Jiggling and twisting around while operating equipment can lead to back problems for farmers. Take a Break from the Shake is a new research project at the University of Saskatchewan that looks for ways to relieve those negative health effects. “The main objective of the work is to explore and develop strategies to help agricultural […] Read more
Getting to the bottom of bad vibrations
Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan want to minimize the negative health effects of whole-body vibrations from farm equipment
Ontario beekeepers reeling from triple-season hit
Poor weather and varroa mite extract heavy toll on colonies
A tough fall, unstable winter temperatures and a cool spring have conspired to take a major toll on honeybee populations in Ontario and throughout Canada. Populations of varroa mite, a parasitic pest that attacks honeybees, have also been high this spring. With limited means to control varroa, Canadian beekeepers could face losses even greater than […] Read more
U of G team trying to develop biodegradable agriculture plastics
Small-scale on-farm trials with silage covers and mulch show potential
Research at the University of Guelph aims to perfect a biodegradable film that could eliminate the need to find a recycling market or contribute to landfill waste for plastic bunk silo covers and horticultural mulch. The work is being led by associate professor of engineering Dr. Erica Pensini with collaboration from Prof. Alejandro Marangoni in […] Read more
Editorial: Race to the finish
Nearly six weeks into spring, Mother Nature finally decided to co-operate and provide the type of weather needed to start planting across most of the province. It was ‘go time’ during the first two weeks of May and social media channels were full of photos from excited farmers showing off their progress. The weather remained […] Read more
Late start to planting likely to result in average yields
Recent USDA WASDE report bullish for corn, bearish for soybeans
Statistics Canada released its March 31 stocks report on May 6. Ontario on-farm corn, soybean and wheat stocks came in below year-ago levels. According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), corn and soybean planting started the week of May 11. Our contacts in the province suggest that 80 to 85 […] Read more
Survey says: Latest census of ag shows farms getting bigger, more valuable
Canada’s most recent agriculture census reveals that farms are getting larger, and larger farms are netting the majority of total revenue. On May 11, Statistics Canada began releasing data from its 2021 Census of Agriculture. This first instalment, which focuses on farm and farm operator data, shows that trends identified in previous census cycles (the […] Read more
Bringing rapid genetic testing to the farm
Competition win helped Harvest Genomics bring its technology to the agriculture industry
The last two years have been a whirlwind for Harvest Genomics CEO and co-founder Chris Grainger. After his Guelph-based start-up won the University of Guelph Gryphon’s LAAIR pitch competition in 2020, the company has been on a rapid growth trajectory. Launching a business in the middle of a pandemic was not without its challenges, but […] Read more
Play may be important part of animal welfare
Short- and long-term benefits can be realized if animals given opportunity to play
We’ve all seen exuberant play behaviours in various animal species. Puppies roughhouse, fight, gnaw and gnash their teeth. Dogs bow to initiate play. Kid goats leap off structures and butt heads. Kittens chase anything that moves. Foals buck, nipping and kicking at their herd mates. You get the idea. Why it matters: Fostering play in […] Read more
Nexat marries big power to many farm field solutions
Based on a single tool carrier design, but with a cab, the unit plants, sprays, harvests and more
An automated, 1,100-horsepower carrier unit with interchangeable implements has been developed by Nexat GmbH for broad-acre crop production. Joseph Jandrisch is an owner of Kalverkamp Innovation, a parent company of Nexat GmbH, and he’s also one of four managing directors who guide product development for the machine. He said the Nexat is a gantry-style, modular […] Read more
Recycling struggles to keep pace with increased plastic use for forages
Pilot recycling program and newly-available materials with post-consumer plastics could help reduce environmental footprint
Technologies for wrapping, covering and storing corn silage and other forage crops continue to evolve, but efforts to limit the long-term effects of those technologies on the environment haven’t kept pace. But that hasn’t stopped environmentally conscious stakeholders in the sector from trying to do their part. Globally, an Israel-based leader in agriculture plastics is […] Read more
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