Agriculture’s Big 6 seed and chemical companies are pretty busy these days sorting through the details of mergers and acquisitions and keeping an eye on their mega competitors. The club, which includes BASF, Bayer, DuPont, Dow, Monsanto and Syngenta, are deep into their post commodity boom strategies, with a key focus on efficiency and shareholder… Read more »
Category: Technology
Norbert Beaujot’s vision for DOT
The launch of the autonomous DOT Power Platform this week was the result of a three year quest to make farm equipment more efficient in the context of the labour shortage in farming, says Norbert Beaujot. The U-shaped robot is attracting plenty of attention at Ag in Motion near Langham, Saskatchewan, with crowds watching as… Read more »
Case IH dealer showcases precision technology and celebrates Canada150 at the same time
Canadians across the country are celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday in unique ways. Some of you may have enjoyed a local Canadian wine, increased your maple syrup consumption or planned a special Canadian holiday, but how about planting a corn maze that showcases your pride in Canada from the sky? Kucera Farm Supply Limited, a family… Read more »
SeedMaster sister company to unveil autonomous machine for seeding & field work
Editor’s note: This article was updated on June 28 with additional information regarding the Dot Technology Corp, the DOT Power Platform and quotes from DOT inventor Norbert Beaujot. A new sister company to SeedMaster is planning to unveil a major innovation in autonomous agriculture in the next few weeks. The Emerald Park, Sask. company had… Read more »
ClimateCorp bringing its agronomic data platform to Canada
The wealth of information available to producers though digital ag platforms has created some on-farm data management issues. A survey earlier this year shows most producers are gathering agronomic data electronically, but many are not yet using that data for management purposes. Could that change, as companies try to make it easier to put data… Read more »
FarmLead launches new basis negotiation feature
FarmLead, North America’s Grain Marketplace, announced today the launch of the FarmLead Basis Negotiation feature on its leading trade platform. The new feature allows buyers and sellers to post and negotiate basis contracts in addition to the existing options of cash contracts. The announcement complements the company’s continued expansion across North America. The new feature… Read more »
Fight for GMOs hits the big screen in ‘Food Evolution’
It’s easier to scare people than reassure them. That’s how environmental activist Mark Lynas frames the debate around the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs have their supporters and their detractors, all fighting for or against the technology, and in the middle is a very confused and distrusting public. That’s the narrative director Scott… Read more »
Slow rural internet speed is our competitive disadvantage
Excuse my ranting, but I am so frustrated with slow rural internet. In fact I am getting to the point of pure outrage on most days in trying to function without reasonably fast internet as we try to run a media company from a rural farm office. The scary thing is that I am not… Read more »
Should ‘vertical’ factory farms get a free pass?
In a recent Fast Company magazine article there was a feature on the benefits of using technology to produce food. The article praised the efficiency gains made by implementing the latest in what technology could provide. The farm in the article is located in San Francisco. That’s right, it’s a vertical farm. The company’s name… Read more »
Uber launches Uber Freight to disrupt the trucking industry
Just as people in smaller cities are getting the opportunity to experience the ride-sharing service Uber, the company is launching a new way to get a load of freight hauled. Uber Freight is launching in the United States, providing a way for drivers and customers to get hitched through an Uber-based service. According to the Uber blog: Uber… Read more »
We can thank technology for 24% of the U.S. corn crop being planted in one week
Have you ever looked across the road at the neighbour and thought, “Man, he has a lot of equipment for the acres he farms!” I think that conversation must be happening more than we think because the USDA has reported that corn planting is 71% complete in the U.S. That’s 1% ahead of the long-term… Read more »
TechTour: Using solar energy to power irrigation pivots
The way we farm is continuously changing, including the way farms with irrigated acres power their irrigation pivots. The idea of using solar energy to help offset the cost of operating pivots once seemed foreign, but there’s growing interest some early adopters have setup solar installations. Merlinds Farms Ltd, near Grassy Lake, Alta. was the first in… Read more »
Will small-holder agriculture leapfrog ahead with access to precision agriculture technology?
I often think that when we discuss precision agriculture we tend to naturally focus on large broadacre-style farming across the U.S. Midwest corn belt, Ontario, and the western Canadian prairies. We don’t seem to talk about how precision agriculture technology could create a difference in small-holder agriculture. Clearly, auto-steer is not something you must have when… Read more »
Survey shows gap between precision data collection and use
Precision agriculture counts on not only data collection, but also on data management as well. And while a new survey of 700 farmers across Canada shows most producers are indeed gathering agronomic data electronically, many are not yet using that data for management purposes. The survey, which took place over three weeks in November and… Read more »
Presenting on the future of food and agriculture technology to Bill Gates
Who is the most memorable person that you have had a chance to interact with? How about one of the wealthiest, most successful business people of a generation? This week in Seattle, Washington, Rob Saik of Trimble Ag Software (Agri-Trend) was invited to a symposium to present on the future of ag technology at the headquarters of… Read more »