Partnership between EMILI and FCC advances digital agriculture

Jun 23, 2022

Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI) has announced a partnership with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and the renaming of its innovation farm as Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert.

Including FCC’s farm management software, AgExpert, in the name and on the farm signals the value both EMILI and FCC place on growing Canada’s digital agriculture system. The 5,500-acre full-scale production innovation farm near Winnipeg will use AgExpert software as part of its testing, research, and technology development.

“The AgExpert partnership is an exciting opportunity to further deliver results on the work underway on the farm,” said Ray Bouchard, EMILI’s board chairperson. “Leveraging the tools AgExpert offers will help us deliver data to the industry and producers who are invested in applying best practices and new technology to support their operations.”

The continued success of Canadian agriculture relies on its ability to focus on adopting technology, attracting a skilled and diverse labour force, and embracing sustainability, all of which supports profitability on the farm.

Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert is one part of a larger project that will see EMILI work with FCC to build a Canadian network of agriculture technology, knowledge, and labour to address the changing needs of the agriculture industry.

“Innovation Farms is an important next step in the application of intelligent technologies in agriculture and the evolution of smart farms across Canada. We intend to develop real-world digital agriculture solutions that will give Canadian producers the edge in a quickly changing industry,” said Bouchard. “This project reaches several key areas we see as drivers in the shift the industry tells us it needs to see.”

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.