Mark Halsall

Stories by Mark Halsall

Two John Deere combines harvest a crop while a John Deere tractor pulls a grain cart that the first combine is unloading "on the fly" into.
Crop Management

Tips for planting a successful fall crop

Seed expert says farmers who start planning early and have everything ready to go at seeding will have a smoother time

Growing crops that overwinter, such as a fall hybrid rye or winter wheat, is a different way of farming in some ways than a spring crop, so producers need to be aware of that, Greg Stamp says.
Two photos side-by-side showing the soil compaction generated by grain carts on tracks, on the left, and tires, on the right.
Crop Management, Machinery

Supersized grain carts a weighty problem for soil compaction

Larger grain carts and combines make for a more efficient harvest, but they also come with soil health implications if the extra weight causes soil compaction

Grain carts can still cause serious soil compaction whether they’re on tracks or wheels, but Scott Shearer’s research at Ohio State indicates less of a yield hit with tracks compared to wheels in unfavourable soil conditions. Here are some tips to reduce compaction risk.
The Stratus AirSprayer in flight at the Spaceport America testing facility in New Mexico during spring 2024. | Precision AI photo
Crop Management

Paraglider powers a new kind of sprayer

Autonomous aerial sprayer was designed to maximize the flight time required for the large farms in Western Canada

Glacier FarmMedia – Scouting for new technology to make farming more productive and profitable is a key part of Janay Meisser’s job as director of innovation for United Farmers of Alberta,. The Stratus AirSprayer, a drone tool unveiled by Saskatchewan-based Precision AI in July, is unlike anything she’s seen so far. “I think they’ve got […] Read more
Planting perennial forages in ditches is recommended to help keep kochia from getting a toehold. | Saskatchewan Agriculture photo
Crop Management

Herbicide resistant weeds creep north into Canada

Weeds know no borders, of course, so when weed trouble or a resistance issue surfaces on the northern U.S. Plains, there’s a decent chance of it turning up somewhere on Canadian cropland sooner or later. “Folks in Manitoba and Saskatchewan will often look south, and we also often look north for the problems our neighbours […] Read more
Palmer amaranth, pictured, and waterhemp can growly very quickly — up to two to three inches a day in optimal conditions. | File photo
Crop Management

Problematic weeds prolific seed producers

Both Palmer amaranth and waterhemp can growly very quickly — up to two to three inches a day in optimal conditions -— and they’re also prolific seed producers, which enables them to quickly take over fields if the plants aren’t effectively controlled. When there’s direct competition with crops, these weeds can produce up to 100,000 […] Read more

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