farmer piloting drone in canada

Evaluating new tech, products and practices

There is always something new around the corner, so how do crop consultants filter out the noise and arrive at a reliable recommendation for their clients?

With new products, new production practices and new technology converging in the agriculture industry at a frenetic pace, independent agronomists and crop advisors try to sort the wheat from the proverbial chaff as they advise clients on what might or might not work on an individual farm. Not only has the pace of introducing new […] Read more

smash that delete button

What are you doing with my information?

Agronomy and the Law: Are you prepared to answer that question from a farming client?

With the increasing development and usage of precision agriculture and technological advances in the agriculture industry, farmers are experiencing huge increases in productivity, efficiency and profitability. These innovations include the industry’s development of software applications to manage farm data, sensors on implements, drones, precision machinery and GPS technology, to name a few. With this rise […] Read more






Janos Botschner, a researcher with the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance, speaks at CropConnect in Winnipeg on Feb. 12.

Farming community needs to talk more about cybersecurity

The technology now brought to bear in farming makes farms more vulnerable to digital threats

Glacier FarmMedia — Talking about cybersecurity not only raises awareness in the farming community — it can help reduce the stigma suffered by those victimized by cyberattacks. That was the message from Janos Botschner, a behavioural scientist and researcher with the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance. Botschner spoke at the CropConnect Conference in Winnipeg on Feb. […] Read more


Editor’s Rant: Get lost, grandkid

Editor’s Rant: Get lost, grandkid

If we don’t talk openly about scams we’re condemned to have them repeated on us

It’s not like I marked the exact date or time on the calendar, but otherwise I still clearly recall the day I officially got old. It wasn’t while having to catch my breath after taking the stairs. It wasn’t from the first time my feet got sore standing in line, being asked if I wanted […] Read more

Tom Wolf discusses spot sprayers during the Crop Production Show in Saskatoon.

Moving spot spraying forward means building algorithms

Advanced spraying systems have benefits, but also have costs a farmer must consider

Glacier FarmMedia — Spot spraying isn’t a new idea, and the equipment capable of selective application has been around for decades — but the technology that supports this approach is advancing. Tom Wolf, an application specialist with Agrimetrix Research and Training and Sprayers101, recently shared some of the new research, technology developments and application techniques […] Read more


Never mind the increased demand for horsepower from new tractors — smart-farming tech has increased the demand for power within the cab.

Power requirements in the modern tractor cab

Charging ports off an aftermarket inverter draw about 20 watts per device

With modern technology comes modern problems. As more technology is integrated into seeding equipment, more devices require a power source — and in some operations, this may exceed the output of the 12-volt tractor system. The technology in modern seeding equipment has changed from the days of the on/off and up/down switch of early drills. […] Read more

Variability across a farm, or even within a field, can complicate data analysis for a producer.

Dollars from data

Improving the quality of the quantifying can help improve bottom lines, nutrient management, yields and decision-making

Unlocking the full strength of your data can turn small changes into bigger returns, and smart, localized insights can boost a farm’s bottom line, Brunel Sabourin of Antara Agronomy says. Sabourin was speaking to an audience of farmers and agronomists at St. Jean Farm Days, an agricultural event at St. Jean Baptiste, Man., about 60 […] Read more