“Artificial intelligence supports earlier detection of weather-related events, as well as enhance the reliability and accuracy of forecasts,” said Julie Dabrusin, minister of environment, climate change and nature, in a news release.

ECCC will create a new hybrid weather forecasting model, combining the predictive abilities of AI and traditional physics-based meteorology and the department’s knowledge of local factors for wind, temperature and precipitation.

• More weather coverage: El Niño risk building, U.S. forecaster says

The new forecasting model would enhance public safety, improve emergency readiness and give more Canadians time to act when severe weather is expected, the department said.

The hybrid model is also expected to improve the accuracy of short and long-term forecasts. It claims the six-day forecast would be as accurate as the traditional model’s current five-day forecast and would predict major weather systems from eight to 24 hours earlier.

ECCC said it has tested the hybrid model over the past year to compare its performance with the traditional models. They found that the hybrid model predicted extreme weather more effectively, while the traditional model was better at small-scale details.

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The technology, called EpiHerd, is now being piloted in Canada after a Manitoba dairy farmer reached out to Antler Bio seeking solutions for his crossbred herd — animals that often fall outside the scope of traditional genomic testing programs.

Antler Bio, founded in 2020, uses blood testing and advanced gene expression analysis to identify environmental and management factors, including stressors and nutritional deficiencies, that could be affecting herd health and performance.

While conventional genomic tools examine the genes an animal carries, EpiHerd focuses on epigenetics: how active those genes are and how they respond to the animal’s environment.

“We measure about 27,000 individual genes, not just whether they’re present, but how active they are,” says Andrew Lessey, chief operating officer for Antler Bio. “That allows us to see what signals the animal’s biology is giving us about what’s holding it back or where it may be deficient.”

The company collects blood samples from about 10 per cent of a herd. Those samples are analyzed alongside a farm’s production and health data, and using artificial intelligence and machine learning, EpiHerd develops practical recommendations for farmers to implement.

From horse racing to the dairy barn

Antler Bio traces its roots to the horse racing industry, but co-founders Maria Jensen and Nathalie Conte soon realized the larger opportunity was in livestock, where improvements in efficiency and animal welfare could have broader impact.

Within 18 months of launch, the company secured initial funding and completed a proof-of-concept study identifying key biological markers in dairy cattle linked to health and productivity.

Today, Antler Bio works with more than 130 dairy farms across five countries, with strong adoption in Finland and growing interest in the U.K. and Scandinavia.

Early results suggest the company’s insights can translate into measurable on-farm improvements.

In one example Lessey cites, gene expression analysis revealed several management issues including selenium and vitamin D imbalances, dehydration signals and underlying metabolic stress.

“The farmer made changes around improving selenium and vitamin D, changed feed sources to improve metabolic stress and added more water facilities — changes that were relatively straightforward,” Lessey says. “The outcome was a significant uplift in milk yield that translated into an additional €30,000 (about C$47,000) per year in profit on 100 head.”

The improvements also extended to animal health. Mastitis dropped by 95 per cent and ketosis and milk fever disappeared, reducing veterinary costs and production losses.

Adapting human diagnostics for livestock

The technology itself is not entirely new. Similar gene expression testing has been widely used in human medicine, particularly in advanced cancer diagnostics. Antler Bio’s innovation lies in adapting the approach for livestock and integrating it with farm management data.

It was through Innovate U.K.’s Global Business Innovation Program that Antler Bio landed a spot in a recent cohort of the Cultivator, powered by Conexus, incubator in Saskatchewan and started making connections to Canadian agriculture — including the Manitoba dairy farm where they’re launching their first North American project.

Looking for Canadian early adopters

Although rapid expansion into Canada isn’t in the immediate plans, Lessey says the company hopes to recruit a small number of early-adopter farms to build local data and validate the technology under Canadian conditions. Interested dairy farmers are encouraged to contact the company directly.

Long term, Antler Bio hopes its platform will help dairy farmers worldwide improve herd health, profitability and environmental performance.

“If farmers can produce the same amount of milk with fewer animals and the same inputs, that’s good for the farm business and it also reduces the environmental footprint,” Lessey says.

Although currently focused on dairy, the platform could also be adapted for other livestock species or even companion animals in the future.

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Initially Agco made the somewhat surprising decision to introduce it first for John Deere 8R tractors, rather than one of its own. Now the system is compatible with the Fendt 900 Series tractors as well.

Tillage capability goes commercial

When OutRun was first shown, Agco said it would eventually expand the system’s capabilities to include autonomous tillage. This year, that system becomes commercially available on the Fendt 900 tractors. This fall, it will also be available on the larger 1000 Series Fendts.

“We started with the 900 Series first,” says Brandon Montgomery, Fendt’s brand manager. “It’s available in the grain cart version and tillage. Our next phase is the 1000 Series.”

Montgomery said the 1000 Series will come unlocked from the factory for OutRun, so customers can order it with the system, but the remaining components will need to be physically installed at the dealership. Those parts will be available this fall.

Works with any implement

The system can handle implements with working widths up to about 55 feet, a limitation tied to the vision range of the camera system the tractors use to navigate. However, there are no restrictions on which implements are used or from which manufacturer — the system works with any tillage implement from any brand.

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Ori Cattle‘s smart ear tag uses onboard sensors and AI to learn each animal’s baseline behaviour, then alerts producers when something changes. Founder James Babcock describes the concept simply.

“Think of it as a Fitbit for a cow,” Babcock said in an interview.

The tag monitors a range of health and activity indicators, including:

• heart rate and overall health signals
• lameness detection
• heat and calving proximity
• water and food intake
• grazing patterns and location

If anything deviates from an animal’s established routine, the system sends a notification to the producer’s phone or online dashboard.

From human wearables to cattle monitoring

Ori Cattle is the agricultural arm of Ori AI Technologies, which Babcock founded to develop human wearable products — a ring that captures biometric and emotional signals and the NorthBand smartwatch, which offers coaching and wellness insights.

Babcock, who grew up on a farm, said the leap from human to animal wasn’t as large as it might seem.

“What we did was we just took our technology from the human wearables and then transferred it over to cattle, because it’s mammals. It’s the same technology,” he said. “We wanted to give a better device for producers and for family members with no subscription fees and at a better price point.”

The ear tag is the company’s first agricultural product. Ori Cattle was founded in 2023 and launched its first pilot this year.

How ‘Emotional AI’ tracks your herd

Babcock calls the system’s underlying technology “Emotional AI” — his term for the pattern-recognition engine that establishes and monitors each animal’s behavioural baseline.

Every tag stores its own data, he said. Over time, the AI builds a profile of the cow’s daily routine — typical heart rate, how much water it drinks, how often it eats, how frequently it urinates or defecates. When the system detects a deviation from that baseline, it flags the change for the producer.

Babcock said the technology can also detect when an animal is close to calving, giving producers enough lead time to check on the cow.

Several other smart tags are already on the market. Smart Paddock uses GPS to track cattle location more effectively than collars. Ceres Tag provides GPS tracking and behavioural insights into grazing patterns and movement. CowManager is an ear sensor that measures temperature, rumination, eating and activity.

Babcock said Ori Cattle’s tag is distinct from these products because of its AI-driven baseline learning, which he said goes beyond GPS tracking or single-metric monitoring to build a fuller behavioural picture of each animal.

Built for producers

Babcock said the system was designed with simplicity in mind. The dashboard — accessible online or through a smartphone — is built to be intuitive.

“It’s no different than using Facebook, or if you’re locating a tag, it’s no different than Find My iPhone,” he said.

The tag itself applies like any standard ear tag. Babcock said the company designed a locking back that resists rubbing, along with a pressure-release clip that prevents the tag from tearing through the ear if it catches on something. If a tag does come off, its GPS tracking feature allows it to be located and reapplied.

The dashboard also includes a record-keeping function. Producers can maintain health monitoring records with timestamps and dates, and print PDF reports for veterinarians or for use during transport.

Babcock said all data stays with the user and is only used to train the AI. The tag is rated for –60 C and is designed as a year-round monitoring tool.

“We recommend you have them on all your cattle, so that you get the proper baseline and you can see all the health of your cattle,” he said.

Pilot underway, commercial launch to follow

The tag is currently in its pilot phase — the first time Ori’s AI technology has been applied to cattle after being developed for human use. The pilot runs from late March through June, after which the company plans to refine the system for commercial rollout.

Pricing has been set to be accessible:

• Pilot price: $35 per tag
• Commercial price: $68 per tag
• Subscription fees: None

“The tags, or the bracelets, are really expensive, and they pay subscription fees or per-day use,” Babcock said of competing products. “We just wanted to cut that down and make it a good price point.”

More than 100 farms have registered for the pilot, and Babcock said interest is spreading into the United States. The product drew a steady crowd at the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference’s first Beef Tech Breakfast, where the sign-up sheet to learn more filled up quickly.

“We’re trying to build it around the producers, so they know what they’re getting and they’re getting value out of it,” Babcock said. “It just shows that we’re building something that they see as valuable.”

If the pilot goes well, Babcock said the company plans to expand into the horse industry and continue advancing the technology.

The post Ori Cattle’s smart ear tag brings AI health monitoring to the herd appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The Manitoba-based equipment manufacturer received the New Technology Innovation award at the event, which took place from March 17-19, for its X9 split frames MAD concaves.

The honour was presented by the show’s Innovator Recognition Program, highlighting technologies that “advance agriculture by improving efficiency, productivity and sustainability”.

The machinery allows growers with John Deere X9 series combines to drastically cut down the amount of time spent switching concaves when combining various crops. A structural split frame remains securely installed in the combine, while lightweight, crop-specific inserts can be quickly switched in and out. What used to take hours can be done in a matter of minutes.

Other benefits of using the system include lower grain loss, cleaner samples, improved efficiency and faster harvests, said Bushel Plus.

“Winning this award underscores the value of listening to farmers and turning real-world challenges into practical solutions. Working closely with our customers enables us to develop products that perform at the highest level, helping them capture more bushels and boost profitability.”

— Marcel Kringe, Bushel Plus founder, CEO

Photo: Don Norman

Bushel Plus rebranding to BranValt this summer

The award comes as Bushel Plus is undergoing a global rebrand to BranValt this summer. It plans to expand its presence to 45 countries, as well as its portfolio of products.

“It’s an exciting time for our company,” says Kringe. “This award celebrates our team’s dedication and the trust our customers place in us. As we continue to expand globally, we remain focused on delivering innovative products that perform in the field and help farmers glean greater profits by putting more bushels in the bin.”

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Artificial intelligence, automation and data systems dominated nearly every session, from crop protection to robotics to biotech discovery.

However, beneath all that, one quieter theme kept surfacing.

Soil tests, weather stations, satellite imagery, equipment data is familiar ground for agronomy. What is changing is how quickly and how consistently that information can be processed.

In one session about biotech discovery, speakers described AI systems that can design and refine experiments with minimal human input.

It’s a long way from a Prairie field, but it’s easy to imagine that same approach being used to improve plot trials or even guide on-farm decisions aimed at maximizing yield.

And it is already happening.

On the farm, that same capability is showing up in decision support — not perfect, not complete, but improving. These tools are getting better at taking large volumes of information and turning it into clear, actionable decisions.

From interpretation to action

And that raises a fair question. If more of that interpretation work can be done by a system, where does that leave farm agronomists?

The answer is not that they disappear. It’s that the job shifts.

Research agronomists are not really in the crosshairs here. They are still building the knowledge base. The question is what happens to the people turning that knowledge into decisions on the farm.

That kind of agronomy has never just been about reading numbers off a report. It’s about context: knowing the field, the farmer, the equipment and the risks they are willing to take.

A recommendation generated from data still has to be weighed against reality. Is the field fit? Does the timing work? What happens if the weather turns? Does it fit the rest of the rotation?

Those are not problems that go away with better models. In some ways, they become more important because more recommendations are coming, faster and with more confidence behind them.

What these systems may change is how agronomists spend their time. Less time pulling data together. Less time building base recommendations from scratch. More time stress-testing those recommendations, adapting them to local conditions and helping farmers decide what to act on and what to ignore.

There’s also a practical layer to this that didn’t get as much attention on stage. These tools do not just appear on farms fully formed. They need to be set up, calibrated and understood. Someone has to translate them from a product into something that actually works in a field.

One discussion on soil health touched on a more basic issue: even something as fundamental as soil testing is not fully standardized. Results can vary depending on how samples are taken, handled and processed.

That is an opportunity.

It suggests there is still a role for the local private agronomist — someone who knows the region and their customers, understands local soil conditions, along with insect and disease pressure, and someone who farmers know personally and trust.

The role doesn’t disappear, it changes

It’s easy to frame new technology as a threat to existing roles, but agriculture has a way of absorbing new tools and reshaping the jobs around them.

GPS did not eliminate the need for farm agronomists. Variable rate didn’t either. They changed the conversation.

This one feels different. These systems are starting to take on the interpretation work that has traditionally defined farm agronomy. However, the pattern is familiar.

The technology is moving quickly, that much is clear. However, it’s still being tested against the same reality. Fields, weather and economics have a way of exposing weak ideas.

On-farm agronomy does not sit outside that process. It’s part of it.

If anything, the need for people who can bridge the gap between what a system suggests and what actually works on the ground will only grow.

The post How AI is changing on-farm agronomy and decision-making appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Until recently, moving a digital prescription from Bayer’s FieldView platform to a John Deere display typically meant downloading files to a USB stick and physically transferring them to the machine. Bayer and John Deere say a new integration between FieldView and John Deere Operations Center eliminates that manual step.

The companies announced the upgrade at Commodity Classic in San Antonio last month.

With the new workflow, users create scripts in FieldView, select the relevant files and click “Export to Work Plans.” The jobs then appear in Work Planner within John Deere Operations Center, ready to run on connected equipment — all delivered remotely from one platform to the other.

For Prairie grain producers using both platforms, that means fewer steps between agronomic planning and field execution.

In an emailed statement, Bayer Crop Science said the goal is to simplify job execution and monitoring for customers working across both platforms, while eliminating the need for thumb drives and other manual steps that slow down field activities.

Chris Winkler, vice-president of digital software and solutions at John Deere, said the integration responds directly to customer feedback.

“Our mutual customers want streamlined workflows, not extra steps in the cab,” he said.

In practical terms, that affects both set-up time and accuracy. Removing manual file transfers reduces the chance of loading the wrong prescription, misnaming files or configuring monitors incorrectly — issues that can affect variable-rate seeding, fertility or crop protection passes.

The integration also changes how data flows back to the office.

Once jobs are completed, as-applied information moves back through Operations Center and into FieldView, allowing farmers and advisers to evaluate performance and adjust future prescriptions.

The companies say the capability is the result of feedback from farmers and advisers who wanted platforms to work together more seamlessly.

For Prairie growers, where variable-rate seeding and fertility programs are increasingly common in crops such as canola, wheat and corn, tighter integration between agronomy software and equipment displays could mean less time managing files and more time focusing on in-field decisions.

The capability is currently being introduced to select U.S. customers, with broader availability expected in the coming months. The companies have not yet outlined a timeline for Canadian rollout.

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Late last year, PTx Trimble introduced an updated system to make that process even simpler and less time consuming.

“Last fall we released WM-FieldForm, which is moving our surface drainage solutions from our previous generation of hardware into our GFX displays and utilizing our newest GNSS receivers,” says Josh Ide, PTx Trimble’s strategic marketing specialist.

“And we’re currently developing our field drain solution, which is moving from our previous generation. It was WM-Drain and our new product will be called WM-FieldDrain.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Prairie farmers have been looking to take the shock out of extreme low or high water events by improving water management on their land. Strategies have ranged from natural infrastructure to significant technological or mechanical investment, or a mix of both.

The updated systems are designed for use with PTx Trimble’s GFX 1060 and 1260 displays, which are significantly faster than the previous generation displays. They get paired with the brand’s Nav 960 receivers, which can access signals from a larger number of satellites for improved accuracy.

“Previously we only used GPS and Glonass,” says Ide.

“Now we’re using BeiDou, Gallileo and QZSS as well, European, Chinese and Japanese constellations. It’s around double the number of satellites we can use at a time.”

PTx Trimble provides a complete hardware and software package for setting up a tractor and scraper or tile plow to do do field drainage. That includes a hydraulic control valve for the implement, receivers for both tractor and implement, the in-cab display and RTK system.

“If you’re starting from scratch, it’s roughly $20,000 to have all the hardware for the tractor and implement,” says Ide.

“That’s adding our display as well. One advantage is the display and receiver can be used for guidance as well.”

Precision placement

RTK is an essential element for accurate drainage, according to Ide. That is due to the amount of vertical error in satellite systems, which is generally twice the horizontal error distance in a system.

“We recommend that high-accuracy system for corrections. That’s because vertical error is double the horizontal error.”

PTx Trimble’s drainage systems could be installed as a DIY project, but it’s best to have it done by a dealer’s technician.

“We do have installation instructions that could allow you to do it, but it’s not necessarily recommended,” adds Ide.

When it comes to putting the system to work, the process begins by doing a field survey. If a grower knows there are only a couple of problem areas that need to be addressed, a survey could be limited to those areas.

The new PTx Trimble system helps significantly shorten the time it takes to do all that.

“It’s a lot faster than even 2D systems, using lasers,” says Ide.

“(With older systems), farmers could take an entire day or several days just surveying a field, or even individual tile lines.

“With the receiver on a tractor or even an ATV, they can survey a 40 acre field in 30 minutes and know where those problem points are. So, it’s had a huge impact on the speed of doing that.”

Planning farm drainage

Armed with that information, producers can then design each tile or drainage ditch line and install the system.

Ide says planning those lines can be done best by producers who know their fields well, and each run will be dependent on the topography.

“Every field is unique. There’s some art to it as well. If you ask 10 people to design for the same field, you’re going to get 10 different responses or solutions. They’d probably all work. Some of those responses are regional. It’s a little bit different everywhere you go.”

While it’s difficult to put a general dollar value on improving yields by installing a drainage system due to the uniqueness of every field, Ide notes there other advantages as well.

“When you do drainage work on a field, you can get days or even weeks, depending on the soil type as far as access to it. That’s a huge advantage. It allows you to get to those problem areas earlier to get as close as you can to those ideal harvest and planting times.”

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Of that whole fleet, do you remember when each was serviced? Do you remember what the last fix was and when it was done? Could you walk right to that information so you know when it’s time to put that piece of equipment back in the maintenance rotation?

The Farm Shop Connect app keeps track of records on equipment, vehicles and buildings, and ensures tasks to manage it all are assigned accordingly.

For example, a farm owner or manager can quickly view when a piece of equipment needs its next maintenance interval and who they want to assign to handle that job. Another function allows the operator to assign general tasks for any employee to take on.

Potato farmers win Manitoba ag tech award

The concept won a recent innovation award for Manitoba potato farmers Brody and Kantara Robertson.

The brother and sister app founders took home the top spot in the ag tech category during the Manitoba Ag Days Innovation Showcase in Brandon in January.

“We started it in 2023 with the goal of creating a software to just replace pen and paper,” said Brody Robertson, “to get away from the whiteboard and put it all into one location.”

The app allows the user to tag tasks to specific resources and create a service record based on the work that was required.

The tool can be especially helpful when things come up after the work day is done, the founder noted.

“It’s been an efficiency tool for us,” added Robertson. “You’re not having to be there in the morning at the shop explaining to your guys all the tasks that you want done that day.”

Desktop version and additional features

For users who would rather work at the comfort of a larger screen, the employer account of Farm Shop Connect has a desktop version.

There’s also a place in the app for keeping track of vehicle registrations and notifying when a date for heavy truck safety is approaching.

“It’s been really exciting to win first in the ag tech category,” said Robertson of his app’s recent award. “Being on this side of it as an exhibitor has been a really cool experience.”

Farm Safety Connect is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play for their respective devices.

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If passed, Bill 15 would change the province’s Consumer Protection Amendment Act. Suppliers of certain consumer goods would be required to make repair tools, manuals, diagnostic software and replacement parts available to buyers, for a reasonable period and price, according to the bill’s wording on the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba website.

Farming welcome

The farm community broadly supports the move, said Jake Ayre, a farmer near Brandon, Man., and KAP vice-president.

“All of us as farmers … want to have the ability to repair our farm equipment, absolutely,” Ayre said.

Modern agricultural machinery, increasingly driven by electronics and sensors and fit with digital connectivity, has made self-repair more difficult, Ayre said. Farmers now deal with complexities, like one sensor not talking to another or voltage issues, much different than decades past.

“Previously, it was, ‘OK, well, you know, the bearing’s cooked or a belt’s gone,’ it’s much more physical, tangible things you can see,” Ayre said.

Outside agriculture

The auto sector has also praised the bill. Speedy Glass and Belron Canada issued a press release March 11 applauding the legislation.

“Right to repair is about empowering consumers with choice while strengthening the communities where we live and work,” said Corinne Lagueux, vice-president of corporate and legal affairs at Belron Canada.

Delays and access key concerns

Today’s machines often have producers needing to call up dealerships and bring in authorized technicians to diagnose issues.

“Unless you have a dealership close by or have a relationship, it can be tough to diagnose that problem on your own,” Ayre said, adding that delays can be costly, particularly during planting or harvest.

Access for independent repair shops, particularly in remote areas with limited dealership support, will be key, he added.

“Just being able to have access to the resources and information readily … improves competition in the marketplace.”

Ayre expects the legislation could influence neighbouring provinces as well.

The issue has already come up nationally on Parliament Hill. In fall 2024, Ottawa passed two right-to-repair bills: one which softened rules around accessing diagnostic software and one that eased copyright law to help push interoperability. This January also saw Manitoba commit $25,000 to help the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute to improve interoperability across different brands.

“Other provinces are definitely pushing too, especially … Saskatchewan, where … the nearest dealership can be two, three hours away, depending on where you are,” he said.

Key Takeaways

• Legislative Shift: Bill 15 proposes changes to the Consumer Protection Amendment Act to include “certain consumer goods.”
• Access to Tech: The bill would require suppliers to provide repair manuals, diagnostic software, and parts at a reasonable price.
• KAP Support: Farmers advocate for the bill to avoid expensive technician visits and long downtimes during critical windows.
• Software vs. Iron: Modern repairs often involve electronics and sensors rather than just physical mechanical failures.
• National Context: This move follows federal efforts in late 2024 to ease copyright laws around diagnostic software.

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