CHICAGO, Oct 28 (Reuters) – Harvesting of the 2013 U.S. corn and soybean crops will grind to a halt in most areas this week as rainfall spreads across the entire Midwest crop region, an agricultural meteorologist said on Monday. “We will be stalled for a few days, just about everybody will get the rains,” said […] Read more
Crop Management — page 610
U.S. harvest seen snarled by widespread rains this week
Shipping record U.S. corn crop burdens railroads, barge lines
CHICAGO, Oct 25 (Reuters) – Harvesting the largest U.S. corn crop on record and transporting it on railroads and rivers to markets here and abroad is driving up costs for rail cars, barges and trucks in the world’s top crop producer and exporter. After three years of crop shortfalls that left grain supply pipelines all […] Read more
Fall tillage starts with tandem tune-up
Keeping everything in harmony | Pulling a poorly adjusted disc harrow is like playing a violin that’s out of tune
Conquering B.t. corn root balls and stalks has become an industry unto itself in the past decade. The older disc harrows and field cultivators just don’t have the weight or aggressive design to cut, slice and chop the residue of genetically modified corn, says Sunflower Manufacturing tillage specialist Larry Kuster. “I can recall dozens of […] Read moreMonsanto not close to using RNA interference to control varroa mites in bees
Beekeepers won’t have new technology to fight varroa mites and associated viruses anytime soon because Monsanto’s RNA interference technology is years away from commercialization, a company spokesperson said. Two years ago, Monsanto purchased Beeologics, an Israeli company specializing in RNA interference, which is a technique to shut down the expression of particular genes in an […] Read more
Keep stored grain cool to keep insects at bay
Not all of the large 2013 crop got put away in steel bins or plastic bags. Some of it is piled in quonsets, outdoors on tarps or in temporary storage after bags and machines became scarce. And that means it is subject to insect infestations. Noel White of Agriculture Canada’s Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg […] Read more
New organic production manual updates science details
The Saskatchewan Organic Directorate has released its new production manual, Organic Farming on the Prairies, second edition. The original edition focused on organic grain production and combined practical how-to information with principles and research. It was incredibly popular, a text for introductory workshops and courses and a reference for practitioners. The second edition retains the […] Read more
Manitoba farmers want government to force oil companies to wash vehicles as clubroot precaution
Now that clubroot is officially in Manitoba, a farmer in the province’s oil patch wants petroleum industry companies to wash vehicles before entering farmland. Carlyle Jorgensen, who farms near Cromer, said cleaning trucks and other equipment is a standard protocol in Alberta and should become customary in Manitoba. “In our area of our province, an […] Read more
Manitoba farmers want fertilizer application deadline extended because of late fall
A late harvest and wet conditions in the western half of Manitoba means farmers will have a narrow window to apply fertilizer this year. As a result, Keystone Agricultural Producers president Doug Chorney wants the province to extend or eliminate the Nov. 10 deadline for fertilizer applications. “I, on my farm, have been able to […] Read more
Manitoba corn yields through the roof in 2013
Lorne Loeppky has never topped 150 bushels per acre since he began growing corn in 1997. This year he hit 160 bu. per acre. Loeppky, who farms near Niverville, Man., completed his corn harvest Oct. 23. His fields received timely rain this summer and no excessive moisture. “The growing conditions were just excellent,” said Loeppky, […] Read more
Lanworth raises global corn, soy, wheat forecasts
CHICAGO, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Crop forecaster Lanworth raised its forecast for world corn and soybean production on Wednesday due to bigger-than-expected yield reports from the ongoing harvest in the U.S. Midwest. Lanworth said it expected world corn production of 955 million tonnes, three million higher than the forecast it issued a week ago. It […] Read more
