Compared to previous years, said Alireza Akhavan, a provincial plant disease specialist in Saskatchewan, she has received “significantly more” reports of fusarium head blight in cereal crops this season. | File photo

Prairie fusarium levels mixed; some grades take a hit

‘Significantly more’ reports of fusarium head blight seen in Sask. cereal crops this season; Man. also has problem areas

Glacier FarmMedia – Fusarium head blight, a persistent threat to cereal crops across the Prairies, is making a stronger-than-usual appearance this season, but the severity and location varies. Compared to previous years, said Alireza Akhavan, a provincial plant disease specialist in Saskatchewan, she has received “significantly more” reports of fusarium head blight in cereal crops […] Read more

Researchers work with winter wheat in test plots at Agriculture Canada’s research centre in Lethbridge.  |  Byron Lee/Agriculture Canada photo

Outlook for fall seeding looks positive this year

Soil moisture conditions vary across the Prairies, but crop specialists say winter cereals may be set for a good start

Glacier FarmMedia – Experts expect a lot of winter cereals to be planted this fall despite a wide range of weather conditions across the Prairies. Manitoba, generally the wettest of the three Prairie provinces, lived up to its reputation this year. Above-average precipitation blanketed the province in the first half of summer. At the end […] Read more

Lodging often occurs in headlands, where seeding and nitrogen rates may be concentrated due to multiple passes. |  Alexis Stockford photo

Late-season lodging can flatten cereal crops

Flattened wheat, oat and barley fields across the Prairies promise to create a harvest headache for producers this year

Glacier FarmMedia – Crops don’t easily bounce back from lodging when it happens near the end of the season, says Anne Kirk, a cereals specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. Producers can expect the worst hit to yields if crops have been flat in the weeks following head emergence. Carbohydrate flow to the head can be disrupted, […] Read more


Ergot infection is heavily dependent on environmental factors, especially during the pollination window.  |  File photo

Ergot risk threatens Man., less severe elsewhere

The fungal disease has been helped by the wet start to the growing season on the eastern side of the Prairies

Glacier FarmMedia – In the midst of the growing season, some Manitoba crops are now showing signs of ergot, which can reduce yield and pose a problem for marketing grain, but there are ways that producers can fight back against the fungal disease. Reports of ergot have been coming into Manitoba Agriculture, according to Anne […] Read more

Early seeded canola crops are just nicely in the flowering stages in Manitoba, such as this one photographed June 23 near Carman, Man.  |  Jeannette Greaves photo

Crops ‘look good’ but slow

SASKATOON — Statistics Canada’s latest satellite-based map of vegetative growth in the Canadian Prairies is missing the colour green. The Crop Condition Assessment Program (CCAP) map for the week ending June 16 was all yellow and brown. Related stories: That means crop conditions across the Prairies at this early stage of the growing season are […] Read more


A drought-stunted wheat crop struggles through the July heat in 2021.  |  Alexis Stockford photo

Seeding research may not apply to all regions

Recent Sask. study suggests benefits from lower wheat seeding rates for low moisture, but that might not transfer to Man.


Recent research from Saskatchewan suggests farmers might want to hold back on their wheat seeding rate if they’re expecting a dry year, but it’s not clear how well the insight translates to Manitoba. The Western Applied Research Corporation study found that with a dry season on the horizon, a mid-to-low wheat seeding rate achieved the […] Read more

Aeration and vigilant monitoring of bin moisture and temperature are farmers’ best bets when attempting to protect their grain from spoilage, particularly when outside temperatures fluctuate.  |  File photo

Avoid grain spoilage in a winter of extremes

Glacier FarmMedia – With unusually high temperatures interrupted by two deep freezes, it’s been a challenging winter for grain storage on the Prairies and one requiring diligence to protect stored crop. Anne Kirk, cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, advises aeration and vigilant monitoring of bin moisture and temperature. The latter is particularly important when […] Read more