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 »
Tag: PAMI
Soybean School: Cutting back harvest losses at the header
Even for seasoned soybean growers, harvest losses happen, and it’s estimated 80 percent of harvest losses occur at the header with soybeans. At $11/bushel, getting a few extra bushels off each acre adds up quickly. Just how losses are affected by combine header design and harvest speed was the subject of a two-year study by… Read more »
Canola School: It’s time to start thinking about harvest loss management
As canola fields start to turn yellow, It may feel like it’s a long time away, but weknow all too well, harvest comes very quickly. And with harvest, comes harvest loss management. After a season full of nurturing crops to get the best possible outcome, we don’t always realize how much of the final product… Read more »
Canola School: Babysitting High-Maintenance Canola in the Bin
As if canola harvest hasn’t been hard enough with all the snow and rain, the work won’t end when this crop enters the bin. It’s going to require some babysitting. “Number one when you’re taking off tough grain like this is it’s not ‘put it away and forget it’. It’s a 24-hour job type of thing…. Read more »
Bourgault and AAFC Resolve Long Dispute Over Fertilizer Placement Research
Seeding equipment manufacturer Bourgault Industries and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada say they have resolved a dispute over fertilizer placement research done over a decade ago. The disagreement revolved around the interpretation of the results of a study conducted by the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute, AAFC and the University of Saskatchewan from 2000 to 2002. The project looked… Read more »
Canola School: Bin Sensors are the Best Way to Monitor Stored Crop, but They’re not Perfect
Millions of dollars are invested in managing a crop before it’s in the bin, and that management doesn’t stop just because it’s in storage. Sensors that monitor temperature and moisture levels inside a bin are important tools for maintaining the value of a stored crop, notes Joy Agnew of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute at Humboldt, Sask. “These… Read more »
PAMI Gets $735,000 Funding Boost For New Research Equipment
The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) will receive $735,000 under Growing Forward 2 for new equipment to support applied research projects for the agricultural sector, it was recently announced. Every year, PAMI conducts about 100 projects in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to address challenges in the agricultural sector, in areas such as equipment design, agronomy and… Read more »
Canola School: Summer Storage of Canola — Leave it, Turn it or Aerate?
Hot summer days and over-wintered canola — a disaster waiting to happen, or a non-issue? Turns out, as of last fall, there was little if any research to reference on the safety of storing canola well into the hot summer months. Canola growers will be pleased to learn that that’s no longer the case, as… Read more »
Canola Storage Over the Summer — What Should you Do Differently?
It’s a research project that’s never been done before, because, frankly, there really wasn’t much reason to tackle the question. But now farmers want to know — What’s the best way to condition canola for storage over the summer? This summer, the Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute (PAMI) is running a trial (funded by the three… Read more »
Keep RFID Tags Warm to Increase Retention
Research out of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) suggests that radio frequency identification (RFID) tags inserted into an animal’s ear cold not only require more strength to install, they are also much weaker than those installed at room temperature. These findings will no doubt be a warm message on a cold day to producers… Read more »
Soybean School West: Header Selection & Why the Combine Manual is a Must-Read
Is the soybean setting on the combine really where you should start when setting up the combine for harvest? And is a flex header really necessary or just a nice-to-have sort of piece of equipment? The answers are yes and yes, and in this video, Harvey Chorney, of the Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute and a… Read more »
Solid-State Biodigester Designed for Western Canadian Conditions
With concerns around climate change, the availability of non-renewable resources, and increasing the sustainability of industries as a whole, it is not surprising that organizations like the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) are looking at ways to harness energy that is otherwise wasted. I recently spoke to Joy Agnew, project manager at PAMI, about their… Read more »
Beef Research School: Maximizing Production on Forage Acres
Maximizing forage acre production may be an easy concept to work on in the office, but making decisions in the field isn’t always that straightforward. How do you know whether or not a pasture needs some rejuvenation versus renovation? What factors play a role in getting the most out of existing acres, and what are… Read more »
Wheat School – Don’t Let M.O.G. Slow Your Harvest – Les Hill, PAMI
Getting your winter wheat off the field as quickly as possible is extremely important if you are looking to maintain quality. The longer that crop remains in the field exposed to the elements, the greater the chances are that germ, vigour and overall grade quality can be negatively impacted. That’s were combine efficiency comes into… Read more »