The percentage of canola growers using variable-rate fertilizer on all of their fields in 2021 was down slightly from the previous year.

Why are farmers slow to adopt variable-rate fertilizer technology?

Reasons for the slow adoption rate plus tips to get you started

Variable-rate fertilizer (VRF) application has caught the interest of a lot of farmers over the past 15 years. However, the level of adoption of VRF has been slower than expected. A Fertilizer Canada survey of canola farmers in Western Canada in the fall of 2021 found only 10.2 per cent of growers used VRF application […] Read more

CBOT March 2023 soymeal with 20-day moving average (brown line, right scale) and CBOT March 2023 soybeans (dark green line, left scale). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soymeal futures set multi-year high while soybeans decline

CBOT wheat down off one-month top; CFTC trading report to be delayed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures declined on Friday on spillover weakness from crude oil prices and expectations of a massive Brazilian soy harvest, but most-active soymeal futures set an 8-1/2-year high on tight supplies of the feed ingredient, analysts said. Wheat futures fell on profit-taking after rising to a one-month top while corn […] Read more


Rats cause many millions of dollars in damage to crops, food losses and buildings in Canada annually.

Successful pest protection and prevention programs

Given the right advice and a willingness to co-operate, Prairie growers can do a lot to mitigate or prevent crop yield losses

Pests of all kinds — weeds, animals, insects or diseases — would like to find a good home on your crop production acres. Prevention is by far the best method of pest control. If you can stop or prevent the pest from gaining a foothold on your acres, you are winning the battle. You do […] Read more

CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX March 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. March 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat futures firm; technical resistance weighs

Chicago soybeans up, corn down

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures gained on Tuesday as traders eye winter wheat conditions across the U.S. Plains amid a second frigid cold snap this season, though futures struggled against technical resistance. Soybeans futures ended up, though prices were pressured by a correction in the soymeal charts, traders said. Corn futures ended lower, […] Read more


CBOT March 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans firm as Argentina drought worries persist

Cold snap in U.S. brings renewed wheat damage fears

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybeans climbed on Monday, underpinned by concern that drought-damaged crops in Argentina could face more dry weather. Wheat inched higher after climbing to four-week highs earlier in the session on fears a cold snap in U.S. grain belts could lead to crop damage, while potential escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war […] Read more

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USDA sees little change in Australian, Canadian wheat output

MarketsFarm — There isn’t much in the way of significant changes in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) attaché reports on grain production in Australia and Canada. USDA’s Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) office in Canberra pegged Australia’s wheat production for 2022-23 at 37 million tonnes, 400,000 more than the official USDA estimate. In comparison, […] Read more


CBOT March 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy futures weak, corn firm

Wheat mixed ahead of weekend

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell on Friday on expectations that recent rains in Argentina boosted crop potential from that key South American exporter, traders said. Wheat futures were mixed, with the most-active Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat contract sagging on position squaring after notching its biggest weekly gain in […] Read more

CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, soy, corn up on strong export report

South America crop progress limits corn, soy gains

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat, corn and soybeans jumped on Thursday on support from a government report that showed strong overseas demand for all three commodities, traders said. “We had some decent export sales compared to what we have seen the last few weeks and that trend, particularly for corn and wheat, is likely […] Read more


CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX March 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. March 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat futures rise on Ukraine war concerns

March corn sags, March soybeans up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose on Wednesday on concerns that any intensification of Russia’s war on Ukraine could clog the export pipeline from those two major exporters. “I think the market is trying to price in an increasing likelihood that an escalation … turns into a European theatre war,” said Mike Zuzolo, […] Read more

CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX March 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. March 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line), (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago wheat, corn climb after weather pressure

Investor optimism on economy helps underpin grains

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat and corn futures firmed on Tuesday, supported by investor optimism after easing a day earlier on precipitation in both Argentina and the U.S. Plains. Soybean futures began the day firmer but failed to maintain support as forecasts in South America call for more rain. The most-active wheat contract on […] Read more