In both wheat and barley, boron deficiency causes the unfertilized cereal grain flowers to open up just like open pollinated rye. The consequences of deficiencies are failure to set seed, as in canola and wheat, and, in barley, the open, exposed cereal flowers can have very high levels of ergot.

Bring on the boron

Boron deficiency can cause failure to set seed and ergot infection

Over the last few years in the Prairies, there has been something of a resurgence of interest in boron. This micronutrient is critical for normal plant growth, particularly crop maturity, and water balance — and is a key factor in seed set and crop yield. In man and animals, this micronutrient is essential for weight […] Read more

The strength or weakness of a basis at any point in time can be viewed as a bellwether that informs grain sellers where the market is at, and where it might be headed.

Have you got your basis covered?

To score a grain marketing home run, understand and monitor basis levels

Basis is a marketing instrument utilized by grain handling companies to attract grain when they need it or to discourage delivery when they don’t. Used for crops that have an active futures trading market like wheat and canola, basis is the difference between a local cash price for a commodity and its price on the […] Read more


CBOT December 2021 corn (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn down off four-week top

CBOT oats down off 7-1/2-year high; soy, wheat also down

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell more than one per cent on Tuesday on macroeconomic worries as the dollar strengthened and crude oil futures turned down, and on harvest-related selling as combines rolled in the heart of the Midwest crop belt, analysts said. Soybeans and wheat followed the weak trend. Chicago Board of […] Read more

CBOT December 2021 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn futures up on firm cash markets

Soybeans post modest gains

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose about two per cent on Monday, rallying from early declines on support from tight domestic cash markets and spillover strength from crude oil futures, analysts said. Soybean futures climbed as China booked several U.S. cargos of the oilseed but wheat futures ended narrowly mixed. Chicago Board of […] Read more


Once you have a network of buyers you’d like to do business with, it pays to stay in touch — it will likely improve your chances of being alerted to pricing specials when they come around.

Be a better grain marketer

It’s more important than ever to be an astute grain marketer. Strengthen your position with these pro tips

Reg Dyck farmed for more than 40 years near Starbuck, Man., but he knew early on that grain marketing was something he wanted to learn more about. In fact, Dyck was still in high school when he started taking marketing extension courses put on by Manitoba Agriculture and other ag agencies. “What motivated me, I […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Gains in prices vary by type

MGEX, CBOT December wheats up on week

MarketsFarm — Bids in Western Canada for the week ended Thursday were higher for Canada Western Amber Durum (CWAD), Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheats. Gains in most of the U.S. wheat markets led to the increases, which were tempered somewhat by a stronger Canadian dollar. Average CWRS (13.5 […] Read more


CBOT December 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat finds two-week high on strong global demand

Corn, soybeans little changed; wider markets encourage consolidation

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures firmed on Friday, ending near a two-week high as the market assessed mixed global production prospects and brisk import demand. Corn eased as supply pressure from the ongoing U.S. harvest countered background support from tight supplies, while soybeans inched higher after trading both sides of even. The most-active […] Read more

One Canada Square (tower at centre) houses the London head office of the International Grains Council. (Iliffd/iStock/Getty Images)

Grains council tweaks numbers in latest supply and demand data

MarketsFarm — The International Grains Council (IGC) released its monthly supply and demand report Thursday, projecting a six million-tonne increase in total global grain production at 2.289 billion tonnes in 2021-22. That change consisted of a seven million-tonne increase in global corn production, offset by a one million-tonne decrease in world wheat output. Soybean production […] Read more



CBOT December 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with December 2021 oats (orange line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat firms on global supply issues

Oats also push corn higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures firmed on Thursday, strengthened by global supply concerns and a firming oat futures market on drought-stricken North American supplies. Corn and soybeans edged higher, supported by wheat and oats. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board Of Trade (CBOT) added 12 cents to $7.17-3/4 a bushel (all […] Read more