Luke Dinan is passionate about improving food security in northern Ontario and his vision for how to grow more food locally has won the Cochrane, Ont., vegetable grower first prize in the Northern Food Security Challenge. Why it matters: The natural growing season in the north is short and the climate is cool, which limits […] Read more
Finding new, energy efficient ways to grow food in the North
Cochrane vegetable grower wins Northern Food Security Challenge with wood biomass heating system
New grape cultivars to help growers deal with climate change, pesticide rules
Restrictions on crop protections cause concern about the future of vineyards in Germany
In the German wine-growing region of Rheinland Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany, both growers and consumers value traditional grape varieties. Cultivars like Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and others have long been grown in the region, but they’re now facing threats on two fronts – a changing climate and regulatory pressure. Why it […] Read more
Smart Farm a testing ground for cutting-edge agricultural technologies
Olds college develops, validates and tests products in real agriculture settings to solve real industry problems
Precision agriculture driven by smart tools and digitization is leading transformative change in the global agri-food sector. This includes robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and sensors of all kinds that will help farmers produce more with less while supporting more productive soils and healthier livestock. To adopt these tools, however, farmers need to know they work […] Read more
University of Guelph launches community approach to agricultural innovation
Collaboration and new fund aim to make agricultural innovation solve problems facing farmers
The University of Guelph’s Research Innovation Office (RIO) is supporting research through a new approach to innovation. Last year, the team responsible for helping commercialize research began taking a new look at innovation, commercialization and where research needs come from. This has resulted in a new collaborative approach and the new Competitive Advancing Research Impact […] Read more
Minimizing fertilizer use with in-field plant nutrient analysis
Optical sensing technology scans plant leaves to identify crop nutrient and micronutrient deficiencies in less than five minutes
A New Brunswick precision agriculture startup has attracted $1.45 million in investment for its real-time nutrient tissue analysis technology. Picketa Systems’ trademarked Leaf Evaluated Nutrient System (LENS) has marked early success in potatoes and will expand its plant tissue sampling innovation into other crops to help farmers make more informed crop management decisions. Why it […] Read more
Innovative fertilizer alternatives offer new options for growers
Soil analysis and insect frass innovations receive funding
A soil analysis technology and a pelleted insect frass fertilizer are among the 10 innovations that have received funding under a provincial program designed to find alternative fertilizer solutions for farmers. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs launched the $2 million Fertilizer Accelerating Solutions & Technology Challenge last year. It provides companies […] Read more
Smart orchard prediction system moves closer to commercialization
Ontario start-up secures funding to further develop system and expand into other fruits
An Ontario start-up with technology that gives fruit growers accurate, real-time crop data is one step closer to full commercialization. Why it matters: Accurate data helps growers bring more efficiency to the farm and greater transparency to the fruit supply chain. Vivid Machines Inc. has just closed a $5.8 million funding round to further develop […] Read more
Vive Crop Protection receives first Canadian product registration
Canadian company developed unique technology that increases efficacy of active ingredients
A Canadian crop protection company, whose patented technology has its roots in research from the University of Toronto, has received its first Canadian product registration. Vive Crop Protection Inc.’s AZteroid FC 3.3 fungicide is labelled for in-furrow use on potatoes against black scurf, silver scurf, and rhizoctonia disease, and is available through UAP Canada. The […] Read more
Natural sugar substitute wins provincial agri-tech pitch competition
Annual competition highlights agricultural innovations
A self-proclaimed recovering sugar addict made the winning pitch at the 2023 Ontario Agri Tech Pitch Competition, walking away with $10,000 in prize money for his precision fermentation start-up, Biofect Innovations. Why it matters: Governments around the world are changing how sugar is labelled and used in food products, so food and beverage manufacturers are […] Read more
Getting the most out of your farm equipment
Making field operations efficient is the target of an Ontario agtech company
An Ontario start-up believes precision agriculture should be easy to use and accessible to all. That’s the premise behind the farm management software IntelliCulture has developed to solve what it says are three of the biggest critical challenges on the farm: labour availability, pest prevention and machine safety. Why it matters: Margins are slim in […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
