Crop disease expert shares lessons learned from 2011

Last year’s flooding may have been bad news for canola growers, but there may be a bright side. Studies have found that flooding results in reduced sclerotia inoculum present in the soil because the fungal spores rot under wet conditions. “Although sclerotia are built to withstand harsh conditions, if you have enough flooding in an

Port group to close as CWB monopoly ends

The 103-year-old organization that co-ordinates shipments through Canada’s two biggest grain-shipping ports is winding down, saying it may not be needed once the Canadian Wheat Board loses its monopoly. The Winnipeg-based Canadian Ports Clearance Association (CPCA) will cease operations this summer on Aug. 31, one month after the wheat board loses control over Western Canada’s


It’s today’s price, not the future price

Stirling Moss, a famous racing driver of the 1950s, once said that the male of the human species will admit to not being good at just about anything except being a good driver or a good lover. If we are talking about some of the grain farmer subspecies, we might add a third skill, that



Questions for Reena

Hey Reena, My son is doing a science fair project on “How permanent are permanent markers.” We are experimenting on various surfaces — linoleum, paint, wood and carpet. We want to include some green alternatives for removal. Do you have any suggestions? Please note — if it doesn’t remove from all the surfaces that is

Checks and balances needed, post-CWB

With the end of single-desk grain marketing in sight, producers and farm organizations are focusing on filling in the gaps and supporting a stable transition to an open market. “There are more questions than answers,” said Don Dewar, chairman of an ad hoc Keystone Agricultural Producers committee looking at issues grain producers will face in


Sunflower prices remain in narrow range

Flat demand for Canadian sunflower seed, along with tight supplies and reluctant sellers, are keeping western Canadian sunflower bids within a narrow range, according to industry participants. “It’s kind of at a stalemate to a certain degree for prices despite what little sunflower is out there,” said Roger Kissick, sunflower analyst with Linear Grain. Grant

China ban on Indian meal could benefit Canadian canola

China will boost imports of rapeseed and rapeseed meal from Canada, after Beijing banned Indian meal after tests showed it contained a toxic chemical. If China buys more canola, from Canada, the world’s top exporter, it could firm ICE canola prices, which have been rising for the past two weeks in anticipation of larger imports.


Tracking microclimates could help feed the world

Scientists in Israel have developed a way of using satellite images to help farmers detect small-scale changes in climate and improve their harvests, a method that could bolster food supplies for an increasingly hungry world population. Rather than analyze the weather and topography of large swathes of land, the new system divides fields into smaller

Russian traders fear resumed export restrictions

Prices for Russian export wheat jumped again last week as traders confronted bare elevators in Russia’s southern export regions and hesitated to buy grain inland for export, fearing export duties could be imposed and stop it leaving Russia. Traders and analysts believe Russia’s government, which has said Russia should export no more than 23 million