Soil Temps Not Impacting Winter Wheat

Dec 16, 2020

The lack of snow hasn't really impacted this year's winter wheat crop.

Doug Martin is with the Manitoba Crop Alliance.

"Manitoba Agriculture has temperature probes in some winter wheat fields throughout the province," he said. "Sunday night it got fairly cold. The soil temperature dipped to about minus 7. So if you look at what will kill winter wheat, the soil temperature has to get to about minus 20 or 21. So far we're in good shape.'

Martin says there were reports of uneven germination due to the dry conditions earlier this fall.

He's hoping to see more snow cover for the crop in the coming days and weeks.

Click here to see more...

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.