The new machine has a 1.5-inch thick frame, C-18 engine with a horsepower range from 640 to 750 and CAT 988 HD axles
Big Bud tractors will roll off a production line this year for the first time since 1991. “We’re going back and building a new run of tractors again. Our primary reason is we think that there’s only a few major (tractor manufacturers) left in the industry, and they’re making it difficult for farmers to fix […] Read more
Robin Booker
Stories by Robin Booker
Spread of clubroot steady but slow in Sask.
Clubroot is not well established in wide swaths of farmland in Saskatchewan, unlike regions of Alberta and Manitoba. The Saskatchewan government annually releases its clubroot distribution map that outlines rural municipalities where clubroot has been identified. Clubroot is a soil-borne disease that can cause significant canola yield loss when pathogen levels are high. “This year, […] Read more
New Group 14 herbicide fights grassy weeds
A new Group 14, non-selective herbicide that has activity on grasses is available for growers to use in burndowns. Dale Ziprick of Gowan Canada said Insight Liquid SC is a PPO inhibitor that is typically mixed with glyphosate for pre-seed applications ahead of spring wheat, corn and soybean. “It’s been launched in other parts of […] Read more
Growers running out of kochia options
Preliminary results from Saskatchewan indicate the weed may now have developed resistance to Group 14 herbicides
Kochia resistant to PPO inhibitors (Group 14) may have surfaced in Saskatchewan. “This is completely preliminary, so, there’s other research that needs to happen to officially confirm PPO inhibitor-resistant kochia in the Prairies, but this isn’t overly surprising to me,” said Charles Geddes, research scientist in weed ecology and cropping systems at Agriculture Canada’s research […] Read more
Companies develop new GPS steering system
Trimble and Claas have developed a new GPS steering system for Class tractors, combine harvesters and forage harvesters. The joint development includes satellite-based steering, precision farming and the ISOBUS infrastructure including task management. Frank Buschmeier, Trimble’s OEM marketing director, said the agreement was focused on improving the user experience within the cab. “Having different user […] Read more
Enhanced fertilizer can cut emissions
Enhanced efficiency products work, but few farmers are using them because they can’t find a way to make them pay
Broad use of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer would achieve federal fertilizer emissions reduction targets, but there isn’t enough financial incentive for farmers to do this. The federal government wants to reduce absolute levels of greenhouse gas emissions arising from fertilizer application 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030, which is an attainable goal, said Richard […] Read more
The secret messages of plants
New traits enable plants to signal up to seven separate issues by emitting coloured fluorescent proteins on their leaves
Crop traits are being developed that will enable plants to signal when they’re exposed to specific stressors in a way that can be instantly detected by satellite or equipment-based cameras. Shely Aronov, chief executive officer of InnerPlant, she said this new data layer these crop traits enable will help farmers to become more precise in […] Read more
RNA-based products that are cost-effective for ag use
Crop protection products built with RNA, a nucleic acid present in all living cells, have shown promise in both lab and field conditions. But the high cost to produce RNA is a significant hurdle for this emerging technology. That is why GreenLight Biosciences decided to focus its resources on developing a new RNA production process […] Read more
CNH leans on startups to keep up
Company describes its recent Tech Day as a ‘little bit of a coming out at the ball’ as it introduced new technology
At a recent CNH tech day in Phoenix, Arizona, the company presented itself as technologically adaptable and nimble. “Tech Day was a little bit of a coming out at the ball of just how our team is operating at speed,” said Parag Garg, chief digital product officer at CNH Industrial. “We went from a concept […] Read more
New electric tractor shares traditional roots
Electric drive systems offer simplicity, but using traditional engineering avoids need to conduct a complete redesign
The New Holland T4 electric power tractor is essentially a traditional tractor with its diesel engine replaced by batteries and an electric motor. Instead of having an electric drive engine mounted on each drive wheel or track, New Holland’s all electric offering uses the same transmission and final drive system of a traditional tractor. The […] Read more
