Farming Smarter Spring 2010

Growing New Ideas

2010 Edition

Farming Smarter $8.00

SARA Annual Updates ARECA Annual Review Controlling Weeds Managing Fusarium Official Publication of

Southern Applied Research Association

Youth Engagement Field Schools And Much More‌

The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission is run by a producer-elected board that strives to make wise investments of grower dollars into research, extension, marketing, risk management, environment and traceability initiatives which will strengthen the Alberta pulse industry.

By leveraging funds, we access $7.80 of government funds for every producer dollar to conduct pulse production research * Nearly 100% of the small red, black and great northern bean varieties grown in Alberta were developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s bean breeding program, to which APG contributes $30,000/year. * APG invests $60,000/year in pea breeding that has produced: Canstar, Reward, Thunderbird, CDC Golden, CDC Mozart, CDC Handel, Cutlass, among many more Supporting minor use registration of pesticides for pulse crops Working with AFSC to improve production insurance coverage Removing trade barriers in international markets Development of convenient food products such as: quick cooking pulses; chicken nuggets and fish sticks with pea flour breading Promoting health and environmental benefits of pulses to national and international food companies and consumers

Our commissioners are dedicated to making sure that all check off will be used increase the competitiveness, profitability, and sustainability of Alberta pulse production.

Find out more at www.pulse.ab.ca

Farming Smarter 2010 Edition

Contents Chairman’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A year in review - message from ARECA Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Alberta Land-escape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Southern Applied Research Association. . . . . . . . . 12 SARA forms beneficial partnership with Cypress County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Use the whole toolbox to control weeds . . . . . . . . 18 Biological fungicide may be a tool against sclerotinia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Pulse acres rise in durum slump. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Youth engagement requires enthusiasm. . . . . . . . . 26 Diagnostic field school sucess keeps growing. . . . 28 New weave to the food web. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Climate Change Central growing offset market . . . 31 Pea Leaf Weevil strategies for farmers. . . . . . . . . . 32 Stack strategies to manage fusarium – it can kill your grain profits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Seed placed fertilizer safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Farming Smarter is published annually by the Southern Applied Research Association, RR8-36-11, Lethbridge, T1J 4P4 with the assistance of the Southern Alberta Conservation Association and support from the Agriculture Opportunities Fund and Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture program. Editorial Board: Corny Van Dasselaar, Editor: Claudette Lacombe

Farming Smarter / 2010

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SARA Chairman’s Message Striving to provide useful information for your farming operation  By Greg Stamp

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Fabian seed trail plot at the Lethbrige Demonstration Field School. PHOTO: C. LACOMBE

t Southern Applied Research Association (SARA), we use applied research and extension to help producers with farming needs. We conduct trials of new or modified types of production and different crops types. We find ways to address environmental concerns and test maintenance routines or new products so farmers can have objective information.

Our goal is always to help farmers learn ways to increase net returns.

Recently, variable rate technology for seed, nutrients or chemicals emerged on the market and into use on-farm. SARA began testing this equipment to ensure those who use this technology know what to expect and how to evaluate the usefulness of it in their operation.

SARA also takes an interest in demonstrating how to use data gathered on-farm, such

as yield maps for doing on-farm research and trials.

We look forward to seeing you at our events this year as we strive to provide information that is useful for your farming operation.

Thank you to all our members and those who support the farmer-directed SARA and to our staff and board of directors who make this organization viable.

On behalf of the SARA board of directors, thank you for your support;

Greg Stamp Chairman, SARA Board of Directors

Free Membership!

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Name: ___________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________________ Send this completed form to: Southern Applied Research Association Agricultural Center, #100, 5401 - 1st St. Ave. South Lethbridge AB Canada T1J 4V6 Privacy Policy: All submitted information will be used for the sole purposes of SARA and SACA and will not be shared with any other organization.

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Farming Smarter / 2010

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A year in review… message from the Executive Director ARECA and it’s associations provided support and alternatives to a challenging year » By Ty Faechner

2009 was a significant event for Alberta producers and particularly those in east-central Alberta with one of the driest summers on record. ARECA and its 17 member associations were a part of an extensive extension effort to provide producers with alternatives to managing this ravaging drought.

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he ARECA office has been through some major staff changes with the departure of Gayah Sieusahai and Grant Lastiwka to Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development in March. Dee Ann Benard left ARECA to pursue an opportunity with managing a non-profit organization, the Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN). Joy Vonk joined Dee Ann at ARDN later this past spring. Finally, Laura McNabb left ARECA to pursue career interests with the City of Edmonton. The ARECA Board of Directors appointed Ty Faechner as Executive Direc-

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tor and later Ty hired Jacqueline Lavigne to replace Joy Vonk.

ARECA, Association Board and staff developed a strategic plan this past summer.

This led to a Governance Committee that undertook revamping the ARECA Governance structure, bylaws and policy manual. The revised vision, mission and mandate plus the above documents will come before the Board at the spring 2010 ARECA Annual General Meeting for ratification. It is expected that this will lead to a renewed Board and member association to sustain ARECA’s future.

The ARECA website keeps up to date with association activities and new projects. Look under the projects section for information about the ESAIP-funded blossom blight of alfalfa project. Dr. Bruce Gossen with AgriFood and Agriculture Canada in Saskatoon developed all the materials. Blossom blight of alfalfa affects seed production in Western Canada.

Other website changes included NPARA’s new homepage — they’ve made some awesome changes! http://www.areca.ab.ca/site/ npara. Our monthly e-newsletter readership keeps growing especially since it includes important announcements about emerging agricultural issues in Alberta.

Regional Variety Trials, once a part of ARECA, became the responsibility of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (AARD) prior to spring seeding. This ensures that producers can make informed choices about the viability of different crops for their area. ARECA is pleased that the program has continued, and even more so that Gayah Sieusahai has provided the continuity and expertise necessary to ensure its success.

Cattle producers grow ever increasing amounts of annual crops for feed (silage, greenfeed and swath grazing). With this in mind, the Regional Silage Variety Trial concept attracted six associations to participate.

Six nutritional categories were reported including Crude Protein and Total Digestible Nutrients; which is an estimation of energy.

This is the first of a three-year trial sponsored by the Alberta Beef Producers.

This past year the Growing Forward ini-

tiative with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development funded the extension of the Sustainable Grazing Mentorship Program (SGMP). SGMP assists producers to improve forage operations through training. Experienced grazing mentors work directly with producers to develop a grazing plan tailored to the needs of the producer. A Grazing Mentor is a respected producer peer with extensive grazing management experience and knowledge.

The election of a Board of Directors established the Alberta Forage Industry Network (AFIN), in the spring of 2009. AFIN represents an estimated 30,000 individuals involved with Alberta forages. The network goal is to bring important issues regarding economic and environmental impact of forages to the attention of funding bodies and policy-makers in Alberta. Producers interested in joining AFIN can get more information at its website www.albertaforages.ca.

Alberta’s Climate Change Strategy positions Albertans to be the leaders in energy efficiency. ARECA will seek to further the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by transforming how we use energy, applying energy efficient solutions and conserving energy. ARECA recently initiated the Energy

Conservation and Energy Efficiency Project to increase adoption of reduced tillage systems, especially low disturbance direct seeding systems. The focus of the project will include the co-benefits of soil quality, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas reduction and risk reduction.

Precision agriculture is a general term that includes the application of global positioning

systems (GPS) and geographical information systems (GIS). The Federal Government provided financial assistance to 2,729 farmers in the last five years to assist with the purchase of GPS guidance, yield monitors and mapping software. Despite this accelerated purchase of technology, there continues to be limited implementation of the technology. ARECA and its member associations began the Precision Tools for On Farm Research project in 2009 with funding from ACIDF, Alberta Canola Producers Commission, Alberta Pulse Growers and Novozymes to develop a method for doing field scale research using precision agriculture technology.

With the dedication and cooperation of ARECA Board and association staff, we hope that the ARECA team can bring sound science and sustainability to Alberta farms. Our mission is to collaborate with member associations and partners to enhance delivery of relevant and unbiased applied research and extension. As we go forward in 2010, I wish to thank everyone for their enthusiasm and hard work in 2009 — may we continue to build on our mandate. 

Farming Smarter / 2010

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ARECA Update Addressing concerns and priorities for producers » By Ron Montgomery

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he Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) is a not-forprofit organization working with producers to enhance and improve their operations through access to field research and new technology.

Made up of 17 member associations focused on applied research, demonstrations and extension in the areas of forages, annual crops and livestock production, ARECA and its Associations act as a strong united voice for producers by speaking on their behalf to industry leaders and government representatives. Each member association delivers programs and develops projects that address the concerns and priorities of producers in their specific regions.

On a provincial scale there are many benefits to having such a broad cross-section of research sites. Producers within the respective member associations bring their individual expertise and enthusiasm to participate in various field trials, which in turn collectively benefits the entire membership. This is a powerful tool and essentially producer-driven.

Collaborative efforts under ARECA’s umbrella provide a vast array of benefits to the combined approximate 3,500 producer-association members and to over 50,000 other Albertans that attend events, receive newsletters and so on.

Ty Faechner, Executive Director of ARECA recently provided Farming Smarter with the following updates, proposed changes and strategies within ARECA going forward from now.

“Public funding for applied agricultural research has declined in terms of real dollars. As prices for goods, utilities, and labour have increased, provincial funding has remained largely constant at best.

More often than ever before, Associations need to rely on private industry, Commissions and government agencies not focused on agriculture for research funding.

Public agricultural research funding in Alberta for applied research is largely supported through the Agricultural Opportunity Fund (AOF) administered by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (AARD). Associations with a mandate to do applied research and extension, receive funding from Agriculture Service Boards, private sources, and federal/provincial agencies other than AOF. AOF in its current form and dollars committed has been available to Associations as a source of funding since 2003.

In recent years, the focus on funding applied agricultural research has declined in terms of real dollars. This has not only limited the research projects undertaken, but it has also affected the ability to hire and retain top managers/researchers in Associations and maintain and enhance research infrastructure.

ARECA serves the same producers as the Commissions (Pulse, Barley, Canola, Winter Wheat) and wants to collaborate with these agencies to bring sound science and sustainability to Alberta farms.

To influence applied research funding, ARECA has a four-pronged approach including encouraging AARD to seek increased research funding and support agriculture research; plus encouraging increased cooperation between applied and basic researchers. The agricultural industry needs to emphasize the importance of applied research. Association researchers need to continue to tap into other sources of funding, but also find ways to maximize those dollars to address agricultural issues.

ARECA and its member Associations are updating the vision, mission and mandate of the provincial organization.”

Ty adds, “So what do these changes mean for our organization?

Well, hopefully, an organization that advocates and promotes with a unified voice on behalf of member associations to all partners. The changes aim to improve the effectiveness of our Board since its membership will move from its current level of 17 to seven. The intent is to foster a spirit of community and active participation among members.

The ARECA membership will elect the seven Board members at the AGM. Additionally, Board members will actively engage in the policy development of the organization. New communication methods, such as sending out key messages, will create an environment of transparent and effective information flow to and between associations. There will be an operations team composed of association managers to deal with the day-to-day decisions of running a provincial organization. Finally, an improved governance policy manual will provide a transparent and accountable guide to conduct business in a financially, responsible manner.” 

To know more…

For further information on ARECA and its member association regional activities, projects and events visit www.areca.ab.ca. You can also contact Ty Faechner, Executive Director at ARECA’s office in Sherwood Park Alberta by e-mail faechner@areca.ab.ca or telephone 780-416-6046

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Non traditional farm workers The importance of building a team » By Ric Swihart

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teve Peddie of AgCall Calgary and an employee recruitment specialist, said there are key management tactics that can encourage a farm worker to stay with an employee and even encourage workers to seek a job with a farm.

Peddie spoke at the Southern Alberta Conservation Association 2009 conference and said that farmers must be open to non-traditional sources of talent.

Look at new Canadians, Snowbirds and women as employee categories to consider.

“Build a team,” said Peddie. “Delegate responsibility and authority. Avoid the perception of broken promises by ensuring the employee understands what you’re asking.”

He said opening the mind to a new type of people can help.

Retired farmers often like to stay involved in farming, and with them you get somebody for six or seven hours in midday that can take a huge pressure off the farm management. And if you rent land, why not see if the landlord wants to help at times, especially at harvest. Make it part of the land lease agreement.

There are different reasons people seek a job, but many have the same questions.

“What is the risk of injury, can I provide for my family and cover expenses. Is there opportunity for long-term employment?”

They also appreciate a safe workplace with secure employment. Employees also like to feel they are special. Say thanks in both words and actions and save discipline for behind closed doors. 

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Alberta’s agriculture land-escape Being aware of the degredation of agricultural land in the province » By Donna Trottier

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oil is one of the most important sustainable natural resources in Alberta. Soil is essential to produce food needed to sustain human life.

Unfortunately there is a disconnect between plentiful food and the importance of soil to produce food. “Society needs to pay much greater attention to the degradation and loss of agricultural land,” states Dr. Ross McKenzie, Research Scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

Alberta has 158.7 million acres of land with 40 million acres of that area used for agriculture: 24 million acres cropped annually, 2 million acres fallowed annually and 14 million acres used for pasture or hay land. McKenzie states, “Although it seems as though Alberta has a lot of prime land for crop production, in actual fact, only 16% of the land area is used for annual crop production. Further, Alberta does not have any Class 1 land.

Our best land is rated as Class 2 with either soil or climatic limitations for crop production.”

Landscape modifications such as urban sprawl, oil and gas exploration, pipelines, roads, mining, and transmission lines are replacing or degrading the useable agriculture land base. A significant amount of Alberta’s best agricultural land is being stripped and paved for non-agricultural uses without thought for the long-term loss of productive cropland.

Calgary currently occupies almost 500 square kilometres. At a growth rate of 4.5%, Calgary will occupy a land area of 3800 square kilometres by 2050. At this rate the Municipal District of Rocky View would be largely consumed by Calgary’s growth, taking a major portion of the Class 2 land, the best land in Alberta, out of agricultural production in just 40 years.

McKenzie explains, “Calgary has been expanding at an alarming rate. As a kid, I remember travelling from Lethbridge to Calgary 40 years ago and the Chinook Mall was at the south edge of Calgary. Now when I drive from the south end of Calgary it’s almost as if that mall is downtown.

More thought needs to go into our land use decisions to reduce the acres of prime agricultural land gobbled up by urban expansion. In another 40 years Calgary’s sprawl could consume 3800 square kilometres — that’s over 800,000 acres.”

Soil and land is not only at risk from urban sprawl and oil and gas development. Some of the farming practices that producers implemented over the past 100 years have not been kind to our soils. Soil quality and productivity have degraded due to a decline in organic matter, degradation of soil structure, erosion, soil compaction, salinity, and loss of nutrients.

“However, farmers have done an excellent job in the last 20 years to adopt new technologies, better cropping systems and direct seeding that has lead to improved soil quality,” states McKenzie. “We need to continue promotion and adoption of these beneficial technologies.”

The province recognized the importance of our land use decisions and proclaimed the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA), October 1, 2009, creating the legal authority to implement the Land Use Framework.

The ALSA sets out provisions to make, amend and review regional plans for seven planning regions in Alberta; defines what those regional plans must and may include, and sets out provisions for implementing the 10

Farming Smarter / 2010

An old barn is the only agricultural remnant in this field, stripped of topsoil for urban development south of Edmonton. Photo: Dr. Ross McKenziE

regional plans. The ALSA also defines the legal nature of regional plans as policies of the Alberta government, legally binding for all Albertans including the Crown, local governments, and decision-makers. “Provincial, municipal and other agencies may need to make changes or implement new initiatives to comply with the regional plan,” states Robert Dunn, Land Management Specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

Four conservation and stewardship tools are defined in the Act to help protect specific landscapes, viewscapes, and lands of ecological or heritage value. The tools are conservation easements, conservation offsets, conservation directives and transfer of development credits.

“The intent for the Land-use Framework is to help achieve a better balance between economic growth and Albertans’ environmental, community and social values. To ensure this balance, regional plans will consider the combined impact of all past, present and future activities on the land, air, water and biodiversity. It’s a 50 year perspective that will help us make short term land use decisions,” Dunn explains.

“There is a trade-off when setting the parameters in these regional plans.

If we consider restricting land use in order to preserve ecosystems and fish habitat for example, Albertans will have to decide if they want to place a higher value on the preserved ecosystem than on economic development or agricultural production. One benefit is traded for the other,” says Dunn.

Each region will establish a Regional Advisory Council (RAC) to represent the interests in the region such as municipal, industry, economic, agriculture, community and Aboriginal. RACS, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, will provide direct input and advise the government during regional plan development. Additionally, government will consult with residents, stakeholders and Aboriginal communities. “The entire process is a huge undertaking with major land use implications and I encourage farmers to get involved in the process and consultation as the regional plans are developed,” says Dunn. 

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Southern Applied Research Association Growing New Ideas in 2009! » By Ken Coles » All photos courtesy of SARA It was a very fast paced and interesting year for SARA. We worked diligently to deliver quality applied research and extension for Southern Alberta’s innovative and progressive producers. SARA ramped up its number of projects significantly in 2009 as demand for unbiased research continued to swell.

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trong partnerships within the agricultural industry remained a key strategy for SARA to effectively develop a community of learning. These partnerships included all levels of government, growers groups, industry, consultants and producers. Working with as many stakeholders as possible, we strived to deliver sound

Preparing to seed at the Medicine Hat R&D Site.

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Farming Smarter / 2010

science, sustainability and profitability to producers.

While core funding remained an issue, there was no shortage of project funding; which has been good but challenging to manage with limited resources. We are working with funding agencies, grower groups, government and ARECA to devel-

op SARA into a sustainable, successful and valuable organization.

New Zero Tillage Planter SARA’s ability to conduct small plot trials and demos was made possible by the purchase of a new zero-tillage planter equipped with a removable tool bar, four tanks and cone splitter. We will add GPS guidance in early 2010.

Small Plot Trials Small plots trials conducted in 2009 included: Evaluating Artemisia (malaria nutriceutical), New Control Options for the Cabbage Seed Pod Weevil, New Control Options for White Mold in Beans, Camelina Variety Trial, Cultivar Competitive Ability in Triticale, ESN in Single Shoot Openers, Pea Leaf Weevil and Winter Peas, Potential of Penergetic P&K, Peas, Chickpeas and Lentil Regional Variety Trials, Winter Barley, Winter Pea and Lentil Agronomy, Variety, and Herbicide trial.

Field Scale Trials There’s no better place for applied research than right on the farm. SARA has a commitment to working directly with producers in real life situations. While challenging, this approach provides a tremendous learning opportunity in working agricultural systems.

The resulting practical knowledge from these projects proves invaluable. It’s also a great opportunity to involve producers in research and to benefit from their experiences and knowledge. The adoption of GPS guidance coupled with yield monitors has simplified the task of conducting research in a relatively cost effective manner.

Field scale trials conducted in 2009 included: Evaluating Contans and Seranade Biofungicide for the Control of White Continues on page 14

Spring seeding at the Lethbridge R&D Site.

White mould/sclerotinia biofungicide trial.

Soil sampling before a field trial.

Summer Students harvesting lentil plots.

Farming Smarter / 2010

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Conducting field scale research.

Mold in Dry Beans and Sclerotinia in Canola, Methodology for Conduction On-Farm Research with Precision Ag Tools, Foliar and Seed-Applied Insecticides for Pea Leaf Weevil Control, Insect Pest Monitoring, Winter Pea Field Trial.

2009 Diagnostic Field School, Crop Walks and Miscellaneous Tours In addition to three days of the field school, SARA hosted and participated in 10 additional field events with a combined attendance of 625 including 381 producers representing 1.6 million acres. Participants learned about new and innovative ideas, technologies and practices as well as refreshers of the tried tested and true.

SARA in the News Several reports and articles from SARA’s activities have been published in popular press such as The Western Producer, Top Crop Manager, Grainews and two features on the Prairie Farm Report.

Farming Smarter For more information look for our yearly publication Farming Smarter set for press in late March 2010. An on line version will also be available soon on our website. We’re set for another busy year and look forward to growing new ideas in 2010. 

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Farming Smarter / 2010

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SARA forms partnership with Cypress County Working hand-in-hand benefits both parties » By Donna Trottier

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key strength of Southern Applied Research Association (SARA) lies in the strong partnerships it develops and maintains. To build on this strength, SARA formed a new partnership with Cypress County’s Agricultural Service Board. “This has been our first kick at the cat working hand-in-hand with a rural municipality and it has proven to be a fruitful endeavor,” says Ken Coles, General Manager of SARA. As a producer directed, non-profit organization, SARA attempts to capture opportunities for producers to improve profitability and sustainability. By identifying the information and research needs of farmers, SARA delivers on the events and activities that help the farmers the most.

By setting up a partnership with Cypress County, SARA has added a local flavor to its research and made a connection with farmers in the Cypress area. “The partnership with Cypress County allows SARA to work on meeting the regional needs of the Cypress County folks,” states Coles.

SARA, based in Lethbridge, extends its work across Southern Alberta from the Saskatchewan border to the foothills. The municipal partner-

headed the initiation of the partnership by approaching Ken Coles with the idea. Jason located a farmer cooperator willing to donate a hectare of land for research. “People are encouraged to participate when they feel like research and information sharing is happening in their own area,” explains Storch. “We have the willingness and ability to set up a trial in our municipality and SARA has the applied research expertise. It is a great partnership that gives our ASB a tool to share with ratepayers.” Storch also noted that SARA’s renowned research reputation brings a sense of legitimacy to the work that benefits their ASB mandate.

Research and demonstration plots established by SARA in partnership with Cypress County. Photo by SARA

SARA staff seeding plots at the Cypress County demonstration site.

Photo by Southern Applied Research Association

ship allows SARA to expand the information sharing to a broader audience, expand its capacity and facilitates representation across the target area.

Agricultural Service Boards (ASB) have a mandate to serve the agricultural needs of the producers and provide relevant information.

Through the partnership with SARA, the Cypress County ASB participates in research and extension activities that they may not have had the resources to do. The ASB has an established line of communication with producers within their municipality and the partnership allows SARA a link to those producers through that ASB connection.

Jason Storch, Agricultural Fieldman with Cypress County, spear16

Farming Smarter / 2010

SARA established demonstration plots on the Cypress County site that included pulse variety trials, SeCan cereal trials, winter pulses, rotational trials and a research trial with a biological soil amendment. “The growing conditions at Lethbridge, where these trials are commonly set up, are quite different than the growing conditions at Cypress County.

Establishing these research plots, here in our County, gives local producers some insight into how the varieties will perform in their growing environment,” Storch noted.

SARA and the ASB placed signs at the site to promote awareness of the plots and to encourage people to visit the research trials on their own.

Over the growing season, Ken Coles directed a workshop and four crop walks to share the research information with local producers.

Because SARA is actively involved with other groups, the partnership benefits cascade onto other projects. “We find cooperators, innovators and early adopters who are keen to apply the new techniques and products through one partnership and it opens the doors of communication to involve those producers in other new innovative research that we are conducting,” says Coles. The partnership will therefore link Cypress County area farmers to other SARA projects.

With many of the government directed agricultural programs disappearing, there is a crucial need for agricultural support organizations such as ASBs and SARA to pool their resources together. The success of this pilot municipal partnership has prompted SARA to initiate similar alliances with other Southern Alberta municipalities. 

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Use the whole toolbox to control weeds Using older products and combinations optimize new weed control » By Lee Hart

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echnology has improved crop production a lot over the past 50 years, but farmers shouldn’t completely rely on the prospect of another new and improved herbicide as a solution to all weed control problems, says an Agriculture Canada researcher.

With more weeds showing herbicide resistance and only a few new chemistries (new modes of action) in the development pipeline, producers may have to re-enlist some older products and look at using a combination of cultural practices to optimize weed control, says Bob Blackshaw, a researcher at the Lethridge Research Centre.

“It comes back to something I have advocated for many years and that is an integrated weed management system,” says Blackshaw.

“There are no silver bullets out there. There isn’t going to be one chemical that solves weed problems. Crop protection products are important and effective, but they need to be used along with a number of weed management and crop production practices.”

Blackshaw, in a recent presentation called Blending Technology in Biological Systems, says increased use of the popular, effective herbicides causes more weeds to develop resistance.

Group 1 and 2 herbicides are the most commonly used in Western Canada. Products in these two groups are used on 50 to 60 per cent

Wild Oat.

Kochia.

Green Foxtail.

Chickweed.

“ It comes back to something I have advocated for many years and that is an integrated weed management system,”

Bob Blackshaw

Researcher – Lethbridge Research Centre

Agriculture Canada researcher Bob Blackshaw urges producers to follow an integrated weed management system that includes herbicides and cultural practices. Photo: Agriculture Canada

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Farming Smarter / 2010

of all crops and in many cases year after year. There is also increasing herbicide resistance to Group 3, 4, 5 and 8 products.

There are currently 30 species of grassy and broadleaf weeds in Canada with resistance to herbicides. On the grassy side they include wild oat, green foxtail, barnyardgrass, Persian darnel, witchgrass, yellow foxtail and giant foxtail. Among broadleaf weeds the much longer list includes, kochia, cleavers, chickweed, lambs-quarters, hempnettle, wild buckwheat, wild mustard and Russian thistle, to name a few.

Blackshaw adds that even the longstanding myth that no weed would develop resistance to glyphosate (Group 9) has shattered.

There are 16 weed species around the world now identified with resistance to glyphosate, including one in Canada — giant ragweed — that grows in Ontario. So far, there has been no glyphosate resistance found in Western Canada.

Crop protection companies are always looking to develop herbicides with new modes of action, but Blackshaw says there is a ‘minimal chance’ there will be many in the coming years. A couple of the newer herbicides with new modes of action recently released include Group 14 bleaching herbicides such as Authority, CleanStart and Kixor, and there is a Group 27 herbicide found in Velocity m3.

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19

Weed scientist, Bob Blackshaw, centre, talks about integrated weed and crop management systems to participants in a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) project. Photo: Agriculture Canada

Continued from page 19.

Other weed control technology is under research. Australia is looking at technology that will destroy weed seeds as they exit the combine and there is also work underway to develop chemicals that can break weed seed dormancy, promoting all weeds to germinate at once.

Research and technology is working on a number of fronts, but Blackshaw urges producers not to just rely on technology, but also to include integrated weed management in their overall crop production system.

“Integrated weed management combines several methods of weed control, including the use of herbicides,” says Blackshaw. “Its focus is to inhibit weed emergence, reduce weed growth and seed set, which minimizes competition with crops. At the same time if we can lower weed populations over time, we can stop weeds from being there in the first place.”

Tools such as zero-till crop production practices benefit weed management. With minimum and zero till practices there is greater weed seed mortality with seeds left on the soil surface, the crop residue helps to suppress weed germination and growth and conserve soil moisture This results in healthier, more competitive crops.

Along with zero-till practices, Blackshaw offers these stratagies.

• Control weeds earlier rather than later with herbicides.

20

Farming Smarter / 2010

• F ollow a proper three and four year crop rotation; which also promotes herbicide rotation.

• Use higher crop seeding rates to produce a more competitive crop that chokes out weeds.

• Select for more competitive crop cultivars.

• Be strategic with fertilizer application to reduce the chance of fertilizing weeds.

• Finally, use cover crops; which again can compete with weeds.

“Crop diversity is an important strategy for controling weeds,” says Blackshaw. “With different crops, producers use different seeding dates, different fertilizer practices, different herbicides and different harvest dates. Try to include more oilseeds and pulse crops in rotation with cereals. Look at using winter crops and forages in rotation too. All these strategies help break the weed cycle, reduce weed numbers and improve the effectiveness of herbicides.”

Blackshaw notes that weeds are genetically diverse and will continue to evolve to changing farming practices. So it is important that weed management and cropping practices also change in an effort to stay one step ahead of the weeds.

“While it is unlikely that many new chemical tools will be available in the future, it is important that producers use cropping practices to manage weeds,” he says. “It is important that producers maintain and increase diversity in crop rotations and production practices wherever possible.” 

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Biological fungicide may be a tool against sclerotinia Research on a European product that may effectively control the disease » By Lee Hart

A

n on-going southern Alberta research project hopes to determine over the next couple years if a European product, based on a beneficial soil fungus, can effectively control sclerotinia — one of the most costly diseases facing canola and pulse crop growers.

Preliminary work with Contans WG, a biological fungicide shows promise, but isn’t an overnight silver bullet for controlling sclerotinia, says Ken Coles, with the Southern Applied Research Association (SARA).

Contans, developed by the German company Prophyta, is now registered for use in some 20 countries. It is a fungus that farmers soil apply and then incorporate and has been effective in controlling sclerotinia in a wide range of field and vegetable crops susceptible to the disease. In zero till irrigation systems, users may be able to apply the product through the irrigation water.

The Pest Management Centre of Agriculture Canada contracted the Southern Applied Research Association (SARA) and the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) to study the potential of Contans in southern Alberta.

“From our limited experience with the product, it is too early to say whether it will be effective or not,” says Coles. “I feel the benefit will be something we will see over a period of time. The idea, is after a few years of using Contans, we will hopefully see a decline in the amount of the disease in the field.”

Sclerotinia, as it is known to most canola growers, or white mould as it is known to dry field bean producers, can cause heavy economic yield losses in crops if not controlled. While there are a number of commercial fungicides registered for use in canola and beans to control the disease, it is hoped that a biological control agent in the soil will reduce disease pressure and potentially drop it to levels that wouldn’t affect yields.

Sclerotinia in canola, caused by a soil borne fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorium, survives in the soil for up to four years as irregular-shaped fungal bodies, called sclerotia. The sclerotia germinate in the summer,

producing mushroom-like structures. These release wind-borne spores that travel up to one kilometre. The disease is favoured by moist soil conditions and temperatures of 15-25°C, prior to and during canola flowering. The spores cannot infect leaves and stems directly. They must first land on flowers, fallen petals, and pollen on the stems and leaves. These provide the food necessary for the spores to germinate, grow and infect the canola plant.

In field beans, Sclerotinia can attack all parts of the plant via ascospores or via direct infection from germination of sclerotia on the roots or next to leaves at the soil surface. In wet humid growing conditions, losses in yield and quality in the bean crop can be huge.

Pods, when they touch the soil, may be infected directly by germinating sclerotia or pod infection may result from ascospore infection of the dead flower on the tip of the pod. Following main stem infection by sclerotinia, the whole bean plant may collapse and yield loss could be total for that plant. Under very humid conditions, the white mold of the fungus can be seen growing on the outside of the pod.

The Contans fungus, Coniothyrium minitans attacks the black sclerotia (the resting survival structures of the sclerotinia fungus) and destroys them. When the Contans fungus is well established, it can control sclerotinia fungus within a few months.

Along with the Contans study, the study is evaluating another biofungicide potentially effective for controlling foliar and bacterial diseases including botrytis and powdery mildew common in a number of field and vegetable crops. Serenade Max, developed by AgraQuest Inc. of California and currently distributed in Canada by United Agri Products.

SARA began its evaluation of Contans WG with a late fall application of the product in 2008. Most testing is done on a field scale basis working with nine southern Alberta farmer cooperators and one demonstration plot at SARA’s research and development site near Lethbridge.

They made a second application of Contans in the fall of 2009 with

A conventional field sprayer, equipped with low drift nozzles was used to apply Contans to the soil in late fall. The product was incorporated soon after. Photo: Ken Coles

22

Farming Smarter / 2010

These small screened areas, referred to as sclerotia depots were established in the test fields on both treated and untreated soil.

The depots, containing sclerotial bodies (disease) were buried in the fall, and then removed in spring to observe development of the C. minitans colonization (Contans fungus). Photo: Ken Coles

plans to evaluate the disease pressure on bean and canola crops in 2010.

Temperature and moisture conditions over the first couple seasons of the study have not worked in favour of the beneficial fungus, says Coles.

Soil conditions in the fall of 2008 were very dry; which inhibited optimum soil mixing and effective inoculation of Contans on the sclerotia bodies in the soil.

The fall of 2008 and winter 2009 were particularly cold and dry; which may have been a limiting factor for survival and development of the beneficial fungus C. minitains. Several warming and cooling cycles also occurred including an extremely cold May (2009) with many frosty days.

Weather conditions during the 2009 growing season were cool with frequent rain; which resulted in optimal disease onset during crop flowering. Severe disease robbed fields of yield potential.

“Considering those conditions I don’t think we can say the product doesn’t work,” says Coles. “The ability of the beneficial fungus to survive in our climate is certainly a factor. But it may take several years for the benefits to be more obvious.

“We see it as working as part of an integrated disease management strategy, that includes Contans and commercial fungicides as well as a wide range of cultural practices. We’re hoping, over the next couple years, to see a disease reduction in the fields; which will help reduce the risk and economic losses from the disease.” 

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Pulse acres rise in durum slump Durum acres may be reduced due to current market drop » By Donna Trottier

W

ith the latest drop in the Pool Return Outlook, market analysts project that durum prices will be the lowest in five years. At the same time, the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) contract calls for Canadian Western Amber durum are only at 40%, putting restrictions on the delivery opportunities for the 2009 durum crop.

As a result, Alberta farmers may be looking to substantially reduce their durum acres and allocating more of the 2010 crop acres to pulses such as lentils, peas and dry beans.

“Pulses, in our current market environment, provide an attractive option for farmers, who are keen to capture cash flow and movement opportunities,” says Blair Roth, Director of Special Crops for Viterra.

Pea flower on a vibrant pea plant. Photo: Sheri Strydhorst

Lentil research plots at Brooks, Alberta.

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Farming Smarter / 2010

Photo: Sheri Strydhorst

Presently, in Alberta, pulses make up between three and four per cent of the total annual crop acres. Field peas were the most common pulse crop grown in Alberta in 2009 with over 750,000 acres of peas harvested. Alberta farmers harvested approximately 53,000 acres of dry beans along with small lentil, chickpea and fababean production.

In 2009 there was a 37% increase in lentil acres across Western Canada and lentil acres may increase a further 25-30% in 2010. In Alberta, analysts expect pulse crop acreage overall to jump this spring due to growth in lentil and dry bean production.

Tim Willms (Willms Seeds), grain and pulse seed grower from Grassy Lake, Alberta, produces pulse seed including lentils, peas, chickpeas, and dry beans. Generally, the bulk of Willms’ seed sales occur from mid January to April but lentil sales had a huge jump start this year. “This is the first year that I have sold right out of the red lentils and that happened by the end of November. Because of the strong demand, I brought in more lentils from Saskatchewan and have resold that supply as well,” states Willms.

There are several advantages to adding a pulse crop into a continuous crop rotation. “Pulses increase the diversity of crops and prevent producers from putting all of their eggs in one basket,” says Strydhorst, Executive Director of the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission (APGC). Pulses are a broadleaved crop and provide a disease break, pesticide rotation and weed management alternatives in between the cereal crop years. With the nitrogen fixing ability of pulses, there can be a significant yield and protein boost in the crop following the pulse crop thereby reducing fertilizer requirements.

Disease and weed control can present challenges to the pulse grower, potentially resulting in substantial yield losses and reduction in seed quality. “In dry beans, enhanced plant architecture with upright growth

The Fiberglass Shoppe has increased disease tolerance. However, cool wet summers continue to cause problems such as white mould and ascochyta,” Roth commented.

“Progress is being made on pesticide options for pulses, with new minor use registrations for both herbicides and fungicides. New innovative weed control measures are also making advances,” states Strydhorst.

The APGC invested into breeding programs that are developing pulses with increased yields, disease resistance and improved seed quality to meet market demands. The Crop Development Centre, Saskatoon, is conducting regional testing of lentil and chickpea cultivars at Brooks, Alberta to select for traits most suited to Alberta’s growing environment.

Strydhorst cautions farmers on jumping into lentil production if they have never grown them before. “Gather information on the agronomics and investigate the best production practices before seeding significant acres. Start with a few experimental acres on your farm,” Strydhorst suggests. The APGC will be setting up demonstration plots in the areas of Alberta with lentil producing potential. Strydhorst encourages producers to check out the demos and consult the APGC for production tips.

“There is a huge opportunity to increase our pulse production acreage in Alberta. As we increase pulse production, we need to focus on simultaneously expanding the pulse market to guarantee that producers receive high returns for what they produce,” states Strydhorst. 

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Youth engagement requires enthusiasm Getting through to the Y generation is key to creating the future » By C. Lacombe

I

n some respects, small agricultural communities are uniquely suited to foster youth engagement in creating the future. According to Michelle Dagnino, speaker, consultant, lawyer and author, there are some key things adults can do to engage youth in our communities.

When Dagnino speaks of youth, she refers to people born between the years 1980-1996 making them 14 to 30 years old today and part of Generation Y. She cautions that sociologists may further split this generational cohort one day as change accellerates the differences in life experience.

For now, Generation Y is the cohort of people who grew up with access to computers and, particularly at the younger end of the generation, the internet, cell phones, YouTube and all the accompanying information technology.

This generation has access to the world in ways no other generation experienced.

“They can interact with someone just as regularly that’s half way around the globe from them. Somebody in Lethbridge can have daily, ongoing communication with somebody in Tehran as frequently as they have with a next door neighbor,” Dagnino says.

Technology shapes this generation and how it interacts with its world and they are far more comfortable with multiple technologies than the generations that preceded them. Dagnino says it’s given them a different sense of time and distance.

However, they still need to process information the good old fashion way by paying attention, digesting and understanding what they take in through all the different sources available to them.

26

Farming Smarter / 2010

This is where the adults come in with wisdom and enthusiasm to get Generation Y excited about carrying on the family farm or sustaining the local community.

“I think the next wave of farming is going to be much more reliant on the use of technology and I think many young people should understand that the two can go hand in hand,” Dagnino explains. It will be up to the existing generation to introduce Generation Y to the ways that they can integrate tradition and technology.

Southern Alberta farmers already use some sophisticated technologies in GPS and irrigation scheduling equipment. There are websites full of information and tools for agricultural producers. The technology is already on-farm.

Dagnino touched on the topic of internet speed as a possible limiting factor in opportunity for rural residents as much of the information and programming today assumes a high speed connection that doesn’t exist everywhere.

“What we see is access to technology is becoming a rights issue,” Dagnino says. But, as technology becomes more pervasive in our society, it doesn’t discount or negate the necessity for social interaction.

“I think there’s a lot of new ways and processes that young people can bring while still honoring the traditions and ways of work that connect us to our communities in a way that a relationship with a computer alone is not going to do,” she adds. She points out that if you run out of milk, it’s still handy to have a relationship with your neighbor.

A key to involving youth in our communities is dialogue. She sug-

gests asking them what they want the community to look like in 30 years and whether or not they plan to stay and raise a family.

“It needs to be a pretty deliberate dialogue to say that this community needs young people to continue to participate in institutions and service based clubs to continue the work,” Dagnino says.

“It counts on the older generations to see themselves as mentors to the younger generations, to take the time to speak out and act in those mentorship roles for every generation.”

She stresses that the older generations need to share enthusiasm for the work that they do as much as information. If the older generation cannot envision a bright future for the farm and community, they cannot impart the desire to strengthen the existing community.

“As long as we are excited ourselves about the work that we’re doing, the youth will also be excited,” she says. “We have a responsibility to be passionate and excited about the potential for the future.

Whatever we put out there is going to be reflected back and if we’re putting out a message of hope and potential, that’s going to be reflected back.”

The youth in communities can help create thriving communities if the adults reach out and talk to them.

After all, as Dagnino says, “We live in a very globalized world.

This is a generation that has indicated their desire to create better societies.” 

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Diagnostic field school success keeps growing More and more people are getting involved in field research » By C. Lacombe

T

he Southern Applied Research Association (SARA) Diagnostic Field School (DFS) draws people involved in agriculture like moths to a light. Every year the light shines brighter and attracts people from further away.

“We’re definitely drawing from more than just southern Alberta,” says Ken Coles SARA agronomist. Summer 2009 saw a visitor from Chile and summer 2008 the DFS had a visitor from Mongolia.

More representative of participants though are the southern Alberta farmers from Mountain View and Rocky View in the north all the way down to the Montana border. Participants also come from the extreme east and west of southern Alberta and the DFS gets the odd inter-provincial visitor too.

About half the people who come to the events held each year are farmers and include about half & half dryland and irrigation farmers.

According to the evaluation reports from 2009, all participants see the potential to increase per acre returns from what they learned by attending an event. About 45 percent of participants expect to increase returns between $5-15/acre.

According to Coles, the SARA DFS is one of two research demonstration sites in the province dedicated to practical in-field research.

“There are many things people want to learn about. It is a challenge to try to address all of those needs,” Coles says. For instance at the end of the 2009 season, SARA’s 12 events solicited 75 topic areas from the over 1,200 people that came to the events. These are topics that participants (all of whom want to come back in 2010) would like more information about or further research results.

The topics cover every aspect of crop production such as soil care, crops (all topics), pest management, fertilizer, equipment trials, farming methods and everything else you can think of that relates to farming.

Coles says he put the question on the evaluation form hoping that the answers would help him decide which areas of research and demonstration are important to SARA members so that Coles could plan the DFS to meet their needs.

“It doesn’t give us a heck of a lot of direction because we have so many diverse suggestions that we end up having to pick them on your own anyway,” Coles says with a big grin. He grins because he knows he provides a much in demand service to the farming community and he loves his job.

“In putting this field school together, we work with so many different groups it’s unreal,” he says. He also enjoys the learning the research and demonstrations offer participants and him.

“In doing the demos and doing the research you come up with trends or generalities of the best thing to do in most years. Then every year is so different you have to be able to be adaptive in what you’re doing.

That’s one of the things that makes growing crops both challenging and interesting at the same time and it’s so hard to come up with any rules that work all of the time,” he says.

28

Farming Smarter / 2010

George Lubberts and DFS participants evaluate plant establishment/crop staging as part of the module “when to spray.” Photo: SARA

Frank Larne of AAFC talks with participants at the SARA site during a Crop Walk. Photo: SARA

In spring 2009, Coles was very excited about how good the winter crops looked. He thought that they were going to out-produce any spring-seeded crops. Then, the hard frosts just kept coming right into June and the winter crops of peas, barley and triticale were damaged at critical times.

“There’s certain types of years where winter crops will completely outshine a spring crop and you can have another year where it’s the complete opposite,” explains Coles.

The two most popular modules at the 2009 DFS were about when to spray crops and soil testing.

For the spray module, they walked out into the crop and looked at indicators that determine when you should spray. Coles called it a practical refresher of things that growers need to do consistently.

For the soil module, SARA sent soil samples to several different labs and had the results and recommendations analyzed by two soil specialists; Ross Mackenzie and Tom Jensen.

During the DFS, these gentlemen went through the results and rec-

ommendations with the participants and highlighted what to look for as the basis for decisions about input use.

“It was a good exercise to go through with the group. Nothing is clear cut in this industry and we got different results and recommendations from different labs,” Coles says.

Part of the valuable learning that takes place at DFS events is the side conversations between participants.

Coles explains, “There is a social aspect to these events that we often undervalue. We share a meal. We bring people together, get them talking and they bring up new issues and discussions. That wouldn’t happen unless you got them here… and you’ve got to enjoy and have some fun with it too.” 

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New weave to the food web Researcher says wild oats and kochia building up resistance in Alberta » By Les Brost

C

anada is standing at the threshold of political and economic reinvention, and it is a pretty scary place. The fallout from the global economic recession is still sifting earthward, while the world economic and political order is undergoing dramatic change.

These are challenging times for those industries that historically have received regular injections of government assistance. Governments forced to close schools; hospitals and care facilities no longer have the political will to be the ATM’s for any industry; no matter how deep the historic relationships.

Agriculture is one of the industries with a long and convoluted history of government assistance at both the federal and provincial level.

Because of its perceived role as the guarantor of our national food supply, it has enjoyed a special relationship with governments. The federal response to the latest crisis in the pork industry indicates that relationship has changed. The level and extent of support historically available for the monolithic agricultural industry is gone.

Is this new reality the opening bars in the funeral dirge for Canadian agriculture, or is it the transition piece in the evolution of a new and dynamic grouping of industries? Can Canadians — farmers, urban Canadians and governments — create a new context for the business of food production and marketing?

This powerful evolution is possible, but only if all the players understand that our global economy is all about exercising choice. A growing minority of consumers is already making choices, and beginning to flex some market muscle. They are making purchasing choices because of environmental and ethical concerns, social values, and culture. Consumers in B.C. and Ontario are already supporting legal action by individual farmers to ensure that they can purchase their choice of food.

A majority of consumers are still choosing to live in a state of willful denial — choosing to ignore the stark realities of food production and marketing. These consumers expect/demand food that is both cheap and safe. They further expect/demand that both the agrifood industry and the political system provide that cheap, safe food without any effort on their part, or without their paying any additional costs or taxes.

The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves, and this is the case with these consumer expectations. Cheap, safe food is almost an oxymoron. It

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just isn’t possible. A reliable supply of food produced under direct Canadian regulation and inspection will not be “cheap” — nor should it be.

Food production, marketing and inspection policies that have evolved in the back rooms of government and industry will not become more transparent without the direct, energetic involvement of consumers.

Consumers shouldn’t expect that the Tooth Fairy will magically convey their viewpoints on food to their politicians and to the agrifood industry.

Instead, they can choose to follow the lead of those consumers who are already establishing direct relationships with politicians and producers.

Farmers have choices. They can choose to continue to compete in the global commodity marketplace (either conventional or organic), accepting the risks and rewards that go with that marketplace. Others can sell their products at varying levels of processing directly to consumers. They can use traditional and non-traditional co-operatives, Farmers Markets and modern social networking tools to identify and connect with customers. All of these opportunities depend upon producers choosing to have direct conversations with the myriad of customers for land-based products.

Governments also have choices. They can try to maintain the present levels of direct and indirect support for the agricultural industry.

The money will come from deeper cuts in other sectors or through even deeper deficit spending, and they will have to try to weather the ensuing political firestorms. There will not be another industry bailout similar to the BSE experience, where billions of public dollars were injected into an industry with little or no return to the public interest.

Consumers and agricultural producers can both choose to remain isolated and trapped in their feelings of entitlement, expecting government to look after them. That is a one-way ticket to yesterday, and yesterday has plumb run out of gas.

The other choice is for both consumers and farmers to come together to explore areas of common interest. Both have much to gain from casting aside old perceptions and attitudes to seek mutual gain through political and business alliances.

We are living in a time of dramatic change. In times of change, the future belongs to those with the courage to make strong choices. For Canadian farmers and consumers, now is the time to show such courage. 

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Climate Change Central growing offset market Benefits to both industry and environment the results » By Ric Swihart

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limate Change Central (CCC) continues to find ways to fight global warming by connecting carbon emitters with carbon trappers to benefit both industry and the environment.

Tanya Maynes, who works as a carbon offset manager for CCC mainly in agriculture and forestry, said the movement is gaining steam.

It was created in late 1999 when the province brought private and public sector leaders together to find an effective way to manage climate change.

It has a core staff of almost 30, up from three in 2001. The CCC board, with members from government, forestry, agriculture and industry, represents a cross section of society and manages an average budget of $5 million a year. Maynes, speaking at the Southern Alberta Conservation Association conference in the Lethbridge, said that climate change science is not debatable — gas emissions are increasing and Alberta is one of the main emitters.

However, in 2007, Alberta passed the Climate Change Emission Management Act that says facilities emitting more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon a year must reduce emissions intensity by 12 per

cent. There are tools in the Act such as internal efficiency upgrades and emissions performance credits and a technology fund or climate change emissions management fund. Emitting companies can come into compliance by paying $15 a tonne for excess emissions. Maynes said that fee will increase, but there is no time line. Offsets are another way for companies to manage carbon emissions, she said.

Offsets or carbon credits have been under the microscope for about 10 years. But a pilot program in 2005 spurred more action with lots of federal and provincial discussion to quantify offsets. Provincial rules are in place to help industry meet the mandatory emission standards.

When federal rules are ready, the two systems will merge.

Carbon credit prices are increasing, she said. The suggested range is $25 to $30 a tonne. She said the offset system is simple to administer with maximum scope. Industry is looking for transformational change over time.

Environmental benefit is a big ticket. But care must be exercised not to create a new problem by tackling an old one.

CCC is conducting energy assessments for swine, poultry and dairy to develop energy assessment tools for the three operations. 

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Pea Leaf Weevil strategies for farmers How Alberta farmers can employ local research to manage pest » By C. Lacombe

A

lberta farmers now have some local research results that offer successful strategies for managing Pea Leaf Weevils (PLW).

PLW are a fairly new pest to Alberta likely as a result of more acres planted to peas in recent years making the area more attractive and suitable to increased numbers of PLW. “After we increase the acreage of a given crop, there’s more food for the insects. More of them reproduce and, even if the weather kills most of them, there is a population that stays for the next year that allows them to increase. It happened with the potato beetle, for example. We had low numbers before we started to grow very large potato acreages and then they became a problem,” says Hector Carcamo, Research Scientist, Insect Pest Management, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Carcamo shared some of the highlights that came from a three-year study completed last season in southern Alberta. The study — Inte-

A Pea Leaf Weevil with eggs. Photo: M. Dolinski (Edmonton)

Weevil damage on pea leaves. Photo: H. Goulet (AAFC, Ottawa)

Winter peas in spring 2009 at the SARA demonstration plots. Photo: SARA

grated pest management of the pea leaf weevil (PLW) in field peas — had several collaborators and funding supporters.

Alberta has a couple of natural PLW controls. One is harsh, cold winters without a lot of snow and the other is a beetle that likes to eat PLW larvae. These facts have an effect on pest management for peas growers.

“There’s one species of ground beetle that are very good at feeding on the eggs of the pea leaf weevil. So that’s a little good news,” Carcamo says.

He cautions that this impacts when you can spray for PLW, “It’s important to only use the insecticides if you are at the economic threshold. When you spray insecticide, you ‘re not just killing the pea leaf weevil adult, you’re also killing the beneficial beetles around that are feeding on the eggs,” he says.

The first line of defence against PLW is climate. The weevil likes warm, moist conditions for life and reproduction. A cold, dry winter

will reduce populations. If spring is also dry and cool, the pea plants may have time to grow past the danger phase (past the six node stage) before the weevils emerge.

This is one of the aspects of this pest that can argue for a winter pea crop. Peas are a cool weather crop, so can do quite well as a winter crop.

This brings up another aspect of pest management that can work quite well; which is using winter peas as a trap crop around the perimeter of a spring pea planting. The Southern Applied Research Association did some demonstration and research plots with winter pea as a trap crop and had some good success in controlling the PLW. “Winter peas could provide a good strategy where the pea leaf will concentrate and be easy to control with insecticides,” Carcamo says. He mentions that Alberta needs better winter pea varieties yet, but there are varieties that survive mild winters.

If you plan a rotation of spring-planted peas, Carcamo suggests assessing PLW conditions prior to planting. Find out if there is a popula-

32

Farming Smarter / 2010

tion in your area by talking to neighbours and your local Agriculture Fieldman. Consider the winter your area experienced and the likelihood pest populations survived. Check the pest prediction maps published by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

If you have reason to believe that PLW could be a problem, treat the seed prior to planting.

Carcamo cautions not to use seed treatment just to be cautions because, “You will lose money in the years when you don’t need to have the seed treatment.”

However, every farmer knows that our climate is a fickle thing and you may find yourself infested in spite of your best efforts. If you find you reach the economic threshold of 30 per cent of the crop damaged

by PLW prior to the six-node stage, you will have to use an insecticide.

Carcamo’s recommendation at this point is to spray at dawn or dusk to avoid killing the beneficial beetle. He adds that, unfortunately, insecticides are not as effective for reducing yield loses as seed treatments.

Carcamo says he was surprised at how much of a difference climate made to PLW populations.

“We had a very warm spring in 2007 and then in 2008 and 2009 we had very cold springs. That made a big difference as far as the timing of the weevil invasion to crops and the damage that they did. Forecasting insect problems is a big challenge.” 

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Stack strategies to manage fusarium – it can kill your grain profits Reliably taking control of disease with multiple strategies » By Helen McMenamin

F

usarium is now a fact of farming in southern Alberta, but it can be managed to avoid completely devaluing your cereal crops. Stacking two or three strategies controls the disease much more reliably than depending on just one measure or trusting to luck, according to experts.

Last year’s late summer rains led to high levels of fusarium head blight even on dryland, infecting many new fields with the disease. The fungus is also very common in corn, causing seed, root, stem and ear rot, so corn residue is a huge reservoir of fusarium inoculum. Given the right weather conditions, such as we had last summer, the disease can infect wheat and barley crops including those in neighboring fields.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) cuts into yield and infected wheat goes very quickly from a number 1 to a 2 or a 3, says Agriculture Canada crop disease specialist, Kelly Turkington. But the worst feature of FHB is the toxins produced in infected grain, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone, toxins that even at low levels have dramatic health effects on most animals eating the grain. It also interferes with the beer making and baking qualities of the grain.

Buyers, especially those in Europe and Asia, are specifying maximum DON levels for their purchases. This is a particular problem because a new strain of fusarium that is becoming the prevalent type produces a more toxic form of DON. Lab tests for DON levels rather than visual assessments of fusarium damaged kernels may be needed and the acceptable level in grain may be lowered. On the other hand, surveys of FHB have shown that under irrigation a significant amount of the FHB is caused by Fusarium culmorum, which is much less of a problem than Fusarium graminearum.

Rather than depending entirely on any single method of controlling FHB, Turkington recommends using at least two, preferably more.

As with most diseases, rotation is the first line of defense. Although alternating cereals with broadleaf crops cuts down the level of inoculum, a rotation that gives you at least a two-year break from cereals has a much greater

impact. If you grow corn and cereals on the same or adjacent fields, a break of more than a year would likely be especially valuable.

Growing a resistant variety or a less susceptible class of wheat also reduces infection. You can expect to see a resistant durum in the next few years. Applying a fungicide also cuts down the level of FHB. Irrigators are in the unique position of being able to control moisture conditions within the crop canopy by managing irrigation. You can lower the risk and level of FHB by avoiding water application just before and during flowering.

Increasing seeding rates reduces tillers so all flowering is concentrated into the shortest time possible reduces the chances of humid conditions in the canopy carrying fungus spores up to the heads.

“Each of these strategies cuts down fusarium levels in your grain and increases yield to some extent,” says Turkington. “But, stacking several together can really make a difference and minimize the impact of the disease.”

For central Alberta, Turkington advises first testing seed with the more sensitive DNA test that tells you whether fusarium is present, and following up a positive result with the traditional plate test that shows the level of infection. For southern Alberta, local seed is quite likely to have some level of fusarium, but he says testing is still worthwhile. Knowing the level of infection, you have a better idea of the risks you face.

Stacking at least some of these strategies should have a synergistic effect – that is the control from using several measures together is much greater than the sum of the parts, says Turkington.

North Dakota researchers found yield increased from 49 bushels to 70 bushels per acre when they grew a resistant variety following a broadleaf crop and applied a fungicide rather than a susceptible variety, following wheat with no fungicide treatment. The level of DON was also much lower. 

2007 Example: Durum Integrated Study, ND 3 strategies The synergistic effects of stacking fusarium control measures on yield and disease levels.

None = wheat on wheat, Monroe susceptible variety and no fungicide + R = Rotation = Canola previous crop + V = More resistant variety = Divide + F = Fungicide trt added = Prosaro Data from, Scott Halley, Langdon REC From M. McMullen, NDSU

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Farming Smarter / 2010

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Seed growers have borne the brunt of financial losses from fusarium head blight and some want to see other growers take the problem more seriously.

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Under the Pest Control Act all seed, including common seed, must be tested for fusarium before being used as seed.

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“That’s not happening,” says Richard Stamp, chair of the Fusarium Action Committee and a seed grower. “A lot of crops are grown from untested seed. They could be making problems for themselves and for their neighbors, because the spores can spread to adjacent fields.”

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Seed placed fertilizer safety Guidelines available to the public outline safe application techniques » By Ron Montgomery

T

he prairie-provinces have established guidelines for the safe rate of N placement with the seed of various crops. Guidelines are based on row spacing, opener width, soil texture, organic matter and seedbed moisture. The various provinces also offer fact sheets and research papers on the safe applications of fertilizer to the public.

In general, fertilizer placed directly in or close to the seed row is acceptable, provided excessive rates don’t inhibit germination or seedling development. Limited amounts of fertilizer can be placed in the seed row without creating damage to the emerging seedling.

There are many variables that affect the safe placement of seed row fertilizers. Besides the type of fertilizer, the main factors are: crop grown, seedbed moisture at seeding, seedbed utilization (SBU) and soil texture.

Seedbed utilization (SBU) is the amount of seedbed over which the fertilizer and seed can be spread. SBU is calculated by dividing the width of spread of the seed behind the opener by the row spacing multiplied by 100. For example, if the seeding implement has six-inch row spacing and spreads the seed and fertilizer over two inches, the SBU would be two divided by six, multiplied by 100 = 33 per cent.

Some fertilizer, such as phosphate fertilizer, is applied in the seed row for the “starter effect.” Starter fertilizer is particularly beneficial for early season growth when soils are cool.

Crop tolerance to seed placed nitrogen fertilizer varies. Generally, cereals can tolerate more seed placed urea-nitrogen than canola or flax. If moisture conditions are not good to excellent, the rates of seed-placed fertilizer should drop by at least 50 per cent.

Nitrogen fertilizers are very soluble and move readily in moist soil.

Placement with or very near the seed is not necessary to ensure effective utilization. Placement options that can be considered include: broadcast, pre-plant band, side-band or mid-row band at planting and seed row placement.

Banding fertilizer (8-15 cm deep) has become a common method of applying nitrogen fertilizers. Under conditions of low rainfall during

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the early growing season, deeper placement overcomes the problem of nitrogen being stranded in dry surface soil. Under wet soil conditions that can occur in early spring (during and just after spring thaw), fall applied nitrogen fertilizer can be lost by a process called denitrification.

Late fall banding of an ammonium form of nitrogen (e.g., 82-0-0 or 460-0) will reduce losses.

Top dressing of nitrogen on cereals after emergence is not generally recommended but it can be effective up to the shot-blade stage if adequate rainfall is received after application.

Phosphate fertilizers do not move readily in soil. Placing the band of phosphate near developing seedling roots of annual crops is most effective. Placement below the depth of seeding may improve availability under dry conditions because the fertilizer is in a moist part of the root zone for a longer period of time than with seed row placement.

Broadcast-incorporated applications are less effective than when fertilizer is banded with or near the seed of annual crops. Broadcast application should be two to four times the recommended rates for banding or seed row application.

On established forages, response to broadcast applications may be delayed owing to the slow movement of phosphorus into the root zone.

A greater response may occur in the year following application than in the year of application. On soil that is very deficient in phosphorus, phosphate fertilizer should be banded or incorporated before seeding perennial forages.

Potassium will move in the soil more readily than phosphorus, but for annual crops, potassium fertilizers are more efficient when drilled with the seed or banded. Broadcast applications can be used at about twice the rate used for drill-in application. The maximum amount that may be safely placed with the seed of cereals is 35 lb./ac. For small-seed crops such as canola or flax, the maximum safe rate with the seed is 15 lb./ac. Broadcast or band applications can be made in either fall or spring.

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soluble sulphate fertilizers provide an available sulphur source either as broadcast, drill-in or band applications. Elemental sulphur and gypsum can also be used as sulphur fertilizers.

Nitrogen (N) is the most frequently deficient nutrient in agricultural production schemes and represents up to 80% of the energy inputs for canola or cereal-based cropping systems. The most cost-effective granular form of N is urea, as it has a high N concentration and lower relative manufacturing, handling, storage and transportation costs.

Ray Dowbenko of Agrium says, “Many growers have adapted reduced and no-till practices. This has meant a shift from traditional fall band applied N, to placing more N in the spring. Spring application of N may have taken the form of a pre-plant band application, but with reduced till practices, more of that N is either being placed in a side or mid-row band, or directly in the seed row.

Side and mid row banding equipment work well. But if a grower is not wishing to make an investment in equipment, or feels the extra soil disturbance, moisture loss and fuel requirements are a little too much to bear then ESN in the seed row is a viable option.”

ESN research has shown that 2X to 3X safe rates of N (current guideline for the use of ESN in seed row placement) with the seed have been consistently attained when using seed row applied ESN, as compared to seed row applied urea-N. For the majority of the research since 2000, Continued on page 38

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ESN seed row applied has offered the same seed safety as when urea was side band applied, at safe rates ranging from 1.5X up to 7X. The effect of handling on the polymer surface of ESN can be an issue. Before the fertilizer is finally placed in the soil, the product has been loaded and unloaded at the manufacturing plant, the retail point, and on the farm where it is finally applied to the soil.

Severe abrasion can be avoided at the retail point by first running

other fertilizer products (e.g. 10 tonnes of potash) through the loading equipment prior to handling. Negative effects from drillfills on the farm would be minimized with a similar practice.

For further information on the topic of ESN and access to a number of fertilizer related facts and sites, visit Agrium’s website at www.agrium.com. You can also contact Ray Dowbenko, Agronomist with Agrium by e-mail rdowbenk@agrium.com or telephone at 800-661-6757. 

Ray Dowbenko, Agronomist with Agrium. Photo: Agrium

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