Crop Management
Canadian combine sales are down 16.8 percent from last year, but equipment dealers saw a 41 percent increase in July
Farm equipment sales tanked in North America when COVID-19 lockdown restrictions came into effect in March, and equipment manufacturers have been digging themselves out of this sales deficit ever since. However, the sales report issued by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has shown strong sales this summer. “In May, June and July it’s been […] Read more
Crop Management
Weeding between the rows, finding control of pests
Sprayer systems with the technology to provide mechanical selection between crops and everything else in the field
Spraying a non-selective herbicide between crop rows isn’t a common practice in broad-acre grain and oilseed production, even though there are a few sprayers available in foreign equipment markets that can perform such a pass. “Garford makes one in Australia called the Crop Stalker. They have been around for a few years, but they are […] Read more
Prairie wild oat action committee in action
A request was made to the Canadian Weed Science Society by a few Alberta-based farmers to form a wild oat action committee to focus on the problem of herbicide-resistant wild oats. An ad-hoc committee of 12 people was formed, with producer, scientist, extension staff, industry and agronomist representation. They aim to raise awareness of the […] Read more
Producer starts a flower farm
Jodi Friesen and her daughter-in-law, Victoria, are turning a half acre of fertile land close to the Assiniboine River into a floral paradise featuring more than 150 flower varieties. Friesen opened Miss Millie’s Flower Farm near Poplar Point, Man., last summer. Since then, she’s added a greater variety of perennials and annuals planted in rows […] Read more
Picking the highs and lows and making the field whole
The Climate Corp.’s FieldView has added a crop protection prescription tool farmers can use to create variable-rate scripts for any zone in their fields. “For a fungicide, think about a canola crop or a soybean crop in Eastern Canada where the more biomass we have, the more risk we have for sclertoinioa or white mould,” […] Read more
AFSC waives hail insurance premiums in flood-hit areas
Farmers in northern Alberta facing crop losses because of excess rain can file for full refunds on hail insurance premiums booked through Agriculture Financial Services Corp. The agency announced Aug. 19 that producers with non-viable crops in the northeast, northwest and Peace regions and who also had hail endorsement or straight hail insurance can apply […] Read more
Drop Step vs drop to the ground
Brian Olson is the owner of PowerPin, but that doesn’t mean he’s above driving the company truck. In fact, he drove that semi between Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask., and Winnipeg for 10 years. His main Winnipeg destination didn’t have a loading dock. That meant hundreds of ups and downs into the van over the years, a […] Read more
Grain bin lifespan depends on stiffeners and cycles
On a typical farm, a big corrugated bin might see one or two turns annually. The same bin at the local elevator might see more turns on a daily basis. Bin longevity is tied to the total number of cycles, according to Gary Woodruff, grain storage specialist for GSI. “Most farms cycle their bins once […] Read more
Weight distribution the key in choosing tracks or tires
The dust is starting to settle in the great tire vs tracks controversy, but both have advantages in some areas
The debate about round rubber tires vs. flat rubber tracks began about five minutes after photos of the first Challenger tractor appeared in in January of 1987. That model 65 challenged conventional thinking about farm tires. Today, 33 years later, the debate is no longer red-hot, but it simmers on the backburner. It affects decisions […] Read more
Wheatgrass ‘superfood’ is gaining ground
MN-Clearwater is the first food-grade wheatgrass and is already being used in some food and drink products
Farmers in Minnesota are growing some of the first intermediate wheatgrass developed specifically for human consumption. Plant scientists are calling the food grade MN-Clearwater “a superfood with environmental and health benefits.” Wheatgrass has traditionally been used to feed cattle. However, the potential to unleash locked-in nutrition prompted University of Minnesota researchers to embark on a […] Read more
