A soybean plantation in Brazil. Genetically modified soybeans that rely on glyphosate for weed control are planted across the country.  Photo: MailsonPignata/iStock/Getty Images

Brazil judge suspends use of glyphosate herbicide

Reading Time: 2 minutes Sao Paulo | Reuters – A Brazilian judge has suspended the use of products containing the agrochemical glyphosate, a herbicide widely employed for soybeans and other crops in the country. A federal judge in Brasilia ruled on Friday that new products containing the chemical could not be registered in the country and existing registrations would […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. judge allows Roundup-related suits to go to trial

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Hundreds of lawsuits against Monsanto Co. by cancer survivors or families of those who died can proceed to trial, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday, finding there was sufficient evidence for a jury to hear the cases that blame the company’s glyphosate herbicide for the disease. The decision by U.S. District Judge Vince […] Read more


Wheat being loaded onto a cargo ship in Vancouver in 2011. (File photo: Reuters/Ben Nelms)

Wheat shipment halt seen as temporary

Reading Time: 4 minutes Wheat sales are expected to soon resume to Japan and South Korea. Both nations suspended Canadian wheat imports following the June 15 announcement that Canada had discovered several genetically modified (GM) wheat plants in southern Alberta. But both are expected to come back to the market shortly, while exports to others won’t be affected, according […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Extended-tolerance canola now on deck for 2019

Reading Time: 2 minutes Giving growers a wider window to spray in-crop weeds with glyphosate, the new platform for Monsanto’s future canola trait stacks is now booked to make its way into the Canadian market next year. The U.S. seed and chemical company’s Canadian arm announced last week it plans to commercialize TruFlex canola in 2019, following plot trials […] Read more


More than the cost of herbicide, growers need to consider how the cost of yield losses will affect future cropping plans.

Rotation refresher

More than crops, more than herbicides, it comes down to planning for success — with everything

Reading Time: 7 minutes The past two to three years have seen some encouraging signs of change for the better across Eastern Canada. Commodity prices are cyclically low yet corn, soybean and wheat yields have been trending upwards. There’s renewed interest in cover crops, and more growers have a renewed appreciation for soil health too, including a keener sense […] Read more

The Elbe River at Oberrathen, southeast of Dresden. (CIA.gov)

Germany moving ahead with plans to restrict glyphosate

Reading Time: 2 minutes Berlin | Reuters — German Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner on Tuesday said she was finalizing a draft regulation to end use of glyphosate herbicide in household gardens, parks and sports facilities, and to set “massive” limits for its use in agriculture. The chemical, made by Monsanto, is at the centre of a heated debate in […] Read more


A patch of willowherb in soybean that had escaped an application of glyphosate.

Pest Patrol: Dealing with willowherb

#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA

Reading Time: 2 minutes Q: I’ve noticed small patches of a plant that was identified as “northern willowherb” in some of my fields. It seems tolerant to glyphosate. How do I control this before it becomes a bigger problem? A: This perennial weed has traditionally been found along roadsides and waste areas. In the last five years, more farmers […] Read more

In some parts of Eastern Canada, the problem weed can vary from ragweed to horsetail (pictured in soybeans).

The problem with problem weeds

Different regions, different crops and different species turn ‘control’ into ‘management’

Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s a message filled with contrasts. Weed management is simple yet complex. It’s all about improving your bottom line, but it adds a cost. And although it’s all about controlling all your weeds, it often gets judged on a single weed species. In spite of all the differences that come with farming in different regions, […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. judge halts California plan for warnings on glyphosate

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A federal judge has temporarily blocked California’s plans to require cancer warnings on products containing glyphosate, in a win for manufacturer Monsanto. U.S. District Judge William Shubb said the warnings would be misleading because glyphosate is not known to cause cancer, according to court documents filed on Monday in California. He […] Read more

Millers want a maximum moisture of 13.5 per cent so they can dehull the oats properly and avoid pieces of oat hulls in the customer’s morning cereal.

More than a rotation crop for feed

Demand is increasing for this officially ‘heart healthy’ crop, but growers need to pay attention to quality

Reading Time: 5 minutes New varieties that consistently yield 120 to 140 bushels per acre. Increasing demand, with buyers paying a premium. Competitive against weeds, with good resistance to fusarium. That hardly describes a feed crop you seed last because you need it in rotation. Demand for milling oats is on the rise and processors have announced expansion. Some […] Read more