The list of herbicides that are losing their effectiveness against kochia is growing, leaving fewer tools to control the rapidly-evolving tumbleweed in soybeans. As of 2024, kochia populations in the Canadian Prairies/Northern U.S. Plains region have shown resistance to herbicides in Groups 2, 4, 5, 9, and 14, with some plants showing combined resistance to… Read More
Author: Kheppner
A new soybean crush plant in North Dakota — about 150 miles from the Canada-U.S. border — has started receiving soybeans as it ramps up operations. The North Dakota Soybean Processors (NDSP) facility at Casselton, ND — just west of Fargo — has been designed to process 125 thousand bushels per day and 42.5 million… Read More
The implementation of a grocery sector code of conduct, improvements to AgriRecovery, capital gains tax changes, and food security in Canada’s north were among the topics discussed by agriculture ministers from across Canada in Whitehorse this week. Ministers representing the federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments traveled to the Yukon capital for their annual FPT… Read More
Developing good ag policy that improves the long-term sustainability of Canadian agriculture — economic, environmental, and social — is a messy process that requires a mix of many things, including engaged stakeholders, good data to inform decisions, and enough people willing to take action and lead with long-term vision. This was clear as we discussed… Read More
New developments in testing are expected to provide soybean growers with valuable information to fend off yield-robbing root rot caused by the water mould known as Phytophthora sojae. Beyond crop rotation and drainage, selecting varieties with genetic resistance, via major genes and overall field tolerance, is the best management tool for mitigating phytophthora infection, but… Read More
Cool, wet conditions, as seen in much of Western Canada during the early part of the 2024 growing season, are favourable for ascochyta, also called mycosphaerella blight, in peas. The first step in taking action is to make sure that an infection is caused by mycosphaerella and not a bacterial blight, for which fungicide is… Read More
Sulphur is a critical nutrient for maximizing yield potential in canola, and since peak sulphur uptake for canola happens later in the growing season than peak nitrogen uptake, applying sulphate as late as early flowering can rescue yield that’s at risk to being lost to a sulphur deficiency. Heavy rains can result in canola not… Read More
One of Canada’s largest pork production and meat companies is planning to split into two independent businesses. Mississauga, Ont.-based Maple Leaf Foods is proposing to spin off its pork business and focus on consumer packaged protein food operations, creating two independent publicly-traded companies. Maple Leaf Foods would “continue to pursue its vision to be the… Read More
Farmers and ranchers face many pressures to farm and raise animals in certain ways to meet sustainability-related goals of others, including food companies, lenders, and government. Clauses in crop contracts, carbon credits, government payments for rotational grazing or using nitrogen loss inhibitors, the federal fertilizer emissions reduction target, clean fuel standards, codes of practice, and… Read More
At least one crop protection company is among the group of Cereals Canada’s industry members that have submitted withdrawal notices to the national cereal grain value chain organization. BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions filed the notice ahead of Cereals Canada’s annual general meeting on June 27th. Several grain company members, including Cargill, have also signaled their… Read More