Nexus’ prototype R2-Weed2 system. (Nexus Robotics photo by Teric Greenan)

Feds back autonomous weederbot’s Halifax manufacturer

ACOA funding to support field-level trials

The federal government’s economic development agency for Atlantic Canada is putting up money for a new round of on-the-ground tests of a self-guided field-weeding robot. Halifax MP Andy Fillmore on Wednesday announced a $550,000 repayable investment from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA) Regional Economic Growth Through Innovation program for Halifax-based Nexus Robotics. Nexus, the […] Read more

GrainViz engineer Braden Pierce explains the system to farmers at Ag Days at Brandon, Man. in 2018. (Screengrab from GFM/Greg Berg video)

Agco to buy GrainViz system’s Winnipeg developer

System due out in limited release this fall

U.S. farm machinery firm Agco has set up a deal to buy its Winnipeg partner in the development of the GSI GrainViz grain monitoring system. Georgia-based Agco announced Friday it now has an agreement to acquire 151 Research, with which it had signed an “exclusive technology partnership” back in December 2018 to develop the GrainViz […] Read more



File photo of Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau speaking in Winnipeg in February 2020. (Dave Bedard photo)

Bibeau not considering closing AgriInvest accounts

Minister wouldn't order farmers to pull funds

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is not considering ordering producers to withdraw from their AgriInvest accounts. “Not in this way. All the options are on the table for the future, but I’ve never considered asking them to withdraw, to empty their accounts, to face COVID-19,” she said in an interview Friday. Bibeau had previously expressed […] Read more



This photo shows potassium deficiency in soybean. A crop with high-yield potential may run out of certain nutrients, or be approaching that critical point faster than farmers may anticipate. Tissue testing at critical crop growth stages can identify both existing and potential fertility problems.

How multiple in-season tissue tests will optimize your fertility program and yields

Check plant nutrient levels at critical crop growth stages to identify existing and potential problems

Plant tissue analysis is a nutrient management tool that has been around for a few years, but as more farmers and agronomists realize the valuable insights it can provide, its use is growing among both these groups. Why it matters: More farmers and agronomists are using multiple in-season tissue test results to optimize fertility programs. […] Read more



A Redekop MAV Straw Chopper mounted to a Claas Lexion combine.

Residue management innovations from Redekop, New Holland, Case IH

The latest straw chopper technologies offer increased spreader widths, finer cuts, more efficiencies and in-cab controls

For farmers who practice low-till or no-till, residue management is essential. “We’re leaving a lot more residue on the field and that residue brings some benefits because it traps moisture and reduces erosion,” explains Trevor Thiessen, president and co-owner of Redekop Manufacturing in Saskatoon. “If straw is not chopped finely and spread evenly, it can […] Read more


File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Large Canadian crops expected

MarketsFarm — Canada will have grown a record-large pea crop in 2020 and possibly the second-largest lentil crop ever, according to preliminary estimates from Statistics Canada, released Monday. Using satellite imagery and model-based yield estimates, the government agency pegged the 2020-21 Canadian field pea crop at 4.996 million tonnes. That would be a new record […] Read more

(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Seed groups weigh options as CSGA rejects merger

Grower group's membership calls nay on Seeds Canada amalgamation

The boards of five national seed sector groups planning a major merger are considering their next move after a less-than-unanimous vote on the proposal. Members of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) had […] Read more