Drivers encouraged to focus on safety as farm traffic increases

Apr 27, 2018

Manitoba Agriculture and Manitoba Infrastructure are encouraging farmers, drivers and agricultural equipment operators to make road safety a priority this spring. Warmer temperatures mean an increase in oversized equipment travelling on Manitoba highways is expected to begin soon.

Farmers and agricultural equipment operators need to:

ensure all machinery is equipped with proper lighting, signage and reflectors when travelling on roadways, as required by The Highway Traffic Act;
ensure lights, signage and reflectors are visible and clean;
use a pilot vehicle when transporting oversized agricultural equipment;
move equipment during the day on secondary roads whenever possible;
ensure equipment fits under power lines and on bridge structures (check width and height); and
map out routes before transporting equipment and get appropriate permits from Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Infrastructure when applicable.

Motorists should:

slow down when approaching farm equipment as it is often travelling at reduced speeds and taking up a considerable amount of room on the road;
pay attention to turn signals and possible lane changes;
only pass when it is clearly safe to do so; and
be patient.

Source : Manitoba Agriculture

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.