Case IH is expanding their Precision Disk 500 series air drills — adding a new single-rank configuration with 15-inch spacing, a sought-after option for soybean seeding and other specialty crops in both no-till and conventional tillage fields. The drills are known for their placement, regardless of tillage, residue, or cropping practices, to give each plant… Read More
India has dropped its tariff on lentil exports once again, just weeks after letting a temporary reduction over the summer come to an end. The government published a notice on September 17, 2020 saying it’s “in the public interest” to reduce tariffs on lentil shipments from 30 per cent to 10 per cent (plus a… Read More
Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says her government’s proposed Clean Fuel Standard will be “a great opportunity” for farmers, but she acknowledges the policy needs further consultation. The government is planning to introduce regulations to support the policy, which is designed to incentivize the use of lower carbon fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel, this… Read More
The number of soybean acres in Western Canada has declined to less than half of what it was when acreage peaked in 2017 — dropping every year since then — but there are expectations that acres have likely hit a floor in 2020. In this follow-up episode to our last Soybean School on soybean maturity… Read More
In the western Canadian market, there’s currently been a lot of focus on canola, and StatsCan confirmed as much in their latest satellite-based report. Brennan Turner, CEO of FarmLead, says that when it comes to this StatsCan report, he would call himself a believer. Although there have been some yield numbers that Turner’s heard that… Read More
The Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC) — which consists of Sask Barley, Alberta Barley, and the Manitoba Crop Alliance — is investing $2.7 million over five years in the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Crop Development Centre (CDC) through a core breeding agreement to develop barley varieties with improved agronomics, disease resistance, and end-use quality. The… Read More
Raven Industries has been a company that has hit the headlines when it comes to developing precision agriculture, and lately, acquisitions. One of Raven’s latest acquisitions has been Smart Ag, a company working on a perception system that allows machines to “see” their environment and avoid obstacles. The system — dubbed AutoCart — allows an… Read More
Farmers across Canada are beginning to hear more and more about the Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) being proposed by the federal government. But what on earth is it? The government is aiming to reward low carbon fuel in the Canadian fuel system, potentially offering a lot of opportunity for biofuels — fuels made from things… Read More
Electric semi trucks are likely a long way from being deployed on farms, especially for long-distance hauling in a cold Canadian winter, but others in the supply chain are starting to adopt electric power to move goods around. They’re not switching to electric trains (yet), but CN Rail has ordered 50 all-electric tandem axle Class… Read More
You could argue that the advent of more affordable glyphosate options increased the use of a pre-harvest pass on many western Canadian grain acres. Using glyphosate before harvest can kill late weeds and reduce the amount of green stems the combine encounters, making straight cutting easier. In conjunction with some solid advancements in pod-shatter resistance… Read More
AGCO — which carries brands such as Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Gleaner, and Challenger — is acquiring research and product development Firm 151 Research to create new technology solutions for grain customers. Previously, AGCO and 151 Research had an exclusive technology partnership to develop GSI GrainViz precision grain monitoring, which gives growers and commercial operators advanced… Read More
The governments of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have announced a renewed financial commitment to the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). The three provinces’ agreement will provide more than $134 million to the college over the next five years. The agreement helps to ensure that Western Canada has veterinarians with in-depth… Read More
It’s a colourful time of year as leaves start to turn yellow, then brown, and then drop to the ground — not only on trees, but also in soybean fields. When moisture has not been a limiting factor, differences in days-to-maturity between varieties can be quite eye-catching heading into the final weeks of the growing… Read More
Farm machinery and practices have advanced at an amazing rate over the last one hundred years. Whether it was the move from steel wheels to rubber, the increase in implement width, or the advent of digital technology, farming has changed significantly since many of our families immigrated to Canada many years ago. Just how much… Read More
The recent vote by the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA) to not join the Seeds Canada group was surprising to some. The future relationship between CSGA and Seeds Canada remains uncertain, but there are some potential options moving forward. “There’s been a lot of reasons why growers, I think, voted against it,” says Sarah Weigum,… Read More