Time to think about marketing that crop

Sep 28, 2022

When it comes to grain marketing understanding futures markets and basis can help make sense of the messages that markets are sending.

Crops Extension Specialist Mike Brown says there are a number of factors that can influence the price you receive.

"The most important thing that's going to come to producers mind is understanding where those cash flow requirements are going to be needed. As grains getting put into the bin if there are bills to be paid you may have to sell that grain in spot prices. Maybe not as lucrative as futures contracting on some aspects, but if it has to be done, it has to be done."

He says when it comes to marketing international, national, provincial and municipal events can influence prices on various commodities.

Another key aspect is monitoring futures and basis.

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.