Insights and Stories on Crops

CWB to fund study of grains’ self-preservation

Aug. 22, 2009 at 3:08 am CDT

Bacteria found in wheat and barley seed may contain antifungal compounds that could be put to work protecting stored crops, grain products and foods from going mouldy. Using a $33,000 Canadian Wheat Board fellowship announced Thursday, graduate student Brenna Black of the University of Alberta is studying those compounds’ potential […]

Feds’ fund backs Hamilton biodiesel plant

Aug. 22, 2009 at 2:13 am CDT

Premiums could erode on canola without frost

Aug. 21, 2009 at 5:21 pm CDT

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

StatsCan shows canola yields below expectations

Aug. 21, 2009 at 5:10 pm CDT

By Dwayne Klassen

Ont. soybean growers to back grad studies

Aug. 21, 2009 at 4:47 pm CDT

Wittal: Grains ride upbeat economic news

Aug. 21, 2009 at 3:14 pm CDT

Aug. 21 — My report is early today as I will be away this afternoon. Financial markets are showing solid gains today in response to economic news that seems to indicate the U.S. economy has hit bottom and is seeing glimmers of recovery. Housing sales in July are up 7.2 […]

By Brian Wittal

Don’t rush into frost protection strategies: CCC

Aug. 21, 2009 at 1:05 pm CDT

Options seem to abound for canola growers wanting to rescue a viable crop from frost, but farmers should explore those options carefully before rushing into the field, the Canola Council of Canada warns. For example, growers may be tempted to swath just before a frost hits, but that’s “generally not […]

Wittal: Look north, not south, for feed grain markets

Aug. 20, 2009 at 5:34 pm CDT

Aug. 20 –– Markets were rather quiet today with very little trade happening. Financial markets are up ever so slightly on very thin trading volumes as well. Grains struggled along again today, with no real direction or news to prompt any real trading action. Weekly export sales numbers for corn […]

By Brian Wittal

Barley values pressured by cheap feed imports

Aug. 20, 2009 at 5:23 pm CDT

(Resource News International) — Feed barley prices in Western Canada will likely see more downside, despite expectations for a smaller Canadian barley crop. That’s according to an Alberta feed grains broker who expected imports of cheaper U.S. corn and distillers dried grains to continue to weigh on prices. A seasonal […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Bezte: Frost Watch for Aug. 20

Aug. 20, 2009 at 3:15 pm CDT

NEW FEATURE: In many areas of the Prairies, the story is the same. It could be a great crop — if it doesn’t freeze, which it’s already done in some parts of Alberta. No one can prevent frost, but a heads-up might be useful. Daniel Bezte is a climatologist and […]

By Daniel Bezte