Rain Expected to Improve US Winter Wheat Planting Conditions

Sep 07, 2023

Following weeks of dryness and intense heat, this weekend may bring hope for improved planting conditions in US Hard Red Winter country.

A looming rain event, projected to last until mid-next week, is poised to bring anywhere from about ½ to nearly 2 inches of moisture spanning from northern Nebraska through eastern Colorado to northern Texas. Large portions of Kansas, the No. 1 US winter wheat production state, could see amounts of 1 inch or more. Cooler temperatures are also in the forecast.

In addition to providing much-needed moisture for the start of the winter wheat planting season, the rainfall may be even more important given the US Climate Prediction Center’s long-term outlook for the southern Plains (along with the Midwest) is for drought development or persistence throughout the September-November period (see map below).

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.