The change is part of a provision in the USMCA trade deal to allow U.S. growers to sell registered varieties into Canada
Starting Aug. 1, Canadian growers who sell grain to a Canadian Grain Commission licensed facility will have to sign a declaration that the grain they’re selling is a variety registered in Canada. Last March, Parliament approved the bill to implement the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, including amendments to the Canada Grain Act. One of the changes allows […] Read more
Robin Booker
Stories by Robin Booker
Automated irrigation pivots watch over fields
The system lets producers know what’s happening in their fields and then makes recommendations on what to do next
Prospera Technologies has deployed the algorithms it developed for the greenhouse sector to turn irrigation pivots into robots that can manage crops autonomously. Prospera started operations in 2014 with a team of computer scientists who wanted to use computer vision and artificial intelligence to help farmers make in-season decisions. It now helps to manage more […] Read more
Keeping a high eye on farm sustainability
It’s expensive and tedious to verify production practices in sustainable agriculture programs, so an Australian-based company is developing tools based on satellite imagery and farm production data that can automatically check if protocols have been followed. FluroSat’s core business uses remote sensing, agricultural science, machine learning and artificial intelligence on any relevant data set to […] Read more
Bourgault offers new precision drills
With three opener options including a new one, Bourgault’s third generation Paralink hoe drills have many options for product placement, especially when combined with the company’s Trimax airflow system available on the new 9000 series air carts. Two series of Paralink hoe drills are available: the 3330SE and the 3335 Quick Depth Adjust. Both drills […] Read more
Bourgault launches air planter system
Bourgault moved into the planter market with the launch of its Air Planter system that can be used with the company’s PLR opener on the new 3820 coulter drill, as well as the PLS, PLX and PLD openers on its 3330SE and 3335QDA hoe drills. “I don’t think there are too many other players on […] Read more
Claas debuts walkers for small grains
With the help of an additional separator drum, the new Lexion 6000 series of straw walker combines are designed to be more efficient than their predecessor, the Lexion 760. The Lexion 760 earned a following with western Canadian growers because of its fuel efficiency and precision in crops like wheat, canola and grass seed. The […] Read more
Doing it right, doing it right, doing it right
What happens on the farm matters in international markets, so the President of Cereals Canada wants to make sure that growers pay attention to labels. Cam Dahl said producers should follow label instructions on crop protection products and do everything they can to stay ahead of fusarium head blight. “Whether it comes to pesticide residues […] Read more
Faster starting and tighter lines for Trimble RTK upgrade
Trimble expanded its CenterPoint RTX Fast subscription service into southern Canada and can now provide users two centimetres of accuracy with less than two minutes of initialization time. Michael Bruno of Trimble said the service takes the benefits of satellite-based services, (no need for additional hardware like a base station), and also provides the accuracy […] Read more
Multi-band imaging system offers more
An imaging system for drones that offers 10 spectral bands has recently been released by MicaSense, a Seattle-based developer of multispectral imaging hardware. The company sells a five spectral band camera with five separate lenses called RedEdge-MX, as well as its higher-resolution Altum multispectral camera that captures five bands but also captures a radiometric thermal […] Read more
Pandemic sets back disease discovery
Aster yellows disease forecasting for western Canadian field crops is difficult in a normal spring, but this year it presents a whole new level of issues because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Agriculture Canada laboratories in Saskatoon are usually well into testing leafhoppers for aster yellows by June, but this year they are yet to test […] Read more
