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

Cannabis stocks surge after reports of Trump planning to ease federal restrictions

Shares in Canada’s cannabis companies surged after reports U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to ease federal restrictions on the drug. The Washington Post first reported that the president is expected to direct agencies to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug. The move would make it similar to some common prescription painkillers, the newspaper says. A reclassification of the drug in the U.S. could offer an opportunity for Canadian cannabis companies to expand their businesses stateside. Shares of Tilray Brands Inc. jumped 29 per cent or $3.35 to $14.94 in mid-morning trading Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange, while Canopy Growth Corp. shares were up 32 per cent or 49 cents at $2.07. Aurora Cannabis Inc. shares were up 13 per cent and Organigram Global Inc. was up nearly 10 per cent.  While many states have passed laws legalizing cannabis for adult use in the U.S., federally it remains a Schedule I drug, the same category as heroin and LSD. This report by The Cana

USDA Raises World Rapeseed Production to New High

Thanks mainly to a record large Canadian crop, 2025-26 global rapeseed output is estimated by the USDA at a new peak as well. The USDA this week pegged world rapeseed production for the current marketing year at 95.27 million tonnes. That’s up 3 million tonnes or 3.25% from last month’s projection and now sits almost 9.3 million or 10.8% above the 2024-25 global crop of 86 million. The rebound comes after the 2024-25 crop was hit by poor weather in major producing countries. The USDA has raised its 2025-26 Canadian rapeseed (canola) production estimate to 22 million tonnes, up 2 million from its November forecast, following updated Statistics Canada data released last week. The survey-based StatsCan report pegged national canola output at 21.803 million tonnes, up about 1.7 million from the federal agency’s model-based September projection and now 13.3% above the 2024 crop of 19.239 million. If accurate, it would be the largest crop on record, surpassing the 2017 crop of 21.458 m

New CDC Oat and Barley Varieties Gain Momentum With Prairie Growers

For more than two decades, Aaron Beattie has been a driving force behind some of Western Canada’s most prominent oat and barley varieties. Based at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC), Beattie continues to shape the future of Prairie cereals — work that increasingly impacts growers in Alberta. Beattie’s latest oat material, showcased earlier this year at the meetings of the Prairie Grain Development Committee in Winnipeg, continues to deliver standout performance. “OT3125 did perform really well again this summer. So it is still up there — over 10% higher than Camden,” he says. While the variety does not yet have a commercial name, Beattie expects significant discussion around it next year as it moves further into promotion and industry awareness. Momentum in the Market Beyond pipeline material, several CDC varieties are gaining traction with Prairie growers. “CDC Anson really took a big jump this year, from no acres to about 10% of the oat acres all in

Why Midge Tolerant Wheat is Sold as a Blend — and Why it Matters for Spring 2026

Unexpected wheat midge outbreaks across Western Canada highlight why the varietal blend remains essential. As farmers look ahead to spring, it’s a good time to revisit the cornerstone of protecting the Sm1 (midge tolerant) wheat gene: understanding why Midge Tolerant Wheat is sold as a varietal blend. In these blends, a variety of Midge Tolerant Wheat is mixed in with a small amount (10%) of wheat that isn’t tolerant to the wheat midge. That is, it doesn’t contain the gene Sm1, the source of genetic resistance. These non-tolerant wheat plants serve as a “refuge” to ensure the wheat midge doesn’t develop resistance to the Sm1 gene. “You never know when the wheat midge is going to strike or where it’s going to strike,” says Tyler Wist, an entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). “Sometimes it’s predicted to be a low-risk year, and then the rains come at just the right time and — boom — population explosion.” Wheat Midge Can Appear When Least Expected Forecasting too

This is Agriculture: Training Coordinator

There are an abundance of different careers in agriculture, and Angela Pearen has tried several of them. Now the coordinator of the agriculture extension programs at Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment, Assiniboine College, Angela has also worked helping producers diversify their farm income, and held positions in rural leadership, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning with Manitoba Agriculture. She says her role at Assiniboine College brings her back to the work she loves the most. Describe your job or product in one sentence. I coordinate training programs for people working in the ag industry and those that support the ag industry. Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment? I grew up in the Roseland district, southwest of Brandon on an acreage. We crop shared with our land neighbours and my parents still crop share with the next generations of that family – it’s been over 50 years. What was your dream job when you were a kid? The

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