Lemken has announced that the company is exiting the sprayer business. The company says it plans to “strengthen its mechanical weed control, plus selective crop care business” instead. Lemken’s sprayer line-up was never sold in North America, but it does indicate the direction that some manufacturers may take due to the increased appetite for mechanical… Read More
Update: On May 29, 2020, the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench extended the stay of proceedings against Morris Industries until July 3, 2020. Saskatchewan-based seeding equipment manufacturer Morris Industries, which has been in creditor protection since early January, has received a purchase offer from another Saskatchewan-based manufacturer. Superior Farm Solutions Limited, which operates the Rite… Read More
While year-to-date numbers from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers have been weak in terms of new equipment sales numbers, especially for 4-wheel drive tractors and combines, the used equipment market has been strong. As the cost of new equipment has soared, used machinery — even something as old as 15 plus years — has become… Read More
Although revenues and profits were lower in the second quarter at John Deere, the stock market took a “not as bad as I thought” approach on Friday. At press time, stock was trading higher on the news. According to CNBC, the construction equipment maker reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $2.11 per share, compared to the… Read More
Are Ontario farmers doing a better job of getting phosphorus to stay put on their farms? Over the past decade, farmers, agronomists, researchers and governments have ramped up efforts to reduce the amount of phosphorus leaving farm fields and creating environmental challenges in areas such as the Lake Erie and Sainte-Claire watersheds. University of Waterloo… Read More
The very word “sustainability” can be a bit of a lightning rod within agriculture. What is it? What does it really mean? What value does it have? Carlo Dade, with the Canada West Foundation, says that there is real value in the term and the practices to achieve sustainable production, but that Canadian agriculture is… Read More
Unit sales of agricultural tractors and self-propelled combines in April 2020 rose in the U.S., according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). This puts total unit sales year-to-date roughly flat with 2019, while the Canadian numbers show continued weakness compared to 2019. For Canada, April tractor sales fell across all… Read More
Winnipeg-based tractor and farm equipment manufacturer Buhler Industries is shutting down one of its production facilities in the northern U.S., citing “unpredictability in the agriculture commodities market” and fluctuations in the exchange rate as reasons for the closure. The company behind Versatile and Farm King equipment says it will cease operations in Fargo, North Dakota,… Read More
Cover crops, tillage and herbicides —they’re all tools growers can use to build an effective, integrated approach to controlling troublesome Canada fleabane. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs weed specialist Mike Cowbrough looks at the role tillage can play in controlling the weed. He notes mounting… Read More
Does timing matter in strip till? Will corn planted into fall-made strips out-yield spring strips? That’s just one of many questions corn growers are asking as strip tillage gains popularity as a reduced tillage option that delivers the benefits of conventional tillage, says Ben Rosser, corn lead for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and… Read More
This week’s RealAgriculture LIVE segment features Tom Wolf of Agrimetrix, Sprayers 101, and Spray Myths fame, answering all the tough questions ahead of the growing season. From nozzle selection, water volume in dry conditions, herbicide resistance, and if he has a favourite nozzle, RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney and Tom cover a lot of ground… Read More
Strip tillage for corn continues to gain momentum as more growers cultivate strips to reduce total tillage and place seed and fertilizer in soil that warms faster prior to planting. But what about weed control? How do growers keep yield-robbing weeds at bay in these cultivated strips and optimize the potential of the growing environment… Read More
There is considerable economic concern in Canada and the U.S. due to COVID-19, but for the agricultural equipment industry, economic concerns began months earlier. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has released its March Flash Report, and it paints a poor first-quarter for agricultural equipment deliveries in Canada and the U.S. In Canada, (report below) AEM… Read More
Goodyear has new options for farmers looking for low sidewall (LSW) tires to fit scraper applications and flotation sprayers. At the National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS), Titan International, Inc. announced an expansion of its R-1 tread design. In this interview, Scott Sloan, ag products manager for Titan and Goodyear farm tires, says the new Goodyear… Read More
IntelliDrive, the variable rate seed metering system, is expanding its Canadian footprint. The company, which uses 12-volt electric motors to control individual sections of seeding equipment to enable variable rate planting, initially focused its efforts on John Deere central commodity system drills. Two years ago, IntelliDrive made its first foray to Canada as an exhibitor… Read More