Until recently, moving a digital prescription from Bayer’s FieldView platform to a John Deere display typically meant downloading files to a USB stick and physically transferring them to the machine. Bayer and John Deere say a new integration between FieldView and John Deere Operations Center eliminates that manual step.

The companies announced the upgrade at Commodity Classic in San Antonio last month.

With the new workflow, users create scripts in FieldView, select the relevant files and click “Export to Work Plans.” The jobs then appear in Work Planner within John Deere Operations Center, ready to run on connected equipment — all delivered remotely from one platform to the other.

For Prairie grain producers using both platforms, that means fewer steps between agronomic planning and field execution.

In an emailed statement, Bayer Crop Science said the goal is to simplify job execution and monitoring for customers working across both platforms, while eliminating the need for thumb drives and other manual steps that slow down field activities.

Chris Winkler, vice-president of digital software and solutions at John Deere, said the integration responds directly to customer feedback.

“Our mutual customers want streamlined workflows, not extra steps in the cab,” he said.

In practical terms, that affects both set-up time and accuracy. Removing manual file transfers reduces the chance of loading the wrong prescription, misnaming files or configuring monitors incorrectly — issues that can affect variable-rate seeding, fertility or crop protection passes.

The integration also changes how data flows back to the office.

Once jobs are completed, as-applied information moves back through Operations Center and into FieldView, allowing farmers and advisers to evaluate performance and adjust future prescriptions.

The companies say the capability is the result of feedback from farmers and advisers who wanted platforms to work together more seamlessly.

For Prairie growers, where variable-rate seeding and fertility programs are increasingly common in crops such as canola, wheat and corn, tighter integration between agronomy software and equipment displays could mean less time managing files and more time focusing on in-field decisions.

The capability is currently being introduced to select U.S. customers, with broader availability expected in the coming months. The companies have not yet outlined a timeline for Canadian rollout.

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Pea leaf weevil continues to expand its range across the Prairie provinces, with some of the highest recent feeding levels now recorded in western Manitoba.

“It has moved quite far north and also quite far east,” Vankosky said.

Prairie Pest Monitoring Network surveys show that in 2025 some of the highest feeding levels were recorded in western Manitoba, in areas where populations were likely high enough to cause economic damage in field peas and faba beans.

The most recent monitoring map suggests the pest’s Prairie-wide establishment is now complete, with detections reaching the Ontario border.

Life cycle and what to watch for

Pea leaf weevil produces one generation per year, with adults active in spring and again in late summer. In spring, adults move into pea and faba bean fields and feed along leaf margins, leaving distinctive crescent-shaped notches. While the foliar feeding is visible, the more serious damage happens below ground.

Larvae feed on root nodules, reducing the plant’s ability to fix nitrogen and affecting both yield and seed quality.

Weather plays a role in population dynamics. Wet conditions tend to favour survival in the soil stage, while drought can limit larval development.

Monitoring focuses on counting feeding notches on seedlings between the second and sixth node stages. Nominal thresholds are 30 per cent of field pea seedlings showing damage to terminal leaves and 15 per cent in faba beans.

Management options remain limited

Management options remain limited for pea leaf weevil. Although foliar insecticides are registered, recent work in southern Saskatchewan found no yield benefit from applying a foliar spray.

Seed treatments can offer protection, but they must be applied at planting, before growers know what adult pressure will be in a given field. Evidence suggests seed treatments can protect yield, but the benefit depends on weevil density.

“There is no strong evidence that foliar insecticides protect against yield loss,” Vankosky said.

That puts growers in a difficult spot, particularly in areas where the pest is still expanding and pressure can vary widely from year to year.

“If you are planning to plant peas or beans in an area that had very high populations last year, you might want to consider applying the seed treatment,” she added.

Researchers are also studying alternatives to insecticides. Beneficial insects such as ground beetles have shown some ability to feed on pea leaf weevil eggs and adults, and work is underway to better understand how much natural impact enemies may have on populations.

Trap cropping — planting early strips of peas or faba beans to attract and concentrate adults — is also being explored, though it requires further field-scale testing.

With the insect now established across all Prairie provinces, Vankosky encouraged growers to monitor fields closely in early spring and consult the local survey maps produced annually by the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network.

Key takeaways for prairie growers

• Pea leaf weevil is now established across all Prairie provinces and has been detected as far east as near the Ontario border.
• In 2025, some of the highest recorded feeding levels were in western Manitoba — including areas with likely economic damage.
• Foliar insecticides do not protect yield. Seed treatments at planting are the main management option.
• Economic thresholds are 30 per cent of pea seedlings with terminal leaf damage, and 15 per cent for faba beans.
• Monitor Prairie Pest Monitoring Network survey maps each spring for local population updates.

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“I got a good bid from a broker today that is $0.50 a bushel better than it was,” said the chair of Pulse Canada.

“We still have a way to go. We were getting $12 to $14 a bu. a year ago for peas and now it’s more like eight bucks.”

China agreed to eliminate tariffs on Canadian peas and canola meal and to greatly reduce tariffs on canola seed in exchange for concessions on imports of Chinese electric vehicles.

WHY IT MATTERS: Peas were facing tariffs in its top two markets.

Youzwa said that agreement has lifted the gloom and doom that has been hanging over the pea market since March 2025.

“Today we look ahead with some optimism,” he said.

“We look forward to those signals entering the marketplace and creating some optimism. It is definitely a good day.”

He expects further price increases once grain handlers figure out all the logistics. There should be enough time to move old crop peas in a meaningful way before the next crop comes off in August and September.

That’s a good thing because working capital has been depleted on many farms, and growers are having to sell crops to meet cash flow requirements and pay the bills.

Youzwa said there is still plenty of time for farmers to adjust their seeding plans to factor in the new realities of China reopening to peas and canola.

He added that the price boost canola and peas will be getting should also lift prices for other crops competing for acres in 2026.

The Canadian Canola Growers Association sponsored a study by LeftField Commodity Research that determined Canada’s canola farmers have lost $2 to $4 billion from the closure of the Chinese market.

The CCGA intends to lobby Ottawa for compensation for that loss.

“In the case of pulses, we haven’t crossed that bridge yet,” said Youzwa.

He said growers prefer to get their returns from the marketplace, but the losses have been significant.

The five-year average of Canadian pea movement to China is 1.6 million tonnes per year valued at $743 million annually.

Pea growers not only lost the Chinese market but are facing 30 per cent tariffs in India as well.

Those two markets account for 75 to 80 per cent of Canada’s annual pea exports, so the impact on peas is more pronounced than it has been for canola.

Prices are down about 43 per cent, said Youzwa.

However, the pulse sector is still uncertain whether it wants to follow canola’s lead in lobbying Ottawa for financial aid.

“Time will tell where this goes,” said Youzwa.

“We haven’t reached that decision as an organization.”

In the meantime, he is looking forward to a “transparent, commercial and meaningful” trade relationship with China getting back on track.

“This is a positive for exporters, processors, railways, ports and growers,” he said.

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The higher planting is expected to help the world’s second-largest wheat producer boost output, ease local prices, and potentially allow New Delhi to permit limited exports of wheat flour. Increased rapeseed production could also help the world’s biggest vegetable oil importer reduce its overseas purchases.

Abundant monsoon rainfall this year improved soil moisture and boosted reservoir levels, which in turn is enabling farmers to expand the area under winter crops, said Harish Galipelli, director of ILA Commodities Pvt Ltd.

Wheat plantings up 10.8 per cent

Indian farmers have so far planted winter-sown crops on 47.9 million hectares (118.3 million acres) since sowing began on October 1, up 6.1 per cent from a year ago, data from the farm ministry showed.

Wheat was planted on 24.14 million hectares (59.6 million acres), up 10.8 per cent from a year earlier, while paddy area rose 11.4 per cent to 1 million hectares, the data showed.

India’s wheat is mainly produced in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

India’s key wheat-growing north-western region was inundated with 161 per cent more rainfall than average in October, contributing to the country’s overall 49 per cent surplus in the month.

Rapeseed planting up 4.5 per cent

Rapeseed plantings reached 8 million hectares, up 4.5 per cent from last year, and chickpea sowing increased 3.5 per cent to 7.8 million hectares (19.3 million acres).

Rapeseed is the main winter-sown oilseed in India, which fulfils nearly two-thirds of its demand through overseas purchases of palm oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil, primarily from Indonesia, Malaysia, Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine.

“If weather stays supportive, especially from mid-January to mid-March, crop yields could improve this year,” said Ashwini Bansod, vice president for commodities research at Phillip Capital India, a Mumbai-based brokerage.

The La Niña weather pattern, historically linked to colder-than-normal winters across northern India, is likely to persist from December through February, according to India Meteorological Department.

India banned wheat exports in 2022, extending the prohibition as extreme heat shrivelled crops again in 2023.

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The province’s south was furthest along at 94 per cent finished, followed by the central region at 92 per cent, the northwest at 80 per cent, the northeast at 78 per cent and the Peace region at 75 per cent.

The Alberta dry pea harvest wrapped up as it hit 100 per cent, with the barley and spring wheat at 92 per cent, oats at 78 per cent and canola at 71 per cent.

Fall-seeded crops came in at 57 per cent good to excellent, matching the five-year average, the crop report noted. Those crops in the south were at 76 per cent good to excellent, the central at 68 per cent, the northwest at 34 per cent, and the northeast at 25 per cent, while the Peace didn’t provide a rating.

The rain that fell maintained surface soil moisture ratings at 50 per cent good to excellent plus slightly below one per cent excessive. By region, the Peace was at 66 per cent good to excellent, the central at 60 per cent, the northeast at 47 per cent, the south at 44 per cent and the northwest at 34 per cent.

The province’s pastures were 35 per cent good to excellent overall with the Peace region leading the way at 57 per cent. Next was the central region at 50 per cent good to excellent, the central and northeast at 25 per cent and the northwest at 18 per cent.

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The desiccation of pulse crops in the southwest and west central regions has started with combining expected to soon follow. Meanwhile, some cereal crops were now beyond harvesting with plans to salvage them for livestock feed. 

Of the cereals provincewide, the winter wheat rated 37 per cent good to excellent and the fall rye was 23 per cent. As for the spring cereals, oats were 39 per cent good to excellent, spring was 35 per cent, barley was 28 per cent and durum was all of 16 per cent. 

Soybeans led the oilseeds at a whopping 80 per cent good to excellent, canola stood at 35 per cent, flax was 23 per cent and mustard was only 13 per cent.  

Among the pulses, peas were 32 per cent good to excellent, lentils at 29 per cent and chickpeas at 26 per cent. 

Also, canary seed rated 29 per cent good to excellent. 

Topsoil moisture levels continued to be an issue in Saskatchewan as they drop to 15 per cent adequate, 48 per cent short and 37 per cent very short. Hay lands and pastures were eight per cent adequate, 43 per cent short and 49 per cent very short. 

Haying operations were wrapping up with only five per cent still standing, with 13 per cent cut and 82 per cent baled or in silage. The quality of the hay registered at 70 per cent good to excellent. Meanwhile livestock producers in the most dry areas reported water and feed concerns. 

A variety of issues hampered Saskatchewan’s crops, with strong winds, drought, hail, extreme heat, grasshoppers and gophers. 

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Parts of the province received some rain with Elie, located in the central region, getting the most at 29.5 millimetres. A numbers of areas saw nighttime temperatures fall to near 0 C, with a few reports of light frost in the northwest.

Of the cereals, the winter crops continued to dry down, with some farmers applying pre-harvest herbicide. Manitoba Agriculture said the fall rye and winter wheat harvests could start within 10 days.

The spring cereals had wheat at the late milk to the dough stages. The ag department rated the spring wheat at 90 per cent fair to good in the southwest with 10 per cent poor. In the central, eastern and Interlake regions the wheat was 100 per cent fair to good, while 100 per cent good to excellent in the northwest. The corn ranged from VT tassel emergence to R1 early silking and grew rapidly during the period of warm weather.

Among the oilseeds, Manitoba’s canola was in the flowering to pod filling stages with the most recent cooler weather aiding the crop in extending the flowering stage. The sunflowers were primarily in the R3 early bud elongation stage, with some moving into the R4 inflorescence beginning to open stage.

Meanwhile, the soybeans were in the R2 full flower to early R4 full pod stages, with much of the crop in the R3 beginning pod stage. As for the flax, it was in good condition overall, but dryness was posing a problem.

With the pulses, field peas were in the R4 full pod stage, as few flowers or flat pods remained. The dry beans were in the flowering to setting pin pods stages, with some fungicide application where the potential for diseases is the highest.

The lack of rain has reduced hay yields as the province noted the first cut was 60 to 80 per cent of normal. The quality of the second cut is dependent on there being rain as regrowth has been slow and thin. However, a second cut of hay was taking place in the eastern region and a second cut of alfalfa was progressing in the Interlake.

Pastures continued to struggle with the lack of rain, although grass conditions are fair. Forage growth was being hampered by the dryness and by grasshoppers.

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“It does not look really good at the moment. We are going to see below normal rainfall and warmer than normal temperatures during that time period,” Lerner said, noting there’s to be one major rain event midway through the week of July 17 over what he called “a moisture-stressed environment.”

The problem on the Prairies is the last several weeks, he said, is that “there’s been no moisture feed into the region. The storm will be big for western Alberta and northern Alberta. But as that storm system moves across the heart of Prairies…it’s going to run through a lot of dry air. By the time it gets to the east side of Saskatchewan, it’s going to be falling apart.”

Lerner forecast warm temperatures in the leading up to the storm and then after the storm there’s to a ridge of high pressure for several days afterward.

“We will lose all of that moisture in a day or two,” he said.

Lerner added there will likely not be any other major storms passing through the Prairies for the rest of July, but only series of scattered showers at best.

“From a spring wheat and canola perspective, it doesn’t look good,” he said.

The U.S. northern Plains were in much the same boat, particularly Montana, North Dakota and the northwestern area of South Dakota, according to Lerner. However, conditions were not as bad for the eastern half of South Dakota and a good portion of Minnesota.

— Glen Hallick reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

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Ukraine is a major global grower and exporter of wheat, corn, sunflower and sunflower oil, but its production has fallen sharply since the war start in February 2022.

“According to the modelling results, some of the sectors will not reach the pre-war levels even after seven years of peace,” Kyiv School of Economics said in a report.

It said the sunflower, barley and wheat sectors were expected to recover by 2040, while the maize, rye, oats and rapeseed sectors were expected to recover by 2050.

“This means that it may take as long as 20 years for Ukraine to regain its strength in agriculture after the devastation brought by the Russian military assault,” it said.

Ukraine harvested 106 million tonnes of grain and oilseed in 2021 before the invasion, but output could decrease to around 65 million tonnes in 2023, the agriculture ministry has said.

— Reporting for Reuters by Pavel Polityuk.

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