Crop Management
The idea of spot spraying individual weeds has been around for a while. The first commercial unit to hit the Canadian Prairies was the Australian-built WeedSeeker about 20 years ago. WeedSeeker recognized green foliage against a brown or black background. It was good at reducing herbicide volumes in black summerfallow, but it arrived on our […] Read more
Crop Management
Last season’s drought could cause unpredictable soil N
Western Canadian crop rotations are being thrown off by residual fertilizer left from crops that never were
A good portion of the plant nutrients applied last spring still sits in prairie soils. Some agronomists have even found granular pellets of fertilizer still intact when taking soil tests this fall. In most areas, there was enough moisture to dissolve fertilizer applied in the spring. However, drought conditions prevented crops from using these inputs […] Read more
Magnetic effects on spray might offer improved control
A product that uses rare earth magnets to treat sprayer fluid recently won the Thrive, Bayer Sustainable Startup Award. MagGrow Technology builds an attachment that can be plumbed into sprayer discharge lines, which the company says reduces the amount of spray that drifts off target. The Thrive, Bayer Sustainability Challenge aims to identify and support […] Read more
MF touts Heads Up design with greater durability, accuracy
The new Massey Ferguson VE Series planters do conventional till, no-till, variable-rate, high-speed planting and individual row control. The company assures growers a 99 percent or greater seed placement accuracy. Massey says the redesigned Heads Up row unit is more durable with better seed placement accuracy. It allows users to customize planters more easily with […] Read more
Three tracks are better than four
With their farm and custom business centered in soybean and corn country in southeastern North Dakota, the Gramlow family was well aware of the shortcomings in some brand new implements. By 2012 they had decided to put that concern into action by diversifying into manufacturing. Their first offering was a conversion kit for the 1770NT […] Read more
Ultra early seeding offers advantages
Spring can be a crapshoot when it comes to predicting the often-turbulent weather on the Prairies. It can range from scorching hot to bitterly cold. Yet farmers appear to start seeding at the same time no matter what. Now, a researcher with Agriculture Canada said it’s time to shake off the shackles of set seeding […] Read more
Nitrogen fertilizer shortage expected to drive down yields worldwide
A shortage of nitrogen fertilizer will likely result in reduced world production of crops like wheat and corn, says an industry executive. “We do think yield on a global basis is going to be off next year, not because of demand destruction but just because there’s not going to be enough tons available,” said CF […] Read more
304 stainless with 5x lifetime of mild carbon steel
If stainless steel lasts five times longer but costs the same as mild steel, then … what was the question again?
If you bought high-quality 304 stainless steel aftermarket components to replace worn carbon steel parts in your JD drill, you’d expect to pay more, right? Wrong, according to Romafa. “Many of our stainless steel replacement parts cost the same as OEM steel parts directly from John Deere or the other manufacturers” says Romafa representative Jim […] Read more
Integrated approach helps manage herbicide resistance
New research from Pennsylvania State University has shown that no-till production can reduce herbicide use and maintain crop yields by implementing integrated weed-management methods. Traditionally, no-till farmers rely more heavily on herbicides to control weed growth. To test whether herbicide applications could be reduced in no-till production, lessen environmental impact and control selection pressure by […] Read more
Researchers improve understanding of hemp
The data that is being collected in Manitoba is intended to create a base line and help producers select the best varieties
The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance hosted its annual conference online Nov. 16-18, where participants discussed the growing role of hemp. James Frey, a diversification specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, reported on research being carried out in Manitoba. “The research of all the crops including hemp is meant to provide base line data for hemp producers as […] Read more
