Ontario Agriculture

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Paul Smith's Blog (16)

Learn From The Cash Crop Farmers – Yield Monitors are a High Return on Investment for Veggies

Carrot/Onion/Potato and Sugar Beet growers can learn from their cash crop growing neighbours and gain the knowledge they have been seeing for years.

Yield monitors have long been only available for conventional cash crop growers, until now.  Innovative technology from Northern Equipment Solutions supplier Greentronics, now allows veggie growers to monitor/map and obtain vital yield data.

Growers can now visualize and gain the knowledge about problem areas, and about high…

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Added by Paul Smith on July 2, 2013 at 4:11pm — No Comments

Weed Control Solutions Explained - Advantages & Dis-Advantages

The recent trend toward restricting herbicide use has produced interest in alternative and integrated weed control strategies that include cultivation. As a result, newly developed implements are now available to vegetable growers from Northern Equipment Solutions, but the potential uses of these tools for numerous vegetable crops can be confusing. This describes some of these tools and their advantages and disadvantages.

 

Flex-tine harrows

Flex-tine harrows are…

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Added by Paul Smith on April 3, 2013 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Leading Technology Will Increase Your Yield and Decrease Your Labor Costs

Transplanting has long been re­served for leafy crops, tomatoes, and bare root onions. Automated planting technology now provides a cost ef­fective way to transplant produce from plugs grown in greenhouses for up to 30 percent increased yields and up to 50 percent lower labor costs.

 

Benefits of automated…

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Added by Paul Smith on April 3, 2013 at 7:31am — No Comments

What are the benefits of a automatic sprayer boom height control system

With 4 major manufacturers the automatic sprayer boom height control system, can provide you with a more uniform/effective application of your inputs, increase your productivity and remove the stresses of spraying.  High quality systems are available from Greentronics, Norac, Trimble and Raven.  Information is available at www.northernequipment.ca regarding Greentronics Riteheight, Norac and Trimble boom height…

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Added by Paul Smith on February 6, 2013 at 1:48pm — 1 Comment

Benefits of Tile Drainage

With an accurately designed and installed tile drainage system, you can bring your crop management to a whole new level. Improve yields, improve your soil, and improve the environment around you. It's a good deal for everyone.  You can hire in a professional, or you can do it yourself with great benefits.

Benefits of Tile Drainage

Installing tile drains on your farm will bring you numerous benefits.

Better Yields.

Tile drainage has been proven over…

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Added by Paul Smith on January 9, 2013 at 2:30am — No Comments

Implement steering keeps pulled implements on the right track

                       

It's all very well setting up virtual guidelines for a tractor's visual guidance or automatic steering system to follow, but what if the implement being used doesn't run true?

After all, a large part of the justification for GPS autosteer is its ability to maximise implement output by minimising overlaps and allowing…

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Added by Paul Smith on January 4, 2013 at 6:46pm — No Comments

How to Maximize Potato Planting Stands and Yields

Numerous studies have shown that an average potato field, contains 7% missing or misplaced seed placement causing a total loose of production.  These errors are more commonly referred to as misses and doubles.  This is just the in-row misplacements of skips and doubles, not the row to row errors that are present within the fields from guess row areas.  Guess rows can be corrected easily with the addition of assisted GPS steering systems.

What does this mean to you, would you be…

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Added by Paul Smith on January 3, 2013 at 5:24pm — No Comments

Camera’s and their uses around the farm

With the ever rising costs of equipment, inputs and pretty much everything on the farm, protecting your investment is becoming very critical.  Stolen tractors, implements, tools and anything else a thief can sell quickly, or overseas, is becoming common place in our rural communities.  Cameras are an excellent deterrent to stop would be thieves from violating your business and life.  With many farmers living at their place of business, thefts can feel violating to your entire…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 28, 2012 at 3:30am — No Comments

Forgotten Points Of Vegetable Harvest Efficiency

With harvest finally over for most producers throughout Ontario, many farmers will reflect on how to improve on the results of last year.  These points are often over looked ways to improve harvest efficiency.  I have listed what my experience shows as the most overlooked, but still very important.

  • Pre-Season Inspections- Ensure your equipment uptime is maximized, downtime is very costly during the short harvest season.
  • Evenflows ensure a constant flow of product for…
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Added by Paul Smith on December 21, 2012 at 1:30am — No Comments

GPS Corrections and Their General Uses

After many years of precision agricultural use, many questions still exist of what is the correct correction for each operation.  I have listed the corrections available and a brief description of their uses.

Wide Area Augmentation Signal (WAAS) –

Accuracy: < 6-8”

Initialization/Convergence: Standard*

This free service provides performance suitable for agriculture applications in which accuracy and repeatability are not of the highest…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 19, 2012 at 5:30am — 3 Comments

Camera’s and their uses around the farm

With the ever rising costs of equipment, inputs and pretty much everything on the farm, protecting your investment is becoming very critical.  Stolen tractors, implements, tools and anything else a thief can sell quickly, or overseas, is becoming common place in our rural communities.  Cameras are an excellent deterrent to stop would be thieves from violating your business and life.  With many farmers living at their place of business, thefts can feel violating to your entire…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 19, 2012 at 2:30am — 4 Comments

High Quality Soil Is The Beginning To High Quality Crops

Imagine harvesting a bumper crop, in perfect loose soil with no trash, clods or rocks.  Many would say that this will never be possible here in North America.  Northern Equipment Solutions is now offering the equipment and knowledge needed to take advantage of this tried and proven technology from Europe.  Improved shape, quality, size uniformity and yield are all now possible.

Many Farms within Europe have seen the benefits of soil conditioning and quad planting, with its…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 17, 2012 at 2:46pm — No Comments

Tips To Lowering Bruise Rates – It’s A Full Season Process

Before Planting

• Select fields that are best suited for growing potatoes and are free from excessive rocks.  Investigate the soil conditioning technics presently adopted throughout Europe, if unavoidable.

• Avoid tillage practices that create clods that will not break down during the growing season.  Rotary tillage methods prevent clods in clod prone soils.

 

During the Growing Season

• Use a balanced fertility program to keep vines green…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 17, 2012 at 3:00am — 15 Comments

Variable Rate Technology – What Is It, Can I Do It?

Inputs prices are high and so are crop prices. Managing costs and yields is critical to success on your farm. With commodity prices high you cannot settle for average yields. The use of variable rate precision ag products and services helps farmers to do just that. Placing the inputs in the intended prescribed areas has become very popular and makes a tremendous amount of sense for many producers. With the use of satellite imagery, plant health data, soil testing and harvest data, some very…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 14, 2012 at 2:00am — No Comments

The Future of Agricultural Technology, Today

Veris Technologies has become a name known as the go to tool for advanced soil information.  Offering 3 different sensing systems Veris Technologies can provide information on Soil Type, Organic Matter and PH levels individually or in any combination of the 3.  Here is the 3 types of soil sampling systems available and how you can benefit from knowedge gained.

Soil EC Sensing- Is soil electrical conductivity, a measurement of how much current your soil…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 12, 2012 at 3:00am — No Comments

How To Choose A Precision Ag Dealer or Brand- And The Misconceptions Involved in Your Purchasing Decision

As a precision GPS specialist, I am amazed when my initial conversation with a new customer starts with a few common comments about precision GPS systems and the brands that represent them. My return to all of these comments is the exact same statement, but I have decided to list what someone with years of precision knowledge has to say about these mis-conceptions and not the canned my product is better that many…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 7, 2012 at 9:15pm — No Comments

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Meat Institute Pushes Back on Trump Processing Plan

President Trump has announced plans to allow farmers and ranchers to process their own meat as part of an effort to address concerns about concentration in the meatpacking sector.

AgriStability Deadline Extended to Oct. 1 for Alberta Producers

Alberta producers affected by excessive moisture this growing season have more time to enrol in AgriStability, while those already eligible for interim payments will be able to access a larger share of their estimated benefit sooner. According to the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), the Alberta and federal governments have opened late participation in the 2026 AgriStability program until Oct. 1 in response to wet conditions that have affected many farms since the original April 30 enrolment deadline. The interim payment rate for 2026 has also been increased to 75% of the estimated final AgriStability payment, up from 50%. AFSC said the change is intended to improve cash flow for producers facing financial pressure during a difficult growing season. AFSC CEO Darryl Kay said record moisture levels have left some producers unable to access fields or complete essential farm work, creating significant uncertainty and financial stress. “AgriStability is designed to

Map: August Weather Drier for Much of Western Canada

Western Canada saw a sharply uneven precipitation pattern over the 30 days ending Wednesday, with the driest conditions concentrated across Saskatchewan and parts of southern Alberta and Manitoba. As can be seen on the map below, large portions of southern and central Saskatchewan received less than 40% of normal precipitation during the period, with another broad area receiving just 40% to 60%. Much of southern Manitoba was also drier than normal, although some pockets received above-average rainfall. Alberta precipitation was variable. The pattern reflects a growing season finish that has been considerably drier across parts of the Prairies, particularly Saskatchewan, following wetter conditions earlier in the summer. In Saskatchewan, the lack of late-season rainfall likely accelerated crop maturation and helped fields dry down as harvest approached, although it may also have limited final yield potential for later-developing crops in the driest areas. In Alberta, comparatively

Saskatchewan Harvest Still Lagging Average Pace

The Saskatchewan harvest accelerated this past week but remains behind the previous year and well back of average. Thursday's weekly crop report showed the provincewide harvest at 11% complete as of Monday. That compares to 4% a week earlier, and the five- and 10-year averages of 25% and 21%. Last year at this time, 12% of the crop was in the bin. Harvest progress varied widely by region. The Southwest was furthest along at 27% complete, followed by the Southeast at 11% and West-central region at 8%. East-central Saskatchewan was 5% harvested, while the Northeast and Northwest were each just 1% complete. Warm daytime temperatures and cooler evenings helped crops mature across much of the province, while generally dry conditions supported fieldwork. However, rainfall, strong winds and periods of high humidity slowed operations in some areas. Later-seeded crops are now beginning to turn, with harvesting expected to expand soon, the report added.. Producers continued to focus o

Sclerotinia Fungicide Sensitivity Survey

Manitoba Canola Growers along with SaskOilseeds, Alberta Canola, Canola Council of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) are currently funding research projects that evaluate sclerotinia for sensitivity to fungicides with different modes of action. Sclerotinia with levels of insensitivity and immunity to common modes of action, have already been identified in Manitoba through this project. With favorable conditions across the province in 2026 we need samples from across the province to understand how widespread this problem is and provide farmers with recommendations for fungicide stewardship and efficacy. You will receive fungicide test results from the samples you have submitted. Combined results with samples from across Manitoba and the other provinces will be shared publicly at the RM level. All other field information will be handled confidentially. Sampling and Submission Instructions From a single canola field collect 1-10 sclerotia from infected stems at crop ma

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