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Volume 39, Number 9 | APRIL 1, 2013

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PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER

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The future of weed control While high costs are still a hurdle to overcome, bioherbicides are in the works and could be a weapon in the struggle against herbicide resistance BY LISA GUENTHER

esearchers in Canada and the United States are developing bioherbicides that will not only give organic and conventional farmers more weed control options, but also, in some cases, control herbicide-resistant weeds. Bioherbicides are synthetically produced compounds identical to chemicals found in nature. They may be sourced from micro-organisms or plants. Bioherbicides can also include whole microorganisms that infect weeds. Currently there are no bioherbicides registered for use on agricultural crops in Canada, but researchers with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) are working to change that.

FUNGAL BIOHERBICIDES Phoma is a fungal bioherbicide that controls Canada thistle, dandelion and wild mustard. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) approved Phoma for turfgrass in 2011, and it will be commercially launched in 2014. Dr. Karen Bailey is an AAFC researcher based in Saskatoon. Bailey and her colleagues are studying the use of Phoma in agricultural crops. Bailey plans to study Phoma’s efficacy in wheat and barley this year. She already has two years of data on alfalfa, funded by the alfalfa seed commissions in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Wide row spacing leaves alfalfa crops vulnerable to weeds before the crop is established. So far Bailey’s results are positive, though she has found that using Phoma the year the alfalfa is seeded harms the crop. “And the interesting part that we found actually with the alfalfa was that even though it harmed the crop in the first year, by the time it had its next year, the crop had recovered so that there were no differences among our treat-

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PHOTO: MARRONE BIO INNOVATIONS

Marrone Bio Innovations’ bioherbicide, Opportune, controls broadleaf weeds in grasses. It has been submitted for approval in Canada. ments relative to an untreated control,” says Bailey. Applying Phoma in the years after the alfalfa is seeded doesn’t harm the crop. Bailey says organic farmers are very interested in using Phoma to control weeds such as Canada thistle. She thinks some conventional farmers may use it as well. “I think it’s going to be probably (a fit with) some people’s philosophies, as long as the product works. And I think some people will find it as an alternative to be able to use in some situations. In other cases it may just be a novel way of control for them.” Whether Phoma proves useful for treating herbicide-resistant weeds depends on which weeds it’s approved to treat, Bailey says. “But we do know bioherbicides do provide different mechanisms of action.” Bailey’s colleague, Dr. Susan

Boyetchko, is studying bacteria that control wild oats and foxtail. Boyetchko’s work shows that bacteria control herbicide-resistant weeds.

BIOHERBICIDES IN THE U.S. There aren’t many bioherbicides on the market in the United States right now, either, and many are aimed at the organic market. Marrone Bio Innovations is a California company that develops biopesticides. The company’s bioherbicide, Opportune, has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Marrone Bio Innovations has also submitted Opportune to the PMRA for approval in Canada. “Historically bioherbicides have not broken through and (have had) very small sales because somebody would look for a microbe that

would infect and kill a weed,” says Dr. Pam Marrone, CEO of Marrone Bio Innovations. Part of the reason previous efforts have had limited success is that the microbes being used only worked on a few specific weeds. Bioherbicides that control more weeds have more potential for conventional agriculture, especially with growing herbicide resistance. The active ingredient in Opportune is a microbial compound, rather than the entire microbe. “There’s no infection process of the weed. It’s strictly based on the microbe producing a compound. The compound kills the weed,” says Marronne. The compound is selective, so it won’t kill grasses such as corn, wheat, rye and turf. Marrone says it controls broadleaf weeds in grasses

In This Issue

post-emergence, and can be used in any crop before planting. Marrone Bio Innovations also has two bioherbicides on deck. One, which has been submitted to the EPA, uses a compound from a Chinese pepper plant, and can be used as a post-emergent burndown for grasses and broadleaves. The other bioherbicide uses several compounds from a bacterium.

LOWERING COSTS A PRIORITY “The problem with (chemical) herbicides is that they’re so lowpriced that it’s hard to find bioherbicide technology that can get you down to the price to compete,” says Marrone. When researchers and companies first find a bacterium, plant, fungus, or other organism that pro-

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Wheat & Chaff ..................

Features ............................

Crop Advisor’s Casebook

Columns ........................... 27 Machinery & Shop ............ 34 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 40

First time with fababeans SARAH WEIGUM PAGE 8

Farmer panel

LEE HART PAGE 22

FarmLife ............................ 45

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APRIL 1, 2013

Wheat & Chaff STAMPEDE

BY JERRY PALEN LEEANN MINOGUE

Here are four things I dread about April.

1. BECOMING A SINGLE MOM

“And then he said, ‘Oh quit whining Flo, I know what I’m doing.”

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U.S. subscribers call 1-204-944-5568 or email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com If you have story ideas, call us. You can write the article and we’d pay you, or we can write it. Phone Leeann Minogue at 306-861-2678 Fax to 204-944-5416 Email leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com Write to Grainews, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1

All farms are different. But generally, on grain farms, April marks the time of year when farmers boot things into high gear. Many farmers that had flexible schedules and reasonable work days all winter are suddenly putting in long hours and organizing their schedules around the weather again. Like many farm moms, I’ve been spoiled by another winter of having a husband with time to do things around the house, watch our little boy’s skating lessons, and even take the occasional short holiday. But once April hits, those days are over. I used “single mom” in my title, but it wasn’t really accurate. Most single moms don’t pack lunches for a working crew, move tractors around and rush to town for last-minute truckloads of fertilizer. I don’t mean to complain — farm families are generally lucky to be able to plan their own working hours most of the year. And if we get the crop in the ground, we won’t last long on the farm. It’s just a shock. It helps to know I’m not alone. In a farming community, you don’t see a lot of men with time to attend spring soccer practice. (Except for the dreaded spring of 2011, when the local farmers had nothing else to do but hang around soccer practice talking about flooding. But nobody wants to repeat that.)

2. MUD

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If it’s April, there’s going to be mud. In your car. In your porch. In your closet. In your kid’s hair. You know you’re shopping with another farm woman when you both look at a pair of gorgeous suede boots, look at each other and say, “But we can’t buy those,” and you both know exactly why. On a farm with a kid, it isn’t really spring until your kid comes into the house with a bad case of wet-boot — that soaked sock he’ll get when he messes around in a puddle until the water floods over the top of his boot. Or, worse yet, when the kid comes limping in with only one boot, and tells you the other one is “out there somewhere.”

3. THAT ONE LAST VICIOUS SNOWSTORM Some people don’t like to make travel plans in January, in case the weather turns bad. Midwinter may be colder, but it usually seems to be spring that

brings that one horrendous, unexpected snowstorm. That storm comes with snow, drifts and sleet, and it leaves you stranded by the side of an icy road, wishing you’d taken time to refill your windshield wiper fluid before you left home. Last spring, I was planning a trip to Regina in early April. But when we woke up, there was snow everywhere and not one, but two semi trucks stuck on the road outside our house. Instead of a trip to Regina, I made breakfast (and lunch) for the two truckers while they waited for the snow to clear enough that my husband could pull them out.

safety section of our March 4 issue. “I really liked the articles,” Charlie said. “They were really down to earth.” This wasn’t really surprising, since the writer, Shanyn Silinski, lives on a Manitoba farm. But Charlie did point out that one of the pieces mentioned making sure that when you get out of a vehicle you should put the brake on and leave it in neutral. Charlie said, “The only time I put mine in neutral is to circulate the oil and get things warmed up. When you get off the machine, you should put it in park.” Good point Charlie — thanks for calling.

4. PLANNING THE GARDEN

IN THIS ISSUE

This is bound to be controversial. But the truth is that I hate gardening. And I’m awful at it. I didn’t inherit my black thumb. My mother spent decades growing a fabulous garden — weed-free, with every kind of vegetable you can think of plus a few more. My grandmother also had a beautifully maintained garden, so I can’t even claim that the gardening gene skips every second generation. Since I hate gardening and am not very good at it, some city people might wonder why I bother. If you’re reading Grainews, you probably didn’t think to question this. If you live on a farm, you have to have a garden. I’m pretty sure there’s a municipal bylaw, if not a provincial regulation. (Or maybe it’s a requirement for crop insurance eligibility.) Since I’ve written this much already, I might as well admit that I’m barely meeting the minimum standards to qualify my weedy patch as a “garden.” Last year I managed some lettuce, some onions and a random selection of squash. My garden is definitely not on any local garden tour. I’m not even sure it’s enough to keep my family from getting scurvy. I’ll keep trying. When I see the rotating shelf of garden seeds at the Co-op, I’ll give it a spin and see what we get. Although I’ve lived in this yard for 10 years and never successfully grown a carrot, I’ll probably try yet another package of carrot seeds with a bushy green picture on the front. My neighbour grows about three acres of sweet corn every summer (while looking after three well-behaved kids), but somehow mine never gets mature enough to ripen. I suppose I’ll give it one more chance. There’s that whole thing about spring being a time for optimism. Renewal. A time for another chance. That may be the case for some of you, but I know I’m beat before the Co-op cashier gets my packets rung through the till.

I was really happy to read the article Sarah Weigum submitted for this issue of Grainews. Sarah is a seed grower from Alberta. In her article on pages 8 and 9, Sarah explains why she and her father will be planting fababeans for the first time this spring. In the article, Sarah talks about their decision-making process — what factors they considered when they were decided whether to get into fababeans, and which variety to plant. She also discusses some of the agronomic challenges she expects to have to deal with. Sarah doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but she has listed many of the questions she hopes to answer during the growing season. She’s promised to keep Grainews readers updated throughout the growing season with a couple of more articles showing us the progress of her crop. I hope it goes well for her. Another article in this issue that is particularly interesting for me is the article on aerial spraying on pages 24 and 25. We don’t tend to hire aerial sprayers for our farm — largely because we have several organic neighbours and so we’re very sensitive about spray drift, but also because my husband can generally cover all of our acres with his ground sprayer. However, we do have satellite TV. Last year, my husband and I watched every episode of “Dust Up,” a reality TV show on the History Channel about an aerial sprayer based in Nipawin, Sask. We loved the show. It was very exciting for me to have a chance to talk to the show’s star, Brennan Jardine, before our freelancer Rebeca Kuropatwa interviewed him. I don’t get phone calls from television stars every day. I was disappointed to hear that a second season of this Saskatchewanbased show doesn’t seem to be in the works. If you didn’t catch the show, at least you can read about it in this issue of Grainews. And also in this issue, in the machinery section,Scott Garvey is focusing on tractors, giving us the rundown on a few new models. I hope you’ll enjoy this issue. Leeann

READER FEEDBACK Grainews reader Charlie Main phoned with some comments about the articles in the special

APRIL 1, 2013

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Wheat & Chaff Farm safety

Recognizing safety hazards I

n the not-to-distant past, I took pride in getting things done around the farm quickly. Everything from jumping in the grain bin without a second thought to performing feats of acrobatic wizardry in order to unclog jammed machinery (I had smaller hands). You name it, I did it. Looking back, it’s not so much that I was a rebel without a cause, as much as I just didn’t realize that I was putting myself in harm’s way. For producers, farming is a way of life. When you live, work and play on your farm, certain activities become second nature. You don’t even think about it, and neither does anyone else. When I work with farmers to

implement written health and safety plans, one of the biggest challenges, and rewards, is helping farmers and farm workers re-train their brains to recognize hazards. A key activity involved in developing a health and safety plan includes conducting onfarm inspections. These reviews should be conducted regularly by those most familiar with the overall operation of the farm. Hazards are defined as anything that may cause injuries or negatively impact your health. Hazards can take many forms, including stress (lifestyle); pesticides, fertilizers, and disinfectants (chemical); repetitive strain injuries (ergo-

nomic); gases from manure pits, dust from grain and feed, and animal-borne illnesses (biological); and machinery, livestock and extreme weather (physical). When assessing the degree of risk, inspectors should take into consideration the likelihood or potential of the hazard to cause harm to people or property, as well as the impact of the harm. The more likely, and the more significant the impact of the hazard, the higher the risk and the more urgent the need to address it. When assessing risk, I tell farmers to ask themselves a series of questions. Under what conditions is harm likely to occur?

Weather Lore

ackerel sky, mackerel sky; Never long wet, never long dry. A mackerel sky is clouded by rounded, isolated cirrocumulus clouds that look like mackerel scales or herring bones. They are made up of ice crystals and may travel at speeds up to 160 kilometres per hour, six to 11 km above the earth. A mackerel sky often forms in thundery weather which is neither wet nor dry for very long. Other cloud shapes are also early forerunners of inclement weather: Hens’s scarts and mares’ tails, Make lofty ships carry low sails. Hens’ scarts or scratchings and mares’ tails are high-in-the-sky wisps of ice-laden cirrus clouds. These kinds of clouds are the first outriders of an approaching low pressure system bringing high winds and blustery weather. † Shirley Byers’ book “Never Sell Your Hen on a Rainy Day” explores over 100 weather rhymes and sayings. It is available from McNally Robinson at: http://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/home.

weed control

New aerial registrations

see any potential hazards? What about on your neighbour’s farm? Now do you see any hazards there? You eat, sleep and live your farm, but it’s really important to look at your farm with an outside perspective when identifying hazards. The deeper you probe in identifying hazards on your farm, the safer your farm will be. For more information on identifying hazards or developing your own written health and safety plans, visit www.agsafetyweek.ca. † Carolyn Van Den Heuvel has spent the last year helping farmers implement the Canada FarmSafe Plan as a Canada FarmSafe Advisor for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA).

Agronomy tips from the field

April showers and clouds

ow AgroSciences has received aerial use registrations for Prestige XC, Attain XC and OcTTain XL. This will be timely for customers needing broadleaf weed control in regions with spring conditions that are too wet as well as those needing to cover a large number of cereal acres quickly. “We have all seen how quickly broadleaf weeds can take over. Aerial application provides another option to minimize weed competition and get crops off to a good start,” says Lorne Thoen, Dow AgroSciences product man-

How quickly could that unsafe condition arise? How many workers could get hurt? How badly would they be hurt? When it comes to a specific operation or task, it may be necessary to outline the degree of hazards associated with each step of a work process. Can a body part get caught in or between objects? Can the worker slip, trip or fall? Is there a danger from falling objects? Is the lighting adequate? Is contact possible with hot, toxic or caustic substances? Is the worker entering a confined space? Is this individual working alone? Take a step back and look at your entire operation. Do you

ager. “The ability to apply these products by air helps ensure that broadleaf weed populations do not get out of control on growers — regardless of spring conditions.” “These three products from Dow AgroSciences provide growers with excellent options for managing broadleaf weeds,” says Thoen. “Convenient bulk packaging, outstanding product performance and support from Dow AgroSciences completes the package.” † Dow AgroSciences

photo contest

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT Margaux Cassagne sent us this photo. She says, “I’m sending you a photo of my horse Mack and me. Mack is an appaloosa of 13 years old, he’s really nice and I like him a lot! I love horses so much that I want to be an equine veterinarian. My mom (Marielle) took this photo this winter, in December.” Margaux and her family live south of Ste. Agathe, in Manitoba. She says, “My dad and mom bought this farm in 2005, it’s only a cereal farm but we have dogs, a horse and chickens! We plant canola, soybeans, oats and wheat.” Thank you for sending in this photo. We’ll send you $25 — maybe you will share it with your mom. If you’d like to see your photo on this page and receive $25, send your best shot to leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com. Please send only one or two photos at a time and include your name and address, the names of anyone in the photo, where the photo was taken and a bit about what was going on that day. A little write-up about your farm is welcome, too. Please ensure that images are of high resolution (1 MB is preferred), and if the image includes a person, we need to be able to see their face clearly. — Leeann

The challenge of volunteer canola

ast year’s record number of canola acres likely means we’ll see a record amount of volunteer canola showing up this year. Canola breeders have done such a great job of creating successful hybrids and varieties that volunteer canola has become a competitive weed that warrants attention. Volunteer canola can emerge early and start draining the soil of nutrients and moisture quickly. In no-till and lowtill fields, where shelled canola seeds from last year’s crop are near the soil surface, it can be a problem, ranking up there with other challenging weeds, if left unattended. So you want to control volunteer canola — as with all weeds — when it’s young, so your pre-burn herbicide application is particularly important. When you choose your herbicide chemistry, bear in mind which herbicide last year’s canola was tolerant to. If you grew a glyphosate-tolerant variety, you’ll need to tank-mix this year’s glyphosate with another active ingredient to control it.

One last recommendation: be sure any new high-efficiency spray equipment is well calibrated. Volunteer canola can be dime-sized when you spray, so make sure your coverage doesn’t miss them. Slower speed with a lower boom height is the key. † This agronomy tip is brought to you by Rob Klewchuk, technical lead, Western Canada for Syngenta Canada Inc.

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APRIL 1, 2013

Cover Stories Crop protection » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 1 6 6 6 D u b l i n Av e n u e , W i n n i p e g , MB R 3 H 0 H 1 w w w. g r a i n e w s . c a

the future of weed control

PUBLI SHER

Lynda Tityk

duces the compounds they need, Marrone says one of the first goals is to increase the source’s yield while lowering costs. “When you first launch the product, you’re going to have a higher cost of fermentation. And so over time, you’ll be improving the yields and getting the cost down. So our first initial entry point will be the organic market,” says Marrone. Over time, Marrone says they’ll be moving into the conventional market. Marrone Bio Innovations is developing several active ingredients that they plan to mix and match, similar to regular tank mixes. But that doesn’t mean traditional chemical herbicides will be obsolete. “Our active ingredients synergize. So they make the chemical pesticides better.” Marrone says Opportune controls glyphosate-resistant weeds. She sees Opportune as a way to spike chemicals, such as glyphosate, to make them more effective. Weeds aren’t likely to develop resistance to bioherbicides because they have complex modes of action, says Marrone. Resistance is possible, but still unlikely, with bioherbicides that rely on a single compound, she adds. “On the biological front, the success to date has been in highvalue crops and in insecticides and fungicides. And I think the next wave will be in the herbicide area because of the resistance development,” says Marrone. † Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa. Guenther@fbcpublishing.com.

Associate Publisher/ Editorial director

John Morriss

Edi tor

Leeann Minogue field Edi tor

Lisa Guenther Cattleman’s Corner Editor

Lee Hart Farml ife Edi tor

Sue Armstrong Machinery EDITOR

Scott Garvey Produ ction Dire ctor

Shawna Gibson Desi gner photos: marrone bio innovations

Control of Canada thistle at five weeks after the application of the bioherbicide Phoma macrostoma (on the left) compared to an untreated plot.

president

of Glacier Agricultural Information Group

Bob Willcox

H e ad O f f i c e 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 Phone: (204) 944-5568 Fax: (204) 944-5562 Adv ert isi ng Sa l es

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The bioherbicide Phoma macrostoma applied to turfgrass infested with clover (front metre square) compared to non bioherbicide (back metre square).

Weed control

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Farmers looking to reduce herbicide costs, control weeds in organic systems, or control herbicide-resistant broadleaves may find a new solution in an old technology the two-leaf stage. The rotary hoe works well in corn up to the four-leaf stage. When farmers are making a second pass, Dalhousie University suggests travelling in the opposite direction of the first pass. Steve Shirtliffe, a University of Saskatchewan professor, says that a second pass with the rotary hoe is often needed to control broadleaves. “The key thing with rotary hoeing is timing. You have to be out there when the weeds are just emerging. This may only be a couple of days,” Shirtliffe says. The rotary hoe works best on weeds that are still in the white thread stage, as the roots aren’t able to anchor the weeds against the tines. Iowa State University suggests digging through trash to scout for newly emerged weeds. If the weeds are beyond the cotyledon stage, they are likely too far along for the rotary hoe to work well. Because the weeding window is so small, a rotary hoe needs to cover many acres quickly. The rotary hoe is designed for speed, between

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Rotary hoes

otary hoes aren’t seen much in Western Canada these days. The implement was once commonly used by soybean and corn farmers in the midwestern United States to control weeds and break up crusted soil. For the last seven or eight years, researchers with the University of Saskatchewan and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have been using rotary hoes to control broadleaf weeds. Eric Johnson, a weed biologist based at the Scott Research Farm, has been testing the implement on pea and lentil crops. He’s found that pulse crops can tolerate multiple passes with the rotary hoe at any crop stage. Rotary hoes have also been used successfully in cereal crops. Dalhousie University recommends using the rotary hoe before the crop emerges and at a later date. Farmers shouldn’t use a rotary hoe in cereals between crop emergence and at least

Lynda Tityk

Heather Anderson

hough Canadian farmers can’t pick up bioherbicides yet, they’re already using other biological products. Inoculants contain rhizobia, live bacteria that help plants take up nutrients such as phosphate and nitrate. Biological insecticides are also available. For example, Novozymes markets an insecticide that uses fungal spores to control insects in the greenhouse and nursery industries. †

By Lisa Guenther

MARKETING/ CIR CULATION Dire ctor Ci rc ulat ion manag er

Biologicals in Canada

Lisa Guenther

Steven Cote

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A rotary hoe demonstration at the Scott field research day last summer. eight to 25 kilometres per hour. Going fast doesn’t hurt weed control — in fact, going too slow renders it less effective. Field scale models of up to 60 feet are available. Shirtliffe says the rotary hoe also works best when soil conditions are dry, but not too hard. Hot and dry post-treatment conditions are also best. Farmers who practice no-till may be concerned about residue plugging the tines. But min till rotary hoes have two separate tines that prevent plugging. Crop residue remains on the soil surface after multiple passes. Shirtliffe has created a video demonstrating the rotary hoe. To see one in action, visit youtube.com and search “rotary hoe weed control.” † Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@fbcpublishing.com.

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The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Grainews and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Grainews and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Grainews and Farm Business Communications assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

APRIL 1, 2013

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Features WEED CONTROL

Managing herbicide resistance We can’t avoid or ignore herbicide resistance — learn how to manage it BY LISA GUENTHER

orty-three per cent of farmers think herbicide-resistant weeds have taken root on their farm, according to a recent Ipsos Reid poll carried out for BASF Canada. Ipsos Reid also reports that 47 per cent of surveyed farmers believe glyphosate alone isn’t effective for controlling weeds. “Glyphosate resistance is here in Canada. And it will continue to increase as time goes on. And the pace of that will depend on how we manage it,” says Clark Brenzil, provincial weed specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. Herbicide-resistant kochia has been grabbing headlines, but it’s not the only weed farmers need to keep an eye on. “We’re now hearing of resistance issues with other weeds, particularly wild mustard in the Yorkton, Rosetown, Moose Jaw areas. A lot of those are focused in the areas where we grow lots of lentils and lots of pulses. So that Group 2 component is very frequent in the rotation,” Brenzil says. Dr. Hugh Beckie’s research shows kochia, wild oats and green foxtail are most likely to develop herbicide resistance in the brown soil zone, says Eric Johnson, weed biologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Farmers in the Parkland region should watch for resistant wild oats, green foxtail, and cleavers. Glyphosate is a Group 9 herbicide, but resistance I also developing to other herbicide groups. Farmers shouldn’t count on Group 2 herbicides to control kochia, either, Brenzil says. “Once a weed is resistant to a chemical family, it will always be resistant to that chemical family. There’s no penalty to being resistant and there’s no going back,” Brenzil says.

“It’s difficult, then, for that plant to develop resistance to all three,” says Johnson. If weeds have developed resistance to a chemical, it shouldn’t be used in the mix. Farmers should rotate tank mixes year to year as well, if possible. When farmers are picking their herbicides, Brenzil suggests starting with the crop with the fewest options. “Pick your herbicide for that crop. Move on to the next most limiting crop, and keep the process going, trying not to repeat groups as you go along.”

HERBICIDE MANAGEMENT ONE PIECE OF RESISTANCE PUZZLE “You want your crop to be your best herbicide,” says Johnson.

Weeds grow best in crops that are similar to themselves, so adding diversity to the rotation keeps weeds from becoming entrenched. “If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, you’re increasing the probability of not only resistance, but you just give the weeds an advantage. So what you have to do is keep switching things up in your management,” says Johnson. Farmers should physically remove any weeds they think are resistant. Brenzil recommends working these pathes under. “Don’t wait to find out if you’re wrong because it expands so quickly out of that patch stage to the entire field, that you’ll have lost the race before you even get started.”

More weed seeds also promote resistance. A chaff catcher, which is an old technology, can help cut the seed bank. Australians can now use a machine, called a Harrington Seed Destructor, to grind seeds coming out the back of the combine. Brenzil says they’ve had to develop the machine because some areas in Australia have no other options. Swapping land with a livestock producer once in a while is also a strategy. “You’ll get the benefit of weed control. He’ll get the benefit of the increased phosphate on the land to improve the growth of his forages when he moves back to his land. And everybody wins,” says Brenzil. Tillage may become a useful tool in some situations, such as

Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa. Guenther@fbcpublishing.com.

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MANAGING HERBICIDE RESISTANCE Chem fallow is a major source of glyphosate-resistant weeds. Other areas that aren’t cropped, such as driveways, irrigation channels, and fence lines, are also potential reservoirs. “If you’re going to chem fallow, you better be tank-mixing the glyphosate with something else. Something very effective,” says Johnson. By pre-seed burn-off time, 60 per cent of the kochia has already emerged. “That early emergence emphasizes the need for early season weed control,” says Johnson. “Because we have some late emergence, we also maybe need some residual control, if possible, particularly in crops that aren’t that competitive, like lentils.” Rotating herbicide groups can also help slow resistance. Farmers need to make sure they rotate chemical groups rather than switching to chemicals within the same group. But even so, resistance can develop. “You’re still applying a fair amount of selection pressure when you’re just applying one (herbicide) at a time, even though you’re rotating it,” says Johnson. Tank mixes with two or three different active ingredients do a better job of delaying resistance.

chem fallow, Johnson says. “I don’t think we’re at a point yet with resistance where we have to do a lot of tillage, but it’s something that may have to be considered.” Farmers can evaluate their own risk for developing glyphosate resistance by visiting weedtool. com. The website, developed by Monsanto, has farmers answer 10 field-related questions before spitting out a risk rating. Above all, farmers need to keep in mind that herbicide resistance is here to stay. “As long herbicides are used for weed control, you will have herbicide resistance continuing to develop,” says Brenzil. †

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APRIL 1, 2013

Features CROP PROTECTION

A guide to cereal herbicides Herbicides are still the best way to control weeds, but adding integrated weed management practices can give you an edge BY REBECA KUROPATWA

here are a wide range of herbicides that can for control weeds in cereals. However, most agronomists agree that, in the long run, herbicides alone are not a silver bullet. Ultimately, a proper integrated weed management (IWM) program is key. IWM is a farming system that incorporates various inter-dependent cultural, biological and chemical weed control practices. “IWM involves an array of tools including the rotation of available herbicide groups, ensuring that weeds are exposed to a diverse range of control mechanisms,” says Nasir Shaikh, a provincial weed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Initiatives’ (MAFRI’s) Crops Knowledge Centre. “The principal aim of IWM is to improve the health and vigour of crops so they may out-compete weeds emerging in the stand, ... helping reduce selection for resistance to any single control agent and to delay or prevent the development of herbicide resistant weeds.” Shaikh was quick to point out that, “Practicing IWM doesn’t mean abandoning chemical weed control, just relying on it less exclusively.”

trol specialist. “The desired method is varied, as are cereal crop producers, and will depend on what weeds are predominant in the field.” Brenzil did a quick comparison of cereal herbicides listed in 2003 verses those in 2013. Ten years ago there were 72 branded herbicides. “Today, we have 152, but the number of herbicide compounds (active ingredients) in those products has only increased from 30 to 31 with four ingredients being lost and five being gained,” says Brenzil. “Of all the new herbicides introduced over the last 10 years, only one new ingredient has emerged with a unique mode of action (her-

bicide group) from the previous 30 ingredients in 2003, bringing the number of herbicide resistance

rotate modes of action (herbicide groups) over time. Brenzil sees this increase in the number of branded

“When you place all of your weed control eggs in the herbicide basket, there’s no net” — Clark Brenzil

groups for use in cereals to nine.” It is important for farmers to know which herbicide group they’re applying, so they can

products as the biggest challenge for farmers, due to the overwhelming amount of available choices. “Part of the increase is as a result

Confidence, right from the start. Axial® provides superior control of even the toughest grass weeds in spring wheat and barley – the kind of reliability you can build an operation around. And that’s why Axial is the #1 graminicide in Western Canada.

TIPS FOR IWM Shaikh says there are a variety of ways to move your farm to an IWM system. These are some of the tips Shaikh offers to help give your crops a competitive edge. 1. Vigorous, high quality seed, sown shallow, provides better competition for weeds than poor quality seed or deeply-seeded crops. 2. Early seeded crops (like barley) can get a jump on the weeds, allowing farmers to avoid herbicide applications. 3. Banding nitrogen near the seed can give your crop an advantage over weeds. 4. Adding a short-term forage crop to crop rotations, like shortterm alfalfa stands, can reduce wild oat and green foxtail populations by up to 80 per cent during the year after breaking.

BEST HERBICIDES Clark Brenzil is Saskatchewan Agriculture’s provincial weed conBY DAN PIRARO

Bizarro

Visit SyngentaFarm.ca or contact our Customer Resource Centre at 1-87-SYNGENTA (1-877-964-3682). Always read and follow label directions. Axial ®, the Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. © 2013 Syngenta.

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of the development of convenience packaging or co-packs of tank mix combinations (Product A + Product B placed in a box and called Product C), and the rest of the increase is a result of the entry of generic products to the market. “Generic products have put downward price pressure on many herbicides, but also add to the number of trade names out there.” One suggestion Brenzil has for farmers is “to become familiar with the active ingredients in their herbicides (and other pesticides for that matter), bringing the number of things there are to worry about for weed control in wheat from 152 to 31.” (That is,

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Features rather than focusing on the 152 branded products, pay attention to the 31 active ingredients.) “Learn what each ingredient brings to the control equation, and select a set of active ingredients that will meet weed control requirements, then select brands based on those active ingredients (on price point or by how they fit into your bundling deals).”

Managing weed resistance

Clark Brenzil

Nasir Shaikh

To manage resistance, Brenzil says the first step is to “select herbicide options starting with the crop in their rotation with the fewest herbicide group options available first.” For many farmers, this would be pulse crops. Then, progress through your rotation and select herbicides for the rest of your crops. Start with the crops that have the least options. As Brenzil says, “All the while trying to prevent duplication of a herbicide group used with one of the previous crops.”

Crops that often provide the most choice are wheat and barley. “With little option but to duplicate because of their weed spectrum, tank mixing is a way to prevent resistance from gaining a foothold,” says Brenzil. “Another thing for producers to keep in mind is whether the herbicides they select have a risk of residues carrying over into the following year, injuring sensitive crops. Producers may have to juggle their rotation a bit to make all the pieces fit.”

Using herbicides Brenzil sees herbicides as safe when used as intended, and says they work well relative to other management options. “The introduction of 2,4-D about 70 years ago was a great revelation for farmers who had major problems with weeds like wild mustard.” Still, he noted that farmers may tend to rely too heavily on herbicides, “depending on them to carry the whole weed management load and assume they’re always going to work perfectly in all situations. But when you place all of your weed control eggs in the herbicide basket, there’s no net should there be a failure for any reason.” Although there are many alternatives to herbicides, no single alternative measure on its own will be as effective as herbicides, says Brenzil. “ “The term ‘IWM’ is the combining of various methods for weed management, both cultural and chemical, to achieve the most robust and cost effective weed controls. Several weed scientists describe this as the use of ‘many little hammers.’” These “little hammers” include agronomic factors, like the four tips listed earlier in this article, and anything else farmers can do to increase crop competitiveness. “Most of these the producer controls already and really only has to tweak them a bit to optimize them for weed suppression,” JOB said Brenzil. ID: “Integrate all these 5353-L with your herbicides and maybe you DATE: won’t need to buy the premium MAR 18, APR 1 herbicide for a particular weed.” CLIENT: information about For more CANADA availableSYNGENTA herbicides, including modes ofPROJECT: action for each one, there AXIAL BRAND ADGuides” 2013 are “Crop Protection available for farmers in Saskatchewan, PUBLICATION: Manitoba and Alberta (Blue Book). GRAINEWS These books are published by the DESIGNER: provincial governments in each CB province and are available in print and on-line in government offices ( ) MECHANICAL ( ) PDF/X and on provincial web sites. † FINAL SIZE: 17.4” X 10”

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a professional writer in UCR: 280% Winnipeg, Man. CLIENT SERVICE

By Dan Piraro

PROOFREADING

Bizarro ART DIRECTION PRODUCTION

13-02-20 1:50 PM

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APRIL 1, 2013

Features New Crops

Fababean first timer An Alberta seed grower explains the research that goes into choosing to grow a new crop on her farm By Sarah Weigum

ome people have a natural proclivity to soak up and process new information. For me, however, an onslaught of new information is more like a heavy Alberta rain on a dry ground — a lot more runs off than is absorbed. This was the case when I heard Bentley-area producer Harvey Brink talk about growing fababeans at my local Alberta Pulse Growers’ meeting last November. Brink gave a detailed report on the agronomics and marketing of the crop, but I mostly heard “long season” and “developing market. “ I left the meeting not much more inclined to grow fababeans than when I had arrived.

Growing interest A few weeks later a seed customer asked me if we had any fababean seed. As a seed grower, I take note when farmers ask about crops or varieties that we don’t grow on our farm near Three Hills, Alta. Just before Christmas I called a fellow seed grower looking for stock seed of a new barley variety and the conversation drifted to the topic of fababeans. Now he had my attention. I filled a page with notes about seeding date and depth, variety options, chemical treatments, harvestability, and marketing potential. I learned that there are hightannin varieties which are favoured for their taste and green colour by international buyers who import fababeans for human consumption, but cannot be consumed by animals because the tannins inhibit digestion. Low or no-tannin varieties can be digested by animals and with their high-protein content make a great additive to feed rations, but they command a lower price in the market. My next call was to Chris Chivilo, CEO of Parkland Alberta Commodities (PAC). He buys and processes fababeans in central Alberta, selling them into both the feed and human consumption market. “We’ve shipped about 12 to 15 cars to Egypt the last three years. Next year if grades come off normal we expect to ship around 50 cars,” Chivilo told me. So far all his human-grade fababeans have been sold to one buyer in Egypt, but he now has three buyers in that country looking for steady supply. The last three years PAC also sold about 1,000 tonne of fabas into the feed market and he expect this number to increase as well. Chivilo encouraged me to grow Snowbird, an early season, low-tannin variety of fabas. He sells this variety into the human market as well as the feed market, even though Middle Eastern consumers typically prefer the high-tannin variety.

“Our fababeans are not as good of quality as Australia, but there’s been a shortage in the market so we’ve been able to capitalize on that,” explained Chivilo. PAC cleans and colour sorts the fababeans, sending the top-grading ones overseas and any that are discoloured by lygus bug bites or have other downgrading factors into the feed market. As seed growers, my dad and I do not plan to sell our production into the commodity market, but we have to think about our customers’ potential to market their crop and our own potential to sell the screenings when we clean the seed. Most of the time we realize some value from the screenings by selling them as feed, but high-tannin fababean screenings would seem to have little worth in the current market. After talking to our agronomist and doing some more research online, my dad and I decided to book 55 acres worth of registered Snowbird fababean seed.

photos: mark olson, alberta agriculture and rural development

This summer, Sarah Weigum and her father will seed fababeans for the first time.

Four reasons to think about fababeans If we harvest an average yield of 50 bushels per acre we will have enough certified seed to cover a section. Will we be able to convince four customers to grow a quarter section or six or seven to put in 100 acres each? I don’t have an answer to that question, but there are a few good reasons for our neighbours to think about it.

Time To pour on

1. The nitrogen advantage. Fababeans, like other legumes, fix their own nitrogen and leave residual nitrogen in the soil. This means savings both when you plant the crop and when you plant next year’s crop. Other fababean growers have suggested that fababeans leave 30 to 50 per cent more nitrogen in the soil than field peas. The small field where we will grow our fababeans has been treated as part of an adjoining 110

the profit.

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acres for several growing season. We are putting peas on the larger part this spring, so I am looking forward to seeing some soil testing results after harvest 2013 to see how much more nitrogen is available to next year’s crop. In 2014 we will likely go back to treating the two fields as one, so we will be able to measure any yield difference between the two pieces. 2. Harvestability. Many of our neighbours grow peas, and lots of

APRIL 1, 2013

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Features

Some buyers are eager to move fababeans, but this is still a new market, so demand is uncertain.

Compared to peas, fababeans have a thicker stalk. The pods start several inches off the ground. them are frustrated with scraping them off the ground at harvest time and putting rocks through their feeder house. Fababeans have a thicker stalk as opposed to a vine and the pods start several inches off the ground. Even though fababeans are a long-season crop (130 days to maturity), experienced fababean growers tell me they will stay standing even if we get an early snow. Hopefully this encourages farmers who have stayed away from peas and instead pushed their canola and cereal rotations to try a pulse crop for a change. At a production meeting in Lethbridge this February, I learned from Greg Stamp of Stamp’s Select Seed that swathing or combining the fababeans when the plant is a bit tough (from rain, dew or irriga-

tion) is not only possible, but actually a good idea, as it helps prevent shelling. Harvey Brink also touched on this topic in his November presentation, explaining that as long as the beans are dry (16 per cent moisture is dry for fabas), they will harvest just fine even if the stalks and pods are a little chewy. 3. They can handle the moisture. Stamps grow fababeans under irrigation at Enchant, Alta., and Brinks have the added moisture that comes from farming west of Highway 2. At Three Hills we have neither, but we do have a heavy gumbo soil, and it seems that when we have periods of excess moisture our peas suffer. They turn yellow and do not recover even after the wet spots have dried out. These weakened vines contribute to some

of the harvest issues growers face. It seems that fababeans will handle the short-term flooding that sometimes occurs. While a dryer year could mean disappointing yields for some fababean growers in our area, the trade-off may be worth it. 4. Spread out the work load. This may be a strength or a weakness of fababeans, depending on the year. Fababeans are not a brand new crop to Alberta. I’ve talked to other farmers who tried growing them 15 or 20 years ago, but stopped because — among other reasons — they took too long to mature. New genetics have produced varieties like Snowbird with an early maturity rating, which should fit with the growing season in most of the Prairies. Fababeans should be the first

thing farmers plant. They can go into cold ground — anywhere between the beginning of April and the beginning of May depending on where you farm — so make sure they are treated to prevent seed and seedling disease. They’ll probably be the last crop harvested, but as mentioned above, you don’t have to worry about them falling over while harvesting your other crops.

More questions We still have a few fababean production questions to answer on our farm. 1. How will the seed flow through our drill? Fababeans are bigger than peas. The low-tannin varieties are about 270 grams per thousand kernels; the largest

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high-tannin varieties are up to 680 grams per thousand kernels (yellow peas average 210 grams per thousand kernels). Most drills should be able to handle the smaller varieties, but we have a paired row opener which is narrower than most openers. We have a freezer bag worth of seed to experiment with. We’ll see if they can pass through without plugging. 2. Will there be a market for us and our customers? While PAC and SaskCan Pulses are both eager to move fababeans, this is still a new market. Some buyers — China, for example — won’t be interested in buying unless there is a steady supply availabe. Some risk-taking farmers will have to get started, to help transform the chicken and egg paradox. 3. Will they work on our farm? In my research I’ve talked to successful fababean producers from Enchant to Westlock, Alta., and places in between, but it still remains to be seen if they can grow well in our particular microclimate. 4. What chemistry will we use? While most of the seed treatments, herbicides and fungicides that we use on peas are also registered for fababeans, we still need to decide which inoculant to put with our seed. There are peatbased products registered specifically for fababeans, but I’ve also talked to growers who use the same granular product as they put down with their peas. Will we need to use a desiccant at the end of the growing season to produce uniform maturity in a timely fashion? Southern Alberta farmers don’t usually apply one, but the grower I talked to in Westlock says desiccant is a must for fababeans. Since we’re somewhere in the middle geographically, it will probably depend on the type of growing season we have. It’s exciting and challenging to learn about all the aspects of producing a new crop. For other growers considering fababeans, I encourage you to do some research and speak with some of the people mentioned in this article. Our fellow farmers are a great resource, as are local agronomists. If you’re in the Three Hills area this summer you will see our fababean field along Highway 21. I am looking forward to riding this learning curve and updating Grainews as we go. Editor’s note: Sarah has agreed to update us on her fababean experiment during the growing season, and then again after harvest. Good luck, Sarah! †

3/11/13 7:04 AM

Sarah Weigum grows pedigreed seed and writes in Three Hills, Alta. Follow her on Twitter: @sweigum.

/ grainews.ca

APRIL 1, 2013

Features APP QUEST

Dow Field Guide 2013 Jay Peterson reviews an app that lets you carry an entire product guide to the field with you JAY PETERSON

ith the popularity of handheld technologies and especially the influx of Apple products, companies are starting to realize the benefits of having their product guides in digital form so farmers can carry them around with them at all times. Apps like this give farmers the benefit of easy access to a lot of information. They also give corporations a way to update their guides at any point throughout the year to reflect changes in to products and contact information. The first app of this type of app that I’ve looked at is the Dow Field guide for the 2013 growing season.

tion. It provides data on different rates, potential tank mixing partners, rain fastness, application timing, performance optimization and crop rotation concerns. This is a great resource for infield use. 3. and 4. The “grass production” and “insect and disease” tabs include similar information. 5. The “grower offers” tab is basically two links. One links to the dividend and bulk up sell sheets and one links to the dividend calculator on the Dow website. 6. The “contact information” tab is very useful. I really like the people finder. You can click your way to find your nearest Dow chemical representative. With this

app, Dow can keep its representative list up to date so you always have the right information and don’t’ have to waste time trying to track down a new rep.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS The last thing I would like to mention is the “terms and conditions” section of this app. I have had a few questions from Grainews readers regarding apps and how the information they provide applies to the end user. I feel the Dow app says it most clearly in this section. All apps have these sorts of terms and conditions attached to them. Sadly, for the most part, most

people do not read these sections of apps or any software anymore. I still try to read most of them — especially the headings I feel could pertain to me. Generally, in this case the terms and condition section states that the information published in the app is provided in good faith and is not a substitute for field walking and advice from qualified persons. If choose to rely on the information in the app, you are responsible for the results. It is also the end user’s responsibility to make sure the application is updated properly so you’ll have the most up to date information. My advice? No matter how

good the information is, the first time you use it, double check the information you find on the app with the information on the label. In today’s world things change rapidly from year to year. It’s always important to make sure you are using the correct information. There are no simple answers out there so always use due diligence and make sure you have the right information before you start. This is a great little app with a ton of information that can make your field scouting and chemical selection decisions a little easier. Price: free Jay Peterson farms near Frontier, Sask.

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THE DOW APP The Dow app was made for iPhone but can be used on an iPad as well. It is a very simple app that allows you to access all the information you need on Dow products. There are six sections to this app: canola, weed control, grass production, insects and disease, grower offers and contacts.

Always use due diligence 1. The “canola” tab is simply a tab that explains the canola Dow sells and its advantages. 2. Next is the “weed control” tab, designed to help you with your chemical selection. When you select a chemical you are interested in you can look at in-depth information about what it can do for you: why to use it, weeds controlled or supressed and application guidelines. Within the “weeds controlled or suppressed” section, for the more common weeds, Dow has provided links to pictures of some of the more common weeds in different growing stages. This should be helpful for crop scouting and making chemical decisions on the go. This app includes great information about chemical applicaBY DAN PIRARO

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THEY’LL

NEVER

KNOW W

HIT THEM BayerCropScience.ca/Velocitym3 or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

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grainews.ca /

Features Crop production

Optimal row spacing can give your crop an edge Narrower row spacing will give your plants more room to grow and thrive By Jim Boak

s more farmers are encouraged to try corn planters for a wider variety of crops, there’s growing discussion of optimal row spacings. As equipment continues to improve, the mechanical and residue limitations that once drove us to wider row spacing are also changing. We are now able to use more of our soil’s potential and capture more of the resources that plants need to grow.

more room to grow Narrower rows actually allow each plant more space within its row. This allows crops to take advantage of the extra space by capturing more light, moisture and nutrients, with less competition from their neighbours. For canola, the Canola Council of Canada recommends seven plants per square foot — roughly 300,000 plants per acre (PPA). If you grew 300,000 plants in 30-inch rows this results in a plant every threequarters of an inch. Traditional

30-inch planter spacing makes high rate crops crowded within the row and leaves large areas of soil exposed to the sun and rain until the crop canopies. The same 300,00 PPA in 20-inch rows leaves one inch between plants; 15-inch rows leave 1.4 inches; 10-inch rows leave 2.1 inches; and 7-1/2-inch rows leave 2.8 inches between plants. You would have to grow 18 plants per square foot in 7-1/2-inch rows for canola to be as crowded as it would be in 20-inch rows at seven plants per square foot.

Narrow rows also create more plant population possibilities and may allow farmers to push their seeding rates and yields a little higher in some crops, due to less crowding within the increased number of rows. Narrow rows may also help reduce PPA while maintaining yields, as each plant may be able to produce more with the reduced overcrowding.

ensure rapid canopy Narrower rows ensure that a crop canopies faster by capturing

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Equipment manufacturers are offering more options to help farmers maximize soil productivity and use a greater percentage of the seedbed. Fertilizer can now be delivered and applied more efficiently using banding equipment that delivers fertilizer while managing residue. These fertilizer coulters can be mounted on the same frame as the double disc opener for one-pass planting operations. Surface tillage equipment, such as vertical tillage tools, has been introduced to accelerate the decomposition of high levels of residue associated with new crop genetics and increased plant populations. Surface tillage equipment allows farmers to manage their residue without disturbing the overall soil structure, and still improve the performance of narrow row planting equipment. Double disc drill row units are now of the same design and durability as a no-till corn planter row unit. These double disc units are able to accurately place seed while cutting cleanly through heavy residue. New options for planter row spacing, including twin row planter technologies, are designed to work with current harvesting equipment and still utilize a higher percentage of the seedbed than traditional planters. As farmers seek out new seeding technology they should be asking what equipment will support their crop rotations with row widths that let crops harvest the most heat, light, moisture and nutrients to maximize yield per acre, while giving their crop the competitive edge to outperform weeds and disease. † B:10”

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as much sunlight as possible, giving the crop a competitive edge over weeds. Shading a high percentage of the soil surface also helps to insulate and manage the temperature of the soil. Roots are very much like us. They don’t like it too cold and they don’t like it too hot — 65 to 75 F is optimal. A tight canopy created by narrow row spacing protects plants from the heat of the sun and also protects the soil from rapid cooling. This insulating canopy helps preserve more moisture by preventing rapid evaporation. Evaporation is more likely to be caught by the underside of that plant leaf. With a full canopy, rain drops aren’t able to hit the soil directly but must bounce off a leaf surface first, reducing the impact of the drop on the soil. That slowing action protects the soil from erosion and reduces the possibility of soil borne diseases splashing on to the underside of the plant leaf.

Jim Boak is national sales manager for Salford Farm Machinery. He can be reached at jim@salfordmachine.com.

/ grainews.ca

APRIL 1, 2013

Features Crop Production

What malt buyers want If you’re targeting the malt market, find out what your buyers want and what they’re planning to do with it By Lindsay Griffith

t malting companies like Rahr Malting, all of their contract with barley growers require barley samples to be prequalified as malting quality. With certain contracts, storage payments will be provided if they don’t take the barley immediately, though the amount of time the farmer holds the grain is negotiable. It is rare that farmers would have their barley rejected as malting quality after storage, the most prominent reason for this being improper storage leading to poor germination rates. Farmers selling barley are most likely to get malt quality if their grain meets the standards set by the Brewing and Malting Barley

Barley breeding

hough AC Metcalfe and CDC Copeland have the most established markets, some newer varieties, such as CDC Meredith, have a limited but increasing share of the market. The newer varieties are promising because they tend to see better disease resistance, higher yield, and better malting quality characteristics. Beattie acknowledges that while yield is the main driver of agronomic factors, breeders are also working on increasing lodging tolerance, shatter resistance, maintaining maturity within a reasonable time frame, and introducing tolerance or resistance to diseases like fusarium head blight, net blotch, spot blotch, and smut. If possible, breeders select against preharvest sprouting as well. From a quality perspective, breeders are focussing on characteristics desired by maltsters and brewers: high grain test weight, high kernel plumpness, low protein content, low beta-glucan content, high free amino nitrogen content, high malt extract, and a range of low to high enzyme activity. Enzyme activity is important in breaking down starch to produce sugars, which in turn provide a food source for the yeast during alcohol production. Free amino nitrogen is also involved in the production of alcohol by yeast. Extract is a measure of the malt needed to produce the alcohol, beer. Beta-glucan slows down the brewing process and can cause cloudiness in beer. The protein content impacts the quality of the end product in terms of the foam stability, mouth feel, and cloudiness of beer. †

Lindsay Griffith.

Research Institute (BMBRI) as available on its website (bmbri.ca): • pure seed lot; • at least 95 per cent germination; • no of pre-harvest sprouting; • moisture content up to, but preferably less than, 13.5 per cent; • protein content of 11 to 12-1/2 per cent on a dry basis; • uniform, plump kernels; • fully mature; • not weathered or stained; • less than five per cent peeled or broken kernels; and, • free of disease, toxins, chemical residues, frost or heat damage, insects, treated seed, admixtures, and odour.

is undesirable as it has reduced germination rates in excessive moisture conditions. Other characteristics, such as protein content, relate to the amount of finished malt that is delivered to the brewer and the quality of the malt extract, or

wort, created from it; too much protein could potentially lead to cloudy beer. Characteristics like moisture content, however, relate just as much to economics as they do to ease of malting or quality of the end product. Dry grain means that the proc-

essor, who is purchasing the grain by weight, is not paying for water. At the same time, less moisture means better storability and a uniform moisture level in the barley. Maltsters, according to Joy, are looking for “good quality malting barley that has good agronomy, good disease resistance, and thirdly good malt quality.” However, Joy says that “new varieties are of interest because we want to keep the producers interested in growing barley.” † Lindsay Griffith is a U. of Sask. M.Sc. crop science student, freelance writer, and farmer at Bangor, Sask. She can be reached at miss. lindsay.griffith@gmail.com.

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The malting process As Dr. Richard Joy, vice president of operations and technical director for Rahr Malting Canada, Ltd., says, “Malting is probably the only process that [needs] to have 100 per cent live seeds, therefore… it’s extremely important that [the barley] has as close to 100 per cent germination as possible.” The malting process has four general steps: cleaning, steeping, germination and kilning. Steeping involves soaking the barley kernels to increase the moisture content to a uniform level. This step, which takes approximately two days, involves wet periods where the barley is under water, but with continuous aeration, and dry periods called air rests (where the barley is not immersed under water), but with aeration to maintain oxygen levels in the grain environment. The kernels, now referred to as green malt, are then transferred to a germination vessel and germinated for four days. Growth is stopped with the final step, kilning, where the green malt is gently dried down. After analysis, cleaning, binning, and blending, it is sent to the brewer. Some of the characteristics desired in barley, such as kernel plumpness, relate directly to the controlled germination process. Plumpness and uniformity of the kernels means that they will take up water at roughly the same rate. Grain with high water sensitivity

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Six row malting barley

hile six row malting barley was popular in the past, it has fallen

out of favour. “It used to be the exclusive malting barley type,” says Dr. Aaron Beattie, assistant professor and barley and oat breeder at the University of Saskatchewan. In addition to tradition, reasons for this include that some brewers felt it imparted a certain flavour on the beer and that breeders were not focussing on breeding two row barley to the same extent as

six row, meaning that two row barley varieties were less desirable for malt. The largest initial difference between the two barley types was the amount of enzyme activity present to break down the starch in the kernels. However, over the years, breeders have improved the malting quality characteristics, called the malting profile, of two row varieties and therefore these varieties are now the most common. The biology of the plant in terms of the head shape of two

quently, six row barley acres in Canada have dropped below 10 per cent of the totalSBC13019.Varro.8 barley 3-19-2013 5:41 PM acres grown. CALMCL-DMX8127 Cyan, still Magenta, Yellow, Even so, six row varieties Marsha Walters row versus six row barley differs. have a good agronomic fit in ORIGINALLY GENERATED: Marianne 100% The kernels of two row barley tend a lot None of areasSPECof the Prairies. 12.9167” x 8” to be more uniform than that of Traditionally, they have SAFETY: been None TRIM: 12.916 Helvetica Neue LT Std (75 Bo six row barley. Uniformity of ker- shorter and stronger plants, nels is important in the malting meaning that there was less process, so two row varieties have chance of lodging. In the black a greater advantage. soil zone or in areas that are a bit According to Beattie, “six wetter, “six rows tend to perform row barley is a barley type that a little bit better,” says Beattie. is unique to North America,” Farmers might want to grow six and it currently has no use row varieties for this reason, but outside of North America. “these days it would be very hard Within North America, only to sell a six row malting barley one major brewing compa- for malting purposes.” † ny is still looking to use six row malting varieties; conse- Lindsay Griffith.

12.9167”

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Features CROP PRODUCTION

Eight steps to growing malt barley While not all barley growers are aiming their product at the malt market, if you are, here are some agronomic tips to help you make the grade BY LINDSAY GRIFFITH

or many farmers, barley is a good crop choice to include in their rotation, but the standards for malting quality are understandably high. Dr. John O’Donovan, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)

25 per cent of the acres, and a few other varieties occupy the remaining five to eight per cent.

2. SEED LOT The barley seed itself should come from a pure lot, typically certified seed. Some preliminary

3. SEEDING TIMING Because barley tends to mature earlier than canola or wheat, most farmers seed it later. However, O’Donovan observed that earlier seeded barley tended to produce better yield and quality characteristics. “The protein was

achieved this by planting 300 seeds per square metre. Assuming that only about 70 per cent of the seed put in the ground germinates, this means farmers must seed approximately 100 to 120 pounds per acre to achieve a similar density, depending on factors like row spacing, drill type, and variety. Too high a seeding rate can see a reduction in yield and a reduction of net return; too low a seeding rate means barley yield and quality will not be optimized and farmers’ net return will again be reduced. Crop and kernel uniformity and disease levels are quality characteristics impacted by plant density.

5. FIELD CHOICE Field choice can also impact uniformity — level land typically means more even maturity. The previous crop grown on the field has a major impact on disease. Barley grown on barley stubble poses the greatest disease problems, and productivity and kernel characteristics decline significantly compared to barley grown on canola or field pea stubble. Malting barley is not often grown after a pulse crop in rota-

research scientist, notes that “only studies conducted in Alberta by Dr. about 20 to 25 per cent of the bar- T. Kelly Turkington, AAFC research ley in Western Canada is accepted scientist, in conjunction with Rahr SBC13019.Varro.8.4C_REV1 for malting every year.” Malting Canada, Ltd., in Alberta rro.8.4C_REV1.indd Grainews Farmers can increase their likeli- suggest that, when examining the Insertion Date: April 1, 2013 ellow, Black hood of getting malting quality barproductivity and malting quality ley by focussing on a few key things. BayerofCropScience the seed, there are “very little PAGE: 1 if any BCS13026 differences between certiM: 12.9167” x 8” Bleed: None fied seed and seed that is one 1. VARIETY CHOICE d (75 Bold, 55 Roman; OpenType) year — and I emphasize that, one According to Dr. Aaron Beattie, year—away from certified” where assistant professor and barley and the non-certified seed in question Production Contact Numbers: 403 261 7161 403 261 7152 oat breeder at the University of has been accepted as malting qualSaskatchewan, two row malting ity and was obtained from Rahr barley acres account for roughly Malting barley growers. 50 per cent of the total barley acres If seed is more than one year grown in Western Canada. away from certified seed, there can AC Metcalfe is the most com- be dramatic differences in the seed monly grown malting barley vari- that can lead to significant probety, having about 50 to 60 per lems, including lower germination cent of the two row malting barley rates, lower quality characteristics, acres. The second most popular, and a potential mixture of varieCDC Copeland, has about 20 to ties or crop types.

C-76-03/13-BCS13026-E

always higher when we delayed seeding,” he says about his trials, and in all but the Peace River region, yield was higher with earlier seeding. Early seeding also means that the crop may have matured early enough to avoid frost damage or other weather-related harvest difficulties that can occur. Furthermore, desiccant use is not allowed on malting barley, so farmers with later crops must wait for the barley to dry down or, if possible, finish drying it in storage, which would come at an added cost.

4. SEEDING RATES The ideal plant density is about 200 to 240 barley plants per square metre. O’Donovan

7. NITROGEN Nitrogen is “great for increasing yield,” says O’Donovan, “but it can have a negative impact on malting barley quality” because protein tends to increase as nitrogen increases. In addition, nitrogen is linked to other malting quality traits like friability, beta-glucan content, and amount of malt extract, always having an unwanted effect. O’Donovan recommends that barley growers apply nitrogen at about 70 per cent of the soil test recommendation. Applying at higher rates becomes uneconomical and tends to drive down net returns.

8. HARVESTING Come harvest time, farmers must make the decision to either swath or straight cut their crop, a

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tected, and the fungicide degrades over time. Spraying at the flag leaf stage will provide the most effective control of disease in the upper plant canopy at a time when the plant is trying to fill the head, which in turn leads to the plump, uniform kernels desired by maltsters.

Earlier seeded barley tended to produce better yield and quality characteristics tion because of concerns of higher nitrogen levels in the soil leading to a higher protein content in barley grain at harvest time. However, Turkington observed in his trials that “the protein content [in barley grain] after field peas was not significantly higher than after canola,” although he admits there was an indication of an upwards trend, and that the barley grown on field pea stubble yielded higher than barley grown on canola stubble. If farmers are careful and fine tune their nitrogen program, they could capitalize on the rotational benefit of planting malting barley after peas. Crop rotation is greatly beneficial when it comes to management of disease and weeds. “A single year between cereal crops is simply not enough to see a huge benefit for crop rotation,” says Turkington. There is simply not enough time for crop residue to decompose. However, even with multiple years between cereal crops, farmers cannot assume that they have managed their disease problem. Some crop residue will remain in the field, acting as an important source of disease, and there is always the possibility of seed borne infections.

6. FUNGICIDE While spraying fungicide at along with herbicide to reduce a pass over the field is convenient, “it has very little direct impact in terms of protecting upper canopy leaves,” notes Turkington. This is because leaves that emerge after the application are not pro-

decision often influenced by the weather and how well the harvest is going in a particular year. “It comes down to… how mature the crop is,” says Beattie. Straight cutting is generally preferred if farmers can get away with it, but without the use of desiccants, many farmers are forced to dry down their crop by swathing. Turkington points out that, under wet conditions, there is a greater chance of microorganisms to grow on the dead plant tissue of a swathed crop because of the close proximity of the plants and the reduction in air movement through those plants. The presence of certain microorganisms impacts the malting and brewing quality of barley, sometimes leading to it being unacceptable for malting.

9. STORAGE Malting barley, according to the Grain Grading Guide, is considered dry at a moisture content of 13-1/2 per cent or less. However, a moisture content of 14.8 per cent or less is considered dry and safe for the storage of feed barley. If the barley is stored under good conditions, there is little difference. Ideal storage conditions include dry, clean bins where measures have been taken to prevent infestation and to make it rodent proof. These conditions can be maintained by both natural aeration or frequently turning the grain in the bin. † Lindsay Griffith is a U. of Sask. M.Sc. crop science student, freelance writer, and farmer at Bangor, Sask. She can be reached at miss. lindsay.griffith@gmail.com.

/ grainews.ca

APRIL 1, 2013

Features CROP MANAGEMENT

Seven cool items for your scouting kit At CanoLAB 3D, Jack Braun demonstrated some items that farmers will find handy in the field this summer BY LEEANN MINOGUE

1. SQUARE MEASURE

he Canola Council of Canada held one of its annual CanoLAB 3D workshops in Brandon, Man. on February 28. These workshops give farmers a chance to take a hands-on look at bugs, new seeding equipment, and canola diseases and deficiencies. There were several speakers on hand. One was Jack Braun, an instructor at the Assiniboine Community College at Brandon. Braun gave a hands-on demonstration of some handy tools you might want to add to your summer field scouting kit.

You can weld your own square measure. Braun recommends making one that measures one-tenth of a square metre. That way, you can count what you’re looking for and multiply it by 10 to get a simple “per square metre” count. This tool could be especially useful for counting flea beetles.

2. THREE-SIDED MEASURE Again, you can make one otf these at home. It has three sides so you can easily slide it into a plant stand. This can be useful for counting diamondback moth larvae.

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3. A BIGGER THREE-SIDED MEASURE Braun suggested making yourself a bigger one as well. Since a metre squared is such a large area to count, it would be helpful to make one that measures a quarter metre squared. Just count what you’re looking for in the area, and multiply by four. This larger size could be useful for counting bertha army worms.

4. A COUNTER It could be really useful to have a clicker you can hold in one hand. That way you can count bugs or weeds with the click of a button, rather than trying to keep track of numbers in your head.

5. SOIL SIEVE These come in different screen sizes for different soil types. If you have sandy soil, you’ll need a smaller screen than someone with heavy clay. Braun told farmers to remember that cutworms will go deeper if it’s dryer.

6. ASPIRATOR As aspirator is basically a vial with a straw. Use it to trap fast

moving insects by holding one end of a tube or straw near the bug, then breathing in to suck the bug into the vial. Once you have the bug in the vial, you can take it home for full identification, or send it on to a lab for analysis.

You can weld your own square measure You can buy an aspirator from a hobby or specialty store. Or, you can make your own. I found directions online at www.evergreen. ca (search for aspirator to get to the “suck-a-bug” page.) Just don’t forget the filter, unless you want a mouthful of bug.

7. SWEEP NET A standard sweep net has a diameter of about 15 inches. Braun recommended holding it like a hockey stick, as if you were about to take a power shot. Sweep the net in front of you, 180 degrees. Then step forward, and sweep the net 180 degrees back.

This can be useful for counting lygus bugs.

AND SOME OTHER THINGS The Canola Council of Canada has a long list of additional items to include in a complete scouting kit. Find the full article at www.canolawatch.ca (search for “field diagnostics checklist”). • Magnifying glass • Clippers • Hand trowel • Seed depth finder • Containers (paper bags, plastic ziplock bags, and old pill containers) • Sharpie markers (to label the containers) • Flags (to mark problem areas of the field) • Disposable booties (to prevent the spread of noxious weeds or diseases like clubroot from field to field) • Spray bottle of sterilizer (to sterilize your boots or equipment between fields) • Notebook and pen • Smart phone or iPad (so you can take photos, use field scouting apps, or access agronomic information) You may need a bigger truck. Happy scouting. † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

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APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Features CROP PRODUCTION

Soil moisture and yield For dryland farmers, water is the most important nutrient. Find out how to measure yours more accurately BY LISA GUENTHER

n average, it takes about 50,000 pounds of water to grow one bushel of wheat, says Elston Solberg, president of Agri-Trend Agrology. One bushel of canola will suck up about 70,000 to 75,000 pounds of water. “So when it comes to dryland agriculture, and trying to balance fertility recommendations, (water) is actually, in dryland agriculture, probably the most important nutrient we’re trying to balance,” says Solberg. Knowing how much moisture the soil has banked can help farmers make better management decisions. And many water measurement tools are free or cheap.

FREE MEASUREMENT TOOLS “I’m always flabbergasted by people who don’t actually know, on average, how much rainfall hits their farms every year,” says Solberg. “Of course, there’s no such thing as normal. But it seems to me if you had a ballpark figure of how much rain lands on (your) farm on an annualized basis, that might be good information.” Farmers can pull up climate normals through Environment Canada’s website. But precipitation often varies over a few miles, so it’s worth tracking precipitation right at your farm. A simple rain gauge or a met station both work fine. “We need to start using some of these simple tools because if Grandpa’s field is 10 miles south of Ryley, and Grandma’s field is 10 miles north of Ryley, chances are the precipitation on those two fields is considerably different,” Elston says. Knowing how much water the soil can hold, along with other soil characteristics, also helps. When looking at soil tests, Solberg suggests first noting cation exchange capacity. Organic matter

is also important, as it can influence how much water soils can hold. Soils with high PH levels can have cation exchange capacities that are skewed high. “So don’t let that mislead you. In other words, if you have high PHs, get familiar with doing hand texturing or some other method. Go to the soil survey to get a better read on what is actually going on down there,” Solberg says. Soil surveys are invaluable and underused. “And that’s a tragedy,” says Solberg. Farmers can access soil surveys online by searching “cansis,” or by going directly to sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis. Solberg says the site will give you free access to “every soil survey that’s ever been done in Canada.”

CHECKING SOIL MOISTURE Solberg says a moisture probe is one of the most valuable tools farmers can have. Agri-Trend Agrology sells mois-

dates can help with decisionmaking. For example, assuming a cereal crop was seeded May 1, that crop would likely hit the four- or five-leaf stage about six weeks later. This makes June 15 the rough deadline for trying to boost yield. Long-term climate normals, soil moisture levels, and precipitation will all play into whether farmers then decide to chase the extra yield if they get an extra rain just before June 15. “Depends on where your risk muscle is. Are we going to get more rain after that first six weeks, or less rain? Are we going to be aggressive? Are we going to be conservative?

Those are the questions that should be going through your head,” says Solberg. Knowing what’s going on in the soil also lets farmers use resources, such as fertilizer, strategically. “At the end of the day it’s all about this — If you have a good read on the cation exchange capacity and you know how much water’s in the soil profile, you basically can determine whether or not Grandpa’s field is a full-blown hemi or a little, squeaky Briggs and Stratton,” says Solberg. † Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa. Guenther@fbcpublishing.com.

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Tracking soil moisture and precipitation around crucial dates can help with decision-making ture probes for about $40. A highend model hits about $100, Solberg says, but he adds farmers can also make their own. Saskatchewan Agriculture’s website includes instructions for building a moisture probe. Farmers can weld a three-quarter inch steel ball to the end of a rod that’s half an inch thick and 3-1/2 feet long. Welding a handle on the other end finishes the job. Moisture probing in the fall can alert farmers to potential problems with flooding in the spring and help with planning over the winter. Checking moisture levels before

PLANT AVAILABLE WATER This table shows the amount of moist soil per foot in various soil textures Soil Texture Inches of soil water per foot of moist soil Sand 0.75 in Loamy sand 1.00 in Sandy loam 1.25 in Loam 1.50 in Clay loam 1.75 in Clay 2.00 in Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture

spring seeding helps predict yield potential and rewrite those carefully considered winter plans. “On November 1, one probe in a quarter section is as good as a million. In the spring it’s a different story because it’s all variable,” says Les Henry, former soil science professor and long-time Grainews contributor. Saskatchewan Agriculture suggests sampling at least 15 to 20 sites per field. Farmers should pick representative field areas to check subsoil moisture. The probe should be pushed into the ground in a single motion. Dry soil will stop the probe. How much water this adds up to depends on the soil texture. Saskatchewan Agriculture’s website outlines the values shown in the table. At the other end of the technology spectrum are tools such as Aqua Check. The system monitors soil moisture at various depths throughout the day and sends updates to the farmer.

“It makes life a lot easier. (It was) originally designed primarily for irrigation farmers but I think there’s a bigger fit for these in dryland than in irrigation, mainly because in dryland we’re more reliant on the water,” says Solberg. At the turn of this century, farmers suffered through years of drought. But the cycle has shifted in recent years. “We’ve had three irrigation years in a row. That’s never happened in my lifetime,” says Henry. In these conditions, it’s worth knowing where the water table is. To find the table, farmers and crop advisors can dig a shallow observation well. “I’m 72 years old and I can do it in about 20 minutes with something I can buy for $10 at the Co-op store and a soil auger,” says Henry. For details on creating an observation well, check out Henry’s’ Feb. 11 Grainews column.

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manainc.ca This is a screen shot from the Saskatchewan Agri-Map, showing farmland around Battleford. The online tool also has soil survey and hydrology information. Farmers can also access detailed soil survey reports at sis.agr. gc.ca/cansis, under “Soil Survey Reports and Printed Maps.”

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APRIL 1, 2013

Features CROP PROTECTION

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hen you’re growing soybeans, it’s best to start out with a clean field. Re-plant herbicides are essential to soybean production, says Dr. Nasir Shaikh, provincial weed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Initiatives’ (MAFRI’s), Crops Knowledge Centre. “With lot of growers moving towards zero or minimum tillage, this is the only option for controlling weeds early in the season, allowing for not only a clean, weed-free seedbed, but also for better crop establishment and vigour,” says Shaikh. “Glyphosate is a very effective, non-selective herbicide with almost zero residual activity,” said Shaikh. “However, with extensive use of this herbicide, both preplant and in-crop (on Roundup Ready crops), it’s resulted in weeds developing tolerance or resistance. “As such, it’s become a necessity to use pre-plant or even in-crop herbicide as tank mixes of two or more herbicides over singleproduct application.” Looking at it from the resistance management point of view, it is increasingly vital to use two or more modes of action (different chemical groups) for better weed control. Tank mixes can serve as an addition to post-emergent knockdown herbicides.

Mike Cowbrough is the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAFRA) weed management lead. Cowbrough says, “Both public and private sector research has shown soybean yields are optimized when the soybean crop can emerge in a weed-free environment.” In conventional tillage cropping systems, Cowbrough says, “This may be achieved through the use of tillage to control weeds. “In direct-seeded cropping systems, a pre-plant burndown is usually required to deal with emerged weeds prior to planting. Once the crop has emerged, soybean yields are maximized when the crop is kept weed-free from the first to the third trifoliate stage.” Cowbrough says, “If you grow soybeans and have had all or any of Canada fleabane, common ragweed, or giant ragweed growing in your fields, the use of pre-plant herbicide tank-mixes will be your best chance at achieving good control of these weeds.” For these crops, Cowbrought says, “The germination periods can be long and seed can germinate from deeper in the soil, contributing to the species being able to more effectively escape herbicide applications.” Glyphosate resistant populations of all three species exist in Ontario. † Rebeca Kuropatwa is a professional writer in Winnipeg, Man.

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. First, it is essential to buy weed-free (clean) seed. Dr. Nasir Shaikh suggests checking the seed production source to ensure that the seed did not originate in an area known to have herbicide-resistant weeds. 2. Second, regularly scout fields with an eye out for any odd patch of weeds that were not controlled by recommended herbicides. If you find a patch like this consult with an agronomist — you may have herbicide resistant weeds in your field. 3. Third, ensure your harvesting equipment is thoroughly cleaned before moving from one field to another. This factor is especially crucial when using custom harvesters. Several weeds can spread easily through harvesting equipment.

4. Fourth, Shaikh recommended using an Integrated Weed Management (IWM) program — a system that includes rotating herbicides and rotating crops. Shaikh also recommends avoiding herbicides with long residual activity. “This adds to selection pressure, resulting herbicideresistant weeds,” Shaikh says. “However, repeated use of one type of herbicide (i.e. glyphosate) will do the same.” Shaikh says, “Other management options include cultivation of the fallow field to control not only resistant but also susceptible weeds, and cultivation in row crops to control weed escapes (which may be resistant biotypes.)” † Rebeca Kuropatwa.

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Features Crop production

Choosing alfalfa varieties Choosing the right variety could make a $60,000 difference to your profits. One expert calculates the value By Rebeca Kuropatwa

ith hay crop values having regained their competitive edge with other agricultural crops, some U.S. farmers seriously considering seeding more forage crops this year. According to Jerry Lindquist, grazing and crop management educator, Michigan State University Extension, “Grain planting intentions in the U.S., with favourable weather in 2013, will outpace demand while at the same time prices will fall. Existing U.S. hay acres won’t be able to meet demand in 2013, even with favourable weather. “If we value alfalfa hay at a conservative $160 per ton in 2013, the crop has the potential of profiting over $200 per acre — bringing it in line with other grain crops for profit potentials. That profitability can be further enhanced when the right varieties are planted.”

annual difference over five years, Lindquist said, “The average life of an alfalfa stand in Michigan (dairy and livestock farms included), equates out to $2,505 per acre over the five years. “If the average alfalfa field in Michigan is 30 acres in size, over the five year life of the stand, the difference between selecting the best variety and the lowest yielding variety (which in this trial example was the public variety of Vernal), the value would be a whopping $75,150. The only difference in this example is the selection of the variety planted.” A $75,150 profit penalty for

choosing the wrong variety is a high price to pay. There are some additional associated with the higher yielding varieties, such as (potentially) a higher cost of seed, using more fertilizer due to a greater yield, higher harvesting costs, and extra expense for hauling and labour, but Lindquist says, “These extra costs may only diminish the gross value by 10 to 20 per cent. We’re still looking at over $60,000 more from choosing the best alfalfa variety. “Even if in the past you were fairly good at selecting some of the better alfalfa varieties, the difference between some of the

good and the best varieties could mean as much as $5,000 to $10,000 more on a 30 acre field over five years.”

Choosing the best varieties So how does a farmer go about selecting the best varieties? Lindquist suggested, “Talk to seed dealers to determine your need for disease and insect resistance, and pay particular attention to longevity if your system requires it. “Dairy farms typically want alfalfa stands to last for three to five years, while livestock and hay cash crop farms want the stand to

last for as long as is profitable (usually seven to 10 years or longer.)” Most important of all, according to Lindquist, is “look at the yield date of local, unbiased trials over time to see how they performed. “Granted, the newest varieties won’t have yield data available for at least three years. But, unless you like to invest in commodity trading or at a casino, don’t invest your entire forage seeding dollars on new varieties. Use some of the highest-yielding, tried and true varieties that meet your farm goals, along with maybe a small portion being a sampling of a new, untested variety.” Although there is no foolproof system for selecting alfalfa or other forage legume or grass varieties, Lindquist said, “If you do your homework and consider analytical trial data in your selection process, the financial returns can be substantial for perennial forage crops.” † Rebeca Kuropatwa is a professional writer in Winnipeg, Man.

Alfalfa agronomics When you’re choosing a variety for a perennial crop that will be in your field for four years or longer, like alfalfa, the right variety selection is much more important than for annual crops, like corn, where if a variety performs poorly one year, you can choose a different variety the next spring. With planting costs at over $400 per acre, there is even more pressure to choose the right variety. And, Lindquist says, “You want the stand to stay in production as long as it generates more profit than other crops. “In reality, how do we really know if an alfalfa stand is yielding above or below other varieties we could have planted? Unless there was another variety planted at the same time on a similar soil type on the farm, you’ll never know if you could have done better.” This is where impartial university varietal trials are helpful, giving some solid proof of potential differences to provide more information for farmers trying to select the varieties with the best yield potential. “Other factors, like disease and insect resistance, feed quality, and longevity also factor into picking the optimum forage variety,” said Lindquist. “But, in reality, yield over a set number of years is the best measure we currently have to estimate profitability.” Looking at the Michigan State University Forage Varietal Trials for 2012, Lindquist said, “We can see that in one trial which was seeded in East Lansing in 2008, the yield difference from the top yielding alfalfa variety and the lowest yielding variety was 7.89 tons of dry matter per acre over a three year harvest period. “This equates out to a 9.4 ton difference when we adjust the hay to typical 16 per cent moisture hay. If we assume a hay value of $160 per ton over the three years this is a difference of $1,504 per acre, or $501 per acre per year.” Assuming we achieve this same

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APRIL 1, 2013

Features CROP PRODUCTION

GNAWING CULPRITS ROB YIELD

CROP ADVISOR’S CASEBOOK BY KIMBERLEY SLADE

n early July last year, calls were coming in from multiple farmers in the Tisdale area. They were concerned that some of their crops, in particular the pods of canola plants, were being eaten. The main crops grown in the area consist of canola, wheat, barley and oats along with some pea and flax fields. Bill called to invite me to stop by his farm and scout his canola field. “I’m not sure what insect is in my field,” explained Bill. “But something is eating the pods of the canola plants, and it’s not just my field. My neighbours are also noticing the same problem.” I arrived at Bill’s farm and we went straight to the problem field. At first glance, the canola crop looked normal and healthy, but on closer inspection bite marks were clearly visible — mostly on the canola pods. The

damage being done to the pods could really end up hurting Bill’s bottom line. Bill first noticed the insect damage when the canola crop was around the 20 to 30 per cent blooming stage. The entire area had received quite a bit of moisture, which had been followed by some warm, humid days. These conditions not only lead to increased insect pressure, but disease pressure as well. As we walked through it, we noticed many insects flying around and throughout the field. Since we had already determined that disease was not the cause of the problem, I decided the next best step would be to conduct a sweep net test. Not only would this help me determine the type of insects present, but also how high or low the insect pressure was within the field. The sweep net test revealed two things to me — first, it was

Casebook winner

he winner of the last issue’s Crop Advisor Casebook was Alberta farmer Isaac Wurz. We’ll be sending him a cap and renewing his subscription for a year. †

Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

the light-coloured “V” or triangular shape on the insect’s upper back that gave away its identity and, second, that this field was at its threshold. “Bill, you need to manage this problem right now before it’s too late to help your crop,” I said. What insect is taking a big bite out of Bill’s canola yield? Send your diagnosis to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, MB, R3C

BY MEGHAN DESJARDINS

Cutworms can damage crops very quickly. areas where more volunteer hay was growing within the canola field. Due to the inconsistency of the bare patches we immediately ruled out mechanical malfunction or fertilizer application error. Within the patches, we found the remains of a few plants that looked as though they had been

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3K7; email leeann.minogue@ fbcpublishing.com or fax 204-9445416 c/o Crop Advisor’s Casebook. Best suggestions will be pooled and one winner will be drawn for a chance to win a Grainews cap and a one-year subscription to the

magazine. The best answer, along with the reasoning which solved the mystery, will appear in the next Crop Advisor’s Solution. Kimberley Slade is an area marketing representative for Richardson Pioneer Ltd. in Crooked River, Sask.

INSECT INVADERS

CROP ADVISOR’S SOLUTION rom even emergence and healthy canola plants to a field full of bare patches in a matter of days, Rob — an Arrowwood farmer who farms 3,000 acres of wheat, peas, canola and hay — sought out my help after the May long weekend last year. He didn’t know what had damaged his now patchy field. “What’s going on?” he asked me. “How can the field look so good one day and then suddenly have huge areas missing the next?” In three days, random bare patches had developed in an otherwise healthy canola stand. I knew the field had experienced good emergence because I had scouted it the previous week. Whatever was causing the bare patches had struck after emergence and had given very little warning. The location of the patches appeared to be random with more bare spots occurring along the edges of the field that bordered hay fields and in

PHOTO: DAVID CAPPAERT, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, BUGWOOD.ORG

What insect is taking a big bite out of Bill’s canola yield?

cut off at the soil surface and were now drying out. I began digging along the seed rows and I found more stubs of plants — they had been chewed off. About half an inch below the soil surface, I found large, thick, green worms, which rolled up head-to-tail when unearthed or touched. Rob’s canola field had

been infested with cutworms. During the heat of the day, cutworms live below the soil surface, so unless you dig, you won’t see them, I explained to Rob. Rob sprayed the field that evening — the time of day when cutworms actively feed above ground. After spraying, the cutworms didn’t cause further damage to the field. However, because of the damage already caused, Rob was forced to reseed this particular field. Rob decided to change his crop rotation going forward because cutworms tend to be more prevalent in hay fields and seeding a cereal for a season after alfalfa hay, rather than canola, would be a better management choice for his farm. Rob decided to implement his new management decision immediately and seeded the field to wheat. The resulting wheat crop emerged beautifully — without cutworm damage — and produced an average yield at harvest. Cutworms can damage crops very quickly — it only takes them a few days to eat away

at your profits. Scout often and at different times during the day, and don’t be afraid to dig below the soil surface and inspect for invaders. In addition, regularly scout your fields until the plants are of a significant size because even though germination and emergence may have looked good that doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods from insect damage. If a field is bordered by hay fields or has previously been in hay production, be especially diligent when scouting for cutworms. Certain crops play better hosts than others, so understand your risks when planning rotations. In addition, scout southern hill slopes and hilltops where the soil is warm and loose — a cutworm’s preferred territory. Be aware and proactive when it comes to cutworm activity. Scout fields often and don’t assume that once you have a good plant stand you can leave the field alone until herbicide application. † Meghan Desjardins is a sales agronomist for Richardson Pioneer Ltd. in Carseland, Alta.

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grainews.ca /

Features NEW VARIETIES

Blue and purple wheat Some Prairie farmers are already growing purple wheat under contract. This could be the next new thing for your farm BY LISA GUENTHER

esearchers are developing specialty wheat varieties which could eventually bring farmers higher premiums.

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Blue and purple wheat varieties contain high anthocyanin levels, which are natural pigments found in many fruits and vegetables. Along with providing natural colour, the anthocyanins have multiple health benefits — they can help to repair eye cells and fight diabetes and inflammation. InfraReady, a Saskatoon company that was originally a Saskatchewan Wheat Pool project, uses a purple wheat called AnthoGrain in many of its blends. Mark Pickard, president of InfraReady, says there are domestic and export markets for grain blends containing AnthoGrain. InfraReady has been using breeder seed for several years, but the company recently signed an agreement with the Crop Development Centre to use a new variety of the purple wheat. Dr. Pierre Hucl of the Crop Development Centre says the new variety is a semi-dwarf with yields similar to CPS varieties such as AC Crystal. It’s a latermaturing variety with a very large seed, and a disease resistance package similar to other CPS varieties. InfraReady contracts farmers to grow the crop, and will be looking for more growers in the future. “We’re trying to grow the market, of course, and it’s a little bit of matching of demand with production. We really don’t want to be long or short,” says Pickard. Dr. Elsayed Abdelaal is a senior research scientist with Agriculture Canada in Guelph. He’s been working with the brightly-coloured wheat for several years, and is now working with University of Saskatchewan researchers on a three-year project to extract more anthocyanin from the wheat. “Because it (has) natural colour and natural antioxidants it can have a higher premium,” says Abdelaal. He says purple wheat could also help diversify the wheat industry and create a niche market. “Small grain in general in Canada is a key for more opportunities,” says Abdelaal. Pickard says though purple wheat is a niche crop at this point, he hopes to continue with its growth. “We’ve been involved with it for quite a few years and we’re really pleased with the improved variety from the Crop Development Centre, and looking forward to improved quality and increased demand for the product.” † Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelon, Sask. Contact her at Lisa. Guenther.fbcpublishing.com.

/ grainews.ca

APRIL 1, 2013

Features FARM FINANCE

Avoid high fertilizer prices While it’s probably not really possible to completely avoid high fertilizer prices, there are some strategies to help improve your odds BY CHRIS ZEMLACK

he planting season is soon to arrive. Not coincidentally, it’s the same time of year that fertilizer prices are prone to reaching their annual peak. Why? Many farmers wait until the last minute to make certain input purchases, which allows them to factor the latest possible grain market outlook into their decision making. On-farm limitations, such as storage or available credit, can play into delaying commitments. Fertilizer makes up a substantial part of the cost of production, and in years where lower grain

prices may be a possibility, no farmer wants to be stuck with high fertilizer expenses on the books for acres they don’t end up planting. This collective behaviour tends to create a spike in fertilizer demand come planting time, and this is the reason fertilizer prices can be at their most expensive in the spring. The spike was particularly pronounced in 2012. Suitable planting conditions arrived late for large swaths of the prairies. The result: when warm weather finally came, it came everywhere at once, and so more farmers than usual were making

purchases at more or less the same time. Higher prices aren’t the only consequence in these situations. Farmers can also suffer production headaches caused by temporary shortages in the fertilizer supply pipeline (or so they say — some in the farming game believe this is mostly a myth encouraged by the fertilizer industry to create the sort of fearmongering that motivates farmers to hurry up and buy). Fortunately, this scenario can be largely avoided using two strategies: exercising a little forethought, and borrowing a technique commonly used by farmers to manage price risk in crop sales.

FERTILIZER PROVIDENCE The first strategy, which we could also call fertilizer providence, requires an understanding of the seasonal influence on fertilizer prices — allowing farmers to seize lower prices at certain times of year. For those who want to minimize their input costs, doing so can translate into substantial savings in the long run. As August approaches, for example, we usually see a drop in fertilizer prices as sellers become interested in turning over their inventories. The past few profitable years that farmers experienced have also identified a trend, however.

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More farmers, flush with cash after a few good seasons and eyeing these lower prices will buy their fertilizers before the end of the fiscal year. Thus, a good time to purchase is often in January or February, which sits between the year-end bump in demand and the seasonal demand spike in the spring. Critics of this pre-buying approach point out that an early fertilizer purchase can limit a farmer’s ability to reduce fertilizer or planting rates in light of lower grain prices. This is a fair concern, but any farmer worried about margins can manage the risk of buying fertilizers early by locking in their margins with some forward sales.

SPREADING OUT PURCHASES Farmers can also make use of a second strategy. Most farmers are familiar with the practice of spreading crop sales out over a period of months in order to smooth out the effects of volatile markets; the same can be done with fertilizers and other input purchases. By purchasing some, but not all, of the farm’s estimated fertilizer requirements when prices are likely to be lower, farmers can limit their exposure to higher prices while also avoiding a surplus situation if the crop plan changes in the interim.

A good time to purchase is often in January or February Of course, these strategies require farmers to be thinking about fertilizers at times of year when next season’s input purchases aren’t exactly priority number one. But those who take this early-bird approach often enjoy a fatter worm, come harvest-time, than those who wait until the last minute. † Chris Zemlack is a grain marketing advisor with FarmLink Marketing Solutions. Contact Chris at chris.zemlak@farmlinksolutions.ca, or find more information online at www. farmlinksolutions.ca.

BY DAN PIRARO

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he reality of crop rotations in northeast Saskatchewan today is a two-year canola/ cereal rotation. The gradual transition to this rotation over the last 10 years has been driven primarily by economics and now weather considerations. “Over the last three years we have seen pea acres decline and they are almost non-existent now as excessive and untimely rains, combined with higher than usual disease pressure, both soil borne fusarium, risoctonia and pythium, and in-crop downey mildew, ascocyta and sclerotinia have made producing a profitable pea crop extremely challenging,” says Wade Annand, owner and consulting professional agrologist with Ag Grow Consulting Ltd., based out of the Nipawin and Melfort. Annand and his team work on a daily basis with farmers who are changing their rotations for a variety of reasons.

TWO-YEAR ROTATIONS

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“We are clearly seeing the impact of the two-year rotation in northeast Saskatchewan, even on the farms that have tried to maintain a four-year rotation that includes a pulse crop,” says Annand. “Increased sclerotinia pressure is concerning us to a point now that two applications of a fungicide are not out of the question. To date we are not experiencing a lot of pressure from blackleg, but we know that other parts of the Prairies are and that it is just a matter of time before it becomes a problem here. We are also seeing increased insect pressure and believe that it may in part be due to the increased acres of host crops.” The two-year rotation common in northeast Saskatchewan has led to two very interesting combinations of weed problems. “Initially 46A76 Clearfield canola was an extremely popular variety in this region,” says Annand. “It was not uncommon for it to be seeded every other year with wheat as the break.” This led to the development of Group 2 resistant weeds including cleavers, chickweed, hemp nettle and mustard. The products used initially in this system also commonly required a Group 1 herbicide for grass control in that year. “The more recent strength of the Invigor canola genetics changed that rotation here to an Invigor canola/cereal rotation,” Annand goes on to say. “Some people estimate that Invigor canola in northeast Saskatchewan in the early to mid-2000s held 80 per cent market share. To date we don’t find that this system has created any resist-

ant weed problems for us, however, its weakness on cleavers, hemp nettle and wild buck wheat, as well as its general use pattern including a Group 1 herbicide for wild oat control has led to a buildup of these weeds.” Annand’s experience is that the use of Group 1 wild oats herbicides in each of these systems has contributed to the level of Group 1 resistant wild oats that are prevalent in the area. In each of these scenarios the volunteers have become considerable weed problems the next time the same herbicide tolerant system is grown.

NORTHEAST AGRONOMICS In northeast Saskatchewan rotation management is likely different than in many parts of the Prairies. Farmers in that area face their own set of economic and environmental conditions which dictate that a canola/cereal rotation is the norm now, and likely will continue to be at least in the short term. “We find now that we are working with our customers to rotate the herbicide tolerant system and the genetics within that system if it is possible,” says Annand. “We also find that we are working toward having more than just wheat as the cereal crop. Including oats and barley in rotation helps us to change the seeding dates in the years that are not canola and change the competitiveness of the cereal against the weed problem.” Changing the timing of the non-selective herbicide applications can go a long way to impacting overall weed populations as well. Ag Grow Consulting would like to see farmers in this area be able to get back to a longer rotation and reduce their dependence on canola as a cash crop. To help in that advancement, Ag Grow Consulting started a research company AGC Research, with a goal of providing farmers in northeast Saskatchewan with local information on an on-going basis. “As part of our research initiative we have begun to look at corn as an option, and plan to seed it again in 2013,” explains Annand. “We also plan on seeding a number of varieties of soybeans in 2012. In both cases we are looking at the whole agronomy package for these crops to ensure that we can help growers get started on the right foot. We believe that breeding advances of these crops will make them rotational options for us in the next five to 10 years.” † Andrea Hilderman has her master’s degree in weed science and is a member of the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists. She writes from Winnipeg, Man.

/ grainews.ca

APRIL 1, 2013

Features FARMER PANEL

Farmers mixing more herbicide cocktails For effectiveness and to reduce the risk of herbicide resistance more farmers are using herbicide blends against weeds BY LEE HART

hat’s your weed-ofchoice these days? That answer seems to be a moving target not only across Western Canada but on individual farms. Farmers interviewed for the Farmer Panel say one weed seems to be a problem for a while — they get that dealt with and then other species come along to pose a challenge to crop yields. Depending on the crop and where they farm, Panel members cited everything from cleavers, to wild oats, to Canada thistle, to kochia, to volunteer canola as their most problematic weeds. Solutions appear to be a combination of tools. No one expects weeds to be completely controlled, but using a combination of herbicides, proper herbicide rotations, proper crop rotations, eliminating weed seed sources on field boundaries and improving soil quality to boost crop competition are among the tools producers are using to keep weeds manageable. Here is what Farmer Panel members say are the top one or two problem weeds on their farms and how they manage them.

JOHN BURNS KANDAHAR, SASK. Using effective herbicides, following a proper rotation and eliminating at least some of the seed source is the program John Burns follows to control cleavers on his farm in east-central Saskatchewan, about half way between Saskatoon and Yorkton. Burns, who farms with family members, says cleavers are of particular concern in canola and flax. It is a weed that has been around his area for several years but it seems to have become more of an issue in recent years. “At one time scentless chamomile was the big problem but over 20 years of farming you learn how to manage it,” says Burns “Scentless chamomile is a weed you can manage quite nicely under a direct seeding, zero till system, but not so with cleavers.” A single cleavers plant, with a clinging vine, can produce up to 3,500 seeds. It is impossible to clean cleaver seed out of canola seed and the viney nature of the plant produces problems at harvest. “It produces a condition called hay stacking which is a problem when you are trying to straight cut the flax crop,” says Burns. To reduce the cleavers numbers he follows at least a three- to fouryear canola rotation with canola crops. Along with canola, about 15 per cent of the farm is seeded to winter wheat and he also grows dry yellow peas, oats, flax, malt barley and hard red spring wheat. With rolling topography on part of the farm, he’d like to find another pulse crop to include in rotation,

hoping perhaps he can develop a market for faba beans. Group 2 herbicides will control cleavers but he is concerned about weeds developing herbicide resistance with too many applications of products that use the same mode of action for weed control. Glyhphosate is quite effective in controlling the weed in canola. He’ll apply a pre-seeding burn down and then follow with two applications of glyphosate in-crop when growing Roundup Ready canola. Group 2 herbicides used with Clearfield canola are also effective, while Liberty Link herbicide used with Invigor canola is not as effective. On fields ear-marked for flax he uses a fall application of Authority herbicide, usually followed by a spring application of Express herbicide. In-crop he uses Basagran to control weeds. “We aim for a four year rotation with canola and then in the alternate crops we try to be as effective as we can in controlling cleavers so they aren’t as much a concern the next time we seed canola,” says Burns.

“We are trying to change the environment to benefit the crop.” — Charles Schmidt

Burns has also been removing some of the tree and shrub shelterbelt rows on the farm as another weed control measure. “Cleavers, other weeds and even diseases can thrive in those tree rows,” he says. “You can apply good control measures in your field, but then 30 meters out from the tree rows the weeds will establish again. Today with zero till farming practices the risk of erosion is greatly reduced so removing the tree rows makes it easier to control the spread of weeds. “Overall the two major tools we have is proper chemistry and applying good agronomic practices to optimize crop competition,” says Burns.

With peas, he usually applies a Reglone treatment in August for crop dry down, and later if the weather co-operates he makes a post-harvest application of glyphosate on the pea acres to control any winter annuals. Cleavers can be a concern in canola, but he finds a two-time, in-crop application of glyphosate at the half-litre rate on Roundup Ready canola keeps the cleavers in check. “I believe we are winning the battle,” says Brewer. “Weed numbers seem to get a little better (lower) every year. But you are always going to have some, particularly with the thistle and dandelion as weed seeds will blow in from the ditches. It is better than it was, but we just have to keep at it.”

Charles Schmidt is focusing on improving the quality of his soil.

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ERIC BREWER HAMIOTA, MAN. A pre-harvest application of glyphosate for the past several years is helping Erle Brewer of Hamiota win the battle against Canada thistle and dandelion on his southwest Manitoba farm. “There is always going to be some around, but it is a lot better than it was,” says Brewer, who has been using the pre-harvest treatment for the past eight years. Brewer applies a full one-litre rate of glyphosate on all wheat acres in August. The treatment helps to dry down and even out the crop for straight combining and also knocks out the weeds. 19449-03 DAS_CHE Elevate 13.1667X9.indd 1

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Features RYAN LECOQ AGRONOMIST, ARTEL FARMS NIVERVILLE, MAN. Wild oats and wild buckwheat are the two mains weeds on Ryan Lecoq’s radar each year as agronomist for Artel Farms at Niverville, in southern Manitoba, just south of Winnipeg. A basic strategy is to apply a preseeding burn down with glyphosate and then follow up with effective in-crop treatments. “Wild oats are a concern in pretty well every crop, but especially in the cereals,” says Lecoq, who operates n-Raje Agronomy from his home base at nearby St. Adolphe. “With wheat and oats, for example, we apply the pre-seeding burndown and then follow with an in-crop application of a Group 2 product such as Everest or Simplicity. It appears to be quite effective.” Lecoq says he does see wild oats that develop resistance to Group 1 and Group 2 herbicides, but he finds it easier — has more options — for dealing with weeds with Group 2 resistance. Wild buckwheat is the second biggest concern particularly in the Roundup Ready crops such as soybeans and corn.

“As long as you stay on top of them, you can keep them controlled,” he says. “Timing is important, so you need to treat them early, while the weeds are less than two inches tall.” He says two in-crop applications of glyphosate to catch first and second flushes of the weed are usually quite effective. “Glyphosate is very effective, but of course my one biggest concern is about glyphosate resistant weeds,” says Lecoq. “We don’t see it yet, but it’s just across the border (in the U.S.). We have to be watching for it. There are solutions for dealing with it, but it just depends on which weed shows up first.”

rotation, and I think it is also important to hit them early before they get much of a start,” he says. “Using a combination of products is also important. When we started into zero till farming about 10 years ago we used quite a few combination products to control weeds, that seemed to be effective and then we went more to straight glyphosate. Now the shift seems to be back to using more combination products so you are hitting the weeds with different products with different modes of action.”

CHARLES SCHMIDT CHINOOK, ALTA.

JOSH FANKHAUSER CLARSEHOLM, ALTA.

Josh Fankhauser is working on a strategy to reduce the risk of seeing development of glyphosate-resistant weeds.

Wild oats is the main weed to be concerned about on Josh Fankhauser’s family farm near Claresholm in southern Alberta, but of over all greater concern he is working on a strategy to reduce the risk of seeing development of glyphosate-resistant weeds. “Glyphosate is such a valuable chemistry that we have to do what we can to reduce the risk of resistance,” says Fankhauser.

“We were applying two litres of glyphosate on nearly every acre of the farm every year. So now my focus is minimize the risk and to do that I am doing all I can to reduce the amount of glyphosate we use. “We are doing everything and anything, trying to be pro-active. We follow the most extended rotation we can, we’re going back to some of the old tried and true her-

bicides, we include more winter wheat in the rotation — the idea is just to keep changing things up so we keep the weeds guessing.” Avadex is one of the “old” herbicides in Fankhauser’s tool box. “If the snow is gone I have even gone out in January and applied Avadex,” he says. “We use glyphosate for a pre-seeding burndown, but now we use more additives with other chemicals so there are two modes of action. And in the fall we use a combination of Dicamba and 2,4-D to control broadleafs and other winter annuals such as dandelion and thistle.” Fankhauser also grows less Roundup Ready canola in favor of Liberty Link varieties. An extended crop rotation with a wider range of crops also keeps “the weeds on their toes” and Fankhauser believes in long-range planning. “I haven’t got this year’s crop seeded, but I already know what I am growing next year,” he says. “I have my crop rotation planned out for the next four years, and I also have my herbicide rotation planned for the next four years. Unless some new chemistry comes along, I already know what herbicide groups I will be using on what crops over the next four years. And I keep a white board in the shop too and there’s always lots of figuring going on there as well.”

JASON CRAIG DELBURNE, ALTA.

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Volunteer canola is probably the Number 1 weed on Jason Craig’s central Alberta farm. He grows mostly Liberty Link canola varieties and with a four-year rotation, he uses the three intervening years to control the volunteers. “The volunteers can really be a problem if you don’t stay on top of them,” says Craig who farms at Delburne, east of Red Deer. His rotation usually follows canola/barley/wheat/peas. The first year after canola, he usually applies a combination of glyphosate and Express Pro to knock back volunteer canola and other weeds. In the wheat year he’ll still see some volunteer canola, but probably just apply straight glyphosate as the pre-seeding burn down. And hopefully by the pea year the volunteers have disappeared. Cleavers can also be a concern on his farm, but he finds that most in-crop herbicides are effective in providing control. “I believe the key in controlling weeds is to follow a longer

Improving the productivity of the soil which in turns improves crop growth and a heavier crop canopy is one strategy Charles Schmidt uses in his overall weed control program on his east central Alberta farm. With a fair amount of solonetzic/high sodium soils on his Chinook-area farm, east of Hanna he says soil quality can be quite variable. “You can be going along combining a 45 bushel wheat crop and then you come to a two acre patch where it drops to five bushels and you have mostly kochia.” Schmidt is adding calcium sulphate to the fertilizer blend this year in hopes of counteracting the high sodium levels which in turn should improve crop growth. “Rather than just hammer the weeds we are trying to change the environment to benefit the crop,” he says. “If you can do a pre-seeding burn off and then see that crop canopy close in after, that is your best weed control measure.” Schmidt follows a 60/40 crop/ chemfallow rotation on his farm. On chemfallow land he’s using more combination products to control kochia, wild buckwheat, volunteer canola and other weeds. “The first treatment might be a combination of glyphosate and 2,4-D and then we come back with glyphosate and Banvel or other tank mixes,” says Schmidt. “The wild buckwheat has sort of a waxy leaf so glyphosate isn’t as effective and you have to use something else. “You can do a drive-by, 60 miles per hour check and all looks pretty good, but then you get out and walk or drive through the stubble and you see this gnarly mass of weeds at the three to four leaf stage and it is just ready to explode. So you have to hit it with something effective.” On the cropped acres, he applies a pre-seeding burn off with a glyphosate combination product and usually finds most in-crop herbicides effective at controlling weeds. A newer product he has been using with canola is Aim, supplied by Racketeer, the glyphosate bulk handling system offered by Rack Petroleum of Biggar, Sask. Aim is a Group 14 broadleaf herbicide intended for preplant burndown and pre-seed application that can be used with canola, pulses and cereals. “It seems to do a good job,” says Schmidt. “It is safe to use with canola and seems to do a better job of controlling kochia and narrow leaved hawkesbeard. It gets the crop off to a good clean start.” † Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

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APRIL 1, 2013

Features Chemical application

Aerial spraying a must for today’s farmer Farmers who need more and more applications of herbicide and fungicide might want to put a local aerial applicator on speed dial By Rebeca Kuropatwa

“

eople used to think that hiring an airplane was the most expensive option, but that’s no longer the case,” says Brennan Jardine, a commercial aerial sprayer at Nipawin, Sask. “Farmers now know if they hire a ground rig or drive over it themselves it will cost as much or more than an airplane.” There are times when an airplane is the best option for spraying. “Spray planes used to be thought of something to use just on a 911 basis. Like, in Saskatchewan, they’d bring in airplanes if there was a big bug infestation,” Jardine says. “Manitoba, for years now, has been using aircrafts on a regular basis, with potatoes and the need for fungicide, pre-Roundup and such. In the last few years, Saskatchewan has started catching on — catching up with Manitoba.” More and more often, Prairie farmers are hiring aerial applicators to spray fungicide.

Five reasons to use aerial applicators According to Nasir Shaikh, provincial weed specialist at Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Initiatives’s (MAFRI’s) Crops Knowledge Centre, there are well established reasons to use aerial application for spraying. 1. It’s fast. “It’s a fast and very efficient method of pesticide application,” says Shaikh. “One can cover a large area in a relatively short time. “If a grower is falling behind with his spray schedule, this is a good option. As well, if an insect or disease problem is spreading very fast aerial application can be handy.” 2. Less crop trampling. If an aerial applicator is applying your fungicide, you’re making one less pass through your field. “Some studies show trampling losses can be anywhere from one to five per cent of the yield,” Shaikh says. “This loss can be completely avoided.” Jardine also speaks to concerns around crop trampling. “Where tire tracks go, Roundup doesn’t work, and you’re also killing the crop. You end up with a contaminated, unclean field.” As well as trampling your crop, having more tires in your field can increase the chances of spreading diseases like clubroot. 3. It can get the job done. If the field is too wet to spray by ground, aerial application can still be a viable option. “When there’s a wet season, the last line of defence for your crops is the airplane,” says Jardine.

“Some farmers need spray, and the aircraft is the only way to do it in certain situations.” 4. Environmental concerns. There are positive environmental aspects, Shaikh says. “From the environmental standpoint, there is less fuel used, less air pollution, and no soil compaction.” 5. Economics. Jardine reminds farmers that, “For those with their own ground rig, there is still the cost of operating it. Airplanes simply make more economical sense, especially when taking into account trampling and other considerations.” However, aerial application isn’t all upside. Shaikh points to the increased potential for spray drift and accidental injury to non-target crops. “This could lead to serious economic and legal litigations. As well, there can be potential health hazards if exposed to spray drifts.” Drift from a fungicide or an insecticide might not cause much damage to non-target crops, but herbicides may be a different story. “If there’s a drift of a herbicide on a non-target crop, the damages can be substantial or even mean a complete loss of that crop,” says Shaikh. “Other factors that may limit the use of aerial spraying can be weather conditions being unfavourable, fixed obstacles in the fly zone, field size and shape and how far the loading deck is from the application area.”

Brennan Jardine has owned and operated his own crop dusting business at Nipawin, Sask., since 2008.

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The future of aerial application Jardine sees a bright future for his business. “In this industry, I think there will be an increasing amount of bigger planes and fewer pilots, and, at the same time, there will be more demand for spraying.” Jardine recently returned from the Canadian Aerial Application Conference, and says, “Everything pointed to the fact that business is really booming. As well, they’re saying we’re going to need more food than ever to feed the world. So, we’re going to need more micro-nutrients and products being applied regularly. So, the need for spray planes will be strong.” Jardine also knows that there are going to be times when his service is the only option. “It’s not a matter of if, but of when you’re going to need an airplane — and if you don’t get one, you’re going to lose your crop. What happens a lot in recent years is farmers can’t get planes when there’s an emergency wet season or something. Spray planes are their only hope.” † Rebeca Kuropatwa is a professional writer in Winnipeg, Man. 19459-04 DAS_Stellar_13.167X9.indd 1

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Features

Aerial sprayer and TV star

The official description of the reality TV show “Dust Up” read: “These crop-gun pilots buzz inches above the fields — dodging trees and telephone wires — to deliver their payloads while entertaining roadside audiences with their death-defying feats.”

rennan Jardine played a major role in “Dust Up,” a reality TV show about crop dusting that ran on the History Channel in 2011. “Dust Up” delivered an up-close and personal look at Brennan Jardine, his father Bud Jardine and his cousin Travis Karle as they ran their crop dusting businesses. The publicity matieral about the show said, “These three are NOT your typical pilots. … These cropgun pilots buzz inches above the fields — dodging trees and telephone wires — to deliver their payloads while entertaining roadside audiences with their death-defying feats. With high stakes drama on the ground and peril in the air, ‘Dust Up’ features compelling stories about family feuds, resourcefulness and survival in the rural heartland.” The idea for the show came from Jardine’s sister and brother-in-law, who were already working in the acting and film industry. “With all these different reality shows, the idea came up to do something on Nipawin, where there are spray planes, some family conflict (between me and my dad), and a new guy getting into the business pushing quite hard and stepping on some toes,” explained Jardine. Jardine’s sister and brother-in-law put the concept together and pitched the idea (including a demo reel) to the History Channel. “The next thing we knew,” said Jardine, “we’re getting followed around by TV cameras. “When they first came out, they told me the best case scenario is that we just forget the camera are there taping, because viewers want it natural. That was easy for me. I have to do that every time I fly to do my job well.” Still, when it came down to it, Jardine said, “If my sister hadn’t been involved, I probably wouldn’t have done it.

The man in the plane

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Jardine was raised on a grain farm at Torch River, near Nipawin, Sask. In the spring of 1970, when Jardine was about four years old, his father, Bud Jardine, began teaching himself how to spray as a flying farmer. Brennan Jardine liked flying, and as he grew up, he also gravitated toward the spray plane. “I grew up marking the fields, because we didn’t have GPS then. Really early on, we flagged by ground. I did a lot of plane loading and working for other farm-

ers, answering phone calls, and helping with the business. So, I learned it all from the ground, up.” But he was eager to get into business for himself. “I got into flying when I had an opportunity — having time and money — to go down to Arizona and take my private licence.” Eventually, Jardine went on to get his commercial license in Melfort, Sask. Just out of high school, Brennan Jardine bought his first airplane. He worked with his father, and also gained experience working for other companies in Manitoba and Alberta. Since 2008, he has owned and operated Brennan Jardine Aerial Spraying. This fatherson competition for business was a key angle for the “Dust Up” reality show. “My business today is what I’d call a work in progress. When I started, I had one airplane, and then got one more. … I had quite a setback when one of my planes crashed and I had no insurance on it.” But in the end, the accident gave Brennan Jardine a chance to expand. “I ended up getting one bigger plane. So, I now have two airplanes (one small and one medium).” “One thing I do differently than many operators is that at least 80 per cent of my work is done off the road, so I can get a lot of acres done with a smaller airplane, more than the average.”

TV Aftermath What was it like for Brennan Jardine? “Everyone seems to like the show, but it’s created some conflict in the industry, with us being filmed and how it might be put together to reflect the industry. So, between the family and industry, I was damned if I did and damned if I didn’t. I went with family. There were a couple of things taken out of context, but more positive came out of it than negative.” The first time Jardine saw the show was at the world premier showing in Nipawin. “Some farmers, after watching the ‘Dust Up’ show, said they always appreciated the work I do, but until they saw the show, they didn’t realize the kind of risks we take every day. So, I think, overall, it brought greater appreciation for the spray plane. Since having done the “Dust Up” show, Jardine said, “It’s made me reflect on things a little bit, with a lot of people asking me questions about my life and work after having seen the show.” † Rebeca Kuropatwa.

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APRIL 1, 2013

Features THE ENVIRONMENT

Climate change and livestock In this third instalment of a three-part series on climate change, Angela Lovell looks at how a changing climate might impact Prairie livestock production BY ANGELA LOVELL

ivestock production could be affected in a number of ways under the impacts of a warming, drier Prairie climate.

DIFFERENT SPECIES Jeff Thorpe of the Saskatchewan Research Council suggests that there will be a gradual reduction in tree and shrub cover across the grasslands of southern Manitoba, and that grassland species will shift from taller to shorter species in response to climate change. Thorpe also believes there will be

a gradual introduction of plant and animal species currently only found in the U.S. An increase in carbon dioxide levels may increase the quantity of forage production but it will reduce forage quality by lowering protein levels. This decrease in protein would drive the need for more acres to meet nutritional needs, and/or a switch to production of animals that are more able to efficiently convert low quality forages, like sheep, goats and traditional upland breeds of cattle such as Black Angus, Dexter or Highland. Increased periods of drought and extreme heat could also increase

stress on livestock, reducing productivity. Productivity could also be reduced by an increase in parasites and diseases, which, given earlier springs and milder winters, may better survive and proliferate. There is one thing that most scientists agree on when it comes to climate change, and that is that weather patterns are set to become much more unpredictable. Extreme events such as heat waves, drought and floods are expected to become more common. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that increase in extreme events may be more important to agriculture than changes in averages

because these extreme events are limiting factors in agriculture.

WHAT CAN WE DO? Agriculture is a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions but it also has great potential to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Some practices have already been adopted in many Prairie regions. For example, zero tillage improves water retention, prevents soil erosion, sequesters carbon in soil organic matter and reduces green house gas emissions from machinery required for tillage operations. Changes to the storing of livestock manure have also helped

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to minimize methane emissions. Methane and nitrous oxide emissions are considerably smaller for composted manure than for slurry or stockpile. Integrated weed and pest management strategies such as longer crop rotation and varying pesticide modes of action are also important tools against the effects of climate change. Maintaining resistance in current crop varieties to various weeds, pests and diseases is vital to prevent the need for future increases in pesticide use, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through their production, transportation and application. Water required to apply chemicals may not be as readily available to farmers in drier areas in future decades. Ensuring the continued health and viability of Prairie soils by not over fertilizing and carefully managing nitrogen and phosphous reduces environmental impact and continued soil depletion of these important elements for plant growth.

Farmers have a huge role to play in keeping agricultural productivity strong Retaining shelterbelts, bushes and trees on the landscape helps retain groundwater moisture and sequesters carbon. A mature poplar tree sequesters 266 kgs of carbon, green ash traps 63 kg; a white spruce tree will capture 143 kg, and a caragana tree will sequester 39 kg. These figures don’t include the amount of carbon that will be sequestered in the tree roots, which may equal roughly 50 to 75 per cent of these amounts. Preserving or establishing wetlands retains snowmelt and precipitation on the landscape during dry years and helps prevents downstream flooding and erosion in wet years. Water bodies have a cooling effect on local temperatures and they can reduce the need for irrigation from groundwater sources. An Ontario study showed that reducing irrigation by 100 square metres per day reduced greenhouse gas emissions by six tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. There are many other practices and changes that farmers can adopt and make to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Ultimately our land resource may be one of the most valuable, long term-weapons in the battle to influence our climate to our advantage rather than our detriment. As stewards of the land, farmers have a huge role to play in keeping agricultural productivity strong on a warming planet. † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer, editor and communications specialist living and working in Manitoba. Find her online at www. angelalovell.ca.

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APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Columns SOILS AND CROPS

On expended manure It’s time for more research on the value manure can add to our land, and to find more ways to make use of this valuable resource LES HENRY

n January 2013 there was a Manure Management Update Conference in Lethbridge. I did not attend, but with the wonders of modern technology have reviewed PowerPoint presentations of the talks. It’s not as good as being there, but much better than reading the proceedings.

THE VALUE OF MANURE First, let’s go back more than 100 years. In 1910, A. D. Hall, second director of the famous Rothamsted Agricultural Research Farm in jolly old England wrote: “The provisions of the “Agricultural Holdings Act” of 1900 award the tenant compensation for any unexhausted fertility he has brought to and leaves behind on the holding.” They derived a table of values for compensation based on the feedstuffs used. Research from Rothamsted had already shown that barley yields were still double the control 30 years after manure application stopped. They had shown this with “exhaustion” experiments. They cropped the land with no further manure to see the rate at which the soil was depleted of nutrients and observe the consequent yield decline. Early work at AAFC research stations on the Prairies showed farmyard manure to be a slow starter, but to provide long lasting effects if applied for years. Now fast forward to the AAFC research station in Lethbridge in 1973. Theron Sommerfeldt set up long term manure experiments

using modern feedlot manure with little bedding — good stuff from a nutrient standpoint. They started by applying manure at wet weight rates of 12, 24 and 36 tonnes/acre on an annual basis, double that for irrigated land. After only 12 years it was obvious that those rates were too high. Recommended rates were reduced. Fast forward again to Lethbridge — this time to 2013, to see current data on manure management and soil fertility after long term feedlot manure application. In southern Alberta there are fields that test 300 parts per million of soil test phosphorus in the top 6 inches.

mental concerns were first talked about in the 1970s a buzz phrase was “the solution to pollution is dilution.” When it comes to manure that is true in spades — not only for the reduced environmental risk but also for the enhanced agronomic and economic benefit. Frank Larney has done years of work on manure composting at Lethbridge AAFC. Composting feedlot manure about doubles the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus. In theory, that would double the distance manure could be hauled. But it will take more than that to make it work.

AND NOW FOR SOME MATH • 300 ppm P = 300 x 2.29 = 687 pounds of P2O5 (see sidebar) • 687 pounds P2O5 = 1,321 lb./ ac. of 11-52-0 fertilizer. • With a fertilizer price of $725/ tonne, that equals $434/acre. That is a lot of unexpended manure. In the future we must find ways to make better use of that valuable resource. When the numbers get that high the soil is indeed very fertile but the potential environmental liabilities can be real and significant. Now, 300 ppm is on the high end and I’m not sure how many fields test that high. But even if you divide that measurement by three, it’s still a big number.

LIVESTOCK FOLKS GETTING SHORT END OF THE STICK For decades we have thought of manure as a waste product to be disposed of. Dirt farmers think we are giving the cowboys a break by letting them dispose of their waste on our land. This old dirt farmer thinks it is time for change. When pollution and environ-

For decades we have thought of manure as a waste product to be disposed of Monster trucks may help, that will but still fall short of the real need and roads may be a problem. On the Prairies about one third to one half of farmers use manure, but that manure is only applied to about five per cent of acres. The economics of the nutrient value of manure must be based on a longer term analyses of the benefits. There has been lots of manure research in Western Canada in the past 20 years — both the agronomic benefits and environmental challenges have been examined. But, as far as I know the “exhaustion” experiments that were conducted in the U.K. 100 years ago have not been done

here. And, we cannot wait 30 years for the results. So, the manure research folks need to take a look at all available data and interpret it in terms of decades not years. In the case of phosphorus it should be possible. This old scribe has said for years “phosphorus fertilizer is an investment in the land.” Phosphorus from manure is the same. The University of Saskatchewan has a small research feedlot hanging over the South Saskatchewan River north of campus. It has been there for 40 years and has left a very small environmental footprint but many want to see it moved. If and when a move does happen it is my opinion that the major research thrust should be what comes out the back of the animal. The focus should be how the manure can be treated or handled to allow the good news (nutrients) to be spread around to more of our large land base. About 80 per cent of Saskatchewan farmland is deficient in phosphorus. We have dribbled on a one year supply — or less — every year for the past 50 years. Even in livestock rich Alberta and Manitoba over half the land is also deficient in phosphorus. We need some new and innovative thinking. We need a way to do what the Brits did 100 years ago and devise a schedule of payments for “unexpended manure.” † J.L.(Les) Henry is a former professor and extension specialist at the University of Saskatchewan. He farms at Dundurn, Sask. He recently finished a second printing of “Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water,” a book that mixes the basics and practical aspects of soil, fertilizer and farming. Les will cover the shipping and GST for “Grainews” readers. Simply send a cheque for $50 to Henry Perspectives, 143 Tucker Cres, Saskatoon, SK, S7H 3H7, and he will dispatch a signed book.

Mind your Ps and Ks

et’s review the math. • Phosphorus (P) x 2.20 = P2O5 • Potassium (K) x 1.21 = K2O It is becoming all too common to see slippage in the correct use of P versus P2O5 and K versus K2O. I have seen too many presentations lately stating that a farmer used 20 pounds per acre of phosphorus, when I suspect that 20 pounds of P2O5 per acre were actually used. If 20 lbs P /acre are used, then: • 20 x 2.29 = 45.8 pounds P2O5 per acre That’s a very large error. Most soil test labs report phosphorus as parts per million (ppm). They mean P. To convert that to pounds per acre, multiply it by two. To convert it to pounds per acre of P2O5, again, multiply it by 2.29. With potassium, the factor to convert K to K2O is only 1.21, so the error is not as big. Be sure to pay attention to the units when you calculate phosphorus fertilizer use. If you want a more complete explanation of this, see page 32 of “Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water.” This system is dumb and confusing, and should have been changed decades ago. †

Les Henry

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APRIL 1, 2013

Columns Understanding market bulls and bears

Building the perfect marketing contract Brian Wittal offers some warnings and suggestions for dealing with grade risk when you sign sales contracts Brian Wittal

n the last issue of Grainews I discussed a perfect grain marketing contract from a farmer’s perspective. Having thought about this a little more the past two weeks I think we may need to change the term “perfect” to “fair and equitable.” With that change in mind we can work on coming up with terms for the contract that will fairly address both the buyers’ and sellers’ concerns, and the risks that both parties face when entering into a grain marketing contract. In the last column I touched on delivery period assurances. Now, let’s move on to grade risk, price spreads and discounts.

Grade risk For this discussion we will assume that the contract base grade is a No. 1 CWRS. Within a contract there may be a clause that references the grades that the buyer is willing to accept on the contract. Always read any contract carefully so that you know what you are agreeing to as far as terms and specs. With CWRS wheat, buyers may be willing to accept No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 but not No. 4 or Canada feed wheat. This adds additional risk for farmers. If you end up with only No. 4 or Canada feed wheat after a lousy harvest, you can’t deliver it against your contract. This leaves you having to

find a new market for your poorer quality wheat plus having to either buy out your contract, find someone else to fill it for you, or surrender it to the company. If the contract price is better than the current market price, you may not have a problem, but if the market price is lower, you may have to buy out the contract, and pay a contract cancelation administration fee. Companies may restrict the grades they will accept so that they can meet the specs for the sales they’ve made for milling quality wheat. If they take delivery of a No.4 or Canada feed wheat, their buyer will most likely not accept the lower quality. Then the company must try to find other grain that is acceptable to their buyer. And, if they take delivery of your poorer quality grain that they can’t ship to their end customer, they’re tying up space in their facilities. This can cause them real problems down the road when they need space for future shipments. For farmers concerned that they may not grow the grade specified in the contract, one way to reduce this risk is to make an agreement with the buyer that the company will accept your grain if it ends up being a lower quality, and that you will accept a price for that lower quality based on current market price spreads at time of delivery. This would allow you to deliver against your contract and eliminate your risk of potentially having to buy back the contract.

An agreement to use current price spreads at time of delivery sets a fair market value for lower quality wheat as compared to a higher quality.

Grade spreads: an example Let’s say you deliver feed wheat and the market difference between feed wheat and No. 1 CWRS at the time of delivery is $100 per tonne. The Company would deduct $100/t from your contract price to determine what they’ll pay you for the feed wheat. This allows the company to turn around and sell the feed wheat into the market without losing any money. You can move and sell your wheat, and the grain company can resell it without tying up facility space. This arrangement is fair for both parties, with minimal risk and or hassles. Price spreads will change throughout the year depending on the volume and grade of grains available in the marketplace. If for example the price spread from a No. 1 CWRS to a No. 3 CWRS is, on average, about $30/t, and then after a poor harvest there is twice as much No. 3 CWRS available you can expect the price spread to widen between the two grades. Exactly how much the spread might widen is hard to say. Many factors would come into play. The volume and quality of the world wheat crop is a key factor, as it influences the world

price for wheat. The grain companies have to determine at what price they could sell No. 3 CWRS as compared to the world price, and then set an appropriate discount off of the No. 1 CWRS price that will allow them to make sales and move the massive volume of No. 3 CWRS. With the large volume of No. 3 CWRS wheat harvested, there is proportionally less No. 1 wheat available. The discount needs to be wide enough to ensure that the available No. 1 wheat sells at a premium price above the No. 3 CWRS. Companies will blend the No. 1 and No. 3 CWRS to make a No. 2 that is hopefully more desirable to buyers than No. 3 but cheaper than the No. 1. The price spread needs to be appropriate so that they can blend the grades and sell more grain. Throughout the year, as things change in the world wheat markets, these spreads will adjust to keep our grain prices competitive in the world market.

Locking in price spreads It would be too risky for a company to lock in price spreads for you one, two or six months in advance unless they had a committed sale already made. In that case, they could offer you guaranteed price spreads based off of the value of their actual sales. Prior to harvest this is still a risk for the companies — they don’t know what grade of grain

they’ll receive until it is harvested. If world market prices or average qualities change in the meantime, they are at risk of losing money if spreads widen above what they have locked in with farmers who haven’t delivered yet. All of these factors need to be considered when setting price spreads so that grain companies can obtain the best prices and sell and ship the maximum volume of grain. These reasons should help you understand why a grain company, for the most part, will not lock in the price spreads until they are ready to cut you the cheque for the grain you have delivered.

A short discussion on discounts “Discount” refers to a reduction in price due mainly to factors like the moisture level of the grain, the weight of the grain or the amount of foreign material in the grain. There is a tough and/or damp discount that will be deducted from your price if your grain is above a certain moisture level. A common practice in the feed barley market is to discount the price of your contract if the weight of the barley is not at or above 48 pounds per bushel. Some end users will even pay a premium if the weight is over 50 pounds. You can also see a discount if other grains are mixed in with your grain, or if there are stones or ergot or other degrading factors that devalue the grain to an end user. These discounts can be different with every grain and on every contract based on what the company needs. Read your contract carefully and/or negotiate the discounts before signing. † Brian Wittal has 30 years of grain industry experience, and currently offers market planning and marketing advice to farmers through his company Pro Com Marketing Ltd. (www.procommarketingltd.com).

Fusarium rolls across the land. Ugly and unstoppable.

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Publication: Grainews

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Columns CAN’T TAKE THE FARM FROM THE BOY

Make your own trail groomer Now that he’s a farmer, Toban Dyck starts acting like one —making his own inventions. Learn how he made his own cross-country ski trail groomer TOBAN DYCK

he best way to get rid of spilled oil on your workshop floor is by sprinkling gravel or sand over the area, waiting for an hour, then sweeping it up. There. Done. The workshop is ready for spring. All the debris, fluids, clumps of snow and other relics of winter have been swept away. Our shop is heated, large enough for a combine and maybe a car or half-ton truck. It’s heated by my father’s invention: A wasteoil burner. He sells the plans online. In its heyday the contraption earned him a trip to New York over patent talks, and some cash through the sale of plans online. I swept around it. I was just a boy when it came to life. It left me with the desire to invent. Farmers are brilliant inventors. They have to solve their own problems and find solutions for big troubles in short amounts of time. I don’t yet count myself among you, but I am slowly learning the ropes. And I have been dabbling with invention this winter.

MY INVENTION Our property is gorgeous. A biased opinion, sure, but it really is. We have a mix of open space and forest, separated by a dyke that snakes its way through our yard. The Dead Horse Creek cuts the bush in two, and on either side, in a clearing, are man-made ponds. It’s picturesque. And, perfect for cross-country skiing, if you’re into that. I highly recommend it. It’s easy to do, refreshing. And, if you follow my directions, you can be

the envy of the neighbourhood by making your own groomer. I can’t take full credit for the design of my groomer. It’s a blend of my own modifications and some plans I found online. My reason for doing it? I was determined to build it for cheaper than the near-$1,000 price tag on most trail groomers. And I wanted to be able to ski through our yard. You will need a snowmobile to drag this apparatus around. There may not be much skiing left this season, but cut this article out and surprise your family for next winter.

THE DIRECTIONS So, let’s begin: Head on down to the lumberyard. Pick up two 10-foot 2X10s; one sheet of 1/2-inch plywood; a 12-foot 2X4; about five feet of steel, square tubing (1/2-inch); an eight-foot 2X3; a 1/2-inch by six-inch bolt and nut, and a bunch of three-inch deck screws and some shorter ones as well. Cut a 45-degree angle in both 2X10s, ensuring the long end to the base of board is four feet. Take the plywood and cut it 40 inches wide by the length of shortest side of recently cut 2X10s. Take deck screws, and screw the shortest side of 2X10s to the outside, length-side of plywood, ensuring the edge of the 2X10 is flush with plywood edge (screw from the bottom). Next, cover the angled area of 2X10 to give the groomer its sled shape. Measure the width (40 inches) and the height (to the top edge of 2X10) and cut plywood to fit. Fasten with three-inch screws (or shorter) to ends of 2X10s. How the two pieces of plywood meet and base of angle is not too important. There is a wedge opening in mine, and it hasn’t given me any problems.

PHOTOS: TOBAN DYCK

Bottom view of the groomer. These trail-makers are about nine inches apart.

View from the top. Cross country ski trail groomers retail for about $1,000.

Now, cut a piece of plywood for back of groomer and fasten it with screws. This will be 40 inches by the height from bottom of plywood to top of the 2X10. Measure from inside 2X10 to inside 2X10 and cut a length of 2X4 to match. Then, fasten it down along back width of plywood. This will give you something to fasten the back plywood plate to along the width.

time to make the skis. Cut two, 26-inch lengths of 2X3, cutting an arrow shape into one end of each. There is personal preference here, but I spaced the two skimaking boards about nine inches apart, centre to centre, ensuring the 4-1/2 inch mark between them is the exact centre of the width of groomer. Fasten skis down with the longer deck screws.

NOW THE GUTS

ALMOST DONE!

Cut a 2X10 the same width as the recently-cut 2X4 (from inside edge to inside edge). From the bottom of groomer, screw the 2X10 on its edge across width of groomer, so the edge of 2X10 is flush with the seam between flat bottom and the 45° angle. Next, cut four 45° wedges (triangles) out of the 2X10 to give support to front of groomer. Fasten two of the wedges with deck screws from the bottom of groomer (front side) and back side of the 2X10. Flip the groomer over. It’s

Cut two lengths of 2X4, one from inside edge of 2X4 across back width to the front 2X10 (fasten along base of inside of groomer) and the other from back plywood to 2X10 (fasten so it’s flush with top of groomer). Both boards should run front to back along the centre of the groomer’s width. Next, cut two 18-inch lengths of 2X10. Take the two extra wedges you cut earlier and fasten the boards to them. When they’re done the 2X10s should look like book ends.

Now, place them upright, facing each other broadside to broadside, on either side of the centre 2X4s. Make sure the boards front-facing edge is between six to eight inches back from front 2X10. Fasten them down, from bottom of groomer and inside. Now, cut a 1/2-inch hole five inches from top of book-end-like 2X10s. Last steps, I promise: Cut the same-sized hole in the end of the steel tubing; drive a bolt through the 2X10, the steel tubing and the other 2X10. The only thing remaining is the end that hooks on to your sled. This is where I leave you to your own devices. I welded a three-inch steel flange to end of tubing, cut a hole in it and used a c-clamp to attach it to my sled’s draw bar. Last but not least, add about 100 pounds or so to groomer and make some trails! † Toban Dyck is a freelance writer and a new farmer on an old farm. Follow him on Twitter @tobandyck or email tobandyck@gmail.com.

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13-01-08 10:08 AM

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APRIL 1, 2013

Columns MANAGEMENT MINUTE

Iron Man: Superhero or Financial Drain? Calculate your machinery investment ratio, then consider the associated risks ANDREW DERUYCK

look at three farms: Ima Steeladict, E.Z. Dozit and Rusty Bult.

THE SCENARIOS

MARK SLOANE

question our clients commonly ask is: “What is the right machinery investment for my farm?” We see a wide range of investment in iron which can have an impact on cash flow and, more importantly, net income of the operation. In order to illustrate this point we will

tors when needed and also does some custom work for others. Rusty Bult is the king of arc welding and a master mechanic who uses the odd baling wire fix. Rusty’s newest tractor is the same vintage as a fine wine. Powerful Pierre was in power when it first rolled off the dealer’s lot. Rusty is an excellent mechanic and isn’t scared to call in custom workers in the event of a major breakdown. Rusty doesn’t risk doing any custom work for others, mostly because he can’t bring his shop with him on the job.

Ima Steeladict loves shiny paint, and is on the local dealers’ speed dial. He hates the thought of having to fix machinery and feels that timeliness of getting fieldwork done is crucial to his bottom line. Steeladict hates the idea of hiring custom workers and wants the ability to do everything himself in a timely manner. He does periodically do custom work for others as time permits. E. Z. Dozit prides himself on MEASURING YOUR having a functioning line of MACHINERY INVESTMENT equipment that rarely leaves him stranded, but does demand reguThe mechanics of measuring the lar maintenance and mechanic machinery investment in any given T:8.125” work. Dozit hires custom opera- operation are relatively simple.

Start with the total equipment investment, make adjustments for custom work and other enterprises such as livestock and then divide the number by the total acres to arrive at a dollar per acre figure. Then compare this to gross revenue per acre. We start by taking the total equipment investment number off the balance sheet at fair market value. If a farmer uses equipment to do custom work, we remove the portion of the equipment investment that reflects the use of the machine for custom work. For example if your operation owns a high clearance sprayer worth $200,000 and you cover 20,000 acres a year, 10,000 of which are your own and 10,000 of which are custom work, we would reduce the equipment investment by 50 per cent or $100,000. We deal with other enterprises

such as a cattle operations by reducing the equipment figure by an amount that reflects the investment attributable to the livestock enterprise. This final figure is divided by the number of acres to get a dollar per acre figure.

THE BENCHMARK

T:10”

The number used to measure the investment is the equipment investment per acre as a percentage of the average gross revenue per acre. This is important to reflect differences between regions and special crops that require more equipment investment but will also yield more revenue per acre. Our experience has indicated a range from 50 to 200 per cent. For example in a area with a average gross revenue of $400 per acre, the equipment investment ranges from $200 to $800 per acre. There are risks and rewards at both end of the spectrum. For Steeladict, with a machinery investment ratio of close to 200 per cent, the risk is depreciation. Steeladict’s production risk is greatly mitigated by his machinery investment. Fieldwork is done in a timely manner and production is always maximized for the environment. In years of high production and prices this can be money well spent. The problem is that there is always depreciation, whether you use the machinery or not. In years when prices are low and production is poor the depreciation cost per bushel is very high. Depreciation is sometimes a hard cost for a business to recognize until the equipment needs to be replaced. Until you need to replace the equipment with a comparable unit, depreciation has no impact on cash flow. For Dozit, with a machinery investment ratio of 100 per cent, the risk is a balance of depreciation repairs and maintenance and custom work. Dozit’s production risk is reasonable, given his machinery investment. The benefit Dozit sees is flexibility to reduce costs in years of poor production. For instance in a year when he has only a 20 bushel per acre crop, his old combine can handle all his acres and his cost to own that combine is low. In years of high production Dozie has the risk that of being unable to get custom operators whenthey’re needed. For Bult, with a machinery investment ratio of 50 per cent, the production risk is extreme. In years of poor production Bult’s machinery costs are minimized. However in years with high production potential, Bult is not likely to realize that potential. His other risk is high repair and maintenance costs, which can have drastic impacts on cash flow and profitability. In summary each of these three chaps are comfortable with their situation. The important part is they are conscious of the risks that their machinery invest ratios bring. They may choose differently in the future based on their goals, and the stage of their farming career. †

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C-59-02/13-BCS13027-E

Andrew DeRuyck and Mark Sloane manage two farming operations in southern Manitoba and are partners in Right Choice Management Consulting. With over 25 years of cumulative experience, they offer support in farm management, financial management, strategic planning and mediation services. They can be reached at andrewd@ goinet.ca and sloanefarms@hotmail.com or 204825-7392 and 204-825-8443.

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Columns FARM FINANCIAL PLANNER

Tax management essential for succession planning For Horace and Belle, retirement planning is all about minimizing taxes and maximizing their investments BY ANDREW ALLENTUCK

n a corner of southwest Manitoba, a couple we’ll call Horace, 65, and Belle, 62, are thinking about retiring in five years. They’d like to have a pre-tax income of $120,000 per year after they’ve left the farm. They also want to harvest $250,000 from the sale of their farm to finance the purchase of a house in town that they estimate would cost $250,000.

THE SITUATION Retirement will be a big change, for the couple has operated a farm that is now 2,200 acres for 45 years. It has been a success. The farm has almost no debt other than small loans for a recently purchased tractor and swather. The couple’s three children are all married with families of their own. One farms and the others have non-farming careers. The problem for Horace and Belle as they plan their retirement is that most of their assets are tied up in the farm. They will have to sell some land to get cash for nonfarm investments and for the move to town. Sale of their farmhouse, a principal residence, would bear no capital gains tax and would cover the cost of buying a house in town. Horace and Belle would like to leave a legacy to their children, perhaps giving each two quarter sections of land. The child who farms can benefit directly and expand his farming operations. The other two can rent their land for income.

Tundra

Farm Financial Planner asked Don Forbes, head of Don Forbes & Associates/Armstrong & Quaile Inc. of Carberry, Manitoba, to work with Horace and Belle.

THE SUGGESTIONS Forbes notes that in arranging the dispositions, Horace and Belle can use the $750,000 super exemption, but over that limit, they will be subject to capital gains tax. The easiest way to minimize their tax bill would be to transfer two quarter sections of land to each child at book value. The Income Tax Act allows a choice of transferring an asset at either book or market value. The choice of book value minimizes any additional capital gains tax for Horace and Belle. If and when the children sell the land they inherit, they will have a lower cost base and therefore higher tax to pay, Mr. Forbes says. The future tax bill will not be a problem for the child with an active farm — the farm land capital gains tax credit should be available to allow him to reduce his future tax costs in the future. To lower their taxes, the other two non-farming children may have to keep the land as a farm and structure the income from it as active farming income rather than as rental income. That way, when they sell the land they’ve inherited, they, too, can use the farm land capital gains tax exemption. To obtain the $120,000 per year

before tax that they hope to have in their retirement, Horace and Belle will have to sell six quarter sections of land at $1,500 per acre. That would bring in $1.2 million. The farm land capital gains tax exemption of $750,000 per person will shelter all of their gains. After the land auction, Horace and Belle can each use their unused Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) space, $120,000 each, to shelter proceeds from further taxation and to shelter income from the farm up to the time of the sale. Their RRSP contributions should be spread over two years to make the most of tax rebates, Forbes says. After their RRSP contributions are maxed out, their RRSP balance should be converted to Registered Retirement Income Funds. The RRIFs can pay out $800 to both Horace and Belle each month for the next 30 years, Forbes estimates. The income generated by these moves may trigger the Old Age Security clawback. This comes into effect when net taxable income hits $70,954 in 2013, and then captures 15 per cent of all income over that point. When net taxable income hits $114,640, all OAS, $6,553 per year, is taken back. Horace and Belle can elect to defer their OAS payments to age 70. If they did that, each would get a bonus of 7.2 per cent of OAS for each year of deferral after age 65. To make the most of their land sales, it will also be useful to time the sales over two years. That way,

Horace and Belle will be able to avoid triggering the Alternative Minimum Tax. The farm auction of machinery and any deferred grain inventory should take place in the second year. The much higher income tax payable on machinery sold for more than its depreciated value and on grain can utilize any tax reserve created by the difference between the amount of alternative minimum tax and tax due after application of the super exemption on the land sales. As money comes out of farm equipment and deferred grain sales, it can be sheltered first in RRSPs for tax savings and then in Tax-Free Savings Accounts. Horace and Belle have used their TFSA space, so their future contributions will be limited to $5,500 per person per year.

THE OUTCOME The value of this plan is in tax reduction. RRSPs work to reduce tax on prior income. TFSAs shelter future income. But there is a downside, for capital losses realized within either plan cannot be used to reduce capital gains on assets outside the plans. When the land sales are completed, the couple will have retirement income of $120,144 per year, made up of: • Horace’s CPP at $1,200 per month; • Belle’s CPP at $720 per month; • two Old Age Security benefits of $546 per month; • two monthly RRIF payments of $800; and, • monthly payments from non-registered investments totaling $6,400 for the couple, assuming a four per cent return from invested money. After tax, their total monthly income will be $10,012. Most of this income will have been split from asset sales. As a result, each partner will have about $4,300 taxable income per month. If this income is taxed at an average rate of 10 per cent after pension and age credits, the couple will have after-tax income of $87,720, plus the TFSA income. They will be comfortably close to the aftertax equivalent of their hoped-for

$120,000 annual pre-tax retirement income.

INVESTMENTS In the alternative to using TFSA balances to make up for the deficiency produced by government pensions and their savings, Horace and Belle could shift out of the $200,000 Guaranteed Investment Certificates which they have used to hold much of their off-farm capital. Instead, they could invest in a mix of dividend paying stocks and investment grade corporate bonds. If Horace and Belle generate a four per cent blended return from stock dividends or investment grade corporate bonds, they would have $8,000 per year. If they increase the ratio of dividend paying stocks that produce both cash yield and price appreciation, they could get a six per cent return, putting as much as $12,000 into their pockets before tax each year. They could avoid the headaches of picking stocks by using one of the many exchange traded funds that hold so-called dividend aristocrats, that is, shares of companies that have paid dividend for the last 20 years and consistently raised dividends every year or two in that period. For their bond allocation, which could be half of their non-farm investments, they could select an exchange traded fund that holds investment grade corporate bonds with terms to maturity of five years or less. These bonds pay about 3.5 per cent per year and are relatively immune from losses produced by rising interest rates that make existing bonds less attractive. “This is a story about a couple that made a good living and a good investment out of their farm,” Forbes says. “If they handle the asset sale well and if they invest the proceeds well, they have a good chance of having the retirement income they want. It’s all about procedure. If they do it right, the retirement they want is theirs.” † Andrew Allentuck’s latest book, “When Can I Retire? Planning Your Financial Life After Work,” was published in 2011 by Penguin Canada.

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APRIL 1, 2013

Columns OFF-FARM INCOME

Takeovers can lead to impairment charges Andy Sirski talks about the impact of writedowns on resource stocks and explains some stock charts ANDY SIRSKI

ately we’ve heard and read about companies, especially resource companies, taking what are called impairment charges. Barrick Gold (ABX) was a recent example. The company wrote off $3.8 billion to deal with the drop in market value of the copper mine it bought for close to $8 billion some time ago. ABX has a billion shares, so the write off was close to $4 per share. Kinross (K) was another example of a company that had to take big write down after a mine it bought had to be re-priced. It had over $6 billion of goodwill on its balance sheet and has written down about $4 billon so far. Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) likewise recently wrote down over

a billion of impairment charges related mostly to the mining company Consolidated Mining that CLF bought some years ago. These are not cash costs in the proper sense of the word. But the cost has to come out of recent profits. Banks often set aside money for bad loans during times of stress. However banks also often bring back some of that money as income after they collect on those bad loans. Mining companies likely are not so lucky.

NATURAL GAS WRITEDOWNS We might see the same sort of write downs in the natural gas business so we need to be careful with natural gas companies that paid high prices for land that is supposed to have a lot of natural gas. This might not have happened recently; natural gas has been cheap long enough to hold down prices for new purchases. But there could be some stinky fish somewhere on the books for some com-

panies. As, or if, they discover that the land is producing much less gas or oil than they estimated, or if the wells depreciate too quickly, or they run into some dry holes, and if the price of natural gas stays down too long, we could see impairment charges on some natural gas and oil companies. I think streamer stocks like Silver Wheaton Corp. (SLW), FrancoNevada Corp. (FNV) and Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (SSL) are much safer resource-related stocks to own. I own SLW and FNV and sold SSL some time ago. Other companies that should not have write downs likely include pipelines, drillers and service providers. What brought on these losses or writedowns? Over the past few years, the big cry in the boardrooms and among investors was growth. I have never been too close to the corporate world so B:11.5” I can only guess about some of T:11” the chats management had. Why can’t management S:10.25”be happy with a good year? But no, the idea

seems to be that we take last year’s success and look for ways to grow. “Just take last year’s good number and add three or five per cent and we’ll be happy” seems to be the way things go in the corporate world. Where there are takeovers, there are buyers and sellers. Some buyers are overoptimistic or have poor judgment when it comes to the value of an asset. Whatever the reason, it looks like some resource stocks face or have faced big writedowns Another significant recent turn of events has, in my opinion, helped to drop the value of our resource stocks. A number of companies have now said that they will be less aggressive on growth and more likely to reward shareholders. The goal of growing a business can do funny things to executives. Some get excited and pay dearly for their next purchase (I suppose it’s like some farmers paying dearly for the next quarter section of farmland.)

However, these past few years, as commodity prices dropped and demand slowed, suddenly companies discover that they cannot grow their businesses as planned. So they announce that growth will slow down. We haven’t heard much news on the after effects of that slowdown in growth but I suspect some investors have run the numbers. If a company expects lower growth, its shares should be worth less. How much less? I compare it to an elevator going down a floor or two. So might our stocks. For First Majestic Silver Corp. (FR), I paid $18 for some share and have collected $5 per share selling calls at an $18 strike price. Now the right strike price might be $15 or $16 or $17. Of course if the price of silver jumps up, optimism might return.

SEASONALITY Some investors think seasonality doesn’t affect the price of

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C-52-02/13-BCS13005-E

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Columns stocks. I think there is lots of evidence to say it does. Not 100 per cent of the time but often enough to encourage me to think about when a stock is in season. Take gold (and silver usually follows gold). In India, farmers grow crops with the monsoon season. If the season is friendly, crops will be good. In India, farmers don’t pay income tax on money they make from farming. Storing crops is trickier than here in Canada so most of the crop is sold after harvest. Indian farmers pay their bills, set some money aside for future expenses and then usually buy gold and or silver with the rest of their money. That is one demand that matches the seasons. Weddings in India often happen in the fall. Jewelers need gold and silver two or three months before wedding season to make jewelry for weddings. Silver and gold prices often drop going into summer so why would a jeweler buy the precious metal before July? That’s another seasonal effect. After wedding season comes Christmas, Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. All of these cause people to buy gold and or silver in various forms. Seasonality. The peaks and rollovers don’t usually come on the same day every year. In 2010 gold rolled over around April 15. In 2011 it was around April 1. In 2012 the price of gold fell $80 per ounce on Leap Day, February 29. It was called the Leap Day Massacre. In 2013 the price of gold looks to have touched bottom in the first week of March. Time will tell. There might be a price rally for a short time until out of season kicks in. However, the price of our gold and silver stocks might have trouble going up if the market suspects the rally will be short and if growth is going to slow down. Besides, these days there are other good stocks to own.

10- or 20-day moving average chart. The $SPX gives us a ratio which we can use to help us buy right, and the 10-day moving average could help us sell near tops. Here’s how to view these charts on the Internet. Go to www.stockcharts.com and click on “Free Charts.” Type in the name of the stock in the “symbol” box in the middle of the page (for example, Disney, “DIS”) and a chart will show up with DIS in the symbol box on the top left of the chart. Deep below the body of the chart find the word “Indicators.” Click on the menu arrow on any of the three boxes listed below “Indicators,” find the words “price performance” on the drop-down menu and click on that. The symbol $SPX should pop into the “Parameters” box. Put your cursor in that text box, to the left of $SPX and enter the symbol for Disney. You should have dis:$SPX in that box. Then click to get a chart. Be sure to put the colon (:) after the symbol DIS.

Now click update (near the top of the page). On the main body of the chart you should see what is called a candlestick chart. White means the price went up that day. Black means down. These days the candlestick chart has been heading up. Now look below to find the price performance chart which shows a ratio of the price of DIS and the S&P index. As I’m writing, the ratio chart for DIS is heading up. That shows the price of Disney is going up faster than the S&P index. This is not foolproof. If the $SPX was falling and the stock price was falling slower then the chart would still be up, so do look at what the market is doing. Not too many stocks have a rising chart these days. Most of the resource stocks I own have falling charts. So yes I proved once again that selling when the daily price crossed the 10-day moving average would have been a good thing to do. (I have written about this before.)

On that chart if you want to see how the price of a gold stock is doing compared to the price of gold, instead of $SPX type in $gold and then type in the symbol of the stock to the left of the $gold. For example, Barrick Gold would be ABX.to:$gold. If you have problems call or email me. As I’m writing on March 5, the Dow Jones Index hit a new high at 14,257. The old high was around $14,100 in October 2007. The main question is “Are we nearing the end of the old bull market or are we starting a new bull market?” I don’t know. But it looks like the market wants to be bullish at least until the sell in May and go away kicks in this spring. A reader sent me this statistic: In October, 2007 the 30 stocks on the Dow were priced at 4.6 times book value. These days the 30 stocks are priced at 2.75 times book value. That is 60 per cent of the old book value. I think it suggests the market has room to go up. In steps, and with setbacks, yes, but more

up than down. I guess we’ll see. I don’t often buy in to predictions like this. To me all that really matters is “What are my stocks doing?” If the price is going up and the price has not crossed the 10-day moving average going down, then I think it’s quite safe to keep owning the stock. If that price performance ratio is still heading up, then it should be another sign to think about. Keep in mind that indicator is not foolproof — the chart would be going up if the stock was dropping less than the $SPX index. I also look at three other indicators: the MACD, full Stochastic and the RSI index, all of which you can find on Stockcharts. If you have questions or comments send me an email at sirski@mts.net or call me at 1- 204-453-4489. † Andy is mostly retired. He plays with his grandchildren, travels, gardens and manages his family’s portfolio. Andy also publishes a newsletter called StocksTalk where he tells what he does with his stocks and how things turned out. If you want to read StocksTalk free for a month send an email to Andy at sirski@mts.net.

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Learn two charts I’ve been studying charts for years. In my opinion, we only need two: the one with the price performance, the $SPX and the

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APRIL 1, 2013

Machinery & Shop NEW TRACTORS

In this issue of Machinery and Shop we take a look at new tractors

hen this picture of a machinery dealer’s lot was taken in 1976, the technology and operator comfort level on the two larger Versatile tractors shown was about as good as it got. The farmers who drove them home got what was then high horsepower and an early version of a comfortable and safe cab. This year Versatile introduced three new tractors built on a rigid-frame chassis, something that was foreign to the brand in 1976. The new Versatiles are just three of the sever-

al new tractor models introduced so far this year. Through January and February, Massey Ferguson’s marketing staff were busy pointing out the features of the new 4600 and 5600 Series tractors at farm shows in the U.S. Case IH and New Holland unveiled new tractors, too. Case IH expanded its Farmall line, while NH introduced new T4 and T5 machines. In the Machinery and Shop section of this issue we take a look at some of those new tractors and see what they have to offer. † Scott Garvey.

PHOTO: RAY BIANCHI, CLASSIC FARM PHOTOS

NEW TRACTORS

The MF 4600 Series MF debuts new 75 to 95 horsepower models at the National Farm Machinery Show in February BY SCOTT GARVEY

hen North American Massey Ferguson dealers gathered for a convention in Kansas City in January, they were given their first look at the brand’s newest tractor line, the 4600 Series. A month later these models made their public debut at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky. The smaller of two completely new, utility-class series introduced by Massey this winter, the three tractors in the 4600 Line offer engine horsepower ratings of 75, 85 and 95 (63.5, 72 and 80 at the PTO, respectively). They’re the updated replacement for the previous 2600 HD line. “The 4600 Series is a great choice for operators who need a tough, reliable tractor for hay production, utility work and day-to-day on-thefarm use,” says David Bercik, product marketing manager at Massey Ferguson. “They’ll find these new 4600 Series tractors comfortable and convenient to operate, as well as responsive and efficient for handling nearly any job.” That’s the marketing hype behind them, but lets take a close look at what these tractors really offer.

UNDER THE HOOD Under the hood of all three models, Massey has stuffed an allnew, three-cylinder, turbo-charged AGCO Power diesel from the com-

pany’s 33 AWIC engine family. It conforms to Interim Tier IV (IT4) emissions standards, which actually puts it a generation ahead of some of its competition in this horsepower range. The four-valve design boasts improved airflows through the engine and enhances fuel-air mixing for more complete combustion, which helps bump up fuel efficiency. Wet, replaceable cylinder liners with mid-supports improve engine cooling, and Massey claims that also minimizes service needs and enhances engine life. These diesels are controlled by the SisuTronic EEM4, electronic engine management system, which can adjust injection timing to further lower fuel consumption. Despite its IT4 emissions designation, this engine does not use a diesel particulate filter, so there is no need to burn extra fuel to regenerate a filter. “The design and technology found in these AGCO Power engines mirror those found in our larger diesel engines,” adds Bercik. “Primarily, we’ve focused on optimizing the combustion and fuel use to deliver the power needed in the most fuel-efficient manner possible. Behind the engine is a fully synchronized, 12F/12R power shuttle transmission that allows for onthe-go shifting. Using a gear-type hydraulic pump, the 4600s deliver 65 litres per minute (17.1 gallons per minute) of fluid flow at the SCVs. The three-point hitch is capable of 1,553 kilograms (3,417 pounds) of

PHOTO: AGCO

Cabbed versions of the 4600 Series tractor offer a pretty comfortable operator’s station.

PHOTO: AGCO

The new 4600 Series tractors offer three models from 75 to 95 horsepower.

lift, when measured 24 inches from the ball ends, which is respectable for a tractor in this size class. Basic chassis weight for the largest tractor in the Series, the 4610, with MFWD and a cab is 3,150 kilograms (6,945 pounds). The three 4600 Series tractors are currently available with MFWD in open station or cabbed versions. A two-wheel drive option for all three will be available sometime in the second quarter of 2013. What kind of damage will a new 4600 Series tractor do to your bank account? A two-wheel drive, 75 horsepower, 4608 openstation model will set you back U.S.$30,092. The 95 horsepower, 4610 MFWD with a cab comes in at U.S.$50,581. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

PHOTO: RAY BIANCHI, CLASSIC FARM PHOTOS

The 4600 models made their public debut at the National Farm Machinery Show in Kentucky.

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APRIL 1, 2013

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Machinery & Shop New tractors

Versatile’s new high-horsepower, row crop tractors 260 to 310 horsepower models are the largest MFWD tractors ever to roll out the door at Versatile’s Clarence Avenue assembly plant By Scott Garvey

“

Scale model Versatiles

he time has come for a revolution,” reads the press release from Versatile announcing the introduction of three all-new, MFWD, row crop tractors. Versatile’s current MFWD tractor line can trace its lineage back to the origin of the Genesis models, which were first introduced in September of 1993 wearing FordNew Holland blue. And although Genesis tractors have seen at least one major updating and several minor ones since then, the new 260, 290 and 310 MFWD models the company just debuted do seem to be a revolutionary new addition to the line, from their styling through to their components. The slope-nosed hood — which is fast becoming an industry standard in this horsepower class — is a radical new look for Versatile’s MFWD models, although there are familiar styling cues and shared components that make it clear these tractors are related to their larger, articulated brothers. But more importantly, they stretch the horsepower ratings for Versatile rigid-frame tractors to new heights. The horsepower ratings of the 260, 290 and 310 correspond to their model numbers. The new models may also catch the attention of row crop farmers in areas of the world where the brand hasn’t had a strong presence so far. That means they could be an important plank in management’s plan to grow the brand. Although there have been a few “spy” pictures circulating on the internet showing prototypes of the three new tractors for the past year or so, the company chose to keep silent — officially — until now and launch them this past February jointly at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky, and the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California. That said, here’s a look at what Versatile has built into these tractors.

Under the hood Under that sloping hood, which offers better airflow through a

photo: versatile

Versatile just grew the top end of its row crop tractor line with the introduction of three new models ranging from 260 to 310 engine horsepower. larger grille, is a Cummins QSL 9.0 litre diesel. The Interim Tier IV-compliant engine uses exhaust gas recirculation and a diesel particulate filter to meet those emissions levels, so DEF fluid isn’t required. The variable geometry turbocharger minimizes turbo lag and helps the engine deliver a 40 percent torque rise. To keep the engine fed, these tractors get a larger 170 U.S. gallon fuel tank. Allowing the Cummins engine to stay cool and to keep the new larger grille free of debris, the tractor is available with a new reversing fan, which automatically changes airflow direction every 20 minutes to blow the grille clear. That helps cut down daily maintenance chores. Delivering power from the Cummins is a 16F/9R full powershift with push-button control. The transmission has been specially designed to mate to the 9.0 litre Cummins and work well with its torque curve and performance characteristics. Adhering to the brand’s reputation for simplicity, reliability and durability, the new tractors have been designed for easy maintenance, allowing most daily service requirements to

photo: ray bianchi, classic farm photos

Versatile used the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky, in February as one of the venues to officially launch its new tractors. be handled without raising the hood. Sight glasses have been engineered into the tractors to allow operators to check engine oil, rear axle lube and fuel tank levels from the exterior with just a glance. Finally, operators get a comfortable and spacious place to work. The same large cab which has been at home atop the brand’s larger, four-wheel drive tractors for a couple of years brings the same level of comfort to these row crop

models. The door is designed to open for easy access. Inside, the armrest control has an ergonomic layout and houses a seven-inch color monitor that displays electro-hydraulic and tractor management data. If you want to plug in your laptop or cell phone charger, there are 110 volt AC and 5 volt USB power outlets. MSRP for the new tractors starts at about $215,000 for a base 260. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

f you can’t afford to park a new Versatile tractor in your farm shop, you can now at least put one on your bookshelf. The company just announced it has found a partner to manufacture miniature versions of its tractors. “There has been a lot of demand for scale models of new Versatile tractors,” says Adam Reid, director of marketing. “Ever since reviving the Versatile brand name in 2008, customers and dealers have been asking for toy tractors. It’s taken some time to find the right partner and we are extremely excited to launch the new line of fourwheel drive toys.” Built by Tomy/Ertl, a new line of scale models will be available through Versatile dealers. Included in the initial release of 1/32 and 1/64 scale toys are 500 and 550 tractors, a semi-trailer truck carrying a 500 tractor and a “dealership” truck. “This is really just the beginning,” continues Reid. “We’re working on more products for the Versatile customers and fans that share our enthusiasm for the brand.” † Scott Garvey

photo: versatile

Tractors in the new line of Versatile scale models are available in 1/32 and 1/64 scale.

C NOLA M.D.

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APRIL 1, 2013

Machinery & Shop NEW TRACTORS

New Holland adds new power Designed to appeal primarily to livestock and mixed-farm producers, the brand offers more choices in the utility tractor segment BY SCOTT GARVEY

f all the airline flights I’ve been on, I’ve never had the chance to sit in business class. The closest I’ve come is a quick look as I made my way through to steerage class. But New Holland seems to think riding in one of its new T5 Series utility tractors is the equivalent of flying business class. “Welcome to the business class of farming,” reads the company’s announcement to the press.

THE T5 LINE The T5 line offers three models from 98 to 115 engine horsepower (82, 91 and 98 PTO horsepower). And all three get that muscle from an FPT (Fiat Powertrain) F5C, 3.4 litre, common rail, turbo diesel that meets Interim Tier IV emissions standards. Combining cooled EGR with a diesel particulate filter is how these engines meet that standard, so they don’t require DEF. Farmers opting for a T5 tractor get to pick one of three transmissions to bolt up to that fourcylinder engine. The base feature is a 12F/12R power shuttle. There’s a specialty 20F/20R power shuttle gearbox with a speed range of 0.2 to 40 KPH and, finally, a 24F/24R DualCommand Hi-Lo powershift. The Hi-Lo splitter in the 24F/24R can be activated under full load, reducing forward speed by 15 per

cent and boosting torque at the rear wheels by 18 per cent to help power through tough spots. And how suddenly the shuttle shift responds can be adjusted by selecting one of three separate settings. There’s a slower, gentle setting for field applications, and intermediate and a fast, very responsive rate for loader applications. All three models come with a standard 540 and 1,000 r.p.m. PTO, but an optional 540 economy setting and a front 1,000 r.p.m. shaft are available, along with an optional front three-point hitch. At the rear three-point hitch the option list continues. Base lift capacity for the category II hitch is 2,605 kilograms (5,745 pounds). But if you need a tractor with bigger biceps, you can double that lift capacity to 5,420 kilograms (11,949 pounds). The T5s have two hydraulic pumps, one for the SCVs and three-point hitch and another dedicated to steering. And yet again, you get options with flow rates. Even the steering pump can be upgraded from the base flow rate of 38 litres per minute (10 gallons) to 43 LPM (11 GPM). Base implement flow rate is 65 LPM (17 GPM), but an upgrade here gives you 84 LPM (22 GPM). The all new VisionView cab design includes the CommandArc control console which places controls and switches in a comfortable arc that the operator can easily reach. The cab has a high-visibility roof panel to improve vision.

SMALLER T4 TRACTORS Introduced at the same time as the T5 Series, New Holland also pulled the wraps off the T4 line. There are three tractors in this group as well, with engine horsepower ratings of 84, 98 and 106 (70, 82 and 91 PTO horsepower). These ratings and many of the features available in the T4 and T5 models overlap. But while NH considers the T5 Series farming’s business class, the T4s can be spec’d out in a way that puts you back into economy class. Both lines share the same FPT, four-cylinder engine, but transmission options are a little different. You can pick a 12F/12R or 20F/12R mechanical shuttle, or really upgrade to 12F/12R or 20F/20R power shuttles. Three-point hitch lift capacities and hydraulic flow rates are available in a couple of different specs, too. But they’re all lower than the T5’s. The T4s can also be ordered with an open station, two-wheel drive configuration. When it comes to pricing, a two-wheel drive, open station T4.85 — the smallest T4 model — has a base price of US$42,307. Add MFWD and a cab to the largest tractor in the line, the T4.105, and the sticker price jumps to US$64,762. The T5.95, starts at US$69,555. At the top of that range, the T5.115 has a base of US$72,825. †

PHOTO: RAY BIANCHI, CLASSIC FARM PHOTOS

New Holland’s T5 Series tractors were introduced to the public in Louisville, Kentucky, at the National Farm Machinery Show.

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

PHOTOS: NEW HOLLAND

Inside the VisionView cab on the new T5 line, controls are placed in an ergonomic layout using the CommandArc concept.

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Introduced at the same time as the larger T5s, the T4s offer overlapping horsepower ratings and some similar options, but also lower specifications and a lower price tag.

We just couldn’t leave well enough alone. The all new 6M SerieS TracTorS – it wasn’t easy improving perfect.

if you owed a John Deere 6030 or 7030 Series Tractor, you know why they were so popular. Some owners even called them “perfect”. But we just couldn’t leave well enough alone – not with the everchanging demands of today’s agriculture. So we engineered the new 6M Series Tractors – six new models from 105 to 170 horsepower.* You’ll like how we improved on “perfection”. Power comes from reƟned John Deere PowerTech™ engines that now squeeze even more performance from every drop of diesel. (And yes, diesel is the only fuel you need.) We increased the hydraulic performance up to 45 percent. Hitch capacity went up. Loader cycle times went down. There are now more transmission choices for fast loader work, and fast transport. And new, optional, PowerFill™ Brakes give you better stopping with less effort. See what else we did to make perfect tractors even better. Visit your John Deere dealer to learn more about the new 6M Tractors. *Manufacturer’s estimate of power (ISO) per 97/68/ED.

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3/11/13 2:07 PM

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APRIL 1, 2013

Machinery & Shop Forage equipment

AGCO expands its line of small square balers The line of Hesston by Massey Ferguson small balers gets two new heavy-duty, high-density, three-twine models for 2013 By Scott Garvey

ust the sight of a small square baler can still make some former farm boys break out in a cold sweat. Most of us spent more than a few hot summer days manhandling hundreds of small, square hay bales. It was hard work, and I’m sure we’re all pleased to see round balers now dominating the market on the prairie. But the need for small square bales hasn’t gone away entirely. In fact, the demand for small square balers has remained reasonably strong over the decades. To better compete in the small-baler segment and offer a heavy-duty machine matched by few other manufacturers, AGCO just introduced two more models to its line of Hesston by Massey Ferguson MF1800 Series balers. At the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, in early February, the company debuted it’s MF1844S and MF1844N, bringing the total number of models in the MF1800 Series to six.

The new machines These two new machines are heavy-duty, three-twine balers, unlike the smaller MF1835, MF1847, MF1839 and MF1841, which use the more familiar twotwine knotters.

photos: agco

New MF1844 small-square balers introduced to the Hesston by Massey Ferguson line in February create a very dense bale wrapped with three twines. The 1844 models aren’t your usual small-square baler. The high density bales they produce are designed to be better suited to producers selling high-quality hay into the export market, which requires very dense bales that can be further compacted and stuffed into sea containers. And we farm boys can breathe a sigh of relief; the bales coming

out of an 1844 are designed to be mechanically handled. “We designed the MF1844 balers to meet the handling and transportation needs of hard-working Western harvesters who demand consistently dense, stackable, Hesston bales,” says Dean Morrell, manager of product marketing, Hay and Forage. “These new PTOdriven balers are low-maintenance

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The MF1800 Series line of balers also includes four, more conventional models that use two-twine knotters. machines with less downtime, so operators can keep moving when conditions are right to bale hay at its optimum quality.” The MF1844 balers are substantially heavier machines than the four other models in the line. Their base weight is a hefty 8,000 pounds (3,630 kilograms). That’s much beefier than the smallest two-twine model, the MF1835, which tips the scales at only 2,700 pounds (1,224 kilograms). The two new models offer 15 X 22 inch or 16 X 22 inch chambers, each capable of making bales from 36 to 48 inches long. The three twines keep these dense bales, which can weigh up 145 pounds, from breaking apart. The smaller, two-twine models offer bale chamber sizes of 14 X 18 or 16 X 18 inches. All Hesston small-square balers use the same in-line design which feeds the windrow straight up into the bale chamber, unlike competitive balers that use a sidedelivery concept. AGCO claims the overall, in-line design and unique pre-compression chamber better preforms each flake before it gets pushed into the chamber by the plunger, so the By Dan Piraro

Bizarro

crop is more evenly distributed and the bale has uniform density with nice, square shoulders. That, AGCO adds, eliminates those occasional banana-shaped bales which end up breaking. Because the pickup doesn’t stick out to the side, there’s no need to put the baler in and out of transport position when moving from field to field, that saves a little time. And with the bale chamber sitting up quite high, the needles remain above the axles, reducing the chance of damaging them when driving over a difficult field access or some other uneven surface.

The cost Base MSRP for MF1800 Series balers begins at US$21,465 for the smallest model, the MF1835. The MF1841, the highest capacity two-twine model will set you back US$33,884. Way up at the top end of the price chart are the new MF1844S and N. Their base price is US$69,861. But they are in a unique category with only one other manufacturer, Freeman, building a comparable baler. So you’d expect them to be much more expensive than a conventional two-twine machine Here’s a look at what can you expect to pay for other two-twine, small-square balers on the market, according to each company’s online pricing information. John Deere’s three, 300 Series small square balers, which all offer 14 X 18 inch bales up to 50 inches in length, range from US$20,299 for the 328 to U.S.$24,623 for the 348. New Holland offers specific Canadian pricing online. For its smallest model, the BC5050, which also makes 14 X 18 inch bales, but up to 52 inches long, base price is C$22,014. At the top of the NH line, the BC5080, with a 16 X 18 inch bale chamber, will cost you C$35,472. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop NEW TRACTORS

MF 5600 is designed for loader work New 5600 Series tractors from MF replace the previous 5400s but keep the sloped hood design for impressive forward visibility BY SCOTT GARVEY

“

he new 5600 is new basically from the ground up,” says Randy Peterson, product marketing manager for 5600 Series Massey Ferguson tractors. “It’s overtaken the 5400. If you look at the hood, visibility is fantastic. You put a loader on that and it’s going to have the best visibility, best ride and best drive in the industry. When you sit in the cab you can see all the way down to the loader bucket.” When he said that, Peterson and I were standing in front of a polished-up 5609 on the show floor at Ag Connect Expo in Kansas City last January. The 5609 is one of two new tractors that make up Massey Ferguson’s all-new 5600 Series. The tractor was getting a lot of attention from show goers, and it was the first time the company had shown a 5600 Series model to the public.

at the dealership will tag another U.S.$931 onto the purchase price. The 5600s also get a bigger cab than the 5400s. Inside a new, spacious six-post version with the same square footage as cabs on the 7600 Series tractors is where the operator gets to spend his or her day. Another feature brought down from the larger models is the forward dash. The one in the 5600 is modelled after the forward control array in the biggest Masseys, the 8600s. Its narrow profile helps keep forward visibility to a maximum. The Visio roof option offers more glass space up high, so operators can see the bucket when the loader is at its maximum height. Both 5600s get a standard 540

and 540 economy PTO. The economy setting maintains PTO shaft speed at lower engine revs, and the larger 5610 also gets a 1,000 PRM shaft. Fuel tank capacity is 160 litres (42 gallons), which should be ample to keep the tractor going for a full day at high revs. Chassis weight on an MFWD model is 3,800 kilograms (8,378 pounds) and three-point hitch lift capacity is 3,220 kilograms (7,100 pounds). Base price for an MFWD 5609 “Classic Edition” is U.S.$72,485. Tack another U.S.$2,840 onto that to move up to the more powerful 5610. †

PHOTO: SCOTT GARVEY

First shown to the public in Kansas City in January, the all-new MF 5600 tractors offer an Interim Tier IV-compliant engine and new transmission features.

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

Order today for

SUMMER SALE DISCOUNTS

THE 5609 AND 5610 The 5609 and 5610, with engine horsepower ratings of 90 and 100 respectively (70 and 75 at the PTO), are the first of the new series, which will soon replace the existing 5400 line. The new tractors will keep the sloping hood design that debuted on the 5400s, that key feature improves their desirability as loader tractors. The 5610 is just an uprated version of the 5609, so they share the same chassis and most of the same features. They both get power from a three-cylinder, 3.3 litre, AWI HD AGCO Power turbocharged and intercooled, common rail diesel engine. “Everything in that engine is balanced to the nearest gram,” notes Peterson. And it’s connected to a 16F/16R Dyna-4 semi-powershift transmission that offers a host of new highend features. Powershifting is possible between the four gears in each of the four ranges. The Dyna-4 also has an electro-hydraulic shuttle. As an option, the shuttle control can be built into the right-hand loader joystick for even more convenience. The 40 kilometre-per-hour Dyna4 gearbox has been redesigned for the 5600 and now includes AUTO-N. That feature allows the operator to stop the tractor by simply pushing on both brake pedals, causing the transmission to slip into neutral automatically. So clutching to stop becomes unnecessary. The transmission can also be upgraded with the addition of AUTO-DRIVE, an autoshifting feature that makes it perform similarly to an automatic transmission in a car. Including AUTO-DRIVE adds a relatively modest US$250 to the tractors’ purchase price. In the hydraulic department, the 5600 Series tractors get two pumps. One delivers a standard flow rate of 41.8 lires per minute (11 gallons) to the rear three-point linkage, and the other puts a maximum of 57 LPM (15 GPM) at the SCVs. But an optional Twin Flow system combines the flow from both and channels it to the SCVs, boosting the rate up to a much better 98.8 LPM (26 GPM). Adding Twin Flow to a tractor’s spec sheet

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1.20%

$6.38

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1.20%

$6.38

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/ grainews.ca

APRIL 1, 2013

Cattleman’s Corner THE BIG PICTURE

Shotgun approach to beef production missing the target BY SEAN MCGRATH

was at Cattlemen’s Corral in Lloydminster a while ago and caught a good presentation from Anne Dunford, a long-time beef market specialist for many years with Canfax and now with Gateway Livestock. She had a very interesting series of slides with global beef cattle numbers, trends and markets. As Canadians we pride ourselves on our beef, but we are pretty small potatoes when you look at cattle numbers in places like the U.S., Brazil and even China. Another interesting point she made was that Canada is nearing a neutral or negative balance of trade in beef. This may not be particularly surprising given the fallout from the last decade and the fact that all of us are 10 years older than we were a decade ago. It is surprising given the fact that with a relatively small cattle population, we used to be an export powerhouse. It is easy to focus inward and convince ourselves we are the centre of the universe, but at some point we need to look outward and make some decisions in the industry as to the direction we are going to take. This discussion occurs at the national level in groups such as the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and the federal government, and even provincially with commodity groups and provincial governments, but the reality is the industry is made up of the individuals on the ground with the cows, and any real direction is going to come from that level. Canada is a big country and there are different production methods and markets across this

country, and the same is true of potential customers.

CHANGING PATTERNS Certainly signals are coming from the processing end, as a large percentage (well over half) of the cattle processed in this country are sold off the cash market, through grids or other prearranged contracts. These contracts often contain direct incentives to produce to a specific target. The percentage of calves being sold directly off the farm has been growing as well. While this does create new challenges for value discovery, it also provides some real incentive and traceback to these cattle. Add BIXS (Beef InfoXchange Service) and other similar programs to the mix and it is probable that at some point the number of calves sold direct off farm will outweigh those that are sold through auction. I would argue this desire to purchase off farm is driven by packer contracts (which in turn are driven by retail contracts). In an effort to optimize cattle meeting the contract targets, improved health status is a good start for a lot of feeders. Additionally, knowing the source of the cattle allows feeders and their suppliers to get back to the level of genetics. In my opinion this is where we have to make some serious decisions as an industry and where one of the real opportunities lies. The interesting thing about genetics to me is the answer to what is “right” is really and truly “it depends,” and the opportunity may lay not so much in changing genetics, but identifying and streaming them into the correct marketplace.

THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY Currently the business model for many packers is to process enough animals that the law of averages will allow them to fill their contracts. There are preferred markets for lean meat, well-marbled meats, and other specific cuts/types of product and packers sign contracts to reduce their risk and try to lock in profits. The current business model in essence relies on putting through enough animals in a day so high-priority orders can be filled with high-quality product. Occasionally a retailer may get lucky and get higher-spec product at a discounted price if the kill happens to be heavy in highquality product. Conversely, a packer may get unlucky and not have enough of a specific product to fill orders. The best example of this may be lean beef/ trim imported from Southern Hemisphere countries if there is not enough lean product to fill orders for lean grind. It is relatively straightforward to say this model is somewhat absurd. Cattle feeders feed undifferentiated cattle for long periods in order to hit marbling targets and produce many carcasses with excess fat at a tremendous cost. It creates cattle with genetics for lean meat production being fed in systems where they cannot hope to ever achieve grade targets. It creates markets where lean cattle are imported in order to fill orders which in many cases could be filled by Canadian cattle if a bit more was known about their specifics.

PRODUCING FOR THE MARKET This is where a lot of the opportunity lies in the Canadian industry. Excellence in the case of an industry is created one farmer and rancher and one cow at a time. It does not necessarily mean that there is a perfect cow or breed combination. Rather it means that each level of production is knowledgeable about and accountable for what it is producing. There is real opportunity for cattle across many demographics and descriptions at various times and seasons, and every market is a niche market. While potentially able to open market doors, this approach is very difficult for representative groups such as Canada Beef to tackle. We know that there is more total value to be obtained if we can proactively source and secure individual markets that require a specific product and this means that individual operations and co-operative brands must take responsibility from large scale approaches. We see this happening with some relatively new players on the scene even now. This differentiated approach

means that organic is not at odds with conventional, grass fed is not at odds with grain fed, and highly marbled is not at odds with lean. It means that we know going in what the customer wants and can consistently provide it, in whatever form they want it. It also means we can objectively assess market opportunities and determine whether they are worth pursuing or whether we can provide what they want at a level that is profitable. Our export industry of a decade ago was largely constructed on a price advantage due to a low Canadian dollar and a feed advantage due to the loss of a shipping subsidy. As the industry has contracted we are once again faced with a unique opportunity to determine our own fate and whether we want to pursue it. Canadian beef is available in a vast colour palette, but knowing what the colours are is pretty helpful when painting a beef marketing masterpiece; and that is excellent. † Sean McGrath is a rancher and consultant from Vermilion, AB. He can be reached at sean@ranchingsystems.com or (780)8539673. For additional information visit www. ranchingsystems.com.

MARKETS

Beef demand slowly improving JERRY KLASSEN MARKET UPDATE

holesale beef prices reached historical highs in late March, spilling over into fed cattle prices. Alberta fed cattle prices were hovering in the $115/ cwt to $117/cwt range, lagging the U.S. market in the Southern Plains were slaughter steers were trading at $1.28/cwt. Consumer demand appears to be strengthening in line with the seasonal tendency causing wholesale choice beef to trade at $197/cwt. Retail ground beef prices continue to climb higher and higher-end cuts have bounced off the lower levels from January and February. Consumer spending contracted in the first two months of the year but grocers and restaurants are gearing up for an active spring period. U.S. unemployment dropped to 7.7 per cent in February, the lowest in four years and the Dow Jones

Industrial average made fresh alltime highs. Consumer confidence is expected to improve which will rejuvenate overall beef demand. Cattle-on-feed numbers in the U.S. have been running six per cent below year-ago levels during the winter period. However, U.S. feedlot placements in February were two per cent above last year. First quarter beef production was marginally lowered while the USDA slightly increased each consecutive quarter.

SUPPLY DROP A sharp drop in beef production in the latter half of 2013 should support wholesale beef prices and the fed cattle market. Given the tighter supply scenario, fast-food chains are having a difficult time locking in long-term contracts for ground beef. Retailers are also working on a hand-to-mouth basis watching how consumers will react if prices continue to move higher longer term. For once in the beef complex, the pipeline is considered thin and packers are expecting greater

negotiating leverage, which should improve packing margins longer term. In the final quarter of 2013, U.S. feedlot inventories could slip to five-year lows, but carcass weights will be the major variable influencing overall beef production. Corn values are also expected to drop to lower levels, causing heavier weights. Alberta and Saskatchewan on-feed numbers have also been coming in six to eight per cent below last year during the winter. This trend is expected to continue into the summer months as live feeder cattle exports are running 78 per cent above last year. The weaker Canadian dollar should cause the basis levels for fed cattle to strengthen but the lower slaughter pace reflects that packers are having a difficult time moving beef products in the short term.

TEMPORARY SETBACK First-quarter economic activity was rather sluggish with U.S. consumers realizing less takehome pay due to social security tax and government fiscal

uncertainty. This appears to be a temporary setback with other variables showing solid signs of sustaining longer term growth. U.S. housing prices are up about 10 per cent over last year and the trend for housing starts is also improving. More small-business loans and overall employment figures are positive signals, which longer term, should drive down unemployment levels and increase consumer income. U.S. at-home food spending for January was up 5.7 per cent over January of 2012; this compares to the 2012 monthly average year-over-year increase of 3.3 per cent. Restaurant spending was up 5.0 per cent over last year, which is down from the 2012 monthly average of 10.8 per cent. This slower growth was clearly noticed on higher-end beef cuts. Moving forward, we should see increased growth in the restaurant spending comparable to last year. Look for Alberta fed-cattle prices to trade sideways to higher in April and then consolidate. If we continue to see a recovery in spending,

the market should stay firm in the summer months. Western Canadian feeder cattle prices are trading $15/cwt to $20/ cwt below year-ago levels due to historically high feed grain prices and limited strength in the fed-cattle market. In midMarch, exotic steers with medium flesh weighing 630 pounds sold for $156/cwt in central Alberta; top-quality Charolais-cross steers weighing 882 pounds were quoted at $126/cwt landed in a southern Alberta feedlot. The U.S. feeder market has been trading at a premium to Manitoba and Saskatchewan prices causing an increase in live exports. I’ve tempered my short-term view of feeder cattle prices and the market is projected to remain relatively flat into the summer. However, weaker feed grain values and stronger fed cattle prices should result in feeders reaching historical high prices in the fall. † Gerald Klassen analyzes cattle and hog markets in Winnipeg and also maintains an interest in the family feedlot in Southern Alberta. For comments or speaking engagements, he can be reached at gklassen7@hotmail.com or call 204 899 8268.

BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF

Cattleman’s Corner

Benefits from VBP build across the beef industry Some are at the producer level, some industry, but all count toward responsiveness

here aren’t many weeks go by where Canada’s beef industry is not challenged to do better at something. Be more competitive. Better marketers. Better at food safety. Better stewards of the land. Better at caring for animals. It’s not that the industry is doing badly at those things. It’s just the world we live in today of continual discussion of progress and performance, and the extremely high expectations of food consumers and society in general. That’s exactly the scenario the beef industry had in mind when leaders and volunteers drafted the Verified Beef Production (VBP) program years ago. Producers were joined by industry stakeholders such as processors and veterinarians who offered their support, and built a broad coalition which shaped the program. In the demanding world of today, the benefits of VBP to producers and their industry have never been clearer.

Even the best-managed operations say they have adjusted how they use animal health products, because history shows what product is working and when it’s time for a change. Basis for staff training or family communication. Have new staff? Neighbours who help out with chores, or help sorting out a problem? VBP helps all of them understand proper procedure. Third-party audits. It is optional but more producers recognize the value of the thirdparty VBP audit. It’s being able to prove you have done what you said you were doing. Producers say it helps provide authenticity (especially selling branded beef), is a good VBP helps you and the industry demonstrate responsible practices. learning experience, and a real source of has a program like this, and so do Canada’s pride for those who have completed it. major beef-producing competitors. For industry Tool to address other issues. Beef producers Benefits from individual producers accuare active on other fronts of sustainability such mulate across the industry. as animal care and environment. VBP offers a Defines standards. VBP helps ensure the template of base-line standard practices that industry is meeting accepted food safety could easily incorporate other options. expectations and improves consistency. And For producers importantly, helps people understand what Call to action More than two-thirds of Canada’s beef Producers often ask, “What’s in it for me?” we do. There are a lot of intangibles but four clear Identifies practices. VBP has been used production comes from VBP-trained operacornerstones of production emerge. numerous times to demonstrate to those tions today, and one-fifth of beef production Better awareness of food safety risks. Over involved in industry oversight — what pro- comes from audited beef operations. Those numbers are important. Growing and over again, producers who have taken a ducers do and why. workshop say it has made them more aware Differentiate Canadian beef. It’s a proactive them is even more important. VBP workof the potential of drug residue, or what they way to keep the Canadian beef industry com- shops are held across the country. Ask your can do to avoid a broken needle. petitive with other countries and other pro- local VBP office — contacts are on the VBP Improved use of animal health products. tein options. Most of Canadian agriculture website www.verifiedbeef.org.

DEVELOPED BY PRODUCERS. DEVELOPED FOR CONSUMERS

Every Ralgro implant has the potential to add up to 23 extra pounds* to a suckling calf.

The profitable weigh. *Data on file. **Rate of return may vary depending on market conditions. ® Registered trademark of Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation. Used under license. Merck Animal Health, operating in Canada as Intervet Canada Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA. MERCK is a trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA. Copyright © 2011 Intervet International B.V., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA. All rights reserved.

Ralgro Alberta Beef -YAP.indd 1

13-02-25 14:50

/ grainews.ca

APRIL 1, 2013

Cattleman’s Corner RANCHER’S DIARY

Lynn is slowly getting back in the saddle Winter grip is starting to ease, time to get working with fillies again. HEATHER SMITH THOMAS

FEBRUARY 23

ast Saturday Rick and Sam came down on the fourwheeler to help me feed the cows. Sam enjoyed riding around in the feed truck. Lynn was doing better that morning, so the heart doctor in Missoula released him from the hospital mid-day, and Andrea drove him home. He was very tired and went to bed early. He had a little chest pain in the night but it eased off, and he slept almost all day Sunday. Andrea used the tractor to load another big bale onto our feed truck, and brought a couple of big bales around for the heifers. Monday there was no school, so Charlie came down with Andrea and drove the feed truck for his first time. The snow was still deep and crusted (very cold that morning). Charlie had to go a little faster than he should have, to not get stuck. Andrea and I were feeding the big bale off the back, so we had to hang onto when the truck lurched through the snow. It reminded me of when our kids were small and used to drive the jeep for Lynn to feed; he had to be very agile and balance himself over the bumps and lurches, and try to land on his feet when the kid popped the clutch and threw him off. We were a lot more agile back in those days! Our current feed truck (a 1973 Chevrolet) is an automatic, which makes it a little easier for a young driver. Charlie actually did very well driving it, considering the challenging conditions. Wednesday we let Lynn drive the feed truck. He was starting to get restless and frustrated not being

able to help with chores and feeding. But he’s not supposed to lift anything heavy or do strenuous things for awhile yet. Thursday Andrea took Lynn to town to have a checkup with his doctor here. When they got home, Andrea took a big bale up to Carolyn’s place on our feed truck for their old horses, and Carolyn unloaded it with their tractor. Then we noticed that our neighbour had put all his cattle in the little field right below our place. Andrea and I quickly moved our heifers because he still has bulls with his cows. We didn’t want bulls right through the fence from our heifers. Andrea and I called the heifers; they followed us up out of the field and we put them into the orchard and horse pasture. That afternoon Lynn and I drove around to visit our new Amish neighbours and get better acquainted, and take them two sets of my dad’s books. They had found one of his old books in the local library and wanted to buy some — one set for themselves and one set for a relative. Dad’s little books of short sermons (he called them “meditations from the high country”) have been popular ever since they were first published many years ago. He used simple stories from the ranch and from his many other experiences to illustrate God’s love. A few years before my father died, I helped him get those books reprinted (By the River of No Return, Wild Rivers and Mountain Trails, Sagebrush Seed, and The Open Gate), and I still have some available for people who want them. Carolyn was sick a few days with a nasty infection she picked up at the vet clinic where she works, after helping treat several young calves brought in with serious diarrhea. In spite of intensive care, the vet couldn’t save those calves. The young man who works there cleaning kennels also got sick, and had to be in the hospital for IV

fluids. Yesterday Carolyn needed to go to town to pick up Michael’s prescription medications to send to him, but still didn’t feel well. So Andrea got the medications for her and packaged them up to send with one of the other truck drivers who is heading back to North Dakota today.

MARCH 3 Our neighbour finally moved his cattle (and bulls) out of the little field next to ours, so it was safe to put our heifers back. Andrea and Rick are still feeding our cows, and Lynn drives the truck. Last weekend Emily drove the truck, then helped with the fillies. She held Dottie while I trimmed her feet, then Andrea and Em led Willow and Dottie for a short walk to the end of the driveway and back. We need to start leading them again, now that the road is not so icy — and get back to their lessons. Last Monday Lynn drove the tractor to load big bales, for the first time since his heart procedure. He also brought another big bale around for the bulls in the corral. He’s also been driving the fourwheeler around to check on things, especially where the snow is too deep for hiking. Carolyn is doing much better. She talked to Michael a few days ago and told us he’d had some wild experiences with the bad roads in North Dakota. One shortcut the dispatcher told him to take was just a jeep track, and very slippery, steep, and narrow, but he managed to get safely down that hill. Andrea took Emily to the doctor on Friday and discovered that Em is borderline diabetic. She needs to start watching her diet and get some regular exercise besides hockey (which is only a winter sport here). That afternoon Em and a friend, Andrea, and I took the fillies for a long walk down the road and back,

more than a mile. Yesterday we all went for a hike again. Willow and Dottie are feeling silly and frisky and need to get back into regular lessons and good manners again. I was watching Breezy most of the day. She was dull, lying around. When I fed her in the evening she wasn’t interested in eating. She just took a few bites of hay, and lay down again. By dark she still hadn’t touched her hay. Andrea and I gave her an injection of Banamine and put her in the pen next to the house where I could watch her during the night — under the light on my hay shed. It shines into the calving pens by the house. Breezy was feeling better within 20 minutes after the injection, and began eating hay. I checked on her several times in the night (looking out the window) and she was fine. This morning I put her back in her pen; she had no more episodes of discomfort.

MARCH 12 Last week Michael and other truckers in North Dakota were stranded at their truck yard in a blizzard, with four-foot snowdrifts. The man trying to plow them out made one pass but the blowing snow immediately filled that slot. So Michael stayed in his truck all night with the motor running; it was too cold to shut it off or it would never start again. He hoped he wouldn’t run out of diesel before they got plowed out. The wind quit the next day, so they were able to get the trucks free. Andrea and I took the fillies for longer daily hikes last week. We went down the road a couple miles and back, then up the road 1-1/2 miles and back. We thought the mud had dried up in the jeep track to the low range, so one day we tried to lead them up that “road” but didn’t get very far. It was wetter and deeper than we thought, with

Lynn out on the four-wheeler. gooey mud sticking to our boots, so we didn’t go very far. Saturday Andrea and I took the fillies on another long walk up the road, then trimmed Rubbie’s and Veggie’s long feet when we got home. Those old horses’ feet hadn’t been trimmed since last fall. I trimmed off the extra hoof growth with hoof nippers and Andrea smoothed them with the rasp. Our weather warmed up yesterday — the first time it hasn’t been freezing at night. The snow is settling, and if it stays warm we’ll have flooding. Lynn checked the ditch above our calving pasture and maternity pen to make sure the little headgates he put in last year were shut off. We don’t want those pens and pasture flooding just before we put the cows in there for calving! Our little herd is due to start calving in early April, but the bull we’ve been using sires calves with short gestation. His calves last year came a week to 10 days early, on average, so we’ll probably be sorting out the heavies to bring down here fairly soon. † Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband Lynn near Salmon, Idaho. Contact her at 208-756-2841.

HERD MANAGEMENT

Salt is key to avoiding grass tetany BY HEATHER SMITH THOMAS

he cause of grass tetany (grass staggers, milk tetany, lactation tetany, winter tetany, wheat pasture poisoning, crested wheatgrass poisoning, barley poisoning) has been poorly understood, yet annual death losses cost beef producers millions of dollars. It affects mature cattle grazing lush forage, after weather changes like freezing early spring pastures or sudden growth after rainfall following drought. This disease was first described in Britain in 1930, associated with magnesium deficiency and calcium deficiency (“milk fever”) and excess potassium in the blood of affected animals. During cool, wet conditions or regrowth after frost or drought damage, sodium levels in certain forage plants plummet, while nitrogen and potassium levels spike. The dead cattle have high levels of potassium in their eye fluid. Recommended prevention has been supplemental dietary magnesium. Standard treatment has

been to give affected cows oral and/or intravenous magnesium. After examining cattle lost in 2001 following spring frosts in the Midwestern U.S., and analyzing the pastures, Dr. Thomas Swerckzek (a veterinary pathologist in Kentucky) found clues about the cause and prevention of grass tetany. “Each spring, farmers were advised to get magnesium into their cattle when pastures were growing fastest,” he says. “Producers tried this, but it didn’t work.” Then nutritionists said farmers should start four to five weeks before peak pasture growth. “That didn’t work either,” says Swerckzek. “By the 1980’s they advised yearround supplement, to get it into the animals’ bones.” Theoretically, cattle could pull it out of bone storage when blood levels dropped due to sudden pasture changes.

POST-MORTEM MYSTERY As a pathologist, Swerczek did diagnostic necropsies on livestock until the early 1970s. Then for

Dr. Thomas Swerckzek 15 years he worked as an equine diagnostic research pathologist. In 1986 he continued his necropsy research on all classes of livestock. When he resumed doing necropsies on cattle, he was shocked to see how much worse the grass tetany situation had become. “The dead cattle were arriving in a wasted condition I’d never seen before,” he says. “When I’d stopped doing cattle necropsies in 1971, the dead cattle were in good shape, so I

noticed how much they’d deteriorated.” After coming back to cattle necropsies in 1986 he hated to be on necropsy duty after a cold spell because so many dead cattle were coming into the lab. “By 1995 I started seeing adult cattle with salmonellosis, coccidiosis and other calfhood diseases, which didn’t make sense. Perhaps the cows were eating something the calves were not,” he says. He began looking at diets and mineral mixes, because that’s what had changed over the years. He collaborated with a bovine veterinarian, Dr. William McCaw, who was working with several purebred herds trying to find answers. McCaw thought there was something related to diet that was causing wasting and opportunistic diseases. Although reluctant, they found a few producers who agreed to stop feeding minerals to help them in their research. When Swerczek started looking at herds throughout the state, he found a farm with very healthy Hereford crossbreds. The owner was

feeding loose salt rather than mineral mixes. Most farmers in that area fed mineral mixes and salt/mineral blocks instead of loose salt. Cattle often overate mineral mixes, to get the little bit of salt that was in them. The farmer with the crossbred cattle had a salt house in every pasture. “He wasn’t feeding any magnesium. He’d been in the cattle business more than 40 years and hadn’t had a case of grass tetany,” says Swerczek.

NOT A MAGNESIUM ISSUE “This was a hint that maybe it wasn’t necessary to feed magnesium to prevent grass tetany. Later, when I got several herds off the mineral mix, they quickly started to turn around. Most of the cows had been suffering from diarrhea, wasting away, and within 24-48 hours they improved, after giving them plain loose salt instead of mineral.” He was working with a herd of about 1,000 Angus and driving

» CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Cattleman’s Corner BETTER BUNKS AND PASTURES

Pasture doesn’t provide all that cows need Proper mineral mix can lay the groundwork for a good breeding season PETER VITTI

pring is a special time on the Prairies when it gets warmer, the sun seems to be brighter and feed companies sell specifically formulated “spring minerals” for beef cattle. It’s a timely offer, because many producers are looking for a fortified mineral that can be fed to post-calving cows to get them ready for the breeding season. Although, there is a general acceptance to buy and feed a spring mineral, some people wonder if such special feeding programs are really necessary at this time of year. Most agree buying the best postcalving mineral for fertile beef cows is really a matter of finding a highquality product that meets these cows’ immediate and near future essential macro- and trace-mineral needs as well as vitamins A, D, and E requirements.

MINERAL DEMAND SOARS Therefore, many spring mineral purchases are first based upon the knowledge that most mineral and vitamin requirements of spring nursing cows tend to soar, because they must return to active heat cycles in preparation of successful conception during a relatively short breeding season. Scientific research backs up this awareness; post-partum cows’ calcium needs

» CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE through that farm with the manager. “We came across a cow that had been down for several days in spite of multiple treatments with magnesium and calcium.” Swerczek had some sea salt, and put it in front of that cow. After ingesting a couple handfuls of salt the animal got up and was able to rejoin the herd. There were other cattle in the herd showing signs of grass tetany and going down. “I told the manager to put a handful of salt in front of them. Those cows came out of it. I asked if he’d be willing to take away all the minerals and just feed salt. He was afraid to do that, but agreed to put a small group in a different pasture and try it. The next cold spell, cows in the pasture where he had the salt were not affected.” “We had massive losses in Kentucky one year, due to an unusual winter with many warm spells. Grass and clover grew early. Then we had a hard freeze in April. Cattle went down by the thousands with grass tetany and bloat. People were using bloat blocks but this didn’t help. Cattle were actually dying while eating those, because they didn’t have salt,” he says. “We’d been taught for many years (and people still believe) that nitrate is not toxic — that nitrite is the problem. In the 1940’s when nitrate was discovered as the cause of corn stalk toxicity, it was nitrites causing shortage of oxygen in the blood. But I found that nitrate is 100 times more important in grass tetany syndrome than nitrite,” Swerczek says.

increase by nearly 100 per cent, while phosphorus and trace mineral demands grow by 50 to 60 per cent. The need for fat-soluble vitamins more than doubles. Once cows are let out on spring pastures, lush grasses might be high in energy and protein, but a mouthful of most green grass will fail to achieve all nutrient demands, particularly those for magnesium and several trace minerals such as copper, zinc, manganese, and selenium. Producers who rush to get their cattle out on pasture also hoping to save money on feed, and do not provide adequate mineral nutrition may not see their error for a while, but it will catch up with them. Many cows might fail to become pregnant, have compromised health and even suffer from spring-grass diseases such as grass tetany, all of which reduce revenue and profit.

TWO CAUSES OF DEFICENCY Much of these economic problems can be avoided if beef minerals purchased at the feed store are viewed as an investment into one’s economic future by preventing a “primary” mineral deficiency in cattle on pasture because not enough of a particular macro-mineral or series of trace minerals was consumed by the cow herd. For example, a simple copper deficiency in beef cows is caused by a very low concentration of copper found in prairie grass species. A springtime mineral deficiency could also be a “secondary” or side

BODY LOOKS FOR SALT The body must get rid of the nitrate and it does this through the cations, especially sodium. “When there isn’t adequate salt in the blood, the body grabs onto the most available cation, which would be magnesium and then calcium,” Swerczek says. When the spike of nitrate occurs — when the cow

effect due to antagonistic dietary factors that might naturally occur in feeds or in water, which binds up essential minerals and make them biologically unavailable to cattle. A good example of this situation is molybdenum found in many soils/forages, which binds dietary copper and forms an unabsorbed complex in the cow’s gut to be excreted. Fortunately, there are literally hundreds of well-formulated mineral products available for beef producers that prevent such primary/ secondary mineral deficiencies in cows in spring and beyond. Ideal formulations are based upon specific mineral and vitamin requirements of the cow herd, which varies with animal type, age, reproductive status, health status and even soil and environmental conditions. Ruminant nutritionists design formulas using basic mineral and vitamin recommendations for beef cattle as outlined by the National Research Council (NRC). They often go one step further by adding an “insurance factor” in an attempt of covering a broader base of feeding situations.

Here is a cross-section of four sensible springtime cow minerals that are found in many western feed stores: • Standard beef cow mineral — This formula contains calcium and phosphorus in a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio and range from six to 18 per cent calcium to six to 18 per cent phospho-

rus. These minerals may contain 0 to 25 per cent salt. The guaranteed analysis list on the feed label usually show trace mineral levels of copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, iodine and selenium added from inorganic sources (i.e. copper sulphate) as well as modest vitamin A, D, and E levels. These basic formulas are usually fed to cow herd to compliment macro-minerals found in the pasture grasses and meet simply trace mineral requirements. • Breeder cattle mineral — This formula contains calcium and phosphorus in a 1:1 or 2:1 ration and range from 10 to 18 per cent calcium to 10 to 18 per cent phosphorus. These minerals usually have modest levels of salt (five to 10 per cent) to improve mineral consumption. Essential trace minerals are often elevated and a portion is added from chelated or organic sources (i.e. copper proteinates) as well as elevated A, D and E levels. Breeder minerals are often fed one or two months before cow herd calving and well into the breeding season. They tend to build adequate mineral status for good colostrum and milk production after calving as well as return cow to active heat cycles and promote successful conception. • Hi-magnesium mineral — This is a classic spring cattle mineral which often contains four to 12 per cent magnesium to help prevent grass tetany during high-risk period of during the first two to three weeks of the grazing season. Its principle formula is usually based on a standard beef cow mineral, but

can also be formulated based upon breeder cattle mineral. • Specialty beef cow minerals — This mineral can be based on a standard, breeder or even Hi-magnesium beef cow mineral with an added mineral or vitamin nutrition, specifically to tackle a particular problem on pasture. For example, organic zinc added (four g/head/d) to a breeder cattle mineral in an attempt to strengthen hooves of cattle grazing watersoaked pastures. Cost of these spring cattle minerals is mostly a reflection of their feed label guaranteed analysis, and therefore governed by its most expensive nutrient/ingredients. For example, phosphates, organic trace mineral sources and added vitamins cost more than calcium carbonate, salt and inorganic trace mineral sources, which makes breeder cattle mineral ($40 to $45/25 kg bag) command a higher selling price than standard cow mineral ($25 to $30 kg bag). Based upon a feeding rate of 100 g per head per day, the cost of feeding each cow in this scenario ranges from $0.10 - $0.18 per head daily. It’s much better to view such spring mineral costs as an investment into the beef herd as they prepare for the upcoming breeding season and become pregnant. The best choice of good spring mineral that sprout with lush pastures meets reproductive goals and contributes to a profitable beef cow herd. †

consumes frost-damaged forage the body immediately uses magnesium in the blood to get rid of the nitrate, which depletes the body, and this is why the cow goes down. “If there’s enough salt available the body can grab onto the sodium and cows don’t go down with grass tetany or milk fever. If you don’t have salt out on the day this hits, they go down. It has to

be there all the time and it can’t be hard salt blocks because cattle can’t eat enough when they suddenly need it.” The body usually has the ability to keep sodium levels within normal range, but when it drops lower, you only have a few hours before that animal dies. “If you feed salt, however, and the animals eat it, they’ll be fine—as long

as they have plenty of water,” says Swerczek. “British scientists in the 1930’s noticed that salt could prevent grass tetany, but no one put it all together. Grass tetany should be called nitrate toxicity/salt deficiency leading to hypomagnesia/ hypocalcemia.” †

FOUR SENSIBLE MINERALS

Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband Lynn near Salmon, Idaho. Contact her at 208-756-2841.

/ grainews.ca

APRIL 1, 2013

Cattleman’s Corner ANIMAL HEALTH

Tips to prevent navel infection, without dipping ROY LEWIS ANIMAL HEALTH

avel infection (omphalitis) can often become a chronic debilitating problem in newborn calves. Once infected, treatment is often long term and can be unrewarding. The initial cause is bacteria invading the umbilical cord resulting in infection right at the umbilical stump. The two arteries, two veins and urachus (duct leading from the fetal bladder) all can serve as a wick for infection to enter the calf’s body. Once this happens large abscesses are created in these areas draining to the outside, or infection enters the bloodstream and often can localize in the joints. These infections become very difficult to treat. Blood supply is poor so most antibiotics don’t achieve high levels in the joints. Prevention is paramount to minimize the number of cases or decrease their severity.

THREE MAIN CAUSES Three very important contributing causes are: 1. weak calves from prolonged calving or poor nutrition of the dam. 2. poor hygiene (dirty calving areas and overhandling the navel when weighing). 3. inadequate colostral intake (need at least 1-1/2 to two litres in first eight hours). When evaluating your own operation carefully look at these three causes. Calving with contractions evident should result in a calf born in no longer than 1-1/2 to two hours. If not make sure she is assisted. REMEMBER, a slow gentle pull in time with the cow’s contractions is far better than rapidly pulling, and it is also much less damaging. Make sure mineral status especially selenium, vitamins E and A is adequate for a pregnant cow in order that calves get up quick and suckle. Proper bull selection especially for heifers minimizes birth weight resulting in livelier offspring. Start calving on a fresh area with bedding, which has not been used since last year. Straw is still ideal. I have encountered more problems

with wood chips causing trauma to the navel area and the chips harbour more bacteria. Evaluate the source of bedding material saving the very best for the calving season — the newborns deserve it. Your maternity area, calf puller, chains, and sling ideally should all be disinfected regularly. I see far too many badly contaminated pullers, especially the breech area and producers using no gloves on obstetrical cases. This all serves as a source of contamination to the calf. For producers, especially purebred operators who often weigh their calves shortly after birth, be especially diligent on cleaning the sling. This area has much contact with the navel area. I’ve even had operators cut out a large circular area in the sling to prevent this contact. Another idea is to weigh at 24 hours of age when the umbilicus has started to dry up somewhat. Some larger producers even use walk-on scales to avoid contact totally.

TO DIP OR NOT TO DIP With disinfection arises the controversial topic of navel dipping.

Most veterinary practices don’t encourage it for several reasons. 1. Navels are often over handled by unclean hands resulting in further contamination. 2. The disinfectants can be over harsh such as creolin or high concentrations of iodine, which greatly inflame the area. 3. The disinfectant itself may become contaminated when applicators such as teat dip containers are used. 4. Often calves are not treated till one day of age when any contamination would have already occurred making treatment a futile effort. Most veterinarians would NOT recommend any navel treatment at birth, in fact as stated, it may even be harmful. Producers who might be inclined to treat the navel, and have a low incidence of infection, are probably looking after calf health, colostral intake and hygiene and most likely could stop the process with no detrimental consequences.

BEWARE OF DIFFICULT BIRTHS There is definitely an increased incidence of navel infection found in both backwards and caesarian

derived calves. This occurs because the umbilicus rips off abnormally short with these deliveries exposing the area. Some veterinarians are now purposely ripping the navel shroud long on C-section deliveries to try and minimize the possibility of navel infection developing. If infection is anticipated, prophylactic, long-acting antibiotics may be prescribed. We also experience a higher incidence where calves are more likely to be cycled through a warm (above freezing) barn in early spring. The warm temperatures allow bacterial multiplication. These herd managers again may be advised to give prophylactic antibiotics during this period. Bull calves appear more susceptible as well since the prepuce is in close proximity keeping the area moist with urine. Even with all these precautions the odd navel infection may still result. Pulling off the old cord if still present to allow drainage cleansing and long-term antibiotics may prove successful. Surgery can be done in severe cases to remove the infected stalk. Purebred breeders need to be cautious of any yearling bulls with a past history of navel problems as these may seed out into the internal secondary sex glands rendering them infertile. Hopefully these suggestions will help you avoid any navel problems in this springs calf crop. † Roy Lewis is a practising large animal veterinarian at the Westlock Veterinary Centre, north of Edmonton. His main interests are bovine reproduction and herd health.

RANGE MANAGEMENT

Biodiversity - more than numbers HYLAND ARMSTRONG

hen I returned home from graduate school, I realized there was more to ranching than just cows and grass. I began to look at ranching from a resource-management perspective. I realized to operate my ranch profitably I had to ensure my management was ecologically sustainable. To do this, my focus then turned to maintaining range health and biodiversity. Consequently, in my mind at least, the presence of an endangered species was an indication I was doing my job correctly. What is more, because I was aware of the importance of biodiversity, it became very easy to deal with government agencies and environmental groups by demonstrating how livestock grazing maintains biodiversity.

GOOD BUT COMPLEX In essence, biodiversity is a very good measure of the health of an ecosystem and as most ranchers know, the key to sustainable ranching is maintaining the health of the ecosystems they manage. Nevertheless, biodiversity is a misunderstood concept. This is simply because most people think it refers to the number of plants and animals found on their ranch. In fact, biodiversity is more complex than that. Biodiversity is a term that refers

to how species in an ecosystem interact with one another and how this interaction creates a stable ecosystem. In other words, biodiversity is the biological diversity of ecosystems and processes that influence these ecosystems. Species richness (number of species) and species dominance or relative abundance of species (number of individuals of each species relative to other species in a given population) within an ecosystem determine the biodiversity of any ecosystem. The biodiversity of an ecosystem determines the interactions between the plants, herbivores, predators and decomposers and influences the flow of energy between these biotic compartments. Therefore, biodiversity plays an important role in maintaining the structure (species composition, soil structure, etc.) and function (nutrient cycling, water cycle, etc.) of landscapes and ecosystems. Disturbances, like grazing, alter not only the number of species in an ecosystem but also the interaction between these species. By manipulating the grazing intensity, it is possible to change the biodiversity and stability of the ecosystem.

BIODIVERSITY INFLUENCE Biodiversity influences the ecosystem’s complexity. In an ecosystem with a large, number of species, (i.e., biodiversity) there are a great many potential interactions between each of these species. These interactions generate complexity that in turn leads to stability within the ecosystem.

This stability in turn gives the ecosystem the ability to adapt to external disturbances. If the ecosystem is exposed to a prolonged disturbance that reduces the number of species, i.e., simplifies the ecosystem, the ecosystem loses its ability to adapt and ultimately becomes unstable. This instability will in turn lead to one of two consequences. One is the ecosystem may collapse. On the other hand, even if the ecosystem does not collapse, there is a very good chance the ecosystem jumps across a biological threshold and enters a new biological domain with a new set of ecological constraints.

LET’S LOOK AT WHEAT A very good example of an unstable ecosystem is a wheat field. A wheat field is comprised of a single species with very little genetic diversity, making it susceptible to attack by disease and insects. Thus, a single pathogen or insect can destroy a crop very easily. An example of an ecosystem that has entered a new biological domain is farmland that has been allowed (through succession) to revert to native grass. While this ecosystem may resemble the surrounding native grassland, it still possesses less biodiversity than the native grassland. In addition, the abandoned farmland will respond to grazing or drought differently than the surrounding native grassland. On the other hand, healthy grassland ecosystems are very

stable and resistant to change. This means the productivity of these grasslands will recover quickly after a drought and will be able to resist heavy grazing or the invasion of insects. Nevertheless, the grazing intensity will affect the biodiversity associated with a landscape. The degree to which biodiversity is altered will depend on the physical limitations, the richness of the plant community, and the grazing history of the plant community. In addition, the timing, frequency, intensity, and duration of defoliation in combination with environmental conditions will also determine the impact of grazing has on biodiversity. The impacts of the disturbance have on a particular ecosystem will vary with the scale at which it is observed. Grazing individual plants alters the allocation of resources and survival of individual plants. At the plant population level, grazing will cause changes in the genetic integrity, abundance, distribution and dominance of species within the grazed plant community. These changes will in turn alter the plant community’s structure and biodiversity. Changes to the plant community structure will in turn cause changes to animal foraging behaviour, decomposition and mineralization rates and the rate and timing of forage production. These factors result in the landscapes becoming heterogeneous (“patchy”) in nature. This “patchiness” creates a wide variety of ecological sites,

contributing to species richness and altering the relative abundance of species. Not all landscapes respond in the same fashion to grazing. Compared to plant communities associated with the mixed grass prairie, plant communities associated with the fescue grasslands exhibit larger changes in biodiversity. As grazing intensity increases on fescue grasslands there is an initial peak in biodiversity. However, as grazing intensity continues to increase, biodiversity will rapidly decline. On the other hand, plant communities associated with the mixed-grass prairie exhibit only a modest increase in biodiversity as grazing intensity increases. As the grazing intensity increases, biodiversity declines. The different responses of biodiversity shown by an ecosystem is due to the varying responses individual species exhibit to a disturbance, like grazing, and how the disturbance alter the environmental factors controlling the ecosystem. On fescue grasslands, the limiting factor is sunlight. Consequently, grazing removes the dominant species (rough fescue) providing open spaces allowing other species the opportunity to flourish. On a mixedgrass prairie, water is the limiting factor. Consequently, the impact of grazing on biodiversity is more subdued. † Hyland Armstrong is a consultant and retired rancher from Cypress Hills, Alta. with a long educational and career background in animal science and range management. He can be reached at lightningbutte@hotmail.com or 403 528 4798.

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Home Quarter Farm Life SEEDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

When I die, you know what to do Also, since I last drafted this column four years ago, I have come across three books to shake you up to action, all written by Barry M. Fish and Les Kotzer: Where there’s an inheritance… stories from inside the world of two lawyers; The Family Fight…planning to avoid it; The Family War…winning the inheritance battle (see www. familyfight.com). I have had lots of hard conversations over the past few months with distraught families who are sad that the will was not discussed before the death, and now things are in chaos. So, get your will done, have enduring power of attorney for your spouse and business partners. Then, as you are working on updating your affairs, get your documents in order so that your executor won’t have a rough time knowing what to do. I did a binder for my dad in 2011, and it made execution of his estate much smoother. BDO Dunwoody has a new tool to help you start

ELAINE FROESE

efore you read this column, grab a pen, paper, or your laptop. We have some serious work to do. April is wills month, and over 26 per cent of you reading this do not have a current will. How do I know this? I have surveyed my farm audiences all winter long, and that is the typical number of folks who sheepishly slide down their chairs when confronted. Today is the day to call your lawyer for an appointment. Seeding is around the corner, but you can still get this done this month. A will that is drafted and signed, can be finessed as your circumstances change. A family without a will is like a bomb ready to explode. Get it done!

to get organized. Ask for the “personal affairs checklist.” I started mine in a binder four years ago, and want it done by the end of April. When you die, does your family know what to do? My speaker friend Jolene Brown, http://www.jolenebrown. com/pdf/what-want-donearticle.pdf has a very powerful article entitled, “What do you want done with your body when you are dead?”™. She spent a 14-hour road trip with her hubby, listing all the important details that her family would need to know upon their deaths. Print off her article to help you get organized. (I have her permission to do this.) You don’t want to deal with this do you? Our children have asked us to get a binder in place for them, so that they know who to call, and what suppliers and advisers we use to run our life and our farm. This makes an excellent spring project, while you are waiting for the snow to

melt, and can find the path to the burn barrel. Funeral plans can be laid out. Call your local funeral director for planning tools. You now can spend an extra $99 to protect against identity theft of the deceased, so be clear about what you need and want. In the height of grief, your emotions may open the pocketbook wider than you wish. Make copies of important documents like driver licences, SIN cards, birth certificates, etc. Throw away the irrelevant stuff, and feel lighter as you de-clutter. Buy a labeller to make files and tabs you can read in large print. Beauty in organization creates energy, and you’re going to need energy! Think of a great reward for yourself once you finish the project, for me a massage sounds like a great treat for hard work bent over a messy filing cabinet. Many of us in the sandwich generation have power of attorney for our parents, and/or siblings. I did a binder for my dad, and I

EXTENDED OUTLOOK FOR THE PRAIRIES Weather Forecast for the period of March 31 to April 27, 2013

Southern Alberta

Peace River Region March 31 - April 6 Variable temperatures. Windy. Sunny with scattered rain or snow, heavier in the north.

March 31 - April 6 Variable temperatures. Windy. Sunny with scattered rain or snow, heavier in the north.

April 7 - 13 Sunshine interchanges with rain or heavier snow. Milder days see highs in the teens in the south.

April 14 - 20 Often sunny and windy apart from 2 days with heavier rain or snow. Mild to cool temperatures.

April 21 - 27 Highs in the teens, and at times in the 20’s in the south. Cooler outbreaks bring rain with a chance of snow.

-8 / 4 Grande Prairie 19.8 mms

Manitoba

March 31 - April 6 Seasonal to cool. Milder days bring some rain in the south and snow in the north. Blustery. Chance of heavy precipitation.

March 31 - April 6 Milder, fair days alternate with cooler, windy days with some rain or snow. Chance of heavy precipitation.

April 7 - 13 Sunshine alternates with rain or heavier snow. Windy. Variable highs at times in the teens.

April 7 - 13 Highs in the double digits. Sunny but rain and a chance of snow on a couple of occasions. Cooler, snowy in the north.

April 14 - 20 Sunny except a couple of unsettled, windy days bring heavier rain or snow. Fluctuating temperatures.

April 14 - 20 Often windy. Mild to cool temperatures. Sunny apart from occasional showers or heavier snow.

April 21 - 27 Temperatures and weather vary from sunny and mild to cool and wet.

April 21 - 27 Frost exchanges with mild days. Blustery. Sunny but with scattered rain, and a risk of heavier snow.

Precipitation Forecast -7 / 5 Edmonton

ABOVE NORMAL

22.1 mms

-7 / 4 North Battleford

-5 / 7 Jasper

21.2 mms

-6 / 6

32.4 mms

Banff

25.1 mms

22.2 mms

-11 / 1 The Pas

Precipitation Outlook For April

27.4 mms

-7 / 4 Saskatoon

-8 / 3 Yorkton -7 / 5 20.3 mms Regina

19.7 mms

22.9 mms

-4 / 9 Medicine Hat 19mms cms Lethbridge 26.0 35.9 mms 26 cms -4 / 9

-10 / 3 Prince Albert

21.7 mms

-7 / 5 Red Deer

-5 / 7 Calgary

Forecasts should be 80% accurate, but expect variations by a day or two because of changeable speed of weather systems.

Saskatchewan

-5 / 4 -7 / 5 Moose Jaw 20.4 mms Swift 24.3 mms Current -6 / 5 24.7 mms Weyburn NEAR 28.9 mms -4 / 6 NORMAL Estevan

ABIC 2

33.3 mms

-9 / 4 Dauphin

31.7 mms

Much Above Normal Below Much above normal normal below normal normal

-10 / 2 Gimli

39.2 mms

-7 / 5 -8 / 4 Portage -7 / 4 Brandon 40.4 mms Winnipeg 35.4 mms

Melita -8 / 5

33.5 mms

35.9 mms

also have had a long chat with one sibling, whose estate I will be responsible to execute. If you love to surf the Internet, I’m sure that there are executor checklists, and “Save our stuff” checklists that you can alter to fit your needs. The main thing is to act, and get the documents in order. The next thing is to communicate to several family members, and especially your executor where the important papers are. You might be smart to copy the binder, and give it to your executor. Financial planners and lawyers have checklist tools that you can seek out from your trusted advisers. The important thing is to collect the details of your life in a centralized location. “Conversations are not a contract,” as my friend Jolene Brown says. In the days I have spent in front of farm audiences, I continue to be amazed at the number of people who don’t have wills, or decent written operating agreements with their farm business partners. Your wishes for your funeral and burial need to be written down. Start a funeral plans file. Set a date to complete the binder of documents and details. When I die, I want my family to know what to do. I don’t want to have a phone call from readers telling me in a few months that this column was a really great idea, and then discover that nothing was done about it. “Talk does not cook rice,” says a Chinese proverb. Get to work. The journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step… start the project! Let me know when your binder is finished, and that you’ve had your family meeting. Ask me if my binder is finished, I need accountability partners, too. When you die, I hope you have time to say farewell to your family. As our son Ian has said, “It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.” I hope your family embraces the hope of heaven. I will be delighted to know you have given them the gift of clear direction, so that when you die, they know what to do. Remember, it’s your farm, your family, your choice. † Elaine Froese, CAFA, CHICoach is a thought leader for agriculture who calls farm families to action. Visit www.elainefroese.com and send her an email at her contact tab. Buy her book, Do the Tough Things Right, for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Call 1-866848-8311 to book her for your ag events as a powerful professional speaker, who farms and understands the culture of agriculture. Sign up for her “in-law focus group.” “Like” farm family coach on Facebook.

The world’s agricultural biotechnology leaders are gathering in Calgary. Join them as they give a glimpse into what the future of this technology might hold.

FOOD, WATER and ENERGY for a HUNGRY WORLD

Hear international producers, industry leaders and researchers discuss the current and future impact of ag biotech on grain, fertilizer, seed and energy. It’s 3 days of insightful discussion. Don’t miss a minute!

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APRIL 1, 2013

Home Quarter Farm Life POSTCARDS FROM THE PRAIRIES

Life’s secrets, according to you… People of the world, tell me this — what is your biggest regret? And have you done something about it? Part 3 JANITA VAN DE VELDE

egret offers us the opportunity to look back and know that we could have done better. It gives us perspective on what we’re capable of absorbing, of changing, if only we’re willing to learn from it and evolve, not in spite of it, but because of it. I think in doing so we free our soul. Doing something about our regrets is the weapon we wield against the disillusionment of our past mistakes. It’s the only way forward. Sharing our regrets with others is a gift — there’s a raw beauty that springs from the vulnerability required for this level of honesty. It brings a certain sharpness and clarity to our resolve to do better, and may help those seeking comfort and wisdom in the response. Why? Because learning from each other is the magic of life. Finding humour in our collective ridiculousness is the magic of life. The ability to laugh at ourselves is the magic of life. Recognizing regrets, and doing something about them, is the magic of life. Finding beauty in the unexpected is the magic of life. Finding beauty in others is the magic of life. Finding beauty in yourself — amidst the shame and fear and regret — is the magic of life. Here forthwith, are the remaining responses for your biggest regrets: Growing up not loving myself

and doing everything to please others. Slowly (very slowly) I am learning to accept my imperfections, and love myself little by little. I still have a desire to please everyone first, but in some ways it brings me joy to see others happy, I think maybe even more joy than doing things to please myself. None. Foolishly spending all of my savings. I am now out of debt, but not without having paid the price. Not having taken more time to determine what type of profession I should have explored. Have I done something about it? No, I just keep paying into my current pension. My biggest regret is not having a better relationship with my mom. She passed away. I am 100 per cent certain our relationship would have gotten so much better as I grew up. As I mourn the loss of my mom, I have a lot of should of, would of, could of. Who knew that after years of losing your mother, it can hurt just as much as the day she died? But I am grateful for those moments. I often say “I’m sorry” to my mom and wish that I could have had a better relationship. I ache for it. And it’s hard because I can’t get that back. But I’m working through the regret and dealing with it has helped a lot. The regret is not as large as it once was. Not taking more chances in life. I feel I play it too safe. I am doing something about it — slowly, but I am pushing myself to step out of my comfort zone more and more.

> Empty Pesticide Container Recycling Program

There are many reasons to rinse. #1

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Not being more independent. Slowly, I am starting to make choices that lead to my independence, but I still have major crutches that need to go. Betraying someone close to me. Have I done something about it? Trying hard. To help survive this crazy existence we call our lives, I’ve always tried to live with having no regrets, and embracing them as experiences that mould me into the person I have become. Not apologizing when I’m in the wrong. Have I done something about it? As often as possible. I don’t give regret a lot of thought anymore as that is not mentally healthy and means nothing as it is what it is, move on. If I had the opportunity to do it all over again I would put more effort into educating myself at an earlier age. The U of S has certificate courses in agriculture which was very rewarding and aided in management decisions on our farm. I enjoyed the marketing and economics classes the most. My biggest regret is not being able to put a stop to family feuds... both sides of the family... when elderly parents only see things one way. A few years ago I got in touch with an elderly aunt who was a stepsister in her family and no one would talk to her when she inherited the farm and the other children got nothing. I don’t blame them but it was not my battle. Not punching someone in the face when I heard them talk s**t about someone I love. Gotten angry with myself every time I think of that moment, but I

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Doing something about our regrets is the weapon we wield against the disillusionment of our past mistakes think it is what keeps me from backing down when similar situations happen. What I’ve done about it? Not let it happen again. I don’t have many. All revolve around not slowing down/taking time to be present with those I love most who are now gone. I take time to say I love you even to those in my family who have hurt/disappointed me — be uncomfortable and say something kind. Not going to see great-grandma in the hospital. My wife says I don’t think long enough to regret anything I have done. So far no regrets. Sometimes I think I should have moved away (who goes to school in a hick town and then moves back to work and then be the administrator of that school???) and made some big difference somewhere far enough away so that my parents can brag BS about my big accomplishments. However, I have decided that this hick town is a great place to raise kids. I am also loving the sound of the song ‘bloom where you’re planted’ these days (not really but you know what I mean). Why not try to make a difference here? Not spending more quality time with my mom before she passed suddenly when I was a teenager. Although, in my defence, I was a teenager :). I’ve learned to cherish the people I do have in my life and take the time to tell them I love them. I can honestly say that really I don’t have regrets. I’ve done a LOT of incredibly stupid things but that’s part of growing up, being human and helps to shape who a person is. I have things where if I had to do it all over BY DAN PIRARO

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Single, Selective, Rural, Agriculture, Remote, Country Divorced, Widowed, Never Married, Separated

Bizarro

again I would do them differently, but nothing I really regret (i.e. I would go to med school without a doubt!). If I had to say I regretted something it would be in the mornings I used to yell at my kids to get moving, we were going to be late, blah, blah, blah. I hated myself every day. I would destroy the entire day for all of us from the start. They would head to school or the sitter’s crying and quite often I drove to work in the same state. What a terrible way to start the day, almost every day. So, I did something about it. No more yelling (I should clarify that there really is still yelling but more often in the evening!), as long as they get to school on time, all is good. Yes, that means I am usually later to work than I would like but I just make up the time (at midnight, thus why you are getting this now). It makes things better and I didn’t want them to remember their childhood with ‘mom always yelled.’ I regret that I didn’t travel more when I was young. I will travel more with my kids. It’s an impossible regret — not going back to painting until after my dad passed away, but I have to appreciate that the loss was the catalyst to drive me back into it. It’s what I have been missing and life is too short to deprive yourself of healthy things you love. † Janita Van de Velde grew up on a farm near Mariapolis, Man. She holds a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics from the University of Manitoba, and has worked for a financial institution since graduating. She lives in Regina, Sask., with her husband Roddy and their children Jack, Isla and James. Her first novel, Postcards Never Written, was the recipient of the Saskatchewan Reader’s Choice Award and also listed by CBC as one of the top funny books in 2009. She donates a portion of proceeds from the sale of her book to World Vision to help those less fortunate. For more information, or to order her book, visit her website at www.janita.ca.

BY DAN PIRARO

Bizarro

APRIL 1, 2013

grainews.ca /

Home Quarter Farm Life

Blackstrap Art Studio Tour Self-drive tour showcases rural artists

n artistic adventure is in store for visitors to the Blackstrap Art Studio Tour, held annually in May. This is the seventh year the self-drive tour has been showcasing the work of artisans and craftspeople in the Blackstrap and Dundurn area, south of Saskatoon. About 30 participants at five sites will be displaying and demonstrating their work — painting, pottery, writing, glass-blowing, metal sculpting, flame working, quilting, woodcarving, doll making, stained glass or art restoration. “Each site has multiple artists who will provide interactive demonstrations as well as displaying completed projects. There is a different flavour at each site as there is some concentration of similar artwork and techniques. For example, at the Dundurn Elementary School fabric artists, painters, photographers and doll makers are grouped with the schoolchildren’s art; the Klette Studio will show painting, photography and jewelry; and at our hot shop there will be elements of cold, warm, and hot glass production as well as flame work, metal work, blacksmithing, pottery, bird carvings, and paintings,” says Joan Hiebert, one of the organizers of the event. Not only do the artisans benefit from gaining exposure and recognition, but visitors can try their hand at something new and purchase affordable, quality, locally made items. The community also benefits through additional revenue by an influx of people who come to enjoy food, recreation and services in the area. “We encourage participant diversity in age, sex, level of experience and commercialism. There are many incredibly talented people in this group, some known throughout the province and beyond for their skills and unique talent,” says Hiebert. The Blackstrap Art Studio Tour began in 2007 with a meeting at the Wilson Museum in Dundurn. The initial concept was a tour of art studios in the Blackstrap area combined with the spring opening of the museum. Members of the art community were canvassed to assess interest and in the first year 19 participants were included in the tour at six locations. “The tour has expanded to included individual artists living and working between Saskatoon and the Blackstrap area. My husband Al and I have been involved in the tour each year and have had our hot shop as a site every year except 2012 when we moved to the museum because our shop burned down. Our goal is to have the shop up and functioning for the 2013 tour,” says Hiebert. The Blackstrap Art Studio Tour is a non-profit group of volunteers supported by their own entry fees and who receive financial support from Saskatchewan Lotteries through the Dundurn and District Recreational Board and from the RM of Dundurn. Each site is run by

volunteers who assist with hosting and information duties, and artists take responsibility for planning and administration of the event. The tour runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 25 and 12 noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 26. There is no charge and food can be purchased at selected sites. Visitors can follow the wagon wheel signs to each site where there will be maps available. For more information contact Joan at (306) 4924665, or Harry Friesen at (306) 492-4747. † Edna Manning writes from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

PHOTOS: COURTESY AL AND JOAN HIEBERT

Joan Hiebert applies coloured Blown glass bowl is one example of some of the artwork. powder to a new project.

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BY EDNA MANNING

/ grainews.ca

APRIL 1, 2013

Home Quarter Farm Life SINGING GARDENER

Get those green thumbs geared up Plus, calling all rose lovers and, more on water witching TED MESEYTON

i good people! Once again I’m singing a song as I travel along the green and growing garden path. I’m putting down my guitar for a bit and taking time to make a pot of rosehip tea. Why don’t you do the same? While the tea is brewing, how be it if I tell about a new hardy rose from the Canadian Artists series called Campfire? By the way, I received a handwritten letter that I’ll share later on from an 87-yearold retired farmer who wonders whether she has that magic touch when it comes to water witching. Isn’t there a song somewhere that says: “You’ve got that magic touch, I love so much?”

GREEN THUMBERS ARE GEARED UP … and ready to get growing outdoors along with dreams and hopes yet to be realized. Aren’t we an optimistic bunch? By the time you read this I expect footprints left on the snow in my garden to be pretty well long gone. Most years by early April I’ve already seeded some leaf lettuce and other greens close to the house. But then the man and woman in the moon reminded me to not rush it, so I’m waiting until the arrival of best planting days this month for anything that produces its yield above ground. They are: April 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 and 26, 2013.

WHERE DO CUT ROSES COME FROM? Here in our Canadian provinces and territories of North America, almost all roses are imported, mostly from Colombia and Venezuela. A combination of gentle temperatures, fertile soil, and long equatorial days plus low labour costs allows these South American countries to grow roses during the entire year without expensive greenhouses. Once har-

SUE ARMSTRONG

PHOTO: JEFFRIES NURSERIES

vested, foreign-grown cut roses may travel as much as 5,000 kilometres to reach local florists. Our Canadian rose-growing season is short at best, especially on the Prairies. Let’s relish every day that we can cut a homegrown single rose stem or a bouquet of roses from our own garden. Want to have a good experience with growing roses? I, Ted, am encouraging Grainews rosarians to head for the nearest nursery or garden centre wherever they live across Canada and buy one or more of the newly introduced tricoloured Campfire rose. Maybe you spend more time actually camping somewhere rather than growing roses, or have never planted a rose bush before. Let me give you the goods on Campfire. This terrific performer is bound to be a bestseller, so don’t let it slip through your fingers. Campfire has great capacity for additional blooming after the first flush. Also keep in mind that quick repeat flowering is enhanced by deadheading spent blooms. Although Campfire’s fragrance is faint, it makes up for it in so many other ways. Extreme hardiness is one example. Rose fanciers will also appreciate knowing that not a speck of black spot was detected on its leaves during test trials.

I’M TIPPING MY CAP

LOVE HEARING FROM YOU Do you have a story about a farm or home-based business? How about some household management tips? Does someone in the family have a special-diet need? Share some of your meal ideas. Send them to FarmLife, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1. Phone 1-800665-0502 or email susan@ fbcpublishing.com. Please remember we can no longer return photos or material. — Sue

PHOTO: CORN HILL NURSERY

Want to grow a rose that meets your approval? This is a call to all rose lovers and those who wish to grow roses. Campfire shown here in both pictures has come out a winner as rose of the year for 2013. It’s the most significant rose cultivar developed to date in the Canadian Artists series and encompasses beauty, disease resistance, Prairie hardiness and abundance of blooms. Here’s what to expect. Campfire grows a metre high (three feet) with a spread that’s just as wide. Blooms are continuous in an ever-changing stance of dark, intermediate and lighter tones that pose beautifully for the camera. Michel Touchette, sales manager and production manager for Jeffries Nurseries at Portage la Prairie is a multi-faceted individual whose gifts, skill and talents are widely recognized among his peers. Currently, he is also chairperson of a rose consortium committee with members drawn from the nursery and retail industry. Michel agrees that Campfire is an outstanding rose whose tricoloured traits are no exaggeration. Well-formed blooms not only defy description but will bring comments and glances of approval many times over.

… to Campfire and three other cultivars previously introduced in the Canadian Artists series that also include Emily Carr, Felix Leclerc and Bill Reid roses. All four grow and survive on their own roots in Zone 3 Prairie hardiness. When Canadian-grown roses are in season it’s important to buy from local growers. In August 2012 a select group of nursery people from across the nation was invited to a threeacre rose research plot on the southern outskirts of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba to view and evaluate extensive rose-breeding trials. Besides the introduction of Campfire this spring, watch for

another release in the Canadian Artists series possibly next year or by 2015. I was given a hint that it may be a yet-unnamed, outstanding, long-stemmed, deeppink hybrid tea-type rose having full petal count and a very strong fragrance. Spectators who toured the research plot are very excited about this rose and anxiously await its release. Said rose still requires more field testing, particularly as to hardiness. The artist picked to represent this fifth and last rose in the Canadian Artists series is Lucy Maud Montgomery of Anne of Green Gables fame. Watch for it and other new top performers from the world of roses to follow in future.

ARE YOU A WATER DIVINER? I asked that question earlier this year. A handwritten letter arrived in the mail from a reader who told about her experience with water witching and I thank her for sharing. Dear Ted: Re: water witcher January 7, 2013 Grainews. This is my response. In late summer 2005, I noticed my well was starting to cave in so got a fellow from Killarney, Manitoba to find a vein. I don’t know what kind of wire he used, but it held its shape. It was about 27 inches long with about five inches bent as a handle to hold on to. There seemed to be a ball bearing at the long end, held in place with a twist. He left me the wire he was using and said I could keep it. I don’t know if I’ve got the knack or not and can witch water. Went to where he had witched. It (the wire) was just going up and down. I could hardly hold it. My neighbour came down and tried it and it did not work for him. The wire just stood there. It didn’t do a thing for him. I’m just wondering if I have that magic touch. I got the well drilled; driller had to go down 130 feet. Really very good, clear water. At that time I lived southeast of Minto, Man. I hope you can make head or tail from

this. I had my 87th birthday in late February. Keep up the garden tips. Best page in the whole paper. Also, do you sell CDs of your music? You seem to be jack of all trades. Jean Vandenberghe, Boissevain, Man. Ted’s reply: I had the good fortune to later speak with Jean via telephone. As she pointed out, the witcher from Killarney gave his witching tool to her and she still has it. Jean did some experimenting and explained how she held the short end of the single piece of stiff wire quite loosely with her two hands around it. “That thing with the ball bearing twisted on the tip was just going up and down into the air and toward the ground like a house on fire. You wouldn’t believe how it was going. It started to rock or whatever you want to call it. We had the well put in there by the Steve Racine family and had a good supply of water. We plumbed it to the house; a really good stream of clear water.” According to Jean who is now retired, there’s more to it than meets the eye to get the entire process of drilling a well completed. It took the drillers a good week from start to finish. As for the witching tool itself, Jean described it as a good, heavy piece of wire that holds its shape and doesn’t bend like a coat hanger. She doesn’t think it was a welding rod, but more likely to be something similar to firm page wire. She’s not certain whether she can witch water or what, but her own experience appears to confirm that she certainly can. “Maybe I’m kind of full of electricity,” she told me. The long and the short of it is that every witcher’s tool is as unique as the individual himself/herself who tries a hand at it. As for Jean’s inquiry about my music. I have CDs at $15 each and audio cassettes for $12 each; shipping included. Among song titles are: Legend of the White Horse (the white horse statue on the western outskirts of Winnipeg), Schmirler the Curler (late of Biggar, Sask.),

Gardeners Love to Party, Blue Lobelia Blue, Lily Sweet Lily, Green Beans and Ripe Tomatoes and others. Mail cheque or money order to: Ted Meseyton, The Singing Gardener, 54-14th Street, Portage la Prairie, Man. R1N 2V3.

MY GRANNY’S SCRAPBOOK … contains everything from gems of wisdom to home remedies. She always grew parsley and not just to decorate the dinner plate. Granny believed her parsley tea was a sure bet for rheumatism and to stimulate and refresh the kidneys and urinary tract to improve the flow. In season, she’d take a handful of washed, freshly harvested parsley or a tablespoonful of parsley she grew, dried and crumpled. She then placed parsley in a heatproof earthenware or glass container, with about 2 cups of boiling water poured over and allowed it to steep. Once the brew was cool or cold, she strained off the liquid and would drink a halfcupful one hour before meals. Granny also recommended parsley tea to restore a clear colour to cloudy urine and always said that herbs, fruit, flowers, vegetables and fields of grain follow the sun, even on cloudy days. †

This is Ted Meseyton the Singing Gardener and Grow-It Poet from Portage la Prairie, Man. Gardening and farming are great teachers. The real test for both the gardener and farmer and in life itself is not in keeping out of the rough spots. It’s in knowing how to get out of them after we are in. No snow falls lighter than the snow of age; but none lies heavier; for it never melts. Let us respect grey hairs; especially our own. The gardener and farmer that keep a child in his/her heart never grow old. My email address is singinggardener@mts.net.

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