October 2023 by SARDA Ag Research

October 2023

SARDA Ag Research News

E.D. Notes

Table of Contents Newsletter Information page

Page 2

Manager Notes

Page 3

Winter Extension Event

Page 4

SARDA Ag Research Grand Opening and Plot Tour

Page 5

Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

Page 10

Peer reviewed Scientific Papers published

Page 13

Program Sponsors

Page 15

Contact Information For Board And Staff

Page 16

ON THE COVER SARDA Ag Research Board Grand Opening July 26, 2023 Left to right Whitney Boisvert, Paula Guidoin, Jason Javos, Leonard Deharnais, Neil Maisonneuve, Danny Dion, Vance Yaremko, Luc Levesque, Alain Anctil, Audrey Gall, Simon Lavoie, Dave Berry

Dear SARDA Ag Research Community, I hope this message finds you in good health and high spirits. I am pleased to share some exciting updates and information with you in this edition of our organization’s newsletter. We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new building, which is now the proud home of SARDA Ag Research. This facility has office space, lab spaces and land for plot trials to further our mission of advancing agriculture in our region. This monumental achievement would not have been possible without the generous support of the Western Grains Research Foundation, who graciously contributed $750,000 towards our new building. Additionally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Danny Dion for donating a 15-acre land parcel to our organization. The unwavering support is genuinely appreciated and pivotal to our success.

in British Columbia and Alberta. Working together, we aim to discover beneficial management practices for our local producers. In the future, we look forward to continuing our work on several crop research with a particular focus on alternative crops such as lupin and industrial hemp. Our deep appreciation goes out to the Municipal Districts of Smoky River, Greenview, Big Lakes County, Northern Sunrise County, and the County of Grande Prairie, as well as Results Driven Agriculture Research and St. Isidore Co-op for their unwavering support of SARDA Ag Research activities. Your continued partnership empowers us to make a meaningful impact in our community.

Our Trade Show 2023, cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was tremendously successful. We are deeply grateful to all the participants who made this event a resounding triumph. Your dedication and enthusiasm are a testament to the strength of our agricultural community. We eagerly anticipate hosting the next Trade Show in March 2025.

SARDA Ag Research is committed to facilitating the exchange of unbiased ideas and information between research institutions, industry stakeholders, and agricultural producers. We always eagerly hear from our producers and welcome your input for prospective research ideas. Moreover, if you’re interested in shaping the future of our research activities, we invite you to consider joining the SARDA Ag Research Board of Directors. Our dedication to advancing agriculture remains unwavering as we move forward, and we are excited about the opportunities. Together, we will continue to innovate, learn, and grow for the betterment of our agricultural community.

We are excited to welcome back Megan Allard, who will return to full-time duties in November 2023 after her maternity leave. Her expertise and commitment have always been integral to our team, and we look forward to her continued contributions.

Our ongoing research projects continue to make strides in advancing agriculture in our region. These include RVT trials on pulses and cereal crops, lupin adaptability and agronomy research, and several industry-focused research initiatives. SARDA Ag Research is also proud to be a part of the Peace Region Living Lab, conducting field-scale research with producers and small-plot research activities in areas such as beneficial management practices and carbon sequestration. I am particularly excited about our collaboration with various applied research organizations and producers in the Peace Region, both

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration. Warm regards, Vance Yaremko Executive Director, SARDA Ag Research 3

SARDA Ag Research News

You will not want to miss this event! We have pulled together a panel of well known, informed agrologists to tell us what they saw in the field in 2023 and what concerns them for 2024. These panelists will each give brief presentations about their specialties and make themselves available for questions and discussions. The panelists will also make themselves avaiable for one on one discussions following lunch.

Big Lakes County Agricultural Fieldman will also provide an update on the numerous inspections and programs the municipality participates in yearly. In addition to the information provided by our speakers and panelists, there will be several stations for all to visit and collect inforamtion on programs and groups.

SARDA Ag Research will discuss the research completed in 2023 and further insights into what we can look forward to in 2024. In addition, the research association will have several research posters on display showing the results from their research.

PreRegistration requested so proper arrangements can be made for lunch and refreshments. To register, visit www.sarda.ca or call 780-837-2900

Crop Agronomy Update: Findings from the Fields November 30, 2023 at the Pioneer Threshermans Association Community Hall (Triangle Corner) The 2023 Growing Season is behind us and it is now time to reflect on what we learned. Join us for presentations by SARDA Ag Research, Big Lakes County Ag Fieldman. View numerous research posters and program stations. Interact with a panel of consultants, agronomists and specialists that will review the 2023 growing season and what that could mean for 2024.

9:00 am

Registration

9:30 am

Start

Tanner Pollack, Strategic Agronomy

12:30 pm

lunch (free)

Calvin Yoder, Forage Seed Specialist

1—2 pm

speakers and panelists will

Kristine Polziehn, Axion Agronomy

Jason Casselman, CCC Agronomy Specialist

SARDA Ag Research Grand Opening and Plot Tour Then the rains came. A light amount of rain would not have hampered the plot tours, but the deluge prevented us from viewing the plots. The tour moved inside, and the speakers scrambled to prepare presentations. "The Show must go on!" With our summer staff 's incredible computing talents, we designed virtual tours of the plots, and the presenters made fantastic presentations on very short notice.

by Shelleen Gerbig, P.Ag, Extension Coordinator, SARDA Ag Research

The plots were mowed and trimmed, speakers confirmed, trial posters prepared and displayed, busses acquired, food ordered, and the new building swept and polished. After all the hard work, we were finally ready to show off the results on July 26, 2023.

remain to network with producers

Dr. Surendra Bhattarai, SARDA Ag Research

It was amazing to see all the people that came out to help us celebrate the new building and hear about the organization's ongoing research. We had current and past directors, present and previous staff members, past advisors, research partners, municipal representatives, funders, and many producers, past, present, and future. SARDA Ag Research was incorporated in 1986 to address local agricultural

SARDA Ag Research News

SARDA Ag Research News Tradeshows, seminars, demonstrations, and other available mediums. • To be aware of the changing needs of producers in our community and to adjust our programs and mandate accordingly. • To promote diversification into other agriculture sectors (livestock production, horticulture, and value-added). • To provide an opportunity for other organizations to plan and conduct applied research, demonstrations, and extension activities in the area.

and Forage Seed and Industrial Hemp Processing industries in the Peace Region. SARDA Ag Research has been around for almost 40 years and will continue to evolve and grow for many more. Please view our website, www.sarda.ca, to learn about our organization, view research results and scientific journal articles. Join our free email notification feature (on the home page) to learn about current events, new and old equipment, politics, programs, products and research.

The new facility supports our activities, mission and objectives. We can efficiently process trial yields, house new equipment and attract new research personnel. SARDA Ag Research has been instrumental in encouraging the adoption of notable practices in the area, such as direct seeding and reduced tillage, using inoculants and adopting new crops such as field pea and industrial hemp, to name a few. We have also played a significant role in developing the Turf Board and Staff, Summer 2023 issues. It continues to be a non-profit organization directed by producer directors and municipal representatives. Over the years, the association's mandate area has expanded to include the Municipal District of Smoky River, the Municipal District of Greenview, Northern Sunrise County, Big Lakes County, and the County of Grande Prairie. We specialize in research of annual crop production and the forage seed and turf industries in the Peace Region. However, our work applies to Alberta and many areas of the Great Plains of North America. Our mission is to facilitate the transfer of unbiased ideas and information between research institutions, industry, and agricultural producers. SARDA Ag Research is committed to a long-term program with these objectives: • To achieve sustainable agriculture production and profit for producers. • To stimulate and conduct applied research and demonstration to provide a basis for recommendations and a transfer of information and technology between research institutions, industry, and local producers. • To distribute information through publications of annual reports, newsletters, newspaper articles,

Kristina Polhzein and Calvin Yoder presenting on Herbicide resistant wild oats

Monika Benoit, Dr. Akin Omokanye, Dr. Bharat Shrestha and is Jinxz Pollard-Flamand presenting on the Peace Region Living Lab. 6

SARDA Ag Research News

Dr. Rigas Karamanos presenting on Soil fertility and Fertilizers

Shelleen Gerbig, P. Ag speaking about the Beta Glucan oats variety trial

Dr. Surendra Bhattarai talking about Lupin trials

Hand spraying demonstration by SARDA Ag Research summer staff

Megan Allard presenting on the use of PGR’s in Barley

SARDA Ag Research trial poster display

Door prizes and draws 8

Calvin Yoder, Forage Seed Speciallist presenting on the Herbicide resistant wild oat trial 9

SARDA Ag Research News

SARDA Ag Research News has a unique climate characterized by short growing seasons and long summer days, unlike the eastern and southern parts of Canada. With renewed interest in industrial hemp production, there is a simultaneous increase in demand for agronomic information from farmers. SARDA Ag Research is committed to conducting applied agronomic research trials on industrial hemp in the Peace River region of AB and has been conducting research since 2014. Industrial hemp production is characterized by poor germination and high seedling mortality rates. Key factors leading to seedling mortality are cold, wet soil and deep seeding. Poor establishment results in high seed costs as producers compensate for seedling mortality by increasing the seeding rate. Dense and uniform stand density is crucial for industrial hemp production.

Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) its sustainability providing economic, environmental, agronomic, and social benefits. Fibre hemp grown in the Peace Region is known for its extremely high quality.

by Dr. Surendra Bhattarai and Shelleen Gerbig, P. Ag

ndustrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an annual herbaceous crop considered one of the oldest known crops to man. It is traditionally grown in many regions of Europe for its fibre production (Amaducci et al., 2015), where it was introduced to Canada by European Settlers in the 17th Century. The 1938 Opium and Narcotic Act prohibited its cultivation, possession, and processing in North America. After the federal government lifted the 60-year-long bans, hemp was reintroduced to Canada in 1998 and received renewed interest from producers. Industrial hemp grown for fibre is a sustainable and environmentally friendly crop that provides valuable raw materials to many industries. The renewed interest in industrial hemp cultivation was triggered by its considerable plasticity allowing it to grow under various agroecological conditions. The high-yielding and plasticity characteristics of hemp contributed to

Furthermore, this non-food crop is attractive because of its wide variety of renewable resources, unlike only one type of raw material produced by many other crops. In addition to its economic value, environmental concerns have also brought renewed interest in industrial hemp. However, there needs to be more recent agronomical information available to support hemp cultivation (Tang et al., 2017).

The producers in the Peace River Region, AB, have considerable interest in industrial hemp cultivation because of the new hemp decortication plant opening at Donnelly Corner, AB. There has been substantial progress made in Canada in previous years concerning understanding the basics of industrial hemp agronomy. However, the Peace River region of western Canada

Over the years that SARDA Ag Research has conducted industrial hemp research, we have looked at different varieties, fertility rates, seeding rates, and seeding dates. We have learned a lot, but there is still work to be done in these areas. New work is planned to look at seed treatments and pesticide applications. Cold and wet soils in spring amplify seedling mortality in the Peace River region and may be caused by damping-off by soil-associated pathogens such as Pythium sp., Fusarium sp., and Rhizoctonia (Beckerman et al., 2017; McGhee et al., 2019; Punja, 2021). Seed treatments are crucial for efficient early-season pest and disease management. When growing hemp for fibre, we have learned that plants grown closely together encourage stem elongation and reduce branching. High-density planting of industrial hemp is associated with high-quality fibre and weed suppression, which reduces the cost of applying herbicides (Amaducci et al., 2002). The seed cost for hemp production is very high, so it is crucial to identify the optimum seeding rate and reduce seedling mortality for maximum production. We will continue working with industrial hemp producers to identify the best seeding rate for maximum quality, production, and weed suppression. In addition to the basic agronomic questions, postharvest processing should be optimized to preserve and improve fibre quality. All plant biomasses should be utilized to maximize hemp value. Hemp is harvested after vegetative growth ceases (Calzolari et al., 2017). Retting is the biochemical process in which enzymes produced by micro-organisms help break the chemical bonds that hold the stem together

Industrial Hemp Plots 2014 and allow separation of the bast fibres (Booth et al., 2004). Retting also helps avoid fibre breakage and preserves fibre quality during mechanical processing. Traditionally, field retting time depends on the location and weather conditions. When the temperature fluctuates above and below zero, the water freezes and melts in the plant organelles, which loosens the bast fibre from the stem (Pasila, 2000). Farmers use hand tests in the field to determine whether retting was completed. However, local research is needed to understand the critical point when the retting is completed to preserve the fibre quality.

Smoky Hemp Decortication Ltd is building a hemp decortication plant for locally grown industrial hemp. The plant will separate the plants into three saleable products: the bast fibre, the woody hurd fibres, and the greens/dust. The bast fibres are used for insulation, weed suppression mats, and grow cubes. The woody Hurd can be used for hempcrete and animal bedding, to name a few. The dust is full of protein which also has many uses. The decortication plant will have a three-tonne per hour processing capacity, which should handle over 6000 acres of hemp production. The potential for expansion due to the high demand for hemp fibre and the potential for secondary processing and manufacturing locally is excellent. The plant started accepting hemp bales last fall. .

SARDA Ag Research News

spring photo of winter wheat plots

Peer reviewed Scientific Papers published

Smoky Hemp Decortication Ltd. Next to the new SARDA Ag Research Building

Winter wheat responses to enhanced efficiency granular nitrogen fertilizer in the Canadian Prairies

References:

Amaducci S, et al. 2002. Journal of Industrial Hemp. 7(2): 33–60.

Z. Wang , J.L. Owens, B.W. Thomas, X. Hao, K. Coles, C. Holzapfel, E. Rahmani, R. Karimi, K.S. Gill, and B.L. Beres

Abstract

Amaducci S, et al. 2015. Industrial Crops and Products. 68: 2–16. Beckerman J, et al. 2017. Plant Disease. 101(6): 1038–1039. Booth I, et al. 2004. Annals of Applied Biology. 145(1): 51–58. Calzolari D, et al. 2017. Industrial Crops and Products. 108: 558–563. McGehee CS, et al. 2019. Plant Disease. 103(12): 3288. Pasila A. 2000. Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals. 353(1): 11–22. Punja ZK, et al. 2021. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology. 43(4): 567–581. Tang K, et al. 2017. Industrial Crops and Products. 107: 427–438.

Industrial Hemp Cutter 12

Optimizing the timing of nitrogen (N) enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) may maximize winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield, protein content, and N-use efficiency (NUE). From 2013 to 2018, experiments were conducted at two irrigated and six rain-fed sites across the Canadian Prairies (24 site-years) to evaluate winter wheat responses to N source and timing/placement effects of EEFs. Nitrogen sources included untreated urea, nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin treated urea, urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) plus nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD)-treated urea (NBPT + DCD), and polymer-coated urea (PCU). The N sources were all side-banded at planting, 30% side-banded at planting plus 70% broadcast in-crop late-fall (averaged 38 days after planting; split-applied late-fall), or 30% side-banded at planting plus 70% broadcast in-crop early-spring (averaged 224 days after planting; splitapplied early-spring). Nitrous oxide and methane

emissions were measured at one rain-fed site to test whether N source and timing/placement influenced CO2-equivalents (CO2-eq; nitrous oxide + methane). Under irrigation, NBPT + DCD consistently produced the highest yields regardless of timing/ placement; however, the 80% of the recommended rate caused suboptimal protein responses (≤11%) unless splitapplication of N was adopted. Untreated urea produced the highest net CO2-eq and yield-scaled CO2-eq emissions, with the highest emissions when urea was split-applied early-spring. To optimize winter wheat production and NUE, we conclude that NBPT + DCD all-banded during seeding operations or split-applied early-spring provided similar and often superior results to other sources, including a more typical system of urea side-banded at the time of seeding.

Key words: enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer, soil moisture, split-application, agronomic efficiency, global warming potential, greenhouse gas emissions

SARDA Ag Research News

counting winter wheat in the fall

Winter wheat responses to enhanced efficiency liquid nitrogen fertilizers in the Canadian Prairies J.L. Owens, Z. Wang, B.W. Thomas, X. Hao, K. Coles, E. Rahmani, R. Karimi, K. Gill, and B.L. Beres

Abstract

to all the other N sources except untreated urea in the rain-fed environment. Total N uptake with NBPT was between 0% and 12% higher than the other N sources across irrigated and rain-fed environments. The results suggested that both grain yield and N use efficiency were optimized when UAN contained a urease inhibitor. All liquid enhanced efficiency fertilizers produced grain protein content greater than 11%, except Nitrapyrin under irrigated environments. Data from three site-years indicated that greenhouse gas emissions were unaffected by N source under rain-fed conditions. Liquid UAN with a urease inhibitor may have the most potential to optimize winter wheat production and N use efficiency in the Canadian Prairies.

To evaluate how enhanced efficiency liquid nitrogen (N) fertilizers affect winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production under irrigated and rain-fed environments, experiments were conducted at two irrigated and five rainfed sites across the Canadian Prairies from 2013 to 2018 (22 site-years). The N fertilizers included urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) treated with (i) urease inhibitor N-(nbutyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), (ii) NBPT plus nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide, and (iii) nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin (Nitrapyrin), as well as untreated UAN and urea, and polymer-coated urea (PCU). All fertilizers were applied by banding 50% at planting and 50% incrop in early-spring, except PCU,where PCUwas applied at planting and urea was applied in early-spring. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and methane (CH4) uptake were measured at one rain-fed site from 2014 to 2017. NBPT increased grain yield by 1.2%–14% and 2.8%–4% under irrigated and rain-fed environments, respectively, relative

Thank you to our Program Sponsors

Key words: enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer, split-fertilization, agronomic efficiency, soil moisture, global warming potential, greenhouse gas emissions 14

2023 Board of Directors Simon Lavoie Chair

St. Isidore t. Isidore

Leonard Desharnais Vice Chair

Falheralher

Whitney Boisvert Secretary hitney retary

Girouxvillexville

Mathieu Bergeron

St. Isidore St. Isidore

Kenny Stewart

High Prairie

Lionel Gauthier

McLennan

Alain Anctil

Jean CoteGirouxville

Neil Maisonneuve

Falher Valleyview

Luc Levesque uc Levesque

Falheralher

Dave Berry

MD of Greenviewnview

Garret Zahacy

Big Lakes Countyes County

Bob Chrenek

County of Grande

Paula Guindoin

MD of Smoky Riveriver

Jason Javos

Northern Sunrise County

Staff

Vance Yaremko Vance Yaremko

Executive Directorector

manager@sarda.ca

Shelleen Gerbig, P.Ag.

Extension Coordinator

extension@sarda.ca

Calvin Yoder, P.Ag.

Forage Seed Specialist

calvinyoder123@gmail.com 780-864-7663

Surendra Bhattarai, PhD

Research Scientistientist

surendra@sarda.ca

Victor Gauthier

Field Technicianian

field@sarda.ca

Amber Fennell-Drouin

Administrative Assistant

admin@sarda.ca

Megan Allard

Research Coodinator

research2@sarda.ca

780-837-2900 or www.sarda.ca

We send 1 email per week on agronomy, research, events, and agricultural interest articles geared towards the Peace Region agricultural producers.