Insights and Stories on Crops

Turf farmers’ uses exempt from weed-and-feed ban

Feb. 23, 2010 at 12:00 pm CST

Health Canada’s plans to wind down the sale of weed-and-feed products for lawn and turf uses won’t apply to turf farms. The federal health department’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) announced earlier this month it will “uncouple” fertilizer/pesticide combination products meant for lawn and turf uses, with a “date of […]

U.S. pest rules add paperwork for tomato imports

Feb. 23, 2010 at 12:01 am CST

Worker injury costs Ont. mushroom farm $75K

Feb. 22, 2010 at 11:11 am CST

Fungicide-resistant apple scab arrives in Ont.

Feb. 21, 2010 at 11:50 pm CST

Agrium extends CF offer, yet again

Feb. 21, 2010 at 11:49 pm CST

Calif. brewer links with Prairie barley growers

Feb. 20, 2010 at 12:01 am CST

A northern California brewery in need of low-protein barley for its craft beers has connected directly to Prairie barley growers to get it. Saskatchewan-based Prairie Malt acted as the go-between for farmers and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. through the maltster’s “Farming With Your Brewer” program, majority owner Cargill said in […]

Barley bids seen stabilizing

Feb. 19, 2010 at 3:45 pm CST

(Resource News International) — Feed barley values in the key Lethbridge region of Alberta have moved lower over the past few weeks, but are now stabilizing as farmer selling backs away. Jim Beusekom, a Lethbridge-based feed grains broker with Market Place Commodities Ltd., said feed barley prices have stabilized at […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Antibody genes create disease-resistant canola in lab

Feb. 18, 2010 at 6:09 pm CST

A technique already used to fight viral diseases has been put to lab-scale tests that show it can help canola plants fight off sclerotinia and other fungi. University of Alberta biochemist Nat Kav and his research team introduced an antibody gene into a plant to see if it would have […]

Canola bids steady, best prices farther out

Feb. 18, 2010 at 5:39 pm CST

(Resource News International) — Canola bids in Western Canada remain lower than most producers would like to see, but are profitable just the same and should present some opportunities for pricing new-crop supplies. Market consultant Reid Fenton of the BLB Grain Group at Three Hills, Alta., said spot bids in […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Chickpeas holding steady, acreage hike possible

Feb. 17, 2010 at 6:28 pm CST

(Resource News International) — The chickpea market in Western Canada has shown little movement over the winter months, but the crop still looks like a favourable option and could see a sizeable increase in acres this spring. “As we approach the late part of winter, the market (on large-calibre chickpeas) […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin