Elon Musk’s Starlink low Earth orbit (LEO) network has been awarded US$885 million over 10 years to build rural internet access in the United States. This amounts to an almost billion-dollar vote of confidence in a service that is at the preliminary consumer testing stage. Why it matters: Better quality internet will help drive more […] Read more
Tag Archives technology — page 17
Satellites to change rural internet delivery
Low earth satellites help solve latency issues of earlier satellites
What if I don’t have the right data?
How to manage – and prevent – crop data gaps
So you forgot to charge the iPad. Or perhaps the power switch never drew your attention. Maybe you’re stuck with older, computer-free equipment. Either way, you’re at the end of the field and the data you could have otherwise used (or hoped to gather) isn’t available. What do you do? Can you still make decisions […] Read more
Capture and removal of phosphorus pitched
Nano-tech could revolutionize and monetize the removal of dissolved phosphorus
Can a nanotech product be the solution to a challenge as daunting as removing phosphorus (P) from the watershed? Ed Weinberg is optimistic it can. He’s hoping the Chippewa First Nation pilot-scale demonstration of nanotechnology mitigating dissolved P in surface runoff and tile drainage (edge of field) will provide the necessary data to spark a […] Read more
Quebec leads the way in artificial intelligence
Companies there are applying the concept to livestock production
Labour challenges and increased demands for automation and traceability throughout the supply chain are driving implementation of technologies that automate various farming tasks and lessen the reliance on a human workforce. Artificial intelligence can help make those robots even smarter and automate tasks — like harvesting produce for example — that previously could only be […] Read more
Company uses AI to guide combines
Cognitive Agro Pilot relies more on sensing objects in the field instead of GPS to guide it
Artificial intelligence systems introduced into combine threshing systems enable the machines to automatically self-adjust to minimize losses and improve grain quality without operator input. Cognitive Agro Pilot’s system differs from the others. Instead of relying on a satellite signal, the system uses a camera to read the terrain ahead and its AI programming decides how […] Read more
A fertilizer revolution is on the horizon
IBM says it will produce a breakthrough within five years that will greatly lower the energy needed to make nitrogen
As fledgling technology goes, quantum computing sounds as science fiction as it gets. But if IBM fulfills a bold promise it made in September, crop producers will see the fruits of this technology within five years. By using quantum computing and artificial intelligence to speed up the process, IBM researchers are confident they can revolutionize […] Read more
Data, today’s hottest commodity
Collecting information today can be useful for reasons that have not yet even been considered
It seems like the agriculture sector produces more data than commodities these days. Realizing the full potential of that data, however, requires more robust programming. In other words, growers need better tools to manage more aspects of crop production, while simultaneously knowing which ones require more focus. Why it matters: More refined computing could remedy […] Read more
Farmers analyze tech returns on investment
For some it saves time, for others it reduces variability
Can precision technology pay? Farmers participating in a panel discussion at this year’s Virtual Precision Agriculture Conference say yes. However, strategies differ. Why it matters: Not all agriculture technology works for all farmers, and the decision-making process can be unique to each farm. Clinton Monchuk of Monchuk Farms near Lanigan, Sask., and executive director of […] Read more
New app tracks and simplifies barn equipment maintenance
Energy also can be monitored with Rakr’s tracking app
A free new app launched by an Ontario start-up aims to simplify barn equipment maintenance. And it’s a precursor to an innovative monitoring system to track and manage on-farm energy use that Rakr is launching in 2021, called NeatMeter. Why it matters: Cost control is essential to farm profitability. Energy is a significant expenditure for […] Read more
Ottawa research farm focuses on technology
Invest Ottawa aims to link agriculture with national capital tech sector
A new innovation cluster on a former research farm in Nepean, Ont., is expected to boost artificial intelligence (AI) and remote-sensing technology to Canada’s farmers. “I’m not even a farmer, and I’m really excited about it,” said Michael Tremblay, chief executive officer of Invest Ottawa. Why it matters: Having access to made-in-Canada offerings of data […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
