These are trying times for many Prairie producers, with withered crops and parched pastures across wide swaths of the growing region. To help keep you informed about the issue this page will be continually updated with the latest drought-related news and solutions you can use, produced by The Western Producer’s team of professional reporters and […] Read more
Man. sunflower acres either stable or down
On June 10, oil sunflower prices hit US $28.80 per hundredweight. Prices have since backed off that high and buyers were bidding about $27.50 in the middle of June. Nevertheless, $27 to $28 per cwt. is an outstanding price for sunflowers. “Sunflower prices are at a nine-year high,” John Sandbakken, U.S. National Sunflower Association executive […] Read more
Kochia becomes major problem across Western Canada
A couple of years ago I wrote a number of articles under “The Weed of The Week” heading. This column might be headed “The Weed of the Year.” From what I have seen in the fields, and from phone calls and texts I have received, kochia, which I have previously referred to as the scourge […] Read more
Many crops find a single home under one research roof
For years in Western Canada, commodity groups have mostly stayed in their lane. Provincial canola associations fund research on canola diseases, flea beetles and other issues that affect canola. Flax associations fund research on flax, barley groups fund barley research and so on. The Manitoba Crop Alliance is now taking a different approach. On March […] Read more
Whole crop research launched
For years in Western Canada, commodity groups have mostly stayed in their lane. Provincial canola associations fund research on canola diseases, flea beetles and other issues that affect canola. Flax associations fund research on flax, barley groups fund barley research and so on. The Manitoba Crop Alliance is now taking a different approach. On March […] Read more
Drones, bird repellent may provide solution for blackbirds
Red-winged blackbirds, with their red and yellow shoulder badges, are a handsome-looking bird. Manitoba farmers who grow sunflowers probably have a different opinion. That’s because a large flock of blackbirds can cause significant yield losses and in certain cases, ravage all sunflowers in part of a field. The United States National Sunflower Association has estimated […] Read more
Speciality crops find strength in numbers
At first glance, seven important specialty crops seem to have little in common, except a need for more research and development, and access to a bigger pot of money. As Carol Ann Patterson explained, each crop — initially canaryseed, flax, mustard and sunflower — was limited in how much research funding it could get. “With […] Read more
Planting canola by the numbers, one seed at a time
North Dakota farmer had a new planting tool custom built so the farm can seed canola to corn in a single pass with speed and precision
Travis Messer first built a planter that could handle his North Dakota farm’s canola crop in 2015. “Our farm had been in canola for a number of years and we just knew what planters, with good depth control and precise placement, would be a way to save on some seed costs,” Messer said. He said […] Read more
Decisions to be made as battle looms over acres
A monumental acreage battle is shaping up for this spring. Viewed in isolation, most grains, oilseeds and specialty crops appear to be a good bet for profitability and therefore an acreage increase, but there are only so many acres to go around. The Market Analysis Group of Agriculture Canada has taken a stab at predicting […] Read more
Firm finds place in Ukraine
Ukraine, a country known for wheat and sunflowers, grows a surprising amount of corn. U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows Ukraine planted 13 million acres of corn in 2020. Canada had 4.5 million acres of corn in 2020, if silage corn is included. For the seed industry, 13 million acres is hard to ignore. Big […] Read more
