Irrigating Alberta Spring 2018

volume 22 • number 1 • Spring 2018 • price $3.50

Alberta •AIPA New Director •Farming Smarter

with Jonathan Gill

•Sawchuk on Mussels •Letter to the Editor •New Bassano Dam •Subsurface Drip with Ken Coles

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volume 22 • number 1

Spring 2018

4 ...................................................... Ric’s Corner 5...........................................AIPA New Director 6 - 7 ........................................ Farming Smarter with Jonathan Gill

9 ............................Farming Smarter - Round Up 10 .....................................................Frank Larney 11 ....................................... Sawchuk on Mussels 14 - 15................................Letter to the Editor 16..........................................New Bassano Dam 18 ..........................................Potato Production 20 - 21....................................... Subsurface Drip with Ken Coles

22.............................Ross McKenzie - Soil Testing HEAD OFFICE 1320 - 36TH STREET NORTH LETHBRIDGE, AB T1H 5H8

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ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR: Sarah Still IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 3

RIC’S

Corner The farm sector, representing the second largest economic engine in Alberta, and forestry, sitting in third position, give Carlier considerable pride, and recognition of the importance of both sectors in Alberta.

He also has a sense of the expanse of the Alberta economy, and weaknesses in some sectors often means a return of workers to the agriculture sector. He points to the oil field sector, which has seen jobs eliminated in the past five years, when many came back to farms and ranches.

A

lberta Agriculture is in good hands, and not only because Oneil Carlier has a lengthy background in government service to the industry, including about 20 years with Agriculture Canada’s Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration.

The minister of agriculture knows his stuff, and has proven more than capable.

While PFRA is long gone, Carlier looks back with pride at his participation in the rehabilitation of southern Alberta dams at Bassano and Crawling Valley, and later, extensive work on the Blood Tribe Agricultural Project, which includes extensive pivot irrigation crop production.

That could become more common, he feels. With the global population continuing its upward spiral, demand for food will continue to increase. Granted, some of that demand will be looked after through traditional paths, but “the world is simply going to need more food. For the most part, that demand will be positive for Canada.” And it will be more important for the Alberta irrigation sector, which has what most sectors demand – an assured water supply. Increased efficiency at the irrigation district and on-farm irrigation levels has simply expanded production potential while allowing water savings to allow farmers to expand the irrigated land base, and the potential to produce more food.

It is these changing times which allow Carlier to envision the movement of an increasing number of urban young people moving into the agriculture industry – demand for more food translates into more jobs in agriculture.

He got his feet wet in irrigation with PFRA working on canal projects in southern Saskatchewan, especially southwest of Swift Current.

He sees more urban youth seeking out careers supported by agriculture schools. He sees more women getting involved in the agriculture industry.

It appears that strong agriculture background was enough for his Alberta New Democratic team to name him to the agriculture post. He admits it took some work to get up to speed on the forestry side of his duties, and he faced new challenges “keeping up.”

Carlier keeps a sharp eye on international agriculture politics. He especially likes the concept of practical trade agreements, and like most, is watching the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement debate, which the United States is considering dumping.

His personal farm background stems from animal production, so he welcomes support from 14 rural Alberta MLAs as caucus partners for additional understanding of the importance of the province’s agriculture industry. He also knows the value of statistics – and that is where the irrigation industry shines. Alberta boasts 70 per cent of the nation’s irrigated land base with a total of 1.7 million acres. He also likes the eyepopping statistic – that acreage represents five per cent of Alberta’s farm production base that produces 20 per cent of production.

Supply management, the regulation mainly of dairy and poultry production within Canada based on consumer demand patterns, is welcomed by Carlier. Again, that is a sector under the American microscope. He feels the American government position – scrap NAFTA and supply management to give American producers and industry greater competition in Canada – is not fact based.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 4

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Farming Smarter with Jonathan Gill F

ield compaction with large equipment translates into reduced crop yields so Jonathan Gill is perfecting robotics farming.

Speaking to about 300 producers at the Farming Smarter Conference and Trade Show at Exhibition Park, Gill set his stage by outlining the success of his Hands Free Hectare project being promoted around the world. Gill set the level high – HFH was designed to be the first in the world to plant, tend and harvest a crop with only unmanned vehicles and drones.

“A team of three engineers worked to grow and harvest a hectare of spring barley without setting a foot into the field,” he said. “They used readily available machinery, open source technology and an autopilot from a drone for the navigation system to grow 4.5 tonnes of barley. They hope this technology will allow farmers to concentrate on agronomic and business decisions while

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 6

overseeing and managing a number of smaller automated machines instead of sitting in a large tractor driving up and down the field.”

The program, run by Harper Adams University and Precision Decisions in the United Kingdom, fits Gill’s passion – he recently accepted a 2018 Nuffield Scholarship to continue asking the question how to embrace automation in agriculture, Gill acknowledged modern agriculture in western Canada, suggesting a 600 horsepower tractor could be replaced by nine 38 horsepower tractors fitted with radiocontrolled systems and herbicide applicator equipment programmed to meet the weedcontrol program identified by drones throughout the field. Even the combine and grain truck were operated autonomously and the only hitch is perfecting a way to unload the combine on the go.

Labour becomes less vital – all equipment and the drones are controlled off the land with one to two centimeters of deviation between rows the goal.

He learned that the drones used for weed control must be calibrated before every application to get the most uniform chemical application. It is also vital to assure the drones applying the herbicides can fly in a straight line.

Gill is certain his system can be applied to large fields. His work will continue. “If we start getting satellite systems tied to onfarm systems, we will get the (hands-free) system nailed,” he said.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA ALBERTA -- Spring Spring 2018 2018 •• 7 7 IRRIGATING

Farming Smarter - Round Up F

arming Smarter is a Lethbridgebased farm research organization with research facilities east of the city. It hosts conferences and trade show programs to help producers optimize their production.

This spring, it attracted about 300 producers to one conference at Exhibition Park.

Manglai, a native of Mongolia, China and agricultural economist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, outlined the AgriProfit$ program. It is a survey-based program to inform producers about their operation’s cost of production, and helps support informed business decision-making. It provides participants with a farm budget sheet, revenue and expense statements and customized enterprise reports useful when communicating with lending, insurance and other financial organizations.

Recent improvements include clear reports, quicker survey, fast turnaround times, and historic analysis for returning participants.

While sound business decision-making is always critical, farmers are increasingly asked to demonstrate sound social and environmental decision-making. 2018 will see several new features to the program, such as environment footprint reports for selected producers.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA ALBERTA -- Spring Spring 2018 2018 •• 8 8 IRRIGATING

Future developments will include extending the business analysis capabilities of the program to assess the impact of different management practices, developing historic enterprise and thematic bench market like feed rations and breeding genetics, as well as sustainability bench marks that combine social, economic and environmental indicators.

Dr. Joe Schwarcz, director of office for science and society at McGill University, explored the world of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides, admitting they are all meant to kill.

Obviously, these are potentially toxic substances, but that does not mean they cannot be used safely. Indeed, without proper use of agro chemicals there is no hope of feeding the earth’s increasing population. “However, when it comes to weeds on our lawn, we may want to be a touch more circumspect. We need to trace out a path between the fear-mongerers and the chemical enthusiasts,” he said.

He is the only non-American to win the American Chemical Society’s prestigious Grade-Stack award for demystifying chemistry.

www.farmingsmarter.com

AIPA New Director T

he magic of water and an irrigation farm boy from Brooks captured the heart of Saskatchewan farm girl Margo Redelback, and now, she is the new executive director for Alberta Irrigation Projects Association.

Her career path started at the University of Alberta where she attained a BSc in Environmental and Conservation Science. That was followed by a move to British Columbia where she worked as a conservation and forestry management consultant to do ecomapping of the ecosystem for the interior and coastal regions in the province.

At AIPA, Redelback is the anchor for communication between Alberta’s 13 irrigation districts, a position that reinforces her passion for water management and AIPA’s goal to represent the interests of farmers in the member irrigation districts. “That is my first priority.”

It is also salve for memories of her early days in the ‘80s in Saskatchewan’s dryland Battlefords area where she saw families forced from their farms by periods of drought. It is also a chance to work with the farmer AIPA directors and executive, and the province, to help meet the needs of water users.

The long-term goal for the couple was to return to Brooks to take over the family’s irrigated farm on the outskirts of Brooks. That happened in 2004, and a few years later, Redelback accepted a position to head up the pasture habitat program for the Eastern Irrigation District. It was in that period that she attained her professional agrologist standing.

The fact that about 50 southern Alberta communities get their water supplies through the irrigation water distribution network is simply icing on Redelback’s cake.

She started working one-on-one with irrigation farmers in a water conservation project to help increase water use efficiencies from flood to pivot irrigation projects. She also helped producers work on land use bylaws applied to irrigation farms and the world of easements in that sector.

She points to the enhanced conservation efficiencies irrigators have developed and the production plans a successful irrigation industry has created.

“The biggest challenge there was to help producers understand the rules of bylaws as they apply to irrigation farms,” she said.

But her main high rests with the stability irrigation brings for hundreds of producers across southern Alberta, and the enhanced and assured production water has brought.

“That is part of the story that must be conveyed to all,” she said. “Irrigation farmers are doing their part, and they are using the water wisely.”

Margo Redelback

Executive Director for Alberta Irrigation Projects Association

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 9

Frank Larney I

rrigated crop rotation is a successful practice for growing a crop, says an Agriculture Canada research station scientist.

Frank Larney told the Lethbridge Irrigated Crop Production Update 2018, crop rotation promotes many positives for farmers. Crop diversification prevents the “eggs in one basket” crisis, allowing optimum pest, disease and weed control, reduces soil erosion, and improves soil conditions and fertility.

But rotation comes with a cost – more knowledge and skill is required, more equipment is needed, and it may reduce profits.

Larney said there are no set rules. Just avoid monoculture. Embarking on a crop rotation program will require producers to understand their farm’s soil type, weather patterns, markets, labour needs, weeds, pests, diseases, nutrient and herbicide requirements.

Farmers embarking on a crop rotation program must consider the potential impact of the first crop on the following crop. Cereals, oilseeds, pulses and root crops are good choices. Cereal and forages provide high carbon returns to the soil. Oilseeds have a fungus which grows in association with the roots of a plant in a pathogenic relationship Pulses deliver nitrogen credits, and root crops create a lot of soil disturbance, said Larney.

He said cereals, forages and corn can be fit with oilseeds, legumes, potatoes and sugar beets.

Crops in mix for irrigated rotations are available from Alberta Agriculture.

Cereal options include barley, CPS wheat, durum, grain corn, hard red wheat, malt barley, oats, rye, soft wheat, triticale and winter wheat.

Forages include alfalfa with two or three cuts, alfalfa hay or silage, barley silage and also under seeded, brome hay, corn silage, custom variety forages, grass hay, green feed, milk vetch, millet, native pasture, oats silage, sorghum/sudan grass, tame pasture, Timothy hay and triticale silage.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 10

Oilseed options include canola, flax, mustard and safflower.

Specialty crop options include alfalfa seed, canary seed, canola seed, carrots, catnip, chickpeas, dill, dry beans or peas, faba beans, fresh corn, fresh peas, grass seed, hemp, lawn turf, lentils, market gardens, mint, nursery crops, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, radish safflower, seed potatoes, small fruit, soybeans, sugar beets and sunflower.

Larney said cropping trends since 1996 on irrigated farms show two trend lines – cereals and forages are trending down and oilseeds and forages up.

Cropping trends in irrigated areas. Oilseeds and special crops have gained acreage percentage over cereals and forages on annual basis. Question is how will that shift affect soil quality over time?

Cereal and forage production decreasing, while special crops and oilseed production is increasing over time.

Larney said, “if cereal and forage production continues to decline, producers can expect lower soil organic carbon levels with implications for maintenance of soil health. There are other ways to replenish carbon such as use of compost, cover crops and green manures.”

Wind erosion not sustainable without understanding cropping impacts. Major irrigated crops in southern Alberta like potatoes, sugar beets and dry beans produce low amounts of crop residue – residue is the first line of defense against wind erosion.

Cereals and forages are vital in rotations because they return carbon to the soil and provide cover for the land. “Consider replenishing soil organic matter with composted manure if possible,” says Larney.

Know in advance when each crop will be grown.

To build up a rotation, know where a crop will be grown based on a preceding crop for that field and what crop will follow. “Build up a rotation data base.”

Sawchuk on Mussels A

lberta Environment and Parks and southern Alberta’s massive irrigation industry continue a successful battle to keep the province free of invasive aquatic mussels.

Cindy Sawchuk of Canmore is provincial lead on the government-industry attack on the pest, which has infected lakes and rivers east of Alberta, and recently for the first time, one body of water in Montana.

With financial assistance from a core of irrigation districts, Sawchuk’s team of muscle inspectors – in hiring mode for this summer – has been able to keep Alberta mussel free.

Untold costs have been avoided, she said in a Lethbridge interview. With the recent discovery of mussels in the Tiber Reservoir in Montana, mussel inspection stations for all watercraft entering the province were established at the Del Bonita and Carway Canada-U.S. border crossings. Border officials also contact the inspection team every time a craft enters Alberta when inspection stations are not operating.

That is why Alberta has become so proactive in the last 10 years, said Sawchuk. Alberta remains mussel free, and the watercraft inspection system gets full marks. Boaters are also on board, readily complying with recommended procedures to keep their crafts free of the pest.

The mussel can spread from larvae introduced to boats and other watercraft. The pest was found on one kayak arriving in Alberta from Ontario.

Individual inspection and action to clean craft is encouraged.

In 2017, inspectors found 19 boats of the 1,000’s inspected entering Alberta had mussels.

Inspections are relatively short and smooth. But if owners have not pulled all plugs that can drain water from the craft, and ensured all parts of the craft are clean and dry, that all mud and weeds have been removed, the inspection takes a stiffer stance.

Another line of defence is the new three-dog sniffing team. The dogs are trained to identify the larvae on watercraft and along the shorelines.

The pest can clog irrigation systems and foul lakes and reservoirs to plug boat water lines where it can spread to other water bodies if not found in time. It fouls water, making it difficult for swimming, and can make shorelines repulsive.

It has a stranglehold in many Canadian water systems, with virtually no chance of eradication. Water users must get used to the problem.

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Letter to the Editor E

ditor Note: John Calpas of Lethbridge, retired provincial agriculture department official, shares a recent communication he had with Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman.

A few weeks ago, you kindly returned my call and we briefly discussed “City of Lethbridge, Irrigation Capital of Canada.” You were off to meetings with federal and provincial officials regarding economic development and prospects of adding to our exiting foodprocessing sector and related industries.

What I am proposing is that all related agencies and industries involved with irrigation that have built this city and even made that possible, consider this as an agenda item and explore all the merits offering that Irrigation Capital much higher and proclaimed profile.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 14

The key players to consider this are Alberta Irrigation Projects Association, Lethbridge Economic Development, County of Lethbridge, Lethbridge Research Centre, Alberta Agriculture irrigation branch, University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College.

We do not celebrate enough, the significance of agriculture and the dimensions and scope of diversification that irrigation brings to it, with water, soils and our sun-drenched growing season. The society of urban Alberta and Canadian population are virtually oblivious to the sector and what drives this city.

In California, inter-state highways proudly proclaim on farm-placed billboards. For example “California produces 43 per cent of the nation’s fruit and vegetables.” In Washington

State, in the Columbia Basin, the state and producer organizations identify various crops along the highways. There too, irrigation is the base to make it all possible.

How about Irrigation Capital of Canada billboards at each of the four highway entrances to welcome travelers and prospective tourists to the city, and yes, business and industry to invest. That would be economic development too as sentinels of tribute and acclaim.

Why not do a little boasting and tell Albertans and Canadians that Southern Alberta’s irrigation base and all surrounding town and communities account for 20 per cent of Alberta’s agricultural GNP, off just a five per cent land base? This is only farm gate value.

Once those sales enter the value added food processing chain, the multiplier effects and labour end up being credited to the manufacturing sector. Publications to support this proposal could elaborate detail of our diverse 50 major and unique “niche” crops, making it home for the diversity of our value-added food processing and related service industries.

In the 50s, all we had was the sugar beet industry and three fresh vegetable canneries in Lethbridge, Taber and Magrath.

The rest, without exception, were built from the ground up. I know all their history. Thanks to risk-taking produces, trial and error and often

against conventional wisdom, we promoted and started other new crops and industry. We have a lot and should brag about it.

But accept the trend-setting and successful dryland, ranching and feedlot components of southern Alberta’s agriculture with profile on their own merit. That is also part of Lethbridge, even going back to hosting the World Dryland Congress decades ago. Irrigation and dryland crops, as well as our livestock base, are responsible for Canada’s largest agriculture centre being here. With this phase established, leaders and visionaries soon added the academic sectors with the establishment of Canada’s first community college and the University of Lethbridge. Medical and health services emerged with parallel growth. With the irrigation security base established, all these sectors are responsible for the city’s solid and continuing growth.

I’m among the few remaining professional agriculturists who know and was personally involved with several of the successful agricultural industries operating in southern Alberta. I know, and lived through irrigation’s impact evolution as well as Lethbridge’s agriculture industries foundation and history. I also know the basis of the region’s service centre and manufacturing, and the location of our academic and research institution.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 15

New Bassano Dam T

he flood of the century in 2013 came close to wrecking havoc across the County of Newell, Town of Brooks and 10 communities and stunting more than 300,000 acres of prime irrigated land.

That is when the raging Bow River nearly compromised the Bassano Dam. The peak flow over the dam’s existing spillway nearly hit flow capacity. It could have meant failure of the reservoir owned by the Eastern Irrigation District, the structure that allows the EID to deliver water to the area’s irrigated land base. It also supplies domestic water to many municipalities and industries, including the massive Lakeside Packers beef processing plant.

The answer was quick. Build another spillway adjacent to the original structure to manage anything the Bow River could challenge.

Looking to the future, the new spillway will avoid what some said was inevitable had the original spillway failed – cutting the embankment would have left a thousand farmers and 10 communities without water for a year pending repairs. Losing the main spillway would have meant doing without water for three to five years while the project was rebuilt completely.

Ron Hust, a project leader for MPE Engineering in Lethbridge, said the Alberta government and EID reached a cost-shared agreement for $40 million – 75 per cent government. It was approved in 2015. The rest

Ivan Friesen

EID General Manager

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 16

of the estimated total projected cost of $46 million will be paid by EID. That allowed MPE to begin the design work.

Hust said the project involves construction of a gated spillway adjacent to the original structure to meet the inflow design flood capacity.

The new spillway, expected to be operational in spring 2019, will have a peak flow capacity of 2,500 cubic metres per second, a 50 per cent boost in total reservoir water control ability.

Site preparation included creating a construction zone 127, metres long and 208 metres wide. The spillway will be reinforced cast-in-place concrete. The spillway will be 100 metres wide, and drop the water 12.5 metres into the reservoir. Up to 10 radial water control gates will be operated with the same control centre as the original spillway. It is expected the new spillway will be used mainly during storm events where the existing service spillway can’t keep the reservoir level below a determined elevation. The new spillway will also be operated periodically to ensure functionality.

The reality of a dam failure was the potential of economic disaster if the flooding Bow River has destroyed the dam. Losses would have been in the range of hundreds of millions.

Water from the dam allows EID farmers to irrigate thousands of acres of land, supplies

drinking water to 25,000 people and keeps the giant meat packing plant running.

Hust said the new spillway is adjacent to the Siksika First Nation, and it has generated a new business relationship – Niitsitapi Graham LP, a partnership between the Siksika and Graham Construction Ltd.. Niitsitapi was awarded the contract for installation of the sheet pile wall in site preparation, and construction of the emergency spillway.

That has created many job opportunities for Siksika residents, accounted for up to 25 per cent of the project labour force.

Ivan Friesen of Brooks, EID general manager, said irrigators are on the hook for $6 million in construction costs, and realize it is money well spent. But other flood abatement

programs upstream from the Bassano Dam created increased Bow River flows, potentially negatively impacting operation of the reservoir. Some suggested the province could have included the extra $6 million in the provincial-district cost-shared financing agreement.

Friesen said loss of the spillway in 2013 would have cut the water supply for a year while repairs were made. But had the actual dam failed, all water users would have been scratching for water for three to four years.

“Our board had no problem coming up with the $6 million in extra funding,” said Friesen.

“We thought it was like an insurance policy that provides economic and social benefits.

We could not afford to lose it (spillway).”

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 17

Potato Production M

aximizing potato production while minimizing environmental disturbances is a new platform, a provincial specialist told the February Irrigated Crop Production Update Conference in the Lethbridge Lodge Hotel.

Irrigation provides the best ways to affect yield more than any treatments being evaluated, said Dr. Michele Konschuh of Brooks, who works for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.

Irrigation is vital, but farmers can only irrigate as equipment dictates. They must also know when to irrigate. Strategies that match crop nitrogen needs with applications can improve use of nitrogen efficiency. She said split or periodic N application procedures have become common in many potatoproducing regions.

A recent trial verified that there are several winning approaches to N fertilizer in production of Russet Burbank potatoes, she said. The use of splitapplication, slow-release fertilizer, and fertigation, which applies fertilizer through irrigation sprinklers, can lead to producer improved yield and quality required for processing. There are many ways to apply fertilizer to a potato crop.

Plant density is a question. Some varieties of potatoes respond to higher plant density, yielding 25 to 30 per cent more, to compensate for higher seed costs.

Row spacing is another factor. Tighter row spacing essentially increased plant density. But it requires equipment changes.

In-row spacing can be optimized, she said. It has become important for potato crops destined for the fresh market.

Variety development shows the replacement varieties, she said.

need

for

Growing environments vary significantly between potato production regions in Canada and the United States. Regional data is essential when selecting varieties appropriate for climate, customers and industry shareholders.

Integrated pest management is also important. That includes scouting for pests, knowing economic thresholds, realizing resistance management demands and how to work with them, and incorporate crop rotation plans.

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Subsurface Drip - Ken Coles S

ubsurface drip irrigation has been installed on large parcels.

Ken Coles experiences two years of subsurface drip irrigation.

WHY? Big investment not taken lightly. Really tough decision when try something new.

INSTALLATION, OPRATION & MAINTENANCE. RESULTS. • Why choose. Really sick of wheel lines, no time for it. Mental health kijiji – sold seven foot wheel move and bought subsurface drip.

• Sold mainline, all old equipment. Not do a good job with crappy equipment.

• Got rid of old pump. And older pump. All old equipment I could fix. Little scary move to new technology.

• Lot of benefit time management.

My great grandpa started. Grandpa easy going.

Allowed canals run through the farm. Strange shape parcels. Pivots not do the job. Missing on 28 per cent of irrigable land. Introduced to drip irrigation to be able to irrigate entire farm land area.

RISKS & CONCERNS. • Salinization of land? Water from beneath, what happens if bring salts up.

• Land use limitation (root crops and tillage).

• Drip tape damate from frost and rodents.

• Uneven distribution of water.

• Inability to irrigate a crop up.

• Cost not a concern long term investment.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 20

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE? • Time management and get rid of old irrigating technology.

• Work with irregular shaped fields.

• Better job of irrigating.

• Opportunity for higher value crops move away from wheel move system.

• No worry get through and crop choose to grow.

• Possibility of better agronomy – seed first and fetilizer later.

INSTALLARTION, OPERATION & MAINTENANCE. • Drip tape emitters on top put out same amount of water all the time.

• Deep rip tape under the ground at about 11 inches. Two days to install tape.

• Literally edge to edge of the land.

• Little late get installation but seeded right after installation. Trenched pipe to bring water to the underground tape. Main pipeline with smaller pipe adjacent to control water movement to various zones. A way to manage costs. Run operation with a 30 horsepower pump.

• Pump each sector at 20 pounds per inch.

• Winterize by opening a couple of valves and pump out the sump where water collects.

• My job is to open the valves to flush silt out of the line at times during the irrigating season.

Actually variable rate irrigation by zone.

• Water filtration is vital. He uses one built in Israel.

• Second system 2017. Long and narrow with four irrigation zones. Smaller filtration system.

• Use smaller pump to irrigation the farm yard also.

• Farms on two parcels 110 acres, 18 acres for second year.

• 30 horsepower pump 7.5 horsepower.

• Look at soils, drainage, topography variability begfore design.

• Talk to neighbours where you may have to drive over their land.

• Operation is push button and pretty simple.

• Maintenance is good. Most leaks are from mice, that must be fixed at a low cost. ‘ • 2016 normal rain. 2017 dry. 12 inches in 2017 applied. Net result similar for crops both years.

• Two hail claims 2016 and still harvest 47 bushels an acre.

• Gross revenue $802 per acre with drip tape.

• High value crops a big reason to install subsurface drip system. 2017 Spitfire durum and alfalfa seed production 44 bushels an acre predicted gross revenue $400 an acre.

Results • Very efficient and management system.

• Comfortable and confident with ROI • Southern irrigation dedicate to success.

• Full analysis and opnion will require more time and analysis., • Need more work to better understand irrigation timing.

• Irrigate each zone for four hours, fertilize with buried tape also.

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IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 21

Ross McKenzie T

here are a multitude of factors that affect crop yields, but often there is not enough planning on soils and soil factors that can affect yields, says a Lethbridge farm specialist.

Soil testing is vital, says Ross McKenzie, a former Alberta Agriculture soil fertility specialist in Lethbridge.

It reveals the state of soil nutrient content. Knowing their soils is vital for farmers, McKenzie told a packed house at the Irrigated Crop Production Update Conference in the Lethbridge Lodge Hotel. All should know the parent soil in their fields. What are the soil series on your farm.

Know more about soil physical characteristics of the land.

Glacial ice sheets covered what is today’s Alberta farmland centuries ago. Glacial till is the basis of today’s farmed lands. McKenzie said it took about 2,000 years for glacial ice to melt. As water moved, various soils were deposited across the lands, he said, pointing to the variety of soils in fields between Fort Macleod and Coaldale.

Soil types can change in short distances, pointing to a sector in the County of Newell.

To find out more about soil series, look at the soil color, texture and structure as part of the parent soil.

Alberta Agriculture’s website has detailed information about soils across the province, including detailed analysis for soils in specific regions. It includes the various layers of soil in a field area. Learn as much as you can about your soils, he said. “Are you using variable rate technology to take advantage of the changing face of your land?”

Soil issues on irrigated land include salinity, he said.

Most southern soils developed on material with high calcium levels. And irrigation water from the Rocky Mountains comes from limestone areas.

Most irrigated top soil levels has a pH of 7 to 8.2. “This is normal. Just manage the land to maintain that level and you will be fine.” But at times salinity can be serious enough to impair crop production.

Salinity control is vital, said McKenzie. As it increases, yield potential will decline. Salinity can develop over years, but once it is here, farmers have a real problem.

He said help is available to identify salinity levels on a field. That is when a management plan can be implemented. Much of that work is to lower the soil water table to keep salts from the plant growing zone.

Soil compaction is another production problem. It can limit water infiltration. In many cases, soil crusting can develop after irrigation. Keeping tillage to a minimum and varying tillage depth is recommended. Increasing tillage depth in dry years can help break up compacted soils. Crop rotations can also help to break the soil compaction factor.

He said farmers should not exceed water requirements for a field. Too much water can increase soil crusting, reducing water infiltration rates. Producers can also try leaving residue on the soil surface to further protect the soil structure.

Plant water use changes with weather conditions, and irrigators should try to maintain ideal soil moisture levels through the key growing periods.

Soil moisture probes should be used once a week early in the growing season and every two weeks the rest of the season.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 22

R.P.H. Irrigation Services Ltd. Lethbridge 403-328-0013

Strathmore 403-934-9690

Taber 403-223-8622

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 23

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- 56th Avenue, Taber, AB. • Phone: 403-223-3591

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IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2018 • 24

Lethbridge, AB (403) 328-3777 Taber, AB (403) 223-3591 Brooks, AB (403) 362-4087 Outlook, SK (306) 867-9606

5802 - 56th Avenue, Ta