A couple of weeks ago one of our stories told the tale of a young farmer who is using innovative approaches to his farm’s operations. And we left something out. Few stories in The Western Producer run as they are written. The silent hands of editors are at work between you and the writers. The […] Read more
Stories by Mike Raine
New Holland, the company doesn’t look a day over …
Agriculture can be a tough game so there’s a special spot for the few select machinery makers that last beyond a century. For New Holland, the century mark was passed some time ago as the company this year reaches 125. Saskatoon remains one of New Holland’s important hubs where it develops the latest in seeding […] Read more
Telematics let farmers and dealers peer into the future, fix today
Brady Jack can see what the problem is, or if there is going to be one. From a machinery dealer’s perspective, that will lead to happier farmers and hopefully continued sales. “Provided they want us to, we can be ahead of the alerts and be more efficient with a farmer’s time,” said the Deere specialist […] Read more
Big green machine heads out to harvest
It’s a 10. A big green number 10. Whether the new Deere combine is a Class 10 is a debate for engineers comparing horsepower and thresher size, because it still isn’t a well-defined grouping for combines. But the new machines from Moline have more capacity than most and Deere has branded it the X9. Last […] Read more
Weed of the Week: nodding thistle
Unlike some of its cousins, such as Canada thistle, nodding thistle nearly always begins from a seed, which grows to the height of a person — one with an agreeable personality because once it gets its purple hairdo, it starts nodding. Each one of those big purple flowers can contain up to 250 seeds, and […] Read more
Weed of the Week: wild buckwheat
Wild buckwheat climbs the ladder of crop pest importance as the season passes. Alberta farmers say in polling it is their least favourite weed. It can be tough to kill, degrades grain and oilseed samples, messes up harvests and will trip up the odd field scout. The ropy pest can prompt grain buyers to refuse […] Read more
Weed of the Week: kochia
Kochia, despite being identified as one of the most dangerous weeds in the West, remains a growing problem in the region. Droughty conditions have allowed this tough competitor to flourish, even if it is only a few plants making it to maturity at the field corners or on the fence lines, where it often ends […] Read more
Weed of the Week: saltcedar
My great aunt farmed for her whole career. She used to say, “a sharp hoe is as good as a rain any day.” And there are weeds where no registered chemistry is available, or that can be applied in riparian areas so removal is one of the only options. Saltcedar is one of those, and […] Read more
Big tractors get more precise tools
From the ground, only the sticker on the hood appears different. But those few letters “AFS Connect” stand for a lot of change. The AFS part is what Case IH has called its precision and guidance systems for years. Putting it on the cowling means that producers are getting more tools that aren’t as obvious […] Read more
Weed of the week: redroot pigweed
As the weather warms up, redroot pigweed can become a serious problem for some crops that aren’t strong competitors. Worse yet, amaranthus retroflexus, a dicot weed in the Amaranthaceae family, is developing resistance, or appears to at least have become harder to control with Group 2 chemistries. In Ontario it has become resistant to Group […] Read more
