San Francisco | Reuters — Ford Motor Co. plans to suspend or cut production at eight of its factories in the U.S., Canada and Mexico throughout next week because of chip supply constraints, a spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday. The changes come a day after the Detroit automaker warned a chip shortage would lead to […] Read more
Ford to suspend or cut plants’ output on chip shortage
Using the stuff of stars to make food safer and boost germination
Cold plasma can reduce micro-organisms on seed surfaces while improving germination
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s the stuff of stars, lightning bolts, and the aurora borealis — and now, Alberta researchers are finding uses for plasma a little closer to home. “There are so many applications for plasma in agriculture,” said M.S. Roopesh, assistant professor of food safety and sustainability engineering at the University of Alberta. “We have been doing a […] Read more
Tech savvy urban kids wanted
Reading Time: < 1 minute A $100,000 donation from “serial ag entrepreneur” Robert Saik will be used to create two new scholarships at Olds College. Beginning in 2023, two students from urban locations enrolled in the college’s Agriculture Technology programs will receive $2,500 scholarships. Saik, CEO of AGvisorPRO, said he strongly supports the college’s efforts to train students in advanced […] Read more
Just scan the code and chow down
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canada Beef is calling new scannable codes on beef packages “its most ambitious initiative to date.” When scanned with a smartphone, the codes (either the UPC code or a QR code) brings up a “digital profile” that offers recommended cooking methods, recipes and cooking videos, and nutritional/food safety/storage info. The goal is threefold, says the […] Read more
Farm cybersecurity campaign seeks farmer input
CSKA online survey open until Feb. 18
Canadian farmers are being asked for their input on a federally-backed project to assess and improve cybersecurity in Canada’s ag sector. The Community Safety Knowledge Alliance, the lead organization on the Cyber Security Capacity in Canadian Agriculture project, has put up a voluntary online survey for farm operators, running until Feb. 18, “to look at […] Read more
Too much red tape in gene editing, says expert
That’s stifling advances and fuelling public skepticism, says American professor
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Regulations on gene editing of animals are fuelling negative public perceptions of the technology and stifling innovation in the livestock sector, according to an expert in animal genomics and biotechnology. “I predict there’s going to be a targeted activist campaign against gene editing in food production for a number of reasons,” Alison […] Read more
A world without Roundup is a ‘real threat’
But reduced use is an option and can thwart both proposed bans and resistance
Reading Time: 6 minutes Glyphosate changed farming across the globe — but if farmers don’t want to lose the ‘chemical of the century’ entirely, they’d better use it less often. That’s the view of a seed grower from New Zealand who made farming without glyphosate the focus of his Nuffield research. It’s hard to overstate the impact of this […] Read more
GM to chase rivals with US$105,000 electric Silverado
Less expensive retail Silverado EV to follow in 2024
Detroit | Reuters — General Motors’ US$35 billion electric vehicle strategy will face its biggest test in 2023 when it launches an electric version of its Chevrolet Silverado pickup with a six-figure price tag, more than a year after rivals Ford and Rivian Automotive. GM CEO Mary Barra on Wednesday told the annual CES technology […] Read more
Deere says its robo-tractors are ready to till the fields
Detroit | Reuters — Deere and Co. said Tuesday it will start commercial delivery this year of technology that enables a tractor to till a field without an operator in the cab, a first for the top North American tractor manufacturer after years of effort to automate farm work. Deere plans a low-volume launch this […] Read more
Electric truck battle heats up between Ford, GM
Ford to double output at Michigan
Detroit | Reuters — Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it will nearly double annual production capacity for its red-hot F-150 Lightning electric pickup to 150,000 vehicles as the model has already attracted nearly 200,000 reservations ahead of its arrival this spring at U.S. dealers. Ford’s announcement comes a day ahead of rival General Motors’ public […] Read more