Crop Management
Alberta entrepreneur High temperature physics wrings every drop of diesel from used bags
Alberta entrepreneur Peter Brown thinks he knows how to wring enough money out of spent grain bags to offset the cost of gathering and transporting them for recycling. Brown’s business, Durham Energy Recovery (DRE), is establishing a state-of-the-art pyrolysis facility that breaks down plastic material and returns it to its natural form — petroleum oil. […] Read more
Crop Management
Fendt gets bigger, cleaner on less fuel
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The big Canada-only Fendt comes with enough horsepower to rival what was once considered articulated-only territory and reduces fuel consumption in the process. While Tier 4 compliance might have prompted equipment companies to change their 2014 lineups, many are using the opportunity to improve their offerings. The new Fendt 936 pushes out […] Read more
Inputs and yield: calculating the magic formula
Crop planning is not nearly as pleasant this winter as it was last year. Commodity prices have fallen 20 to 35 percent and input prices have re-mained the same, which means margins are going to be tighter. It might be a good time for producers to re-evaluate and prioritize their inputs, but the first step […] Read more
New products
Glyphosate in soybeans BASF has registered Optill, a tank mix of glyphosate, kixor and imazethapyr for soybeans. It adds four to six weeks of residual suppression or control of lamb’s quarters, lady’s thumb, dandelion, sow thistle, pigweed, shepherd’s purse, stinkweed, buckwheat, wild mustard, fleabane, chickweed, ragweed, barnyard grass, yellow and green foxtail and crabgrass. Optill […] Read more
Grain bags need recycling systems
Grain bag manufacturers have been shirking their responsibilities, according to one of the first retailers to sell grain bagging equipment in Canada. “The bag manufacturers run and hide in the woods the minute somebody asks them about responsibility for used grain bags,” said George Adair, owner of Adair Farm and Ranch Supply in Moosimin, Sask. […] Read more
Planting delays expected in U.S. Corn Belt after brutal winter
CHICAGO, April 2 (Reuters) – Rainy weather and colder-than-normal soil temperatures should delay corn planting in most of the U.S. Midwest for at least the next week, crop and weather experts said on Wednesday. “It looks like it is going to be pretty wet for the next several days. With the combination of low soil […] Read more
Monsanto profit beats expectations on strong corn, soybean demand
April 2 (Reuters) – Monsanto Co, the world’s largest seed company, reported higher-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday as its corn and soybean businesses expanded globally. The company, which specializes in developing genetically engineered crops that withstand herbicides and ward off insects, said the profit margin in corn, its top revenue producer, increased 2.5 points in […] Read more
Tire busting tool saves fingers, prevents injury
BRANDON — Mounting and dismounting tires is an arduous and dangerous task. However, better tools can make a difference, says Justin Ochoa, co-owner of Pneu-Tek Tire Tools. “Bad tools definitely increase the risk,” he said. “Well-designed tools make a difference when it comes to safety.” Ochoa and his father started designing tire tools 30 years […] Read more
Some insects worth protecting
Promoting beneficial insects | Industry officials advise farmers to spray only when economically necessary
John Gavloski pointed at a grey caterpillar resting on a round, plastic dish the size of a drink coaster. The caterpillar was easy to notice. Harder to spot were the dozens of tiny, grey larvae, smaller than a flaxseed, that were emerging from the larger insect. Gavloski, an entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture, said the diminutive […] Read more
Puck boat puts more profit in pocket
One 245 horsepower Puck Agitation Boat does the work of four tractors and four agitators, says a custom slurry applicator. It also does a better job cleaning out the lagoon. Ian Branson, who owns Branson’s TBHS in Brandon, said he used four tractors powering four agitators for the first 10 years that he was in […] Read more
