Crop Management
Row units have electrical drives that are individually controlled to allow for turn compensation and row shutoff to eliminate overlap
Sweden-based implement manufacturer Vaderstad continues to increase its presence in North America. Years ago, Vaderstad took over the Saskatchewan air seeder manufacturer Seed Hawk, and it has just recently made another purchase, buying Vaderstad North Dakota-based tillage and planter manufacturer Wil-Rich. In September it announced it has added a new machine to its product line […] Read more
Crop Management
Cows essential element in organic production
A Manitoba producer finds a delicate balance to help him boost production while maintaining organic certification
Ile de Chenes, Man. — Three organic farmers swap fields back and forth, keeping land certified five years before returning to alfalfa. Their rotation is a delicate balance, but worth the complexity. For Ile de Chenes farmer John Gehrer, the payoff this fall has been significant for his low-input organic system, considering his management plan […] Read more
Between the rows without GPS
John Gehrer’s organic weed management strategy uses technology farmers have employed since the first wheat was domesticated. He controls weeds by cultivating between the rows without harming the crop. To enable between-row cultivation, all crops are planted on 22-inch row spacing with an old John Deere corn planter. He has a variety of discs for […] Read more
U.S. farm income takes a hit but remains strong
Incomes are expected to fall by $41.7 billion from last year but continue to be much higher than the 2003-22 average
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is forecasting the sharpest decline in farm income in the history of that country. U.S. net farm income is forecast at US$141.3 billion in 2023, a $41.7 billion drop from 2022 levels. However, that will still be one of the best years on record and well above the 2003-22 average. […] Read more
Air shredder manhandles heavy stover
Efficiency in the field is important when dealing with cantankerous BT corn stover and other stubborn crop residues. To meet that challenge, Loftness is introducing a new side discharge windrower/shredder. The Air Delivery Side Discharge Windrower is not a re-named copy of an earlier model, but a new shredder that’s fresh off the Loftness CAD […] Read more
Lentil sales to India slow following murder allegation
WINNIPEG/MUMBAI (Reuters) — Canadian lentil sales to India have slowed since prime minister Justin Trudeau said last week he suspected India of involvement in an assassination on Canadian soil, industry sources in both countries say. Trudeau said Canada was “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader […] Read more
Transport ministry to review proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
OTTAWA (Reuters) — The federal government will review a planned merger between Bunge and Glencore-backed Viterra, the transport minister said in a statement yesterday. As part of the review, the transport ministry will launch a public interest assessment of the proposed acquisition, which must be completed by June 2, 2024, Pablo Rodriguez said in a […] Read more
Chinese canola purchases surpass USDA expectations
China imported a record amount of canola in 2022-23. The Asian giant purchased about 5.1 million tonnes of the oilseed for the Chinese crop year ending this month, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. That is way more than the USDA was initially forecasting. Back in January, it thought China would buy 2.5 […] Read more
Fertilizer prices could fall
Farm Credit Canada expects fertilizer prices to remain under pressure into early 2024. Prices have been falling since reaching record highs in 2022 as the world faced supply issues following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. FCC senior economist Leigh Anderson thinks the recent downward trend will continue for the first part of 2024 and then recover […] Read more
Growing rye for seed is quirky but fun
This is part of an ongoing series of stories exploring rye, the crop, as it becomes Rye, the whisky. There’s a problem when a niche crop catches on with farmers. “It causes you to add more bins and keep growing capacity,” said Enchant, Alta., seed grower Greg Stamp in an interview this spring, as he […] Read more
