Quick adapting and designed to spread, kochia seems biologically primed to pick off the punches farmers throw at it.

On the ropes against kochia

Growers face a formidable foe. Fast mutations and efficient seed spread are a tough one-two combination

Kill it with fire. That was the gist in 2018, after a photo of post-spray kochia in Saskatchewan made the rounds on social media. The image showed a swath of dead, brown plants. That made the single, green plant right in the centre stand out even more. There was a collective recoil from farmers in

CBOT September 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX September 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. September 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat surges on slow harvesting, poor crop conditions

Corn hits 2-1/2-year low and ends mixed, soy mostly firm

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures surged on Wednesday as slow winter wheat harvesting and deteriorating spring crop conditions fuelled buying and short covering that lifted prices from 2-1/2-week lows. The wheat rally pulled corn up from 2-1/2-year lows despite expanded plantings and recent rains that lessened concerns about drought-reduced yields. Soybeans firmed on


Manitoba regional summary of total accumulated precipitation.

Crop progress surges in Manitoba, grass conditions for cattle seen fair

Manitoba Crop Report: Issue 8 (week 27)

Overview  Crop development has been rapid. Rainfall amounts varied with storms moving through the Western and Central regions bringing heavy rain and hail in isolated areas. Fungicide application in spring wheat for fusarium head blight continues as conditions and staging allows. Canola fungicide application has also started as fields reach the correct stage for application.

MGEX September 2023 hard red spring wheat with 20-day moving average and K.C. September 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

Prairie cash wheat: Canadian bids drop with U.S. futures

Canadian dollar also down on week

MarketsFarm — Spring wheat bids in Western Canada dropped sharply during the week ended Thursday, as a selloff in U.S. futures weighed on values. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, 13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices were down by $23.50-$25.40 per tonne across the Prairies, according to price quotes from a cross-section of delivery points


File photo of the facade of the U.S. Department of Agriculture building in Washington, D.C. (Camrocker/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. farmers plant more corn, less soybeans in 2023

Total U.S. wheat acres estimated up about 8.5 per cent

MarketsFarm — Farmers in the United States seeded more corn and less soybeans than earlier intentions in 2023, according to updated acreage data Friday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Total corn plantings in the country were estimated by USDA at 94.1 million acres, which was a million acres above the top end of trade

Canada’s canola industry is also looking to an increase in demand from the biofuel sector, with several projects in the works.

U.S. renewable fuel mandate muddies demand outlook

New-crop canola is above $700 but it’s hitting resistance

After trending higher for all of June, the ICE Futures canola market finally ran into resistance as the calendar officially switched to summer. Weather was at the forefront of all the North American agricultural markets, closely followed by a much-anticipated biofuel announcement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. From a chart standpoint, the new-crop November


Rainfall offers slight improvement for Manitoba crops

Rainfall offers slight improvement for Manitoba crops

Manitoba Crop Report: Issue 7 (week 26)

Overview Rainfall was received in most regions of Manitoba this past week but amounts varied by region from low levels to excessive. Areas that did receive significant rainfall have commented the crops have improved slightly from the previous week. Crop development has been rapid but there is some concern for producers choosing to spray for

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Spring wheat vaults higher, durum nudges up

U.S. wheat futures, Canadian dollar up on week

MarketsFarm — Spring wheat prices on the Canadian Prairies experienced sharp upticks while gains for durum were much more subdued. A drop in U.S. wheat ratings fueled the upswing in wheat prices, as dry conditions took further hold with approximately 15 per cent of U.S. spring wheat now in drought. While that’s up four points


Soil cracks around corn plants below knee-high at Manchester Township, about 130 km west of Philadelphia in southern Pennsylvania, on June 6.

Dryness leads to spike in weather market

Several canola contracts punched up above $700

Growing concerns over dry conditions in North America, as well as parts of Europe, Argentina, Malaysia and elsewhere, led to a spike in oilseed and grain prices. That was particularly felt on June 15 when North American markets spiked upward and saw ICE Futures canola jump more than $20 per tonne for the most heavily-traded

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Spring wheat bids higher, durum down

Not much rain outside northern, central Alberta

MarketsFarm — Warmer-than-normal temperatures and ongoing dryness in both Western Canada and the U.S. helped raise Prairie wheat bids for the week ended Thursday. Rains fell onto parts of northern and central Alberta on Thursday, but the rest of the Prairies only saw sporadic showers, if any, during the week. Traders on the Chicago Board