Satellite Technology Helps Ranchers Manage Feed Crops

Nov 20, 2017

The Government of Canada is committed to working with agricultural industry partners to explore and develop new risk management tools that meet the needs of Canadian farmers when faced with serious challenges beyond their control.

Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, Terry Duguid, on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister, Lawrence MacAulay, was at the University of Manitoba’s Asper School of Business today to announce federal support for a study exploring the use of new and innovative technology to track hay and pasture production. The cutting-edge research, headed by Dr. Lysa Porth in the Warren Centre for Actuarial Studies and Research at the University of Manitoba’s I.H. Asper School of Business, will play an important role in contributing to the stability to the cattle sector.

Working with the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association (SCA), with $988,000 in federal funding, the project consists of collaborative research with Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) to use new satellite-based technology to reliably estimate forage growth at the farm level in each province, and to develop a forage production index, which would form the basis for the development of new insurance tools.

Source : Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Video: Wisconsin Corn and Soybean Weed Management Updates and Considerations for 2026 and Beyond

Dr. Rodrigo Werle, associate professor and extension weed scientist, UW–Madison, shares the latest updates and future considerations for corn and soybean weed management in Wisconsin. This presentation covers herbicide resistance trends in waterhemp, including newly confirmed cases of HPPD and S-metolachlor resistance, and emphasizes the importance of residual herbicides and strategic tank mixes for consistent control. Rodrigo also introduces upcoming technologies like Vyconic soybeans and new herbicide products, discusses integrated weed management strategies such as planting green with cover crops, and highlights practical recommendations for 2026 and beyond.

At University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension, we are working to integrate accessibility into our web, video, and audio content. If you experience accessibility barriers using our web, audio, or video content or would like to request complete captions, alternative languages, or other alternative formats, please contact us at accessibility@extension.wisc.edu. You will receive a response within 3 business days. There’s no added cost to you for these services.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.