Growers discuss digital technologies they use on the farm, and why

Growers discuss digital technologies they use on the farm, and why

Farmers agree is there is no single tool that is one-size-fits-all

After nearly 30 years of development, expansion and experience, the search for the best precision ag tool has yielded one familiar conclusion: there is no silver bullet to attain profitability. It all depends on the farm operation, the equipment and the willingness of the producer to make everything work. That was the overriding message from […] Read more

Use of drones in spray applications is confounded by too many variables, including the units’ flight dynamics.

Drone spraying unlikely for the foreseeable future

The regulations and spray dynamics are more complex and unforgiving

Precision agriculture simplified many on-farm practices and procedures, particularly in the past five years with the rush to automate tractors, planters and weed management systems. Those are two-dimensional applications, and although things can go awry, complicating a grower’s plans, adding that third dimension –into the air –can result in something catastrophic. Why it matters: Despite […] Read more


(Combyne Ag video screengrab via YouTube)

Bayer’s crop marketing, crop production platforms in sync

FieldView, Combyne platforms now integrated

Combyne, the made-in-Canada grain marketing platform Bayer bought earlier this year, is now fully on speaking terms with the company’s Climate FieldView precision ag platform. Bayer on Oct. 30 announced integration of the two platforms, which it said will allow grain farmers in Canada and the U.S. to connect their marketing data in Combyne and […] Read more


Ontario GPS guidance down as satellite 135 offline for testing

Ontario GPS guidance down as satellite 135 offline for testing

Farmers should try satellite 131, 132 or 133 to help with GPS correction

An abrupt change in the availability of the main satellite used for GPS correction in Ontario threw farmers’ planting and combining plans into confusion. All of the satellites used for GPS correction for farming are owned by the United States military and administered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the U.S. Why it matters: […] Read more

Rob Painter (l) and Eric Hansotia, CEOs of Trimble and Agco respectively, agreed on Sept. 28, 2023 to combine their precision ag arms into a new joint venture. (Trimble via PRNewswire)

Trimble Ag, Agco’s JCA link up for new precision ag venture

Agco gets majority control of a new precision ag and autonomy firm; Agco's GSI brand and others now under separate review

Global positioning tech firm Trimble is set to sell its precision ag business into a new joint-venture company that will include farm machinery maker Agco’s made-in-Manitoba autonomy arm. From farmers’ perspective, the two companies say their combined technology offering is expected to offer “seamless integration and connectivity across geographies, equipment brands and the crop life […] Read more

Regan Ferguson tells of her experience using data on the farm near Melfort at Ag In Motion. (Jeff Melchior photo)

At Ag in Motion: Find a purpose, then buy tech, Prairie grower says

No matter how cutting-edge, digital ag needs to be a fit on your farm

Investing in digital agriculture can be a daunting experience. A producer’s best bet, one northeastern Saskatchewan farmer says, is to do your homework and find a purpose for it on your farm. “You have got to have the root purpose of why you got that technology. Either that or you talk to others to help […] Read more


The Agra GPS CRG receiver is RTK capable and includes a JD-Bridge that allows John Deere displays to autosteer different brand machines including Claas, Agco and CNH.

GPS receiver unlocks RTK precision

System designed to work with any base station that surveyors use

Glacier FarmMedia – Farmers that need RTK precision have another option with the launch of the Agra GPS CRG receiver. Andrew Clayton of Agra GPS said the new receiver is the first one outside of John Deere’s products that is compatible with Deere’s GPS system. “It supports all four satellite systems and comes with RTK, […] Read more

Picketa founders, from left: Maxime Dumont, chief operating officer; Dominique Levesque, chief technology officer; Zachary Andersen, chief growth officer; Xavier Hébert-Couturier, chief executive officer.

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