You can have a wet depression at the top of a hill and a low-elevation hill at the bottom of a slope, all in one field
Understanding the intricate chemical and physical properties of a specific spot of cropland lets you feed that spot the nutrients it requires to fully optimize productivity and maximize your profit. As we know, agronomists use the word “optimize” rather than “maximize” when talking about yield. Extricating every last bushel from a specific zone can be […] Read more
Sask. university offers certificate in precision agriculture
Students who enrol in the program will learn how to precisely manage crops to increase sustainability and production
A new university certificate program, the first in Western Canada, seeks to train students from diverse areas of expertise and backgrounds in precision agriculture. “I think agriculture is rife with opportunities for problem solving,” said Angela Bedard-Haughn, dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan. “I think it’s that ability […] Read more
Feelings mixed about future of autonomous equipment
Imagine a future where you’re driving in the country and instead of seeing a farmer operating a tractor or combine as has been the case for generations, you see an autonomous machine with no one at the controls. How many years do you think it will take before this happens? And will it be a […] Read more
On-farm data seen as possible fertilizer solution
Over the last year, farmers and agriculture industry groups have complained that the government has come up with a policy on fertilizer emissions without the necessary data and information to develop a good policy. As an example, Fertilizer Canada, in a submission to the government, said federal bureaucrats don’t consider the on-farm practices that reduce […] Read more
Ag Notes
Company wins innovation challenge Growing Greener Innovations is the winner of the International Minerals Innovation Institute’s Alternative Energy System Innovation Challenge. The Canadian energy technology company is focused on engineering and manufacturing batteries, battery management systems and battery energy storage systems for residential, commercial and industrial customers. The challenge was organized with IMII’s minerals industry […] Read more
Free satellite images help in Ukraine
European company works to provide farmers in war-torn country with better information as Russian invasion continues
OneSoil, the European satellite imaging company willing to provide free services to every farm on Earth, is actively working with Ukrainian producers to provide them eye-in-the-sky visual precision agricultural images. Launched in Minsk, Belarus, in 2015, OneSoil is dedicated to bringing free satellite information to any farmer anywhere who wants it. It uses public data […] Read more
OneSoil gets serious about prairie market
In its quest to provide free high-quality images to the world’s precision agriculture farmers, OneSoil did not overlook the Canadian Prairies. It recently hired a field staff member to cover Western Canada. Kyle Hoyda, who spent his childhood raising cattle and growing grain north of Edmonton, has worked in Canada, Australia and the United States […] Read more
Satellite pictures into milk pitchers
Dairy farmers call it “star grazing” because their pastures twinkle with the green glow of health
The word “cropland” pops up when we think of satellite images used in precision agriculture. But an American dairy co-op uses Planet Labs PBC satellite images to manage 189,000 acres of organic pasture. Organic Valley Pastures has 1,500 organic dairies spread across the United States, with 200 in their second season on the intensive precision […] Read more
Hacking perils follow progress made in precision farming
Farmers considered particularly at risk due to the time-sensitive nature of their work and how interconnected they are
Precision agriculture promises greater efficiency, lower inputs and greater productivity but it comes with an Achilles heel: its sophisticated interconnected computer systems. These systems can be — in fact are designed to be — remotely operated. John Deere dramatically demonstrated this in May 2022 when the company disabled tractors looted from Ukraine by invading Russian […] Read more
Ag sector warned of cyberattack vulnerability
Prof says state sponsored hackers may be targeting Canada’s agriculture industry, possibly to disrupt food supply
Canada’s agriculture industry has “non-existent” cyber-security and the sector is an easy target for hackers, says an expert from Ontario’s University of Guelph. Other sectors of the economy, such as health care, finance and utilities, have built up their defenses against hackers, but farmers and the ag sector are lagging. “This is the 21st century. […] Read more
