Alfalfa’s winter survival depends on freezing tolerance and fall dormancy. Freezing tolerance is the ability to survive cold temperatures. Fall dormancy is when shorter days and cooler temperatures trigger alfalfa to redirect carbohydrates and proteins away from above-ground growth and towards the roots to power next spring’s regrowth. In current varieties, fall dormancy occurs during the four to six weeks before the first killing frost. Producers are advised not to graze or cut alfalfa during this period to avoid winterkill. Successfully reducing fall dormancy would shorten this critical period, lengthen the growing and grazing seasons, and increase alfalfa yields (provided it doesn’t compromise winter survival).

Selecting for reduced fall dormancy is easy — simply find and breed the plants that keep growing later into the fall. But selecting for winter survival in the field is challenging because nature doesn’t always provide conveniently severe winters (especially in warmer countries). Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers Annick Bertrand and Annie Claessens and co-workers have developed a new method to screen alfalfa for lower fall dormancy and higher fall regrowth without sacrificing freezing tolerance or winter survival.

What they did

They started with two Canadian high-dormancy, winter-hardy alfalfa varieties. Peace is a purple-flowered variety selected for winter survival and yield that was released in 1980. Yellowhead is a Siberian variety that was selected for winter survival and yellow flower colour and registered in 2007. The team grew Peace and Yellowhead alfalfa plants (2,000 of each variety) in a greenhouse under controlled light and temperature conditions, then reduced the artificial day length and temperature to stimulate fall dormancy. They cut the alfalfa and allowed it to regrow for a month. For each variety, the tallest 50 per cent of plants (those that regrew the most and were least dormant) were cut and allowed to regrow again. This process was repeated three times, and then the 50 tallest Peace and 50 tallest Yellowhead plants were selected.

These first-generation “reduced dormancy” populations were grown in field plots in Quebec (St. Augustin and Normandin), Saskatchewan (Swift Current) and Alberta (Lacombe) along with the original Peace and Yellowhead parental generation. Total forage yield, plant height (dormancy) and winter survival were measured.

Freezing tolerance was evaluated under controlled conditions. The original Peace and Yellowhead varieties and their first-generation reduced dormancy populations were grown in pots (420 of each type). The plants were moved to a walk-in freezer, cooled to seven successively lower temperature steps (from -2 C to -24 C), and held at each temperature step for 90 minutes. At each temperature step, 60 plants of each type were removed, thawed and regrown to assess survival and regrowth.

What they learned

In the field study, the first generation of reduced fall dormancy alfalfa regrew at least as well or significantly better after the last fall cut than their unselected Peace or Yellowhead parents. The reduced dormancy Peace population and its parental variety yielded the same, but the reduced dormancy Yellowhead yielded 40 per cent better than its parental generation. No differences in winterkill were observed, suggesting that selection for reduced fall dormancy didn’t necessarily compromise winter survival under these natural conditions. For instance, the Lacombe plots, which experienced the harshest natural winter conditions that year, saw 0.8 per cent to 4.8 per cent winterkill rates in the reduced dormancy populations compared to 4 per cent to 10.4 per cent in the parental varieties.

In the freezing tolerance tests, selecting for reduced fall dormancy did not affect freezing tolerance in Peace alfalfa. Half of the reduced dormancy and parental populations died at -22.6 C. In contrast, selecting for reduced fall dormancy appeared to reduce freezing tolerance in Yellowhead alfalfa. Half of the parental Yellowhead variety was killed at -24.0 C, while half of the reduced dormancy population died at -21.5 C.

This work will continue for at least four generations to confirm whether this breeding approach can improve yields of purple- and yellow-flowered alfalfas in northern climates without compromising winter survival.

So what does this mean?

Private forage breeding companies have merged and consolidated just like the machinery, pharmaceutical, herbicide and packing sectors. Large multinationals focus their breeding efforts on their largest markets, not on developing high-yielding, winter-hardy varieties for small regional markets such as Canada. Fortunately, Canada’s public forage breeders are focused on improving perennial forages that can yield well and persist in our climate.

In the meantime, remember that if your first killing frost usually comes in mid- to late-September, your alfalfa needs four to six weeks before that to get its roots ready for winter and to power next spring’s regrowth. Grazing or harvesting alfalfa between early August and the first killing frost can weaken it and increase winterkill risk.

The Beef Cattle Research Council is funded by the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off. The BCRC partners with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, provincial beef industry groups and governments to advance research and technology transfer supporting the Canadian beef industry’s vision to be recognized as a preferred supplier of healthy, high-quality beef, cattle and genetics.

Dr. Reynold Bergen is the science director of the Beef Cattle Research Council.

The post Alfalfa for Canada’s climate appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

The report noted planting of corn, soybeans and spring cereals started late last week — the exception being where there are heavier soils. OMAFRA projected planting could be 80 to 90 per cent complete by week’s end, but cautioned there were some areas of the province where farmers had either yet to start or just began planting.

The report said winterkill was rather extensive for the province’s winter wheat and numerous fields were being seeded with spring wheat.

Winter canola was bolting in some parts of the southwest and there were reports of canola flowering in Essex County.

Some parts of Ontario saw fields becoming hard due to dry conditions, especially where there are clay-based loams. OMAFRA stressed farmers should not get too far ahead in their tilling of the soil.

Also, the report said applications of urea or urea ammonium nitrate risk volatilization. OMAFRA suggested farmers should fully incorporate or use a urease inhibitor to reduce the risk of nitrogen loss.

The post Spring planting well underway in Ontario appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

The overall five-year average at this time of year is five per cent complete. This time last year, farmers were at nine per cent done. The department said progress this spring will pick up once it’s dry enough.

Of the crops already seeded, spring wheat, barley and field peas led the way at four per cent finished. Durum followed at three per cent and lentils at two.

There have been reports of winterkill on winter wheat, fall rye and other crops planted last fall. The extent at this time is uncertain as the damage continued to be assessed. The hardest hit region of the province was the southwest, due to a lack of sufficient snow cover.

Although spring runoff was better this spring than last, Saskatchewan Agriculture stressed the need for timely rains to maintain sufficient moisture. The report placed cropland topsoil moisture levels at five per cent surplus, 55 adequate, 26 short and 14 very short. Hay and pasture lands rated two per cent surplus, 52 adequate, 29 short and 17 very short.

Not only will timely rains be needed to sustain crops, but also for livestock, despite dugouts, sloughs and other water sources being replenished this spring. The department noted pasture didn’t winter very well, with conditions listed as zero per cent excellent, 12 good, 22 fair, 37 poor and 29 very poor.

Added to that have been issues with forage supplies, which were pegged at 35 per cent adequate and 65 inadequate. Feed grain supplies were estimated at 55 per cent adequate and 45 inadequate.

The post Seeding already behind in Saskatchewan appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Corn futures firmed slightly, consolidating below multi-year highs established last week, and soybean futures closed mixed.

A stronger dollar hung over the markets, making U.S. grains less competitive globally. The dollar rose on upbeat economic data and signs of strengthening inflation.

Chicago Board of Trade March soft red winter wheat futures settled down 13-1/2 cents at $6.44 per bushel (all figures US$). March corn ended up 3/4 cent at $5.53 a bushel, while March soybeans finished down one cent at $13.83-3/4 a bushel, staying inside of Tuesday’s trading range.

Wheat was the biggest mover, declining as forecasts called for temperatures to moderate in the Plains winter wheat belt over the next two weeks. Some traders believe that so-called winterkill damage over the weekend was likely limited to a few areas that lacked adequate snowfall, which can insulate crops from severe cold.

“It would have to be the northern half of Kansas, maybe into part of Nebraska, before you find problems with winter wheat, if there was any winterkill,” said Mark Schultz, analyst with Northstar Commodity.

The extent of freeze damage to winter wheat is difficult to assess until the dormant crop resumes growth in the spring, several analysts noted.

Corn futures edged higher and nearby soybean contracts ticked lower in a choppy session as the market sought fresh direction. Traders await U.S. acreage and usage forecasts expected from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual two-day outlook forum, which starts on Thursday.

In South America, more rainfall is expected in parts of Brazil in the week ahead, but soy harvesting was still expected to progress, while showers could ease dryness in Argentina.

“We’re having a bit of a breather in the market while we see a window in South American weather that’s more conducive for crops,” said Michael Magdovitz, commodity analyst at Rabobank.

— Reporting for Reuters by Julie Ingwersen in Chicago; additional reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Naveen Thukral in Singapore.

The post U.S. grains: Wheat retreats after cold-weather rally appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

“Cold temperatures, chiefly domestically, lesser so abroad, will keep the wheat trade watching winterkill prospects over the weekend,” Matt Zeller, director of market information at StoneX, said in a note to clients.

Soybean futures also were firm, turning higher after trading in negative territory for much of the morning as traders squared positions ahead of the weekend. Tight supplies continued to underpin prices as export demand for U.S. soy ate into domestic stockpiles through January due to harvest delays in Brazil.

Corn futures eased on a technical setback but closed well above session lows.

Expectations for bumper harvests in South America despite dryness concerns throughout the growing season pressured both corn and soybeans.

Chicago Board of Trade March corn futures settled down 2-1/4 cents at $5.38-3/4 a bushel (all figures US$). For the week, corn futures dropped 1.8 per cent, posting only their second weekly loss in the last 10 weeks.

CBOT March soybean futures were 4-1/2 cents higher at $13.72 a bushel.

CBOT March soft red winter wheat was up 3-1/4 cents at $6.36-3/4 a bushel. K.C. hard red winter wheat was 5-3/4 cents higher at $6.16-3/4 a bushel.

Commodity Weather Group estimated that 10 per cent of the U.S. soft wheat crop and 15 per cent of the hard wheat crop were at risk of damage from the cold.

The U.S. Agriculture Department on Friday morning said private exporters reported the sale of 195,338 tonnes of corn to Costa Rica and 115,577 tonnes of corn to Guatemala.

— Reporting for Reuters by Mark Weinraub in Chicago; additional reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Colin Packham in Canberra.

The post U.S. grains: Weather worries push wheat futures higher appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Corn futures traded slightly lower as traders assessed mixed crop prospects in South America, while wheat ticked up slightly on fears of winterkill across the U.S. southern Plains as frigid weather set in.

Price movements were limited ahead of a U.S. Department of Agriculture supply and demand report next week that is likely to confirm tightening stocks of soybeans and corn.

Despite trading near 6-1/2-year highs, soybeans could still rise further to curb demand, said Don Roose, president of U.S. Commodities.

The most-active soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade ended 5-3/4 cents lower at $13.66-3/4 per bushel, dropping 0.2 per cent for the week (all figures US$).

CBOT corn fell 1-1/2 cents to $5.48-1/2 per bushel, ending the week 0.2 per cent lower, while wheat added 3-3/4 cents to $6.41-1/4 per bushel, a 3.28 per cent drop for the week.

Soybeans improved midday, but ended lower as traders positioned ahead of next Tuesday’s USDA report, expected to show further supply tightening.

“We’ve been quiet on the export front for a couple days, but people are thinking China will buy ahead of their New Year’s holiday,” said Joe Davis, director of commodity sales at Futures International.

The U.S. exported $28.75 billion of agricultural goods and related products to China, the world’s biggest soybean importer, in 2020, according to USDA data, missing the $36.5 billion targeted under the Phase One trade deal.

CBOT corn was little changed, though USDA reported daily export sales of 101,600 tonnes for delivery to unknown destinations during the 2020-21 marketing year.

Meanwhile, rain slowed Brazil’s soybean harvest and subsequent second corn crop planting, but forecasters still expect bumper crops.

In Argentina, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange on Thursday cut its 2020-21 corn crop forecast by one million tonnes to 46 million tonnes, citing lower-than-expected yields caused by dry weather.

— Reporting for Reuters by Christopher Walljasper in Chicago; additional reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Colin Packham in Canberra.

The post U.S. grains: Soybeans end lower, after rising on demand optimism appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

“People tended to kind of blend hay this year and they managed to get through. But the prolonged cold spring really I think put a lot of pressure on feed supplies,” said Terry Kowalchuk, a provincial forage specialist in Regina.

Provincial crop reports in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta show producers face tight supplies. The April 30 crop report from the Saskatchewan agriculture ministry said producers have been forced to fall back on alternative feeds and feed grains for livestock while they wait for pastures to green up.

There is also concern about winterkill in pastures. According to Glenn Friesen, industry development specialist with Manitoba Agriculture in Carman, there isn’t yet a strong indication of just how much winterkill there is.

“We expect it to be a touch higher than normal,” he said, “and we’ve had a fairly dry and warm spring and we know producers are getting cattle in the pastures.”

Although grass is starting to grow in pastures, there is concern that due to tight forage supplies producers could be forced to send livestock out to pasture earlier than usual.

“Putting (the cattle) out early has kind of a double whammy. It does (hold) back the potential (pasture quality) by quite a bit, that’s the problem. Especially in a dry year like this,” Kowalchuk said.

While the forage situation isn’t looking the best in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the May 8 crop report from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry said hay and pasture conditions had improved following warm temperatures and precipitation across the province.

In drier portions of the Prairies, there has been concern about grass fires ruining pasture and hay land for the year, as several large fires have been reported across the provinces.

“That’s affecting fence posts. That’s affecting fences. And so the ability for a producer to use that piece now becomes an issue even if the grass does grow back, there’s lots of work to be done to rebuild it,” Friesen said.

The dry spring could also affect this year’s forage crops. According to Kowalchuk, the yield potential for forages depends on precipitation received in May — but due to the late spring, the province is two weeks behind where it regularly is for this time of year.

“If we got rain late May, early June I think we’d still be OK. But we could definitely use a good two- to three-day soaker right now for sure, provincewide,” he said, adding it isn’t at a critical point yet.

— Ashley Robinson writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Glacier FarmMedia company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting. Follow her at @AshleyMR1993 on Twitter.

The post Forage supplies starting to dip on dry Prairies appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

“I checked the soil temperatures this morning across the Prairies and most of the soils are about -10 C and winter wheat at this stage can still handle that level of coldness…so I think in most areas we are still OK,” Ken Gross said.

Winter wheat can handle soil temperatures as cold as -16 C, said Gross, a director with Winter Cereals Manitoba and agrologist with Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Temperatures throughout the winter in Western Canada have dipped to the -30 C to -40 C range numerous times — and most of the Prairies south of the Trans-Canada Highway have been plagued with little to no snow cover.

“There’s a general lack of snow cover across the southern Prairies. So it sure would be nice to alleviate our concerns if we got a little bit of snow and hopefully warm up a little bit here too,” Gross said.

The Drought Monitor map from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as of Jan. 31 shows a dismal picture, with severe drought conditions in a pocket in southern Alberta and throughout south-central Saskatchewan, and extreme drought conditions around Regina and Weyburn.

The news is better in Manitoba, where there are only moderate drought conditions in the province’s southwest.

North of Winnipeg, meanwhile, there has been adequate snow cover blanketing the fields for most of the winter.

“Up here in our area we’ve had good snow cover for most of the year. So anyone who put winter wheat in I think is going to be OK so far,” said Doug Martin, interim executive director of Winter Cereals Manitoba and a farmer near East Selkirk.

There is still a chance winter wheat crops could be damaged. As the season progresses, winter wheat tends to lose its hardiness.

“March is more of a month that can do more damage on the winter wheat. So that’s where we’ve seen in past years more of the damage,” Martin said.

For the drier areas, if the winter continues without snow, producers should plan to apply nitrogen as soon as possible in the spring, according to Gross.

“If the crop is coming out of the winter a little bit weak, it needs a little bit help… the fertility will help it grow quickly and move through that very successfully.”

The lack of moisture isn’t just affecting Canadian winter wheat; south of the border crops are struggling as well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s wheat outlook report, released Monday, notes no significant precipitation in the last four months across the southern Plains, causing further deterioration of winter wheat.

According to Gross, the U.S. usually loses about 10 per cent of its winter wheat crop each year to winterkill.

U.S. growers, according to USDA’s Monday report, seeded 32.6 million acres of winter wheat, down one per cent from 2017.

In Canada, winter wheat acres are down as well. According to Statistics Canada, 335,000 acres of winter wheat were seeded in the fall in Western Canada, compared to 535,000 acres the previous year.

This isn’t surprising to Gross. Farmers told him they hadn’t seeded as much winter wheat due to dry conditions which plagued the Prairies last summer.

“There was interest in seeding winter wheat last fall but it was just so dry it was hard,” he said. “Guys were really reticent to get out there and seed into concrete.”

— Ashley Robinson writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Glacier FarmMedia company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting. Follow her at @AshleyMR1993 on Twitter.

The post Prairie winter wheat conditions no cause for alarm, yet appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Farmers in Kansas grow hard red winter (HRW) wheat, the largest U.S. wheat class that typically is milled into flour for bread. The impact of any crop loss could be magnified because supplies of high-protein HRW wheat already are scarce due to low protein levels in the last two harvests.

Also, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in January is expected to show U.S. farmers planted even less winter wheat than a year ago, when acreage fell to the lowest since 1909.

“I think the eastern three-quarters of Kansas is at risk for some winterkill,” said David Streit, a meteorologist with the Commodity Weather Group.

Winter wheat is most resistant to winterkill in December and January. However, temperatures that drop below about -5 F (-21 C) for two hours or more can cause freeze damage.

Readings on Monday could fall to -8 F (-22 C) in northern Kansas, said Don Keeney of MDA Weather Services.

“That is definitely going to cause some issues there, especially as dry as they were this fall,” Keeney said.

Dry soil cools more quickly than moist soil, and about a third of Kansas is in moderate drought, according to the latest weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report prepared by a consortium of climatologists. The entire state is abnormally dry, the report said.

Much of Kansas also lacks snow cover, which can act as a protective blanket for dormant crops.

In Oklahoma, another major producer, temperatures on Monday are forecast to dip to 0 F (-18 C), posing a minor risk. However, if readings dip much lower, “the threat will increase substantially,” Keeney said.

River ice

Frigid temperatures will grip the Midwest as well, although snow cover should protect most of the region’s soft red winter wheat, used in cookies and snack foods.

The cold is likely to hasten the build-up of ice on the Illinois River, slowing barge traffic and impeding shipments of Midwest corn and soybeans to Gulf Coast export terminals.

“We are starting to see some ice form there. I would expect ice over the next five days to really increase substantially,” Keeney said.

Locks need to be de-iced in order for vessels to pass through. “We don’t have any locks that are closed down… but there are impacts affecting the locks,” said Samantha Heilig, public affairs specialist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

With portions of both the Illinois and Mississippi rivers frozen, there was less water flowing downstream. On the Mississippi River at St. Louis, water levels next week were expected to reach the lowest point in about four years, according to the National Weather Service.

— Julie Ingwersen is a commodities correspondent for Reuters in Chicago; additional reporting by Michael Hirtzer.

The post New Year’s Day cold snap to hit U.S. winter wheat, rivers appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.

Corn and wheat futures also declined in thin trade between the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays.

Chicago Board of Trade March soybean futures settled down 10-3/4 cents at $9.56-3/4 per bushel after dipping to $9.55, the contract’s lowest since Aug. 31 (all figures US$).

March corn ended down 1-3/4 cents at $3.52 a bushel and March wheat fell 1/4 cent at $4.27-3/4 a bushel.

Soybeans declined as traders monitored crop weather in South America. Conditions remained largely favourable in Brazil, the world’s biggest soy exporter, while much-needed showers were forecast this weekend in parts of Argentina, the No. 3 producer.

“People want to talk up the iffy weather in Argentina. But the bottom line is that Brazilian weather is super. If Argentina does have some losses, it looks like Brazil is going to offset those losses,” said Tom Fritz, a partner with EFG Group in Chicago.

Brazil’s oilseed processors’ association, Abiove, last week left its forecast of Brazil’s 2017-18 soybean crop unchanged at 109.5 million tonnes, second only to the record-large 2016-17 harvest of 114 million tonnes.

Additional pressure on CBOT soy futures stemmed from worries that more stringent quality rules on Chinese soybean imports starting in 2018 could stall U.S. soy sales to the world’s largest buyer.

Corn futures fell in sympathy with soybeans, halting a six-session climb in the CBOT March corn contract.

Wheat was lower but choppy, underpinned by short-covering and ongoing concerns about potential crop losses from cold weather in the U.S. Plains and Midwest that could damage dormant winter wheat crops.

Temperatures in the southern Plains could drop below 0 F (-18 C) early next week, MDA Weather Services meteorologist Don Keeney said.

“I do think we will get below 0 F in a good portion of Kansas, and there will not be much in the way of snow cover ahead of that,” Keeney said.

Investment funds were holding a near-record net short position in U.S. wheat futures and had sizeable net shorts in corn and soybeans, according to regulatory data released last week.

— Julie Ingwersen is a commodities correspondent for Reuters in Chicago; additional reporting by Colin Packham in Sydney and Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris.

The post U.S. grains: Soybeans fall to four-month low appeared first on Canadian Cattlemen.