Have you set your western bean cutworm (WBC) traps yet? Setting traps is the most effective means of determining whether the yield-robbing pest is setting up shop in your cornfields. In this episode of RealAgriculture Corn School, OMAFRA field entomologist Tracey Baute shows growers how to set traps and discusses the growing importance of the... Read More
Category: Video
The Peterson Farm Brothers are back with their latest parody video that features two things many farmers appreciate: the classic riffs of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" and footage of tractors stuck in mud. "Tractorstuck" is the title of the brand new video from the farm celebrity siblings — Greg, Nathan, Kendal, and sister, Laura — who farm... Read More
Combine manufacturers are trying to make one of the most intimidating jobs on the farm — driving and setting the machine — easier and more efficient by automating the process. Take New Holland's new automatic combine setting system, for example. The Intellisense system, designed for CR Revelation combines, uses programmed data (past yields, field topography,... Read More
The average size of a new grain bin in Western Canada has grown dramatically in recent years. 1,650 bushel flat-bottom bins, while still needed in some cases, are turning into relics of the past. "Right now, the average bin going up is around 25,000 bushels," says Lorne Grieger of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI),... Read More
Year-round grazing may mean different things to different people, but to Doug Wray, it essentially means providing 'locally grown' sustenance to his herd — that is, feeding where the forage was grown. Wray implements strategies like swath grazing and bale grazing to achieve his goals, driving the cost of winter feeding down to about $0.80/head/day... Read More
Tempting as owning new machinery may be, for many producers, the decision is made easy when a machine that offers limited functionality. It's easier, and often more economical to rent or hire a custom farming outfit to attend to once-in-a-while jobs. But, when it comes to planter versatility, Väderstad is trying to make the decision... Read More
Using technology from a sensor made by Fliegl, Austrian farm machinery company Pöttinger has debuted a GPS beacon designed to track the location of pulled farm implements, detect whether or not they are working, and even save maps of their progress. The technology in the PötPro Guide is surprisingly basic. GPS and 3D sensors inside... Read More
Not only do dry soil conditions hamper seed germination, they also raise the risk of fertilizer toxicity for seedlings after they germinate, especially in a sensitive crop like canola. That means rates of fertilizer placed at seeding last year or the year before might not be safe this year, explains Don Flaten, soil scientist at... Read More
In another move towards automation, Claas has unveiled a system for automatic steering of cultivators in row crops. The Culti Cam uses a high-resolution camera to detect rows, and then adjusts the position of the implement, centring it between rows, independent from the tractor's steering. Using colour and 3D surface information, Claas says the camera... Read More
There are certainly unknowns and risks that come with planting bin-run soybean seed versus certified seed, but one significant piece of information has been confirmed by crop insurance data in Manitoba: older, off-patent varieties don't have the same yield potential as newer varieties. As Dennis Lange, pulse specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, points out in this... Read More