The success of wildflower strips to attract pollinators depends on having the right mix of natural habitat and farmland
Forty percent of the Earth’s land surface is used for agricultural production resulting in natural habitat transformed into croplands, a primary driver of biodiversity loss. Yet many biological communities such as bees (for pollination) and wasps (that kill crop pests) provide important ecosystem services to agriculture. Finding ways to conserve that biodiversity and balance it […] Read moreWildflower strips must be in Goldilocks zone
2018 Prairie sunflower harvest delayed by cold, wet weather
For sunflowers it was a tough year that began with dry conditions at seeding time, more dry weather in July and August, only to be topped off by a cold, wet fall. But the quality of sunflowers is said to be pretty good in Western Canada. Darcelle Graham, executive director of the National Sunflower Association […] Read more
Harvest 2018 almost a wrap across the Prairies
The harvest window has closed again after rain followed by sub-zero temperatures and snow swept the Prairies Nov. 4-5. However, most crops are now in the bin, thanks to a two-week window of warm, dry conditions opening up in October. After multiple weeks of delay, many producers were able to return to their fields and […] Read more
Ag Canada ups canola carryout forecast sharply
Canadian canola carryout stocks at the end of the current marketing year (2018/19) will be considerably larger than an earlier estimate, according to updated supply/demand tables from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, released on Oct. 19. Agriculture Canada’s market analysis branch forecast canola ending stocks for 2018/19 at 2.500 million tonnes, which would be double the […] Read more
Sunflower seen beating StatsCan production estimates
Sunflowers in southern Manitoba are starting to come off and early indications point to very good quality. Ben Friesen, manager of the sunflowers, flax and bird food division, at The Scoular Company based in Winkler, Man., said although only a few samples have come in, what he’s seen so far is promising. Sunflower growers normally […] Read more
Sunflowers look good overall, bumper crops for some
Luc Remillard expects to be one happy farmer next week. He’s expecting to get into sunflower fields on land he farms with his father in Manitoba’s southern Red River Valley. “It’s right up there with any bumper crop that we’ve had the valley here,” he said. Remillard, who farms near St. Joseph, Man., and also […] Read more
Filtered air won’t fan combine sunflower fires
A new system from South Dakota prevents the conditions that allow sunflower combine fires to get started in the first place
Sunflower debris in a combine ignites at temperatures 20 to 30 C lower than corn or soybean residue. However, most crops harvested in hot, dry weather can set your combine afire. Armed with this fact, engineers at South Dakota State University developed an air filtration kit they think will prevent most combine fires that start […] Read more
Dry conditions affecting Manitoba crops
WINNIPEG – Dry conditions across Manitoba are causing crops to advance quickly, according to the weekly crop report from Manitoba Agriculture, released on Aug. 13. Moisture stress is evident in corn, soybean and sunflower crops. Rainfall is needed to help with grain fill, according to the report. Harvest is well underway across the province for […] Read more
Canaryseed bids edge higher as supply tightens
Brown mustard prices are likely dropping, yellow may have modest upside and oriental values are expected to be flat
REGINA — Price forecasts are all over the map for Canada’s special crops. Chuck Penner, an analyst with LeftField Commodity Research, provided outlooks for canaryseed, mustard, sunflowers and flax at the 2018 Pulse and Special Crops Convention. He was bullish canaryseed, partly because of reduced export competition. Penner thinks farmers planted more than the 223,000 […] Read moreMan. sunflower acreage could slip
WINNIPEG — Manitoba sunflower growers are feeling uneasy as they head into the growing season following the closure of an Alberta sunflower processing plant. “Because of the plant closure there’s quite a bit of delay in delivery of the ‘17 crop. So, it’s discouraged quite a few guys from growing more (sunflowers),” said Ben Friesen, […] Read more
