Posted: August 11, 2009

Keep the insecticide malthion far away from bins slotted for canola storage this fall.

That's the reminder the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) is giving canola growers as they prepare for harvest. Malathion is not registered to treat bins that will store canola or to control insects in stored canola.

"Using malathion on canola seed or in canola storage bins will result in detectable levels of malathion residue because malathion has a strong attraction to the oil in canola seed," says Arvel Lawson, CCC manager of Crop Production, in a release. "Consequently, malathion can move into canola seed from storage bin walls."

Every country that buys Canadian canola sets limits on pesticide residues, and exceeding those limits can mean rejected shipments and increased monitoring, says Lawson. Because of Canada's bulk grain handling system, every load of canola delivered needs to meet the requirements of all export customers.

View the complete release on the CCC website.

Posted: August 11, 2009

Trimble has moved to strengthen its precision farming focus by acquiring the assets of CTN Data Service, creator of Farm Works software.

According to a release from Trimble, the acquisition is expected to accelerate Trimble's information management capabilities and offer agricultural customers new capabilities in their precision farming operations.

Farm Works aims to provide integrated office and mobile software solutions for both the farmer and agriculture service professional. The software is compatible with a wide range of file formats and hardware typically used in the agriculture equipment industry. Among its capabilities, Farm Works software can automatically capture field event data, downloaded from an in-cab display or handheld computer, for record keeping.

The software also tracks most farm operations including vehicle monitoring, crop management, staffing, field mapping, chemical and fertilizer management, and cost accounting. It also includes a herd management and genealogy program for livestock producers.

Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. See the complete news release on the Trimble web site.