Final steps for approval | Chinese regulators plan to carry out on-site inspections of Canadian crushing facilities
Canadian canola meal has been shut out of the Chinese market since Jan. 1, but the ban could be coming to an end, says an industry official. Canola meal had been making great strides in China in recent years. Canada shipped a high of 825,000 tonnes of the product in 2010, but exports fell to […] Read moreVideo
Video: Mapping potential profits using satellite data
GIS mapping | Data from soils and yield mapping can be used to determine if it is economically beneficial to fix problems
Field mapping has turned from telling tales about soil quality, topography, salinity and yield to proclaiming profitability. Precision field maps, with their multi-coloured measurements, are well known to most farmers, despite only being used by a minority of growers. Kevin Pattison’s field maps have taken on the colours of money. The Alberta precision agronomist is […] Read more
Video: Russian agriculture crippled by inefficiencies
An unmotivated labour force is one of the biggest obstacles to increasing production, says a Russian agronomist
Canadian farmers shouldn’t spend too much time fretting about Russia when doing their long-term planning, says an agronomist familiar with agriculture in that country. “Don’t be afraid of Russia,” said Tobias Schenk of Black Earth Farming Ltd., which farms 600,000 acres of the country’s best farmland. “We have potential. We will become more professional. But […] Read more
Video: Acres not deterred by huge canola supply
Growers are likely to plant another big crop of canola next year despite huge carryout forecasts for seed and oil, says one of Canada’s largest crushers. Bunge Canada was originally forecasting a five percent decline in seeded acreage next year, but the company is rethinking that outlook. “I was at a canola meeting yesterday where […] Read more
Video: Farmers get inside scoop as tractor torn to pieces
Agritechnica technicians dismantle machine
HANOVER, Germany — Working in a giant, German fishbowl, mech-anics tore a perfectly good tractor down to its parts. “Farmers love their machinery. They always want to know what goes on inside a piece of machinery,” farm equipment engineer Raffaele Talarico said about his project to show off what makes a modern tractor tick. “No […] Read more
Fuel savings rationale for flatter tires
Looser soil, better yields | Running at the lowest recommended pressures saves fuel and reduces compaction
HANOVER, Germany — Running on flat tires used to be considered a sign of a lazy farmer. However, German researchers have shown that flatter tires can result in fatter wallets for farmers. Research has supported the commonly held view that tires are better able to transfer power to the field when the pressure is lower. […] Read more
3D printing may help farmers
Make your own parts | New technology could help growers design small pieces, says inventor
The Saskatchewan inventor who caused an online firestorm with his redesigned 3D printer says the technology could have huge implications for farmers. “I wouldn’t say you could fix everything on your farm with one now, but it’s going to be a technology similar to the lathe,” Rylan Grayston said about the machines, which enable users […] Read more
Charolais female and Red Angus bull take Agribition supreme championship
REGINA — A red and white theme with an international flair dominated this year’s premier livestock show, which wrapped up the exhibition season for some of North America’s top purebred beef cattle. Canadian Western Agribition’s RBC Beef Supreme champions were a Red Angus bull from Alberta and a Charolais pair from Texas. Each received $10,000 […] Read more
Video: Inventor takes DIY to whole new level
ST.GREGOR, SASK. — Wilfred Mollenbeck is fiercely proud of being an elementary school dropout. He walked away from mainstream education after Grade 8 and used the money he earned from a job to kick-start his real education. “The first thing I bought with my first paycheque was a Lincoln welder. That’s where I started,” said […] Read more
Ropa Tiger brings in beets cleaner, faster
BURDETT, Alta. — Sugar beet harvesting equipment that is new to southern Alberta is providing benefits for two area farming operations and the Taber sugar factory. Forty Mile Ventures, which is operated by the Kamper Group south of Burdett, bought a Ropa Tiger Micro Topper this year that defoliates, digs and loads beets in one […] Read more
