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p. 5 Currency concerns and weather worries set market outlook

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C-76-01/12-BCS12071-E

FarmFORUM volume 26 | issue 2 | Spring 2012

contents >> PRINT TECHNOLOGY

BUSINESS

PRODUCTION

FARM LIFE

FarmFORUM www.farmforum.ca Publisher Bayer CropScience Editor Sherry Butt Associate Editor Dave Wreford

16

Brush up your small-engine repair skills

Find the right course for your needs

18

Too many jobs, not enough labour Strategies to find the help you need

COVER STORY

10

20

Familiar challenges Small steps lead for Australian to big success growers OYF national winners grow Weather, weeds and transportation test farmers “down under”

farm, one decision at a time

4 Editor’s note: similar challenges faced by farmers around the globe 5 Currency concerns and weather worries set market outlook for 2012 6 It’s time to focus on fungal disease: new reasons to be more vigilant 8 Discipline is key to RESP success: education savings plans take the bite out of post-secondary fees

look for crop talk starting on page 24

contents >> WEB

CropTalk

FarmFORUM.ca

Contributors Jennifer Barber, Philip Shaw, Jeff Melchior, Joy Gregory, Paul Mathews Photographics, Gerald Pilger and Clare Stanfield.

Graphic Design Aaron Mumby Design 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@bayercropscience.com www.bayercropscience.ca Contents of this publication are copyrighted and may be reproduced only with written permission of the publisher, Bayer CropScience.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40743517 Registered in Canada Copyright 2012 Website www.farmforum.ca Return undeliverable copies to: Bayer CropScience Suite 200 160 Quarry Park Blvd SE Calgary, AB, T2C 3G3

Winter wheat survival Soil temperature best indicator of crop success

www.farmforum.ca/winterwheatsurvival

Winter wheat brings a bin windfall Alberta and Manitoba “Bin Full of Reasons” contest winners www.farmforum.ca/binwinners

Show me the scholarships University of Alberta student uses scholarships to help fund vet school

On the cover David Brownhill and his brother farm in Australia’s northern New South Wales state. They face many of the same challenges as Canadian growers such as weather, weed resistance and transportation issues.

www.farmforum.ca/scholarships Farm Forum.ca | 3

s h o r t ta k e s

More at farmforum.ca Each month we send you an email from Farm Forum that contains three short articles you may find interesting, a couple of blog headlines and a link to our Twitter page.

Our goal is to provide you with information that is quick and easy to read. You can sort through the headlines quickly, read what interests you and move on. We put a lot of different items on the page so you can see what else might interest you after reading an article or blog.

There’s also depth if you want it. If technology is of interest just click on the “Technology” tab and you’ll find a wide variety of articles to choose from, all on one page.

To stay connected please follow us on twitter: @farmforum. FF

4 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

Editor’s note It’s finally spring, and time for another kick at the can. Now you get to show what you’ve learned from last year, and implement new or improved strategies with an eye on the main prize — a successful growing season.

Watching how others handle the challenges of farming, even in a very different environment, can be a valuable learning experience. Our cover story describes what it’s like to farm on the other side of the world. The challenges faced by Australian brothers David and Gordon Brownhill on their farm in northern New South Wales look familiar to Canadian eyes: weather, weed resistance, succession planning and transportation issues. And their solutions offer some insight into alternative management strategies that might work here.

We can also take lessons from our Outstanding Young Farmers.

In this issue we meet the program’s national winners, Geoff and Jennifer Bishop of Nova Scotia. Their success is based on patience, clear goals and taking small steps to move forward steadily. Their level-headed approach to business helped them grow their farm from one cow into a thriving dairy operation.

Also in this issue we discuss several other challenges facing today’s farmers. Labour supply is a hot topic and in our story on page 18 we offer suggestions — from competitive wages to alternative compensation to hiring foreign workers — that can help recruit and retain staff.

Fungal disease hasn’t really been front and centre on most growers’ radar but that may soon change. Our story on this increasingly important topic takes a look at all the components of a well-rounded disease management strategy, including fungicide use, genetic resistance and scouting practices.

Finally, if you have kids, it’s never too early to plan for their education. And if that plan includes postsecondary education, you’ll want to read our story about RESPs on page 8. These tax-sheltered savings plans are a great way to help finance tuition fees. FF

business

Currency concerns and weather worries set market outlook for 2012

C o n sult a n t ’ s C o r n er

PHOTO ©istockphoto.COM/fotokostic

With philip shaw

The past few years have seen buoyant prices for agricultural commodities.

Whether you grow corn and soybeans in southwestern Ontario, or wheat and canola in western Canada, prices have comfortably exceeded historical levels.

Agriculture is full of challenges, but farm life always seems easier when prices are high. As we move into 2012, the great test for markets will be to see if that buoyancy lasts. It’s a new world out there and our markets are adjusting.

For Canadian grain growers there are myriad new issues on the horizon this year.

Of course in western Canada, “marketing freedom” represents a whole new world of marketing wheat and barley. At this early juncture there surely will be hiccups along the way, but producers will likely adjust to new marketing realities.

Markets are one thing. Mother Nature is another, and she will surely challenge farmers no matter where they live. So will global economic uncertainty.

Key to market prices in 2012 will be non-commercial speculative demand, which exited many agricultural commodity markets in the last third of 2011. Outside markets are increasingly impacting the grain market. Sovereign debt concerns in Europe grew constantly in 2011. This caused much non-commercial speculative capital to leave Europe, looking for safe havens — mainly U.S. government securities. This raised the value of the U.S. dollar, the world’s default currency. As this currency goes up in value, it has a negative impact on world agricultural commodity prices. This vicious circle continues as we look into 2012.

Non-commercial speculative demand is always important in Canadian grain markets, and in 2012 many Canadian farmers will be looking for its return. But grain fundamentals, the laws of supply and demand, still count as major factors in determining agricultural price movement.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Statistics Canada reports are

typically very important in determining the grain balance sheet for both market traders and farmers.

The January 12 USDA report pegged 2011 U.S. corn production to be 12.358 billion bushels, up from the December report of 12.310 billion bushels. This increase in production, as well as an increase in quarterly stocks, sent corn markets down to the limit, $0.40/bushel on January 12. USDA also increased soybean yield for 2011, pegging production at 3.056 billion bushels from the December report of 3.046 billion bushels. And world ending stocks for wheat were put at 210.02 million tonnes, just a whisker below alltime record levels. Overall, the January 12 USDA report put a bearish tone onto the 2012 year.

Canola, not immune from the USDA report, followed soybeans down. Canola

prices will depend heavily on the South American growing season for soybeans, going forward in 2012. Canola supplies are tighter than soybeans, however, and command a premium. Specialty canola oils are also providing support for the canola complex.

Weather will continue to be the quintessential wildcard in 2012. Whether it’s drought on prairie canola fields in July, or a timely rain on Argentinean soybeans as crops there move toward maturity, weather concerns will dominate the production season. Prices will bounce around largely based on how non-commercial speculators view the weather patterns.

So, will it be more of the same in 2012?

No — if there is one constant in Canadian agriculture it’s change. As you market your crops in 2012, expect change. And the challenge will be to manage that change. FF

As we move into 2012, the great test for markets will be to see if the buoyancy lasts

Farm Forum.ca | 5

production

It’s time to focus on fungal disease

By Jeff Melchior

Ask most crop producers about certain pathogens. On top of that, last fungal diseases and they’ll likely tell you year’s wet growing season provided ideal the same thing: they’re hard to identify, conditions for disease growth.

“In the past two years we’ve seen a hard to control, and quick to cause crop damage before anything can be done to huge increase in fungicide use and I think that’s attributed to disease build-up in stop them.

Because of the frigid winters and for certain regions,” says Graham Hastie, other reasons too, Canadian farmers manager cereal crops, fungicide/insechave had it relatively easy when it comes ticides and seed treatments, for Bayer to fungal diseases particularly consider- CropScience.

Fungicide use, however, is only one ing that as much as 20 per cent of worldcomponent of a wide crop prowell-rounded disduction is lost to ease management disease pathogens strategy, says Albert every year, accordGenetic resistance is Tenuta, field crop ing to the Food and probably the number one plant pathologist Agriculture Organiwith Ontario Minzation (FAO) of the weapon producers have istry of Agriculture, United Nations. against fungal disease Food and Rural AfHowever, Cafairs. “Genetic renadians now have sistance is probably reasons to become more vigilant. Shifting weather patterns the number one weapon producers have mean that “foreign” disease challenges against fungal disease,” he says. “Howmay soon be ours. Also, evolving farming ever, other methods such as scouting and practices and fungicide resistance have crop rotations can also be invaluable degradually built up crop susceptibility to fences if used correctly.”

6 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

Genetic resistance key Plant resistance is by far the best way to control fungal disease from an economic, environmental and efficiency perspective, says Tenuta. But with so many new varieties on the market, producers often tend to base their selections on yield. In the process, fungal disease resistance tends to get lost in the shuffle.

“I think some growers may benefit from reviewing their selections,” he says.

“It’s very important to evaluate the company and government information on disease resistance when making decisions about variety selection.”

Be strategic with scouting Scouting for fungal disease is particularly difficult because infection usually occurs days or weeks before visible symptoms appear. That’s why it’s important for growers to be strategic about when they scout, says Tenuta, adding that it should be done three times: early, then towards the middle, and again late in the growing season. “If you do it only once during the growing season it’s

more of a field inspection than a true scout,” he adds.

It’s also important to make sure the disease is properly identified, says Tenuta. Some fungal diseases are similar in appearance to bacterial disease — an example is northern corn leaf blight, which looks much like Stewart’s Wilt, another corn disease. “If you misidentify and then select a management tool which is not appropriate, that can cost you not only dollars, but risks down the road as well,” he says. “If in doubt, get a second opinion from an agronomist.”

that infects amy crops such as sunflower, edible beans, canola and others, add Tenuta.

“The more frequently you rotate crops that share the same disease pathogens, the greater the likelihood of those diseases building up and potentially increasing your risk,” he says.

Watch rotations The trend of putting fewer crops in rotation has played a role in the development of fungal diseases, says Tenuta, especially in cases where crops share susceptibility to the same disease or when pathogens survive on crop residues that do not have sufficient time to break down before the next planting of that crop. For example, the common corn/soybean rotation in Ontario and the U.S. corn belt has contributed to increased root rot pathogens, such as pythium, and new races of northern leaf blight in corn. In western Canada, sclerotinia is a good example of another fungal disease

Minimum tillage opportunity Soil with high moisture content and low temperatures as a result of high residue levels can be a breeding ground for fungal diseases, says Tenuta. “The ultimate goal is 30 per cent residue. There are a lot of ways to reach that goal without bringing out the plow; minimum tillage, for example,” he says. “Vertical tillage equipment is also gaining popularity and shows definite benefits.”

Break the “green bridge” In some cases timing can help fight fungal disease risk, says Tom Fetch,

research scientist with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg, MB. “A good example is wheat streak mosaic virus,” he says. “If you have spring wheat and winter wheat in your rotation, you don’t want to plant your winter wheat if you still have some green spring wheat in the field, because the insect that transmits the disease will still be present. We call this ‘breaking the green bridge.’” FF www.farmforum.ca/fungicideresources

For more information about fungal disease in cruciferous crops and Bayer’s Fungicide Decision Guide

PHOTOs (Top left) Courtesy bayer cropscience; (Top Left) Aaron Mumby Design; (Bottom Left) Courtesy bayer cropscience

Researchers track new disease threats Crop and climate researchers are engaged in an ongoing effort to discover which crop diseases Canadian farmers could face in the future and their possible point of origin.

“We’re seeing a general trend for pathogens usually found south of the border to make their way up to Canada,” says Albert Tenuta, a field crop plant pathologist with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

“This can be the result of adaption to environmental conditions. In many cases, we already have the diseases but they haven’t yet built up to the point where they’re a big risk on an annual basis.”

Wind-borne crop diseases represent a major threat because of the long distances they can travel, says Tom Fetch, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg, MB. “Rusts provide one of the best examples,” he says. “They overwinter in the southern U.S. and by the time our crops are starting to grow out in June, the rust spores arrive.”

The good news is that researchers have identified some of the potential pathways of common fungal diseases. The “puccinia pathway”, named after the rust genus, identifies

Frogeye leaf spot

Stripe rust

the movement of rust spores from the southern U.S. to the eastern prairies of Canada. Stripe rust in the Pacific Northwest and Montana can travel up to Alberta and Saskatchewan, says Fetch. “Crops on the eastern prairies, however, are more vulnerable to stripe rust blowing in from Texas.”

Canadian researchers collaborate with key players in other locations — including corn and soybean grower organizations in the U.S. — in trying to anticipate diseases that could be a challenge on Canadian soil in the future, says Tenuta.

“One of the key diseases we’re tracking right now is frogeye leaf spot, a fungal foliar leaf disease commonly found in soybean crops in Kentucky and Illinois. It has developed some resistance to strobilurin fungicides in areas of the U.S.,” he says. Another is the bacterial disease Goss’s wilt in corn, which, over the past few years, has spread from Nebraska eastward into Indiana and Michigan. FF

Farm Forum.ca | 7

fa r m l i f e

Discipline is key to RESP success

By Joy Gregory

Education savings plans take the bite out of postsecondary fees

8 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

be a pain to access the money … with signatures needed for this and that. Still, it’s definitely worth it.”

Ask your tax pro Post-secondary payment strategies should also include a conversation with your tax professional, says George Dube, a chartered accountant in Kitchener/Waterloo, ON. Dube says farmers do a good job of planning their expenditures, from equipment to facilities and inputs. “To a large degree, they recognize that there are going to be future outlays required when it comes to their kids’ post-secondary education,” he says. “They need to think about those outlays and have a plan for how much they want to assist their children.”

In addition to providing some guidance about programs like RESPs, your tax advisor may help you structure your farm business to give children minor ownership capacity, which gives them access to dividends without any corporate control.

Dube says that children often won’t have to pay much (if any) personal tax if the dividend income (roughly $40,000 or less a year, depending on the province) is their only source of income. Always get professional accounting and legal advice before making a move like this, however.

Information on RESPs is widely available through financial institutions, investment organizations and websites like resps.org. Because plans vary, Smith says it’s a good idea to get some help deciding which program will work best for your situation. FF www.farmforum.ca/scholarships

Finance schooling through scholarships

PHOTO ©istockphoto.COM/Rich Vintage Photography

Knowledge and discipline Pamela Smith grew up on a seed farm near Lashburn, SK. Now paying for the oldest of her three children to attend university, Smith lives in Lloydminster where she is an If you have kids, here are some hard associate consultant with Investors Group. facts to consider: university fees in Can- She also thinks RESPs are important. So ada averaged $5,366 for the 2010/11 important, in fact, that Canadian parents school year. That doesn’t include books, should make it their business to learn how let alone the food, lodging and transpor- they work before bringing their kids home tation costs that students from rural Can- from the hospital.

In a nutshell, RESPs give Canadian famada must pay to access post-secondary courses far from home. Factor in those ilies incentives to invest in their children’s must-have expenses and you’re prob- post-secondary education. And the incenably looking at $20,000 a year; more if tives are big. First, income from the money your child travels out-of-province and invested is tax-sheltered. Better yet, the you want to see him or her at Christmas. federal government matches 20 cents on And yes, it’s getting worse. If your kids the dollar up to $500 per year, per child, were born after 2008 and will be enroll- says Smith. “Where else can a farmer get a ing in 2026 or later, add another $10,000 20-per-cent return on his investment?” Ada year, at least, to those post-secondary ditional means-tested government benefits are also available. estimates.

RESPs can be used Numbers like to help finance tuthat no longer University fees in Canada ition fees for universcare Debra and averaged $5,366 for the sity, college, techniFred Klein, who cal school and most farm near Provost, 2010/11 school year trade school proAB, about half grams. When set up way between Edas a family plan, the money can be transmonton and Saskatoon. It’s not that they relish the hefty cash payouts for post- ferred between children and, under certain secondary education, but with five kids conditions, to parents as well.

Discipline is another factor in RESP to launch, the Kleins have approached success.

With compound interest at stake, post-secondary payments like they do the earlier you start, the more money your crop production — with a plan.

And so far, so good. Their eldest son, plan will make, says Smith. “You have an architecture technologist who attended to be disciplined to put that money aside Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Institute of regularly.”

Deb Klein agrees. She manages her Technology, works in that city and farms part-time at Cactus Lake, SK. Their girls family’s RESPs and admits there are times are enrolled in post-secondary schools when she would have liked to use that in Red Deer (nursing) and Edmonton money elsewhere. “In the end, you know (Bachelor of Science), and the youngest, somebody’s going to benefit from it, so you boys aged 15 and 18, are thinking about make that commitment to build the fund,” what they might study after high school, says Klein, who also squirreled away famsays Debra, who is a trustee with a local ily allowance funds and any “extra” cash school board. She says their kids all con- she could put her hands on. While RESPs tribute to their education through part- don’t cover everything, they will make a time jobs and scholarships. But they’ve significant contribution to each of her chilalso benefited from the Kleins’ regular dren’s education.

Looking back, she says the biggest hascontributions to registered education savsle with RESPs is the paperwork. “It can ings plans (RESPs).

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Farm Forum.cA | 9

C-52-01/12-BCS12071-E

David Brownhill (r) and his brother, Gordon, farm just outside Spring Ridge in northern New South Wales state. The two won the region’s cotton growers of the year award, their farm’s profit leader.

10 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

Familiar challenges For Australian growers

Cover Story by Jennifer Barber Photography by Paul Mathews Photographics

Right now Canadian grain farmers are hibernating — as is their land. Spring is around the corner, and with it all the possibilities and promise of a new crop year. >

O

n the other side of the world, below the equator, some Australian farmers have little time to relax between seasons. They’ve harvested their winter crops and are well into the lucrative summer cropping season. But their concerns have a familiar focus — the weather. “I consider myself a water manager as much as anything else,” says David Brownhill, who farms with his brother just outside Spring Ridge in northern New South Wales state. “We know what we’ve put into this year’s crop — our seed, our nutrition and our chemicals. We’re waiting now to see if the weather is going to work in our favour.”

Brownhill farms 4,735 hectares — 950 irrigated, 3,000 dryland and just over 800 under pasture for beef cattle. Like many Australian farmers, he also has diversified offfarm business and investment interests. His farm is located in an area of the country that sees rain year-round, though the potential for drought is significant. His land is heavy clay soil that holds moisture well, and the climate is warm enough to support two cropping cycles each year.

Summer crops generally make Brownhill more money, with irrigated cotton his profit leader. He also grows dryland mung beans, corn for human consumption, sorghum and sunflowers. In the winter, he grows many of the same crops Canadians do — wheat, barley, chickpeas and beans. He harvests winter crops starting in late November, with the goal of finishing in time for Christmas.

Farm Forum.cA | 11

Sunflowers colour the landscape on Brownhill’s farm.

Controlled traffic farming helps conserve moisture.

Brownhill was the first in Australia to use weed seeker technology. It saved him about $100,000 a year in herbicide costs.

12 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

Familiar crop management The Brownhill farm is 100 per cent notill, a practice introduced to slow soil erosion. In 2003, in an effort to conserve moisture, he switched to controlled traffic farming (CTF) throughout the operation. To do this he and his brother use GPS and wide equipment to travel over as little of their land as possible, and as few times as possible.

Brownhill also uses weed seeker technology that he learned about when he was a Nuffield scholar. First used in the vineyard industry, the weed seeker is attached to spray booms and targets weeds by their green colour pre-seeding.

“When I first tried the weed seeker I found that only 70 per cent of my land had weeds, but we were spraying 100 per cent,” he says. “We were the first in Australia to use the technology but now there’s a lot more interest as people learn we’ve lowered our herbicide costs by approximately $100,000 a year.”

Like some of his Canadian counterparts, Brownhill is starting to see the first signs of weed resistance — in particular, in some rye grasses and barnyard grasses.

The weed seeker is one tool in his battle against resistance.

So, what’s considered a good harvest in Australia? Brownhill aims for five tonnes/hectare for wheat, five tonnes for barley, six to seven tonnes for dryland corn, and 10 to 11 tonnes for irrigated corn. He likes to get five bales/hectare for dryland cotton and 10 to 11 bales on irrigated land.

Because he crops year-round, Brownhill lets some of his land sit fallow for a portion of a growing season so the soil is at its best for planting. The objective of this strategy is to store soil moisture for the next crop and reduce the chance of crop failure. Unlike Canada, where there is — at most — a one-month seeding window, the dates when each season’s crop goes into the ground can vary over several months.

“We need to see a metre of wet soil in

the ground before we can consider putting a crop on it,” says Brownhill. “A good year has us capturing enough rain on the fallow in the shortest time possible, so it reduces the time that land is not growing a crop.”

Brownhill says many people outside the country assume that most of Australia’s arable land can manage two crops a year, but that’s not the case. Southern regions don’t get enough rain in the summer. Producers anywhere south of latitude 35º, roughly, can seed only one crop a year unless they have irrigation.

Transportation, competition and the future Grain transportation is a growing issue for farmers in Australia. Most grain is transported by truck because of fierce competition for space on the country’s shrinking railway system. Brownhill is 300 km from the nearest port, so transportation is definitely a concern for him.

“It used to be that we transported most of our grain by train,” says Brownhill. “But today 75 per cent of the train cars are booked by mining companies.

Coal is more predictable and therefore more profitable for the railway companies. So we have to rely on good roads and trucks to get our grain to market.”

Brownhill stores about 13,000 tonnes on his farm, but in 2000, he and his brother invested in an offfarm grain storage business. AMPS Commercial is farmer owned and

operated, and has grown over the years running the business and was left to into a farm input supplier as well as a sink or swim. Luckily he learned how to leader in on-farm research. swim. Brownhill says that treating their Brownhill says that beyond the snap- farm like a business has been key to its ping up of train car space, mining issues growth and success. are becoming more of a “Farmers need to be concern for growers in his sure they’re making true Summer crops area. Mining companies business decisions, which from around the globe can be hard for a familygenerally make are looking to buy existrun operation,” he says.

Brownhill more ing farmland to explore “We have set up a board money, with for coal. They are offering of directors with nontop dollar for the land and irrigated cotton family members included Brownhill says this is drivto help keep decisionhis profit ing up land costs and may making from becoming leader reduce food production in messy, and stifling prohis region. duction. If emotions get As in Canada, one of the biggest issues in the way, it’s hard to tighten the belt for growers in Australia is succession when it needs tightening.” planning. The average age of Australian There is much that Canadian farmfarmers is 57. In many cases, however, ers would find familiar in Brownhill’s parents own the farm and the kids run day-to-day operation. Many of the it, so that figure may be a little skewed. weeds are similar, and disease issues are Brownhill and his brother bought pretty much the same. Even the insects their farm from their dad in 1984. While that cause damage to his crops aren’t all he grew up there, he knew little about that different from those in Canada. He says that while farming provides him with a great lifestyle in rural Australia, it is also a business. But the same could be said for successful growers no matter where in the world they farm. FF

14 | Farm Forum | Winter 2012

Farm Forum.cA | 15

Technology

Brush up your smallengine repair skills

By Gerald Pilger

Repairing small engines used to be relatively simple. A good socket set, pliers and screwdrivers were all you needed for most jobs.

Like many things in life, however, small engines have become more complex. Electronic ignitions and new fuel system designs may require specialized tools and training. And that’s one reason small-engine repair courses are increasingly popular. Several educational options are available to farmers seeking to improve their skills. Here’s a quick overview.

Continuing education courses on small-engine repair are fairly common and often offer hands-on instruction right in your community. Jan Laidlaw, pro-

gram facilitator with Louis Riel School Division Continuing Education in Winnipeg says its small-engine repair course is very popular. Like many continuing-ed courses, this one is geared to an adult audience and runs once a week.

The course outline is fairly typical of similar programs right across the country. “This course is designed for the individual who wants to know the hows and whys of the operation of a lawnmower, chain saw, outboard engine, snowmobile or any other machine run by a small engine,” says Laidlaw. “Items covered in the course include two-cycle and fourcycle operating principles, fuel systems, internal parts, ignition systems, lubrication and complete engine tune-ups.”

Course instructor Les Kovacs is a licensed, red seal, heavy-duty automotive mechanic. He says the first evening is spent learning the basics of small engines as well as safety precautions and the tools needed for the job.

The remainder of the course focuses on hands-on repair of the engines students bring to class. One by one, each engine is diagnosed and then repaired by the student under the guidance of Kovacs. This instructional method presents each class with a wide range of engine 16 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

PHOTO ©istockphoto.COM/jamievanbuskirk

Continuing education courses on small-engine repair are fairly common and often offer hands-on instruction right in your community

problems and teaches the proper diagnostic and repair techniques.

Other courses in small-engine repair are offered by technical schools and vocational colleges with an automotive department.

For instance, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), in Edmonton, offers short courses in three levels of smallengine repair. “The first level looks at what may go wrong with small engines and basic repairs,” says Rob Dawson, head of Outdoor Power and Equipment at NAIT. “The second level teaches complete small-engine rebuilds, and level three provides instruction on electronics and injection systems.”

These small-engine short courses run two nights a week for four weeks and are offered at various times during the year.

NAIT instructors are typically very experienced in the subject matter they teach.

The small-engine short courses have two instructors, one with 30 years experience as a heavy-duty mechanic, while the other is a licensed motorcycle mechanic.

One advantage of taking a course at a technical school is that it has everything you need for hands-on learning such as a fully-stocked shop, specialized tools, and engines you can work on. Some schools also allow students to bring in their own engines.

Correspondence schools are a third option for farmers who want to learn small-engine repair, but may live too far from a technical school. The International Career School (ICS) Canada is one such facility that offers training.

As outlined on its website, ICS offers a small-engine repair program covering all key areas including how to “troubleshoot and repair engine components and systems; work with engines, ignition systems and electrical circuits; inspect and repair small-engine fuel systems; disassemble and rebuild all types of small engines, including two-stroke, four-stroke, outboard and riding mower engines.”

The beauty of correspondence courses is that they allow you to study and learn at your own pace and in your own shop.

Typically, tuition covers all the books, lessons and instructor support you’ll need and, depending on the program, may also include tools needed for the course.

While this correspondence school is intended for those seeking a career in smallengine repair, Stuart Maclellan, an ICS instructor says, about half the students enrol just to learn how to repair their own equipment.

“Students who successfully complete the ICS small-engine course receive a diploma and can test for their Outdoor Power Equipment Certification,” says Maclellan. However, provincial legislation varies for certification in the trades, and he urges anyone considering taking a correspondence course, with the goal of a trade career, to first check the certification requirements in their province.

Another valuable source of information on small-engine repair that is often overlooked is the Internet. Most small-engine manufacturers have websites that can help you identify engine problems and provide

information on how to repair them.

A number of independent websites also provide step-by-step instruction in smallengine repair. One example is http://www. repairfaq.org/sam/lmfaq.htm. And, if you know what the engine problem is but are not sure of the repair process, a search on YouTube will often come up with a video showing the repair process. FF

www.farmforum.ca/ smallenginerepaircourses

Small-engine repair courses are available at a number of school across the country.

Get your small engine ready for spring According to NAIT’s Rob Dawson, properly maintained engines that were winterized last fall should be able to go right to work in the spring. As outlined in the January issue of Farm Forum, proper winterization includes changing oil, adding a fuel stabilizer, and replacing the air cleaner.

“Engines that were not winterized should have the oil changed and the air cleaner replaced,” says Dawson. “Many small-engine problems are a result of not replacing the air cleaner regularly.”

Dawson also recommends draining old fuel from engines and adding fresh fuel if a stabilizer was not added last fall. Even then, he says, some of the newer model Japanese engines have such small carburetor orifices that cleaning the carburetor may be necessary for the engine to run properly. FF

Farm Forum.cA | 17

Too many jobs, not enough labour Variety choices and soil moisture dominate spring coffee shop talk in rural Canada. But increasingly, the talk turns to a new worry on the production horizon — growing competition for labour.

The problem is widespread, says Gordon Butcher, president of AgCall, one of Canada’s largest ag-recruitment employment agencies. “When we meet with our clients, including retailers and manufacturers, labour is the number one or number two issue we discuss,” he says.

“Everyone’s wondering where they are

By Joy Gregory

going to find the right people with the right skills.”

AgCall is a corporate testament to Canada’s changing agricultural labour market. Established in 1988 to mobilize part-time employees (many of them farmers) for winter project work, rising demand to recruit full-time talent prompted the creation of AgCall HR Inc. in 1995.

A growing number of primary producers also use AgCall’s JobAds board service to post online ads for permanent and seasonal on-farm jobs (see sidebar).

Fish in a bigger pool: visit online job banks Access to web data gives Kevin Yauck quick and easy access to new market and production information he can put to work on his 6,800-acre certified seed farm at Cymric, SK, a 90-minute drive north of Regina. So when a long-time employee tendered notice, Yauck and his wife Candace advertised the position

18 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

According to a report by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC), “Canada’s primary agricultural producers will need an additional 50,000 non-seasonal and 38,000 seasonal workers by the year 2013.”

The shortage of skilled talent is a global problem, says Judith MacBrideKing, a leading expert on strategic human resources (HR) issues and a former director of HR management research with the Conference Gordon Butcher Board of Canada.

Citing a cross-sector study of global employment, she says 34 per cent of all sectors had trouble filling job vacancies in 2011. in a regional agricultural newspaper and through an online ag job bank.

Mike Bachner thinks Yauck’s decision to go virtual was a good one. Manager of AgCall HR’s eastern Canada division, Bachner says primary producers have struggled with labour shortages for longer than other agri-busi- Mike Bachner

PHOTO (top LEFt) ©istockphoto.COM/Redrockonline Productions; (Bottom LEft) ©istockphoto.COM/kutaytanir; portraits courtesy AgCall HR

business

What’s going on?

Factor in an aging workforce (MacBrideKing says agriculture has the highest median age of all sectors), overall rural depopulation, the fact ag jobs aren’t located where young Canadians want to work, plus competition from resource industries (potash mining, for example), and the ag industry faces a perfect storm of labour woes. It’s worse for primary producers. In addition to needing a certain skill set, farmers in the CAHRC study cite concerns about employee work ethic and high wage demands.

The same study also notes that Canadian farmers aren’t doing enough in

terms of HR planning or staff retention.

That’s a problem, says MacBride-King, who suggests it’s time producers understand they are in a global competition for talent and adopt a two-pronged strategy that emphasizes recruitment and retention.

On the recruitment side, Butcher says farmers might want to start using some of the more sophisticated HR tools employed by professional recruiters. Based on his professional experience and the fact that he talks to farmers nearly every day, Butcher offers five strategies to consider:

1. Network. Assume nothing.

Make sure neighbours and other farmers know you’re looking for help. Use an online job bank to expand your search.

2. Offer competitive wages Labour costs are rising, so keep your expectations current to your market and make it your business to know what the competition pays. Replacing long-time staff is particularly tough, since wage increases were likely quite small over time. AgCall’s corporate clients are sometimes shocked to learn they’ll need to offer 20 to 50 per cent more to attract new personnel with the same skill set as a retiring employee.

3. Consider alternative compensation What can you offer besides money? Butcher knows a farmer who pays per acre harvested. That changes who pays for plugged combines or time spent waiting for transport trucks to move grain. Others help employees seed and harvest their own fields.

4. Market the lifestyle Certified seed producer Kevin Yauck of Saskatchewan (see sidebar) routinely gives his employees time off to hunt, but hadn’t thought of that as an employment benefit with lifestyle connotations. He should, says Butcher, who figures a lot of farmers should be advertising proximity to hunting and fishing, small-town living or other lifestyle benefits that make a job more attractive to the worker you’re trying to hire.

When recruiting people for remote jobs in northern Alberta or Nunavut, MacBrideKing helps clients look at jobs through the eyes of the people they want to recruit.

The Canadian Agricultural Human Resources council was created to address human resource issues facing Canadian farmers. www.farmforum.ca/agjobbanks

Find a list of ag job bank websites here.

nesses, and the talent pool farmers fish from is even tighter.

Farmers and ranchers typically use local papers to publicize job openings “believing that local labour would be the best fit for their business culture and job opportunities,” says Bachner. He thinks that’s shortsighted. “The web takes their exposure to a higher level and even opens up access to internationallytrained candidates.”

5. Hire foreign workers Language and cultural differences can complicate job placement in remote areas.

Still, Butcher thinks Canadian farmers can benefit from hiring individuals who are working toward Canadian citizenship. They are often highly motivated. Skills are important, “but these are learned skills.”

To learn more about the Canadian farm job situation, check out the CAHRC website at www.cahrc-ccrha.ca. The site will post a detailed HR Tool Kit next year, but the link already features HR updates and ideas. FF

Bachner’s position gets a quick thumbs up from Andrew Campbell, a dairy farmer and communications technology guru in southwestern Ontario. Campbell, who teaches farmers how to optimize webbased communications, predicts you’ll will like what online job banks offer in terms of reach and convenience.

For example, farmers with smart phone technology will be able to turn on their auto steer and take until the

end of the row to look at resumés or set up and even do a phone interview, says Campbell. “Let’s be honest — if you’re looking for farm help, chances are you don’t have a lot of time to sift through resumés or make follow-up calls.”

Bachner recommends producers look at online job banks that specialize in agriculture. These niche sites use the language of front-line production and attract an audience that’s looking for on-farm work. FF

Farm Forum.cA | 19

fa r m l i f e

It’s important to set goals — that’s what all the management gurus say.

But all too often, we set goals that are too big, too far away and impossible to achieve. For a lesson in how to do it right, meet Geoff and Jennifer Bishop.

The couple became Atlantic Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers in March, 2011 and went on to be named national winners last November. Together they run Bishop Farms, a third-generation, 160-cow, dairy operation near Round Hill, NS — the same farm Geoff’s grandfather started with one cow back in 1969.

“My grandfather was in his 50s when he came from England,” says Geoff, explaining that the mixed farm his grandfather ran in the UK was not big enough to support the next generation. “My 20 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

dad wanted to move home and it was from one cow into a thriving dairy busidifficult to find more land or another ness.

In 1997, after working holidays on farm to accommodate him.” When dairy farms in the Geoff’s grandfather UK and New Zeacame to visit friends land, Geoff came in Canada, he loved home. And that’s it here, saw the opMy father is a big part of when setting shortportunity, and made where we are today,” says term goals for the the move across the Geoff, explaining that under business began in pond. earnest.

In Nova Scotia, his dad’s stewardship, the “When I came father and son had farm grew from one cow into home, my first obthe space to work jective was to regand build something a thriving dairy business ister the herd with together, not just for Holstein Canada,” themselves but for says Geoff. He was the future. “My father is a big part of where we are to- interested in developing breeding stock day,” says Geoff, explaining that under and improving herd genetics with an eye his dad’s stewardship, the farm grew to increasing overall milk production.

photos courtesy bishop farms

Small steps lead to big success

Geoff and Jennifer’s goals for their new free-stall barn and parlour were energy conservation, herd health and ease of expansion.

By Clare Stanfield

He also set out to expand the business incrementally. “One of my immediate goals was to grow my quota base,” he says. He set a target of just under 100 cows. “We got there quickly, and started to think about more.”

Dairy is a labour intensive business, so adding animals that need milking twice a day, every day, needs to be handled carefully. Geoff and Jennifer say that making small additions to the herd was what helped them grow the operation significantly without overreaching themselves in the process. “Things get easier as you get used to the day-to-day routines,” says Geoff. “You get used to 10 more cows, and then you can start thinking about adding another 10. Our growth has been incremental.”

Indeed, when the Bishops won the Farm Forum.cA | 21

The barn’s fabric structure was built to accommodate 200 cows and is expandable.

The Bishop family L to R: Jennifer, Ryan, Luke, Emma, Matthew and Geoff.

regional OYF title in March last year, they had 150 milking cows. By November, when they won the national title, they had 160.

The growing herd required a bigger facility and, here again, the Bishops planned carefully with very specific goals in mind: energy conservation, herd health and ease of expansion.

“We built a free-stall barn, then a parlour,” says Jennifer. “The new barn itself has no heat — there’s just the body heat from the cows. It’s open a lot, naturally lit and naturally ventilated.” It’s a fabric structure built to accommodate 200 cows and will be easy to add to when the time comes to expand again.

The double-ten milking parlour has geo-thermally heated floors and a plate cooler for the milk. “It pre-cools the milk before it gets to the bulk tank, which reduces our chilling costs,” says Geoff, adding that the warm water coming out of the plate cooler is re-circulated back through the system.

The geo-thermal system met all their criteria when building the new facilities.

Heating costs account for a big slice of monthly expenses, and the Bishops were looking for something more efficient and economical than the propane system they used to have. “I wanted a sys-

22 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

tem in our barn that didn’t require any fuel,” says Geoff. “As well as something that didn’t require any A soybean maintenance.” extruder provides A grant meal for the cows. helped them get the geo-thermal unit installed. “It works like an air conditioner, but in reverse,” says Geoff. The unit runs on well water that comes out of the ground at around 8°C and, after heat transfer, leaves the system at 2°C. It’s inexpensive, efficient, and even provides the family with hot water in their house. “It should outlast a propane or oil system,” says Geoff. “And we don’t pay for service calls.”

The new facilities are great for the cows — just look at the Bishops’ production numbers: 10,750 litres of milk per cow and butterfat at 4.25 per cent.

The couple grow most of their own feed on 750 acres of land, purchasing some protein in the form of soybeans or canola. They have a soybean extruder that allows them to produce meal for the cows, and they sell the oil to a local feed company.

The Bishops don’t really have a big, long-term goal in mind. They prefer to keep taking the small steps that have served them so well so far. “I’d like to get to a point where, if we see that any of the kids are interested in taking over, we can do that,” says Geoff. “We could double the whole thing if circumstances are right.”

The Bishops have four young children: Luke (11), Emma (9), Matthew (6) and Ryan (3), and it looks as if some future farmers are in the making.

“Emma likes milking cows and is quite good at it,” says Jennifer. “She has a gentle touch.” Jennifer adds that little Matthew is already saying he wants to be a farmer. But, as parents, they won’t push. “It’s a way of life,” she says. “It has to be a passion, a desire.” FF

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For more information visit BayerCropScience.ca/PumaAdvance

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Farm Forum.cA | 23

Always read and follow label directions. Puma速 is a registered trademark of Bayer. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

C-54-1/12-BCS12071-E

CropTalk

Volume 21 | Issue 2

What’s new with Bayer CropScience products

New Varro provides freedom in the battle against wild oats F

ighting wild oats can be tough. They appear all across Western Canada, they are highly competitive, have significant resistant populations and in their early stages they look like the cereal crops they are invading. When battling wild oats, growers need products that are effective, that mix well with their chosen broadleaf herbicide and that don’t restrict their crop rotation in the next growing season.

New VarroTM herbicide from Bayer CropScience, introduced for the 2012 growing season, allows that flexibility. It’s an effective tool against wild oats, including Group 1-resistant wild oats, has virtually no re-cropping restrictions and is very tank mix friendly.

Wild oats can reduce yield dramatically. According to the Canadian Certified Crop Advisor Association, as little as one wild oat plant per square foot can reduce wheat yield by 12 percent. Wild oats are also a management issue that can affect the cereal growers bottom line.

“Group 1 resistance is a real concern for growers and Varro offers a Group 2 weed control solution that performs without the restrictions that are typically associated with a Group 2,” says Lauren Davis, Cereal Grass Herbicide Manager at Bayer CropScience. “In addition to wild oats and Group 1-resistant wild oats, Varro provides strong activity on other problem grassy weeds such as green and yellow foxtail, barnyard grass, volunteer canary seed, Persian darnel and Japanese brome. And although we recommend Varro to be tank-mixed with broadleaf products like Buctril M or Thumper, it does bring activity on select problem broadleaf weeds in cereals such as cleavers, hemp-nettle and volunteer canola.”

24 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

Varro has no re-cropping restrictions with pulse crops, which is a benefit to all growers, but especially those in the brown soil zones. Varro gives growers the confidence that they can safely plant a wide variety of pulse crops including lentils, field peas, chickpeas, soybeans and dry beans the year following an application of Varro.

Varro’s flexible tank-mix options allow growers the ability to fine-tune their weed control to their specific field’s needs. It can be mixed with many of the top broadleaf products and has excellent crop safety.

“Varro is a product that we launched in direct response to what growers have told us about gaps in their wheat herbicide choices as they try to manage resistance concerns,” says Davis. “We plan to continue to look for new innovations that address changing growing conditions and weed profiles, to best suit what our customers want and what they need to succeed.” CT

New VARRO herbicide from Bayer CropScience provides freedom from wild oats (including Group 1 herbicide resistant ones), freedom to select your preferred broadleaf tank-mix partner and freedom to re-crop.

A Newsletter from Bayer cropscience

What’s the best herbicide for your cereal crop?

C

hoosing the best cereal herbicide is a multi-step process. Growers take into account a number of factors that help decide what product, or combination of products, will result in the cleanest crop and still make economic sense. Factoring in the weather, specific weed pressures, resistance problems, crop staging, window of application, tank-mixability, crop safety, re-cropping intentions and cost can be a daunting task.

Whether used on their own or in a tank mix, Bayer CropScience is pleased to offer Western Canadian growers a suite of innovative cereal herbicide solutions to meet their specific needs. We’ve put together the following brief outline of our cereal product portfolio to help you decide where they can make the biggest impact to your operation.

• Puma® Advance – for grassy weeds.

Puma Advance is the only fenoxaprop formulation that delivers superior crop safety and refined wild oat control in wheat and barley. Use full label rates for optimal wild oat performance and crop safety.

• Infinity® contains the first new broadleaf mode of action for use in cereals in more than 20 years. It’s dual mode of action provides superior and fast broadleaf weed control all while providing a valuable resistance management tool. It fight’s Western Canada’s toughest broadleaf weeds such as kochia, wild buckwheat and cleavers – including resistant biotypes.

• Velocity m3 is your All-In-One solution for both grass and broadleaf weed control. Velocity m3 contains three active ingredients which not only provide powerful broad spectrum grass and broadleaf weed control, but also effective resistance management in spring, durum and winter wheat against Group 1-resistant wild oats, foxtail and resistant broadleaf weeds.

• Tundra herbicide is a complete, dead simple weed control solution for wheat and barley growers. Tundra provides strong wild oat control and contains an innovative Group 27 mode of action that provides quick control of broadleaf weeds, including resistant biotypes. Convenient and easy to use, Tundra is now available in a bulk 160 acre shuttle and a 500 acre tote.

TM

• New Varro herbicide gives wheat growers freedom from wild oats including Group 1-resistant wild oats, freedom to choose their broadleaf tank-mix partner and freedom that allows crop rotation plans to be flexible. This is good news for all growers, but especially for those who want the flexibility to rotate to crops like lentils, chickpeas and dry beans the following season.

• Thumper® provides outstanding control of kochia (including Group 2 or glyphosate resistant kochia), Russian thistle and wild buckwheat in wheat, durum and barley. When tank-mixed with Varro growers can expect even more robust broadleaf weed control.

• Buctril® M is the most trusted broadleaf herbicide available to wheat and barley growers. It provides fast-acting control of 29 major broadleaf weeds. It tank-mixes with many products, is easy to use, and can be counted on for consistent performance. When tank-mixed with Varro, growers can expect a boost in their broadleaf control making Buctril M even more consistent.

Bayer CropScience is also pleased to provide purchase incentives for our complete line up of cereal herbicide solutions through the BayerValue program. By taking advantage of the program growers could save up to: 20% off Infinity 18% off Velocity m3 and Varro 13% off Tundra 5% off Buctril M, Thumper and Puma Advance Plus, with the Puma Full Rate Rebate, growers can also instantly save $1 per acre. when they purchase Puma from their retailer.

See complete programing details at BayerCropScience.ca/BayerValue For more information about cereal herbicides or any other Bayer CropScience products please consult your local retailer or Bayer CropScience representative. CT

Farm Forum.cA | 25

CropTalk

H

erbicide resistance is getting a lot of attention these days. Whether it is an issue in your crop, or just in your area of the country – it’s something that all growers are paying attention to. Herbicide resistant weeds have serious management implications and can significantly impact yield.

So how do you avoid herbicide resistant weeds? It helps to mix things up.

There are a host of management tools available to keep herbicide resistant weeds out of your field but two tried and true measures are rotating chemical groups within years or from year to year and utilizing herbicide mixtures with differing mode of actions. Tightening of crop rotations has resulted in the application of the same mode of action year over year which equates to significant selection pressure and the potential for the development of herbicide resistant weed species. Today eight out of the top 10 most abundant weeds in Western Canada have become resistant to at least one herbicide group.

Over reliance on glyphosate has been implicated in glyphosate resistant kochia which appeared in Southern Alberta for the first time in 2011. While the origin of the glyphosate resistant kochia has yet to be determined what is clear is that over-reliance on glyphosate within a cropping system was the cause. Glyphosate is an important product in Canada and much of the resistance discussion has been aimed at keeping glyphosate resistance at bay.

While glyphosate resistance is new to Western Canadian agriculture it is only one of a growing list of resistant weed management issues that producers are being faced with.

26 | Farm Forum | Spring 2012

A 2010 survey showed 51 resistant weed species biotypes in Canada. According to Dr. Hugh Beckie with Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, a Manitoba study of 300 fields showed that 58% had some sort of herbicide resistant weed. In particular, Group 1-resistant wild oats were seen in 55% of the fields and green foxtail in 44% of the fields surveyed. These issues, if not managed properly can have significant impact on yields going forward.

While crop rotation and more specifically the chemical groups that are available for use within these rotations crops is important in minimizing the spread and development of resistant weeds, Beckie recommends herbicide mixtures as the first and best line of defense. In fact recent research has shown that mixtures of chemistries can be more effective than crop rotations in delaying herbicide resistance. With a limited selection of chemical groups available it is important that the mixing partner have a different mode of action.

Beckie also says resistance management can come in the form of cultural practices such as rotating in competitive hybrid canola or perennial forages, higher cereal crop seeding rates and optimizing fertilizer placement to help create a competitive crop. Other tools include tillage, pre and post burndown and keeping farm equipment clean.

Herbicide resistance is a management issue, an economic issue and an environmental issue and it’s in everyone’s best interest to keep resistance out of the fields. To learn more, talk to your Bayer CropScience representative or visit MixItUp.ca. CT Source: Approaching the silver anniversary of weed resistance in Manitoba Published by Dr. Hugh Beckie for the 2011 Manitoba Agronomists Conference

PHOTOs (left) genesis studio; (opposite page) bayer cropscience

Mixing things up to keep resistance at bay

A Newsletter from Bayer cropscience

Fungicides: In Good Times and Bad D

isease pressures have increased dramatically over the past three years no thanks to cool, moist weather during early crop staging and the constant production of disease spores and subsequent spread from field to field. This is reason enough to protect your crop with a fungicide application, but if you’re crop looks great – do you still need to apply a fungicide?

Definitely. Using a fungicide when your crop looks good not only increases yield, it also protects the grade and quality of your crop – which can be even more important to your bottom line.

“I’ve done 10 years of consecutive fungicide test blocks and I’ve never had one that’s gone the other way, I’ve always gained something from my application. Honestly, we don’t walk a lot of fields anymore. After ten years of being proven, we just spray. Bayer has been leading in canola seeds for years, producing some of the top herbicides and I think they’re pretty much on top for disease control too.”

Farron Stricker, Grower, Yorkton, Saskatchewan To see how Bayer CropScience fungicides have performed in your area visit our Fungicide DST Results Map at BayerCropScience.ca/ItPaysToSpray

Even More Savings In addition to the valuable savings you can receive from Early Book InVigor®, BayerValue and the Cereal Winter Sale programs, Bayer CropScience is pleased to announce two additional offers to help Western Canadian growers save even more.

Puma Full Rate Rebate Use Puma to its full potential and instantly save $1.00 per acre at your retailer.

Start Strong With Savings Get your crop off to the best start possible with maximum disease and insect protection of Raxil® WW. Save an additional $1.00 per acre on Raxil WW seed treatment with matching acres of either Folicur® or Prosaro®. CT Ask your local retailer or Bayer CropScience representative for complete offer details

Always read and follow label directions. Buctril®, Folicur®, Infinity®, InVigor®, Prosaro®, Puma®, Raxil®, Thumper®, TundraTM and VarroTM are trademarks of Bayer. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

Farm Forum.cA | 27

The complete solution. Grassy and broadleaf, wheat and barley, no tank mixing.

For more information, please visit BayerCropScience.ca/Tundra

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

Always read and follow label directions. Tundra™ is a trademark of Bayer. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

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