(ThamKC/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. biofuels proposal would lift near-term greenhouse gas emissions

EPA says reductions would only come in the long term

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to increase biofuel blending mandates through 2025 would lead to a near-term increase in greenhouse gas emissions, before yielding reductions in the longer term, according to agency documents. The Renewable Fuel Standard requires the nation’s oil refiners to add billions of gallons of biofuels like corn-based ethanol into the fuel pool each

Round bales can provide a windbreak for cattle during extended cold temperatures.

Consider feed requirements for beef cattle during cold weather

As cold temperatures arrive, good-quality feed and protection from wind are key

The coldest part of the winter is here, and that may have a significant impact on livestock in areas that experienced relatively mild fall conditions. North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialists Karl Hoppe and Janna Block note that although most cattle in the region are acclimated to a cold environment, long periods of severe cold may require


Drought hits Brazil corn in key southern state

Reuters – A drought is compromising corn fields in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state, which is now expected to produce 4.51 million tonnes of the cereal, according to a forecast by StoneX on Dec. 15. The revised output figure is less than a previously forecast 5.38 million tonnes of corn production for the state



Understanding wind chill and the polar vortex

There’s a lot of science behind both but you wouldn’t know it from the media

We are starting to see some cold weather. A short-lived cold snap from Dec. 5 to 7 saw overnight lows in the -30s in most areas, with some regions (including my own backyard) seeing lows in the -36 to -38 C range. This cold weather got me thinking about different cold weather topics and I found we have

Farmer Ignacio Bastanchuri, 65, sips a drink as he walks past a cow that died from drought at a farm in Navarro, Argentina, Dec. 5.

Arid wheat fields and dead cows

A snapshot of Argentina’s worst drought in decades reveals grim picture

Reuters – In the fields around the town of Navarro, in Argentina’s Pampas farm belt, the dried-out bed of a huge lagoon and decaying bodies of dead cattle are stark signs of a historic drought that is hammering crops and farmers like Ignacio Bastanchuri. Some 100 kilometres west of capital Buenos Aires, Navarro is one


Environment Canada’s long-term precipitation forecast predicts near-normal precipitation for southern Manitoba.

Soil moisture levels near normal in most of Manitoba

Normal-to-dry summer and fall balanced out a wet spring, the province’s Manitoba Basins Fall Conditions Report says

Soil moisture levels at freeze-up are near normal or below normal in most Manitoba basins, the province says. “Conditions in most areas appear somewhat favourable,” said transportation and infrastructure minister Doyle Piwniuk in a Dec. 19 news release.  Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre released the 2022 Manitoba Basins Fall Conditions Report.  It says

Since May 2022 estimate of Argentina’s wheat harvest, drought and frosts have hit the crop hard.

Argentina exchange warns more wheat cuts likely as yields disappoint

Argentina’s wheat production outlook is likely to face more cuts due to lower-than-expected yields, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said Dec. 1, as harvest advances in the midst of a prolonged drought. In a weekly crop report, the exchange said 2022-23 wheat production, which it estimates at 12.4 million tonnes, is showing “yields below expected”



“I would say that we have caught up for this season.” – Alexis Stockford.

Soil moisture levels look good heading into winter

Winter snows and spring rains have largely balanced the soil-moisture deficit

After several years of drought or near-drought conditions that significantly reduced groundwater levels, the water tables may be turning. “In terms of soil moisture, I would say that we have caught up for this season,” says Timi Ojo, an agricultural systems modeller with Manitoba Agriculture who has expertise in soil moisture. Why it’s important: In