A logo is seen at the headquarters of agricultural chemical maker Syngenta in Basel, Switzerland January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

Beijing nudged Syngenta to withdraw $9 billion Shanghai IPO on market weakness, sources say

China's securities watchdog's tighter scrutiny of IPOs has led some companies to scrap plans, move offshore

Chinese authorities nudged Swiss agrichemicals and seeds group Syngenta to withdraw its application for a long-delayed $9 billion IPO in Shanghai on concerns about the impact a sizeable new offering would have on a volatile market, four people said.




Seed treated with Vibrance Total, a combination of five different fungicide groups being brought to market for the 2024 season.

The year in pulse crop inputs

A quick look at new actives, new combinations and expanded labels

Following up on last issue’s roundup of product launches and label expansions in the cereal crop input market, here we’ve put together a quick list of new and/or improved pulse crop inputs that were announced in our earshot during the past year, including several due out for the coming growing season. Again, if we’ve inadvertently […] Read more



Silhouette of a bat and reeds at nightfall in the Ria de Aveiro.

VIDEO: Making Prairies less scary for bat habitat

Bats can feast on field pests from suitable haunts

Having a healthy bat population is not going to be a straight substitute for a strong integrated pest management system on the farm, but as University of Winnipeg bat expert Dr. Craig Willis explains, the potential benefits of having them around can’t be overlooked.


(FMC Corp. video screengrab via YouTube)

Ag input firm FMC’s shares tumble after lowering financial targets

Partners 'rapidly reduced inventory levels'

Reuters — Shares of FMC Corp. fell more than eight per cent on Monday after the agricultural products supplier cut its outlook for the year on volume declines in most of its major markets. “Towards the end of May, we experienced unforeseen and unprecedented volume declines in three out of our four operating regions, as […] Read more

Pea leaf weevil. (Alberta Agriculture photo)

Insects posing problems in Saskatchewan crops

Grasshopper, flea beetle damage already reported

MarketsFarm – Although it’s still early in the growing season, some insect pests have already posed a threat to crops in Saskatchewan or could do so in the near future, according to James Tansey, provincial specialist for insects/invertebrate pest management. Among the pests he cited were grasshoppers, flea beetles and pea leaf weevils.  Tansey said […] Read more


In high-risk areas where a crop is stalled and flea beetles are feeding aggressively, the action threshold of 25 per cent may be met and surpassed within hours. In a situation like this, growers may want to spray at less than 25 per cent leaf area loss, giving the crop a chance to get through the day a little stronger, offers CCC’s Curtis Rempel.

Flea beetles: how to improve spray results

Five important tips when applying foliar insecticides

You’ve probably heard this before: the best defence against flea beetles is a canola crop that emerges uniformly, with five to eight plants per square foot, and grows quickly to the four-leaf stage. Weather conditions often conspire against these best laid plans, pushing canola growers to plan B: foliar insecticide. Farmers get particularly frustrated when […] Read more

The grasshopper species that damage crops

The grasshopper species that damage crops

Q & A with an expert

Q: Are all grasshoppers crop pests?  A: In Canada, there are approximately 200 different species of grasshoppers. Of these 200 species, more than 85 are found in fields and pastures on the Prairies. With so many species, it can be difficult to know which ones to be concerned about.  On the Prairies, there are four […] Read more