Thomas Eckschmidt's Page

Canadian Innovation Aims to Transform Nitrogen Fertilizers While Eliminating Microplastics

A British Columbia ag-tech company is developing a biodegradable fertilizer coating that could help farmers use less nitrogen, reduce input costs, and eliminate microplastics from controlled-release fertilizers

Ag at the Canada Investment Summit

Multiple provincial governments are pitching projects related to ag

All Wheat Output Seen Down Nearly 11%

Canada’s wheat production will fall from a year ago as both harvested area and average yields decline, according to Statistics Canada’s first production estimate for 2026. Statistics Canada on Wednesday estimated 2026 national all-wheat production at 36.122 million tonnes, down 10.9% from the upwardly revised 2025 crop of 40.562 million tonnes. Despite the year-over-year decline, the projected crop would remain historically large, exceeding production in every year since 2010 except 2013 and 2025. The estimate was close to Agriculture Canada's August supply-demand forecast of 36.271 million. For 2025, the all wheat production estimate was bumped up from the previous view of 39.955 million. The 2026 national average all wheat yield is forecast at 53.6 bu/acre, down 5.6% from the record 56.8 bu last year. The 2026 yield would nevertheless remain above the recent five-year average, reflecting generally favourable growing conditions through much of the growing season. Lower acreage

Sept. 22 training workshop targets mental health in Kansas

A Kansas State University official says an upcoming training session available to Kansans will help to address a concerning trend in mental health and resilience to stress in communities across the state. Tawnie Larson, a program manager for the Kansas Agriculture Safety and Health program at K-State, said 20 spots are open for an online train-the-trainer workshop called Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory, or COMET. The session is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (CST) on Sept. 22. Registration is available online. It is being hosted by K-State Extension’s Stress and Resiliency Transdisciplinary team. “The training,” she said, “is aimed at expanding the number of trusted community members equipped to recognize mental health concerns and connect people with help.” The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports that adult mental illness affects about 1 in 5 Kansans. The need is disproportionate in rural areas, where an estimated 27% of adults experience mental illness

Rotating crops this fall can set garden up for success next spring

This is the gardener’s mantra: Success requires planning. “To give your plants a healthy start next year,” says Kansas State University horticulture expert Matt McKernan, “the best practice is to rotate crops within the same family to a different location than where they’re growing this year.” Crop rotation offers several benefits, according to McKernan. “Plants in the same family are typically susceptible to similar pests,” he said. “Some pests overwinter in the soil; some are able to survive on plant debris. If the same host is available when the pests emerge in the spring, they will be able to continue feeding, and multiply the problem. Crop rotation breaks the cycle of these pests.” McKernan added that plants in the same family also have similar nutrient requirements, so rotating crops prevents the soil from becoming depleted of those nutrients. “And, the varied root system depths from one plant family to the next contributes to the health of the soil,” he said. “Now is the pe