Developing a Financial Risk Management Plan for your Farm
Before each planting season, farmers must make crucial decisions about what crops to plant and what seeding rates, fertilizer, and other input levels to use.
Understanding & Measuring ‘Mobile Network Connectivity’ for Smart Farming
Digital farming and smart ag technologies will play a large role in the future of sustainable agricultural production. However, smart ag technologies are reliant on connectivity.
Reviewing OMNiPOWER’s Second Season on the #OCSmartFarm
inishing its second year of using autonomous agriculture equipment, the Olds College Smart Farm was able to get A LOT more comfortable with OMNiPOWER by collecting data on a total of 60 missions.
Providing meaningful work-integrated learning opportunities while benefiting from new skill sets and fresh perspectives — the makings of a successful partnership this year between Olds College and 12 enthusiastic agriculture students.
Floating Island Technology for Livestock Water Remediation
Olds College researchers are evaluating the economic and environmental benefits of using native wetland plants and floating island technology to remediate feedlot runoff water.
Using various types of satellite imagery for monitoring crop conditions and field variability analysis is one of the most important components of the Smart Ag ecosystem.
Since its creation, the Olds College Smart Farm has tested and validated pretty much any advanced or leading edge precision ag technology that exists in the world (and this is not an exaggeration!).
In the last decade, remote sensing tools became an essential component of precision agriculture. Satellite and aerial imagery is extensively used for field monitoring and crop condition assessment.
Yield Forecast, Virtual Yield Mapping, and Yield Loss Assessment
The most common application of remote sensing in agriculture is to analyze crop conditions using a combination of near-infrared (NIR) and red parts of the spectrum.
Autonomous Equipment On the Olds College Smart Farm
This next generation of ag-technology gives Olds College students one-of-a-kind learning opportunities on commercially available field-scale robotics technology on the College’s Smart Farm.
Advancing Reproductive Efficiency & Stress Management in Beef Heifers: A Western Canadian Perspective
A comprehensive two-year study was conducted by the TACLP at Neilson Beef in Stettler, Alta, investigating reproductive efficiency and alleviating stress in beef heifers.
Rotational grazing practices help on-farm sustainability by enhancing pasture productivity and soil health (and preventing overgrazing) which increases carbon sequestration — leading to potential carbon credits for producers.
In September 2023, Environmental Stewardship researchers performed end of season sampling on the 55 floating islands deployed on two feedlot ponds near Linden, Alta.
Technologies to Improve Sheep Production Efficiency: Measuring Feed Efficiency & Early Detection of Parasitic Infection
The TACLP is conducting a research project to identify and quantify a panel of predictive blood biomarkers for feed efficiency and sheep parasite infection using genomics and metabolomics technologies.
Rotational grazing systems can help maximize soil health and pasture productivity, but are hard to implement due to labour shortages and infrastructure costs.
Field Crop Development Centre: Summer 2022 Overview
The Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology enjoyed a busy summer. Planting was finished mid-May and the growing season started out extremely dry.
Currently, there are five varieties that the Olds College Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) is in the process of signing licensing agreements with industry partners.
