina and southern Brazil near harvest. CBOT corn and wheat ended higher after earlier losses, with corn underpinned by strong export inspections and wheat weighing tensions between Russia and Ukraine that could […] Read more

Targeting a seeding rate to produce 38 wheat plants per square foot, Wade McAllister was impressed with the uniform seed placement delivered by the SeedMaster Ultra SR drill, which, in turn, resulted in very even germination of CPS Penhold wheat.

Profitability isn’t always about yield

Efficiency increases and cost reductions more than cover yield shortfall with a 60-foot single rank air drill on 15-inch row spacing

As Wade McAllister heads into his second full seeding season this year with a single rank 60-foot drill on 15-inch row spacing, he is convinced there are more factors that contribute to farm profitability than just yield. The central Alberta farmer agrees that, yes, yield is important, but with the new drill — which is […] Read more