There are many opinions on variable rate procedures and their benefits. There are also many ways to implement a variable rate strategy with different levels of involvement by the producer. Unfortunately, there is no standard variable rate plan that works for every farmer. Farmers should customize their variable rate plans according to their operations. Some […] Read more
Production
Variable rate plans need customization – Precisely Pam
New Products
Box spreaders; Automated steering; Smaller grader; New discs Box spreaders Kuhn North America Inc. of Brodhead, Wisconsin, has released a new line of Pro-Spread Commercial apron box spreaders. Designed for use as truck mounted or tractor pulled units, these machines are targeted at agricultural operators who require high-capacity, heavy-duty spreading of solids, such as the […] Read more
Software drains ditching costs
Moving from laser control drainage to RTK software programs for scraper control is as dramatic as graduating from eyeball drainage to laser, but it’s not cheap. Besides buying the RTK GPS system, producers also need specialized software, a rugged laptop and assorted hydraulic hardware, which costs another $30,000. While they can sometimes rent the RTK […] Read more
Big combine header breaks bottleneck
The big combines that have hit the market in the past few years are working fine, farmers say. Now the headers have become a bottleneck. The new MacDon 45-foot flex draper is engineered to break that bottleneck by exceeding the capacity of Class 9 combines. “Until now, producers haven’t always been able to fully utilize […] Read more
Organic pioneer’s legacy remembered – Organic Matters
Ray Bauml is one of my heroes. To me, Ray was the spirit of organic agriculture. He was gentle and encouraging, wise and practical, and he always had a twinkle in his eye. He passed away July 22. Ray was a long-time organic farmer from Marysburg, Sask. He began farming with his father in 1950. […] Read more
Wheat comparisons easier
Wheat research received a booster shot recently thanks to software developments and a gene mapping database funded by the Western Grains Research Foundation Endowment Fund. Wheat breeders can now make genetic comparisons with the click of a mouse, 
rather than having to search through binders of data. Daryl Somers, director of applied genomics at the […] Read more
Scientists crack case on seed pod shatter
Canola is prone to shattering and scientists now understand why. To avoid losses from shattering, most producers swath the crop rather than letting it stand to seed maturity and then straight cutting it. Even with swathing, pods will drop two to five bushels per acre under average conditions. If harvest is delayed, the crop will […] Read more
New biological pesticide attacks sclerotinia diseases
Biological controls are growing in popularity but still account for a tiny portion of the pesticide market. According to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, there are about 400 biopesticides registered for use in Canada. The agency says it has noticed more interest in the products based on the number of applications it receives. But while […] Read more
Out with augers; in with big grain vacs
The latest generation of grain vacs has broken the mould that once relegated them to the role of bin clean-up machines. With capacities now hitting 10,000 bushels per hour, many farmers run whole bins through a grain vac instead of turning to an auger. As well, the myth that grain vacs are unreliable is being […] Read more
New canola varieties aid sclerotinia control
Instead of a blanket of yellow from fenceline to fenceline, canola fields this year look like they received a bad haircut – long in parts with plenty of bald patches. The combination of newly emerging and flowering crops is causing farmers concern about sclerotinia stem rot, said canola specialist Phil Thomas. “I’m getting lots of […] Read more
