Health Canada will make a decision on neonicotinoid insecticides in about six months. Federal scientists have been studying neonics and their potential impact on aquatic insects for several years. The final judgment was scheduled for this fall but it won’t happen until the spring. “Due to the vast amount of new information received, and the […] Read more
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No weld cracks on this aluminum boom
Farmers with aluminum spray booms say benefits outweigh the drawback. That drawback, of course, is cracked welds. Once cracking commences,…
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Used equipment steady-to-strong, with levelling
The used farm equipment market in Western Canada has been relatively unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ritchie Brothers recently published…
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From DOT to pull-type, 120 foot sprayer finds new platform
Connect built its first sprayer for the DOT agricultural robot in 2018. It was fit with a 120-foot boom and…
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Low stocks save rye prices from bumper crop
North American farmers harvested a big crop of rye but it won’t overwhelm the market, say industry officials. “The feeling…
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EU’s biostimulant regulations applauded by industry
The European Union has become the first governing body in the world to recognize plant biostimulants as a distinct category…
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Potato yields drop in 2020
Canadian potato production will decline this year, possibly by six percent or more. A hot and dry summer, especially in…
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Stories from our other publications
Feds approve wireworm insecticide
Cereal growers in Alberta and Saskatchewan have a new tool to fight wireworms. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency on Oct. 19, registered a new insecticide from BASF called broflanilide. BASF has been promoting broflanilide for a while, but the registration means it will be available to Canadian farmers in 2021. “Growers have struggled for […] Read more
EU’s biostimulant regulations applauded by industry
The European Union has become the first governing body in the world to recognize plant biostimulants as a distinct category of agricultural inputs. On July 15, 2019, the EU approved new fertilizer regulations that included a clear definition for biostimulants. “This might not sound like very much but it’s a significant step for the industry,” […] Read more
Low stocks save rye prices from bumper crop
Statistics Canada expects 431,000 tonnes of production, which would be close to the biggest crop in three decades
North American farmers harvested a big crop of rye but it won’t overwhelm the market, say industry officials. “The feeling on inventory by the industry is that it is really at all-time lows,” said Herman Wehrle, director of commercialization and market development with FP Genetics. Statistics Canada is forecasting 431,000 tonnes of Canadian production, which […] Read more
When spot-spraying came of age
For decades, researchers and entrepreneurs have been trying to offer farmers a system to reduce chemical application by targeting specific plants in the field. Spot-spraying looked like it was coming our way in the early 1990s when Australian inventor Grant Yates visited Western Canada to demonstrate and sell his Southern Precision Weedseeker. He sold a […] Read more
No weld cracks on this aluminum boom
Farmers with aluminum spray booms say benefits outweigh the drawback. That drawback, of course, is cracked welds. Once cracking commences, it plagues the boom until it’s finally sold for scrap. The key to building an aluminum boom that doesn’t crack is to put the welds in non-stressed zones. All hinge points are fitted with rod […] Read more
From DOT to pull-type, 120 foot sprayer finds new platform
Connect’s sprayer system for the autonomous farming platform is being offered as a loaded, pull-type applicator
Connect built its first sprayer for the DOT agricultural robot in 2018. It was fit with a 120-foot boom and the most advanced spray technology available, including turn compensation, individual nozzle control, and a recirculating boom. Tim Pattison of Connect said their team often heard from farmers that they like the sprayer, but they were […] Read more
Used equipment steady-to-strong, with levelling
The used farm equipment market in Western Canada has been relatively unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ritchie Brothers recently published its used equipment market trends summary that looks at the volume and price of equipment that ran through its North American auctions in the first two quarters of this year. Jordan Clarke of Ritchie Brothers […] Read more
Potato yields drop in 2020
Canadian potato production will decline this year, possibly by six percent or more. A hot and dry summer, especially in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, cut into potato yields across the country. Last year, Canadian farmers produced 106.4 million hundredweight of potatoes. The 2020 crop could be around 100 million cwt. “The biggest decrease in […] Read more
Kenney recognizes energy-climate change balancing act
Alberta must be able to “walk and chew gum at the same time” when it comes to promoting projects such as oil and gas pipelines, said premier Jason Kenney. Access to capital for the energy sector increasingly “requires a demonstration that companies and governments are serious about improving their environmental performance — reducing their CO2 […] Read more
