Scattered and often heavy rainfall the past two weeks has dramatically improved field crops that were close to showing signs of stress after a dry month of June. In contrast, Kamenz said the recent rainfall here has helped produce some of the best crops in the province, barring those in isolated areas that have been hit by hail. Timely rain across eastern Ontario has allowed producers to feel a little better about the prospects of their crops considering some other areas of the province...

One expert says corn is a leaky crop and allows fertilizers to drain into waterways where it causes fish-killing algal blooms and other environmental problems. The study projects at least a half-million acres in corn planted in the next few years. A report released yesterday examined the ethanol-driven surge in corn planting and how that crop will affect the bay. It also said the government should promote research and development of alternative crops that pollute less for biofuel...

A barrel of crude oil briefly reached an 11-month high on Tuesday, then retreated as some traders collected profits and gasoline futures fell back. Lead surged nearly 4 percent on the LME to another record high after the world's second-largest lead refiner, Doe Run co., announced sharp production cutbacks at a Missouri refinery that suffered an explosion on Friday, according to a Dow Jones Newswires report. In early trading, gold prices climbed as high as $668 an ounce as the dollar...

But, on the positive side, genetically modified corn stops another pest, corn borers, in its tracks, and the technology produces towering plants that produce excellent yields, said University of Illinois entomologists Mike Gray and Kevin Steffey. URBANA The stacked corn traits farmers pay big bucks for aren't keeping rootworms from munching on their favorite food. Gray, Steffey and their student assistants this week started digging up corn plants in UI fields to look at their root system...

The law governs a range of politically sensitive programs and issues, including: agricultural subsidies, food tariffs and trade, environmental regulations, land conservation, disaster relief and Food Stamps. In Rhode Island, farm bill money helps restore marine habitat around Narragansett Bay, helps the Rhode Island Dairy Farms Cooperative sell Rhody Fresh milk, allows low-income state residents to buy fresh food, pays for school-lunch programs and allows private and state agencies to...

Spring wheat in those northern states remains superior, with only 8 percent of fields rated in the very-poor-to-poor category -- most of those acres are in Montana. corn fields were rated in good-to-excellent condition, but the information has been rendered obsolete by thundershowers moving through the Corn Belt since the figures were compiled, Kub said. Fifty-six percent of corn fields are silking with 6 percent of the crop in the dough stage, mostly in southern states such as Texas and...