BASF’s promotions for pre-harvest use of Heat LQ have until now focused strictly on crops such as soybeans, peas, canola, dry beans and sunflowers. (Agro.basf.ca)

Heat LQ cleared for pre-harvest use in wheat, barley

Reading Time: 2 minutes Wheat, durum and barley growers have a new pre-harvest herbicide option now that BASF has received Codex maximum residue limits (MRLs) for its product Heat LQ. While “there were probably some wheat acres already harvested,” according to Dan Packer, BASF’s cereals crop manager, this agreement will provide an additional pre-harvest option for farmers who still […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Canadian wheat bids decline with U.S. futures, but basis improves

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada – Hard red spring wheat bids in Western Canada moved lower during the week ended August 3, as declines in the US futures weighed on prices. However, weakness in the Canadian dollar provided support and helped basis levels see some modest improvement. Depending on the location, average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat […] Read more


There is a future for older barley varieties like OAC21, the current choice for maltsters and brewers across Canada.

Something old for something new

This century-old malt barley variety is set to launch a renaissance in the brewing sector

Reading Time: 6 minutes *[Updated with email comment at bottom: Aug. 25, 2017] The key to branding any product is to start with a good story, and the recently re-instated registration of OAC21, a six-rowed malting barley, is a “feel good” story, particularly with Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017. On its own, OAC21 isn’t expected to ever become a huge […] Read more

Photo: File

Argentine wheat seedings slowed by rain

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada – Argentina’s hope for a near-record wheat crop have been dampened by excessive rain and below-average seedings. With planting nearly complete, the United States Department of Agriculture office in Buenos Aires has estimated the Argentine wheat crop at 12.8 million acres. That falls about one million acres below the official USDA forecast of […] Read more


Photo: iStock

Asian taste for western diet boosts Australian wheat

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada – Vietnam has quietly grown to become Australia’s second largest export destination for wheat. Driving the demand is the iconic banh mi, a Vietnamese baguette-style sandwich filled with pork or chicken and spices. Vietnam imports 1.5 million tonnes of Australian wheat, based on 2016 figures, compared to 380,000 tonnes 10 years ago, said […] Read more

Malt barley outlook promising, but harvest quality will be key

Malt barley outlook promising, but harvest quality will be key

Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada – Many questions remain about Western Canada’s malt barley crop, but many analysts appear to expect at least an adequate harvest. Quality concerns and yield reductions will hit farmers in southern areas, but for those with good quality, prices should remain at least steady for the medium term. While analysts cautioned that forecasts […] Read more


Photo: File

Durum forecasters predict steady and strong market

Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada – For farmers able to nurse their durum across the finish line this harvest, prices in the winter could make it worth their while. Withering heat and dry conditions have taken a toll on durum yields, especially in southern regions of the Prairies, but analysts like John Duvenaud of the Wild Oats Grain […] Read more

Jitendra Paliwal (left) adjusts the antennae on the 3D electromagnetic imaging system at the U of M’s grain storage research laboratory while Paul Card (right) watches.

Detecting spoilage before it starts

An adaptation of cancer-screening technology offers a better and safer way to check for grain bin moisture, with a bonus of theft detection

Reading Time: 5 minutes An electromagnetic imaging technique originally designed to detect breast cancer tumours is now being adapted for a totally different use — locating spoiled grain in bins. The research project at the University of Manitoba uses electromagnetic imaging (EMI) to create a 3D profile of a bin, showing pockets of moisture which can overheat and spoil. […] Read more



Photo: File/Laura Rance

Grain grading changes for Western Canada

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Grain Commission has announced several grain grading changes for the 2017 to 2018 crop year in Western Canada that will take effect August 1, 2017: It has added an ergot tolerance of 0.05 per cent in all grades of fababeans and chickpeas; Changed the tolerance for grasshopper and army worm damage from eight […] Read more