Major implement companies face high-tech future as they wrestle with automation, autonomy and precision agriculture
Images of autonomous machines working on their own in fields can easily grab the attention of early-adopter producers, especially those facing a labour crunch. They also make impressive headlines and brand announcements. However, even though several concept, prototype and even a few production machines have appeared on the scene, nearly all producers will again still […] Read more
Taking a close look from a long distance
Satellite data and machine learning are yielding powerful tools for crop management in Western Canada
SASKATOON — Information is power, and by putting that power into farmers’ hands, Steve Shirtliffe wants to help Western Canada continue its record of world-leading innovation. “My vision is that we build a digital agriculture economy here in Saskatchewan,” he said. “ We’ve done it before. Where did no till come from? Where did people […] Read more
Combyne uses FieldView data to help market grain
Grain deliveries to be connected back to the fields they originated from and management choices made on those fields
Red Deer — Bayer is making it easier for farmers to track data from seeding to harvest, improving their ability to make better agronomic and marketing decisions. The company recently announced producers can now connect their agronomic data in Climate FieldView with their marketing data in Combyne, which was acquired by the company early in […] Read more
Predictive maps help weed control
Greg Stewart is different from most innovators in Canadian agriculture. People that start ag companies are often plant scientists, agronomists or experts in farm machinery. Stewart has a master’s degree in applied mathematics from Dalhousie University and a PhD in control engineering from the University of British Columbia. “A controls engineer ensures that an organization […] Read more
High-tech grain grader wins people’s choice award
The AI and machine learning technology was a hit at Agri-Trade Equipment Expo’s recent Ag Innovations competition
RED DEER — A Saskatchewan company plans to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to give farmers and grain buyers an edge by boosting the accuracy and speed of how grain is graded. Ground Truth Ag is developing systems that could be used in places ranging from elevators to farms, including grain bins and combines […] Read more
Digital ag delivers, but barriers remain
Dave Hewlitt’s only regret in jumping into the evolving field of farm data is that he hesitated first. “I felt maybe it was going to take a lot of time and that the benefits would be hard to see,” the Eston, Sask., producer said. “So, I maybe dragged my feet a little more than I […] Read more
Global investment in agricultural technology cools off
On the positive side, the number of venture capital firms in Canada specializing in agriculture and agri-food is growing
Two years ago, investors and venture capital firms were dumping billions into agriculture and agri-food technology. Money was flowing toward start-up companies developing plant-based “meat”, biological control of crop pests, field sensors and technology to track food back to the farm. That’s just a partial list. To generalize, ag and food tech was hot. In […] Read more
System measures grass from space
Two Irish technology companies use satellite imagery to help livestock producers track how well their grass is growing
Grassland farming has taken on a whole new dimension with a technology that accurately measures the height of grass from space. The innovation was developed in Ireland earlier this year by two technology companies, Origin Enterprises and Aspia Space. The goal was to find ways to increase farm productivity, operational efficiency and profitability. “At Origin […] Read more
Agco buys 85 percent of Trimble in $2 billion deal
Financial arrangement also puts all four components of Agco’s grain and protein business under review
Agco has acquired 85 percent of Trimble Ag assets and technologies at a cash price of $2 billion. The deal was announced as a joint venture Sept. 28. An Agco release said it creates a precision ag platform that enables Trimble to provide a variety of technologies compatible across major brands and equipment models. Andrew […] Read more
Farm, college form partnership
Hebert Grain Ventures has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Olds College of Agriculture & Technology to solidify the two organizations’ efforts to work together to improve innovation and growth in the agriculture industries of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The partnership between the farming company and the post-secondary institution will include joint efforts in farming, […] Read more
