The pandemic shut down Manitoba’s Ag Days Live for two consecutive years but it didn’t stop 33 agricultural innovators from eagerly showcasing their inventions through the 2022 Manitoba Ag Days Innovation Showcase.
Nor did it stop organizers from picking seven winners.
First place in each category wins $1,000 cash from Manitoba Ag Days plus a $1,000 advertising voucher from Glacier FarmMedia. Runner up in each category wins $500 cash from Manitoba Ag Days plus a $500 advertising voucher from Glacier FarmMedia. Following are the winners in each category:
Agribusiness Services
ForeSite by UKKO Agro is a predictive crop modelling platform designed to help agronomists determine if, when and where to scout. ForeSite provides a 10-day heads up on crop growth and need for crop input applications.
It is one of the first products with a joint relationship including the farmer and their independent retail agronomist. This helps the farmer make decisions on in-season crop inputs.
The enterprise version provides a bird’s eye view for the retail agronomist so they know the forecast for crop growth and need for possible inputs.
ForeSite is a plug and play platform compatible with existing data sources.
Animal and Livestock
Pea Cream is a new liquid livestock feed produced at the Portage la Prairie, Man., pea protein plant using wet pea pulp concentrated pea solubles. Pea Cream is a sustainable feed that may reduce impact from supply chain and weather events.
Ag Technology
The Weed-It Quadro sold by Croplands Equipment detects chlorophyll in growing weeds within fallow fields, then accurately targets them. By applying crop protection products only when and where needed, it saves water and time and helps slow development of herbicide resistant weeds.
Resistant weeds, uncertain supplies and fluctuating prices for crop protection inputs emphasizes the need for environmentally conscious technology.
Weed-It optical spot-spraying technology can be a solution for broadacre dryland farming operations. By applying chemicals on fields where they are needed, with mixtures often too expensive for broadcast operations, weeds can be managed efficiently and economically.
Runner up: NutriScan 2.0 is a hand-held, diagnostic soil testing technology said to revolutionize soil-testing methods. It provides access to a complete soil test including soil characteristics, macronutrients and micronutrients in five minutes and is calibrated for Western Canada. It is sold by ATP Nutrition.
Agronomics
TopPhos is a patented technology offered by Timac Agro Canada. It offers a new and exclusive form of monocalcium phosphate instead of traditional forms of P in standard fertilizers. Patented root enhancing technology and agents protect phosphate against tie up in low and high pH soils. The seedrow safe, low salt index (9) phosphate is soluble at any pH, making it available to plants and increasing nutrient uptake.
Runner up: TOUGH600EC by Belchim Crop Protection. Kochia has plagued pulse producers for years. It’s getting worse now that the weed has developed resistance to existing solutions.
TOUGH is a new group 6 herbicide for the control and suppression of emerged broadleaf weeds. It is said to offer exceptional control of Group 2, 4 and 9 resistant kochia in pulses. It is a photosynthesis inhibitor that gives pulse producers a new tool for effective suppression of kochia up to 10 centimetres tall.
Farm Built Solution
RC FarmArm by Pawlutions allows control of a tractor from the palm of a hand. It provides wireless tractor control for stationary p.t.o. work. RC FarmArm overlays armrest controls with no wiring required. It installs in five minutes and can be moved to a different tractor with the same type of armrest.
Runner up: Puratein Canola Protein by Merit Functional Foods / Pitura Seeds is non-genetically modified. Merit is producing the world’s first high-purity, food-grade non-GMO canola protein. As a new plant protein source, its line of Puratein canola protein may present opportunities for plant-based food and beverage manufacturers.
Farm Safety
Camera Arm by Michel’s Industries is a camera mounted to a spring-loaded arm that pops up when a tarp system is opened and pops back down under the protection of the tarp when the system is closed.
This keeps the arm under height requirements for travel yet allows enough height when in use to see over piles of grain. The cameras connect to a seven-inch, high-quality wireless monitor in the truck cab, allowing single view of one camera, split view of two cameras or quad view of up to four cameras.
It is the first product of its kind that will pop up and retract and is also the first product that can be struck by a low object such as an auger or low door and go back to its original position.
Agricultural Equipment
BioDryAir from Triple Green Products is a new way of drying grain without propane or natural gas. It hooks up to an existing grain dryer and provides dry, hot air to efficiently and cost effectively dry crops.
BioDryAir can use different fuels found in the field. A farmer may want to use a hopper bottom grain bin to store the fuel and feed the dryer with a small pencil auger. BioDryAir comes in multiple sizes to best suit farmers’ needs.
The 2023 Manitoba Ag Days is scheduled Jan. 17-19 at the Keystone Centre in Brandon.
