The use of pressurized water as a cutting tool has come full circle. It was used extensively to power away earth during the 1850s California Gold Rush. Now, after being adapted and refined to carry out high-tech, precision cutting of metals and other industrial materials indoors, the technology has turned back to the ground. Why […] Read more

Waterjet use on planters eliminates coulter-soil contact
Aquatill concept remains in testing phase, but may offer options for no-till farmers

Is 3D grain bin monitoring tech for you?
Electromagnetic imaging is pricey but the technology can reveal hot spots anywhere in a bin
Three-dimensional bin monitoring is one of the more talked-about new ag technologies. Proponents of this type of grain monitoring — more formally called three-dimensional electromagnetic imaging or 3D EMI — claim it can spot potential trouble anywhere in the bin and alert producers before grain even begins to spoil. There’s also a safety factor out […] Read more
Sask. crop proceeds well ahead of average pace
CNS Canada – Saskatchewan harvest continues to come off well ahead of the five-year average. Saskatchewan Agriculture, in its latest crop report for Aug. 14-20, said the harvest was 16 per cent complete compared to the five-year average of seven per cent. Dry weather was allowing producers to stay in fields. Harvest is most advanced […] Read more

Minnesota corn, soy crop prospects hurt by summer floods – crop tour
Ghent, Minn. | Reuters – Corn yields in Minnesota are likely to be below average as excessive rains and flooding early in the growing season impeded crops, scouts on an annual tour through top U.S. production states said on Thursday. Soybean yield potential was also hampered by overly wet conditions, which delayed planting in many areas and forced […] Read more

Richardson to retail in west-central Saskatchewan
Prairie grain firm Richardson International plans to build out its retail market share in west-central Saskatchewan with a new inputs centre southwest of Saskatoon. Privately-held Richardson said July 30 it would begin construction shortly on the new facility in Delisle, about 35 km southwest of the city, to open for the 2019 growing season. The […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, soy sag on harvest expectations
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell about two per cent on Wednesday and soybeans declined almost as much, pressured by strong yield prospects in the Midwest crop belt, traders said. Wheat futures also eased, with the Chicago Board of Trade December contract hitting its lowest in four weeks. CBOT December corn settled down […] Read more

Ontario farm groups offer government ideas on coping with market and production disruptions
Commodity groups are pleased the federal government is reviewing farm business risk management programs (BRMPs) but they worry the process will stop short of fixing major flaws.
Farm leaders say the ongoing review can’t simply reinforce the status quo and there needs to be more consideration given to recent American-driven trade battles, which pose barriers to implementing more effective programming. Why it matters: Current federal BRMP programs continue to be scrutinized across commodities for providing inadequate coverage for farmers. Ideal programs would provide […] Read more

Grain Farmers of Ontario developing a business risk management model
Grain Farmers of Ontario is conducting an analysis of BRM programs with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriRisk program. The analysis involves assessing and developing new program designs, as well as determining the cost of each option, based in part on a survey of approximately 1,000 grain and oilseed producers on their individual preferences […] Read more

Former sister firm to buy Outback Guidance
Farm GPS guidance and autosteering equipment company AgJunction is set to sell its Outback Guidance business to a satellite positioning tech firm it spun off five years earlier. Kansas-based AgJunction announced Monday it has sold the Outback assets to Hemisphere GNSS, a Scottsdale, Ariz. company owned by Chinese firm Beijing UniStrong, for an undisclosed sum. […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat extends decline as Russian supply worries abate
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell on Tuesday for a second straight session as fears of a shortfall in Russian wheat exports diminished, traders said. Corn and soybean futures also declined, pressured by spillover weakness from wheat as well as improving crop conditions in the U.S. Midwest after widespread rains. Chicago Board of […] Read more