Today marks the 10th annual Canadian Agriculture Day!
Canadians across the country are encouraged to join in celebrating Canadian agriculture on social media, using #CdnAgDay and sharing photos, stories, and more!
More information about Canadian Agriculture Day can be found by following this link: https://www.foodintegrity.ca/canadas-agriculture-day/
We are very excited to see that Syngenta’s new Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) and Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) seed treatment is registered in Canada. Victrato will be paired with Syngenta’s Vayantis IV fungicide to provide a complete package. This product will be available on limited NK Brand soybeans in 2026. Follow the link below to learn all about the rates and efficacy for this new product.
A summary of today’s USDA report follows.
Market Impact:
It’s very clear that when trying to prevent establishment of waterhemp in your field that using multiple modes of action for herbicides and pre-emergent herbicides is important. Expecting to control outbreaks of large actively growing waterhemp with 2,4-D or Liberty in season is not sustainable. The selection pressure for promoting resistance in the weed populations is too risky.
University of Illinois has confirmed 4 populations of waterhemp that are resistant to herbicides from 8 different chemical classes, with Glufosinate (Liberty) being the most recent.
Missouri is the 4th state to confirm Dicamba resistance in Waterhemp populations.
https://extension.missouri.edu/news/mu-weed-science-team-confirms-dicamba-resistant-waterhemp
Below is a link to the Farmer’s Forum column written by Steve Kell. In the article it stresses that we can’t compete on volume of crushers with South America and the US, and we should embrace niche markets and our export ability. Jackson Seed Service is excited to work with farmers for the past 40+ years and be a part of these successful markets.
STEVE KELL: Our competitive advantage is moving 900 shipping containers each week
Looking for variety plot data? The OCC have published the 2025 soybean plots on https://soybean.gocrops.ca/
Find your maturity and if you are looking for traited or IP beans.
In recent years seed inoculation has been low because we grow soybeans in frequent rotation. “I don’t need it, I grow lots of beans” is a common mantra. The inoculation business has changed with new formulations, and the push for higher soybean yields has made us revisit the generally accepted norm. The last two years near Dresden we have been able to produce a favourable ROI. We would be the first to admit biologicals can be inconsistent, so the results may not occur every year. It seems ironic that a seed company would recommend an additional treatment. However, with multiple replications at a location, multiple sites over years and consultations with industry experts, it really does seem the industry has improved seed treatment products. Below is a snapshot of what we learned:
Why Soil / Growing Stress Lowers Nodulation — And Why Dual Inoculants Help
Stress factors that hurt nodulation:
Here are common soil and growth stresses that reduce the effectiveness or survival of rhizobia, thereby hurting nodulation:
Soil pH: Very acidic soils (pH < ~6) are less hospitable to rhizobia and can reduce nitrogen fixation.
High soil nitrogen (nitrate / ammonium): If there’s a lot of “free” inorganic N, the plant may suppress nodulation because it doesn’t need to rely on rhizobia.
Temperature extremes: Cool soils (early season) slow down nodule formation; very hot soils + drought can desiccate rhizobia.
Moisture stress: Both drought and waterlogging are damaging — drought can desiccate rhizobia; flooding can create low-oxygen conditions that kill them.
Texture / soil type: Sandy soils are more prone to drying, which hurts rhizobia survival. Also, lower organic matter soils may carry fewer indigenous rhizobia.
Compaction: Poor soil structure can limit root growth and reduce infection sites.
Low phosphorus: P is important for energy (ATP) in nodulation; low P can limit nodulation.
Why inoculation (especially dual / improved) can mitigate stress
Dual-strain or enhanced inoculant products like the two above help in several ways when soil or growing conditions are stressful:
Redundancy and strain competition: Two effective strains (e.g., in Optimize FXC DS or LALFIX ProYield) increase the chances that at least one strain will survive and infect, even if one strain is less competitive, or if native rhizobia or soil microbes compete. In LALFIX ProYield, the dual B. elkanii strains are chosen for survival / competitiveness, meaning they’re more likely to form nodules even when native populations are poor or competing.
Faster / earlier nodulation: In Optimize FXC DS, the LCO “signal” jump-starts communication between the plant and rhizobia, so nodulation begins earlier, which can be very helpful in short or stressful growing windows. Earlier nodulation means nitrogen fixation can begin sooner, supporting early plant growth and giving a buffer if stress hits later.
Improved root system and microbial synergy: The Delftia acidovorans in ProYield helps build a more complex, branched root system, which increases the infection sites for rhizobia. Delftia also helps with iron solubilization (iron is vital for nitrogenase, the enzyme rhizobia use to fix N), which can be limiting in some soils. In Optimize FXC DS, LCO also promotes mycorrhizal associations, which not only help water/nutrient uptake but also may help rhizobia colonization via improved root health.
The grain markets have been on edge because of the government shutdown and uncertainty with trade. Today at noon the USDA will be releasing a fall report with estimated grain yield averages, carryout volume and export numbers. Apparently during the government shutdown employees were collecting data, and this report is likely to move market prices. In the past 10 years the fall report has reportedly moved the prices upwards 3 times, and downward 7 times (https://www.profarmer.com/news/agriculture-news/4-key-things-know-ahead-usda-crop-production-and-wasde-reports). Today we will see how US soybean and corn markets (and consequently our Canadian markets) react to a much needed update.
We are hosting a customer event Nov. 18th featuring Albert Tenuta. The OMAF Field Crop Pathologist will be talking about soybean diseases, and maybe a brief tar spot update. We will give some brief updates on the Jackson projects, as many of you have noticed there is a lot of construction going on. We will also discuss some seed variety options for 2026.
If you would like to come please call the office or email for more details and RSVP.
It’s been a very nice fall for combining beans, which has meant some long hours and big days being very productive. With soy harvest essentially completed we will be allowing our staff to enjoy some family time and prepare for the upcoming corn harvest. Both elevators will be closed Sunday October 12th and Monday Oct 13th. Enjoy the time with your families and we will see you next week.
