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Dustin Burns farms in Saskatchewan and has had an autonomous field robot working on his farm this spring.

Equipment, Guide Business, Machinery

Taking autonomy into the field

Finally, self-drive technology is moving onto real farms

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Reading Time: 5 minutes If there was any doubt that how we farm is undergoing a foundational change, this should convince you that there is mammoth change on the horizon. In July the federal government pledged $49.5 million to the Alberta Innovates program to advance research and development in agricultural automation as part of the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN). “The program,” said […] Read more
For Dean, Devin, Darren and father Bernie, on-farm manufacturing provides a kind of balance. But make no mistake… this is a farm first, with all the challenges that implies.
Equipment, Guide Business

Auger-steer invention drives farm family’s business success

Diversifying into manufacturing creates more opportunity for the Toews family, but there have been many lessons along the way

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Reading Time: 12 minutes It was 2008 and things just weren’t working out for Bernie Toews. From his tractor cab, he’d tried again and again to manoeuvre an auger around a tight corner on the family farm near MacGregor, an hour and a half west of Winnipeg, and it just wasn’t going to happen. Now, Toews was backing the […] Read more
How realistic is it to assess the savings for every new tool or practice on the farm?
Equipment, Guide Business

How much will that new farm technology really pay?

New tech can work wonders, but is your economic analysis a bankable guide to how it will perform on your farm?

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Reading Time: 9 minutes Like everything else in farming, it’s getting more complicated to decide which technologies to invest in for the farm. Actually, make that “much more complicated.” An effective technology strategy is a key success factor, says Purdue University professor Michael Langemeier, “Early adopters of technology often reap above-average profits.” Plus, says Langemeier, it can keep them […] Read more
Staff demonstrate how the DOT autonomous power platform connects to an implement, using the Pattison Connect sprayer.
Equipment, Machinery

Autonomous farm machinery drives out into the desert

DOT Technology Corp. holds an impressive demo day in Arizona

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Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s obvious that Norbert Beaujot invests a lot of time thinking about the coming transformation of ag machinery, and about how to explain it to the farmers who are going to be at the very centre of the action. Beaujot is founder of DOT Technology Corp. and the inventor of the DOT autonomous power platform, […] Read more
IT firms are seeing the potential in agri-food technology and are buying companies or bringing in talent.
Equipment, Guide Business

Investing in agri-food technology

“A very dismal state of affairs” is how one investor looks at Canada’s ag tech future

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Reading Time: 4 minutes San Eng thinks the agri-food technology investment climate in Canada might improve, but a “venture capital ecosystem” must develop quickly or the nation will lose out. “The people I’ve talked to are overlooking the sector — they don’t think it’s sexy enough, which is disappointing because the potential is there,” says the serial entrepreneur who […] Read more
Several factors relating to water quality can affect product performance in the field, often to the detriment of the crop.
Crops, Equipment

Keep an eye on water quality

Water can play havoc with spray performance, especially with the rise in tank mixing

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Reading Time: 5 minutes The 2019 growing season is now within sight and with it, another season’s worth of herbicide, fungicide and insecticide applications. Given the challenges that can arise with sprayers and their products, it’s worth revisiting the subject of water quality and the potential impact of factors such as temperature, hardness and pH on product performance. With […] Read more
Mixing products in the wrong order can create serious problems, particularly when time is a rare commodity.
Crops, Equipment

‘My sprayer’s a mess’

In the new era of weed resistance, your risk of a plugged tank or boom is climbing

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Reading Time: 7 minutes There may be no better phrase that symbolizes agriculture than “timing is everything.” Planting, fertilizing and harvesting are obvious fits, but the term also applies to pesticide applications, planter preparations and seed purchases. Another area where timing is important is in the mixing of chemicals, although some may argue that it’s more a matter of […] Read more
John Deere’s display at CES.
Equipment, Machinery

Farm-wired

Proving that ag technology is on top of the electronic world

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Reading Time: 5 minutes The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas teems with electronic gizmos and concept technologies of the future — you know, the things none of us had any idea about a year or two ago but soon won’t be able to live without. At this year’s event in January, one unexpected display towered over all […] Read more
Earthworms and their castings are one of the more visible soil health indicators.
Crops, Equipment

Precision ‘agronomy’

Precision ag is rapidly evolving, with an emerging suite of benefits for producers

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Reading Time: 7 minutes Has any segment of agri-food changed as much in the past 10 years as precision ag? What is certain is that the science’s power to extrapolate data points, generate better maps, recommend specific courses of action and lead growers to higher revenues is unparalleled. The challenge though is still the same: Where to start? For […] Read more
The choice is simple: spend an hour cleaning equipment or a more expensive hour in the field spraying.
Crops, Equipment

Hitchhiking pests

Yes, cleaning out equipment takes time, but it’s worth it

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Reading Time: 6 minutes When it comes to discussing the scourge of weed management in Eastern Canada, much of the light has shone on herbicide-resistant Canada fleabane and its spread from Essex County to the Quebec border in just five years. The latest weed species that is cause for concern is common waterhemp. It’s been the topic of conversation […] Read more

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AGCanadaTV: In Case You Missed It – Your National Ag News Recap for the week ending December 6, 2019.

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