ICE November 2020 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola mixed at midweek

MarketsFarm — Canola contracts have stayed locked in a pattern for the past few trading sessions, with the July contract posting small gains and new crop year contracts showing losses. That’s mainly due to traders positioning ahead of July’s expiry date. “It’s not uncommon for the July expiry to see some spreads swing around,” said […] Read more

File photo of a green soybean crop south of Winnipeg. (Dougall_Photography/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn slump on crop weather, economic concerns

U.S. Midwest sees generally mild temperatures

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures eased for a third straight session on Wednesday and corn futures were mostly lower as forecasts for rains and limited crop-stressing heat across the Midwest farm belt bolstered production prospects. Weak outside markets also hung over grain futures, with equities and crude oil posting steep losses as rising […] Read more

Corn stages vary on planting dates, winter canola in final stages of flowering

OMAFRA Field Crop Report for June 11

Soybean Some replanting has occurred especially on heavy clay soils with poor emergence.  Soil crusting and seed corn maggot feeding are the main issues this spring. If plant stands are below 100,000 plants per acre replanting is warranted. The same variety can be planted into an existing thin stand. Replanting with a drill may damage […] Read more

Water stress can constrain late-season photosynthesis

Water stress can constrain late-season photosynthesis

Science Notes: Remote sensing technology employed

Photosynthesis is regulated by plant phenology — how plant life cycles interact with the climate — and environmental conditions, both of which changed substantially in recent decades. Unlike early season photosynthesis, which is mostly driven by warming temperatures or the onset of the wet season, late-season photosynthesis can be limited by several factors, such as […] Read more

Emergence in an Ontario soybean field. (File photo by John Greig)

CBOT weekly outlook: Prices stable, crops looking good

MarketsFarm — Over the last few weeks, soybean and corn prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) have stabilized, according to Scott Capinegro of Barrington Commodities at Barrington, Ill. “And that’s a good thing. Where this goes from here is still anybody’s guess,” he said. Noting that the crops in the United States are […] Read more


Planting progress in Ontario ahead of normal

OMAFRA Field Crop Report for May 14

Temperatures were well below seasonal for much of the past week due to the presence of an arctic air mass. Low night-time temperature records were set in many areas of the province with low temperatures between 0 to -7 C and snow fell overnight more than once. The widespread risk of the cold weather impacts […] Read more

VIDEO: Earlier corn planting gives bigger yield potential

VIDEO: Earlier corn planting gives bigger yield potential

Field Talk with Steph Berlett

In this edition of Field Talk, I talked with Steph Berlett, sales agronomist with Brussels Agromart, about getting corn planted in April and what it means for crop yields, crop management and weed control. “It started out fantastic. Planters got rolling last weekend because it was the best conditions we’ve had in years really, so […] Read more



Sea surface temperature anomalies (°C) over the tropical Pacific for the week centred on March 4, 2020. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

U.S. forecaster sees 65 per cent chance of no spring El Nino, La Nina

Reuters — There is about a 65 per cent chance that neutral weather conditions will prevail in the Northern Hemisphere this spring with no El Niño or La Niña, up from 60 per cent last month, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation-neutral (ENSO) weather pattern is marked by average […] Read more

Barley. (Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Rally likely to end soon

MarketsFarm — After a bit of a rally for feed grain prices over the last three to four weeks, the feedlots are on the full side, said Brandon Motz of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. “That normally means we back off a little bit,” he said, noting there hasn’t been an uptick in deliveries with […] Read more