Marco van Leeuwen is the president of the International Seed Federation and managing director of seed company Rijk Zwaan. Photo: John Greig

World Seed Congress addresses global supply chain challenges 

The World Seed Congress is on in Rotterdam, Netherlands with a discussion of the major issues facing the seed and crops sector. The major issues on the agenda include the challenges that the decline in free trade and globalization brings to major suppliers of seeds, the acceptance of gene editing and the technology involved in that process.


Photo: File

New program focuses on data literacy for cow-calf producers 

Case studies and mentoring will help give farm data decision-making power 

The Data Literacy for Cow-Calf Producers project aims to give farmers and ranchers the chance to discuss best practices and learn from experts and peers about how to use data to make better business decisions.  Data management has varied adoption in the cow-calf sector.

Some ag tech startup companies continue to get funding, but it isn’t as much or as likely as during the pandemic years. Photo: Avalon_Studio/iStock/Getty Images

Ag tech venture capital stays on sidelines

Entrepreneurs need patience, more plan to achieve profitability to unlock investment

Agriculture venture capital investment was an outlier in 2023, as it increased slightly over 2022, according to the Canadian Venture Capital Association (CVCA). However, that news belied pessimism on the state of ag tech at the recent Agri Tech Venture Forum in Toronto. The forum heard that the availability of capital for agriculture technology entrepreneurs has dried up significantly compared to the heady days of investment growth during the pandemic years.



The new Vaderstad Seed Hawk 600-900C was launched at Agritechnica.

New Vaderstad drill shows integration with Seed Hawk

The drill is expected to best suit farmers in Eastern Canada as well as Europe and Australia

Vaderstad purchased Canadian seed drill maker Seed Hawk for a reason, and the new Vaderstad Seed Hawk 600-900 C is like a child of the traditions of both companies. There’s Vaderstad’s trademark red colour, and its attention to detail in building of planters and drills, including its E-Control data management system. But the 600-900 C […] Read more


Quick bacteria test in water troughs could improve livestock treatment decisions

Glacier FarmMedia — Researchers are seeking ways to manage antimicrobial-resistant bacteria on farms, including quicker evaluation of bacteria so treatment can be better targeted. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and University of Saskatchewan veterinary school researchers are studying feedlot water troughs, hoping the water can tell them what sort of anti-microbial resistant bacteria are present. Antimicrobial […] Read more

The row unit on the Solus 1047 SX looks more like a corn planter than a seeder.

Concept blurs line between planter, seed drill

Horsch has created a concept to bring the advantages of a planter to smaller-seeded crops

Is it a planter or a drill? If a concept machine created by Horsch eventually comes to the market, someone might have to invent a new category. “We’re trying to mix and trying to get the best of both worlds, which is a seed drill and a corn planter,” says Laurent Letzler, who manages Horsch […] Read more


Crop.zone bills its electric desiccation system as “hybrid herbicide technology.”

Pre-spraying boosts effectiveness of electric weed-killing machine

Crop.zone has partnered with John Deere on a new, wider machine for in-crop weed control

Glacier FarmMedia — German company tested its electric desiccation system on Canadian farms this growing season, as it works to bring weed control through electricity to large-scale operations. Crop.zone is unique in that it combines an application of liquid to the plant at the front of the tractor, and an electric shock at the back, […] Read more

a green steyr tractor on display

The future of high horsepower engines: combustion, with a boost

While diesel isn't going anywhere soon, companies hope to make engines more efficient without losing power

While diesel isn’t going anywhere soon, companies hope to make engines more efficient without losing power

Options for powering agriculture equipment are diversifying quickly, with companies narrowing into the lanes they likely will follow into the near future. Many electric under-100-horsepower options appeared at Agritechnica, the world’s largest agriculture machinery show in Hannover, Germany in November — but there was also the certainty that the combustion engine won’t be going away […] Read more