Based on market demand and feedback from the malting industry, the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) publishes a list every fall of recommended varieties for producers to grow the following year. And every year, for the last 11, the list has been topped by AC Metcalfe and CDC Copeland. (CDC Copeland joined AC Metcalfe... Read More

Budweiser is planning to send malt barley seed into space next week in a project that can be described as a combination of futuristic agronomy research and marketing. The famous Anheuser-Busch brand made a commitment earlier this year to be the first beer on Mars if humans colonize the red planet. “Budweiser is always pushing... Read More

You just finished a great spray day. Your timing and product choice were bang-on, the weather was good, and your sprayer was calibrated. But do you know what happened to the spray once it left the nozzle? The Spray Guys — Jason Deveau and Tom Wolf — find out in this premiere episode of Micron... Read More

As Western Canadian farmers seek another crop to add to their rotations, seed and crop input suppliers are preparing for another increase in soybean acres on the prairies in 2018. The area where soybeans are being grown has expanded across much of Saskatchewan and into southern and central Alberta, creeping north of highway 16 near... Read More

A robot that zaps unwanted organisms with lasers may describe a character in a science fiction plot, but in reality, it's a technological response to farming with high labour costs. The Jäti is a battery-powered autonomous crawler built by a pair of German companies that is designed to identify weeds and destroy them with laser... Read More

The Canola Council of Canada is reviewing all the services and programs it offers, including staffing, as it prepares for a significant budget cut and restructuring in 2018. At least two large grain company and processor members are not willing to maintain their current funding for the council. Both companies that sources say are pushing... Read More

A soil sensor that can detect compaction from above the ground in real-time is enabling a concept described as "variable depth tillage" for targeting compacted layers. The Topsoil Mapper made by Austria-based Geoprospectors is an example of a real-time sensor allowing farmers to account for variability as their tractor passes through a field, rather than... Read More

Yield potential will always be king, but there are many considerations for farmers at variety selection time. With blackleg and clubroot diseases threatening yield, a well-rounded approach to canola genetics is key to ensuring that you have the potential to achieve the high yields you desire. As rotations have become shorter, and with threats of... Read More