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Tag Archives Technology/Internet

Crop breeding enhanced through machine learning
News

Crop breeding enhanced through machine learning

Science Notes: Artificial intelligence analyzes large numbers of seeds from a single image

By
The establishment of a method to rapidly create elite crop varieties via selective breeding is a matter of urgency to maintain the food supply. In order to select such cultivars, it is necessary to define and evaluate how to identify superior varieties. The shape of seeds is a trait closely linked to the quality and […] Read more
The opportunities are many, but the technical limitations to rolling out huge data speeds in rural areas remain daunting.
News

5G and the future of farming

The challenges of moving a new technology into rural areas could create new partnerships and opportunities

By
Users of the Samsung Galaxy S20 phone will be the first to have access to 5G technology in Canada. Rural residents and farmers will have to wait much longer – if the technology ever arrives. Rogers announced in early March that it is rolling out 5G networks in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal, with 20 […] Read more
The sensor unit in a greenhouse.
News

Smart sensors come to greenhouses

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Autogrow has released a wireless smart sensor giving greenhouse operators high-density microclimate data which can help improve yield, quality and decision making. The Folium sensor gathers environmental data including temperature, humidity, CO2, PAR, RAD and barometric pressure, which growers can view on a heatmap — immediately seeing differences across their grow areas. “We’ve advocated for […] Read more
The Open Food Network started in Australia, but now has funders from Ontario.
News

Open Food Network targets small-scale e-commerce

Not-for-profit platform now available in 12 countries

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Food, unincorporated. That’s the tagline atop the website of the Canadian version of a 12-country digital commerce platform for small-scale farmers. Theresa Schumilas of Open Food Network (OFN) Canada, told those attending a Jan. 25 seminar at the Guelph Organic Conference that the platform is free for those selling less than $500 in produce per […] Read more
Sarah Marquis, left and Emily Duncan, masters and PhD students at the University of Guelph.
Crops, News

Clarifying data ownership for higher ROI

Researchers says greater ownership of data could help bring down barriers

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University of Guelph researchers say farmers and agribusiness people need greater clarity on data ownership issues when it comes to the adoption of precision technologies. Sarah Marquis and Emily Duncan, a masters and PhD student at the school, presented this thesis at the recent Precision Agriculture Conference and Technology Showcase in London. Why it matters: […] Read more
The DeLaval V310 unit includes automatic pregnancy testing and heat monitoring.
Livestock, News

Reproduction testing added to robotic milking

The option is available on the VMS V310 from DeLaval

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DeLaval has created a simpler version of its on-farm milk-testing system, integrating pregnancy and heat monitoring in its new V310 robotic milking system. The DeLaval VMS V310 alerts farmers when cows are coming into heat and when cows are testing as pregnant due to their progesterone levels. An algorithm determines when a cow needs to […] Read more
Farmers have different approaches toward technology depending upon their general approach to farming, including whether they are risk-maximizers or risk-minimizers, as well as how long they intend to keep farming.
Machinery, News

When should farmers embrace new technology?

Farmers have different approaches toward tech, but it has to pay

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Glacier FarmMedia – When should farmers embrace the bold technologies that promise to transform their farms? “Figure out when they pay,” said Kansas State University agricultural economist Terry Griffin. Why it matters: Farmers are being bombarded by new technology, forcing them into decisions about what technology to use and what to reject. The simple economic […] Read more
Tractor with a view - Brigade’s Backeye360 merges images from ultra-wide-angle cameras, resulting in a sythentic overall bird’s-eye view of sewn together camera shots that is presented as a single image on the nine-inch screen.
Machinery, News

Better system visibility could boost farm safety

Sensors help when eyes can’t see everything from a tractor seat

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Glacier FarmMedia – Canada had 843 farm fatalities between 2003 and 2012, of which 600 involved implements. More than 17 per cent of all deaths were run-overs attributed to drivers not seeing the victim. The large implements used in farming can prevent the operator from completely seeing the perimeters of the machine. Design of modern […] Read more
Precision irrigation requires good soil moisture and weather information.
News

Agriculture technology aimed at many farm levels

Large technology companies aren’t just targeting North American farms with innovations

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Agriculture technology and solutions are increasingly driven by the need to solve problems in poorer and less-food-secure areas of the world. Companies developing technology are keeping both traditional farms and developing farms in mind because it is the socially responsible thing to do and because both are serious business markets. Why it matters: A focus […] Read more
Dr. Xiuming Hao, left, AAFC/Harrow, Shalin Khosla, OMAFRA greenhouse vegetable specialist and Kenneth Tran, Microsoft Research principal applied scientist, at the Harrow Research and Development Centre.
News

Artificial intelligence could create efficiency and reliability in greenhouses

Canadian researchers say fewer managers are needed to run greenhouses with their system

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Microsoft Research, with help from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, won the first Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge in 2018 with Project Sonoma — a system to operate greenhouses efficiently and reliably, while enabling greenhouse controls from remote areas. Wageningen University and Research, in Wageningen, Netherlands, and corporate sponsor Trencent challenged researchers, scientists and experts to build the […] Read more

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

Glacier Farmmedia Podcast