Study looks at nutrient use efficiency by management practice, position

The two-year trial may give ideas on how to best manage water across a varied landscape

Variable-rate fertilizer had almost no yield penalty compared to blanket coverage in the first year of a trial studying how management practices influence nutrient use and loss. “This was encouraging,” said researcher Blake Weiseth. In 2021’s drought conditions, lower-lying areas also had significantly higher yields regardless of management practices, said Weiseth. Weiseth is the applied research lead at Discovery Farm




(Dave Bedard photo)

AAFC warns of uncertainty in latest crop outlook

MarketsFarm — The supply/demand balance sheets for Canada’s major crops were largely left unchanged in the latest outlook Friday from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. While the March report only saw minor revisions, the government agency cautioned that “the economic outlook, for the world and Canadian grain markets, is particularly uncertain due to the Russian invasion


(File photo by Dave Bedard)

CP to lock out engineers, conductors starting Sunday

'Cannot prolong the uncertainty,' CEO says

Canadian Pacific Railway has served its unionized engineers, conductors and train and yard service staff with notice of a lockout to start just after midnight ET on Sunday, unless the company and union agree on a new labour deal by then. Calgary-based CP and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents about 3,000 CP



(Dave Bedard photo)

Rate of rise in farmland value ‘surprised’ in 2021

Canada books 8.3 per cent year-over-year increase, FCC reports

MarketsFarm — Despite a year of economic uncertainty due to extreme weather, reduced crop yields and the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of Canadian farmland rose by its highest rate in four years, according to a report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC). FCC’s report, released Monday, revealed that the national average value of farmland increased by

Drought conditions in Canada at Feb. 28, 2022. (Map courtesy Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Most of Prairies still very dry, but recovery possible

Southern Manitoba considered out of drought

MarketsFarm — Despite the Prairies receiving above-normal amounts of precipitation during February, the great majority of the region remained highly vulnerable to more dryness going into spring, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. The monitor’s latest report showed those areas of the Prairies tackling extreme drought to have retracted somewhat. As of Feb. 28, that


Fall rye flowering in south-central Manitoba. (Allan Dawson photo)

Rye in strong position going into 2022

MarketsFarm — Last summer’s drought sharply reduced yields of many crops across the Prairies, leaving multiple supply challenges and rising prices in the aftermath. Western Canadian rye, however, was largely left unscathed, which may bode well for the crop heading into 2022. Rye production came in at 473,000 tonnes for 2021-22, according to Statistics Canada

Significant snowmelt flooding likely in North Dakota, says NWS

Significant snowmelt flooding likely in North Dakota, says NWS

Soil moisture and lake levels are lower than average, but snowfall has been high say U.S. and Manitoba reports

The U.S. National Weather Service is predicting a turnaround from last year’s record dry conditions, including a fairly high risk of significant flooding this spring. A March 10 report out of Grand Forks forecasts moderate risk of “significant snowmelt flooding” across U.S. portions the Red River and Devils Lake basins. That being said, the NWS