Crops & Production Tips

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

By Ross H. McKenzie February 17, 2022

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.

Crops, Features

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

By Jeff Melchior February 17, 2022

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

Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Have a well-prepared crop plan for 2022

Q & A with an expert

By Gary Topham February 17, 2022

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

Paragon Ag Service’s site west of Melfort. (Lakecountryco-op.crs)

Crops

Two Saskatchewan co-ops to buy ag input retailer

Paragon Ag Service assets to be divvied up

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News February 17, 2022

A pair of Saskatchewan co-operatives are expanding their reach in the crop input retail sector in that province’s northeast, with a deal to buy an independent dealership chain. Lake Country Co-op and Prairie North Co-op announced Tuesday they have agreements in place to buy the assets of Melfort-based Paragon Ag Service from owners Sherman Boland […] Read more

(Richardson International video screengrab via YouTube)

Canola, Crops

Richardson crush plant staff ward off strike vote

Unionized staff at Lethbridge vote to ratify new contract

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News February 17, 2022

Unionized staff at Richardson International’s canola crush plant at Lethbridge have voted for six years’ labour peace rather than proceeding toward a strike vote. The 140-odd workers, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401, voted Feb. 1-2 on a new proposal from the company after voting 79 per cent in December to […] Read more

ICE March 2022 canola (candlesticks, right column) with November 2022 canola (yellow line, left column). (Barchart)

Canola, Crops, Markets

ICE weekly outlook: Rangebound canola market consolidating

By Phil Franz-Warkentin, GFM Network News February 17, 2022

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts moved lower during the week ended Wednesday before uncovering some support, as the commodity remained stuck in a range after trending higher for most of the past year. “Canola is caught in a rangebound, consolidation phase,” said MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville. The relative stability in canola, he said, […] Read more

Members of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service keep watch at the Kliusy checkpoint near the frontier with Russia in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region on Feb. 16, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko)

Crops, Markets

CBOT weekly outlook: Russia-Ukraine conflict causes wheat market volatility

By GFM Network News February 17, 2022

MarketsFarm — Conflicting reports and accounts from the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine have had an effect on the markets, especially on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), over the past week. The March Chicago wheat contract had ranged from $7.65 to $8.15 per bushel during the week, but lack of precipitation in […] Read more

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

Crops, Markets, Reuters, Weather

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

Chicago wheat futures flat

By Mark Weinraub, GFM Network News February 16, 2022

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.

Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Some facts on precipitation cycles

What goes around comes around

By Les Henry February 16, 2022

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

Record-keeping can play an important role in keeping track of crop protection products you’ve applied.

Canola, Crops, Features

‘Take time to account for time’ and other spraying advice

Tom Wolf and Ian Epp offer tips for in-crop spray applications in canola

By Jeff Melchior February 16, 2022

February may seem early to think about a spraying strategy for the coming growing season but doing so now may pay off later in weed kill and crop yield. This is the take-home message from a 2021 Manitoba Canola Growers webinar on in-crop spraying, hosted by Jay Whetter of the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle rebound on technical buying

U.S. grains: Soybeans fall as rapid harvest overshadows China trade hopes

Good weather pushes Alberta harvest along