Reading Time: 8 minutes As Prairie farmers consider growing some of the shorter-season corn hybrids coming onto the market, they still have questions whether they should even risk trying them, and which hybrids have the best chance of success. After completing three years of the four-year Corn Agronomy Project, researchers are beginning to provide a few answers — and […] Read more
Prairie corn: Agronomics and economics
A four-year project in Manitoba has some notable findings on tillage economics and the reliability of heat unit ratings
BASF’s new Canadian stake to include three plants, 300 staff
Reading Time: 2 minutes Among the major players still in the world’s crop protection and seed business, remaining competitive comes at a cost. To be sure, several smaller companies remain in the game — but with marriages now consummated for Dow Chemical and DuPont, and for Syngenta and ChemChina, Bayer’s pending takeover of Monsanto and, now, BASF getting set […] Read more
Ottawa threatens suit for Hudson Bay rail line repairs
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government says the owner of the Hudson Bay Railway has 30 days to get the washed-out line repaired and running or will face a lawsuit for breach of contract. Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr, the MP for the Manitoba riding of Winnipeg South Centre, said in a statement Friday that U.S. rail operator […] Read more
Canada’s weekly canola crush tops 200,000 tonnes
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Canadian canola crushers saw their second busiest week ever during the week ended Wednesday, according to the latest data from the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association. The canola crush in the latest weekly reporting period came in at 204,820 tonnes, only slightly off the record of 208,268 tonnes hit in March. A total […] Read more
BASF to harvest seeds, herbicide businesses from Bayer
Reading Time: 3 minutes Frankfurt | Reuters — BASF has agreed to buy seed and herbicide businesses from Bayer for 5.9 billion euros (C$8.7 billion) in cash, as Bayer tries to convince competition authorities to approve its planned acquisition of Monsanto. BASF, the world’s third-largest maker of crop chemicals, has so far avoided seed assets and instead pursued research […] Read more
Plant Breeders Rights not so simple
New regulations give PBR regs more teeth, but breeders still want you to follow the law out of self-interest, not fear
Reading Time: 6 minutes When Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) got a major facelift two years ago, the seed trade in Canada responded with information campaigns saying that all was for the best. Upgrades in intellectual property protection weren’t a cash grab, farmers were told. Instead, they showed the international community that Canada takes property protection very seriously. That recognition, […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola looks to USDA for direction
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — The canola market continues to chop around in its recently-established range of $490-$500 per tonne, but a looming U.S. Department of Agriculture report could change that, according to an industry analyst. “That (USDA supply and demand report) is going to be the driver,” said Keith Ferley of RBC Dominion Securities in Winnipeg. […] Read more
Their joint venture
The way Doyle Wiebe and Mark Thompson work together is beginning to look like the future for a big chunk of Canada’s farms, especially in succession
Reading Time: 10 minutes Canada’s farmers are designing ever more creative business arrangements to deal with the scarcity of available land and with the capital requirements for farm expansion, diversification and succession. Now Saskatchewan producer Doyle Wiebe has developed and implemented a joint venture agreement on his farm near Langham, Sask., that may prove one of the most unique […] Read more
U.S. top court lets Conagra cooking oil class action proceed
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear a bid by Conagra Brands to escape a class-action lawsuit accusing it of falsely labeling its cooking oil as 100 per cent natural even though it had genetically modified ingredients. Conagra had asked to the justices to hear its appeal of a […] Read more
PHOTOS: Signs of what’s lacking
Is your crop problem a shortage of macronutrients such as N, P and K, or of micronutrients such as copper or boron? Here’s a guide to identifying some of the symptoms
Reading Time: 2 minutes Many nutrient deficiency symptoms in crop plants look similar and may be confused with damage from frost, insects, disease or herbicide drift. To confirm the cause of symptoms in your crop, you can consult your local provincial crops specialist, consult a soil fertility expert or send tissue samples to a lab with tissue-testing capabilities. An […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
