A strip tiller in action on a Farming Smarter field near Lethbridge, Alta.

Let’s talk strip tillage

An Alberta farmer shares his experiences with the system that provides a middle ground between full till and no till

John Kolk’s farm near Enchant in southern Alberta, like many others in his area, sits on light, sandy loam soil. That can be a problem come planting time when strong chinook winds roll down from the Rockies as they typically do in the spring. Kolk says the combination of hard-blowing winds and sand that’s whipped […] Read more

Wind erosion can have devastating consequences on soil health, as seen in this photo.

How to build healthier soil

Farmers discuss what works for them at Alberta Pulse Growers seminar

Ask a dozen people for a definition of soil health and odds are you will get 12 different answers in response. John Kolk is managing partner of Kolk Farms Conrich, located near Picture Butte, Alta., and is chair of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. He was also one of the speakers on a soil health […] Read more


Tillage implement manufacturer Lemken has partnered with forage
implement producer Krone, another Germany-based company, to
develop an autonomous power unit capable of a variety of functions,
including tillage.

Autonomous tillage and haying

Lemken and Krone partner on multi-functional robotic system development

As more attention is turned toward autonomous field operations, even companies that haven’t been known primarily for offering powered systems are revealing their efforts to produce self-propelled robotic equipment. Recently, tillage equipment producer Lemken announced it had partnered with forage-focused Krone (both companies are based in Germany) to create an autonomous power unit capable of […] Read more

Summers Manufacturing offers a dedicated controller alternative for the VRT Renegade, which required an iPad
app previously.

New controller for Summers VRT Renegade

Dedicated control array removes need for iPad app

This season, Summers Manufacturing introduced a new switch box option for its VRT Renegade variable-rate tillage tool. The switch box uses toggle switches and dials to modify tillage settings, instead of an iPad touchscreen, which was previously the only control option for it. Summers says the new switch box offers the same functionality as the […] Read more


File photo of a Salford 5200 Enforcer tillage unit operating in corn stubble. (Salford.com)

MacDon owner Linamar to buy Salford

Linamar to pay $260M for Ontario tillage, fertilizer equipment maker

Canadian industrial equipment and parts maker Linamar, the owner of MacDon Industries, is set to further expand its reach in the ag equipment sector by buying the Salford Group. Guelph-based Linamar announced Wednesday it has an agreement in place worth $260 million to buy 100 per cent of the equity in Salford, which makes fertilizer […] Read more



The new VT-Flex 435 adjustable vertical tillage tool allows for on-the-go gang angle adjustments from the tractor cab.

Case IH debuts variable tillage implement

The VT-Flex 435 gets on-the-go gang angle adjustment capability

Increasingly, we’re seeing several different types of machines capable of immediately adapting to changing field conditions. And tillage equipment certainly hasn’t been left out of that trend to continually advance the technology built into today’s farm equipment. Last fall, Case IH announced it is adding the VT-Flex 435 vertical tillage tool to its tillage line. […] Read more

Salford’s new Halo VRT high-speed disc offers on-the-go adjustable disc angles.

Salford adds the VRT to its Halo high-speed disc line

New model offers on-the-go disc angle adjustability

Salford has just added a new model to the Halo line of high-speed disc implements it debuted in 2020, the VRT (variable-rate tillage). This tillage tool is capable of on-the-go changes to disc angles to vary how aggressively it engages the soil. Those changes can be made multiple times in a field right from the […] Read more



The RX is the newest model of Horsch’s Joker compact high-speed disc.

Horsch updates its tillage line

Horsch introduces the Joker RX and Cultro TC to its implement lineup

This year Horsch has made some changes to its line of tillage implements. The Joker high-speed compact disc series, which debuted in 2008, is probably the brand’s most well-known offering. The recently introduced RX is a brand new Joker platform that represents a fourth-generation version of the Joker line. The new Joker RXs are available […] Read more