The bin industry is a crowded place. While large corporations dominate the bulk of business, smaller companies carve out special niches to create their own unique products. Two of those companies are Novid Inc. in Rosenort, Man., and JTL Industries in Neilburg, Sask. Since their incorporation in 2003, Novid has grown to become North America’s […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
Trials test grass and corn as roommates
With Iowa farmland at $8,500 per acre and corn at US$3.25 per bushel, squeezing out more per acre is the goal
Farmers in a corn and soybean rotation have long recognized the benefit of a cover crop to prevent erosion, but their cover crop seeding window typically slams shut before harvest is complete. This soil erosion dilemma is compounded by the fact that corn stover is removed from the field be-cause of its dollar value as […] Read more
Crop protection firm buys weather company
In the competitive world of ag fungicides, it’s logical that the company providing its customers with the most precisely tuned application recommendations should have an advantage in the marketplace. That’s the thinking behind BASF’s recent purchase of ZedX, a global leader in the development of agronomic weather, crop, and pest models engineered to convert data […] Read more
Field edge analysis platform delivers the news fast
Sentera’s new software allows growers to send their drones out to gather photos, determine trouble spots and take action quickly
Farmers who access early warning data on poor emergence have the opportunity to spray out or rip up those tardy acres for replanting or go in with remedial nutrition to rescue them. The key is to know as soon as possible after emergence if you need to take such action. One week too late can […] Read moreAgronomy software manages information during growing season
CropMatrix, an agronomy platform previously available in Australia and the United States, is now available to western Canadian farmers who deal with Richardson Pioneer. The new, state-of-the-art software is designed to enhance service to farm customers, said Heather Durie, agronomy manager for Richardson Pioneer. She said Pioneer’s version of CropMatrix is specific to crops and […] Read more
Is fungicide resistance on the horizon?
Fungicide application has become routine. It’s every crop, every year in order to extract every last bushel. But with only three main modes of action, responsible rotations are somewhat limited. On paper at least, routine fungicide spray pencils out pretty well in all the main crops. The expected yield bump and quality benefit outweigh the […] Read more
Little planter busts record
A 16-row Vaderstad Tempo corn planter set a new world record putting down 1,240 acres in 24 hours, breaking the old record of 1,108 acres set with a 24-row planter. The record run of the Tempo L 16 averaged more than 13 m.p.h., including stops for the crew to manually fill the hoppers. At the […] Read more
Ghosts of sclerotina past haunt 2017
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. — The Catch 22 of a healthy-looking canola crop with a thick canopy is that it’s not necessarily a healthy crop. Rather, this moisture trap is a breeding ground for sclerotinia. Last year broke all sclerotinia records. The disease rate was 93 percent in Manitoba, 92 percent in Saskatchewan and 80 […] Read more
Why I’ve had right ear ringing for 50 years
Three audiologists have told me that the hearing loss and annoying tinnitus ringing and buzzing in my right ear is common in their adult male clients. Except for farmers. They have tinnitus in their left ear. Tinnitus is caused somewhat by loud noises, as most people believe, but also by quick percussion sounds when a […] Read more
Seeder section control gets upgrade
BRANDON — The innovation that allowed precise on-off control of drill sections solved a host of overlap and miss problems during seeding, but it also created a few new problems. Section control for seeding equipment was met with great fanfare when it first appeared on the scene. It enabled operators to have their GPS shut […] Read more
