AgriPost July 29 2016 by AgriPost

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July 29, 2016

Mexico to Re-open Market to Cdn Beef

Canola’s Journey from Last Resort to Staple Crop

Mexico will fully reopen its market to Canadian beef effective October 1, 2016 following recent meetings between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. “Canadian farmers are grateful to learn of Mexico’s decision to alleviate a long-standing trade concern, and CFA applauds the Government of Canada for its efforts to reach a solution,” said CFA President Ron Bonnett. “Mexico has traditionally been an excellent market for Canadian beef. When our production increases to previous levels, I believe that Mexico could again import more than $250 million per year like it used to,” said Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) President Dan Darling Mexico banned all imports of cattle following the 2003 outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and had lifted some restrictions later that year but not for cattle or beef from cattle over 30 months of age. Mexico is Canada’s third largest trading partner, with two-way merchandise trade reaching over $37.8 billion in 2015. Approximately six per cent of Canadian beef exports are destined for Mexico and this is poised to grow. Further the Government of Canada has opened new market access for Canadian breeding cattle to Turkey. The Canadian cattle industry estimates that gaining this access, which opens immediately, will be worth $4.5 million per year, offering the potential of being a top export market for Canadian breeding cattle. And Taiwan has lifted its temporary ban on Canadian beef, effective July 8, 2016. Taiwan temporarily suspended imports of Canadian beef in response to the February 2015 detection of an isolated case of BSE in Canada.

Rapeseed varieties may contribute desirable traits to new canola varieties.

By Les Kletke There was a time before canola and no it was not when dinosaurs roamed the earth, in fact many producers remember it. The crop that forms the foundation for canola was called rapeseed and developed into canola through breeding that eliminated euricic acid and glucosymilates. For a period the new crop was called Double Zero Rapeseed and the breeders Baldur Stefansson and Dave Downey were jokingly called the Double Zero Twins for their work on the crop. Janice Duguid is a canola breeder with DL Seeds and while the beginnings of canola occurred before her career she is well aware of the history of the crop and it is not lost on her. Duguid said there are records of farmers in Saskatchewan

Photo by Les Kletke

producing canola and using it for fuel on their farms in 1936 nearly 40 years before canola was registered in 1974. The crop also saw a gain in acreage with the war effort that brought a greater demand for petroleum products because of rationing. Duguid was part of a display on the history of the crop at a Portage la Prairie event. The display was intended to show much more than a history lesson. It was to showcase the Brassica Triangle highlighting the relationship between brassica varieties and sources of genetics for breeding yield, disease and insect resistance. “There was a time that polish rapeseed was thought of as a last resort in a late spring,” she said. “It was comparable to buckwheat and millet, but if it froze you could still get some crop whereas buckwheat was worthless when frozen.”

“There was also chemical weed control so the crop was seeded late,” she said. “Those things all impacted yield.” She said that her companies breeding program today has to consider many factors. “Yield is always important but we are looking at standablity, disease resistance and if it can be straight combined,” she continued. “There are so many more factors than yield.” She emphasised disease resistance and that it is not always the same conditions for a plant in the field. “We always look at the disease pressure for a triangle, the host, the environmental conditions, and the pathogen,” she explained. “When all three are right, the pressure on the plant is so much greater when they are not a variety that can show resistance, but it is not a true test.” She said currently there is a large emphasis on finding club root resistance.

July 29, 2016

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European Union Approves RRoundup oundup RReady eady 2 Xtend Soybeans Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers would like to inform its farmers that the European Union (EU) has granted approval of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans, according to a press release issued by Monsanto Company on July 22, 2016. The announcement comes after months of questions and some uncertainty as to whether the EU would approve Monsanto’s dicamba-tolerant soybean trait. MPSG made known to its farmers earlier in the growing season the possible outcomes of this technology entering the system without EU approval, and cautioned its members to be cautious. “We applaud Monsanto for being good stewards of

July 29, 2016

this new technology by keeping the product out of the system until it was approved in important markets such as the EU,” said Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers Executive Director Francois Labelle. “MPSG would also like to commend Soy Canada for the work they did advocating for the control of this product, and for the important work they did lobbying for its approval.” The soybean trait was granted market approval in China in February of this year, and now with the EU adding its name to the vendor list, Monsanto is saying farmers will have access to Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ soybeans for the 2017 growing season.

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One Stop Shop for SMART Growers By Les Kletke The Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Association knows that growers are busy in summer and can’t afford to take a series of days off farm to visit field days that might provide a small bit of information. Organizers made sure to address the timing issue with a one stop shopping experience. SMART day held at the Carman University of Manitoba Research Facility was indented to provide as much information as possible on a range of topics. Soybean Management and Research Transfer (SMART) lived up to its name delivering information on 5 key areas. John Heard of Manitoba Agriculure addressed the issue of soil fertility or if extra nitrogen is needed and at what time it might be beneficial. Mitchel Timmerman provided information on how rolling a soybean field may be beneficial to halting soil erosion. Insects, including which have benefits and at what economic thresholds she be used to deal with the bad guys was handled by John Gavloski of Manitoba Agriculture. Should the seed be placed deep enough to reach soil moisture when the depth becomes a challenge for emergence was a topic handled by Dennis Lange and Terry Buss. Disease Management was handled by Kristen Podlosky of the Pulse and Soybean Association. The Association is involved with several on farm trials as well and is attempting to take research from the lab and plot level to the field scale trials. Podlosky said that growers have questions about the benefit of inoculants and while the topic was not covered specially at the SMART Day the Association has trials evaluating the efficacy of inoculates. “We have some trials that are looking at the need for inoculant and if they are required after a field has produced several crops of soybeans,” she said. At this time the trials are being conducted in eastern and central Manitoba. “We don’t have as many fields that have produced 3 crops of soybeans in the western part of the province,” she noted. While the geography makes it more difficult for producers in western Manitoba to visit the trials it is not expected that the results will vary greatly due to soil type. In early years of production growers were advised to use a

Pulse and Soybean Receive Research Dollars Manitoba’s pulse and soybean growers will benefit from the work of a new applied research specialist. This project will receive $400,000 in federal and provincial government funding over the next two years. “Finding new and innovative ways to help pulse and soybean growers achieve

higher yields with fewer crop inputs will mean greater returns for farmers and growth for the sector,” said Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay. The funding will support a new research agronomist who will study issues like efficient use of crop inputs, improving yields and maximizing profitability, then share these results with producers through training and extension programs. “It will provide independent, unbiased results to help producers advance the use of new technology and best practices. As soybean and pulse production expands, Manitoba is poised to be a national leader in agronomy research,” said

Kristin Podlosky of the Manitoba Pulse Soybean Association dips up a sample of roots to check for nodulation. Photo by Les Kletke

double inoculation with a liquid being applied to the seed as well as in furrow application to make sure that the seed did receive the required rhizobia. That may no longer be required as the population of desirable rhizobia in the soil increases with subsequent crops. “That is what we are trying to measure,” said Podlosky. “We will get that information to members as the trials are completed.” Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler. The Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) will lead this project and contribute an additional $400,000 to support the work of the research agronomist. This initiative supports a multi-year research strategy adopted in 2015 by the association and the more than 3,800 farmers it represents. “Our members have identified the need for increased agronomic research capacity and we are pleased to be working together with government to ensure that need is met,” said Francois Labelle, executive director, MPSG. “In order to advance the pulse and soy-

bean industry in Manitoba and in Canada, we need to invest in highly qualified people. This partnership is such an investment.” The researcher will work at the University of Manitoba’s faculty of agricultural and food sciences to support collaboration in areas of shared interest, ensuring producers’ interests are reflected in academia. Soybeans are the third-largest crop in Manitoba, grown on about 1.5 million acres and resulting in more than $335 million in annual farm cash receipts. More than 200,000 acres are planted in pulses, which include beans, peas and lentils.

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Turning Fields into Laboratories By Les Kletke All farmers and most researchers will tell you that it is a long way from results in a laboratory or greenhouse to field scale trials and even further to beans in the combine hopper but the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers Association (MPSGA) is trying to make the journey easier. The Association conducts many field size trials that are farmer driven and are carried through to yield analysis or various management practices are studied. Greg Bartley co-ordinates the MPSGA program which started in 2010, growing to include 10 projects by 2014 and this year has 7 soybean and 11 edible bean projects. Three of the projects are near Ile des Chenes and are examining Iron Deficiency Chlorosis, Seed Treatments and Inoculate treatments. The Iron Chlorosis plot is evaluating 2- 3.75 lbs of a product intended to eliminate the problem with row application. Another trial is looking to the future when most of the province’s fields have produced several crops of soybeans and the need to inoculate could be eliminated. While the research is farmer driven serval of the farmers

Greg Bartley works on farm testing for the Manitoba Pulse Soybean Association. Photo by Les Kletke

involved in a tour of the site last month felt they would not eliminate the application of an inoculate regardless of the result. “It is cheap insurance,” said one producer. “I don’t think I will get to the point that I would not use inoculants. It is worth the cost just to make sure. You can go back and add it as a foliar if your plants are not producing nitrogen.” He went on to comment that he did see the value in the research if it could possibly elevate one treatment of inoculants over another. Currently many producers are using both a liquid and dry inoculant on their soybean

production. Producers in Iowa where the crop has been grown on tighter rotations for many years have produced crops without inoculants but it was not on the horizon for most of the producers on the 3-stop tour. Another trial is evaluating the impact of seed treatments. The test plot tour stirred some discussion on the value of applying nitrogen to a field before planting soybeans and the impact that might have on getting the plant off to a faster start by bringing about early nodulation at a higher level.

July 29, 2016

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The Third Alternative for Preserving Hay in Canada

It is a Great Time to Be Alive. It really is a great time to be alive, and when you consider the alternatives life is pretty good. We are living in the most exciting times our planet has ever known, and I said exciting which is not to be confused with best. We need only to look south of the border for some of the best entertainment available, ever. As I sat down to pen this column the Republicans are meeting in Cleveland and that is providing great television. I have to admit that I am amazed at what is going on, I thought some of the great television series of the past were good entertainment but they did not hold a candle to the material that is coming out of Cleveland, and I don’t mean what the comedians are saying. Still to come we have Democratic convention, and you know that will provide just as much great viewing. Political conventions used to need a tight race to hold our attention but not this year, both parties are just waiting for ordination of their leaders and it is still griping. Throw into the mix that athletes are dropping out of the Olympics (like flies) because of a mosquito problem and you have even more uncertainty. Remember the last time they had an Olympic gathering and the Russians didn’t come, that was LA well we are in for another one without the Bear sending their best athletes err…what is the other word. Look across the pond and Britain is leaving the EU and nobody wants to be the leader of that journey. These are exciting times. We had an election in this country and gave a Prime Minister the majority he needed to do whatever he wants and he is. Right here in Manitoba we have handed the reigns over to a party that had not been in power since…well a long time ago in political years. The axiom is that uncertainty drives the markets, and we do have that on so many counts. The only certainty is that the US will get a new or more correctly, a different president since Mrs. Clinton has already lived in that House. If the axiom is true, and uncertainty does drive the markets we are in for some wild rides in the commodity and most every other market. Somebody is going to make some money and somebody is going to lose some money, that is certain but for sheer entertainment value this is a great time to be alive.

Dear Editor: With the world’s climate becoming wetter, governments must now look at new ways to assist farmers in every aspect of farming. At present there are two accepted methods of preserving hay which is put up for feeding cattle and other ruminants over winter. These methods are 1) drying to reduce the moisture content below a level at which the hay will become moldy and 2) adding a preservative to the cut hay whereby a form of silage is created where a certain level of fermentation takes place with the exclusion of oxygen by some form of compaction and/or wrapping. A third alternative is to lower the temperature of the baled hay to a point where spoilage will be minimized until the weather in Canada turns cold enough to freeze the hay and prevent most of the spoilage. Now this would involve baling the hay in either round or square bales, stacking them in an insulated sealed building with a concrete floor and then use a refrigeration unit to reduce the temperature of the contents of the building to a level required for preservation of the hay. Governments will have to set up pilot projects and do experiments at different temperature levels and hay moisture content as to what is required to achieve the desired goals and the costs/benefits involved as well as the long term impact on farming methods. In the future we will see all three methods on the farm. Dry baled hay, wrapped wet hay and silage, and refrigerated hay in insulated buildings. Louis J. Gautron Rathwell, MB

We Still Live in a Democracy ...Let the Government Know Some time ago I wrote a column on the cosmetic pesticide ban in Manitoba and how the costs of controlling weeds on yards and public places are so much higher under the new legislation. Chris Goertzen, president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) and the Mayor of Steinbach says AMM does not support the cosmetic pesticide ban that became law in this province in 2015 and remains consistent with its position. That was under the former NDP government that Manitobans turfed [pardon the pun] earlier this year. Now under the new PC government things could change, at least if Manitobans tell them to change or even repeal that legislation. I’m not in favour of willy-nilly spraying all kinds of chemicals on your lawns and playgrounds, but I do think the new law is ridiculous. Manitoba is entering the second year of implementation of the NonEssential Use of Pesticides Regulation and the province wants to hear from Manitobans about their experiences with this legislation, Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox announced Monday. “The purpose of the legislation is to reduce the exposure of people and pets to herbicides used in lawn care for non-essential or cosmetic purposes,” Cox said. “We are committed to finding the right balance between protecting the environment, minimizing the impact, and providing usable, aesthetic green spaces in our communities.” Manitobans can email submissions to pesticide.review.2016@gov.mb.ca or respond through an online survey at gov.mb.ca/conservation/envprograms/initiatives/ cosmetic_pesticides/ until Sept. 12.

I like what this new PC government is doing with the consultative process. Here is your chance to weigh in on the issue, especially as it pertains to cost and ineffectiveness of those products that you can use. “Obviously, it is a regulation that is burdensome to municipalities and yes, we do want to see this government change it,” says Goertzen. “If we keep the same level of service, and use the product we should be using instead of the ones that are approved by Health Canada, our costs in Steinbach go from $18,000 a year to well over $200,000 plus per year. That’s just not doable for RM’s. That is just one anecdotal evidence, plus they are much less effective.” Guess what, it kills the green stuff, burns it off so to speak, and the root stays alive meaning you have to use it multiple times. Make your comments known to the government, and see whether they will listen to you speaking out. If you don’t then I guess we just need to pay the higher costs as taxpayers for controlling some of the weeds, but not nearly all of them. I’m also impressed with our new minister of agriculture, Ralph Eichler and the process he and his staff initiated last week in Portage la Prairie. He invited Ag stakeholders, including farm media, food processors, truckers and whoever else is connected to the food producing industry in this province. Over 100 groups and organization representatives came together to discuss issues related to producing food. While so often processes like this are good for the moment, often where the minister opens up the conference and discussions and lets his or her staff do the rest. Not so for Eichler in this case. He stayed for the duration and will attend the next provincial Ag ministers’ conference far better prepared than many previous Ag minister in this province. In speaking with KAP President Dan Mazier about that conference, he’s impressed at the process, but also the results. Sitting around a table in a meeting like that with representatives from so many groups that may have never sat around a table, for Mazier is a definite plus, and a huge step forward. I’m reminded of what the Hon. Harry Enns, a two or three times Ag minister in Manitoba, and real good one at that once told me, “It is the government’s responsibility to put the infrastructure in place, including workable, common sense regulations, and then get out of the way.” Here’s hoping this PC government and Ag minister has the same ideals.

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Bee-pocalypse? All the chatter in recent years about a collapse in the bee population – a “bee-pocalypse” – might lead us to think we wouldn’t see many around anymore. Yet everywhere you look in mid-July, canola fields are blooming. Next to them sit bee hives. Even if you don’t see them, you usually notice the rather large and juicy “splats” on the windshield as you drive by. Maybe bee colonies aren’t in as dire straits as some would have us believe. The scare, soon called “colony collapse disorder,” started in 2006. Mysterious, regular die-offs caused 20-40% mortality rates. Simple math tells us we should have run out of bees already. But obviously that hasn’t happened. Those losses are real, and scientists have discovered a number of causes. According to the USDA, “Honey bees have been under attack by a large number of stressors, including invasive mites (Varroa and tracheal), insect pests (small hive beetle), pathogens (Nosema species, American foulbrood, chalk brood, Israeli acute paralysis virus, black queen virus and numerous other viruses), lethal and sub lethal pesticide exposure, Africanization of managed colonies, nutritional deficiencies due to lack of forage and/or forage diversity, genetic factors and other problems. Each of these problems has put additional pressure on honey bee survival and has contributed to increasing managed colony losses.” Activists and pseudoscientists have other ideas. Neonicotinoids got a lot of attention and have even been

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by Rolf banned in some Penner places; those bans rolfpenner@agripost.ca haven’t actually helped bee populations recover. Everything is blamed, from Roundup to cellphone signals, to climate change, and genetically modified crops. Add in a good dose of hyperbole about how “no bees equals no food” and a great recipe for a media always eager to induce public hysteria. But the overall number of bee colonies has been going up. In fact, in North America it’s the highest that it’s been in 20 years! What the scare-mongers – the “beemageddoners” – conveniently forget to mention is the magic ingredient known as beekeepers. Who are exerting both a positive and a negative effect in this case. Beekeeping has become a bit of a fad. All sorts of amateurs have decided to get into the game, so there’s a whole bunch of newbies who don’t really know what they’re doing. People who think they can stick a hive in the backyard and simply watch nature do its thing tend to kill a lot of bees while figuring things out. Moreover, seasonal die-offs aren’t really a new thing. Before 2006, it wasn’t unusual for beekeepers to face an average of a 14% loss in their colonies on a yearly basis. They have time-honoured strategies for dealing with these losses, no matter what their cause. The two most common

Keep an Eye on the Customer While on the Combine Warren Buffet, once quipped “it takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” This is something worth thinking about as we start to prepare for harvest. Canada has a strong reputation for consistently delivering safe, high quality grain to our customers both here at home as well as off shore. The Canadian grain industry, including farmers, depends on this reputation to gain access to international markets. Every part of the value chain must do all that it can to preserve this hard won reputation. Individual farmers play a critical role in preserving the “Canada brand,” especially at harvest. Some things that impact quality, like the weather, are outside of a farmer’s control. But many key grain safety factors are 100 per cent within a producer’s control. We can’t forget this as we rush to get the crop into the bin before rain and frost. We need to keep an eye on our customers while we are on the combine. There are two critical grain safety areas that farmers need to pay attention to this time of year, both related to the preharvest application of pesticides. The top ten rules for pesticide application are all the same: “follow the label!” It is critically important for farmers and their staff to know and understand what is on the label for every product they apply. There are no conditions where it is acceptable to not follow the label. Shipments will be rejected

if samples of vessel shipments contain residues that are above maximum limits. Fortunately this is a rare occurrence, but it’s an entirely preventable problem and it should simply never happen. There are two important elements of the label that require special attention this time of year – applying too early and applying too late. Some products, like glyphosate, should not be applied while the crop is too green. The label for glyphosate indicates that application should not occur if the seeds are 30 per cent moisture or higher. And yes, this does include the low spots that are greener than the rest of the field. Application when seed moisture is above 30 per cent will result in absorption by the seed and consequently residues. Glyphosate is of particular interest because it has come under fire from those who do not support the use of pesticides for any reason. This despite the fact glyphosate has been repeatedly shown to be one of the safest agricultural chemicals in use. Farmers rigorous adherence to the sciencebased label will help blunt the criticism of the activists and keep this important product in our toolbox for years to come. Each product label also has a pre-harvest interval. This is the amount of time required in between pesticide application and harvest to ensure that the potential for residues is minimized. Some farmers might think to themselves, “combining a few days before the preharvest interval is up won’t

really make a difference, right?” Or perhaps, “this is just one field, it won’t make a difference in the big picture.” This sentiment couldn’t be more wrong. Shipments of Canadian grain are tested for pesticide residues in parts per billion or even parts per trillion. Albert Einstein might have grasped the meaning of a part per trillion, but most of us can’t wrap our minds around this number. It might help to think of a part per trillion as 1 second in 32,000 years. Testing sensitivities at these minute levels means that even one producer not following the label can in fact result in customer concerns or even the rejection of shipments. This brings up a final important point on pesticide application. There are times when a new product is approved in Canada but not approved in our export markets. If our customers have not approved a chemical they may adopt a zero tolerance for any residues. One part per trillion is a mind numbingly small number, but it is bigger than zero. So before you use a product for the first time, talk to your grain buyer to make certain that there are no market concerns with its use. This conversation may prevent difficulties when it comes time to deliver. Individual producers can’t control everything that goes into our international reputation and brand. But they do

control some of the most important factors. Think about this reputation as you meet the demands of getting a crop through to harvest and into the bin. Adhering to these guidelines will not just protect your reputation, it will ultimately protect the entire Canadian grain industry. Cam Dahl is President of Cereals Canada.

July 29, 2016

ones? Splitting a healthy colony in two and presenting one of them with a new queen and, second, simply buying more bees to replace the ones that didn’t make it. This is exactly what’s happening now. So losses may be twice as high as they used to be. But bees are not becoming extinct anytime soon. This means more work and it costs more to get the same amount of honey, but there’s just as much honey (and bees) available as ever. As some economists have pointed out, this represents a victory for the free market: “Not only was there not a failure of bee-related markets but they adapted quickly and effectively to the changes induced by the appearance of Colony Collapse Disorder.” This is what we want to happen when problems pop up. And world production of honey, especially in China, has depressed prices, so consumers have not suffered. We still have lots of challenges for the scientists to figure out, and the beekeeping business is not as easy as it used to be. But the general public should not get overly worked up about the “bee-pocalypse.” We are responding to it quite well.

July 29, 2016

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Swine Industry Faces 2nd Challenge of PEDv By Harry Siemens Earlier this year, the Manitoba swine industry felt the shockwaves slither through their collective barns when the Manitoba’s Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) announced three separate PED virus infected hog farms. The announcement not only caused heartache for the hog producers involved, every hog producer in the province, especially in the local area of the reported cases, waited with baited breath as they watched for a any signs of a sick piglet. The debate swirled back and forth as to whether the temporary trailer – truck wash regulations that were lifted were to blame. According to Andrew Dickson, Manitoba Pork’s General Manager and the swine industry he represents there is no smoking gun or anything traceable back to a dirty and contaminated truck trailer. Just when the hog industry was actually

seeing some new barns, this dreaded disease combined with the uncertainty of where truck washing should occur creates a caveat the industry does not need right now. In reference to the PED virus, Dr. Megan Bergman, Manitoba’s Chief Veterinary Officer said they are tracking all pig movements on and off PED infected farms to try and identify the source of infection and to ensure it does not spread to other farms. Dr. Bergman said their main focus right now is to contain and eradicate the outbreak. “The CVO Office work closely with the affected producers, their private veterinarians as well as industry stakeholders to evaluate all movements on and off of affected farms,” she said. “That way we can try to identify what the potential source of that virus may have been onto that farm but also prevent any movement of the virus off the farm or detect it rapidly if there has been some transmission to

other sites. Really the number one line of defense is enhanced biosecurity so all of the producers in the area have been notified of the affected farms and are enhancing their biosecurity on farm.” It is one thing to identify the enemy; still in this case, the enemy is very elusive. “At this time we don’t have anything to pinpoint the source of the infection. This one is a little bit complicated,” said Bergman. “As in many cases there are multiple factors that may have contributed to the outbreak and it’s sometimes not possible to pinpoint any one source.” They know that all of the three farms have the same strain of the virus and this is also the same strain identified in earlier cases Ontario and in the United States. “But it will take us some time to get through all of the details of our epidemiological investigation so it may take several weeks or months for us to be able to come up with a report of what we think may have happened,” she added.

July 29, 2016

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Prevent Milk Fever in Post-Calving Dairy Cows On a few occasions, I’ve had the opportunity to see a veterinarian successfully treat milk fever in fresh dairy cows. On one particular visit, it amazed me the stricken cow could not sit up, was twitching and convulsing. After Ca-Mg infusion was administered, within a halfhour, the cow got up, shook her head as if a bee had stung her and ran off. Such visible milk fever affects about five percent of post-calving cows with a 40% chance of re-occurrence within weeks after treatment. Rather, than treat each case and see what happens, I believe it’s best to implement a pro-active approach during the close-up dry cow stage to prevent milk fever. I do realize that milk fever is part of a much bigger hypocalcaemia picture or low calcium status/deficiency

that often affects many cows after calving. It’s just natural that a pregnant dairy cow prior to calving begins to draw large amounts of calcium from her blood for the production of colostrum for her unborn calf. During this time, the cow’s blood literarily gets drained of nearly all available calcium, which leaves the cow with only a couple of options to replenish calcium before the onset of milk fever. She can either increase intestinal absorption of calcium or mobilize bone calcium-phosphate, which I find is easier “said than done” in order to avoid milk fever. Most commercial dairy cows cannot absorb enough calcium from their gastro-intestinal tract and if their parathyroid gland is not primed a few days ahead of calving, hormones are not released that initiate calcium

bone resorption into blood. Consequently, this puts certain fresh cow groups at risk to milk fever, namely high milk producers and older cows past their 5th lactation. As I witnessed, most of these cows with milk fever cannot stand up or even sit up, because calcium plays a central role in striated muscle contractions (much like the muscle in your arm) as well as nerve transmission - these functions are simply lost. Muscles in the udder’s teat ends are also striated tissue and often fail to close after milking, which may lead to mastitis. In a similar manner, involuntary smooth muscles are also affected. Therefore, displaced abomasum, retained placentas, and even calving difficulties are observed aside milk fever. One practical approach that I learned to help prevent milk fever and associated problems in post-partum cows is to cause a dietary calcium deficiency in them as closeup dry cows. It’s a pro-active means, which stimulate hormone mechanisms in the cows’ parathyroid gland and thus leads to large amounts of calcium drawn from the bones into the blood. In addition, a planned calcium deficiency causes their small intestine to become more efficient in absorbing calcium from the prepared close-up dry cow diet. University extension studies have demonstrated multiple times that feeding less than 10 g /head/d (a dry cow requires 40 g/head/d for maintenance) is effective in causing a calcium deficiency and preventing many cases of milk fever. Formulating the close-up dry cow diet with deficient levels of calcium is only the start in a good milk fever prevention program. We should make sure that it is also balanced with low levels of potassium, not too much phosphorus, and adequate magnesium levels. Excessive potassium in many types of forage added to the diet of close-up dry cows often leads to milk fever after calving. Potassium contributes to alkaline blood that suppresses bone calcium mobilization. In addition, potassium has been implicated in serious udder edema problems by causing the accumulation of fluid in the udder, before calving. Keeping dietary potassium levels to less than 0.65% for close-up dairy cows has been shown to control milk fever and other fresh cow problems. Unfortunately, some dairy producers cannot find lowpotassium forages to feed their close-up dairy cows. They might consider to feeding negative-charged anionic salts to these cows in order to prevent milk fever problems. Calcium chloride and magnesium sulphate, which when consumed and absorbed by the close-up dairy cow can neutralize positive-charged potassium and ultimately makes the blood more acidic. Such an unbalanced acidotic state in her blood stimulates the cow to both absorb more dietary calcium from her intestines and mobilize more bone-calcium. It is an attempt by the cow’s body to bring back a state of neutrality to her bloodstream. Similar to feeding high levels of potassium, high levels of phosphorus have been also shown to inhibit the dairy cow’s body from mobilizing calcium from bone and to efficiently absorb calcium from the intestine. It will also interfere with the kidney’s synthesis of Vitamin D, which plays another role in calcium metabolism. A common recommendation is to feed no more than 35 grams of P in the close-up ration. On a different note, magnesium plays an important role in many enzyme systems that are necessary to mobilize bone calcium in response in hypocalcaemia. It is recommended that the close-up diet contain about 0.20% Mg to prevent deficiency. As routine, I formulate standard close-up dry cow diets using such macro-nutrient guidelines and some special diets containing anionic salts. In years past, I would validate success of the latter diets by sampling and measuring acidity of post-partum cow urine (re: parallels blood acidity). I found putting these diets together was easier than getting fresh cows to pee in a paper cup.

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July 29, 2016

The Agri Post

Tackling a Construction Project Sometimes you need to buy a Builder’s Risk policy when doing construction projects and other times you don’t. If the coverage is required, it can be purchased by your General Contractor or by you. When you do a new building project, the only coverage suited is the builder’s risk policy. To obtain full and complete coverage you are required to purchase this before the foundation is complete. When doing a renovation project or are simply adding equipment to the existing structure, the building insurance already in place may be all you need. Increase the limit, notify the insurance company of what you are doing and that is it. If you are increasing the rebuilding cost of the facility you will need to increase the coverage limit. Sometimes you are renovating what is already there so there is no need to increase the limit. However, when doing a renovation and adding to the existing building at the same time it could go either way. Sometimes increased limit of coverage is required and yet other times a compete separate Builder’s Risk policy is required. It will depend on a number of factors. It is recommended you increase the coverage limit prior to beginning the renovation in order to avoid being underinsured. It is also a good idea to check the existing building insurance policy to make sure the renovation project fits within the parameters of the current policy. Be sure to seek advice and purchase insurance from those who understand your business! Andy Anderson is an Associate Insurance Broker specializing in General, Life and Group Benefits for Farm, Commercial/Agri-business Ph: 204-746-5589 Tf: 866 765 3351 andya@rempelinsurance.com / www.rempelinsurance.com / www.valleyfinancial.ca.

British Built to Last

Bill Kehler and his Ferguson tractor that is undergoing restoration.

By Les Kletke Bill Kehler admitted, “I didn’t really know what I had when I bought it, but now that I know, I’ll finish the restoration.” Kehler was looking for a little tractor to help out with

his landscaping around the yard and what he bought was a 1946 Ferguson TO 20. That was back in 1992, only becoming aware of the overseas build when he checked the serial number to look for tractor parts. Over a half million of the

Photo by Les Kletke

little grey Fergies were built at the plant in Coventry, England. “I was looking for a little Ford like an 8 N when I found this one, it has the same lift system as the Ford does,” he said. It is no wonder Fergusson and Ford had a handshake agreement that Ford would produce the tractors in North America for this market. The hydraulic system forerunner of the 3 pt. hitch that is universal today was developed by Fergusson. The tractor was built in England by the Fergusson tractor company under the direction of Harry Ferguson. The designation was a simple T indicated tractor, O indicated it was from overseas and 20 was the amount of horsepower it should deliver as computed by a formula not a practical test. Machines built for the domestic market were designate TE 20 with the E indicating the market in England. Things went awry when Ford began producing more of the tractors and marketing them under the Ford name plate and through his dealership network. A long and ugly court battle ensued and eventually Fergusson partnered with Massey to become Massey Fergusson to compete with Ford. When the deal with Ford came undone, Ferguson shipped 25,000 of the E model tractors to North America; these were virtually the same tractor. There was also a model 30 built in Michigan and was manufactured until the mid1950s. Kehler drove the Fergusson in this year’s Tractor Trek from the Mennonite Village Museum in Steinbach to Richer and back. “It is kind of fitting” he said. “The trek is to raise money for mental illness and Harry Fergusson struggled with mental illness most of his life.” He plans to complete the restoration of the tractor. He has already done the motor, and has an appointment for a paint job. “And I know it needs a brake job so I will do that this fall or winter.”

The Agri Post

July 29, 2016

The Agri Post

Farmer Turned Inventor Makes Sampling Crop Easier By Les Kletke It is only fitting that in an Olympic year Gerry Devloo would be racking up the medals although he is not one of the athletes destined for this year’s Olympiad, he is a semi-retired farmer turned inventor. Devloo credits his time on the farm in central Manitoba as teaching the lesson of ingenuity and always looking to do things better easier. His Canola Crusher has been awarded a mitt full of medals from the shows he has been at and the device has been recognized for its innovation nearly a dozen times. Devloo did not set out to change the world; he merely wanted to make things easier for the guy who has to roll a couple of hundred canola samples each day. Normally the samples are placed in individual pockets and stuck to a piece of tape and rolled, then the green seeds are counted and the sample is graded accordingly. “A guy in an elevator might be doing hundreds of samples a day,” he said. “So this allows him to crush the seed and get an accurate reading of the green seed count in the sample.” He acknowledged that he was not thinking of the farmer market when he developed the device. “I was thinking of the guy who rolls a couple of hunGerry Devloo developed the canola mini crusher to “save the arm” of farmers when sampling their canola. Photo by Les Kletke

July 29, 2016

dred samples a day, and his arm gets tired,” he said. “But farmers have been buying the machines.” Despite that it is a “better mouse trap” the world has not exactly beaten a path to his door and he has been able to keep up with orders. Most of his sales have been to grain companies where buyers are rolling a large number of samples every day. This speeds up the process. The machine retails for $840. And he has been demonstrating it at farm shows across the prairies since he received his proto type 4 years ago. “There has been interest from grain companies,” he said. “But farmers have been buying them at shows. Larger farms go through a lot of samples when the canola is close to ready and this allows them to get a good read on their sample so they know if the canola is mature.” Devloo was part Canolapalooza an industry wide event in Portage la Prairie that had over 40 exhibitors from all aspects of the canola business. He was right next to a display sampling canola oil on salads. “It just shows the diversity of the industry,” said Devloo.

Manitoba Inputs Ag Priorities, Hopes to Influence National Policy Framework Federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) meetings held in Calgary recently concluded after hosting key discussions on Canada’s next agricultural framework, which is set to launch in 2018. “These meetings are essential for Manitoba Agriculture in ensuring our priorities are established as we work together with federal, provincial and territorial partners in developing the next agricultural framework for Canada,” said Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler. Discussions at the FPT meetings were based on business risk management; market access, market development and trade policy; science and innovation; environment and climate change; public trust; food processing; food policy; emergency management; and regulatory framework. “Discussions on public trust were greatly encouraging with all voices committed to openness and transparency, which are key commitments of Manitoba’s new government,” Eichler said. “We were glad to see many other priorities of Manitoba Agriculture discussed at the FPT meetings, including continued investments in research and development, a focus on growing market access and maintaining a consultative approach while growing the agricultural sector.”

The Agri Post

July 29, 2016

“Don’t Lose it Now”- Too Much Invested in Field By Les Kletke

Angela Brackenreed of the canola agronomist demonstrates sampling equipment she uses to monitor combine losses. Photo by Les Kletke

Angela Brackenreed has a clear message for canola producers at harvest time, “Don’t lose it now.” “You have put too much into the crop, and you have seed in the field,” she said. “Don’t lose it because of an improperly adjusted machine.” Brackenreed is an agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada and farms herself, together with her father. Brackenreed said that modern technology provides every reason and option for the producer to have their machine set properly. “There are apps for your phone, and all the calculations have been done,” she said. “It is easy to calculate how much seed is being lost by an improperly set machine.” Brackenreed was part of a three pronged approach to reducing harvest losses that was set up at Canolapalooza in an event that brought a carnival like atmosphere to the Ag Canada Station at Portage la Prairie and at the same time brought information on all things canola.

The event included displays from the history of canola development from rapeseed through to modern uses and market tolerances, and was intended to provide information for every aspect of the industry. Brackenreed was concerned about having farmers set their combines to get the ultimate return from the crop and that meant capturing every seed reasonably possible. “Today’s choppers do a good job of spreading chaff,” she said. “That also means they do a good job of spreading the

seed that comes out the back, so if you are only testing behind a machine with a good straw chopper your losses may appear minimal.” She recommends removing the stray chopper before setting the machine. “That gives you a true representation of what is coming out the back of the machine, directly behind it,” she said. “You also want to be loading the machine as uniformly as possible,” she explained. “You want to be loading the walkers as evenly as possible and on

straight land. I know that is not always possibly but it is best to do the test on the best conditions possible and have your machine set properly. I know it will not always be running in ideal conditions.” She reminds producers that not all losses are at the back of the machine, some may be coming from threshing at the header, and it is important that the header speed match the ground speed to avoid threshing and keep feeding the machine uniformly,” she said.

Manitoba Ag Hosts Industry Consultations Manitoba Agriculture hosted consultations with more than 100 stakeholder groups from Manitoba’s diverse agricultural industry recently to facilitate discussion around industry strengths, as well as opportunities for improvement and growth. The first consultation took place on June 28 at the Manitoba Legislative Building. It was attended by more than 40 participants who spoke openly in a roundtable format about the strengths and opportunities within their sector of the industry, the minister noted. The second consultation took place in mid-July at the Portage Credit Union Centre in Portage la Prairie. Manitoba Agriculture hosted representatives from nearly 100 stakeholder groups for a full day featuring remarks from Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler, presentations from industry experts and breakout sessions to discuss presentation subjects. In addition to hosting group consultations, Manitoba Agriculture has set up an email address for feedback from the province’s agricultural industries. Comments and recommendations can be sent to MBAgPolicyConsultation@gov.mb.ca.

The Agri Post

July 29, 2016

Reducing Combine Bushel Losses By Les Kletke Scott Hildebrand is in the business of helping farmers get more grain in the hopper of their combine. While many products or individuals may make that claim, Hildebrand does it in a measurable way. Hildebrand is a product specialist with Green Valley Equipment and helps producers harvest more of the crop they have already grown. His goal is to prevent losses from the front to the back of the combine. Hildebrand said that he has seen machines from nearly perfect to outright wasteful. “In canola I have seen from 3/4 of a bushel to 7 or 8 bushels an acre,” he said. “That is too much at ten dollar canola that is 80 dollars an acre going out the back of the machine.” When he gets down to serious business it is not only the back of the machine he checks, it begins at the front with the pick up running the correct speed to match ground speed while not thrashing the crop. When visiting a farm to do his testing and proper

setting Hildebrand comes equipped with a pan the width of the machine which is attached underneath by an electro magnet. “We drop the pan by remote control so that combine goes over it at the speed it would be traveling in the field,” he said. “That gives us the most accurate idea of what the machine is doing and then we start to work from there, to reduce losses.” He said the pan set up is available and retails at about $1,200 but said it is not necessary for a farmer. “We provide the service and a farmer need not go through the whole operation every time he moves to a new field, he will have some idea of where to start with setting on his machine and then it is just a matter of fine tuning.” Hildebrand said there are individual traits to each machine. “I have clients with two or three machines and each one is different. I recommend that the farmer become familiar with each machine and know where his starting points are on that machine in each crop.” He acknowledged that

Achieving Growth Through Development of Canadian Beef Markets The federal government has announced an investment of up to $6.4 Million over three years to help Canadian Beef increase global consumer demand and loyalty for the Canadian Beef brand. This strategic initiative will support Canadian Beef’s three-year market development and promotion plan targeting key regional hubs in Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America. The initiative will enhance consumer trust and appreciation for the value and desirability of Canadian Beef through activities that aim to understand and meet consumer needs.

harvest conditions change throughout the day, and that requires adjustment of the machine. “The hardest thing to set the machine properly is canola when you are down to that 5% moisture level,” he said. “You have a lot of material to deal with and I recommend to try and reduce the amount of material on the sieves to let them do their job.” The amount of losses may seem small percentages but he estimates that a properly set combine could save a producer $20,000 a year.

Scott Hildebrand uses a pan under the combine to measure grain loss.

Photo by Les Kletke

The Agri Post

July 29, 2016

Crops Ripening Early August By Elmer Heinrichs With another week of good growing conditions Manitoba crops are progressing very well.

Recent hail caused light to severe damage to Manitoba canola crops, but there still are some exceptional crops scattered throughout the province.

Weather permitting, combining of winter wheat, rye and the first cereal crops will begin in the first week of August. While conditions have been

less than ideal, generally good growing conditions continue to advance crops across central and eastern regions and most of the rest of Manitoba. Localized thunderstorms however did result in significant precipitation amounts and crop lodging in some areas. In the central region temperatures remained

moderate, with good growing conditions through the second week of July. However, rainfall throughout the week, combined with cloud cover and high humidity limited drying conditions for haying operations and increased potential for crop diseases. Some fields handled the rainfall well; in others,

standing water is a concern, especially in the later seeded crops. Yellowing and crop thinning due to excess moisture is evident. A majority of acres and crop types are in the flowering and grain fill stages of development. Cereals continue to advance. Heading stage has been reached in all spring cereals. Lodging is reported in some of the earliest seeded fields, a result of high winds and thunderstorm activity. Later-seeded canola is growing rapidly, much is still flowering, and podding is seen in the more advanced fields. Flowering in peas continues and podding has begun. Stands are generally good. Corn is deep-rooted and growing rapidly, and early fields are in tassel. Soybeans continue to flower and pod. Nodulation appears to be successful with some concern for the wettest fields. Edible beans also continue to flower, and sunflowers are growing rapidly with some fields in bloom stage. Fall rye and winter wheat are progressing well. Most fields are in good to excellent condition as they continue to mature. Fall rye harvest is expected to begin shortly. Eastern regions reports rainfall of 20 mm to as much as 60 mm with higher precipitation in northern and southern districts. Weather in July week two was highly variable ranging from periods of sun to sudden thunderstorms and heavy rainfall events. Conditions were not conducive to drying, but producers did make progress with field operations, particularly spraying with ground rigs and increased use of planes. Loss of yield potential due to excess moisture continued to occur across the region. Topsoil moisture on cropland is at least adequate. Crops are coming along well, some are flowering, winter wheat was in the dough stage, with straw and heads starting to turn, canola is podding, field peas are filling, soybeans either flowering or into podding, and sunflowers are budding, with some fields in full bloom. Herbicide and fungicide applications are virtually complete, with a few more possible, perhaps by plane, on later seeded crop if justified by crop yield potential. Haying operations have been challenging due to wet weather and field conditions. First-cut haying progress is noted as 15 per cent baled or in silage, with an additional 10 per cent cut and the remainder of the crop still standing. Quality is mostly good, and so are the pastures.

The Agri Post

July 29, 2016

Manitoban Families Sponsor Acres for Syria Opportunities to sponsor an acre through Grow Hope project still available For the Thiessen family of Lorette, being a part of the Grow Hope Manitoba project and helping to provide food for people in Syria is a way to participate in God’s call to feed the hungry. “We believe we can express our love to God by being generous and sharing with those who go without,” says Daphne Thiessen. Daphne, her husband Randall, along with their sons Sam, 10, and Kai, 13, are sponsoring two acres of soybeans on Artel Farm near Niverville through the Grow Hope project. When the crop is harvested and sold, the profit will be donated to the Mennonite Central Committee account at the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and used to help people experiencing hunger in Syria. An initial $300 sponsorship can turn into as much as $500 once the crop is bought and sold. “It’s an opportunity to be good stewards,” says Daphne, noting the farm connection is especially important to her. “I grew up on a grain farm west of the city,” she adds. “It’s important to me to keep my kids connected to

the land, knowing where food comes from, and what it takes to feed people.” The project is also bridging multiple generations in the family, including Daphne’s parents, and Sam and Kai, who chose to use some of the savings their grandparents have given them over the years. “My mom told me about Grow Hope, and I thought it sounded cool, so I sponsored an acre with my brother,” says Sam. “I think Jesus wants me to be generous.” His older brother, Kai, agrees, noting that the farming connection was part of what drew him to the project. “I have a garden box that I have planted with tomatoes and basil this year. The idea of being somewhat connected to the land that me and my brother sponsored is one of the other reasons I chose to sponsor an acre,” he says. “God has given me a lot of great things and it only seems right to share with others.” This year, proceeds from Grow Hope Manitoba will be used to help respond to the crisis in Syria, where many people continue to suffer from the effects of the ongoing conflict. So far, the young soybean crop is about 15 cm high,

Mapleleaf Foods to PPump ump Out More After Expansion

Bacon Production Set to Increase The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing $500,000 in an expansion project that will increase bacon production at Maple Leaf Food’s Winnipeg-based facility by eight million kilograms every year. Government funding will be used to purchase new processing and packaging equipment for the bacon production line at the Maple Leaf Foods plant in Winnipeg. Maple Leaf Food’s investment in the bacon line expansion project is valued at more than $5.9 million and is expected to be complete later this year. The expansion is expected to create 34 new permanent, full-time jobs as well as 34 part-time jobs and is part of a larger $35-million expansion of the plant. Maple Leaf Foods is Canada’s largest value-added protein company, with fresh and prepared meats operations located in Winnipeg and Brandon, Man., as well as Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. The ministers noted this expansion will help increase exports of Canadian pork to highly valuable international markets.

according to Grant Dyck, the farmer who has volunteered his family’s land and manpower for the project. “We’ve been getting a lot of rain lately, which isn’t great, and leaves are a bit more yellow than they should be,” he says, noting that he isn’t worried. “As long as we get some good sunny days in the next little while, the plants will bounce back. Soy beans are a long growing season crop, and particularly where the plants are on higher ground, they are starting to spread out nicely.”

It’s not too late to get involved with Grow Hope Manitoba! Grant still has

acres available for sponsorship. For more information, go to mcccanada.ca/learn/

more/grow-hope or call the MCC Manitoba office at (204)261-6381.

July 29, 2016

The Agri Post

Testing for Iron Chlorosis Deficiency is Not an Exact Science By Les Kletke Brunel Sabourin knew that Iron Chlorosis Deficiency in soybeans was not an exact science before he became involved with the on farm trials, but the finding this year has confirmed his beliefs. “There are so many things involved,” said Sabourin. “The soil type, the high nitrates in some soils, the amount of moisture, these can all have effects on the plant and the way it reacts.” Brunel is working with the farmer co-operator at Ile des Chenes on a field as part of the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers Association (MPSGA) on farm trials. The trial is testing Soygreen which is a product used in North Dakota to prevent or at least reduce the impact of Iron Chlorosis in soybeans. The trials are using the product at 2.5 and 3.75 litres per ace as well as an untreated check. The field trials are intended to provide growers with in-field results rather than information from small trials. At a recent field day Sabourin walked growers across the field and showed them that other factors were also at play as they affected the check strips across the field. “Topography can be a factor, and in a year like this where there is adequate and more moisture that can also come into play,” he said. He added that sometime testing of plants was somewhat misleading because a plant might exhibit characteristics completely different than one a few metres away but yet they received the same treatment in the field. He also noted that manure applications could have an effect on the plant due to high nitrate levels. Kristin Podolsky, Production Specialist with the MPSGA said that plants are rated for Iron Chlorosis with a rating from 1-5 with 5 used for plants that are starting to die.

Brunel Sabourin says a number of conditions contribute to Iron Deficiency Chlorosis. Photo by Les Kletke

Podolsky stressed that the first step in combating the problem is to select varieties that have a strong rating of not being affected by the problem. “You can’t change the kind of soil you have,” said Sabourin. “So if you are going to plant soybeans on a field that you think might have a problem with Iron Chlorosis you need to select a variety that is not susceptible. All seed varieties sold in Manitoba have a rating on them and you should be paying attention when you are buying your seed.” Podolsky said that any yield advantage that might come from a high yielding variety could be lost if the variety is susceptible to Iron Chlorosis and planted into conditions where it will be a problem.

The Agri Post

July 29, 2016

The Agri Post

July 29, 2016

Two Million Acres of Soybeans in Manitoba Not that Far Away By Harry Siemens While soybeans may never surpass the once Cinderella crop known first as rapeseed, and then canola, because of economics it still is a long-season crop making its own impact for farmers in Manitoba. At the recent SMART Day hosted by the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers Association (MPSGA) in Carman showcasing agronomic research conducted at the Ian N. Morrison Research Farm attendees viewed research plots and took part in interactive lessons by University of Manitoba researchers and their lab groups. Dennis Lange, Provincial Pulse Specialist in Manitoba said soybeans have come a long way from the Altona meeting in 1999 where 200 farmers met to hear what the soybean industry had to offer. The soybean industry has also come a long way since that first meeting when growers planted around 10,000 acres, now over 1.6 million and 2 million acres are predicted. “We’ve come a long way from when the farmers just planted the crop of soybeans but now advances in seed varieties and plant qualities give them the ability to grow the crop more scientifically,” said Lange. “When we first started growing the crop in Manitoba, we had maybe 2 varieties to choose from. They were conventional varieties and basically suited for areas around Altona, Winkler and Morden. Now we have a selection of almost 70 lines to choose from for growers all over Manitoba.” He said growers can really make good selections based on varieties suited for their growing needs whether growing soybeans in Altona, Morden, and Morris, or whether in Boissevain and Carberry, there are varieties now suited to those regions. “With the advent of RoundUp Ready soybeans moving in, growers are really able to fine tune their weed control options as well and that makes the crop very successful,” he said. Cracking good seed when moving it into the seeder after paying good money for it is a no-no. Whereas cutting a seed potato in half before planting is the thing to do, a cracked soybean seed does not grow. “With our talk we had here this morning, one of the things we encourage growers to look at is, not only what the total germination is of the seed, but the moisture of the seed as well,” said Lange. “The

Manitoba Canola Growers Association Recognizes Students with Scholarships

Daniel Nychuk, Domain He is planning to attend the University of Manitoba to attend the Asper School of Business.

Dennis Lange demonstrates a soybean seed soak test to determine how many cracked soybeans the sample actually has in order to adjust the actual target the grower needs to seed on his germinated soybean field.

drier the seed is, the greater chance of damaging that seed when a farmer augers it from the drill-fill into the seeder. A farmer must be aware of these kinds of things.” At the first stop on a hot, muggy day he tells farmers to do a soak test to determine how many cracks the sample has, and if those cracks range upwards of 15 percent, that means those seeds with a crack are not going to germinate causing a reduction in stand once the soybeans do germinate. “If a producer spends good money on seed, and he’s planting 200,000 seeds per acre, but you don’t make allowances for that, and you damage that seed, you may be down to 80,000 plants per acre that actually germinate and poke through that rich soil,” Lange said. “That would cause some real problems and that is the purpose of the exercise to bring it to the forefront of the growers’ minds. Come next year when they are looking at their seed and determining the planting rates, they can factor in not only germination but the dryness of the seed as well.” The plant stands represented in the test plots range from a low 50,000 plants per acre, which may be below the economic level for what growers would really want to see in the fields. Some plots were at 75,000 plants per acre, and at that stand the grower would have some real challenges with weed issues as there is more open ground resulting in weeds pushing through and more applications of glyphosate needed to control those weeds.

“Once you get into that magic range of 140,000 to 170,000 plants per acre, and that is what the grower really wants to be looking at,” he said. “The grower needs to decide the target in plants per acre, if he’s targeting for 150,000 plants, then factor in germination, and mortality, so that way he may end up planting 200,000 seeds to get that 150,000 plants per acre magical target,” he explained. Lange reminded growers to keep in mind, be very cautious because soybeans are still susceptible to a fall frost. “The last five years we’ve been pretty fortunate not having any killing frost in September,” he said. “At some point we most likely will have that and growers need to kind of factor that in. Soybeans are still a long season crop, you plant them in May and you harvest them in September no matter where you are in Manitoba. And typically it is mid to late September when most growers harvest their soybeans, not the first of September.”

Emily Barteaux, Birtle She is planning to attend the University of Saskatchewan to take Agriculture and Bioresources.

Jessica Johnston, Teulon She is planning to attend the University of Manitoba to take Nursing.

The Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) is proud to announce their 2016 scholarship winners. Five $1000 scholarships have been awarded to deserving high school students across Manitoba. The $1,000 scholarships are available to students who are from a farm that is a member of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association and are planning to attend post secondary education in any field within two years of graduating. Students submitted their applications, which were judged by an independent panel, based on academic standing, their personal canola connection, references, essay submission and school and community involvement.

Jessica Mayes, Pierson She is planning to attend McGill University to take Agriculture and Environmental Science.

Rebecca Zimmer, Inglis She is planning to attend the University of Manitoba in U1 Sciences.

The Agri Post

Squeeze Out Profitable Beef Creep Feeding Dollars in 2016 By Peter Vitti For much of this summer a lot of rain has fallen across the prairies and has made pastures lush with green grass. Many beef cow-calf producers which creep spring calves have found cows are literarily bursting with milk, so their spring calves are making few visits to the calf-feeders. It has been my experience that eventually calves will come up and eat more creep feed. That’s because by late-summer, milk production of the nursing cow naturally slows down and will make up about 50% of her calf’s growing requirements. Lush pastures will also mature and lay down more fiber, which limits available nutrients for good calf growth. By creep feeding calves, supplemental feed not only fills this nutritional gap, but can make for a more profitable calf at weaning time. For many people, creep feeding calves must be profitable even before they consider it. In the last five-years of creep feeding in western Canada, the picture shows four positive annual return on investment (ROI) (2012-2015) and only one negative ROI year (2011). The biggest ROI of 142% was set last fall. For 2016, I present the following spreadsheet. It illustrates the current financial status of a 100 day creep feeding program implemented for a group of large-framed calves with standard genetics and replacement heifers segregated to another pasture put on a different feeding program. Other parameters include: 1. A commercial 14% creep feed pellet @ $350/mt is fed, 2. Feed conversion of these pellets is 6.0 lbs of weaned weight gain, 3. All calves are weaned at 600 lbs and 4. A cwt market discount of 5 cents per lb.

I showed these calculations to a friend who operates a 300 cow-calf operation. He said that $25 per calf didn’t seem much profit, if you could get them to eat creep-feed in the first place. Never-the-less, I disagreed with him. Even in a flat or down cattle market; my current calculation of his 350 cows x 96% calving rate x 90% marketable calves (replacement heifers held back) x $25.53 per weaned calf yields about $6,600.00. By looking at this absolute profit of nearly $7,000, it didn’t take my friend long to envision the worthiness of creep feeding his calves, once they are dramatically eat 8 – 10 lbs per day by summer’s end and well into the fall months. Subsequently, his creep feeders and others should be filled with a nutritious well-balanced creep feed; 14% protein, medium level energy (65 – 70% TDN), balanced with calcium, phosphorus, salt, fortified trace mineral-vitamin pack (especially copper, zinc, selenium, vitamin A and vitamin E). A probiotic or yeast plus a coccidiostat such as monensin sodium should also be added to the final creep formula. I use these nutrient guidelines to put together practical creep feeding feeds and programs that put efficient gains (compliment milk and forage intake) on spring calves without making them “fleshy or greasy”. That means. I like to formulate beef calf creep feeds using some barley, wheat middling, corn distillers’ grains and soybean meal. Furthermore, I avoid sunflower and canola meal due to lower palatability and most feed screenings due to low feed quality and high risk of mycotoxins, although good quality pea and lentils screening are acceptable. I do this work in conjunction with local feed mills and get a commercial pellet made, which has a 5 – 6% feed consumption advantage over chop feed when fed to spring calves. It is unfortunate such good creep pellets should not be fed to all calves. For example, held-back replacement heifers (as mentioned in my friend’s situation) need only modest energy diet made up of mainly of milk and forage. Otherwise, they could get over-conditioned, which universal field trials have shown leads to lower milk production as mature cows. As a result, leads to lower weaning weights of future calves. Most cow-calf herds that I know are set up to feed good creep feed on pasture to spring calves and move their retained heifers, somewhere else. Consequently, creep feeding is still significantly utilized by many cow-calf producers as a means of supplementing essential nutrients to saleable beef calves, where milk and forage supplies become short. Despite lower selling prices projected for weaned calves this fall, those producers committed to putting calf creep feeders out on pasture should squeeze out on profitable creep feeding in 2016.

July 29, 2016

Soybean Research Questions are Moving Targets By Les Kletke While soybeans have established themselves in Manitoba’s crop rotation is still a great deal to learn about growing the crop and the complete information package is like shooting at a moving target. While earlier attempts to establish the crop in Manitoba failed, research has provided Manitoba farmers with varieties that are suited to many weather conditions and soil types and continues providing new varieties followed by new questions. Elizabeth Karpinchick is with Tone Ag Consulting and works out of St. Pierre-Jolys and involved with on-field trials sponsored by the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers Association. One trial in eastern Manitoba is looking at seed treatment and the impact of insects on the crop. She said that one advantage Manitoba growers have over their American counterpart is that soybean aphids do not over winter here. They do however arrive with winds from the south. “We are doing work to evaluate insects and their impact on the crop,” she

Elizabeth Karpinchick and Kristen Podolosky compare noduation on soybean roots. Photo by Les Kletke

said. “But we need to do more work on establishing the economic threshold.” Work is also being done on fungicide and controlling disease in the crop. “We are doing the research and evaluating the median response to inputs and what provides an economic return for growers,” she continued. Karpinchick said that field trials add an additional challenge to results. “We have different conditions in the field and some years are wet and some are dry,” she said. “We know that disease challenges are different in wet years.” “We have seen that fungicide provides protection for 3

to 4 weeks but when the crop is out of the ground they are again susceptible. Genetic resistance is not available and even if it is, the race of the disease keeps changing and a new race may evolve to attack a crop.” She said that some disease races that are most prevalent in North Dakota do not appear in Manitoba and vice versa. “There is a lot of research that needs to be done about the crop and it is an ongoing process,” she concluded. Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers Association is working with farmers across the province to provide field scale research into production problems.

Agriculture Producers Shape Public Perception Canadian producers recognize the importance of public perception and see themselves playing a lead role in sharing information about their operations and practices to maintain their social license to operate, according to a recent Farm Credit Canada Vision panel survey. FCC’s Producer Perspectives on Social License survey shows more than two thirds (68 per cent) of producers who responded to the survey believe public perception will have a growing impact on their operation over the next five years. Three quarters (72 per cent) of respondents also indicated they are comfortable sharing information about their operation practices in order to strengthen public trust and maintain their social license to operate. “The good news is that most producers are aware of the potential impact public perception can have on their operations and are willing to share information about their practices with anyone interested in learning more about how food is produced,” said Marty Seymour, FCC director of industry and stake-

holder relations. “Canada’s agriculture sector produces among the safest, highest-quality food in the world and it’s done in a socially responsible manner,” Seymour said. “The industry and individual producers take seriously their social license to operate, which is earned by maintaining public trust and confidence in what is produced and how it’s produced.” The survey found that almost half (46 per cent) of respondents have concerns about social license and their top concern (80 per cent) is new regulations that could result from public demands. While most producers want to share information and talk about their agricultural practices, a recent survey by the new Canadian Centre for Food Integrity indicated most consumers are willing to listen and interested in learning about where their food comes from and how it is grown. The Canadian CFI Public Trust Survey, released on May 31, showed 93 per cent of consumers know little or nothing about Canadian farming practices, and a majority (60 per cent) of those respondents indicated they want to

know more about farming practices. The same survey indicated farmers are viewed the most favourably – ahead of medical professionals, scientific researchers and government officials – in providing information about food and food production. According to the FCC survey, 82 per cent of respondents are motivated to share information with the public to help them better understand agricultural practices. The survey also showed 85 per cent of producers already share information with others beyond fellow producers and operators, 34 per cent host tours of their operations and 31 per cent respond to public comments and photos on social media. Seymour said the industryled initiative – Agriculture More Than Ever – is encouraging producers to connect with consumers to develop a better understanding of agriculture practices in Canada. Launched more than four years ago, it has attracted over 470 partner organizations and 2,300 individuals committed to creating positive perceptions of agriculture.

The Agri Post

July 29, 2016

Large Soybean-Processing Plant in the Works for Manitoba

The Soybean Management & Research Transfer (SMART) Day is a field event designed for farmers and agronomists to sharpen their soybean management skills. On July 20, SMART Day showcased agronomic research conducted at the Ian N. Morrison Research Farm in Carman. Attendees viewed research plots and took part in interactive lessons conducted by University of Manitoba researchers and their lab groups.

By Harry Siemens Les Routledge of Killarney who is instrumental in doing the research for a soybean crushing plant in Manitoba said it is nice to learn that someone actually has responded to the research and analysis that his group did for the City of Brandon. “I am 100 percent convinced that there will be a soy plant located in Manitoba,” said Routledge. “I also believe the optimum

location is migrating west every year as acres expand in southwest Manitoba and southeast Saskatchewan. Our team recommended that the lead actor in the process be assigned to the Ag Committee of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce. There are some really dynamic people who make up that committee and they are best positioned to deal with the companies and investors who could make this possible development a reality.”

In speaking with Dan Mazier, President of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) farmers at the advisory council meeting in Brandon recently voted to support the Brandon Chamber of Commerce in its efforts to attract a largescale soybean processing plant to Manitoba. “The soybean acreage in the province has been steadily increasing as a result of new varieties that are suited to western Canada’s shorter growing

season,” said Mazier. “Traditionally, this crop was only produced in areas with longer growing seasons.” Manitoba’s soybean production has increased from 100,000 acres in 2005 to an estimated 1.7 million in 2016, and is expected to increase further next year. “There are several smaller facilities in the province that process soybeans, but there is nothing as large as the proposed plant. As a result, much of our soybean crop is shipped elsewhere for processing,” he said. “An inprovince facility of this size would mean lower shipping costs and would help farmers realize a greater profit for their soybeans. In addition, it would create jobs and economic activity here in Manitoba.”

Attendees moving from plot to plot on a very hot and humid day show just how much interest there is in growing soybeans in Manitoba. With 1.7 million acres planted in 2016 there is a real need to develop and build a much larger soybean crushing plant in Manitoba.

Promoting Health Benefits of Canola Early on in Life By Les Kletke Growing a crop that produces some of the healthiest safest cooking oil in the world is not enough for Manitoba farmers, they have to take to the marketing aisles and inform consumers of just how good the oil produced from their crop is. Ellen Pruden is with the Manitoba Canola Growers and she said that it is not only a matter of informing consumers about the benefits of canola oil compared to other competitors but in some cases it goes back to informing consumers about what canola is and how the crop is produced and turned into an oil product. Pruden said that the recent influx of immigrants means there is a large number of people who are not familiar with the crop and they provide a ready audience for information about the oil and its benefits. The display is part of an educational program targeting new immigrants through English as a Second Language program run through the University of Manitoba. To inform the public including newly arrived immigrants information is conveyed to children in schools. “We have programs that go into schools and educate youngsters about how they can use canola oil in making a salad,” said Pruden. “These kids go home to show off their new skill and make part of the meal for their family.” Pruden said it is not just recent immigrants that are excited by the program. “There are many kids growing up in non-traditional homes,” she said. “They are not learning the skills we took for granted a generation or two ago. To them making a salad is a big step to preparing a meal.” She said that it is not just about using canola oil, “The salad also teaches them about healthy choices for the

In 2015, previous Federal and Provincial governments and industry partners jointly funded and released a feasibility study finding that the province has the right mix of production and market demand to support a soybean crushing facility. The study determined a crushing facility would be economically viable, based on the growth of the province’s soybean acreage and the demand for soybean meal in the western Canadian livestock industry. There are currently no large-scale soybean crushing facilities in western Canada. According to the joint study a soybean crushing plant would bring many benefits for agriculture including an expanded local

menu, they are using fresh vegetables in the salad and making better choices for the whole meal.” Jennifer Dyck is with the Canola Growers as well and works with the Little Green Thumb program which encourages students to plant their own garden which in turn yields the vegetables for the salad. The Manitoba Canola Growers had their display set up a Canolapalooza in Portage la Prairie and for those who attended they received a sample of fresh salad with a canola based dressing. In turn, producers got to see what their promotional dollars are doing and no one complained about having a healthy snack while touring the displays.

Jenifer Dyck shows off how canola oil can be used in a salad with Manitoba veggies.

Photo by Les Kletke

market for soybean growers, the ability to avoid rail transportation needed to export commodities like soybeans, a new, local protein feed source for livestock farmers; and overall economic benefits, estimated at $190 million per year, based on facility construction and job creation. “We have an opportunity to provide more value to growers in Manitoba and it’s always good to have an alternative market that doesn’t rely on exports,” said Kyle Friesen, Chair of the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers. “We want to encourage local supply and demand to keep value-added processing in Manitoba to support jobs, the tax base and economic activity.” Manitoba currently produces nearly 20 percent of all soybeans grown in the country. The study estimates soybean acreage could quadruple in western Canada over the next decade, partially in response to growing global demand for the crop, as well as processed soybean meal and oil. Currently, most soybeans grown in Manitoba are either shipped to the United States or China for processing.

Local Brewery Invests in Manitoba Agri-Tourism A unique collaboration between the Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team (MCVET), the Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association (MSGA), and Farmery Estate Brewery, a local brewery that grows its own barley and hops for its beer, has the goal to increase tourists’ knowledge of our malting barley history and malting barley varieties used for beer. Tourists driving down Yellowhead highway this summer just before Neepawa at Arden Ridge will see, in addition to the distinctive field of poles of the expanding hop yards of the Farmery Estate Brewery, individual plots of heritage malting barley varieties growing from the early 1900s to present day. “We call it the ‘Walk Through The Ages’ tour,” said Chris Warwaruk, co-owner of Farmery Estate Brewery. “People will get to see different malting barley varieties that haven’t been grown in decades here in this province.” The seeds for the “Walk Through the Ages” heritage barley tour came from barley breeders at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Brandon, Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan and the Field Crop Development Centre, Agriculture and Forestry in Lacombe, Alberta. Many of these malt barley seed varieties are very rare and have not been grown for decades. Chris Warwaruk and Lawrence Warwaruk, owners of Farmery Estate Brewery, were inspired to do this project as a way to expand their agri-tourism offerings and to educate people about one of the main ingredients that go into beer, malt barley. Luckily for them, both the MSGA and MCVET supported the idea, and from there the project took off. “For anyone interested in malt barley, the “Walk Through the Ages” malt barley tour provides a unique opportunity to see the progress of our past to the present, and a look to our future,” said Bradley Pinkerton of SECAN, Canada’s largest distributor of certified seed. “We want not just those beer drinkers who are looking for a different beer experience, but people who enjoy beer in general, to understand the ingredients that go into their beer. Maybe once they do understand, they’ll ask for beers that use these different malt barley varieties. It’s about increasing variety so there’s more options for craft brew masters to experiment with and more different kinds of great beer that can be made and enjoyed. Overall, the more variety and choice there is all around,” Chris Warwaruk concluded.

The Agri Post

July 29, 2016

The Agri Post