Latest Newsletter

Tag Archives Precision agriculture — page 2

Ben Bellman of Woodrill Farms sampling a farm in the Guelph, Ont. area.
News

Innovative fertilizer alternatives offer new options for growers

Soil analysis and insect frass innovations receive funding

By
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
SWAT Cam proponents say the technology can provide complete crop and weed summaries in a specific field or zone.
Crops

New precision crop monitoring technology offers great potential

SWAT Cam is the latest in summarizing crop performance

By
The latest technology to provide enhanced imaging and monitoring of field conditions was previewed April 3 with a webinar launch among dozens of agronomists, certified crop advisors, growers and other interested viewers. Hosted by Deb Campbell of Agronomy Advantage, the presentation unveiled the SWAT Cam system and outlined its use and access to a software […] Read more
The option to use fertigation, even in a crop like wheat, may be garnering support with its cost efficiency.
Crops

Finding the fit for irrigation

Precision agriculture systems are enhancing its value in different ways

By
Measuring value can range from a storage bin of corn to a load of fertilizer or the return on investment of a tractor. It’s part of farming and it’s becoming more complex. Irrigation is an expense that must be justified, and two influences have convinced growers to sharpen their pencils: higher commodity prices for more […] Read more
(Outback Guidance video screengrab via YouTube)
Crops, Machinery

CNH to buy Outback Guidance’s parent firm

Case IH, New Holland maker to pay US$175 million for Hemisphere

By
CNH Industrial, parent of the Case IH. New Holland, Steyr and Flexi-Coil farm equipment brands, has signed a cash deal to buy satellite positioning tech firm Hemisphere GNSS, parent of the Outback Guidance aftermarket GPS, precision ag and autosteer business. CNH announced Thursday it will pay $175 million for Hemisphere, which has been owned since […] Read more
AGCO executives say by providing farmers with retrofit precision technologies, the company can help them meet future climate change regulations.
Machinery

Precision ag technologies can help meet climate targets

AGCO focuses on making precision tech available for the retrofit market

By
Glacier FarmMedia – While Canada has set an ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from synthetic fertilizer by 30 per cent, it’s much lower than the mandated 55 per cent reduction European farmers are facing. “The government is focused on meeting this emissions reduction target through a range of policy measures and approaches, […] Read more
Satellite imagery is evolving beyond its current capability of identifying mature fields in green and bare fields in red.
Crops, News

Getting more out of satellite imagery

“Resellers” are reshaping imagery demand and usability

By
The demand for overhead imagery continues to gain acceptance. The volume of data gathered is increasing, and the time and learning curves required for analysis by growers and advisers are rising. At the same time, accessibility in nanosatellite technology and higher-resolution imagery has not led to sweeping adoption of detailed information. Has satellite imagery’s march […] Read more
Lack of technology adoption is in part due to farmer perception around whether or not it will work for the money spent.
News

The peaks and troughs of agriculture technology

How to figure out what tools will work on your farm

By
New farming technologies can be expensive, and for many up-and-coming tools, useful results are not guaranteed. The fear of investing in lackluster tools is a barrier to the adoption of precision technologies. According to ag-tech researchers, however, understanding the development trajectory of new technologies can help farmers determine what might work best for them, and […] Read more
An example image analysis flow for conventional weed detection algorithms to extract ginger plants from the background and to then identify purple nutsedge. The original image is first transformed into the hue, saturation, and value colour space, before image features such as mean colour channel statistics are calculated, thresholds applied through a deterministic algorithm, resulting in the identification of ginger plant.
Crops, Machinery

What’s next for precision spray application?

It’s AI technologies that incorporate a deeper learning, says Australian expert

By
Guy Coleman, precision weed control researcher at the University of Sydney, says incorporating deep-learning capabilities into sprayer artificial intelligence (AI) systems will allow for ever more efficient weed control while reducing inputs and resistance risk. “Australia has had a long battle with resistance. That’s why I guess some of this technology is being developed out […] Read more
One of the weather stations from Maesos Technologies at Schuyler Farms in Norfolk County. Farm manager Dave Petheram uses the climate data it collects to manage frost risk, and also uses the temperature, rainfall and leaf wetness data it provides to make decisions on when to spray fungicides.
Crops

Local data useful for better crop management decisions

Engineering graduates develop technology that helps vineyards and orchards manage fungal and pest pressures

By
A Niagara-region start-up is offering field-specific, real-time weather data and spore collection to help farmers with smart fungicide scheduling for orchards and vineyards.  Founded by three University of Waterloo mechatronics engineering graduates, Maesos Technologies Inc. uses a two-part approach of climate sensors and airborne fungal spore samplers to help growers make decisions on when and […] Read more
Great Lakes Helicopter flies one of its helicopters at the Outdoor Farm Show. Agricultural services provided by the company’s helicopters include input application.
Machinery, News

Drones and helicopters make fitting pair

Company says demand for helicopter spray applications growing in Ontario

By
Helicopters have been a part of agriculture since the mid-20th century. But given advances in drone and satellite technology, are helicopters still a viable and popular production tool? Yes, says Stan Mace, pilot and agriculture division manager for Waterloo-based air services company Great Lakes Helicopter (GLH). He sees drones as a complementary tool. Why it […] Read more

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

Glacier Farmmedia Podcast