Glacier FarmMedia – In 2017, people in Canada’s seed industry felt hopeful. Private money was flowing into wheat and pulse crops and investment in variety development was expected to increase in future years. But that projected investment didn’t pan out, particularly for wheat and other cereal crops. Private firms backed away from cereal crop innovation, […] Read more
Where has all the seed money gone?
Funding for new varieties has slowed to a trickle in Canada, particularly for cereal crops
Robots may help grain farmers diversify
Tech could support labour-intensive higher-value crops
Chuck Baresich, who owns an agricultural robotics business in Ontario, says controlling weeds with robots is probably best suited for high-value, horticultural crops in Canada. However, large-scale grain farmers could also use the technology if they think about it differently. “Let’s say my brother and me are growing 1,500 acres of corn,” said Baresich, who […] Read more
Seed regulation consultation results released
CFIA 'anticipates' more consultations this winter
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is getting closer to updating its seed regulations. On Monday, the agency released a “What We Heard” report summarizing the responses of 315 individuals and groups who participated in an online survey from Feb. 15 to May 1. The CFIA is looking to update seed regulations to “reduce complexity, protect […] Read more
Novel soybean variety contains pork protein
Animal protein reached up to 26.6 per cent of soluble protein in soy seeds, says company
Glacier FarmMedia – Soybean meal and soybeans have been a critical part of pig diets for decades. Pigs eat soybeans, gain weight and add muscle. That muscle eventually becomes pork, which humans eat as pork chops, pork tenderloin and sausage. Why it matters: Genetic modification technology can increase the nutritional value of foods but consumer […] Read more
Beef sector demands tougher stance on trade
The beef trade deficit with Europe reached $92 million in 2022, but trade flows have changed in 2023
Glacier FarmMedia – The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) has adopted a different tone and approach to trade. It’s going to defend Canada’s beef industry and food production system to the hilt. “Just because another country does something in a specific way doesn’t mean we have to adopt that,” said Nathan Phinney, CCA president. “One thing […] Read more
Cummins makes a green turn
Diesel engine maker sets sights on electrolyzers, a key component in green hydrogen
Glacier FarmMedia – Cummins, an American firm known for its diesel engines, is shifting its investments toward the green economy and green fertilizer. In early April, U.S. President Joe Biden visited a Cummins manufacturing plant in Fridley, Minn., and saw what Cummins will soon make at the facility. “In just a few weeks, we will […] Read more
Canadian agri-food scientists urged to switch tracks
A new federal strategy asks scientists to focus on sustainability and climate change rather than production
Glacier FarmMedia – Agriculture and Agri-food Canada scientists have historically spent their time on things like improving yields, fighting crop diseases and increasing livestock feed efficiency — mostly agriculture production and risks to production. Now, their top priorities should be sustainable agriculture and climate change, says the department’s Strategic Plan for Science, a document released […] Read more
Weed seed destructors gain ground among producers
Attaching a hammer mill to a combine is catching on in Australia, but North American farmers have been more cautious
Glacier FarmMedia – Nine hundred to 1,000 new combines are sold every year in Australia, according to the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia. Of those new combines, 25 to 30 per cent are equipped with weed seed destructors. “It’s taken off to the level where … there’s a few hundred being sold (with seed […] Read more
Opinion: Innovation is hard, hype is easy
There is no shortage of companies and researchers that claim to have a silver bullet to solve agricultural issues, but if truly helpful, it takes years before technologies are in the hands of farmers
Glacier FarmMedia – In November, the John Innes Centre announced it had discovered a gene that could lead to drought resistant wheat. The centre is a well-known institution in Norwich, United Kingdom, specializing in plant science and crop genetics, so the new gene and its potential for improving wheat production will garner interest. And maybe […] Read more
Interest wanes in biopesticides, says scientist
A variety of roadblocks can impede commercialization of biological crop protection products, making them too expensive
Glacier FarmMedia – Biopesticides aren’t ready to compete with synthetic pesticides in broad scale agriculture, said a retired Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist. Research into biopesticides has waned in the last decade, partly because it takes so long to get products to market in Canada. “I don’t see an appetite for these products in North […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
