CNS Canada — Wheat bids in Western Canada were mostly down for the week ended Friday with a weaker Canadian dollar and falling U.S. futures. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, 13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices were down $1-$7, according to price quotes from a cross-section of delivery points compiled by PDQ (Price and […] Read more
Prairie wheat bids fall with U.S. futures
Viterra closes deal for Gardiner Dam Terminal
Central Saskatchewan’s Gardiner Dam Terminal is expected to go full Viterra within months, now that the Regina grain firm has completed its deal for full control of the facility. Shareholders in GDT voted Dec. 13 in favour of the deal announced last month in which Viterra buys the half of GDT it doesn’t already own […] Read more
Is China buying U.S. soy? Washington shutdown keeps traders guessing
Chicago | Reuters –– Commodity traders are in the dark because of the partial U.S. government shutdown, unable to see daily and weekly reports of agricultural exports to obtain clues as to whether China is following through with promises to buy grain and soy amid the ongoing trade war. Traders have been anxiously awaiting proof […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soy futures jump on hopes for China deals, positioning
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures climbed on Friday to their highest prices in more than a week, on hopes China will make additional purchases of the oilseed in a thawing of the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies, traders said. Corn and wheat futures also rose at the Chicago Board of […] Read more
El Nino likely not responsible for warm, dry conditions
CNS Canada — The above-normal temperatures Western Canada has generally experienced since the fall weren’t necessarily caused by an El Nino. Rather, to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the phenomenon that’s likely affected the weather was a ‘blob’ that formed off of the coast of British Columbia. “It’s a big warm pocket of ocean water and […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soy, corn stabilize after falling to one-month lows
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures stabilized on Thursday after a decline swept them to their lowest prices in nearly a month. Fundamental news about supplies and demand was scarce, leading to a trading session mostly driven by technical factors, analysts said. “We need some sort of news, especially some bullish news, […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soy, corn, wheat near one-month lows
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures approached one-month lows on Wednesday on worries over export demand and increasing competition for global sales. Traders were disappointed that there were no signs of additional sales of U.S. soybeans to China, the world’s top importer of the oilseed, or of corn. China bought U.S. […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soy falls as traders wait for more sales to China
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures neared a one-month low on Monday as traders watched and waited for China to make further purchases after re-entering the market recently as trade tensions eased. Corn futures also came under pressure from disappointment over a lack of demand from China, traders said. China bought U.S. soybeans on […] Read more
Falling U.S. futures weigh on Prairie wheat bids
CNS Canada — Hard red spring wheat bids in Western Canada lost ground during the week ended Friday, as losses in U.S. futures more than offset the supportive influence of the declining Canadian dollar. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, 13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices were down by $3-$11 per tonne over the course […] Read more
Cereals use chemical defences against insects
Science Notes: Plants rely on their toxins not only to fend off caterpillars but also to regulate defence mechanisms against aphids
A team of scientists from the University of Bern in Switzerland and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and partners have characterized multiple functions of benzoxazinoids in wheat. The toxic form of the substances makes the plant directly resistant to lepidopteran larvae, whereas a less toxic form regulates indirect defence mechanisms against aphids. Scientists […] Read more
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