Latest news with #cropyields
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
From scattered sunlight to dozy bees, smoky days challenge Canada's food growers
The smoky air that has become an all-too-common feature of Canadian summers poses yet another challenge for agricultural producers already contending with chronic drought in some areas and excess moisture in others. A thick haze blanketed much of the Prairies and Central Canada on Monday as wildfires burned in northern Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Environment Canada issued air quality warnings advising people to stay indoors — not an option for those growing the food Canadians rely on. As for how the smoke affects the crops themselves — it's complicated, said Ashley Ammeter, whole farm specialist at the Manitoba Crop Alliance. "One of the big challenges we have is that although some of these wildfire events are becoming more common, they're still relatively unpredictable and that also makes it hard to properly study these effects," she said. The haze can reflect and interfere with sunlight, which could disrupt photosynthesis. How that affects yields depends on the type of crop — soybeans would likely fare better than corn — and the timing of the smoky days, Ammeter said. Ozone produced when sunlight is exposed to pollutants in the smoke can also damage plant tissues and leaves, potentially reducing yields. On the flip side, smoke could scatter sunlight in such a way that it can better penetrate the canopy of a tall crop like corn. It can also reduce temperatures — a benefit or a drawback, depending on whether recent weather has been hot or cool. Either way, there's not a lot a grower can do. "Like a lot of things with weather and agriculture, you're very much at the mercy of what's going on. Essentially, you just have to ride it out," Ammeter said. In the grand scheme of things, the impact of smoke is thought to be relatively minor, she added. Drought — a major problem in recent years on the Prairies — and excess moisture are much more problematic. Paul Gregory, with Interlake Honey Producers Ltd. about 150 kilometres north of Winnipeg, said wildfire smoke is bad news for anyone in the bee-keeping business. The insects have evolved to go into a "safety response" when smoke is in the air, said Gregory, who is also vice-chair of the Manitoba Beekeepers Association. "They get docile, but they quit foraging. And when they quit foraging, of course, there's no nectar coming in," he said. "So they're just sort of hovering around. They're not doing a whole lot, because they're thinking: 'Hey, we might have to leave our home because there could be a wildfire coming.' So it does impact our honey production." Gregory figures he's looking at a 30 to 40 per cent drop in honey production year-over-year. The smoke compounds existing problems from drought. "In dry years, definitely there's less nectar coming in," he said. "We still get a crop, because the blossoms are blooming, but if the crop is under stress, then the blossoms will be in a shorter duration." As for protecting the health of the honey operation's workforce — mainly labourers from Nicaragua — the only thing Gregory can do is cut the day short on poor-air-quality days. The same things humans often experience on smoky days — irritated eyes, a scratchy throat or trouble breathing — may also affect livestock animals, said Dr. Leigh Rosengren, chief veterinary officer at the Canadian Cattle Association. "But of course, we don't have the option with cattle to go indoors or to evacuate areas easily. So we are certainly watching them and monitoring them more closely for any sort of respiratory issues or irritation of their eyes or nose, those respiratory tract areas," she said. Any overt signs an animal is struggling would warrant a visit to the veterinarian, said Rosengren. Otherwise, producers can make sure the cattle have clean water without ash in it, are getting immune-supporting nutrition and aren't enduring undue stress from too much handling, moving and co-mingling. Dr. Guillaume Lhermie, a veterinarian who teaches animal health economics at the University of Calgary, said it's often tough to tell if an animal is unwell, but farmers can look out for shortness of breath or difficulty moving. If symptoms are severe, anti-inflammatory medication may be needed. "Prevention is actually quite difficult," he said. From a business perspective, the prospect of the wildfire itself approaching a farm or ranch is much more disruptive as it's no easy feat to round up thousands of cattle and quickly move them to safety, Lhermie said. Another challenge is grass being burned. "That means you may have difficulty to have new pasture and feed for the next month, so that's also a massive disrupter in the farm economy," Lhermie said. Gregory, the Manitoba beekeeper, said what he's seeing in his business drives home that the impacts of climate change have arrived. "It's very sad to see that this is the climate we're giving our grandchildren and children." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025. Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
RLF AgTech sprouts sustainable future after nurturing key business units
RLF AgTech has undertaken a restructure to build long-term sustainable growth Company is at forefront of precision agriculture to improve crop yields and quality RLF has set up around 500 Australian distributors in past 12 months, with focus on local operations Commercial nutrition solutions provider for the agriculture industry, RLF AgTech is shaping up for strong growth, as precision agriculture continues to gain global relevance. Focusing on precision agriculture, RLF AgTech (ASX:RLF) is up ~37% YTD and has positioned itself at the forefront of a critical and rapidly evolving global challenge – producing more quality food – efficiently and sustainably – to meet demands of a growing population. With a history spanning around 30 years, RLF listed on the ASX in 2022 and is now poised for growth following a period of transition. Acting managing director Gavin Ball first invested in RLF around 14 years ago, realising the company's potential. Following a restructure around 12 months ago, Ball stepped into the top role. He credited the tireless efforts of the entire RLF team in pushing the company in the right direction, laying the foundation for future growth and profitability. "We've managed to get to a stable footing now, where we can demonstrate growth and viability of the business," Ball said. "Our strategy for the past 12 months has been plain vanilla management 101 with a focus on revenue and commercial opportunities. Four revenue businesses make up RLF AgTech RLF's flagship Plant Proton Delivery Technology (PPDT) allows farmers to cultivate crops with enhanced yields, improved quality and increased nutritional value, while bolstering the plants' capacity to store and reduce atmospheric carbon. The company operates four revenue-generating divisions including: RLF China RLF Asia RLF Australia; and RLF LiquaForce. In May 2024, RLF acquired fertiliser company LiquaForce's core business and assets for $4.5 million in cash and shares to help drive expansion into sugarcane, broadacre and horticulture farming. LiquaForce has two manufacturing sites in Queensland, allowing for expansion to support increased sales and RLF manufacturing. Ball emphasised that while stabilising all its business units has been the company's simple, overarching strategy, predominant focus has been placed on RLF LiquaForce, which has provided a strong foundation in Australia with infrastructure and revenues. RLF Australia meanwhile, is also a crucial component with the company's technical business offering a range of micro-nutritional products, built throughout its history, and based on grower needs and demands. "We have a lot of products but focus on 16 key ones in Australia and about 30 in China," Ball said. "They range from more advanced broad-spectrum products to specific products focused on the different stages of crop growth or particular crops." Recently, RLF added a biological range of products for broadacre farming to complement its existing plant nutrition range, an area Ball said he is interested in expanding over the short term. Establishing a strong distributor model for growth Ball noted that within Australia the landscape for selling agricultural products is through distribution networks such as Delta Agribusiness and NRI Australia. "Our first strategy for our Australian business was to set up manufacturing and then to set up distribution," he explained. The company's plan for 2025 was to establish 100 distributors with 400 by 2028, a goal it has already reached. "Our growing distribution reflects our years of trial data and substantiation, so we're not bringing in new products but trusted products which have validation," Ball said. Continuing the growth of its Australian business will be RLF's primary focus for 2026. Right time for growth with precision agriculture in focus With growers globally increasingly embracing science-driven precision agriculture, RLF is well-positioned to capitalise on the trend through its advanced plant nutrition solutions. "Growers are looking at the science behind crop growth to get better yields and better-quality produce," Ball said. "A lot of our trials now are around quality, which for the grower determines how much they get paid for their produce. "If you have a higher sugar content in sugar cane, more protein in grain for wheat, or better-quality fruit and vegetables, growers get more money." Ball said adapting crops for climate change, and a growing global population had also become important in the agricultural industry. In RLF's Asia-Pacific business, a major challenge for crop yield is storm and rain damage. For example, mangoes can fall and rot when the stalks holding the fruit to the tree aren't strong enough to withstand the weather. "Having products that can grow stronger stalks to hold the fruit becomes important," he explained. "Rice gets dislodged with a heavy wind and rain, so we've developed products which grow thicker stalks and stronger root systems to help withstand climate effects, which have both an agronomic and yield benefit." Hillston project validates RLF's carbon-farming potential In March RLF reported positive early results from its Hillston Soil Carbon Project, designed to verify the effectiveness of its fertiliser technology to increase soil carbon levels, reducing agricultural emissions, and cutting reliance on synthetic fertilisers. Following application of RLF's Accumulating Carbon in Soil System (ACSS) products to a single crop, Hillston has delivered measurable improvements in soil organic carbon, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and improvements in fertiliser efficiency. The Hillston project is part of RLF's broader strategy to position itself as a leader in carbon-smart farming solutions, aligning with increasing ESG and sustainability disclosure requirements and global demand for verified carbon reduction initiatives. "Sustainable, high-quality food production is essential globally, and represents a significant market opportunity for RLF," Ball said. With a solid operational base, an expanding range of proven products, and growing presence across key markets, Ball said RLF demonstrated the practical impact of its approach to agricultural technology. "We're increasingly a story of delivery of products in use, results on the ground and revenue coming through," he said. "With positive momentum in the Australian market and early signs of scalable growth, we're well placed to benefit from rising interest in smarter, more sustainable farming solutions."
CTV News
18-06-2025
- Science
- CTV News
Scientists warn climate change could cut crop yields up to a quarter, North America would be hit hardest
Climate change could cut crop yields up to a quarter. This file image was taken in Mitchel, Man. (Source: Don Moore) Climate change is on track to reduce by 11 percent in 2100 the yields that today provide two-thirds of humanity's calories from crops, even taking into account adaptation to a warming world, scientists said Wednesday. As soon as 2050, this 'moderate' scenario in which greenhouse gas emissions peak around 2040 and slowly taper off -- a trajectory aligned with current trends -- would see global losses of nearly eight percent. And if carbon pollution worsens, the loss of calories across the same six staples -- corn, wheat, rice, soybeans, sorghum and cassava -- rises to nearly a quarter by century's end, the researchers reported in Nature. More generally, every additional degree Celsius of warming reduces the world's ability to produce food from these crops by 120 calories per person per day, or nearly five percent of current daily consumption, they calculated. 'If the climate warms by three degrees, that's basically like everyone on the planet giving up breakfast,' said co-author Solomon Hsiang, a professor at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in California. The steepest losses will occur at the extremes of the agricultural economy: in modern, Big Ag breadbaskets that currently enjoy some of the world's best growing conditions, and in subsistence farming communities that typically rely of small cassava harvests. North America would be hit hardest, losing a fifth of yields by 2100 in the moderate carbon pollution scenario, and two-fifths if emissions from burning fossil fuels continue apace. Working with more than a dozen scientists, Hsiang and co-leader Andrew Hultgren, an assistant professor at the University of Urbana-Champaign, sifted through data from more than 12,000 regions in 55 countries. Erratic weather Previous calculations of how a warming world will impact crop yields generally failed to consider the ways in which farmers would adapt, such as switching crop varieties, shifting planting and harvesting dates, and altering fertiliser use. The scientists estimated such adjustments would offset about a third of climate related losses over the next 75 years in the scenario of rising emissions, but that residual impacts would still be devastating. 'Any level of warming, even when accounting for adaptation, results in global output losses for agriculture,' said Hultgren. With the planet about 1.5C hotter than preindustrial levels in the late 1900s, farmers in many regions are already experiencing longer dry spells, unseasonable heatwaves and erratic weather that undermines yields. The nutritional value of most crops also declines with hotter temperatures, earlier research has shown. The study revealed sharp variations in the impact of global warming on different crops and regions. In the 'worst-case' scenario of rising carbon emissions, corn yields would plummet 40 percent by 2100 across the grain belt of the United States, eastern China, central Asia, and the Middle East. For soybeans, yields in the US would decline by half, and increase by a fifth in Brazil. Wheat losses would drop by a fifth in eastern and western Europe, and by 30 to 40 percent in other wheat-growing regions: China, Russia and North America. Cassava would be hit hard everywhere it's grown. 'Although cassava does not make up a large portion of global agricultural revenues, it is an important subsistence crop in low- and middle-income countries,' the researchers pointed out. Among the six crops examined, rice is the only one that stands to benefit in a warmer climate, mainly due to warmer nights.
