Farm tires from dandelions? Sunday, March 8, 2015 Mitas, the Czech Republic tire maker, plans to test agricultural tires made with dandelion rubber, Modern Farmer reports.Natural rubber, typically harvested from the rubber tree, is an integral part of the tire industry. According to Reuters, passenger car tires need to be 10-40 per cent natural rubber to stay flexible in cold weather and to prevent significant cracking. But there has always been concern over of the risks and volatility of rubber tree farming. Taraxacum koksaghyz – commonly called the Kazakh dandelion, native to the Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan region and a source of natural rubber – is hoped to be a future answer to those concerns.According to Modern Farmer, in North America Mitas exclusively produces agricultural tires. Its sales and marketing director, Andrew Mabin, told AgWeb that Mitas, "is actively seeking new ways of improving our manufacturing process, which includes researching new raw materials or substitutes." BF Purple Loosestrife not so bad after all Fewer allergies for children on the farm
Bushel Plus rebrands to BranValt for global harvest-tech growth Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Bushel Plus Ltd., a well‑known name in harvest optimization tools and training, is preparing for a major brand transformation as it shifts to a new global identity: BranValt. The company recently announced that the transition will officially take effect in July 2026, marking a... Read this article online
Canada Negotiates Tariff Reductions on Canola Seed by China Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Mark Carney has concluded his visit to Beijing for high-level meetings with Chinese leaders, including Xi Jinping. The visit marked the first trip to China by a Canadian prime minister since 2017 and resulted in a joint statement outlining a new strategic partnership between the two countries.... Read this article online
Ontario Pig Producer Disease Advisory -- PED and PDCoV Risks Rising This Winter Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) and Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) continue to pose significant risks to swine operations across the industry. Both viruses are highly infectious, spread easily through manure, contaminated equipment, transport vehicles, and human movement, and can have... Read this article online
Ag Minister Launches National Consultations to Shape the Next Agricultural Policy Framework Tuesday, January 20, 2026 As Canada begins charting its next decade of agricultural policy, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri Food, officially launched national consultations on the development of the Next Policy Framework (NPF)—the federal, provincial, and territorial agreement that... Read this article online
Syngenta introduces new soybean seed treatment Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Soybean farmers have a new crop protection product available to them for the 2026 growing season. Syngenta recently introduced Victrato Complete, its new fungicide and nematicide seed treatment. “It’s the only fungicide and nematicide seed treatment with five active ingredients that’ll... Read this article online