The soybean tentiform leafminer is blamed for these blotchy leaf mines on plants in a soybean field.

Native insect acquires taste for soy

What's now called the soybean tentiform leafminer is moving north

A tiny North American moth species that has been seen in Canada has been developing a new appetite for soybean plants on the U.S. Plains. The species, Macrosaccus morrisella — now officially named the soybean tentiform leafminer — was detected feeding on soybean crops in eastern Minnesota in 2021 and has since taken its newfound […] Read more

Trying multiple varieties will better help Prairie growers understand what does -- and doesn't -- work on their fields, Horst Bohner says

Planting just one soybean variety is a ‘mistake’

Growers should try at least three, an Ontario soy expert says

Horst Bohner is convinced — completely so — that farmers should plant more than one variety of soybeans. If they don’t, they are making a “mistake,” he says. “As a basic starting point, I think every grower should seed at least three varieties. Every year. As a minimum. Hopefully more than that,” says Bohner, the […] Read more


Concentrating 13 growing seasons into five years gets the latest traits and technologies into growers’ hands.

Breeding picks up its pace

Thirteen years of testing, selecting and production now done in five

The pace of plant breeding has quickened by leaps and bounds, from selective breeding to the use of transgenics. Yet the process of breeding seeds with desired traits, rechecking for trait and yield performance and increasing those numbers for commercial availability takes more than 10 years. Or does it? With the use of continuous nursery […] Read more

Photo: File

Window now wider, but ideal timing to plant soy still same

Risks also remain if pushing luck with planting depth and rates

Glacier FarmMedia — Provincial pulse and soybean specialist Dennis Lange says the window for planting soybeans in Manitoba is getting wider. “In the past, one of our big concerns was planting soybeans too early,” he says. “That was our initial discussion a few years ago.” Soybeans are susceptible to frost, and historically, the risk of […] Read more


Reuben Stone broadcasts rye into his soybeans roughly four to five weeks before harvesting.

Shorter-season soybeans play host to rye

Broadcasting rye offers more harvest management options, healthier soils — and cattle feed

Glacier FarmMedia — Growers often fall into two categories: those who follow convention and those who set their own pace amid questions from others. Meet Reuben Stone. Operating a value-added farm business near Cobden, Ont., about 100 km northwest of Ottawa, Stone grows several specialty crops including peas and hemp, while servicing a growing cover […] Read more

Although it’s more likely for plants to develop IDC in moist soil conditions, the disorder can also occur in drier environments due to moisture in the soil pushing salt toward the surface. When this moisture evaporates, the salt is left behind, which reduces iron uptake by the plant.

Iron deficiency chlorosis continues to affect soybean crops

If you’re a soybean producer, IDC should be on your radar

It’s not exactly a household name, but iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) can pose a serious threat to soybean producers on the Prairies. IDC is a nutrient deficiency that can cause yellowing of soybean foliage and stunt plant growth. In extreme cases, it can lead to significant yield losses. The problem typically develops in fields where […] Read more


Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in degrees Celsius on Oct. 18, 2023. (NOAA.gov)

El Nino worries Brazil soy farmers as planting progresses, grain lobby says

Dry weather has pushed back planting

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Soybean farmers in top growing state Mato Grosso worry that scarce rains and high temperatures will lead to replanting of some areas while lowering yields in others, local grain farmer lobby Aprosoja-MT said Thursday. The unusual heat and dryness has been linked to the El Nino weather pattern, which is […] Read more

(Richardson International video screengrab via YouTube)

Canola crush shows solid start in new crop year

Soybeans see lowest August crush ever

MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada on Tuesday reported Canada’s second largest August canola crush on record. The 829,490 tonnes of the oilseed processed last month is only bested by the 830,335 tonnes in August 2020. The July 2023 canola crush set a new all-time record of 961,683 tonnes. Last month’s canola crush was 31 per cent […] Read more


(Richardson International video screengrab via YouTube)

July canola crush sets new records

Soybean crush down slightly from last July

MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada reported very sizeable increases in the July canola crush when compared to a year ago. In fact, the month’s crush was not only a record for July but also for any month. Meanwhile, StatCan found the July soybean crush was slightly lower than in July 2022. The federal agency pegged the […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

CBOT weekly outlook: August forecasts pulling prices down 

Wheat prices went down during the week despite Russia’s withdrawal from Black Sea deal

MarketsFarm – Recent weather forecasts for much of the United States put pressure on grain prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) during the week ended Aug. 2.  Cooler and wetter conditions are expected for the U.S. Midwest during the first half of August, which could help stabilize corn and soybean crops affected by […] Read more