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Corn Production Down Slightly from September, Soy Higher

Statistics Canada has bumped its estimate of 2022 Canadian soybean production slightly higher, with corn a bit lower. 

In its final crop production report for 2022 on Friday, the federal agency pegged national soy output at 6.543 million tonnes, up modestly from its September estimate of 6.505 million and 4.3% above a year earlier. On the other hand, corn production is now estimated at 14.538 million tonnes, compared to 14.861 million in September but still up 4% from 2021. 

Today’s crop production was based a survey of sent to approximately 27,200 Canadian farms between Oct. 7 and Nov. 14. StatsCan’s crop production estimates released in August and September were model-based projections that incorporated satellite imagery. 

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Designing a Robotic Berry Picker

Video: Designing a Robotic Berry Picker


Since blackberries must be harvested by hand, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. To support a growing blackberry industry in Arkansas, food science associate professor Renee Threlfall is collaborating with mechanical engineering assistant professor Anthony Gunderman to develop a mechanical harvesting system. Most recently, the team designed a device to measure the force needed to pick a blackberry without damaging it. The data from this device will help inform the next stage of development and move the team closer to the goal of a fully autonomous robotic berry picker. The device was developed by Gunderman, with Yue Chen, a former U of A professor now at Georgia Tech, and Jeremy Collins, then a U of A undergraduate engineering student. To determine the force needed to pick blackberries without damage, the engineers worked with Threlfall and Andrea Myers, then a graduate student.