On March 15, CNH bought 100 percent of Augmenta. According to the press release, it will manage Augmenta through its “Sense and Act” division, which focuses on automated sensor-detected decisions. Augmenta’s previous innovations in this area include development of a multispectral camera and software that monitors a machine’s operating environment and acts directly via the […] Read more
Tag Archives precision agriculture — page 2
Map weed clusters to manage resistance
Identifying and quickly addressing weed patches has never been more important as herbicide-resistant weeds increasingly menace farmers across the country. Accurate maps of weed locations are a good first step to squash them before they can spread. There are both established and emerging technologies that can produce precise weed maps. Some weed maps require innovative […] Read more
Drone AI takes on new field tasks
Artificial intelligence developed for spray drone modified to monitor fields for weeds, disease or even insect infestations
Regina-based Precision AI is having a great year. Last summer, during the Ag In Motion outdoor farm show held near Saskatoon, the company launched its autonomous, fixed-wing drone that uses artificial intelligence to identify and treat individual weeds within a broad-acre-crop canopy. In March, it won numerous international awards for the drone, including the Cooperative […] Read more
Predictive maps help make ag decisions
Service produces maps of soil types and properties that agrologists, farmers can use to be more precise
A new predictive soil-mapping service will be available in Saskatchewan this spring for farmers and agronomists who want to participate in the system’s beta testing. The service is available through the Saskatchewan Soil Information System (SKSIS), which was developed by a research team in the University of Saskatchewan’s soil science department. The SKSIS is a […] Read more
Firms deepen variable rate link as information sharing increases
Variable rate prescriptions from Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Digital Hub can now be automatically loaded into John Deere’s Operations Center. Cameron Holbrook, vice-president of Digital Transformation at Nutrien Ag Solutions, said this advanced connectivity between the two platforms will simplify logistics, and enable variable rate agronomic recommendations to be more easily sent to Deere equipment. The […] Read more
Planters show promise in research conditions
Studies conducted in southern Alberta find precision planters can produce higher yields than when air drills are used
BALCARRES, Sask. — Precision planters may offer yield benefits over air drills, particularly when used for narrower row spacing, according to research done in southern Alberta. Mike Gretzinger, research co-ordinator at Farming Smarter, said several trials have shown that planters on 12-inch row spacing compared more favourably than air drills on crops such as canola, […] Read more
Deere picks companies for collaboration program
Two Canadian companies are among the eight selected by John Deere for its 2023 Startup Collaborators program. Deere started the program in 2019 to help it find innovative agricultural and construction technologies. “We don’t have the market cornered on all the good ideas and we’re always innovating and always listening to what our customers’ needs […] Read more
Sask. university offers certificate in precision agriculture
Students who enrol in the program will learn how to precisely manage crops to increase sustainability and production
A new university certificate program, the first in Western Canada, seeks to train students from diverse areas of expertise and backgrounds in precision agriculture. “I think agriculture is rife with opportunities for problem solving,” said Angela Bedard-Haughn, dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan. “I think it’s that ability […] Read more
Just say ‘no’ to variable rate fertilizer
Consultant says only about a quarter of prairie fields are hilly enough to benefit from the practice
(Editor’s note: This story has been edited from the original version, 12:49 MT April 12, 2022.) The variable rate, or VR, component of precision agriculture can help deal with record-high fertilizer prices while maintaining or increasing yield. Therefore, farmers should be clamoring for VR equipment and knowledge. Right? Wrong. Ken Greer, founder of Western Ag […] Read more
A new chapter in the book of precision ag?
FarmDroid remembers the exact location of every seed it plants to precisely guide its weeding knives later
I started a small custom spraying business in co-operation with Manitoba Pool Elevators in 1997. The standard marking system was the foam marker. I’m not a good operator and have a hard time driving straight up and down the field. In the end we leased an Ag Navigator GPS with no autosteer. But with the […] Read more
