Ten years after they were first introduced on a large scale in onion fields in Montérégie, sterilized pink onion flies have successfully replaced a controversial insecticide, while generating a dramatic reduction in the natural populations of onion maggots (Delia antiqua), the main onion pest in Canada.

The sterile insect technique (SIT) works in a surprisingly simple and ingenious way. It essentially uses one pest to combat another. To do so, onion flies that are factory reared and sterilized through irradiation ahead of time are released into fields.

The AgConnexion digital agriculture platform is constantly evolving. Several new features are now available to make farmers and retailers even more efficient in farm management.
 

Connect directly to laboratories

No more downloading and emailing analyses. AgConnexion now submits soil, water and hay analyses automatically. This works with A&L Canada, EnvironeX and AgroEnviroLab.

Sollio Agriculture’s digital team is always on the lookout for agricultural innovations that will really make farm work easier. The connected silo technology available on AgConnexion is a good example.

The technology is very simple: It collects real-time data from silos and sends it to AgConnexion. This lets farmers know how much grain they have, making the procurement process easier.

What is grain worth? How do you know when it’s the right time to sell? How is the market doing? The grain portal on AgConnexion, our digital agriculture platform, helps field crop farmers better manage their crops and maximize their profits.

The comprehensive, easy-to-use grain portal gives field crop farmers quick access to market trends, contracts, tickets and settlements. It also allows farmers to compare selling prices by market area or delivery location.

The first step to a successful corn crop is to ensure that the planting is done properly. Here are some tips and ideas on how to avoid key corn planting mistakes.

1. First Planting Window

Here are some key reasons why growers miss that first good planting window:

• New tractor or new planter not talking to each other;

• Planter has a crimped cable or hydraulic hose that didn’t get noticed.

Robots are one of the most talked-about innovations in agriculture, and rightly so—they can weed with precision, reduce soil compaction and shrink farm carbon footprints.

Scientists at the Sollio Agriculture research farm are always on the lookout for innovations that promote more sustainable agriculture.

Summer always brings several challenges to farmers in western Canada: drought, hail, extreme heat, and, sometimes, wildfire smoke. Because we have to deal more often with wildfire smoke, let's see how it affects the development of the corn crops. 

When your corn silage has been harvested for 90 days, it is a good time to re-evaluate some of the key characteristics of that silage now that it has had time to ferment. At this point in time, a silage analysis will give a better representation of the way the silage will feed for the remainder of the year.

Foliar fungicides are becoming more commonly used in corn silage production. When used properly, they can increase yield, feed quality, and profitability for farmers.

In our Maizex agronomy work over the last several years, fungicides have been consistently showing the highest ROI in our intensive management trials.

On the Prairies, we are fortunate that we don’t have many insects to deal with when it comes to our corn production. The most prevalent insect is the European corn borer (ECB), and the pressure we see varies by year and location. The following is a summary of the lifecycle of the ECB, how the environment can impact it, and scouting techniques.