Farm forum winter2015

Study shows strong crop stands boost ROI

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BAYER CROPSCIENCE Supporting Canadian Farm Families January 2015 路 $5

Balancing ag and urban interests on the island TECHNOLOGY Facility upgrade takes safety and efficiency to next level

BUSINESS

Better market data yields higher profits

PRODUCTION

Agronomists weigh in on 2014 growing season

FARM LIFE

Passion for family and farming drives this diversified business

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C-55-11/14-10273954-E

Publisher Bayer CropScience Editor Sherry Warner Associate Editor Dave Wreford Contributors Jennifer Barber, Dianne Finstad, Joy Gregory, Gerald Pilger, Clare Stanfield and Calvin Fehr

Volume 28 / Issue 4 / JANUARY 2015

C OV E R S T O RY

Design/Production Farm Business Communications Farm Forum is published seasonally

by Bayer CropScience.

Contact Farm Forum at: Bayer CropScience Suite 200 160 Quarry Park Blvd SE Calgary, AB, T2C 3G3 T. 1 888-283-6847 F. 1 888-570-9378 E. farmforum@bayer.com www.bayercropscience.ca Contents of this publication are copyrighted and may be reproduced only with written permission of the publisher, Bayer CropScience.

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Balancing ag and urban interests on the island | 18 PHOTO: ©Tourism PEI / John Sylvester

PRODUCTION

Agronomists weigh in on 2014 growing season

Photo ©Tourism PEI/John Sylvester.

On the cover PEI's history, geography, hydrology and society combine to create some of the most unique business conditions for agriculture in the country.

T E C H N O L O GY

5

Facility upgrade takes safety and efficiency to next level

FA R M L I F E

15

Passion for family and farming drives this diversified business

22

Editor’s Note: Start out of the gate strong with season

4

Better market data yields higher profits

9

Study shows solid crop stands help boost ROI

11

Bayer sets sights on better spring wheats

13

Delegates head ‘down under’ for 2015 Global Youth Ag-Summit

28

Fungicides Boot Camp Latest DST results highlight strong yield advantages

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Editor’s note

A

This season, growers can be more confident

successful growing season demands a

And nowhere is that more important than on

strong fast start, right out of the gate.

the prairies, where a short growing season

than ever of having the right crop protection

And taking note of the good, the bad and

doesn’t allow time to compensate for poor, non-

products available whenever they need

uniform establishment.

them thanks to Bayer CropScience’s $6.5

the ugly from last year is a great place to begin.

Agronomists from across Canada weigh in on

As you wrap up sales of last season’s harvest

million upgrade at its Regina plant. This

the 2014 growing season in our “year in review”

and look to forward-selling your next crop,

impressive facility is now the company’s largest

feature. This Q & A will give you some insight

market analysts from across the country offer

emulsifiable concentrate packaging plant in the

on the challenges farmers faced in 2014, how

“how-to” suggestions in our business feature

world.

they met those challenges and what lessons

on page 9.

they’ll take into the new season now rapidly

Our cover story about farming on PEI is an

And finally, our Farm Life feature visits the OYF program’s 2014 national co-winner, the

interesting look at how the island’s history,

Krahn family of Carmen, MB. Their passion

geography, hydrology and society combine

for farming and family support an expanding

study underscores the need to set your crops up

to create a unique business environment for

crop enterprise along with a successful seed

for success with strong, uniform plant stands.

agriculture.

operation.

approaching.

A recent Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Photo: ©Tourism PEI / Stephen DesRoches

— Sherry Warner

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FARM FORUM / JANUARY 2015

PRODUCTION

A year in review

Agronomists from across the country weigh in on the 2014 growing season, and its implications for 2015 and beyond

O

verall, the Canadian crop picture looked pretty good last year. It wasn’t anything to write home about but, given a delayed spring with excess moisture and a wet fall across much of the country, things turned out well in the end.

Farm Forum asked agronomists from across Canada to discuss the year in a bit more detail. Here’s what Kelly Boles with Centrefield Solutions in Three Hills, AB; Greg Frey with Cavalier Agrow in Meota, SK; Trevor Thornton with Crop Care Consulting in Portage La Prairie, MB; and Felix Weber with Ag Business and Crop Inc. in Palmerston, ON, had to say about the most recent growing season.

By Jennifer Barber

Q: Understanding that we are talking about big provinces with multiple soil and climate zones, how would you describe the year in your province overall?

Kelly Boles (AB): The word I’d use to describe this past year is “challenging.”

We had a cool wet spring, accelerated growing season, average to belowaverage moisture events and intervals, major hail belts and a cool wet fall with frost on both ends. Early snow added to our frustrations. But crops yielded surprisingly well in most regions, even though down from 2013. There was a lot of variation with moisture and temperature throughout the province, which was less consistent than in the two years prior.

Greg Frey (SK): Most crops here yielded at the historical average and in some places above average. I would

say that growers in this province were generally content at the end of the year. It’s easy to be let down after a few impressive years, but from a net profitability standpoint, most people did okay. At the end of the year most crops were harvested and we saw lots of movement off the combine, and that’s pretty good.

Trevor Thornton (MB): The funny thing is that while the weather really was terrible, the crop came out pretty well.

In areas west of Portage and west and south of Brandon, farmers’ overall yields were down but they suffered more from early season rains and poor drainage. But even with late planting, and planting into high-moisture soils, things were looking good by June, and a dry summer meant further improvement by harvest. Our canola, wheat, soybean and potato yields were all decent. »

“There was a lot of variation with moisture and temperature throughout the province” — Kelly Boles

Centrefield Solutions, Three Hills, AB

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

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A year in review

Q: What went particularly well last year?

“… we didn’t have as much of an issue as expected with disease and I think that contributed to the overall success” — Felix Weber

Ag businesss and crop inc., palmerston, ON

Kelly (AB): With fall conditions less than ideal, straight cutting canola was quite successful. The crop’s ability to handle rain, snow and wind surprised many growers. Also, as existing equipment, in many cases, is able to do a decent job and handle the crop, more growers are now considering straight cutting.

Another thing that went well was low insect counts and minimal insect damage overall in most regions.

things started. Also, we had very few high-temperature issues.

Greg (SK): In general we had adequate rainfall and in a few instances there was an excess or a shortage of moisture.

While some pockets of the province struggled with too much moisture early on, that was corrected by summer.

Overall, temperatures were good. While we were a couple of weeks late seeding, for the second year in a row, there was no spring frost. That really helped get

Trevor (MB): Growers in this area are getting really good at taking care of their soil and that means they are using more than just nitrogen to get the crop going and growing well. They look at potash, sulphur and even calcium levels to help manage how they feed their crops. This year we saw that when soil was taken care of, the crop had a chance even when growing conditions weren’t ideal.

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Felix (ON): When spring rains pushed planting back, some growers switched to shorter-season varieties and because we didn’t get the heat units we usually do, that worked to our advantage. Often winter wheat with poor winter survival is replanted into corn or soybeans, but many growers left fields in wheat because of the late season, and it turned out better than expected. First, it was a good average wheat harvest and second, it had to be harvested later than normal, which allowed it more time to mature. We

top Photo: ©THINKSTOCK

Felix Weber (ON): Overall our yields were surprisingly high given the late planting and the late harvest. While corn and soybean test weights were down in some areas, our overall yields looked good for the crops that were harvested. Because it was cooler than normal, we didn’t have as much of an issue as expected with disease and I think that contributed to the overall success we had this year, despite the difficult season.

A year in review

did have higher rainfall and that meant disease might have been a problem. But while we did see some disease, we did not have as many issues with fusarium in wheat.

Q: What were some of the biggest issues growers in your province faced last year?

top Photo: ©THINKSTOCK, BOTTOM: GENESIS STUDIO

Kelly (AB): Harvest was definitely a challenge because of the wet fall and snow conditions that hit us late in September. At that point only a small percentage of the crop was harvested.

We definitely saw a negative effect on the quality of our cereal crops. They were moderately impacted due to forced lodging and substantial lost crop and harvesting efficiencies.

Greg (SK): Fusarium was a big issue in 2014 and it will be a bigger management issue for our cereal crops heading into 2015. Despite a shorter, cooler summer we found very high levels of both fusariumdamaged kernels and vomitoxin in our wheat and durum. We’re having some challenges moving that grain, so we’ve had to look for other markets for wheat.

It’s been a bit of a warning for growers that we have to manage for fusarium because it can make a good crop unmarketable.

Trevor (MB): We saw some quality issues with wheat due to a wet fall, which was particularly long and miserable.

We had some really heavy rains in early

September and that pushed everything back. It was the middle of October before we were able to get all of our potatoes off, and that’s very unusual.

Felix (ON): We had problems at both ends of the season. We couldn’t get into the fields in the spring and it was even hard sometimes to find a good window to get the spraying done during the season.

In some areas, white mold in beans was an issue in the later part of the soybean season. Late planting, lower heat units and lots of moisture pushed harvest back with all crops. In central Ontario, some growers had to wait to take off their high moisture corn until late October and a lot of dry corn was harvested into November.

Larger acreages of soybeans covered by snow were never harvested and there are still many acres of corn out there to be harvested in spring.

Q: Every growing season offers an opportunity to learn and apply new lessons moving forward. What do you think growers learned during this past crop year?

“It’s been a bit of a warning for growers that we have to manage for fusarium because it can make a good crop unmarketable” — Greg Frey

Cavalier Agrow, Meota, SK

Kelly (AB): We have to start managing fields for next year at the current year’s harvest window. Residue management is key in setting up seedbeds for a controlled spring seeding process aimed at targeted, uniform plant populations.

It’s important to manage seeding so that adverse weather or soil conditions in »

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

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A year in review

“I think this year we really saw the benefit of in-crop disease control” — Trevor Thornton Crop Care Consulting,

Portage La Prairie, MB

Greg (SK): We need to find a way to manage disease better or pea crops aren’t going to be successful in the province.

Many areas have had to move to a fouryear pea rotation or cut it from their rotation completely because the crop has been destroyed by disease. However, if we cut it completely, we’ll be tightening our canola or wheat rotations, and then we’ll be fighting disease and resistance there as well.

Trevor (MB): I think this year we really saw the benefit of in-crop disease control.

In this province fungicide has become something everyone uses — we just see too much disease to not spray. While we didn’t have the typical conditions for a bad disease year, wherever a sprayer didn’t reach the crop it was very clear that disease took hold. I think most growers say that spraying for disease is money well spent.

Felix (ON): Every new season we say we are going to do something different to overcome the problems we had the year before, but conditions change so much from year to year that we just have

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FARM FORUM / JANUARY 2015

to adapt to the situation and make the best decision possible at the time. While this past spring was late and wet, winter wheat that didn’t look perfect had a better yield than expected. Some wheat acres replanted with corn or soybeans ended with snow before harvest.

Q: Since many crop prices are down, how do you think growers will approach the coming season?

Kelly (AB): I think most will go into the next growing season using 95-100 per cent of their normal inputs — lower commodity prices force yield goals up to help maintain or improve margins.

I see that growers are investigating other types or varieties of wheat in an effort to improve returns on this crop, and a lot of new varieties are entering the market. If nitrogen fertilizer prices continue to increase there could be a slight reduction in nitrogen use on some crops in the spring. I expect to see more experimentation on soil fertility, particularly applying nutrients with sprayers in-crop.

Greg (SK): This past year, growers in my area stuck with their agronomic programs despite a late spring and lower commodity prices — and were rewarded with good yields. Despite all the challenges — and they are different each year — we have

had four or five solid production years in a row, due, in part, to the way we manage the crop. I think growers are getting more skilled at calculating their return on input investment. If prices stay low we may see reduced justification for new equipment and an unwillingness to invest in renting or purchasing land. But I think growers will continue with their cropping plans.

Trevor (MB): After a couple years in a row of late springs, I think many growers will set up their growing plan based on this trend. Our soil profiles are already very wet, and while we are always optimistic things will get better, growers are planning for the worst. If it’s really wet, some might drop their plans to grow corn in 2015, but I already hear a lot of discussion on how to get better drainage going forward so they have more flexibility with their rotation.

Felix (ON): Prices will always fluctuate so growers need to be good marketers and I already see signs of this happening. They understand that when you market crops, you need to lock in input costs as well, and market your crop based on actual cost of production rather than on predictions.

Over the past year, land prices and rent have increased, some substantially. The fixed cost of land has become a high input cost and I think some operators will have to re-evaluate what they want or should pay for land or rent. FF

Photo: ©THINKSTOCK

those early stages have less impact on the crop throughout the growing season. If a crop starts off struggling, you have to play catch up all year to have any chance of realizing its yield potential.

BUSINESS

Better market data yields higher profits

BY JOY GREGORY

This is a good time to start planning to sell crops you’ll seed this spring. First calculate the sale prices you need to make money. Instead of plugging in coffeehouse numbers, estimates or industry averages, use your own production costs.

Be precise. And if those numbers change, adjust your break-even calculations.

With one eye on 2015-16 supply and

demand forecasts, this is also a good time to reconsider crop plans if you haven’t already bought seed. “You’ve got the ability to shift the rotation plan around,” she says. That can be a really lucrative decision. Keep in mind the saying that “half of good grain marketing is just planting the right crop in the first place.”

Shop your grain around. While transportation complicated the sale of the 2013 crop, the 2014-15 bugbear is quality. Across the prairies, a wide planting window wreaked havoc with maturity, and increased vulnerability to disease. Later conditions favoured sprouting during harvest. It’s been a real mixed bag of quality that has been challenging to market, especially wheat and barley.

So know what you have, and shop it around. Cereals are vulnerable to quality downgrading, but different buyers source for different markets. Take the first bid that comes along, and you could be

Brenda Tjaden Lepp, co-founder and chief analyst with Farmlink Marketing Solutions.

David Drozd, president and senior grain marketing analyst with Ag-Chieve Corporation in Winnipeg, MB, reviews market forecasts with his team.

THE START OF ANY new year is a great time to wrap up sales of last season’s harvest and get a jumpstart on forwardselling the next crop. Farm Forum asked market analysts from three Canadian marketing companies to talk about what they think should be done now to put money in the bank later.

FARMLINK MARKETING SOLUTIONS, WINNIPEG, MB Brenda Tjaden Lepp co-founder and chief analyst 

leaving a lot of money on the table.

Do more, expect more. If you don’t like this kind of detail work, get help. Apart from the weather and yields, there is a lot of predictive ability in terms of market analysis. FarmLink Marketing Solutions, for example, has an opinion and strategy for 2015-16 that it’s been working on since the summer. Without solid information, you’re limited in your ability to make solid profit decisions.

AG-CHIEVE CORPORATION, WINNIPEG, MB David Drozd president and senior analyst Frank Letkeman special crops Ed Baldwin grain marketing Dustin Gabor sales manager  Market

prices for the 2015-16 crop year are expected to be down relative to recent years. That will frustrate Canadian farmers. But no one should be surprised.

From 2006 to 2012, global commodity »

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

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conditioned to selling product versus a certain quality of product aren’t cashing in on market differentials. Durum buyers, for example, may source lower quality durum for certain end-use markets. A No. 3 may not garner the premium of a No. 1, but it could command a better price from a buyer who knows what that grade will do for his customer’s pasta.

LONDON AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES INC., LONDON, ON

Kevin Hachler grain merchant  January-February prices aren’t solely tied to the underlying supply and demand situation for a crop. Final 2014 crop reports from major producing areas will impact supply and demand projections for 2015-16, but other factors are also at play.

For example, large index funds rebalance their positions at the start of a new year. In so doing, they sell sectors that have performed well and buy underperforming sectors. This rebalancing can move markets in ways that run counter to traditional supply and demand factors.

The bottom line: Good data helps you smooth out the highs and lows. While sale prices are critical, so are cost-ofproduction calculations. There’s no easy way to market grain. But it’s definitely not about beating the market; it’s about trying to get what the market will give you, and that final number has to include how much it cost you to grow your crop.

Sell in increments. Using cost-ofproduction figures to set break-even and profit points, watch the markets and start selling your crop in increments. Sell in

Kevin Hachler, grain merchant at London Agricultural Commodities Inc.

increments that make you money. Even if you’re selling cash grains, don’t just sell it all in one shot. Sell it in increments.

Eastern Canada’s 2014-15 corn crop has quality issues similar to those plaguing most of the country’s cereal crops. Farmers selling last season’s corn are likely to be discounted for lighter test weights, higher moisture levels, cracked corn and foreign material issues.

To make sure you get the best price possible for product in your bins, find out who’s buying what. If you have good quality corn this year you are certainly going to want to know that so you can market it to the best place. FF

BOTTOM PHOTO: SHUTTERSTCOK

stocks were tight. With the U.S. and world markets now holding surpluses, there’s less upward pressure on price. Buyers are more comfortable securing stocks at lower levels and not quite so willing to bid prices up. In the short term, growers should keep an eye on South American production, which wraps up in March.

World prices could trend lower if South American crops are good.

Technical market indicators also signal commodity market shifts. Indeed, global markets are impacted by money supply as well as markets for commodities as diverse as gold and crude oil. With much of this movement driven by speculators rather than buyers, crop producers have to enter markets knowing their breakeven price.

Put the brakes on emotion. Whether you’re selling last year’s crop or forwardpricing this year’s production, you must manage the emotional pull of volatile markets. When market talk is bullish, producers are tempted to hold on for still higher prices. When it’s bearish, others sell because they fear further falls.

Solid numbers about your own cost of production help you take the emotion out of the decision-making. Ed Baldwin, a former grain buyer and farmer, remembers advising a farmer to sell his canola while holding onto his own in case the price went up. “I wasn’t emotionally attached to his canola, but I was to mine.”

What you should react to is specific prices. If you’re selling canola, know what it’s trading at and what you need to break even, or bank a profit. “That’s data you’re relying on to continue farming.

Break bad habits. Producers still

PRODUCTION

Study shows strong crop stands help boost ROI

By Jennifer Barber

Placement is the name of the game While investing in an agronomic package that promotes solid growth is key, there are many ways to get a uniform plant stand — and most of them, such as

managing residue, watching seeding speed and packing pressure and paying attention to seed-placed fertilizer, are within growers’ control.

Seed depth has a big influence on stand quality, and it is under grower control, says Harker. “In both high- and low-yielding areas, we saw a really strong response in terms of emergence and stand when seed was at the right depth,” he explains. “It can’t be too deep or both emergence and stand will be impacted.

Seeding at the right depth doesn’t increase the cost of growing a crop — it can reduce the cost by eliminating the expanse of managing a crop that doesn’t emerge well.”

To achieve a uniform stand, growers can also use a singulated seeder that spaces seed evenly. This technology has been used successfully by corn and soybean growers. Harker notes that cutting herbicide is rarely a consideration with growers, even in tough years.

“Nothing will cut your yield faster than leaving weeds unchecked,” he says.

“Look at how to generate the highest net return. Don’t focus on how to cut costs — there is a difference,” says Larocque.

“You can get a higher net return from a »

Photo: ©thinkstock

When commodity prices are down, investing up-front in crops with high input costs may seem counterproductive.

But a new study from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) shows that, for canola, setting crops up for success with strong, uniform plant stands can offer the best opportunity for a solid return.

“When prices are down, canola growers tend to look at the big things they can cut, but two inputs you should never cut are nitrogen and seed,” says Neil Harker, a research scientist with AAFC in Lacombe, AB, who was part of the study team. “Optimal nitrogen will almost always help maximize yield, and planting enough seed will hasten maturity and protect yield potential and seed quality.”

In the AAFC study, conducted from 2010 to 2012 with 16 sites across various soil zones, InVigor 5440 canola was seeded at five different seeding rates in uniform and non-uniform stands.

For canola, the researchers concluded, a non-uniform plant stand can drop yield by 20 to 30 per cent, whereas a uniform stand uses resources better and produces more fertile pods per plant. In

traditionally low-yielding areas, fields with uniform plant stands saw increased seed yield of up to 32 per cent, while high-yielding areas recorded a 20 per cent increase — all due to more fertile pods.

One reason stand establishment is so important on the prairies, the study revealed, is that the short growing season doesn’t allow much time for fields to compensate for poor or non-uniform establishment.

It makes perfect sense to Steve Larocque, a crop consultant and owner of Beyond Agronomy in Three Hills, AB. “The most expensive crop to grow is the one with the weakest plant stand.”

That’s true of any crop, he explains. “If you seed into heavy residue, apply high rates of seed-placed fertilizer, put seed too deep into cold soils or too shallow into dry soils, you will spend a lot more money trying to protect that crop, compared to a crop that gets off to a great start.”

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

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better managed crop that doesn’t involve increasing input costs,” he adds.

For example, if you take a look at your seeding operation, make sure seeding speed matches soil flow around the openers. Watch this from the cab and make adjustments as conditions change.

Properly placed seed and fertilizer can have a huge impact on your crop stand and it isn’t directly related to what you pay for inputs.

As a general guideline, Larocque says, seeding should take place somewhere in the mid-four m.p.h. range, depending on conditions. Wider drills allow lower seeding speeds for more uniform seed and fertilizer placement.

Larocque encourages growers to pay attention to how much seed they are putting down, not just their seeding rate.

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“To get a good stand you need to know how many seeds you’re planting,” he says.

“This works for wheat as well. If you are seeding 120 pounds of wheat, depending on the variety, some might contain 12,000 seeds per pound while others are 14,000 seeds per pound. That subtle change in seeds per pound could mean the difference between a good stand and a weak stand, and we know that weak stands cost money.”

Larocque recommends using the best quality seed possible — even though good quality seed rarely comes cheap. Test your seed for germination, vigour, and continue to use a seed treatment if you want a crop that requires less management once it’s up and growing, he says.

One alternative for avoiding the high input costs for canola or wheat when

prices are down is to rotate into crops that can still be very profitable without as much expense at the outset.

“I think growers might seed more peas and malt barley rather than make big input cuts on canola or wheat,” says Larocque. “Canola and wheat are higherrisk crops but, managed well, they have the potential for higher net returns. If prices (for alternative crops) are low, this can be a good opportunity to try these crops rather than scrimp on crops that require higher costs to perform well.

“Go forward with the aim of generating the highest net return, not with the goal of saving the most money,” he concludes.

“You can accomplish this by doing what’s best to get the crop out of the ground and growing well. In the end, good management will be rewarded.” FF

PHOTOS: Lee Poppy, senior technician, AAFC Swift Current Research Centre

Two sites from the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada study show non-uniform (l) and uniform plant stands.

T E C H N O L O GY

Bayer sets sights on

better spring wheats

By Jennifer Barber Production facilities in the right location, with the right capacity and technology are a must for any supplier that wants to develop and market new products for Canadian growers.

That’s why Bayer CropScience has significantly bumped up its investment in infrastructure as part of a commitment to providing Canadian growers with innovative crop management tools.

“We have the capabilities in this company to come up with great ideas for growers, but you have to be able to offer something tangible; some value that will come from those ideas,” says Dr. Marcus Weidler, VP, seeds operations with Bayer CropScience. “All of our infrastructure projects ultimately have the goal of improving yield and yield stability of our products. This results in a better return on investment and reduced risk for growers.

We are now better set up to do that than ever before.”

“Continual upgrades are required to ensure that we are running at optimum capacity,” says Dianna Emperingham, director of product supply for Bayer CropScience in Regina. “We are now able to bring in the best technologies for all the different steps in the filling and

“We have had some great varieties here in Canada… but it’s time to take the next step in wheat breeding” — Dr. Marcus Weidler

VP, Seeds Operations, Bayer CropScience

packaging process, and we have also been able to free up floor space for future expansion of our formulations and other operations.

“We made the decision to update the design of the plant to improve efficiencies and flexibility to meet increased market demand,” says Emperingham. “With a strong product supply team located in Regina and our distribution partners across the country, Bayer CropScience can produce, import and distribute our full line of products to Canadian growers.”

Focus on wheat Investment didn’t stop there. In September 2014, Bayer broke ground on its new $12 million Wheat Breeding Centre south of Saskatoon. “We have had some great varieties here in Canada that were bred to thrive in Canadian fields, but it’s time

investments with vision  Early in 2014, Bayer completed a multi-million dollar expansion of its Canola Breeding Centre in Saskatoon.  At its Lethbridge seed processing facility, the company invested $15 million in 2014 to increase capacity and find new and innovative ways to process and clean seed for improved quality and performance of its InVigor hybrid line.  In September 2014, Bayer broke ground on its new $12 million Wheat Breeding Centre, south of Saskatoon.  In November 2014 Bayer unveiled a $6.5 million expansion to its Regina plant, making it the company's largest emulsifiable concentrate packaging plant in the world.

to take the next step in wheat breeding,” says Weidler.

“This facility has a clear focus: to develop hybrid spring wheat that can perform in Western Canada under stress such as drought, excess moisture, or other tough conditions.”

Globally, Bayer CropScience has committed CDN$2.1 billion to improving the performance of wheat, and in linking all its research facilities to take advantage of advancements made at each. It has also made strategic alliances with other industry partners to create a global network of wheat breeding research and development.

“So instead of accessing only the relatively small genetic pool we have here in this country, we can draw from the germplasm available in places like Brazil, Ukraine and Argentina,” says Weidler.

“Ultimately, we need to translate that global network into local success, and we will be able to do that at our new wheat breeding facility.”

The first phase is expected to open in the summer of 2015 and will house a large research area alongside office space and equipment and processing workshops.

The centre will work closely with others in Fargo, North Dakota and Lincoln, Nebraska. Breeding material will be moved between all three facilities.

“We believe in the future of agriculture in Canada,” says Weidler. “But to compete on a global scale, we need to increase the competitive edge of Canadian growers.

With an investment in innovation across our facilities, we will have the capacity to continually advance our research, development and production practices to the benefit of growers.” FF

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

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T E C H N O L O GY

Facility upgrade takes safety and efficiency to next level

By G e ra l d P i lg e r photos by calvin fehr

I

n November 2014, Bayer CropScience hosted the re-opening of its agricultural filling and packaging facility located on 11.6 acres in an industrial area of northeast Regina. The event marked the completion of a $6.5 million dollar plant upgrade that turned the existing facility into Bayer’s largest emulsifiable concentrate packaging plant in the world.

The old plant’s two packing lines were replaced by five new automated lines. This allows each line to be dedicated to a specific product or function, thus reducing the risk of cross-contamination between products, and increasing plant efficiency.

Roughly two-thirds of the money spent on the upgrade went into new, specialized filling and packing equipment, sourced from around the world — France, Germany, Korea, Canada and the U.S. — and connected by 4,000 ft. of new stainless steel pipe. »

The $6.5 million upgrade to Bayer CropScience's Regina facility makes it the company's largest emulsifiable concentrate packaging plant in the world.

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

15

“Perhaps the most important feature of this facility upgrade is the speed at which it can deliver product”

Filling and packaging is now fully automated. Touch screen displays along the line allow as few as five workers per line to control all aspects of formulation, filling, labelling, packing, wrapping and container movement with incredible accuracy. For example, the weight of filled jugs is accurate within five grams, and never less than the labelled volume.

Five hundred and forty feet of new pallet conveyors now move filled containers from packaging lines to the warehouse. Before the upgrade, it took 96 trips per hour by forklift to move filled containers, creating potentially dangerous congestion in the facility.

In fact, worker safety was a major consideration in the upgrade and all hazardous equipment is now behind safety fencing. A dual shutdown system allows workers to use the standard emergency shutdown buttons common

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to industrial workplaces to instantly stop everything.

In addition, Bayer installed a wire-line system in workstation areas. This allows workers to easily and quickly shut down just their area, if necessary. Sensors constantly monitor everything on the line. If they detect anything abnormal, the line automatically shuts down.

Robotics now play an increased role in the plant; applying labels, picking up jugs and filling boxes. As well, labelling has been enhanced. Every container is labelled with a batch code and date for tracking, and every package is automatically bar coded.

Bayer even made upgrades to the way it handles pallets of product. Instead of shrink wrapping pallets, the plant uses stretched hooding — the first Bayer facility to do so. This is an automatic system that covers a pallet of product completely, on all four sides and top, with a single, form fitting, sealed plastic sheath, or hood, which is firmly fastened to the pallet. The result is more secure packaging as well as better weatherproofing.

Perhaps the most important feature of this facility upgrade is the speed at which it can deliver product. Greater capacity and efficiency means Bayer can get the right crop protection products in growers’ hands much faster, and this can be critical in the case of an unexpected disease outbreak or insect infestation.

The upgrade allows Bayer to import active ingredients, formulate needed products, fill, pack, ship, and get those products into farmers’ hands in as little as seven to 10 days. If the necessary active ingredients are in-house in Regina, that time frame can be significantly reduced.

With the upgrades now in place, the 161,000 sq. ft. facility can formulate, package and distribute about 30 million litres of crop protection products and 8.1 million kilograms of treated seed, annually. FF

A strong pulse.

At the heart of plant health is a quality seed treatment. Trilex® EverGol™ seed treatment for pulses provides exceptional disease control and superior crop establishment.

Not only does Trilex EverGol provide exceptional protection from diseases like rhizoctonia and ascochyta, it also promotes overall plant health. The result is a higher performing root system, increased biomass and faster emergence, regardless of disease pressure.

To learn more about Trilex EverGol, visit: BayerCropScience.ca/Trilex

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.

Always read and follow the label directions. EverGol™ and Trilex® are trademarks of the Bayer Group.

Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

C-61-11/14-10273954-E

C OV E R S T O RY

Balancing ag and urban interests on the island

By Clare Stanfield

A

Jamieson. “If you drive around the island, you see a farm, then a subdivision, then a private home, then another farm.”

So if you’re in the business of agriculture on PEI, inevitably you’ll run up against competing interests — from fellow farmers as well as non-farmers.

Indeed, island history, geography, hydrology and society all come together to create some of the most interesting and unique business conditions for agriculture in Canada. Farmers elsewhere: take note.

Agriculture is PEI’s number one industry. But a finite land mass and highly erodible soil have led government to establish protective measures that greatly impact how individual producers operate.

Photos: ©Tourism PEI / Paul Baglole TOP RIGHT: ©TOURISM PEI/ Carrie Gregory

ll across Canada, the business of agriculture is butting up against urban assumptions and expectations. Nowhere is this more evident than on Prince Edward Island (PEI) where farmers and non-farmers live cheek-byjowl in one of our country’s most beautiful regions.

Part of that closeness, says John Jamieson, executive director of Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture (PEIFA), simply comes down to population density. With just over 1.4 million acres and 145,000 people, PEI has the highest population density in Canada at 24.7 persons per square kilometre.

The other part is haphazard planning. “There’s been very little land planning on PEI,” says

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In particular, two pieces of legislation dominate the agricultural discussion: the Lands Protection Act (LPA) and a provincial moratorium on highcapacity irrigation wells.

“Land ownership in PEI is a historical minefield,” says Jamieson. It goes all the way back to 1763, when PEI was transferred from France to England via the Treaty of Paris. “It was divided into 67 parcels of land, owned by absentee landlords in Europe and rented out to tenant farmers. Riots ended that system in 1875, just after confederation.”

The legacy of that feudalism is a heightened sensitivity to land ownership — a desire to ensure land remains under local control and that no one person or entity controls too much. That came to a head with the LPA, which became law in 1982 and sought to limit the amount of land any one person, resident or non-resident, could own.

For farmers, this law meant an individual could own no more than 1,000 acres, and a corporation (minimum of three equal shareholders) no more than 3,000 acres. Sounds good in theory, but in practice it did not work well. For one thing, the limits included all land — arable and non-arable.

For another, it double-counted some land. If three members of one family formed a farm corporation, for example, each person had to include common property in his or her 1,000-acre count.

“The challenge is that farms are getting larger, which they must do to survive, and the number of farms is declining,” says Jamieson. “We do see a need for limits, but we want them to reflect the reality of the day.”

In 2013, a review of the LPA resulted in a number of changes, including the elimination of double counting and applying acreage limits to arable land only. “With all the different provisions and exemptions in the LPA today, it’s possible for a farm operation to have up to 5,500 acres,” says Jamieson.

That’s not bad for a small island.

And while the LPA applies to all landowners, farm and non-farm, the high capacity well moratorium established in 2002 is directed solely at wells intended for agricultural irrigation.

“PEI’s average precipitation is 1,100 millimetres (45 inches) a year,” says Jamieson. It rather begs the question of why irrigation is needed at all, but it’s not a supply issue so much as one of timing, he explains. »

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

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PEI’s main crop is potatoes, the majority of which are the long-maturing Russet Burbank, harvested well into September and October committee is taking submissions and looking at the issue. The government has responded by saying it will create a water act and Jamieson is hopeful.

“We need to manage water properly — it is a public resource. So what we’re saying is let’s look at the science and put some checks and balances in place.”

But land and water rights mean nothing if farmers can’t farm. PEI has a very active antipesticide movement that is putting a lot of pressure on the industry as a whole. And while most regions in Canada experience this conflict to some degree, it’s a real hot button in PEI because the farming and non-farming public live and work on each other’s doorsteps. “Not only can people see you spraying,” says Jamieson, “they sometimes call the

Photos: bottom: thinkstock top: ©Tourism PEI / HEATHER OGG

PEI’s main crop is potatoes, the majority of which are the long-maturing Russet Burbank, harvested well into September and October. In some years there can be critical periods where irrigation would be helpful to make up for a lack of timely rainfall. “Only a limited number of farms could use irrigation,” says Jamieson, “and then only during dry spells. Last year, if we’d had it, we would have used it for only three weeks.”

It’s particularly galling to farmers that the moratorium applies only to them. “I could open a golf course tomorrow, be allowed to drill a high capacity well, dump a million gallons of water a week on the greens, and no one would say anything,” says Jamieson.

It’s a highly contentious issue because useable water seems plentiful and, unlike other provinces, PEI does not have legislation prioritizing and governing water use.

PEI is 100 per cent groundwater fed, says Jamieson. “You can dig a hole just about anywhere and get useable water.” Annual recharge rates are very high (about 385,000 m3/km2/year). Even when accounting for all uses — agricultural, industrial and residential — PEI currently uses only seven per cent of available groundwater recharge.

The PEIFA and the PEI Potato Board are working to have the moratorium lifted. A legislative standing

almost 1,000 visitors coming to your gate, it shows that people are interested in what you’re doing and want to know more.”

The PEIFA also works with farmers so that they can give public talks about the business, whether at their own farms on Open Farm Day, or in schools or for local business groups. “We even do a calendar of PEI farmers that we give out at farmers’ markets — we don’t dress them up, we just haul them out of a field and take the pictures,” says Jamieson. “People just love that.” And he runs out of calendars every year.

PEI’s farmers represent the province’s biggest industry — agriculture is the largest contributor to the economy — so there is a lot on the line when it comes to rural-urban issues as well as getting legislation right. “It’s very much a progressive growth industry,” says Jamieson. FF

PEI Open Farm Day: www.farmforum.ca/openfarmday

Photo: ©Tourism PEI / Stephen Harris

cops to make you stop! It can make doing business difficult.”

Jamieson and the PEIFA are stepping up to the plate to help educate and inform people about what’s happening in their neighbourhoods, but this can be an uphill battle. “The challenge is that most of the negative arguments around agriculture are emotional, and nine times out of 10, emotion will trump facts,” he says. “We need to be able to touch people’s emotions. I keep telling my board this and we are developing a rigorous communications plan to help us address the issues.”

PEI’s wildly successful Open Farm Day, held every September, is Jamieson’s proof that when facts and emotion come together, barriers can fall. It’s one day a year when just over 20 farms open their doors to the public. Farm owners tour people around, explain how things are done and answer any questions.

Participating farms get, on average, 1,000 visitors.

“I say to farmers, don’t hang your head too low about the state of farming because when you have

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

21

FA R M L I F E

Passion for

family& farming

drives this diversified business

By Dianne Finstad

The Krahn family: Myron and Jill with their two girls, Candace (10) and Keira (8).

P

assion shared is key to the success of Krahn Agri Farms in Carmen, MB. Not only do Myron and Jill Krahn have a strong commitment to agriculture, but their genuine love for one another, for family and for what they do keeps them excited about each new day.

“A lot of our friends ask, ‘How can you work together, and live together?’” laughs Jill. “But our passion, our dedication, have pulled this farm to where we are today.”

And where they are is pretty impressive. In a mere 11 years, the Krahns have grown their farm from 900

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to 3,000 acres, adding seed production and a seed retail business along the way. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and their success obvious, which is why they are the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmers’ program winners for the Manitoba region and the program’s national co-winner along with Andrew and Heidi Lawless of Kinkora, PEI. Both Jill and Myron grew up on grain farms in southern Manitoba and that’s where their interest in growing crops was seeded. They met at the University of Manitoba, where both majored in agronomy.

Married in 2001, Myron worked as an agronomist,

while Jill was in quality assurance in the seed industry.

At the same time, Myron continued to help on his family’s farm just north of Carmen.

“There really wasn’t a succession plan in place,” recalls Myron. “I was trying to farm and work fulltime, and there just weren’t enough hours in the day to do everything. It became a situation where Mom and Dad were ready to retire, and Jill and I were ready to commit to the farm,” he explains.

In 2003, the Krahns took over the 900-acre operation, putting to good use business lessons learned in their jobs. They also built on their people connections made both at university and through work.

These connections were irreplaceable, says Myron.

“Agriculture is a huge industry, but at the same time, everybody seems to know one another. We made some really good contacts and that’s helped us along the way.”

Employment experience in various aspects of seed production helped till the soil for the Krahns’ move into the seed business. “As an agronomist, you sell chemicals and seed to farmers, and I really enjoyed that,” says Myron. When he returned to the farm, Myron missed that interaction with farmers, and that influenced the decision to start a seed dealership.

“We had to carve our own little niche if we wanted to be successful farming,” Myron says. “On a 900-acre farm, it’s really tough to make ends meet. The only way we could expand was to be as profitable as we could with that 900 acres, and start chipping away at acquiring more land.”

The Krahns started seed production when they took over Myron’s family farm in 2003 and launched the seed retail business from scratch in 2009. “It

took a few years for us to increase our land base and improve our balance sheet to where we could afford to start the seed business,” says Jill.

Adding to the land base began with buying one more quarter-section in 2004, and continued to the current 3,000 acres (owned and leased) now in farm production. “We had a business plan put together and knew what we needed to do to be able to afford more land and the equipment to run it,” says Myron. “It was partly a leap of faith. We figured if we stuck to our plan, we’d be able to afford more land and equipment.”

“We had to carve our own little niche if we wanted to be successful farming” To add to the capital pool, Myron did custom farm work in the region, which both improved cash flow and expanded business contacts with neighbours.

Looking for new crop choices also proved valuable to the operation — the land in the area is well suited to specialty crop production, and while corn had been a viable choice since the 1970s, the Krahns were early adopters of soybeans in the region.

“Soybeans handle moisture stress really, really well compared to most crops,” says Myron. And because of that, soybeans have taken acres from canola and edible beans in the area. “The crop has grown exponentially here over the past five years. Acres have jumped big time.” » In 2013, the couple set up a new on-site seed

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

23

treating business. “We could better serve our customers with on-site treating of their soybeans and cereals,” says Jill. “Our business has expanded as a result of adding that system.”

As the Krahns’ operation has grown, they’ve faced some of the challenges often echoed among young farmers.

“For sure it’s the financial aspect of farming,” says Myron. “When we took over, the equipment was getting old and there wasn’t really extra money to upgrade. It took a few years to get going and we expanded the land base without changing equipment. That made every task take twice as long, and there were twice as many breakdowns.

“Another (challenge) was our bookkeeping,” he adds. “We really didn’t have a system when we started. Basically, between Christmas and the new year, I’d pull out all the receipts and get an Excel spreadsheet going.” Now, Jill reconciles every month, so they are never more than four weeks behind.

“That’s been a huge benefit for us because we always know where we are financially. In the past, we didn’t really know; we’d just do the minimum (inputs) to get through,” says Myron. The importance of regular bookkeeping and accounting was a valuable lesson to learn.

“Now, when it comes time to upgrade a piece of equipment, we know right away whether we can afford it or not.”

But that doesn’t mean Myron and Jill have a whole new fleet of shiny paint in the farmyard. Even with better grain prices over the past few years, they’ve stuck to their machinery replacement priority list and have been disciplined in their spending, willing to “turn some wrenches” to keep older pieces going.

Field trials, and demonstration plots are a regular feature on the farm, and another interesting diversification is a small area devoted to native grass seed production.

Until recently, Myron and Jill handled all farm tasks themselves, with help from their enthusiastic daughters, Candace (10) and Keira (8). But last spring, they made the decision to hire their first full-time employee, a move that’s taken them into a whole new realm of human resource management. They set up a new office and seed warehouse this fall, and they’re now discussing whether they need to grow again, » given the high volume of sales this winter.

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FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

25

When the Krahns were approached about being nominees for the Outstanding Young Farmers’ program, they were honoured, but didn’t know much about the program.

“It wasn’t until we started filling out the application that we began to realize the scope of what it’s all about,” says Myron.

Having been so busy in the past decade, they found that the process of filling out the application forced them to sit down, and look back at where they started and how far they’ve come with their farming operation.

“It gave us a chance to look at pictures and share stories about how we used to do things, and the equipment we used, compared to what we do now,” says Jill.

“We’ve worked awfully hard, and it made us appreciate where we’ve come to,” says Myron. “It was good relationship strengthening for us as well. I think we’re fortunate to be so close as a couple,” he adds. “That’s been one of the keys to our success, even more than our business plan.

It’s just awesome.” FF

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FARM FORUM / JANUARY 2015

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.

Always read and follow label directions. InVigor速 is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group.

Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

O-66-11/14-10273954-E

PRODUCTION

Delegates head ‘down under’ for 2015 Global Youth Ag-Summit

By Joy Gregory

Y

oung Canadian Farmers are preparing to tackle world hunger.

Their focus is distinctly global and long-term, but one of their leaders insists the task is more doable than daunting.

“Young people in the agricultural community recognize that this is a challenge that’s going to need some solutions by 2050, when world population is expected to reach nine billion,” says Jacob Onyschuk, the Canadian delegate on the international committee organizing the Global Youth Ag-Summit to be held in Canberra, Australia from August 24-28, 2015.

At the summit, Canadian delegates will likely be focused on sustainable production, since stewardship of existing resources is critical, says Onyschuk. “I think our generation recognizes that sustainability is going to be a challenge and that we’re the ones who will have to provide a solution to that challenge.”

Onyschuk co-ordinates farm and ag-related events at Northlands in Edmonton, and is also a beef producer

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active in 4-H. One of 60 young Canadians who took part in the first summit held in Calgary in 2013, he says that four other young agricultural leaders will represent Canada at this summer’s event in Canberra. Selection was based on an essay contest that closed January 31, 2015. Successful applicants will have their trip to the Global Youth Ag-Summit covered by Bayer CropScience and other sponsors.

Sustainable solutions The Canadian delegates will be part of a larger group of 100 delegates from around the world. All delegates will be between the ages of 18 and 25, with some delegates from 2013 expected to participate as mentors. Other mentors will come from the global ag industry. Building on the success of the first youth ag-summit, Onyschuk expects delegates and mentors to share and fine tune their own ideas about sustainable food production for the residents of an increasingly hungry planet.

Food for thought  By 2050, the planet’s

population will hit 9 billion people, up 2 billion from 2015.

Jacob Onyschuk is the Canadian delegate on the international committee organizing the Global Youth Ag-Summit in Canberra, Australia, August 24-28, 2015.

 One billion people currently

lack an adequete supply of safe and nutritious food.  40% of the fruits and

vegetables grown in India never make it to market. Inefficient storage and distribution cause more damage than drought.  To meet demand in 2050,

given rising disposable incomes and growing preferences for livestock products, food producers need to increase their output by close to 60%.

Initiated by 4-H Canada with financial support from Bayer CropScience, the first summit led to the implementation of more than 540 personal, localized actions by delegates and their mentors.

In 2013, Onyschuk’s essay was one of 146 Canadian entries. It focused on how more efficient distribution could lead to reduced food waste. He says ideas gleaned from other delegates made him more aware of how agricultural byproducts, including straw, can be used to cut food production costs in his own operation.

This year’s event will build on the international network started by the first summit. “We can learn so much from other people’s experiences and then leverage that information forward. It’s also good to understand that food producers face different challenges in different parts of the world,” says Onyschuk. FF

To learn more about Global Youth Ag-Summit, check out: www.farmforum.ca/youthagsummit

FARMFORUM.CA / JANUARY 2015

29

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER CROPSCIENCE PRODUCTS

Fungicides boot camp Latest DST results highlight strong yield advantages

G

rowers who have experienced the benefits of market-leading fungicide options, such as Prosaro® and Folicur EW®, know that “it pays to spray” is more than just a simple slogan. It’s a rule of thumb they can rely on, year after year.

But just how much does it pay to spray?

What are the disease protection and yield advantages? What can growers expect under different conditions in their specific growing area?

One of the best resources available to help growers evaluate options and make the best choices is the body of knowledge generated by the Bayer CropScience Cereal Fungicide Demonstration Strip Trial (DST) program.

This program, now seven years running, is the most extensive of its kind in Western

Canada. It is designed to provide cereal farmers with quality, multi-year data that meets high standards and reflects as closely as possible the often challenging conditions and shifting circumstances that growers face every day.

Knowledge fuels success

All DSTs are managed by actual growers, using their own equipment and agronomic practices, with the help of Bayer CropScience market development specialists to ensure the appropriate fungicide application at the best time for each field.

The testing focuses on a range of criteria and treatments using leading Bayer CropScience cereal fungicides, including top performers Prosaro and Folicur EW.

‘CANADA TOUGH’ TESTING ALBERTA

SASKATCHEWAN

MANITOBA

The large number of DST sites spread across the western Canadian grain-growing region exposes Bayer CropScience fungicides to a wide array of environmental and growing conditions.

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FARM FORUM / JANUARY 2015

Prosaro – delivers a premium level of protection against fusarium head blight (FHB) and the highest level of control and post-infection activity on leaf diseases.

Folicur EW – offers a wide window of application and provides exceptional control of tough leaf diseases, along with proven FHB protection.

Latest results from the 2014 growing season showcase the benefits of these cereal fungicides.

More information on 2014 Cereal Fungicide DST results will be made available in resources such as the Bayer CropScience Fungicide DST Booklet and the online, interactive DST Results Fungicide Map. Watch www.ItPaysToSpray.ca for updates.

A NEWSLETTER FROM BAYER CROPSCIENCE

LENTILS YIELD RESPONSE DELARO

2012 SK

2012 SK

2012 SK

2012 SK

2012 SK

2011 MB

2012 SK

2011 SK

2013 SK

2011 SK

2012 SK

2012 SK

2011 SK

2013 SK

150% 100%

2011 SK

200%

2012 SK

250%

2012 MB

300%

2012 SK

350%

2012 SK

PERCENT OF THE UNTREATED

Delaro Lentil Yields as a % of the untreated

New pulse fungicide option

50% 0%

Source: Bayer CropScience internal trials. Your results may vary according to agronomic, environmental and disease pressure variables.

FIELD PEAS YIELD RESPONSE DELARO 2011 SK

PERCENT OF THE UNTREATED

2012 SK

2012 MB

2012 SK

2011 SK

2011 SK

2011 SK

2012 SK

2013 AB

2012 MB

2012 MB

2012 MB

100%

2012 SK

150%

2012 MB

200%

2013 MB

250%

Delaro Field Pea Yields as a % of the untreated

Another key focus of the Bayer CropScience fungicides portfolio is a new option for pulses.

Delaro™ is a new pulse fungicide available for the 2015 growing season. It delivers broad-spectrum protection against all major stem, pod and leaf diseases and provides outstanding yield benefits in field peas, lentils, chickpeas and soybeans.

50% 0%

Source: Bayer CropScience internal trials. Your results may vary according to agronomic, environmental and disease pressure variables.

Finding the right fit for your farm

DST RESULTS InVigor DST results are available at InVigorResults.ca. The revamped tool is user-friendly and interactive, allowing you to access detailed yield and performance information from 85 Demonstration Strip Trials (DST) across the prairies. broad range of easy-to-customize data available through the DST Map is The The broad range of easy-to-customize data available through second-to-none and designed with grower value, transparency and convenience in mind.

It includes the option to view results according to your area. It also features direct the DST Map is second-to-none and designed with grower comparisons to competitor products.

value, transparency and convenience in mind. It includes the option to view results according to your area. It also features direct comparisons to competitor products.

FARMFORUM.CA / JANAURY 2015

31

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER CROPSCIENCE PRODUCTS

THE ‘ROOT’ OF A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST EverGol raises the bar

G

rowers know that what happens above ground is only half the story.

Those healthy, uniform stands and increased biomass are the result of strong, healthy root growth below the surface.

One of the best ways to allow those roots of success to flourish, as part of an overall seed treatment performance boost, is through the innovative EverGol™ lineup from Bayer CropScience.

higher-performing root systems

Nurturing plant health

Vitaflo 280 Trilex EverGol Research trials show more robust, higher-performing root systems provided by Trilex EverGol (r) versus Vitaflo 280 (l). Source: Bayer CropScience internal research trials, 2012

treatments – including the innovative penflufen. This active delivers a powerful platform of protection against a broad range of the most challenging and costly

seed- and soil-borne diseases, adding outstanding control of rhizoctonia and ascochyta to an already dynamic EverGol package.

Photo: THINKSTOCK

EverGol is a new generation of seed treatment fungicide that actively promotes the growth of more extensive, higher performing root systems. This provides the plant with greater access to water and nutrients, supports faster crop establishment as well as greater overall plant health. This, in turn, helps the crop maximize performance and withstand a range of stresses throughout the growing season, resulting in dramatically higher yield potential.

Your results may vary according to agronomic, environmental and pest pressure variables.

Disease protection with EverGol is also at a superior level. The product features a unique class of chemistry for seed

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A NEWSLETTER FROM BAYER CROPSCIENCE

Driving performance The EverGol product portfolio includes:

Trilex® EverGol for pulses

Exceptional protection from disease – including rhizoctonia, ascochyta, pythium and botrytis. Your results may vary according to agronomic, environmental and pest pressure.

Evergol Energy for soybeans

Long-lasting protection against rhizoctonia and other fungal diseases to help ensure greener and fuller plants, better crop establishment and improved growth.

Pulse crops treated with Trilex EverGol show an 8% yield increase in comparison to Apron Maxx® and 13% increase over untreated.

Plan now to maximize savings BayerValue Program offers new ways to benefit

Prosper® EverGol for canola

Protects against the most damaging range of diseases and flea beetles in canola crops. Along with seed- and soilborne diseases, Prosper EverGol protects canola from flea beetles up to the fourleaf stage, seed rot, damping-off caused

by Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium, as

well as seed rot, damping-off, seedling blight and early-season root rot caused by soil-borne Pythium. Prosper EverGol also protects against seed-borne Alternaria and blackleg.

All three products support improved germination, vigour and higherperforming root systems.

Contact your Bayer CropScience representative today, or to learn more, visit www.BayerCropScience.ca/EverGol

Trilex EverGol offers a 17% increase in ascochyta protection versus Apron Maxx®.

Now is the time to maximize your savings by taking advantage of the BayerValue program – newly updated and simplified. BayerValue allows growers to combine qualifying purchases to receive a great range of discounts in each product segment: • Seed Treatment • Cereal Herbicides

• Cereal/Pulse Fungicides • Canola Products

Trilex EverGol provides a 25% yield increase over untreated and a 6% yield increase versus Apron Maxx® when fusarium is present.

Now when you purchase Bayer CropScience products from different segments, you increase your savings. Get complete 2015 BayerValue program details at www.BayerCropScience.ca/ BayerValue

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Infinity®, InVigor®, Liberty®, LibertyLink®, Pardner®, Raxil®, SeedGrowth™, StressShield®, Trilex®, and Varro™ are trademarks of the Bayer Group. All other products mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

FARMFORUM.CA / JANAURY 2015

33

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER CROPSCIENCE PRODUCTS

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SUMMIT OF SEED TREATMENT

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The Raxil revolution

Raxil® PRO and Raxil PRO Shield are top examples. Raxil is designed with grower ease-of-use in mind – with one simple rate, straightforward application and a wider window of temperature hardiness.

Raxil also features a unique and innovative micro-dispersion formulation. This ensures more thorough, even seed coverage ideal for both on-farm and commercial treating. In fact, good seed coverage is one of the most important

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Photo: THINKSTOCK

tronger crop establishment; healthier plants; higher yield.

These are three big reasons why seed treatment is one of the top agronomic investments in farming today.

But peak payoff is only there if the job is done right.

It’s important to do proper research, choose the best product for the crops and challenges you are facing, and finally, carefully follow proper application approaches. Poor application is a more common problem than many growers realize and a big reason why seed treatment doesn’t always get the credit it deserves.

The good news today is that the leading seed treatment options are easier-to-use than ever before. They also feature a range of breakthrough technology innovations to support a maximum value harvest.

factors in getting maximum benefit from a seed treatment.

Demonstration strip trials show Raxil results in 7 per cent higher yield compared to an untreated check, combined with market-leading disease protection.

The power of three

Raxil PRO Shield seed treatment provides exceptional protection from the most serious seed- and soil-borne

diseases including true loose smut and Fusarium graminearum. With the addition of prothioconazole, Raxil PRO Shield has outstanding contact and systemic activity. The added plant health benefits of Stress Shield ® help to promote the development of crops so they emerge faster, have healthier root systems and are better able to withstand a range of both common and unforeseen seasonal stresses, including wireworms.

Learn more about how to achieve peak performance in seed treatment at www.BayerCropScience.ca/Raxil.

Taking farming by STORM Equipment innovations are another game changer. In 2014, Bayer partnered with Ag Growth International (AGI) to co-design the NEW STORM Seed Treater, the first of its kind for computerized, self-adjusting/metered, in-yard seed treatment for cereals.

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Stand your ground.

Whether it’s drought, disease, nutrient loss, frost, wireworms or other unforeseen seasonal stresses, the Stress Shield® component of Raxil® PRO Shield helps provide superior emergence, increased vigour and a healthier plant.

This formulation combines the power of three different fungicide active ingredients, including prothioconazole, for comprehensive systemic and contact protection from the most serious seed- and soil-borne diseases in cereals, like Fusarium graminearum.

With Raxil PRO Shield, what you seed is what you get.

For more information, visit: BayerCropScience.ca/Raxil

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.

Always read and follow label directions. Raxil® and Stress Shield® are registered trademarks of the Bayer Group.

Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

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Canola like you’ve never seeded.

Tighter canola rotations and increasingly common prairie wind events have led to massive seed deposits across the Canadian Prairies. Avoid reaping what you didn’t sow.

Pardner® herbicide is now registered as a pre-season, tank-mix partner with Roundup WeatherMAX® herbicide and other glyphosate technologies for control of all volunteer canola, even if they’re resistant to other herbicide groups.

For more information, please visit: BayerCropScience.ca/Pardner

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.

Always read and follow label directions. Pardner® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group.

All other products mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies.

Bayer CropScience is a member of Crop Life Canada.

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