The Stratus AirSprayer is essentially a powered paraglider — one that can carry heavier loads and stay aloft much longer than conventional drones. Photo: Supplied

The latest in aerial spraying: paragliders

The Stratus AirSprayer is different than the quadcopters and fixed-wing UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) typically associated with ag drones. Essentially, it’s a powered paraglider — one that can carry heavier loads and stay aloft much longer than conventional drones.

(Hanieriani/iStock/Getty Images)

Cyber attack frustrates farm equipment dealers

Dealers forced to use manual processes after software provider hacked

CDK provides business management software to dealers of all makes of farm equipment, so major dealers of John Deere, CNH and are working without digital systems across the country. CDK is also the leading provider of management software to automobile dealers and thousands of those dealerships are offline.


Dirty water sabotages spray control

Dirty water sabotages spray control

Spraying without clean water is a great way to send money down the drain

Reading Time: 3 minutes Water cleanliness should be a top priority for producers when considering water quality for spray operations, according to Manitoba provincial weeds specialist Kim Brown.
Water contaminants can tie up active ingredients in herbicides, rendering them ineffective.

A close up of Ascenso’s VDR 900 (VF) tire.

New sprayer tire option pitches same weight with less pressure

Ascenso VDR900 tires promise higher road speeds, better traction

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Ascenso Tires’ North America VF model is making inroads in agriculture. “What’s unique is all our tires are D-speed rated (64 km/h). That’s a huge difference compared to many brands,” said the company’s Canadian sales manager Mike Massé at the London Farm Show earlier this year. “We’ve also got a unique mud breaker. It’s […] Read more


Matthew Johnson from Volatus Aerospace discusses the role of drones in agriculture.

Going aerial without breaking the bank

Affordable and easy-to-use, microdrones can give farmers a foothold in aerial tech use

Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Any farmer can get into the drone game, according to Matthew Johnson, vice-president at Volatus Aerospace. And with the current price of a minidrone, with its functionality and ease of use, he says it’s kind of crazy not to. “I’ve been saying it for a long time. Since (the) mini came out, […] Read more

Operators are still required in the cab for most farming tasks as equipment manufacturers gradually automate the processes and decisions that require operator intervention.

Farm equipment manufacturers focus on technology

Major implement companies face high-tech future as they wrestle with automation, autonomy and precision agriculture

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Images of autonomous machines working on their own in fields can easily grab the attention of early-adopter producers, especially those facing a labour crunch. They also make impressive headlines and brand announcements. Though several concept, prototype and even a few production machines have appeared on the scene, nearly all producers will still […] Read more



Large 4WD tractor sales have spiked, but that’s mostly about pandemic-delayed deliveries finally coming through.

Big iron rakes in big dollars

Equipment sales boost largely driven by late deliveries, but that’s not the only factor

Reading Time: 3 minutes A big boost in four-wheel-drive tractor sales signals that the farm equipment industry is returning to normal, say salespeople and other industry experts. New 4WD unit sales in Canada grew 84.8 per cent year over year in November and 41.5 percent year to date, according to the Association of Equipment Managers. In October, it reported Canadian sales of tractors […] Read more


Marcel Kringe, founder and CEO and Courtney Baxter, global marketing manager, with Bushel Plus show one of the combine concaves they are marketing at Agritechnica.  Photo: John Greig

Agritechnica update: Canadian content and a John Deere update

There’s significant Canadian content at Agritechnica. Large companies like AGI and MacDon have impressive displays with significant real estate. I also happened upon the Canada pavilion, packed with companies familiar to many of us, including Honey Bee, Mankato, Schulte and Bushel Plus. The companies say that there’s value in companies from Canada banding together to […] Read more