Three ways grain baggers add flexibility

Tom Eppinga says one of the key features of the Neeralta Grain Bagger that appealed to him is the overall longer length of the machine, which helps make each of his 300-foot bags of stored grain, canola or peas much straighter. The Edmonton-area farmer says straight bag lines not only look neater, is easier for […] Read more

Farmer Panel: Tillage creeps back in to repair water damage

Farmers haven’t gone wild buying new equipment for the 2012 cropping season, according to those contacted for this January farmer panel. There have been some new purchases to improve farm efficiencies. And depending on the success of the 2011 crop, some purchases have been delayed, or are still under consideration. But all farmers contacted have […] Read more


Four ways to identify hardpan

True man-made hardpan — a compacted layer of soil just below the soil surface — is rare in the Prairies, but it does happen. Far more common, but equally troubling, is hardpan caused by soil composition, such as is the case when dealing with Solonetzic soils. In Saskatchewan and Alberta, soil specialists tend to refer […] Read more

Cargill may run wheat pool in 2012

Cargill may run a pool for western Canadian farmers’ spring wheat in 2012 and will also be ready to offer farmers forward price contracts for their grains in an open market. Grain handlers will be able to immediately offer farmers contracts to buy next year’s harvest once the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) no longer has […] Read more


New fungicide option for canola

DuPont Canada’s crop protection arm has announced a new Group 7 chemical for use on canola, pulses and sunflowers. The crop fungicide Vertisan includes penthiopyrad, a new active ingredient. Dave Kloppenburg, DuPont Canada’s fungicide launch manager, describes Vertisan’s active ingredient as “a brand new molecule that locks onto the fungus to stop disease in its […] Read more

Think about getting hitched — safely!

Misplaced the operator manual to your tried-and-true old tractor? Wondering how to safely tow an older implement with your new high-speed tractor? You’ll find the answers to these and other farm equipment hitching questions in a new guidebook, Safe Implement Hitching. Jim Wassermann, an engineer with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) in Saskatchewan, is […] Read more


Crop Advisor’s Casebook: tank mix-up

Last June, while driving past his silage barley field, John noticed distinct strips forming in his crop. When he stopped to investigate further, he saw the barley plants inside the strips were healthier looking and taller by a foot than those in the surrounding areas, which were paler in colour and tinged with yellow. He […] Read more



Turn Yield Maps Into Profit Maps

Q :I have a GPS-equipped yield monitor on the combine. How can I make the most of the data collected? A:Yield mapping is an easy way to gauge how variable your fields actually are. This is a great groundtruthing opportunity for all of the yield mappers out there. The only problem is remembering how much […] Read more

Farming Smarter, Not Bigger

What gives a 28-year-old the courage to play a high-stakes farming game that many say is more of a gamble than going to Las Vegas? What does he do to up the chances of his winning? What can the rest of us learn from him? Most people say they farm to live, well I live […] Read more