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
Category: Agronomy
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
In this episode of The Word, host Peter Johnson takes us through huge harvest highlights, corn caramelization, dormant seeding, piracy and specific questions all the way from tile runs to (of course) everything wheat. Also, today's episode is brought to you by the letter P. Have a question you’d like Johnson to address? Or some... Read More
Canadian farmers should be able to use the plant growth regulator chlormequat chloride in 2018 on crop destined for the U.S., according to the company that sells the product under the "Manipulator" product name. "We expect the establishment of the chlormequat chloride tolerance in the USA by mid-May 2018. Chlormequat chloride is the active ingredient... Read More
The Southwest Agricultural Conference (SWAC) will mark its 25th anniversary on January 3rd, when the two-day conference unofficially kicks off Ontario’s winter farm meeting season. Over the past quarter century, SWAC, hosted by the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus, has become one of the leading farm conferences in North America. How did it start? How... Read More
Mycotoxin and mould growth in dairy feed can lead to lower milk production, poor animal health and reduced profits. This impact on production is not a new discovery for dairy producers, but there certainly is a growing awareness of the problem, says North Carolina State University professor emeritus Dr. Lon Whitlow. "A large part of... Read More