Farming Smarter -- 2009 Edition

Helping Increase Your Net Returns From Farming

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Contents

5

SARA Chairman’s Message

6

Partnership Researching New Fungus Control

18 Province Undertakes Massive Coordination Under LUF 19 Plan and Test to Get the Most from Manure

7

SARA Hitting the Fields in 2008

8

Alberta Ag Still There for Farmers

20 Pulses Offer Beneficial Option to Fallow

9

World Fertilizer Demand Drives Input Costs

22 Exploring Energy Use on Farm 24 Precision Agriculture – A Tricky Target to Hit!

10 Grain Commission Removes KVD for Wheat

26 Environmentally Safe Nitrogen Update

11 Natural Gas Still Important to Fertilizers

27 Triticale: Potential Value-Adding Platform Alternative for Producers

12 SARA Field School 14 Managing Risk on the Family Farm

28 Winter Peas: Potential Pulse for Alberta’s Future

15 Multiple Group Herbicide Resistance on the Rise

30 ARECA Fosters Province-Wide Applied Research

16 Ducks Unlimited and Bayer CropScience Team Up

Farming Smarter is published annually by the Southern Applied Research Association with the assistance of the Southern Alberta Conservation Association, Ducks Unlimited and support from the Agriculture Opportunities Fund and Alberta environmentally Sustainable Agriculture program.

Editorial Board: Alex Russell, Ron Svanes, Ron Lamb, Ken Coles Editor: Claudette Lacombe • Cover Photo: Claudette Lacombe Photography: Claudette Lacombe, Hector Carcamo, Jamie Rieger, S.A.R.A. Contact SARA: Ken Coles, M.Sc. B.Sc., Agronomist, Southern Applied Research Association, Agriculture Center, #100, 5401 – 1st. Ave. South, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, T1J 4V6 Tel: 403-381-5118 Fax: 403-382-4526 Email: sara.research@connectcomm.ca Published by: 3

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4

SARA Chairman’s Message The knowledge and experience I gained through my attendance at SARA events and, for the past two years, as a board member is invaluable to me.

I encourage all farmers with a thirst for information to take part in all SARA events and research.

Our premier event, the Diagnostic Field School, is a great way to keep your farm practises up to date and to stay in tune with the latest in applied research. Also mark your calendars to attend our annual general meeting coming March 11.

Thank you for your support;

hank you to all of the members and those who support the farmer directed Southern Applied Research Association (SARA) and its works.

As an association, SARA experienced tremendous growth in the past two years. This growth benefits all southern Alberta farmers and agri-businesses. At SARA, our focus is to offer education and networking for farm producers to to help manage and make decisions on-farm. Our research and outreach projects benefit the next generations of farmers or farm employees.

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Greg Stamp Chairman, SARA Board of Directors

2009 Field School July 7, 8, 9 A whole new crop of information!

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Partnership Researching New Fungus Control

by Ric Swihart clerotinia and white mold continue to create problems for canola and bean growers, but help appears to be on the way.

Working through the Pest Management Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, two co-operating research agencies have won approval for a major field trial project to test Constans WG. It is a biological fungicide that controls sclerotinia diseases by attacking the disease-causing fungus in the soil before it can infect a susceptible plant.

The commercial formulation of Constans contains 1 X 109 active spores per gram of the naturally occurring soil fungus Coniothyrium Minitans and easily mixes with water.

Once applied into the soil, it attacks the black sclerotia that spreads the disease and destroys it within two months of contact.

This action breaks the cycle of disease by reducing or eliminating the disease-causing fungus from treated soil.

Ken Coles, agronomist for the Southern Applied Research Association, will head the largest test and include the plots in SARA’s 2009 Diagnostic Field School held each summer at the Lethbridge Research Centre.

Co-operators for that demonstration protocol include Ron Howard of Brooks’ provincial Crop Diversification Centre South, Matthias von Erffa with Prophyta, Tobias Langle with Ag Canada’s Pest Management Centre and Ty Faechner with the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta.

Coles said there should be nothing to stand in the way of registering the research project this year.

The objective of the protocol is to introduce Constans as a safe alternate control option for Canadian producers and to demonstrate efficacy for the control of sclerotinia in canola and white mold in beans.

A plot will be established with canola seeding May 1 and beans May 15. Canola will be seeded at the rate of five kilograms per hectare; beans at 75 kilograms per hectare. It will contain 13 plots with a variety of variables.

“We will attempt to inoculate this disease by spreading sclerotia bodies collected from a bean plant spread with a small hand-pushed fertilizer spreader.

Three deposits will be made at one to two centimeters deep in the spring, each with 10 sclerotia per treatment.

Barley will be seeded on plot borders in the spring to help block the spread of ascopores from plot to plot.

Canola will be seeded on the back half and beans on the front half in the spring and irrigated often to ensure disease incidence.

Some of the plots will be cultivated after spreading the sclerotia treatments and two will be cultivated again after applying Constans.

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SARA Agronomist Ken Coles visits with Ty Faechner at the SACA conference.

The field scale work will afford on-farm field demonstrations of the use of Constans within an integrated approach.

Work started in fall 2008 by identifying potential farmer demonstrators chosen due to an elevated risk of sclerotinia in canola and white mold in beans. Also, growers who farm with global positioning systems and yield monitors were selected. A good range of soil types, farming practices and incorporation practices are employed among co-operators to help determine the most effective use of Constans in southern Alberta conditions.

With the 10 fields selected, Constans was applied using field sprayers equipped with low-drift nozzles at 50 to 100 litres per hectare water volume. Constans was incorporated as soon as possible after application.

Those demonstration sites are located near Enchant, Nobleford, two each at Grassy Lake and Bow Island, Tempest, Vauxhall and Lethbridge.

Coles said the work plan and timetable for the field demonstrations appears to be satisfactory. With excellent communications between SARA and the Pest Management Centre staff, most of the barriers have been resolved.

6

SARA Hitting the Fields in 2008 Agronomist Report by Ken Coles here’s never a dull moment in southern Alberta Agriculture. It’s next to impossible to define a “normal” year and we’ve experienced a one in ten year for about the tenth year in a row! Soil moisture and precipitation were above normal while temperatures were average. Record breaking hail and wind storms repeatedly hammered large areas damaging crops and equipment. Harvest was late while an open fall offered enough time to bring in all crops with minimal reduction in quality.

SARA had a very productive and successful year despite the difficult weather. A vigorous tour season and Diagnostic Field School involved close to 600 producers, consultants, industry and government agronomists and students representing close to 15 million acres. Guests were able to network with researchers while discussing innovative crops, technologies, current issues and opportunities in production agriculture.

Along with many extension activities, SARA participated in interesting and relevant research projects including winter pulses, winter barley, winter wheat, environmentally smart nitrogen, pea leaf weevil, pest monitoring, the pulse / wheat rotation, triticale biorefinery initiation, camelina and the regional variety trials.

The demand for applied research continues to expand and SARA is taking on more projects. In the fall, SARA initiated an expanded look at winter peas and lentils cooperating with breeder Dr. Kevin McPhee from North Dakota State University, the Alberta Pulse Commission and Alberta Agriculture.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Pest Management Center also contracted SARA to design and administer a field scale project studying the effectiveness of Contans, a biofungicide used to manage sclerotinia in canola and

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Pest and beneficial insect identification.

SECAN variety update.

PHOTO: SARA

Harvesting pea leaf weevil trap crop study.

PHOTO: SARA

white mold in beans. Nine field scale plots were treated in the fall of 2008 as well as a small plot demonstration at SARA’s research site to be featured at the 2009 Diagnostic Field School. The goal is to create awareness of the product set for registration in 2009 and help adapt its use to southern Alberta practices and conditions.

SARA continues to work with ARECA and other ARA’s improving our ability to meet producers needs on a regional and provincial level. The ARECA crops team is working toward provincially coordinated field scale applied research with producer cooperators who own GPS equipment and yield monitors. This technology can be used as an effective tool to conduct research on various products and practices in a cost effective and scientifically sound manner. It also allows for site specific analysis of data considering the variability of individual fields.

PHOTO: SARA

7

Alberta Ag Still There for Farmers

by Ric Swihart he latest review of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development spells a major change in providing services to provincial farmers, says a new department head.

Cornelia Kreplin, director of the department’s agricultural research division, describes the change as one of “continuous improvement.”

“We are not taking anything away,” she said.

Part of the reason for the review is to find about $40 million to help pay for operation of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency developed to help the province and livestock producers meet the goals of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy (ALMS).

Department restructuring will result in a total reduction of 130 positions through not filling vacant positions, canceling nine department positions and incentives for voluntary early retirement accepted by more than 100 employees.

“We lost 2,600 years of service and considerable loss of knowledge said Kreplin. We are trying to bring some of it back.”

A recent Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council review found, “People in the department don’t have a clear understanding of the issues facing industry.”

Kreplin said the department has been hearing a similar message as the department’s role continues to change.

But it was the economic crisis faced by most of the globe in varying degrees that sparked the change, she said. That is when the department announced the ALMS, a $356-million investment to stabilize and strengthen the livestock sector.

Under the program, producers received a share of the initial payment of $150 million in June. The second payment of $150 million was due in January to producers who accept and adopt the strategy. They have to age verify their 2008 calf crop, ensure farm of origin for those calves and, soon, be prepared to adopt a program that will allow those cattle to be traced on their path to market.

She said the 2003 diagnosis of BSE in Alberta showed the need to be able to trace animals back and forth. “It is vital to maintain market share.”

Another move was establishment of the Alberta Feed Grain Centre of Excellence.

Industry felt that it needed to change the way it governs and that government should work as catalyst.

Another recent change was the appointment of two more directors to the strategy agency that selects directors for ability. The new directors bring membership on the board to nine.

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She said that board will work hard on market development, value chain co-ordination and building skills for producers seeking innovative ways to improve the bottom line.

She said the department will work more closely with municipal Agricultural Service Boards (ASB). Assistant Deputy Agriculture Minister Jason Krips has been traveling to ASB meetings to ask if they understand the issues.

Kreplin said the department developed three clear messages — its system of extension needs to be flexible to meet different needs across Alberta; extension staff provide expertise, but also listen to industry to bring messages back to department and, ASB members who want a change will have input to government programs.

She said the agriculture program is on the move in Alberta. “It is hearing your concerns, and designing ways it can work with industry. It has a clearer vision of its role and how it should work.”

She said, starting in 2009, the department will have an overall strategic plan, a business plan for a marketdriven industry that is concerned for food and environmental safety.

AgCall names new president

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rron Madson became the company president of AgCall announced AgCall founder, Gordon Butcher.

Madson spent his career working in the agriculture and food industry across Canada and the USA. His experience in strategic marketing, communications, sales, account management and client relations help him add value to his client’s strategic and tactical needs.

He is an experienced facilitator, active volunteer and has sat on the Board of Directors for various organizations.

“The core of AgCall’s business over the last 20 years has been providing outsourcing services to help influence customers, raise awareness and drive sales. We have developed a deep network, and have the ability to find knowledgeable people at all levels of the industry that know and understand agriculture and are trusted by their peers,” says Butcher.

For the North American agriculture and food industry, AgCall is the leading provider of project outsourcing, data services and social marketing techniques.

8

World Fertilizer Demand Drives Input Costs

by Ric Swihart utrient demand will return with a vengeance in 2009, says the head of the Canadian Fertilizer Institute speaking at the 15th annual Southern Alberta Conservation Association conference in the Medicine Hat Stampede and Cypress Centre.

Roger Larson of Ottawa says world food demand continues to rise and that means fertilizer retailers could be in for a tough time.

“Retailers moved to ensure fertilizer supplies for customers in the summer of 2008,” he said. “Many were caught off side by the sudden shift in markets.” The price of fertilizers late in 2008 jumped to record highs and it will take some time for high-priced inventory to move through the system.

Meanwhile, farmers around the world are cautious with risk minimization at the top of farmer fertilizer decisions. The difficulty of accessing credit is dramatically affecting farmers in some parts of the world.

July-December purchases of fertilizers were down 20 to 30 percent. January to June purchases were up 19 to 29 per cent in the U.S. and that means that much more fertilizers moved to Canadian retailers so they will be available for farmers.

“We have a logistics problem as well,” he said. Global fertilizer demand has increased price and supply volatility making Agri-retailers the best source for information on fertilizer markets for farmers in Canada.

He outlines some actions to consider, including: • Canada needs policies to remove constraints to Canadian fertilizer producers, including a rail level-of-service review; • Talk to the federal government to end trade distortion measures; • Look at better farm financing programs to manage the risk of purchasing farm inputs;

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• USDA, Agriculture Canada and industry company analysts working to put together a story of global supply-demand for fertilizer need better market analysis.

Larson said fertilizer makes the news when 40 to 60 per cent of world’s farmers can produce extra food with fertilizers.

“It is the most important business on earth, because we help farmers produce more food,” he said, adding that agriculture faces many challenges, including improved environmental stewardship.

Another challenge is the need to help farmers feed the world by helping to put the right product at the right rate at the right time in the right place.

Larson pointed to the world food outlook. The world population is growing 70 million a year and stands at about 6.6 billion.

Even though more food is grown on less land, agricultural production lands are shrinking in China as they flood land for hydro plants and, globally, urban sprawl paves amazing amounts of land.

Larson said there are about one billion in the world desperately trying to improve diets to North America standards; which means additional feed stock requirements. Also, more fruits and vegetables are under intensive production.

He said the Canadian dollar plays a role in agriculture. When it dipped in value compared with the American dollar late last year, it meant higher prices for exported foods while cost of inputs increased because they are based on the American dollar.

HARNESS THE ENERGY: Advantages and Opportunities in the 21st Century he annual Canadian Farm Business Management Council (CFBMC) Managing Excellence in Agriculture conference brought together experts in business management, finance, succession planning, renewable energy and biofuels, work-life balance and a variety of other topics.

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“We know farming is a challenging industry and requires similar skill sets needed to make any other business successful, so we bring together the resources that we hope will make it easier for these farmers to succeed in agriculture in Canada,” says Melissa Dumont, Project Manager, CFBMC. “The speakers and experts we brought together this year really provided a broad range of expertise that focused not just on the farmer but also a variety of industry partners,” says Dumont.

9

Grain Commission Removes KVD for Wheat

by Ric Swihart lberta wheat producers may see a return to more biodiversity in available varieties now that the Canadian Grain Commission removed kernel visual distinquishability (KVD) for wheat.

Brian Beres, a scientist with the Lethbridge Research Centre and secretary for the Prairie Registration Recommending Committee for Wheat, Rye and Triticale said KVD was an effective method of segregating registered wheat varieties, a major reason for Canada’s world-wide reputation for quality bread wheat.

However, the change is good because KVD meant low biodiversity in the gene pool for plant breeders.

Beres told the Southern Ag Advantage Conference hosted by the Southern Alberta Conservation Association that low biodiversity means a very narrow genetic base for western Canadian wheat.

That leads to restricted yield improvement compared with rest of the world, said Beres. It can also mean delayed introduction of pest and disease resistance like Fusarium head blight.

There can be a gradual loss of Canadian market competitiveness because of those factors.

The nature of the KVD program created unrealistic expectations of the system, he said.

KVD works for the eight market classes with relatively minor differences between some classes. KVD failures are normally due to mixtures of different types, not off types of a specific variety.

He said yield components in seeds per head, heads per plant, seed size and plants per acre generally compensate for each other over a wide range of plant densities.

Number of tillers per plant varies in a field, with a highyielding environment often resulting in more tillers.

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Wheat producers may see increased wheat varieties in the future.

PHOTO: C. LACOMBE

Environmental effects also play a role, he said.

A problem can occur under certain yielding conditions; high yielding conditions lead to more tillers per plant and twice as many KVD conflicts than in lower-yielding years.

It can lead to an extremely large bottleneck to breeding.

When breeding, the gene being sought may be difficult to find because of seed size restrictions due to KVD. Beres said the end of KVD does not mean the end of quality classes. But some classes will eventually have a similar appearance.

He said the future hope is increased rate of yield improvement, recognizing that gains will not be instant.

“Now that we can breed and select without KVD restrictions, will see long-term benefits,” he said.

Legislation to help Ag producers market products domestically and globally ill 5, the Marketing of Agricultural Products Amendment Act, 2009, will clarify regulatory powers, simplify wording, reduce duplication and streamline the review and appeals process, by moving it to a new regulation.

“This legislation enables our producers to work more effectively to promote Alberta products,” said George Groeneveld, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Today’s producers are competing in a global marketplace and they need to be able to respond quickly and efficiently to meet changing customer and market demands.”

The intent of the proposed amendments is to update the Act to effectively respond to the rapidly changing global environment, in response to an industry-wide consultation.

The Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council (Marketing Council) facilitates the establishment and supervision the operations of agricultural marketing boards and commissions in accordance with the legislation.

Currently, there are 20 producer organizations under the Act. Powers of the individual boards and commissions vary according to the needs of the commodity group it serves. Marketing Council also has a liaison role between the province and the National Farm Products Council (NFPC). NFPC oversees the operations of Canadian agricultural agencies with national marketing plans.

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10

Natural Gas Still Important to Fertilizers

by Ric Swihart gen from offshore markets. The Canadian industry already imports about half of all phosphorous while it is almost self-sufficient in potash.

Larson kept his comments general. “I work for the fertilizer institute, not for any company,” he said. “I represent fertilizer importers too. We do not get into commercial issues.”

Asked to shed light on Russian production and consumption, Larson said fertilizer consumption collapsed when the Soviet Union collapsed. At that time, Russia was right behind the U.S. in fertilizer use. Now Russia uses less than Canada.

He said the Russian government requires a percentage of fertilizer produced there be kept for Russian farmers.

That nation is working hard to rebuild Russian agriculture.

Larson said something good is raising from the ashes.

Ukraine and Russia have huge tracts of land ready to be re-engaged in food production.

“They will be huge food producers, perhaps in 10 to 15 years,” he said.

atural gas will likely remain the main feedstock for most fertilizers, says Roger Larson, the head of the Canadian Fertilizer Institute. He told a participant at the 2008 Southern Alberta Conservation Association conference that there may be alternatives to natural gas, but none appeal yet.

Nitrogen from natural gas is the key ingredient and, if that product could be available from other sources, the fertilizer industry would not need natural gas.

“Nobody has figured ways to get energy dependant products from other than natural gas,” he said. “Coal gasification is another option, but it all comes down to the same thing. We will never have cheap natural gas again. Eveb Arab natural gas has increased in value from a few years ago when they flared most of it off.”

He said everybody has a role to play in protecting the environment.

Even highway diesel tractors will have to clean up the particulates in the atmosphere, he said; which will create a huge ammonia demand.

Larson said there is strong interest in importing nitro-

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SARA Field School

by C. Lacombe f a picture is worth 1,000 words, then the SARA Field School is worth millions of words and possibly thousands of dollars to the producers that take home a wealth of knowledge gained from seeing with their own eyes the actual trial plots, hearing first hand the agronomic practices that produced the plots and getting answers from the mouths of experts right there in the field.

In 2008, almost 600 people took advantage of the learning available in the research plots. It’s a rare opportunity these days for producers to have this level of experimentation and expertise gathered specifically to help them get the most of their management practices. “I think it’s the best management practices that help the producer the most,� says Ron Svanes, past SARA Director and participant in the field School. He adds that he’s very proud to be a part of such a useful program for producers. “You can see the differences just from going from plot to plot. They’re very well marked so as far as producers

go it sticks in your mind a lot easier than if we read it in a newspaper or reading it in a magazine,� adds Svanes.

Ken Coles, SARA agronomist and mastermind behind the organization of the field school, sees the benefit of the field school for the producers, industry representatives, agricultural scientists and the province. “We’re pretty happy with the growth and success of our field school. It’s a project you build on last year’s reputation,� says Coles.

For July 2009, Coles has an innovative idea for participants to get the most out of the industry representatives that attend and contribute to the field school. “In the past we invited companies to showcase what’s new in their product line and each representative gave their talk. What we’re going to do next year is set up an in-field trade show. We’ll allocate a certain amount of time for the whole event and then folks can wander and speak with industry representatives and look at their plots and have a more informal discussion about things,� Coles explains.

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2009 Field School July 7, 8, 9 ~ A whole new crop of information!

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SARA Field School

Producers at the DFS 2008.

PHOTO: SARA

2008 SARA Event Attendance Date

Type of Tour

June 12

Crop Walk

55

June 19

Crop Walk

65

July 8 - 10

Field School

216

July 21

Dupont

76

July 22

PMRA

43

July 23

Co-op

21

July 23

Winter Wheat

56

July 29

Seed Growers Assoc

12

July 30

Secan

35

Sept. 29

Lethbridge College students

13

Total Acres Impact

Phosphate efficiency

# of people

$15.49

more profit per acre*

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Smart farmers read the fine print * In 119 farmer-applied split-field trials, JumpStart increased canola yields by an average of 7% for an average of $15.49/acre increased return after costs. Average yield increase for only hybrid varieties was 2.4 bu/acre for an average net return of $23.31/acre, open pollinated canola by 1.7 bu/acre for an average of $12.74/acre increase, based on canola pricing of $10.00/bu.

The 3 to 1 return on investment is based on the 119 trials—individual results may vary. All trial results are published on our website. ® JumpStart is a registered trademark of Novozymes A/S. All rights reserved. © 2009 Novozymes. 9011 02.09

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Managing Risk on the Family Farm

by Ric Swihart anaging risk in dynamic times often means finding a new tool in your management box, a South Dakota State University official said while speaking at the 15th annual Southern Alberta Conservation Association conference. Roger Gates said planning during interesting times is critical. “It is when a farmer must be attuned to change,” he said.

Gasoline price fluctuations and swings in feeder steer prices at auction markets are some of the things producers may experience.

Gates said a university booklet, Strategic and Scenario Planning in Ranching, is designed to put some order in that sector of the cattle industry.

Man now tries to manage grasslands for uniformity.

Some think it might be a good idea to introduce disruptions to the grasslands. Both options may enter the planning process.

He said it is difficult to judge the impact management changes today will have into the future.

For instance, family dynamics in a business can have far-reaching impacts. “We in production agriculture are often very good at a couple of aspects of the decisionmaking process while being less adept at others.

Sometimes the family gets ignored.”

The burning question is what will lead a person through the complex family business system.

Gates said too often people use history to make new decisions. A more realistic policy is to try to predict what might happen in the future.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it,” he said.

Gates said it is important to make a case for strategic planning and then evaluate the strategies that can be put forward.

The key is simplicity of planning, he said. A producer must have a way to gauge the benefits of the plan.

The bottom line is for a manager to know where he wants to go and then implement processes to get there.

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Family farms need to manage risk creatively.

2009 Best Practices Awards Winners Kayben Farms: Claude & Judy Kolk of Kayben Farms south of Okotoks have a reputation for providing outstanding products and services.

Their farm business includes landscaping, a tree nursery, prairie fruit orchard, and greenhouse.

Kayben Farms plans to expand their business to include agri-tourism activities, a cafe and fruit processing facility in 2009.

Ravenwood Farm Fresh Meats: Tamara Taylor, in partnership with her husband Mark Taylor and her parents, Dayle and Alice Murray, raise and direct-market their own farm-grown livestock through Ravenwood Farm Fresh Meats in Caroline. Their plans for expansion are to add a goat milk dairy and expand their retail store to include a butcher shop, bakery, and deli, as well as expand their product lines to include other local farm and Alberta made products.

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Spring Creek Ranch: The Spring Creek Ranch near Vegreville is famous for its Premium Beef.

Kirstin Kotelko, President of Spring Creek Ranch Inc., plans to expand sales of branded beef by expanding the value chain which includes developing criteria to financially reward ranchers who supply the branded beef program and developing a system for efficient tracking of meat quality data.

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PHOTO: C. LACOMBE

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14

Multiple Group Herbicide Resistance on the Rise

by Sarah Sutton, Alberta Farmer staff “So why is there so much wild oat resistance?” Beckie asked. “We’re spending $500 million a year controlling wild oats, and although there’s usually a strong correlation between dollars and resistance, we’ve seen significant yield losses.”

Kochia is another weed that continues to cause problems in Alberta and across Canada. With a taproot that can go down up to five metres and high tolerance to heat, cold and salinity, kochia has one of the highest rates of spread among invasive weeds. It can quickly become a headache for producers, especially in reduced tillage systems.

Beckie says the weed has moved up in ranking by 14 places to tenth place, with an expansion of range into northern parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

“At this point, I think most farmers just assume their kochia is Group 2 resistant,” says Beckie.

Some possible control methods are to use a Group 4 herbicide or a tank mix with another Group 2 herbicide.

“The biggest direct cost for producers is when they spend money and still get yield and quality penalties,” says Beckie. He says based on weed samples, more than 10 per cent of producers had to re-spray in the same growing season where the suspected weed was collected. “The key is knowing how low you can go in application rates to be effective and not accelerate resistance.”

Researcher says wild oats and kochia building up resistance in Alberta ild oats and kochia are flexing their muscles, showing increased resistance to herbicides, says one researcher. Russian thistle, green foxtail, redroot pigweed and stinkweed also continue to be problematic.

Hugh Beckie, a part-time farmer in Saskatchewan and herbicide-resistant plant expert at Agriculture Canada’s Saskatoon Research Centre, told a room full of producers at the Southern Ag Advantage conference in December that surveys from last year show a jump in Group 1-resistant wild oats in Alberta. Out of 300 fields surveyed, about 40 per cent contained Group 1-resistant wild oats, up from 11 per cent in 2001.

“If this trend continues, 50 per cent of those fields could show Group 1-resistant wild oats by 2010,” Beckie said.

There was also evidence of Group 2-resistant wild oats, although they tend to follow black rather than the drier brown soil types. “In cereals, when you have wild oats resistance to both groups of herbicide, your post-emergent control options become very limited,” says Beckie.

In southern Alberta, researchers surveyed 82 fields, with 22 per cent of them Group 1 resistant, nine per cent Group 2 resistant, and four fields showing resistance to both Group 1 and 2.

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This article first appeared in Alberta Farmer, February 2, 2009.

2009 Spring Workshop & Annual Meeting Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Luigi’s Restaurant, Taber, AB Time: 9:30 a.m. ~ 2:00 p.m.

Speakers / Topics include: Can Alberta help solve the world’s malaria problem?

Triticale Bio-refinery Initiative Fusarium Head Blight Update What are Research Clusters?

Producer-Directed Applied Research in Southern Alberta Cost: Members: free Non-members: $15.00

Memberships available (which include meeting cost) Lunch and Refreshments provided

To register, call Elizabeth at 345-6550 or e-mail sara-research@platinum.ca 15

Ducks Unlimited and Bayer CropScience Team Up ayer CropScience and Ducks Unlimited believe winter wheat has an important role to play in sustainable agriculture on the prairies and have joined forces to launch a North American project called “Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action.”

“By working with Ducks Unlimited, we want to expand the practice of growing winter cereals across the prairies in Canada and the United States,” says Bill Buckner, head of North America and President and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP. “We recognize winter wheat is an excellent crop that provides economic advantages to growers when included in cropping rotations while also enhancing waterfowl and other wildlife habitats.”

Partnering with Ducks Unlimited under the “Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action” program, Bayer CropScience will make a commitment of $20 million over five years to: • Enable significant research to develop new winter wheat varieties adapted to prairie climatic conditions while providing grower incentives, technical support and education programs; • Promote improvements and research in agronomic practices; and • Conduct waterfowl and environmental research to ensure a sustainable habitat and production system.

“As leaders in the agriculture industry we see this initiative as an important and tangible part of delivering on our commitment to sustainable agriculture,” says Buckner.

Winter wheat has gained a foothold on North American’s prairies with growers. New varieties, improved marketing options and the agronomic advantages provided by winter wheat have made it an attractive choice for many growers.

“The goal of Ducks Unlimited and Bayer CropScience in this initiative is to support this trend by investing in innovations and grower programs,” he says.

From a waterfowl conservation standpoint, one of the key limiting factors for continental waterfowl populations is a lack of nesting cover on the prairies. Ducks Unlimited Canada’s research has shown that the density of hatched nests in winter wheat fields is 24 times greater than in spring wheat.

“This partnership between Bayer CropScience and Ducks Unlimited has the potential to provide unprecedented opportunities for expanding winter wheat on the prairies,” said Don Young, executive vice president of Ducks Unlimited. “This is research that will not only benefit Ducks Unlimited waterfowl conservation and habitat efforts in the Prairie Pothole Region in Canada and the U.S., but also provide tremendous advantages to agricultural communities.”

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PHOTO: DUCKS UNLIMITED

From an agronomic perspective, winter wheat provides economic advantages to producers when included in cropping rotations. Winter wheat can yield 10 to 30 percent higher than spring-seeded varieties, and autumn planting allows growers to spread their workload thus reducing potential production risks.

Research will play a Big Role The Prairies Research has played an important role in the increase of seeded acreage across the Prairies over the last few years. One of the top priorities of the Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action initiative is the development of new varieties. Paul Thoroughgood, Regional Agrologist for Ducks Unlimited Canada, says that funding research and developing new partnerships has been a central focus of their winter wheat program since its inception in 1991. “Our investment in plant breeding will focus on addressing key factors limiting winter wheat production, particularly winter hardiness. Here in southern Alberta, producers have been growing winter wheat for a long time and are familiar with the benefits the crop can bring to the entire farm,” says Thoroughgood. “New varieties will open the door for many producers across the Prairies to add winter wheat to their rotations and experience the benefits for themselves.”

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to Increase Winter Wheat in North America

“Partnering with Bayer CropScience is a great example of how a sustainable vision for the agricultural landscape includes both profitable agriculture and habitat conservation,” says Jeff Nelson, Ducks Unlimited Canada’s executive vice president. “Ducks Unlimited Canada is dedicated to working with farmers and the agricultural industry to find pragmatic approaches to waterfowl habitat conservation.”

More information on Bayer CropScience/Ducks Unlimited “Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action” initiative is available at wintercereals.ca.

Rediscover wintercereals.ca ucks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the Alberta Winter Wheat Producers Commission (AWWPC) are pleased to announce the launch of the newly designed wintercereals.ca website.

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With a new refreshing look and feel, this site offers long-time winter wheat growers, or those who are thinking about growing winter wheat for the first time, a one-stop on-line information source for successful winter wheat production, including the latest research and marketing updates.

Website features include a Growing Winter Wheat section, with a wide range of content such as winter wheat agronomy, research updates, and acre statistics. Visit the Growing Winter Wheat section which includes seeding dates by area, seeding rates, variety options, agronomic guidelines and production tools.

Need your winter wheat questions answered?

Ask a qualified individual using the new Ask an Expert feature. Or find your local AWWPC director or DUC agrologist in the staff and board directories. Ducks Unlimited Canada is also pleased to feature information about Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action, a new conservation partnership with Bayer CropScience.

PHOTO: DUCKS UNLIMITED

Visit the wintercereals.ca website and learn more about how winter wheat can benefit your operation, as well as waterfowl and wildlife.

17

Massive Coordination Under LUF

by C. Lacombe

Province Undertakes Massive Coordination Under LUF he Alberta Land Use Framework (LUF) could be the most important piece of legislation in many years that will affect Alberta landowners. After all, if you own land, you probably use it for something and may even have ideas for other ways to use it.

Therefore, you will want to pay attention to the decisions made over the few years at the regional level.

For agricultural landowners, there may be some recognition of land stewardship coming down the pipe.

“Landowners in our province take land stewardship and conservation seriously,” said Sustainable Resource Development Minister Ted Morton. “The Government of Alberta will support and encourage stewardship of private lands in the province through the development of applicable incentives and market-based instruments.”

The LUF will create a whole new department at the provincial government level including a Secretariat and Regional Advisory Councils (RACs). The Secretariat will report to Cabinet and advise on provincial policy to make the LUF work. It will also act as support body to the RACs helping them develop regional plans.

Government appointed Albertans will populate the RACs and it will be their job to hammer out a plan for their region that respects cumulative effects of development.

Currently, Alberta works under the 1948 decision to divide the province in White and Green Areas. Eight provincial ministries, four appointed boards and all municipalities make land use decisions today.

The premise behind the LUF and its bureaucracy is to take control of negative cumulative impacts taking place on Alberta’s landscape and develop a smarter way to fit the puzzle pieces together so as to avoid further impacts while leaving room for sustainable growth.

If the most recent boom taught us anything, it is that the natural environment cannot indefinitely support everything, everywhere. Both the social and natural environment have thresholds after which negative impacts become obvious such as degrading water quality or reduced tolerance among the population for further development.

Ideally, the LUF will create a province where land use decisions for all types of activities will take into account how a development fits into a region and best uses the human and natural resources in a long-term sustainable activity.

Alberta saw a land use conflict recently when the now famous Balzac development struggled to get water and the Pekisko Group formed to protect the Eastern Slopes.

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The Land Use Framework creates seven regional planning areas.

GRAPHIC: GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA

However, long before that water and land managers from all over the province began to see the cumulative results of disconnected planning.

The LUF aims to correct the process that fragments lands and causes irreversible side effects that reduce the productivity and quality of life of our province.

The LUF documents says, “The desired outcomes for Alberta are: • healthy economy supported by our land and natural resources, • healthy ecosystems and environment, • people-friendly communities with ample recreational and cultural opportunities.”

Farming Smarter readers predominately live in the South Saskatchewan Region and this will be the second region to develop its regional plan. The Government began canvassing for South Saskatchewan RAC members last fall. This means there is a RAC coming to your region soon.

You can download a copy of the LUF from http://www.landuse.alberta.ca.

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Plan and Test to Get the Most from Manure

by Dwayne Rogness he County of Lethbridge AESA Program evolved from a nutrient management focus to a Water for Life focus for 2009.

This change will add diversity to the AESA program.

Nutrient management programs ultimately help to alleviate excessive nutrient buildup in our aquatic systems.

Therefore, they will always be a part of the County of Lethbridge AESA program. A Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) is a great tool for farming operations. The NRCB can instruct producers as to whether or not they need a NMP. A key component of a NMP is analyzing the manure to determine its nutrient content. Manure can be a valuable source of crop nutrients and lessen the need to use inorganic fertilizers that increase input costs. However, given the cost of crop fertilizer and the potential for overloading nutrients, there are several factors to consider before applying manure to a field. Without testing, it’s difficult to know the exact nutrient content of manure to determine the application rate that will optimize nutrient use.

Manure rarely contains the ideal mix of nutrient levels for a specific crop. Nutrient levels, and by extension the efficiency of the manure, vary depending on the type of animal, what the animal eats and other factors.

Because of nutrient variation in a manure supply and difficulty finding a representative sample, testing manure is not an instant solution. In fact, finding an accurate estimate of nutrient content is a process that needs consistent, repeated testing over a number of years. The key is to keep an average nutrient level as a guide to determine ideal application rates. It’s also important to know where to go for help.

Nutrient Management Specialists from across the province can help producers find private labs that test manure. However, it’s generally up to the producer to come up with a representative sample.

The best time to get a representative sample of manure is at the time of manure application. For most producers, however, it’s more proactive to test prior to that. Keep in mind that different sampling techniques exist to sub-sample lagoons and manure piles prior to application. Also, it usually takes 10 to 21 days after the lab receives the sample to get results.

The increased use of dry distillers grains with solubles will increase phosphorous and nitrogen nutrient levels in livestock manure beyond “book values.” This should be a great motivator for producers to test manure before they apply it to the soil.

If you do not have a NMP, but would like to start one, please contact Dwayne Rogness Soil Conservation Technologist / AESA Coordinator with the County of Lethbridge 403-732-4722. Rogness can help you obtain your manure and soil samples with the new soil sampler that the County purchased.

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Dwayne Rogness is Soil Conservation Technologist and AESA Co-ordinator

A manure spreader in action.

PHOTO: DWAYNE ROGNESS

19

Pulses Offer Beneficial Option to Fallow

by C. Lacombe 5-year SARA study concludes that growing pulse crops, rather than leaving a field fallow, offers real benefits to the soil, following crop and financial bottom line for crop growers. The study had two main objectives: to provide an option to fallow acres and to study the tight rotation for potential problems.

“There were a lot of skeptics concerned about disease and weed pressure with that tight a rotation. In this 5-year study, the producers involved said that they haven’t noticed any increase or negative impact from disease or weeds,” says Chris Procyk of SARA. He adds that he would like to see the study areas monitored to ensure that problems don’t arise over a longer time frame, such as 15 – 20 years.

As an option to fallow, the pulse rotation provided some immediate benefits to the producers involved in the study.

Pulse crops establish a mycorrhrizal soil fungus that assists nutrient uptake for both the pulse crop and the crop rotated into the field the following year. This function increased yields in wheat crops grown the next year on pulse fields.

“The wheat yields were 40.1 bu/ac; which is 10 bu/ac more on average,” states the final report on the study.

Also, the average pulse yield was 32.3 bu/ac providing an income from a field that otherwise would have cost money to fallow.

“Having successful pulse crops in place of fallow captured significant value for producers every year rather than every other year. In addition the increased yield of the wheat crop the following year further increased this economic impact. There is also a substantial environmental impact by substituting pulses for fallow as there will be a significant reduction in wind erosion and

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An example of the environmental benefits of the pulse/wheat rotation. (Schuler). Behind R. Weisgerber is the pulse/wheat rotation field. In front is a conventional fallow rotation. PHOTO: SARA

tillage,” according to the report.

At the start of this study in 2004, pulse acres in Alberta were approximately 640,000, while summer fallow acres were approximately 2.04 million. In the last five years as the benefits of the pulse/wheat rotation have been becoming clear, pulse acres in 2008 were approximately 770,000 and fallow acres were 1.6 million acres.

However, some in the industry worry that the increased input costs will see a resurgence of fallow acres in Alberta.

“With peas in place of the fallow, you have a fairly low input crop. Rather than no income, they’re making better use of the land,” says Procyk. “As a conservation practice, it’s not the best, but peas that rotate instead of fallow definitely provide an advantage.”

New legislation to improve livestock business development opportunities reating improved business development opportunities for livestock feeder associations is the intent of Bill 8, the Feeder Associations Guarantee Act, 2009.

The proposed legislation and regulations that will follow will include a better cash flow structure for associations, expand what the loan program covers, who it extends to, requirements to qualify, as well as additional risk mitigation and protection measures.

The legislation also refines legal language, updates industry definitions, clarifies qualification requirements and both government and industry roles.

Bill 8 will also align with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and remove the requirement to renew the Act every five years.

“This legislation will enable more effective financial services for producer-driven supply chains so they can successfully advance their businesses and market their products,” said George Groeneveld, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Intended to replace the current act of the same name, The Feeder Associations Guarantee Act, 2009 was based on a comprehensive review of existing legislation and stakeholder consultation.

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20

Pulse Wheat Rotation

AFSC Avg Yield 2008

2008 Yield

2007 Yield

2006 Yield

2005 Yield

2004 Yield

Average Yield

Increase from AFSC Averages

Bu/ac

Bu/ac

Bu/ac

Bu/ac

Bu/ac

Bu/ac

Bu/ac

+/- Bu/ac

Lethbridge (AFSC Zone 2)

31.4 Peas 34.7 HRS 34.1 Durum

23 Peas 58 Wheat

27 Peas 34 Durum

28 Lentils 43 Durum

27 Peas 68 Wheat

28 Peas 48 Wheat

26.6 Pulse 58 Wheat 38.5 Durum

-4.8 Pulses +23.3 Wheat +4.4 Durum

Lomond (AFSC Zone 2)

31.4 Peas 34.7 HRS 34.1 Durum

N/A

N/A

N/A Destroyed by fire

42 Peas 52 Durum

32 Pea 32 Wheat

37 Pulse 32 Wheat 52 Durum

+5.6 Peas -1.3 Wheat +17.9 Durum

Foremost (AFSC Zone 3)

31.4 Peas 29.7 HRS 30.7 Durum

30 Peas 29 Durum

29 Peas 23 Durum

32 Peas 34 Wheat

32 Peas 21 Durum

30 Peas 21 Wheat

30.6 Pulse 27.8 Wheat 24.3 Durum

-0.8 Peas -1.9 Wheat -6.4 Durum

Schuler (AFSC Zone 4)

31.4 Peas 22.2 HRS

45 Peas 40 Wheat

29 Peas 27 Wheat

30 Peas 33 Wheat

35 Peas 46 Wheat

52 Peas 35 Wheat

38.2 Pulse 36.2 Wheat

+6.8 Peas +14 Wheat

All Sites Average Yields

31.4 Peas 30.3 HRS 33 Durum

32.7 Peas 49 Wheat 29 Durum

28.3 Peas 27 Wheat 28.5 Durum

31 Peas 33.5 Wheat 43 Durum

34 Peas 57 Wheat 36.5 Durum

35.5 Peas 34 Wheat

32.3 Peas 40.1 Wheat 34.3 Durum

+0.9 Peas +9.8 Wheat +1.3 Durum

Pulse-Wheat Rotation Yield Data Summary

CREDIT: Chris Procyk/SARA

Good for my land. Good for my business.

It’s never too soon to begin preparing for my winter wheat crop.

I’m planning my crop rotation now, so I can successfully seed winter wheat next fall.

Put winter wheat’s high yields, earlier harvest and lower input costs to work for you.

Visit www.wintercereals.ca or call 1-866-479-DUCK (3825) to learn more.

Active by nature.

ducks.ca

21

Exploring Energy Use on Farm

by Ron Montgomery gricultural production uses large amonts of energy on-farm and studies show there are ways farmers can reduce energy consumption through management practices.

The University of Manitoba and in particular Dr. Martin H. Entz, Professor of Agronomy and Cropping Systems provided two examples of energy pertinent studies. For further information visit www.umanitoba.ca/ outreach and follow the link to “natural systems agriculture.”

One study compares the energy use and carbon emissions of two case study farming operations with similar crop rotations: a zero tillage and a conventional tillage farm. The energy use and carbon emissions release by manufactured inputs varies among cropping systems.

Without going into detail, a couple of excerpts from the article are that a simple method of decreasing the energy use and carbon emissions in a conventional tillage farming system is a shift to a minimum tillage system.

Decreasing the amount of harrow passes would reduce the amount of energy use and carbon emissions by 1 to 2 % per pass, depending on the annual crop grown.

The other study known as the Glenlea Long-Term Rotation Study, established in 1992, compared the interaction of crop rotation and crop inputs (fertilizer and herbicide). Comparisons are made between organic and conventional in two different farming systems. Crop rotation ranged from simple annual systems to more complex forage based systems. The present study reports on results from the first 12 years of this study. The big energy savings in crop production come from reducing or eliminating N fertilizer since inorganic N fertilizer accounts for 40 to 55% of crop production energy use.

Elwin G. Smith, Bioeconomist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) worked on a paper titled “energy balances of biodiesel production from soybean and canola in Canada.” The study concluded that “biodiesel production from either soybean or canola oil will result in a positive net energy balance in Canada.

Energy output in biodiesel was about 2.1 to 2.4 times higher than energy input needed to produce and process the vegetable oil, but the energy ratio depended on the farm production system and energy allocated to co-products. The energy balance would still remain greater than 1.0 for more energy intensive farming and processing systems and for systems that allocated less of the energy input to co-products. Nitrogen was the main energy input for canola: any change in energy to produce nitrogen or in nitrogen use efficiency would have a major impact on the biodiesel energy balance. The biodiesel energy balance was higher for zero tillage systems because less fuel energy was used for fuel and

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This photo shows four on-farm energy users, but people often don’t think about the energy contained in nitrogen fertilizers.

PHOTO: C. LACOMBE

machinery manufacture. The economics of biodiesel production is generally poor, suggesting that incentives such as subsidies or mandatory blends would be required to encourage expanded production of biodiesel. Subsidies are a transfer from governments to the industry: mandatory blends would pass the higher costs, compared with petroleum diesel, directly to the energy consumer.”

Ken Coles of SARA adds “to put it bluntly, nitrogen fertilizer is an energy hog in our agriculture systems. It's also important to not just consider the amount of energy used to produce a crop but also how much crop is produced per unit of energy consumed. For example the efficiency of crop production = total energy consumed divided by amount of crop produced.

We always hear about reducing energy consumption when we should really focus on energy efficiency and that is Agronomy. Agronomy is finding ways to improve the energy efficiency of crop production.”

He adds that, “in dryland systems, nitrogen fertilizer can represent up to 70% of the total energy inputs. All the nitrogen fertilizer used in Alberta represents more than double the amount of electric energy consumed in all the homes in Alberta. It's really quite staggering.”

There’s an amazing amount of energy-related literature (brochures, fact sheets and manuals) available to producers both online and in hardcopy. Much of this can be obtained simply by contacting AARD publications at 1-800-292-5697. You can also call the Ag-Info centre at 310-FARM (3276) or visit www.agric.gov.ab.ca.

By decreasing the amount of fuel used, you can lower your energy costs, boost the efficiency of your operation and decrease the amount of harmful emissions released 22

real data provided by farmers. They will then report their findings to AAFC, who will modify the program into a final version for field use.” Visit www.soilcc.ca.

The Technology and Innovation Branch of AAF and Southern Applied Research Association (SARA) will jointly host an alternative energy conference “Energy Options Behind the Farm Gate 2009: Practical Solutions for Wind and Alternative Power Generation” March 17 & 18, 2009 (Tuesday and Wednesday) at the Heritage Inn in Taber, Alberta. The conference is geared towards a farm and rural audience and will cover technical aspects of many renewable energy technologies as well as the permitting aspects, including information on Alberta's new Micro-Generation Regulation (visit the Alberta Energy website at www.energy.alberta.ca). Conference information and registration is available from Alberta Agriculture’s Ag-Info Center Registration Line at 1-800387-6030.

For further information, contact Ken Coles, Agronomist with SARA, 403-381-5118, by e-mail sara.research@connectcomm.ca or visit www.areca.ab.ca/sara

into the environment. Energy accounting provides a simple process to determine your energy use and costs to help you identify which energy-saving options will work best for your operation. The OnFarm Energy Efficiency Program was developed by Climate Change Central, Agriculture and Rural Development’s AgTech Centre and Alberta Advanced Education and Technology. Producers in the SouthGrow region can get information about an on farm subsidized energy assessment through www.onfarmenergy.ca or by calling 403-329-1212.

The Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) recently announced they will evaluate a new computerbased tool designed to help agricultural producers identify opportunities to calculate and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on their operations.

“Holos, a greenhouse gas calculator designed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), analyzes a range of on-farm conservation management scenarios and determines potential reductions in GHG emissions.

It is being evaluated by SCCC’s Taking Charge Teams across Canada, who will test the program by plugging in

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Precision Agriculture – A Tricky Target to Hit!

by Ken Coles robably the biggest barrier to the successful realization of precision agriculture in southern Alberta has been the shortfall in clearly proving its value to growers. There’s been a lot of hype and minimal adoption over the last two decades.

Truthfully, the objectives of precision farming changed over the years and must continue to evolve before wide scale adoption. The core objective of old was to manage variability within a field to improve the efficiency of crop inputs.

It has been predominantly based on variable rate fertilizer application according to a few “management zones” usually associated with topography. While this has been easily proven in high value, high input crops, it has not been so clear cut for lower valued dry land crops even though farm sizes are typically much larger.

Why the slow adoption? To start there are very few documented success stories to kindle interest. The innovators continue to play and tweak while early adoption lags as farmers are deterred by the perceived commitment of money, time and skill development in a business that is already quite taxing. Concerns with accuracy and appropriate interpretation of observed responses are prevalent as farmers understand the complexity and uncertainty in agricultural systems. Mass adoption has been plagued with technical issues of compatibility between equipment manufacturers along with a mash of complicated and ambiguous information with little access to reliable and affordable support.

Nevertheless, we’re seeing a resurgence of precision agriculture largely due to the adoption of global posi-

tioning satellite guidance and automatic steering.

Reduced overlap and less operator fatigue is noticeably valuable. It’s fun and relatively easy to use. As youngsters, we could only imagine owning a full size remote control tractor!

So what’s the next step? Likely a new objective is in order for precision agriculture. We need to shift the focus from trying to “precisely” improve the efficiency of inputs to a focus that uses all the available technologies as tools to provide easy to use, visual information regarding practices and product use in specific fields over time.

Farmers are forced to make important decisions with incomplete information and large uncertainty. A complete management system should provide meaningful information to guide good decisions that reduce risk and dependence on outside information. The value of informed decision making is undeniable.

However, many of the same barriers to adoption still exist. Farmers must be cautious and patient in determining what they’d like to achieve and how. Technical, agronomic and research support may be crucial for accurate setup, evaluation and interpretation of data.

Simplicity in design is a key factor to consider without sacrificing pertinent information.

At the end of the day, precision agriculture has to be worth the investment. It’s hard to believe that remote control farm equipment is now a reality which begs the question of where we’ll be in another 10 to 20 years. It’s a good bet that the targets for precision agriculture will continue to be on the move and it’s time to set your sights.

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New Act will simplify dispute resolution process for landowners andowners in Alberta will have access to a more efficient process for resolving surface rights compensation under the new Surface Rights Amendment Act tabled in the Legislature as Bill 12.

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If passed, this Act will help the Surface Rights Board improve its service to Albertans by simplifying its processes, enabling the board to implement more informal, flexible forms of dispute resolution and allowing the board to better manage its workload. The proposed amendments are entirely procedural and do not address other matters, such as compensation.

The Surface Rights Board is an independent adjudicative tribunal established under statute by the Province of Alberta. The board provides independent, accessible, fair, timely and impartial processes when operators and landowners or occupants fail to agree on compensation related to resource activity on privately owned lands or occupied public lands. The board operates under many different pieces of legislation, including the Alberta Surface Rights Act.

24

Become a Member of the Southern Applied Research Association Help direct farm research in this region. Receive early notice of conferences, workshops, field days.

Send your SARA membership fee, $40 per year to Southern Applied Research Association, Agriculture Center, #100, 5401 – 1st. Ave. South, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, T1J 4V6 Name _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Membership/subscription $ enclosed _____________________________________________________________________________________ Major farm interests _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

25

Environmentally Safe Nitrogen Update

by Ron Montgomery Ray Dowbenko shares some ESN information with SARA DFSparticipants.

recent Southern Applied Research Association (SARA) study highlights how to get the most out of Agrium’s ESN (Environmentally Smart Nitrogen) in crop production.

“Our study looks at seedling safety of canola with different levels of disturbance from seed openers in single shoot openers. As predicted, increasing seedbed utilization, from disc openers, to narrow knife openers to spreader tips, increased seedling safety with seed placed nitrogen. At high rates of nitrogen, we consistently got better plant stands with canola - more plants per square meter. Also we found that yield was directly correlated with plant stands,” comments Ken Coles of SARA. “So as we increase seedbed utilization, we can save money by decreasing the amount of ESN required and ensure early release of nitrogen when using blends of ESN and straight urea. The idea is to save money by only using the amount of ESN required.”

Coles suggests that growers consider moisture conditions and rainfall potential at the time of seeding as improved seedling safety increases with optimum moisture for germination.

Many growers see the ESN advantage as it releases nitrogen later in the season and hopefully helps with grain fill and protein levels. It may also help reduce lodging in highly productive crops by minimizing foliar growth earlier in the season.

A recent multi-partner paper involving Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Lethbridge Research Centre; Agricultural Research Division, Alberta Agriculture and Food; Agrium and the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta addressed the safe rates of seed-placed ESN. The partnership studies are both completed and ongoing.

According to the paper, when used at the extremely high, seed-applied rate of 120 kg N ha-1, seed placed ESN caused no negative effects. This represents approximately 4x the safe rate for uncoated seed-placed urea.

The studies also found that canola and winter cereals showed no negative effects to seed-placed ESN rates that were 3x the safe rate of uncoated urea.

The results demonstrate that ESN is ideally suited for seed placed applications. If substantially higher ESN rates can be seed-placed with reduced N losses, this would have a huge benefit to prairie farmers.

For direct seeding systems, this technology benefits those producers that use single shoot openers as fertilizer placement. With conventional forms of fertilizer, inadequate separation between seed and fertilizer can produce some risk.

Future studies plan to explore the safe upper limits for ESN in various agronomic conditions.

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PHOTO: C. LACOMBE

The move to reduced and no-till practices shifted traditional fall band applied N to more spring applications using pre-plant band application or, in the case of no-till, side, midrow or directly in the seed row.

Side and mid row banding equipment work well. But if a grower is not wishing to make an investment in equipment, or feels the extra soil disturbance, moisture loss and fuel requirements are a little too much to bear, then ESN in the seed row is a viable option,” says Ray Dowbenko of Agrium Work conducted throughout the prairies on winter and spring wheat, barley and canola, shows seed row applied ESN provides the same measure of safety for your seed as compared to a side band application of N. The prairie-provinces have established guidelines for safe rate of N placement with the seed of various crops.

Guidelines are based on row spacing, opener width, soil texture, organic matter and seedbed moisture. In many cases the amount of N that can be safely seed placed with traditional N sources is below the amount required to attain target yield.

The majority of the ESN research since 2000 shows seed row applied ESN offers the same seed safety as urea side band applied at safe rates ranging from 1.5X up to 7X. Growers will recognize that many factors affect seed safety of seed placed N, seed germination, early seedling growth and ultimately, final yield. Although ESN offers uncompromising seed safety, growers must consider issues such as: seed quality, seeding depth, soil bed quality and compaction, drought, seed treatments and disease, herbicide residues, etc.

For further information on the topic of ESN, please visit Agrium’s website at www.agrium.com and follow the links under Products and Services. Contact Ray Dowbenko, Agronomist with Agrium at 800-661-6757 or by e-mail rdowbenk@agrium.com.

Contact Ken Coles, Agronomist with SARA at 403381-5118 or sara.research@connectcomm.ca. Find SARA’s ESN Research findings posted at www.areca. ab.ca/sara 26

Triticale: Potential Value-Adding Platform

by Reg Norby al research network of some 100+ research and development staff from 16 partnering public and private organizations that began its full scale collaborative research in 2008. CTBI focus seeks to increase value and opportunities for rural development to foster a made in Canada bioindustrial sector; and to establish Triticale as Canada’s bioindustrial cereal supplying locally established Canadian world-scale biorefineries that make a range of products and co-products, including renewable energy, platform chemicals, biomaterials and biocomposites.

Dr. Eudes stated some of the current research work being undertaken this year will include: documenting the agronomic competitiveness of Triticale across Canada from Alberta to PEI to identify where Triticale grows best; genome research to increase biomass, yield, and change the ratio of fractions; increasing the amount of cellulose and simple sugar fractions; and reducing the amount of lingen to reduce the amount of energy required in processing.

It is Dr. Eudes hope that in 10 years CTBI and Canadian Triticale PHOTO: C. LACOMBE growers will have turned this marginalized grain into Canada’s dedicated bioindustrial cereal to satisfy the rapidly developing multi-billion dollar global biorefining market. Contact Dr. Eudes (eudesf@agr.gc.ca) or visit the CTBI website www.ctbi.ca.

Triticale: Potential Value-Adding Platform Alternative for Producers hese are challenging times for grain producers.

Canadian grain production has primarily focused on the efficient production of low-value commodity grains that are marketed and exported to international markets, resulting in little value-added possibilities for increased returns for producers. There are increasing concerns of global climatic changes, environmental sustainability and consumers seeking alternatives to nonrenewable energy and products.

Triticale and a Canadian led Triticale research initiative to add value for farmers and transform Canada’s agricultural industry may offer producers a new market for non-food, bio-refining triticale.

Triticale research and innovation started in 2002 indicates that triticale, a wheat/rye hybrid, yields an average 20% more grain than wheat in the prairies, with lower input costs; and has shown more stable yields than other grains overtime; is more Triticale plots at the SARA research site. suited to diverse and marginal soil types; and can be grown in every agricultural zone according to project co-lead Dr. Francois Eudes, Cereal Biotechnologist with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada at the Lethbridge Research Centre.

Dr. Eudes also states that Triticale offers producers a realistic new market, value-added opportunities: it could be competitive with corn for sugar and ethanol production and, since it is essentially a non-food crop, its biological diversity and molecular make-up can be used to tailor this plant for industrial uses without impacting overall food supply; every part of the plant, grain, and straw has an end use once broken down to its basic components; is amenable to genetic engineering; and given its limited low profile its further development is not hindered or restricted by proprietary licenses.

To pursue the further development of triticale’s promising potential, Dr. Eudes was instrumental in establishing the Canadian Triticale Biorefinery Initiative (CTBI) as a Director. CTBI is a dedicated glob-

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WILLMS SEEDS Grassy Lake, Alberta Seed Available for 2008-2009 HRSW: AC Eatonia Durum: AC Strongfield Chickpeas: Diva, Frontier SWSW: AC Andrew Peas: Golden, Meadow, Bronco Clearfield Red Lentils: CDC Imperial, CDC Impact Clearfield Green Lentils: CDC Improve Weigh Bin and Truck Scale on Farm Tim 403-655-2434 | Henry 403-655-2413 | Fax 403-655-2431 27

Winter Peas: Potential Pulse

by Reg Norby Capturing precious moisture throughout the late fall, winter and spring, winter pulse crops can move into the reproductive or flowering stage earlier than the conventional spring types, thus avoiding high temperatures and the resultant loss in yield. Also, an earlier harvest allows additional time to recharge soil moisture for the following crop especially important in southern Alberta.

An early harvest allows market penetration and movement into global markets 3-4 weeks earlier than spring seeded types.

Recent genetic improvements developed winter field pea and lentil lines with a clear seed coat with little or no tannins. Previously, only Austrian winter or forage pea types with brown seed coat pigmentation, that contains tannins with anti-nutritional properties and limits the uses of the seed, limited both market opportunities and returns for producers and processors.

Research initiated in the fall of 2008 will examine the adaptability of winter field pea, lentil and zero tannin faba bean compared to the spring types in different agro-ecological environments in Alberta. This three year project, at four Alberta research sites, Lethbridge, Brooks, Lacombe and Edmonton, will provide an understanding of the factors, such as seeding date and rate, growth stage and plant height before freeze up, percent of ground cover, ambient and soil temperature, snow cover, disease and soil moisture that contribute to or hinder the winter hardiness. The yield from the fractionation of the grain components and quality analysis (cooking, compositional and functionality) will determine which application (food, non-food) the winter pulses best suit.

The lead researcher of this SARA collaborative, industry-wide project is Mark Olson, Provincial Pulse Industry Development Specialist, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, (mark.olson@gov.ab.ca).

Olson stated that the two objectives of the project are: 1) to assess whether existing germplasm for winter pulse crops, namely field pea, lentil and zero tannin faba bean is adapted to the harsh and variable climatic conditions of Alberta; and, 2) to measure the composition of whole seed and fractions of this winter genetic material and determine if it meets the quality parameters of the food and feed industries. He indicated that the project will include and compare eight pulse varieties: two winter pea lines (yellow, cv Specter and cv.

Windham), two spring pea (green cv. Cooper and yellow cv. Cutlass), one winter lentil (red, cv. Morton), one spring lentil (red, cv. Redberry ), one winter faba bean (tannin, cv. Diva), and one spring faba bean (zero tan-

Winter Peas: Potential Pulse for Alberta’s Future hanging and challenging climate conditions and recent genetic improvements make winter peas a potential crop rotation alternative. Grain legume crops grown in the future will have to have different attributes than those grown currently and be designed to withstand this change in climatic conditions.

Spring grain legumes sometimes suffer due to both heat and water stress. Early seeding of spring types has been a common practice to avoid the hotter and drier conditions during flowering, but cool and wet conditions in the early spring, as well as, general time constraints from the high volume of spring field work often prevent early sowing. Field pea is one of the most water use efficient crops grown on the prairies; which will be important as the grain growing areas of the prairies become drier.

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Smart farmers read the fine print * On average, Next Generation TagTeam inoculants for pea and lentil outperformed competitor, single-action (nitrogen fixing only) inoculants by 6% in farmer-conducted split-field trials. That’s an average increase of 2.2 bushels per acre, for a net return of $15.35/acre. Net return is calculated after the cost of the inoculants is removed using current commodity prices of $18/bu for lentils and $8/bu for peas. See our website for details. ® TagTeam and MultiAction are registered trademarks of Novozymes A/S. © 2009 Novozymes. All rights reserved. 9011 02.09

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Winter Peas nin, cv. Snowbird); three seeding rates (1.0 X, 1.5 X, 2.0X) (all types); and three seeding dates for the winter pulses only. He indicated this latter component of the project will provide much needed insight as currently the optimum seeding date for winter pulses is unknown.

He indicated that the project had a positive start as there was excellent plant establishment of all the winter species going into winter at the four locations.

SARA, through Farming Smarter, will report annual findings as they become available.

Lentils mature at the SARA research plots in Lethbridge.

PHOTO: C. LACOMBE

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ARECA Province-Wide Applied Research

by Ron Montgomery that business is increasing. According to Statistics Canada, the country’s farm population continued to decline between 2001 and 2006 and, like the population as a whole, got older. The overall farm population dropped 6.2 per cent to 684,260 nationally and 40.7 per cent of these farm operators were aged 55 and over. In Alberta, the 2006 census marked a 7.9 per cent decrease in the number of operating farms during the past five years, for a total of 49,431.

ARECA and its member associations throughout Alberta will deliver The FarmCraft survey through the internet, conferences and workshops, as well as mentoring and apprenticeships. Courses may include topics such as tools for getting a farm business started, what is involved in owning and managing different types of farming operations, marketing opportunities, alternative practices, farm business management and production management. Individuals interested in participating in the survey can find a link to it on the ARECA website.

Another project underway since November 2007 is the GPS Crop Yield Monitoring Program that involves collecting crop yield information from reclaimed industrial sites in Alberta to determine their impact on productivity over an extended period of time. An industrial site includes any reclaimed areas such as oil/gas well sites, battery sites, pipelines, sand/gravel pits or road borrow pits. However the primary focus of the program is on oil/gas sites in Alberta.

ARECA Fosters Province-Wide Applied Research he Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) is a not-for-profit organization working with producers to enhance and improve farming operations through access to field research and new technology. Made up of 16 member associations focused on applied research, demonstrations and extension in the areas of forages, annual crop and livestock production, ARECA speaks in a strong, united voice to industry leaders and government representatives. Each member association delivers programs and develops projects that address the concerns and priorities of producers in their specific regions.

On a provincial scale, there are many benefits to having such a broad cross-section of research sites.

Producers within the respective member associations bring their individual expertise and enthusiasm to participate in various field trials; which in turn collectively benefits the entire membership. This is a powerful tool and essentially producer-driven.

ARECA is currently conducting a survey to determine public interest in people returning to the business of farming and to assess what kinds of training, skills and background information people would require to achieve that objective. The number of people farming has steadily decreased and the age of those remaining in

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Research plots at the SARA DFS are a small part of the province-wide research taking place by ARECA organizations.

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PHOTO: C. LACOMBE

ARECA

Funded by Alberta Environment and conducted by ARECA, this study is a long term monitoring project with the overall objective being to develop GPS-based crop yield monitoring for reclaimed industrial sites in Alberta and to report on crop yields, using GPS-generated maps, for up to five years at up to 100 selected sites. Two years of the study are complete and ARECA awaits further funding to continue the project.

Farmers who have a yield monitor on their combine and a reclaimed industrial site on their land are eligible to participate in this program and will be paid for their crop yield information. This monitoring program is expected to conclude in 10 years, so participants sign a guideline to provide their crop data over 5-years, pending continuation of program funding.

An interim report posted on ARECA’s website summarizes the results from 16 sites, which include a mix of industrial sites, including well sites, borrow pits and pipelines.

The crop yield data, collected on a PMCIA card (about the size of a business card) is slotted into a reader connected to the producer’s office computer. Data is taken off of the card and exported from the office computer to an electronic file using the crop yield monitoring program software. This electronic file can be emailed to the ARECA office in Sherwood Park or put on a CD-Rom and mailed.

Another program planned for spring 2009 initiation involves field scale testing of phosphorus inoculants applied to peas and canola. An inoculant is a live micro-organism that when added to the soil or applied to the seed gives growing plants access to important nutrients like nitrogen and phosphate.

The project’s success depends on partnership participation with associations, commissions and corporate agencies of like-minded interest, however queries and responses to date appear promising.

Novozymes (formerly Philom Bios of Saskatoon Saskatchewan) developed and manufactures both Jump Start (canola) and Tag Team (pulse crops) inoculant brands. Visit their website at www.philombios.ca and follow the links.

Dr. Ty Faechner, Research Program Manager with ARECA is optimistic that a number of the member associations and, therefore producers in different areas, will elect to take part in this program. “The possibility of doing field scale trials in a variety of soils and climates throughout the province is a great opportunity with far reaching benefits. Once the combine yield monitor results are submitted, we’ll be able to determine how the different application rates in select crop strips affect yield. Another variable we can address is how the crop responds to inoculant treatment in variable topography.”

For further information on ARECA and their member association’s regional activities, projects and events visit www.areca.ab.ca. You can also contact Laura McNabb, Communications Program Manager at ARECA’s office in Sherwood Park Alberta by telephone at (780) 416-6046 or by e-mail mcnabb@areca.ab.ca

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