Crop Management
Richard Zollinger is done talking to North Dakota farmers about herbicide resistance. Zollinger, a North Dakota State University weed specialist, said glypho-sate resistant waterhemp, kochia, horseweed and common ragweed all live in the state, but most growers ignore the issue. “We (weed scientists) have been preaching weed resistance, just like they have in Canada, since […] Read more
Crop Management
Weed expert frustrated by farmer inaction
Field demo shows planter hits mark at high speed
Seedhawk’s Tempo precision planter can save time and manpower
Seed Hawk should be called Speed Hawk, jokes Gustav Nilsson, sales manager of Vaderstad, a farm equipment manufacturer from Sweden. He was talking about Vaderstad’s high-speed precision planter, the Tempo, which was demonstrated Aug. 20 in a cornfield north of Leth-bridge. “Our product range is always about speed.” The Tempo can seed accurately at up […] Read more
Case allows farmers to mix tracks and tires
Narrow track tractor | Company looks to re-enter row crop sector with new machine
Row croppers were pleased last year when Case introduced its narrow Rowtrac tractor designed specifically for them, although the four-track system still caused ridging in the headlands. The new tractor had all the GPS guidance, digital controls and amenities of the bigger Quadtrac machines. The hydraulics were similar to those found on a big frame […] Read more
Broadcast spreader enters 21st century
New disc design | Kuhn machine called a precision broadcast fertilizer spreader
It seems odd that sales of broadcast fertilizer spreaders increased at the same time that precision farming became popular in North America. Spreaders seem contrary to what was assumed to be the mainstream trend, but interest in the equipment is so strong that Kuhn has introduced a new model it has dubbed a precision broadcast […] Read more
Winter wheat shines in a wet year
Saving half a season | Fall-seeded crop can help growers can pull a rabbit out of their cap
It is estimated that four to five million prairie acres went unseeded this year or were seeded and then flooded. But don’t write them all off. “It’s a good opportunity to get winter wheat into the ground and take your profit in 2015,” says Bruce Burnett, CWB’s director of weather and market analysis. “Where you […] Read more
Aussies take time during harvest to fight weeds
Herbicide resistance | With few alternatives, Australian farmers crush or burn weed seeds
Herbicide resistant weeds affect 40 percent of cropland on the Prairies, according to rough estimates. However, Canadian farmers are still able to combat the problem before it gets as bad as conditions in Australia, where virtually every weed is assumed to be herbicide resistant. Michael Walsh of the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative focuses all his […] Read more
Inventor targets weed seeds
Ray Harrington considered catching, carting, cremating and cooking weed seeds to control the herbicide resistant varieties that were plaguing farmers across Western Australia. He settled on a fifth C: crushing. Now the developer of the Harrington Seed Destructor is testing a combine-mounted model that will replace the prototype pull-behind unit that first gained attention in […] Read more
New guidelines reflect benefits of no-till farming
Soil fertility | North Dakota university is the first in the U.S. to adopt new corn recommendations
A quiet agricultural revolution is underway in North Dakota. The change is hard to detect because it’s happening in the specialized field of soil fertility. This summer, North Dakota State University unveiled new soil fertility recommendations for corn, which is planted on 3.85 million acres across the state. The 11-page guide makes it clear that […] Read more
80 percent mature heads ideal time for pre-harvest glyphosate
I had an interesting question from a grower this week. The question was “What is the operation that if I screw up, costs me the most money?” Basically, he was asking for an evaluation of his practices and suggestions on how he could improve. This is different from most questions from farmers. Most want to […] Read more
Manage each plant individually at nine m.p.h.
How specific do we need to be in our precision farming endeavours? The answer, according to a researcher at Texas A&M, is “each plant should be managed individually.” Alex Thomasson develops sensors and support devices that fit at the tip of leading edge precision ag technology. He’s currently working with systems that allow a fertilizer […] Read more
