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SPRING 2014 EDITION

GROWING NEW IDEAS

Opposing views on grain bin aeration »18 GROWING KNOWLEDGE

A convincing tale of agronomic decisions »28 GROWING STEWARDSHIP

SSRP - the blueprint for regional growth »34

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Contents

Growing New Ideas Research clusters government’s newest direction for distributing research dollars A quick history lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Canada’s declining agri-research capacity causing major debate in scientific community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Provincial and national organizations work toward common goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Expert aeration advice hits the fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Partner Profile: Alberta Pulse Growers The grower-direct, non-profit organization celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2014 . . . . . 20

Growing Knowledge

Manager’s Report Farming Smarter steps up to the plate. . . . . . . 4

Opinion

Growing stewardship

Winter cereals do double duty — pasture and silage

Conservation award goes to researcher Ross McKenzie

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Orville Yanke Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Seed growers notice trends

Conservation offsets in southern Alberta

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Opinion Glyphosate Mad Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Wheat of the future will come from Rothamsted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

SEAWA - water, wildlife and all on the web A profile of the South East Alberta Watershed Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Strong pulse on the prairie Plant science article review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Use your own economic threshold to calculate profitability Agronomic decision advice from farmer turned economist Nevin Rosaasen. . . . . . . . . 28

Weather watching with Wright

Features

SPRING 2014 EDITION

Ralph Wright’s weather insight. . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Precision farming: it doesn’t have to be high-tech

Cover Photo: Jamie Puchinger, Farming Smarter Visit us online for innovative agronomic and technical research information:

www.farmingsmarter.com

A look at variable rate technology in farming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

When big becomes harmful. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Farming Smarter is published bi-annually by Farm Business Communications for Farming Smarter, #100, 5401 – 1st Ave. S., Lethbridge, AB T1J 4P4 with the support from the Agriculture Opportunities Fund

News Brief Evaluate profit and success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Marketing

Editorial Board: Ken Coles, Jamie Puchinger Editor: C. Lacombe

New markets for Alberta products . . . . . . . . . . 12

Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

3

Manager’s Report

Farming Smarter steps up to the plate

Farming Smarter’s quonset fills with carefully marked sample sacks each fall. PHOTO: Farming Smarter

D

id a lot of you buy a new combine and now the crop prices have tanked? Well you’re not alone. After saving up for the last several years we’re proud to say that we have placed an order for an almost new wintersteiger plot combine complete with automatic weighing system. This is a huge upgrade for us and we’ll be retiring our 1989 Hege preferably by rolling her off a cliff! Not that we didn’t love old Helga but let’s just say we didn’t always see eye to eye.

This is Farming Smarter’s single largest purchase in our history and will bring us to a new level of efficiency and quality. Not only will we be able to take on more work, it will also help solve some facility constraints since we won’t need to bag and store whole samples because the combine collects all the data for us automatically.

But wait that’s not all, we are also adding a new tractor with green paint to our arsenal of miniature farm equipment. A shiny new John Deere 5075M purchased at Western Tractor will be used to pull our new Veris and EM 38 soil sensors as we continue to tackle the challenges of variable rate applications.

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

In addition to the equipment upgrades we are also looking to hire an additional Research Agronomist to help manage this expanding program so we can continue to deliver key information that producers are seeking. So as you can see, we are truly stepping up to the plate as the largest regionally focused producer organization in Canada.

Join us this season at our extension events and best wishes for a successful and safe season.

Ken Coles General Manager, Farming Smarter

GROWING NEW IDEAS / GROWING KNOWLEDGE / GROWING STEWARDSHIP

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Opinion

When big becomes harmful Predicting the future is a very uncertain and sometimes perilous business // by Les Brost

T

his is especially true for those forecasting the future state of the agriculture industry.

Ranchers know that cow herd forecasts are much more accurate than science-centered Environment Canada forecasts. They wake up on a dark January morning to feed cows, turn on the radio and hear about sunny skies, light winds and half-decent temperatures. After loading up the feed truck, they buck snow out to the winter pasture to find the cow herd bunched up in the willows beside the creek or huddled in the cowshed.

Predicting the outlook for Alberta’s primary agriculture industry is similar to weather forecasting. There are powerful economic fronts that can hit farmers and ranchers like a hunting hawk hits a gopher. Adding to the difficulty is the reality that a lot of the forecasters have vested interests.

Do you remember back in the spring of 2013 when there was much talk about the Good Times Express said to be approaching Alberta’s farm and ranch community? Many folks in the business had an extra spring in their step after hearing that news. Some might even have invested serious coin to further

6

Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

maximize their payout when the Express rolled into town.

I suspect that the Good Times Express may not deliver those promised goodies for Alberta’s farm and ranch community. Why? I see a couple of storms brewing with the capacity to reroute the riches into other pockets.

The first threat is the ongoing consolidation in global agri-business, particularly in the area of retail agricultural supply. This consolidation is particularly noteworthy in the farm supply and potash production spheres. On the farm supply side, Agrium’s purchase of over 200 of Viterra’s Agri-Products Centres will combine over 1,250 retail outlets on three continents.

That could have a significant impact on marketplace competition in the farm supply sector.

Competition in potash supply is in transition. The PotashCorp of Saskatchewan’s recent purchase of Texasgulf Inc., Arcadian Corp. and Minera Yolanda SCM in Chile makes it an even bigger player on the global stage. That leaves the Canpotex Group, headed by the PotashCorp, Agrium, and Mosaic Company, as the world’s top export group.

Alliances of companies who together may control a market — also known as cartels- need

regulatory oversight. In 2013, a U.S. court fined Chinese vitamin cartels $162 million for price fixing. Also in 2013, Mitsubishi, Hitachi and seven other companies pled guilty to price-fixing charges in the supply of parts to GM, paying penalties of $740 million U.S. These court actions speak to the need for continued monitoring of marketplace practices of commodity cartels.

Alberta’s farmers and ranchers should also consider the actions of PotashCorp. last year in cutting a reported 18 per cent of their workforce to reduce production and boost prices.

While shedding labour costs is great news for shareholders, higher potash prices are not so great for farmers.

The second storm approaching Alberta’s farmers and ranchers is political in nature.

Alberta’s provincial government sent its farm and ranch community a powerful message when the 2013 provincial budget chopped $100 million from the agriculture component.

That was a substantial kick in the pants for an industry historically close to the Progressive Conservative government. Compounding the shock was the lack of any discernible follow-up Continues on page 8

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Farming Smarter / spring 2014

7

Opinion

Continued from page 6

public pushback from Alberta’s farm and ranch community. It was an Alberta political stunner akin to Stephen Harper running off with Mike Duffy to operate a bed-and-breakfast in Turkey Wing, Prince Edward Island. After all, didn’t Alberta’s governments always serve at the pleasure of their rural constituents?

Alberta’s politicians have simply crunched the numbers. They realize that the demographic pendulum has swung and the people (and the votes) are now in urban Alberta.

Naturally, that urban majority wants its government to look after their interests and that costs money. Given the reality that successful governments always follow the voters, the cuts to agriculture are not surprising.

Why was there so little industry pushback?

An industry very skilled and successful at backroom politics and staying out of the public spotlight really didn’t know how to play political hardball in an open field.

How will Alberta’s farm and ranch community ultimately respond to the ongoing corporate

concentration and government budget cuts?

After all, the future actions taken by farmers and their organizations can dramatically mitigate — or exacerbate — the impact of the changes to the economic and political environment.

This is the time for thoughtful operators and forward-thinking commodity groups to revisit old definitions and relationships. Are farmers’ suppliers and processors their permanent allies or are they organizations with whom farmers have transitory business relationships? Why is it bad when farmers adopt commodity supply management and good business when it’s practiced by their suppliers?

Who are farmers’ customers — the processors or the consumers? What does growth mean for Alberta’s farm and ranch industry?

What does success really look like?

How does the under-thirty segment of the Canadian population see most farm products and services? What about the rural/urban relationship in Alberta? How do Alberta’s farmers and ranchers feel about urban Albertans? How do Alberta’s urban folks feel about their farm and ranch cousins? Is there mutual

understanding and respect? How do we find out?

These are incredibly important questions demanding answers. Yet this kind of activity is new territory for farmers and ranchers, who have traditionally left public communication to their perceived corporate and political allies.

The greatest challenges also present the greatest opportunities. Will Alberta’s farm and ranch community have the courage and skills necessary to overcome corporate concentration and political disempowerment?

Do today’s farm and ranch operators still possess the strength, resiliency, and independence that enabled Alberta’s farm and ranch pioneers to collaboratively lay the industry’s foundation?

Time alone will give us the answers. I know that forecasting the future is a roll of the dice. Yet if I had to make a choice, my money would be on Alberta’s farmers and ranchers.

After all, they come from damn good stock, and in primary agriculture, that still counts for a lot. h

News Brief

Evaluate profit and success

K

athy Bosse, new venture coach with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, offers farmers some planning advice to help evaluate business success.

“Never guess when evaluating your business success or lack of success. You need to know if you are on the right track or if you need to make changes.” She recommends analyzing your financial information with the following steps: • Define your situation — How is your business doing? Be realistic.

• Look at alternatives — Think about all the different ways your business could change. Can your business be fine-tuned to take advantage of new trends or markets? Should some business ventures and practices stop?

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

• Take Action — Develop an implementation plan, including a timeline, marketing plan, management structure and financial plan.

• Evaluate — Always evaluate any change to the business so you know if you have been successful or not.

She offers these tips that can help along the road to a successful business: • produce what the customer wants, not what you think they want, or what you like.

• create a high quality product.

• provide a high quality service — good customer service can make or break a business.

• make decisions based on good records.

• establish a loyal customer base.

• provide more than just a product or service — provide an experience.

• keep informed — businesses have to be constantly changing to keep up with what the customer wants.

• plan for the future — set goals for the business and establish a plan of action to achieve them.

For assistance in evaluating your business and planning for the future, contact a New Venture coach at 310-FARM (3276).

• start small and grow slowly.

GROWING NEW IDEAS / GROWING KNOWLEDGE / GROWING STEWARDSHIP

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Growing New Ideas

Research Clusters government’s newest direction for distributing research dollars A quick history lesson on the many paths government has followed in pursuit of agri-research success // By Madeleine Baerg

O

ur agriculture industry’s success into the future depends heavily on our scientific research capacity. Given how quickly technology is changing agriculture, in fact, falling behind other countries’ research and innovation efforts would knock our agricultural products far back in the extremely competitive international marketplace. That said, investing adequately in research demands more dollars than our balanced-budget conscious government is able to commit. Enter the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) research cluster model: the federal government’s funding solution aimed to leverage industry dollars in order to maximize research returns.

“Since GF/GF2 came in, there is more money for agronomy in western Canada than ever before. It is good news for the industry and they embraced clusters and project funding fully,” says Dr. George Clayton, Acting Director General with the Science and Technology Branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

While the Canadian government commitment to agricultural research is ongoing over many decades, the way the government doles out dollars changed enormously through the years. In the 1970s, AAFC operated according to an ‘A’ based budget whereby government funding went directly to Research Centres that then had control over how they spent the dollars. Farming for the Future, the Alberta government’s Heritage Trust Fund, brought in a new style of funding allocation where scientists applied directly to government for project specific dollars. Introduced in 1994, the Matching Investment Initiative (MII) saw AAFC match industry investment to support specific research projects. The MII program thrilled scientists as it allowed them, for the first time, to access external industry money. The result was far bigger research dollars and the capacity to conduct much more work says Clayton.

Today’s agriculture research funding program under GF2 has its roots in the MII program prioritizing research that is project specific and accessing funding and receiving partial direction from industry.

The majority of dollars available under GF2 goes to ‘clusters’ of producer groups, commodity commissions and companies united by a single commodity or priority. Currently clusters exist around most of the major commodities including canola, wheat, pulses, dairy, swine and poultry as well as around certain specialty priorities including organics and ornamentals grown in greenhouses. Once formed, the cluster determines its own research direction and applies to government for funding of up to $20 million. Clusters must be not-for-profit and national in scope to be eligible and industry dollars must match all government funds allocated. For example, AAFC committed last year to investing $12.5 million in a new wheat research cluster bringing the cluster’s total available working capital to more than $25 million given industry’s contribution of $12.7 million.

Smaller projects of up to $5 million are eligible for funding under

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

“There is more money for agronomy in western Canada than ever before,” says Dr. George Clayton. PHOTO: C. Lacombe

the Agriculture Science Projects (ASP) program (previously called the Developing Innovative Agri-Products (DIAP) Program under GF1). ASP funded projects can be non-profit or for-profit, and can be national, regional or local in scope.

“We’ve come a long way in how we allocate research dollars. In 1960 government provided a research center a budget and the Centre Director doled out that money. Now government says ‘Industry is best positioned to understand its priorities; let’s let them develop the research direction and pick the very best science teams to move those priorities forward.’ The change is dramatic,” says Clayton. “I do believe the cluster model of funding is a benefit to the agriculture industry as a whole.” h

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Marketing

New markets for Alberta producers // BY HELEN MCMENAMIN

A

new trade agreement between some Indian states and Alberta will give an immediate boost to Alberta exports of swine genetics. Down the road, it’s hoped a broader agreement will boost trade in pork and canola as well as farm machinery, particularly irrigation equipment.

Pork isn’t an export that comes to mind in terms of exports to India — we think of the mainly vegetarian country as buyers of our dry beans, chickpeas and lentils. But, pork is popular among the tribal people of India’s northeast, where pork is a traditional food. Some areas also have ethnic groups, Chinese in the east and Goans in the south, for whom pork is a favourite meat.

On the map of India that northeast area looks very small, it’s hill country where tea thrives, but the population in that little corner is over 40 million. That’s a lot of people whose favourite meat is pork.

Premier Redford with Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Dr. Mukul Sangma. PHOTO: ALBERTA GOVERNMENT

Even though most Indians are vegetarians, people especially young ones, are moving to urban centres where they adopt less traditional eating habits — including eating meat.

That and increasing numbers of middle class people has led to increases in meat consumption, mainly chicken — imports are soaring along with domestic production. Pork is only seven per cent of India’s animal protein use, but it’s production that can be ramped up quite quickly.

Indian pork production is held back in some

regions by Muslim abhorrence of the animals, but even more pigs compete with humans for food. Pigs have mostly been raised in “backyard” operations, scavenging and perhaps given kitchen scraps and other cooked vegetables in the evening. This leaves the animals vulnerable to disease, including swine fever, foot and mouth disease, and parasites. Indigenous pigs wean around 4.5 pigs a litter and don’t deliver their first litter until they’re almost 15 months old. The pork rarely enters retail trade — it’s slaughtered at home and traded informally.

Even as crossbreds in small semi-commercial conditions, North American pig breeds can more than double pig production. Indian scientists figure just 12.5 per cent indigenous traits will be enough for pigs with North Americanbased breeding to thrive in India. They see underutilized crops — sweet potatoes, buckwheat and seeds of a wild grass called Job’s tears supporting pigs and reducing poverty in India.

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Growing New Ideas

Canada’s declining agri-research capacity causing major debate in scientific community // by Madeleine Baerg

A

griculture research funding is a highly controversial and political subject. On the one hand, numbers show that more research dollars are invested into agronomy in western Canada than ever before. On the other hand, however, retirement of our skilled scientists in large numbers without leaves a big hole and there is a marked decrease in ‘public good’ type agricultural research. The government’s agresearch funding model under Growing Forward 2 (GF2) cannot solve all of the challenges of agricultural research nor meet every need of our industry. However, there is significant debate in the scientific community over whether GF2’s funding model achieves important steps in maintaining Canada’s agricultural research and innovation capacity or whether it falls worrisomely short.

“There’s no question our agricultural research capacity is going down,” says Ken Coles, General Manager of Farming Smarter. “It’s to the point that I don’t think we’re globally competitive.

We’ve been slowly cutting and cutting and, eventually, you get to the point where you are too far gone and you can’t get it back.”

Not so, says Dr. George Clayton, Director General with the science and technology branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

“The reality is our research capacity is pretty darn good. We are not replacing every scientist who retires, mainly because priorities and needs change. What we needed 30 years ago is not necessarily what we need today. We have the capacity to meet the needs of the GF2 programs and other targeted programs like genomics, and we continue to do succession planning for other important areas like public good research. The programs offered under GF2 allow universities to build capacity and the private sector — organizations like Farming Smarter — to build capacity too, so it is important to look at the whole picture.”

While Clayton’s comments are reassuring, comparing Canada’s research investment against our international competition paints a different story. Consider that the Australian wheat

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

Hands-on research in the field with Farming Smarter at its Field School.

Credit: Farming Smarter

industry, a similarly sized industry to our own, invests over $100 million or more than five times as much annually into research as do we.

In a study completed in 2012, Dr. Richard Gray, a professor in the bioresource policy, business and economics department at the University of Saskatchewan, analyzed the benefit cost ratio of research done by the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF). According to this study, every dollar invested in wheat research returned $20.40; for barley, the return was $7.56.

Speaking at Farming Smarter’s 2012 Conference, Gray said, “Recent research shows very, very high rates of return on investments in agricultural research. That’s the good news. The bad news is the high benefit cost ratio suggests that we’re not spending nearly enough. Not as government, not as producers, in order to capture these benefits.”

Just this past January, WGRF announced it would fund an assessment of Western Canada’s agronomic research capacity, evidence that they believe a capacity problem could exist.

“For decades agronomic research has provided useful information for farmers. Much of this information has come from research performed by public institutions such as government agencies and universities,” says Garth Patterson, WGRF Executive Director. “Producer organizations and public researchers have expressed concern that public agronomic research capacity has not kept pace with the growth of the industry.

WGRF and its partners involved in this study

want to understand how best to use the current resources for research and also look at potential roles for farmer funds to be directed into the various parts of performing the agronomic research.”

The biggest area of concern for many is declining research dollars directed towards public good research. “To me, it’s important that we maintain publicly-funded research. We need to ensure we allow room for exploratory, flexible research. If everything is industry driven, what happens to the public good?” says Coles.

Clayton says, “It’s a different world than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago. There is money available for public good research. But whereas 20 years ago a research centre received a budget to do research and how they spent it was flexible, nowadays, research funding is targeted. Today, industry or scientists must apply for the funds and have proposals peer reviewed. The system now has checks and balances in place to ensure research dollars are spent in the best possible way,” says Clayton.

And, he adds, just because the research is partially industry funded now does not mean that industry has wildly different priorities than government.

“Producers fund research and they aren’t looking at it the same way as a for-profit; they’re very interested in sustainability. They fund everything from germplasm development to crop management techniques to try to reduce inputs. Producers don’t have a wholly different agenda than government,” says Clayton. It is important to note that Canadian agricultural research is not limited exclusively to work funded by the federal government. Scientists can find funds via several sources, including provincial funding bodies like the Alberta Crop Industry Fund. Private companies and producer associations can also access scientific capacity through the federal government’s Collaborative Policy Framework that allows government scientists to take on externally funded projects.

Finally, applied research associations and independent organizations such as Farming Smarter bring a new dimension to the research community and “trying our best to pick up some of the growing research slack,” says Coles. h

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Growning New Ideas

Provincial and national organizations work toward common goal // by Lee Hart

P

rovincial and national commodity organizations walk two different roads headed toward the same goal — to strengthen the industry and ultimately profitability of crop farmers.

For example, the pulse and canola industries have somewhat different structures, but are similar in that the provincial organizations are frontline forces working directly with producers, while the national bodies represent all sectors of the industry. National associations have a broader reach and deal with big picture items such as national regulatory issues, research and international market access and development.

Similar goals, yet separate responsibilities — each level equally dependent on the other.

Alberta Pulse Growers (APG) works directly with producers in areas of crop production and management to improve the profitability of pulse crops for Alberta producers, says Leann Fischbuch, APG executive director.

“We deal with all areas of pulse production specific to Alberta,” says Fischbuch. “With soybeans for example, it is a newer crop and, as varieties and genetics improve, it is making its way across the west. As more farmers look to include a pulse crop in rotation, our interest is in asking will it be a viable crop and will it have a fit in all areas? So working with researchers and extension specialists, we want those questions answered so farmers can make a decision.”

Although the APG has no agronomists of its own on staff, the organization works closely with Agriculture Canada, Alberta Agriculture and provincial applied research associations to support a wide range of research from regional variety trials to weed control, crop fertility and disease management.

Pulse Canada handles appropriate maximum residue limits, grain transportation issues and national and international market development more effectively and represents the Canadian pulse industry as a whole. To

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

Farming Smarter Field School participants hear a session on canola. photo: C. Lacombe

Murray Hartman of Alberta Ag and Autumn Barns Canola Council. photo: Lee Hart

that end, the APG committed to support Pulse Canada with $750,000 per year for five years.

Pulse Canada is a confederation representing Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba Pulse Growers Associations, the Ontario Bean Growers and the processors and exporters of Canadian pulse crops, says Gordon Bacon, Pulse Canada chief executive officer.

Pulse Canada speaks on matters of market access, market growth and innovation, transportation, environment and industry initiatives. “We don’t necessarily talk directly to farmers,” says Bacon. “With a third of our board members representing Alberta Pulse Growers, for example, we take our direction from what the producers want at the board level and ultimately we report back to APG.”

With direct contact with producers, wideranging extension efforts support activities that increase producer awareness of crop production, management and marketing issues.

Research dollars go into provincial partnerships and to science clusters coordinated through the CCC. “The Alberta Canola Producers Commission represents the growers and the CCC represents the value chain,” says Taillieu. “Its goal is to move the industry forward and our goal is to make farmers more profitable.”

The Canola Council of Canada takes a lead role in developing international markets for canola oil and meal as a strong advocate to improve market access. Its funding comes from provincial associations, crushers, exporters and seed companies Through its Canola Watch program and other communications efforts, the CCC works to increase producer knowledge of canola production research and optimum production practices. The CCC provides nine agronomists across the three prairie provinces to co-ordinate regional research projects and work with producers to improve crop production efficiency.

And the CCC co-ordinates the national canola research program working with a variety of research organizations including provincial and federal government and university research programs. h

Canola

The bottom line of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACPC) is to increase the long-term profitability of Alberta producers, says Rick Taillieu, co-ordinator of grower relations and extension.

With four main pillars in its overall program, ACPC collects a $1 per tonne refundable checkoff split about evenly between support for the national Canola Council of Canada (CCC), market development, extension services, and research.

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Farming Smarter / spring 2014

17

Growing New Ideas

Expert aeration advice hits the fan // by Lee Hart

Agricultural engineers disagree on the proper timing to operate fans on natural air drying systems. One specialist says it is best to shut fans off during the day and only run them at night to optimize drying, while another says it is not a cut-and-dried science so it is best to run fans 24 hours a day. PHOTOs: Lee Hart

P

rairie farmers may have to flip a coin on this one, as two leading agriculture engineers have opposing views on when to run the aerations fans on grain bins.

Dr. Ron Palmer, a retired University of Regina electrical engineer conducting a study for the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation (IHARF) says his research shows for optimum drying (depending on air temperature) keep aeration fans off during the day and run them at night.

Meanwhile, Dr. Joy Agnew, an agricultural engineer with PAMI, ag research centre at Humboldt, Sask. says it is not a cut and dried issue, and she recommends to keep the fans running all day long.

While both researchers agree there is an ebb and flow of moisture removal from grain on any given day that is dependent on key factors such as air temperature and relative humidity, they don’t agree on what to do about it.

In Palmer’s work at IHARF monitoring equipment was set up on grain bins to measure the amount of moisture removal each hour of the day.

“Air temperature and relative humidity are the key factors for both the air going into a bin and the air coming out of the bin,” says Palmer. “As the aeration fans run you can have 80 pounds of water going in and 90 pounds of water coming out the top, for example, which means there is a net gain of

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

10 pounds of water being removed and that has to come from the grain — so the grain is drying.”

The Indian Head Experience

His IHARF project showed that on warmer days more water was going into the bin during the day and as evening ambient temperatures cooled, that’s when the grain started to dry.

“It is really counter initiative,” says Palmer.

“But when we looked at it, on a hot day even though the warm outside air has relatively low humidity, it still holds a lot of water. That warm air was hitting the cooler grain inside the bin and dropping water. Then at night, we saw as the cooler outside air hit the warmer grain, that outside air was dry and able to pick up water, so it collected moisture and began drying.”

Palmer’s advice if producers are combining grain that has higher moisture for safe storage is to look at turning the aeration fan on an off.

“If it’s a 30 C day and the grain temperature is greater than the temperature outside leave the fan off,” says Palmer. “As the air temperature cools off in the evening turn the fans on,” to optimize drying and cooling.

The next morning as the sun comes up, “conditions can flip usually around 9 a.m., so that’s when to turn fans off,” he says.

What PAMI Found

Agnew says in her experience there is no

single answer “no silver bullet” to the question of when to run grain bin fans.

“The interaction among grain temperature and grain moisture and air temperature and air moisture is so complex and dependent on so many factors that making a decision on what is best depends on the particular situation,” says Agnew. Under certain conditions, running fans during the day can add moisture to the grain, but because so many factors have to be considered to determine the optimum on/ off schedule, she recommends just running the fans continuously.

Looking at the basics of grain storage, wheat and most cereals are safe for storage if the grain is at 14 to 14.5 per cent moisture. At higher moisture content it needs to be dried down. And temperature wise, if grain in the bin is at 15 C or lower it is safe for storage. But even if it is dry, at temperatures above 15 C it should be cooled.

“So even if your wheat is at 14 per cent moisture, but the grain is coming off the combine at 20 to 25 C, for example, it should be put in a bin and cooled. And as long as the outside temperature is cooler than the grain, run the fans and it will cool.”

Agnew points out the difference between a straight aeration fan and a natural air drying system. Aeration fans are relatively small fans running at either .1 or .2 cfm per bushel.

Aeration fans are intended for cooling grain and evening out the grain temperature in a bin.

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Natural grain drying systems usually have larger fans operating at 1 to 2 cfm/per bushel and they are intended for drying grain.

Some farmers will use the lower-air flow aeration fans for drying grain, but then they usually only fill bins to half or less capacity so air can move through the stored grain.

“If the grain has too high moisture for safe storage, or is too warm for safe storage you need to get both the moisture and the temperature down,” says Agnew. “Because I believe the on/off method involves a very complex relationship among factors it becomes too hard to predict. So whether you are just using aeration or a natural air drying system my recommendation is just to run the fans continuously. It may cost a bit of power, but it is your best option for protecting the grain.”

Aeration and natural grain drying systems have their limits too, she says. If grain is coming off at 17 to 18 per cent moisture it should be put through a hot air dryer to reduce the moisture to about 15 per cent and then placed in an aeration bin.

She recommends farmers equip bins with some type of moisture and temperature sens-

Lower speed aeration fans operating at .1 or .2 cfm/bushel are designed for cooling stored grain, while the higher speed 1 to 2 cfm/bushel fans are designed to provide natural air drying.

ing equipment as another tool in helping to protect the crop.

Drying and aerating grain is one issue, but she notes small-seed crops such as canola present more challenges. Agnew says it is important that canola be stored dry and properly aerated to avoid heating. Even dry canola will respire (let off moisture) up to six weeks after harvest so she says it is important to keep it aerated.

Because canola is so dense it is difficult to

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get good airflow through the stored crop. She recommends for cooling and drying canola that bins only be half to two-thirds full and if possible the crop should be placed in bins with aeration floors. Canola stored at too high of temperature can experience oil degradation in a matter of a few weeks.

With the ongoing and renewed discussion about proper grain and oilseed storage and aeration practices, Agnew hopes to secure new funding to continue crop storage research. h

Farming Smarter / spring 2014

19

Growing New Ideas

Partner Profile: Alberta Pulse Growers

// by Donna Trottier, P. Ag

A

lberta Pulse Growers (APG) marks its 25th anniversary in 2014. Established as a Commission back in 1989, it evolved into a progressive, supportive partner for pulse growers across Alberta.

APG is a grower-directed, non-profit organization and supports over 5,000 Alberta farmers who grow pulses including dried peas, beans, chickpeas, lentils, faba beans and soybeans. A producer-elected Board of 12 Commissioners represent five zones across the province.

A large majority of Farming Smarter activities take place in APG’s Zone 1 (southern Alberta).

Leanne Fischbuch, APG Executive Director, described the producers in APG’s Zone 1 as very active in pulse production, with 60 per cent of the APG funding coming from pulse growers in that zone. Additionally, southern Alberta pulse producers have Alberta’s most diverse selection of pulse crops built into their rotations including chickpeas, green and red lentils, field peas, and beans. Zone 1 is also a key production area for the emerging soybean crops because of the high heat units in the south. “Zone 1 producers are excellent supporters of the pulse industry in Alberta.

We always have a great turnout at our grower meetings held in Zone 1,” states Fischbuch.

Each year, Farming Smarter applies to APG for funding to support the Farming Smarter extension programming. Through generous sponsorship from APG, Farming Smarter is able to host events such as the Farming Smarter Conference and the annual Field School that include support of the pulse industry in Alberta. “The Farming Smarter organization is highly regarded by our APG members from southern Alberta,” states Fischbuch. “Many of our APG members have participated in the Farming Smarter field school and crop walks and find them valuable learning opportunities.”

Fischbuch explains how the APG funds its activities, “The APG is financed through the collection of a mandatory, but refundable service charge (levy), based on one per cent of pulses sold in the province.” The service charges apply to all producers on a uniform basis (one per cent of value) and calculated on the quantity of pulses sold by the producers. The APG reinvests the service charges in administrative, research,

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

Faba bean crop growing in Central Alberta. photo: Donna Trottier

marketing and extension activities on behalf of its members.

Pulses are grown in most of the crop-producing areas of Alberta. Field peas are the most widely grown crop, being produced from dryland fields in southern Alberta, through central Alberta and up in the Peace River Region. Dry bean production occurs predominantly in the irrigated fields of southern Alberta. Chickpea production occurs predominantly in southern Alberta, where the growing season is longest.

Lentil production also occurs predominantly in southern Alberta, along with a small strip along the eastern border. Faba bean production occurs in a the moister regions of the province, including central and north-central Alberta, irrigated areas of southern Alberta and in the Peace River region.

The APG invests in pulse production research to investigate new varieties, disease resistance, rotational benefits and improved quality. Research goes a long way to ensuring pulse producers have information to help them increase profitability and stay competitive. APG also supports the Alberta Regional Variety Trials (RVT) which are a key source of information on yield potential and field performance of new varieties. In addition, APG led the development of soybean protocol. “Soybeans are an emerg-

ing crop in Alberta and there continues to be improvements to soybean varieties for production in Alberta,” states Fischbuch.

“Get in touch with an APG Commissioner in your zone to learn more about growing pulses in your area,” suggests Fischbuch. For more information on APG visit www.pulse.ab.ca. h

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Growing Knowledge

Winter cereals do double duty — pasture and silage // By Lee Hart

Wheat plots at the Farming Smarter research site in Lethbridge. PHOTO: Farming Smarter

A

Farming Smarter study near Medicine Hat tests how effectively a winter cereal can provide fall/winter grazing for cattle during winter and a productive silage crop

by July.

The study, started in 2013, compares the grazing value, winter hardiness and forage production value of different winter cereals and different variety blends over a 12 month period.

“If funding comes, over the next three years we want to look at a number of options and hopefully develop some recommendations on what works best,” says Mike Gretzinger, project coordinator with Farming Smarter in Lethbridge.

The project compares the productivity of two fall rye varieties, Hazlet and Prima; two winter triticale varieties, Fridge and Luoma and two winter wheat varieties, Moats and Ptarmigan, along with combinations of the different crops to see if any crop or variety is better suited to the practice.

“We’ve been working with a rancher at Medicine Hat who has used winter cereals for the twostage harvest for several years,” says Gretzinger.

There might even be potential to leave the crop and harvest it as grain.” The winter cereals are produced under irrigation “The system has worked well for him, but he is also interested in looking at options.”

As part of the project, Farming Smarter will look at the economics of the grazing and silaging system and the potential value of harvesting the crop as grain the second year. They will also check the value of using a seed treatment on the winter cereals. Scott Lehr, part of the family-owned Short Grass Ranches just north of Medicine Hat, inspired the research. Lehr has been seeding a winter cereal for fall/winter grazing and the following summer for silage, for about eight years.

“We’ve been working with mostly winter wheat and winter triticale varieties seeded in late August,” says Lehr. As calves are weaned and the native and tame grass pastures go dormant in October, they move the cow herd onto the irrigated winter cereal seeding. The herd grazes the winter cereal through until calving in April.

“We also supplement with hay and straw as needed, but the cows prefer the winter wheat and graze it right down,” he says. “By the time they come off there in April it almost looks like summer fallow — everything is cleaned up.”

Once the cattle are removed, Lehr will knife in fertilizer, apply water as needed and prepare to harvest an average 12 to 13 tonne per acre silage crop in July. The silage supplies winterfeed for the farm backgrounding operation.

“Some years in some areas winter kill is an issue, but generally the winter cereals handle the

GROWING NEW IDEAS / GROWING KNOWLEDGE / GROWING STEWARDSHIP

grazing and produce and excellent silage crop the following summer,” he says.

The Farming Smarter project will evaluate different cereals and their respective forage and cereal varieties and also pencil out the economics of the grazing/silage system.

“As ranchers look to reduce winter feeding costs, many have gone from baling and feeding hay, to using the more economical swath grazing systems,” says Ken Coles, Farming Smarter general manager. Using winter cereals for fall and winter pasture may provide an excellent feed source and reduce costs further.

“Just in our first year of the project this winter it is obvious cattle favour the winter cereal,” says Coles. “Hay and straw with a supplement are provided but the cattle hardly look at it — they zero in on the winter cereal.”

Coles says first year indications show that seed treatments do make a difference. He says there was a noticeable and measurable biomass yield increase in CruiserMaxx seed-treated plots compared to plots seeded without the seed treatment.

A similar grazing (clipping)/silage trial with winter cereals is underway at Evansburg, west of Edmonton to evaluate how winter cereals perform under this management under cooler growing conditions. h

Farming Smarter / spring 2014

21

Growing Knowledge

Seed growers notice trends // By Alexis Kienlen

I

t’s a tough time for crop producers and the low prices have people sharpening pencils and trying to decide what to do. Many farmers have decided to diversify their acres and seed growers like Patrick Fabian of Fabian Seed Farms Inc. and Greg Stamp of Stamp Select Seeds clearly see the trend.

Patrick Fabian runs a first generation pedigreed seed farm in Tilley. He grows pedigreed Hard Red Spring wheat, soft spring wheat, flax, barley, triticale, oats, soybeans and tillage radishes.

“I don’t think our spring is going to be too far off the norm. Prices are down right now, at the worst possible time of year. Producers are trying to figure out what makes sense,” he said.

“I think there are going to be a lot of last minute decisions,” he said. He’s noticed his customers are trying to be more flexible, rather than booking sales in December or earlier.

Fabian said there is a rising interest in feed stock for green feed. “Typically these folks wait a little later to start making decisions about their feed situation, but this year we’re seeing a lot of interest in the triticales, oats and grazing corn,” he said.

Many people running grazing operations are curious about incorporating tillage radishes into a grazing program with their winter cereals. Cattle and sheep producers want to ensure they don’t run short with their feed requirements, because alfalfa is at a high price right now.

Fabian said some people may try to make their money in specialty crops this year.

“This means that they are shifting a few acres and growing their own forages,” he said.

More people are looking to try growing soybeans.

“The reality is that some areas are not suited for flexibility in growing certain crops.

We’re hearing posturing but the default is that people are going to grow what they know,” he said.

Fabian said prices may be depressed, but the whole dynamic could change in a month due to weather events, global demand and global instability. He advises producers to stay

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

Patrick Fabian of Fabian Seed Farms Inc. PHOTO: submitted

with what they know and try to put a few swing acres in if they want to try something new.

“Do not go whole hog, out of what you know has produced well for you in the past,” said Fabian.

Greg Stamp of Stamp Select Seeds, located near Enchant, said flax and faba bean are popular this year.

“When people are going to make a change, they know that other people are probably thinking the same way, so they try to secure supply soon. We’re very tight on flax and faba bean at this point.”

Soft wheat sales have been lower this year.

Stamp said some farmers have taken the “wait and see” approach and many are quite concerned about making a profit. Sales have been steady, even in the Hard Red Spring wheats.

Stamp said he’s seen a return to Hard Red Spring wheat after last year, when people tried

to grow other wheats. “People are kind of going back to the way it was. In southern Alberta, we grow really good hard red spring and durum wheat. There was some interest in doing some other things, but I think people are going back to what they know they can grow and move and what does well here.”

Some people are choosing to stick with what they know, while others are taking a risk and growing crops they haven’t grown before, like flax and faba. People who don’t think they will be profitable are diversifying their acres to include something new.

“Sometimes I spend an hour on the phone talking to a person about what the options are and what other people are seeing for opportunities and challenges in these other crops. The last thing we want to do is let someone have a wreck when they try something new,” said Stamp. h

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Opinion

Glyphosate Mad Men // By Ken ColeS

N

etflix got me hooked on the popular television show Mad Men. To be honest it was kind of boring for the most part but I ended up watching the first six years of episodes in a month or so. Being a Gen Xer, it was intriguing to get a glimpse into a time when I was not alive. Did everyone really smoke that much? Was it really OK to drink at work???

I also loved watching the ad men come up with their creative spin to market whatever product their clients were selling, and how Don Draper could captivate his clients with clean, articulate and empowering pitches.

We in the ag industry could learn from this fictional ad man. Good science needs to be marketed creatively and should be compelling. After all, what’s the point of doing all the good work when no one buys what you’re offering?

And sadly, in agriculture there are many examples of how public perception and reality are as far apart as our coast lines. Take glyphosate. This magical herbicide has singlehandedly revolutionized cropping systems around the world. It’s the most used herbicide on the planet and likely the most studied, and there’s a vast body of evidence clearly showing its safety. Ask me and I’ll gladly send you links to detailed work done by leading scientists in this area.

So why then are people lining up to hear Don Huber speak?

Huber is a retired plant pathologist from Purdue University with a long and distinguished CV who became an overnight sensation three years ago. That’s when he sent

a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack claiming he had evidence of a newly discovered “micro-fungal-like organism” linked to glyphosate. He claimed — although he’s never provided any studies or even any data — this mysterious organism is causing an increase in plant diseases and abortions and infertility in livestock As a salesman, Huber is nothing like Don Draper. His presentations are overloaded with confusing data to the point where my brain wants to explode. His interviews and online video remind me of the drab and deadly dull school teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. And still people want to hear him — despite an increasingly vocal group of scientists dedicated to debunking his message and “bad science.” Somehow, Huber’s sales pitch is working.

Or maybe it’s because our’s isn’t.

In the Mad Men era, medical doctors actually promoted smoking in advertising. Maybe that’s when the public started becoming skeptical about men of science.

Whatever the reason, we need to understand why Huber’s message finds such a receptive audience and why so many people mistrust the agricultural sector.

That’s why I invited Don Huber to come to Lethbridge and speak at the Farming

Conference in December. When a winter storm kept him and several other speakers from attending, I polled the crowd on which ones they most wanted us to bring back at a later date. Eighty per cent wanted to hear Huber.

So I invited Huber back for our AGM on Feb. 27. Hopefully, Mother Nature allows him to come this time. I’m all for hearing what he has to say and I’m sure I can learn something from him. Already I’ve had discussions with some plant pathologists about maybe doing some field studies to see if there are any disease implications from glyphosate use.

We don’t want bad science to blunt our scientific curiosity. After all, we now have glyphosate-tolerant kochia in southern Alberta despite being told it could never happen. So it pays to keep an open mind.

And of course, I’d like to see for myself if Don Draper and Don Huber share anything more than the same first name.

The truth is farmers really care about glyphosate and are afraid what may happen if they lose it. But knowledge is our strongest weapon.

By thinking critically and studying both the science and those who crusade against it, maybe we can close some of the gap between perception and reality. h

Ken Coles is the general manager of Farming Smarter and can be reached at ken@farmingsmarter.com. For more information of Farming Smarter events and its research, see www.farmingsmarter.com

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Farming Smarter / spring 2014

23

Growing Knowledge

Wheat of the future will come from Rothamsted // by C. Lacombe

A

lberta farmers may be growing a completely different kind of wheat in coming decades that will have 70 per cent higher yields than today’s plants.

The oldest agricultural research institute in the world plans to transform the world’s largest crop plant to feed the coming billions. Called 20:20, the project aims to coax wheat into delivering 20 tonnes per hectare (nearly 300 bu./ac.) in the next 20 years.

Martin Parry of Rothamsted Research in England presented the project to the Farming Smarter conference in December via Skype after Alberta weather stood between him and a personal appearance at the conference.

He explained that over the past 30 years increases in wheat yield came from improved agricultural practices, crop rotations, pesticides and genetic improvements to varieties.

However, future gains will require a different approach.

The 20:20 project will use integrated approaches along four lines of inquiry: the plant itself; new disease controls; root/soil interface and an overlaid systems approach.

“This project brings together the largest public sector wheat transformation group in Europe,” Parry says. He mentions that they don’t have a lot of experience with genetically modified crops in the U.K., but they have lots of experience with them in the plot trials.

The idea is to get to know every aspect of wheat DNA, how trait expressions influence plant performance and how manipulation can enhance or silence plant functions.

Parry explains that wheat already has as high a harvest index as possible; which means that in order to increase yield they will need to increase biomass. Harvest index is a measurement of crop yield: the weight of a harvested product as a percentage of the total plant weight of a crop.

He adds that the most promising way to achieve this is through increasing the plant’s resource use efficiency (RUE). Plant biomass is a function of light Interception times resource use efficiency (LI x RUE).

He points out that sunlight use efficiency is about 50 per cent higher in C4 plants (corn)

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

photos: farming smarter

GROWING NEW IDEAS / GROWING KNOWLEDGE / GROWING STEWARDSHIP

than C3 plants (wheat, rice). This is because maize is much better at capturing CO2.

In field experiments where they pumped CO2 into the fields, they achieved a 30 per cent increase in yield. They have isolated the enzyme that increases CO2 capture (Ribisco) and will target its production in their experiments.

They have a map of the chemical cycle of the plants and will aim to manipulate the enzymes in such a way as to increase the RUE of wheat toward C4 light use efficiency; which in turn will increase biomass. Previous experiments that changed just one enzyme in tobacco resulted in substantial increases in biomass of that crop.

They are in the beginning phases of these experiments, but have seen some small successes through increased Ribisco levels in some cases.

Another line of investigation is looking at increasing carboxysomes in the plants by introducing the protein building blocks to the plant. Carboxysomes are an instrument of photosynthesis. They will work toward finding the right mix of proteins to elevate carboxysomes. They have some promising results, but not the answer yet.

Nitrogen research aims to increase nitrogen use efficiency. They begin by looking at how nitrogen contributes the various parts of the plant — roots, canopy and grain. Then they can establish which plant part contributes most to yield and find ways to increase nitrogen uptake to that part of the plant.

The disease research will focus on dissecting the causes of Fusarium and Septoria.

“Our basic approach is to know our enemy,” says Parry. They have found some core chromosomes that they must target to get any benefit. They hope to find ways to minimize damage by stopping infection and will look for targets for intervention to protect the plants.

The overarching system will develop data storage systems and programming to allow for cross-referencing of data and generally more flexible data mining. They plan to catalogue and study every aspect of the wheat genome

and eventually have a complete map of markers and variations linked to traits.

“Where we have bottle necks at the moment are in relation to describing the performance of plants in the field and being able to store and manipulate the data on them.”

To this end, Rothamsted is developing automated field monitoring equipment.

The computer modeling advances will allow them to run models.

“It allows us to test on the computer what combinations or traits will be advantageous as far as yield is concerned not only for today but also for future environments.”

20:20 is an ambitious project focused on United Kingdom wheat yields where there is a longer growing season than on Canada’s prairie. It is possible that Rothamsted will develop varieties that will not give Canadian farmers the same yield advantages as places with climates more akin to England.

This may be a threat to Canadian wheat growers if Canada falls behind in production due to lack of our own science and wheat varieties. h

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“Our basic approach is to know our enemy.”

— Martin Parry

Farming Smarter / spring 2014

25

Growing Knowledge

Strong pulse on the prairie Article Review: Canadian Journal of Plant Science

// By C. Lacombe

I

f you grow pulse crops in your rotation, you are riding a big wave. In recent decades, Canada stepped onto the world stage and took second place as a pulse producing country behind only India. Pulse exports totalled 4.3 million tons (2010) contributing $2.1 billion to our economy.

This trend deserves some attention according to the article, Review: Industry Levy-Funded Pulse Crop Research in Canada: Evidence from the Prairie Provinces by R. Carew, W. J. Florkowski and Yu (Rachel) Zhang that appeared in Canadian Journal of Plant Science, (2013, 93(6): 1017-1028, 10.4141/cjps2012-186). The article reviews pulse production trends and research funding for pulse crops — who funds it, kinds of research and how research affects pulse sector growth.

Several things contributed to the increased pulse acres in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

What got the ball rolling was the 1985 opening of European markets with strong prices for dry green peas.

When Saskatchewan farmers found that pulse crops added into rotations increased wheat yields and new cultivars coming from Europe had shorter growing seasons, Saskatchewan become Canada’s largest pulse producer. Alberta took second place and Manitoba moved from first to third place in Canada’s production. As prairie farmers discovered improved agronomics and other pulse crops, the acres under production grew.

Lending motivation to this trend was foodprocessing companies finding new ways to use pulse crops Today, Canada is in early days of a burgeoning industry. Exports to India, China and Europe grow annually. According to the article, Canada’s prairies have a competitive advantage because of our soils, climate and innovation networks. But Russia, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan have favourable proximity to all our markets and lower inland handling costs. This poses a threat to all our markets.

The industry could lose its competitive edge unless we explore new environmentally sustainable production practices and new valueadded products.

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

Chickpea plants growing at the Farming Smarter research site. Photo: C. Lacombe

When Carew, Florkowski and Zhang looked at funding sources, they found public funding in decline in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Alberta has a different funding structure and higher research intensity due to all funds channeling through research consortia. This helps leverage research dollars and create collaboration.

However, in all provinces the funding commitments have not kept up with growth in crop value.

The inception of producer organizations — provincial and national — created a huge influx of research money as the organizations funded research at public institutions. The article says, “… producer-funded research through levies makes economic sense since it is a less expensive source of research funds than tax dollars, provides industry with a voice in determining research priorities and aligns incentives with research benefits and costs.” These funds also appear to provide

very high return on investments; which could be why the article hints checkoffs should go up.

Carew, Florkowski and Zhang also found a barrier to protection of Canadian cultivars because the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act requires too much time and money to file an application to register a new cultivar. This is getting in the way of Canada’s recognition as a pulse breeder and could see overseas companies dominate the Canadian seed market.

After reading this article, my conclusion is that the Canadian pulse industry needs to increase research in sustainable production and value-added processing through industry-funded research. Also, Canada needs to simplify the registration process for Canadian bred cultivars.

Considering the benefits prairie producers seem to derive from pulse crops, pulse research deserves more attention. h

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Growing Knowledge

Use your own economic threshold to calculate profitability Farmer turned economist, Nevin Rosaasen, tells a convincing tale of why every farmer should make agronomic decisions with calculator in hand // BY MADELEINE BAERG

N

evin Rosaasen, Agriculture and Rural Development research economist, is refreshing because he understands the complexities of agri-business and can provide truly applicable advice on how to make better economic decisions on farm. His has a message that just might change how you calculate costs and benefits for your agri-business.

“Today’s farmer isn’t some old dude in a field with a pitchfork. Farmers are sophisticated and progressive; they’re embracing new technology; they’re constantly thinking about their processes,” says Rosaasen. “My job isn’t to prescribe a new production method because most farmers have thought through all the options. But, farmers do wear so many hats that sometimes a refresher or a suggestion on a new way to look at something is helpful.”

At Farming Smarter’s conference last December, Rosaasen’s goal was to convince farmers to make agronomic decisions with calculators in hand.

“There are many farmers who spray for pests without really knowing whether the costs of spraying will offer a financial benefit.

Using farm-specific cost benefit calculations — what economists call economic threshold — makes a big difference in profitability,” says Rosaasen.

Rosaasen, a fourth generation grain, oilseed and pulse producer, was a principle farm operator for a decade and still actively farms 2,000 acres in Saskatchewan with his brother and parents.

To illustrate the concept of calculating economic threshold, Rosaasen uses a real-life example from his own farm. When determining whether to spray a selective or non-selective insecticide to control bertha armyworms on 800 acres of canola, Rosaasen and his brother first considered yield potential and conservative market value against obvious costs: the price of each type of pesticide, the cost of labour and the expense of various equipment options including their sprayer and a hired spray plane. They then factored

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FARMING SMARTER / SPRING 2014

in environmental factors that could affect the benefits or costs, such as likely effects of weather on the worm’s appetite. But, because farming has many levels of complexity, the calculation was not complete. They then looked at less obvious factors, such as the cost of killing off beneficial insects including pollinators and parasitic wasps.

The biggest challenge to determining economic threshold, of course, is that many of the most important decision making factors do not fit neatly into a numbers based calculation. For example, a family member’s concern about the potential human health effects of non-selective pesticide must also weigh in the calculation. Likewise, one needs to consider how any agronomic decision might affect other priorities such as a relationship with neighbours, future crop insurance coverage and the weed bank or soil pathogen load.

“My point is that producers shouldn’t nec-

essarily take only their agronomists’ recommendations without calculating farm specific variables and capital costs related to the agronomic decision. When an agronomist says you should spray if you have 17 berthas, they use estimated costs and perhaps $14/bushel canola. But if canola is $8.35/bushel today, that makes a huge difference. And if you have a used $130,000 sprayer, that will make for a very different calculation than if you’ve got a brand new $300,000 sprayer,” says Rosaasen.

“If you as a farm business manager put your economist cap on, you quickly see the only way you’ll be able to make a good decision for your farm is to lay out your own farm-specific costs and potential returns. If you are going to save two, four, six bushels by spraying, what is the threshold to make it worthwhile for your farm? All producers would benefit from thinking more about economic thresholds and using partial budgets, our farm included.”

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Growing Knowledge

Weather watching with Wright // by Alexis Kienlen

I

t’s hard to predict the impact of Alberta’s record level snow packs or what the weather will be like in the spring. No one knows this better than Ralph Wright, head of the Soil Moisture Unit with Alberta Agriculture’s Agro-meteorological Applications and Modelling Section.

Although Wright can’t give you any predictions for the weather this spring, he can give you a tool to help keep an eye on what is happening. Weather data from over 350 meteorological stations is available on a website at http://www.weatherdata.ca.

The site is updated hourly and will enable producers to see wind patterns, storm systems, growing degree days, corn heat units and long term normals for areas. The website also has a map library with over 14,000 maps dating back to 1961.

This winter presented some interesting statistics though.

“Most of the west half of the province from Calgary north had snow packs classified from at least one in six to a 12-year high,” he said. Some areas in the province had record-breaking snow pack levels that surpassed all previous records for the last 54 years.

“We’ve got snow pack in areas around Red Deer and Lacombe that are the greatest they’ve been over the period of time we look at,” said Wright in January. Other areas with extremely high snow packs included Pigeon Lake, Edson, Whitecourt, Swan Hills and southern and western portions of the Peace Country.

It’s difficult to say how these high snow packs might impact spring moisture.

Snow arrived in many regions of the province at the end of October 2013, which could be considered early, said Wright. The arrival of snow has an impact because it covers the ground and protects it from freezing deeply. If soils aren’t that cold underneath and if they don’t freeze that much, heavy, early snow packs are more likely to soak into the soil, providing good moisture for spring.

“Again, that’s a very tenuous prediction at best. We’ve had a lot of heat and the snow packs have melted a lot and consolidated so they are not as able to insulate anymore,” he said.

Two weeks of -30 C could change the situation completely.

Soil moisture levels at the end of January were good.

“We had a pretty good year of growing, because the rains came at the right time, but we had some pretty dry and warm weather in the fall,” he said.

Plants used all the moisture they could get throughout the growing season, so reserves were at a low level. September and October help bring the soil moisture reserves up for the spring. The melt from snow packs and early spring rains also make a difference.

“We missed the first part of the recharge in the fall because it was warm and dry, but that was exactly what farmers needed to harvest,” he said.

Soil moisture reserves were depleted and it was relatively dry going into the freeze up in central Alberta. While Calgary all the way north to the Swan Hills were below normal for soil moisture, reserves were good in the southern part of the province. The below normal soil moisture reserves are currently covered with generous snow packs, so the situation could really go either way, said Wright.

From looking at weather data over the past 55 years, Wright concludes that there is no way to predict a wet spring based on a wet winter.

“Basically there doesn’t seem to be too much connection between the weather we’ve had today and the weather we’ll have tomorrow,” he said. “We have seen this many times in Alberta’s past, where we are faced with serious droughts or extremely wet episodes and they just abruptly end. There’s no telling when it’s going to end or how long it’s going to last, in my opinion,” he said. h

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MAPS: ALBERTA AGRICULTURE

Farming Smarter / spring 2014

29

Growing Knowledge

Precision farming: it doesn’t have to be high-tech // By Lori Lavallee

V

ariable Rate Technology (VRT) is a precision farming concept that generates more questions than answers for researchers and farmers alike. Data can come from a multitude of sources and each layer offers a unique value.

It starts with knowing the land in a qualitative way, on an intuitive level, the way that producers do,” says Ken Coles, general manager of Farming Smarter. But in order to tackle site specific management, farmers need quantitative data. Actual numbers such as, soil test nitrogen, elevation, biomass production, salinity, yield and so on. This data paired with GPS co-ordinates creates what is called spatial data or georeferenced. Any one type of geo-referenced data is known as layer and gives data-filled pictures of the variation across a field. Some data is real such as soil test nitrogen, elevation and yield, while other data is an estimate. An example of estimated data is satellite-based reflectance data or NDVI used to estimate biomass production by measuring difference in light wavelengths.

Success depends on our ability to sift through the layers of available information and choose the ones that respond differently to our changes in management.

Coles presentation at the December Farming Smarter Conference, Sorting Through the Layers of Precision Agriculture, aimed to help farmers deconstruct these layers by asking the right questions.

Generally these questions are more practical in nature, Coles emphasizes, “What are the procedures? Should I do all my fields? Should I hire someone? What layer of data should I consider? How much time should I invest? What is my return on investment? What are my optimal fertilizer and seeding rates?” Ultimately, “What is the best amount of information that can be generated with least amount of effort?”

Once producers choose effective zones, they can adjust the application of commercial fertilizer in accordance with these findings assuming that the agricultural equipment — including tractors, sprayers and harvesters — supports variable rate application.

Now entering into the second year of a fouryear, province-wide field-scale research project on VRT, Farming Smarter research includes all

30

Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

Farming Smarter does field research in Bow Island, Lethbridge, Mossleigh, Strathmore and Falher (Peace Country). PHOTOs: Farming Smarter

Farming Smarter measures the soil texture by using a hydrometer. The georeferenced soil samples are then correlated to the EC readings taken in the field.

Farming Smarter’s Grayson samples soil the traditional way.

the layers of information with a special focus on electro-conductivity sensors, a tool used by several consultants. Last fall, they received additional funding from the Agriculture Innovation Program, for the purchase of two new electroconductivity soil sensors. This equipment attempts to estimate soil characteristics such as texture and salinity.

Coles says, “In a reverse engineer approach, we conduct replicated field scale response trials and then evaluate the results versus each layer of information to determine if any fit.” He also comments that it could be a low tech approach that makes the most sense economically, but time will tell.

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

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Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones collect Near Infra Red and true colour images as well as elevation maps.

(UAV), or drones, is another way to obtain sophisticated data, an approach included in Farming Smarter’s research. Through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP), the project collected some field images needed to study the viability of UAV-based imagery.

The value of UAVs is that this technology provides high resolution maps and may add flexibility to acquire information in a more timely manner according to the growing season than might be available via satellites that fly over periodically. However there are still issues that need resolution as this is a rather new approach.

Obviously, there’s a fine line between prac-

ticality and technology and, in many ways, technology over promised and under delivered in terms of producers’ Return on Investment (ROI). “The idea is to find verifiable approaches that work and are as simple as possible but not merely simple,” says Coles.

There’s always a lot of information to sort through and test. But once this work is done, you get a better idea of whether it is worth doing or not. In any project we learn so much more than we expected,” Coles emphasizes. “So yes, it’s rocket science, but rocket science is old and it doesn’t have to be that complicated.”

In addition to the Lethbridge area, Farming

Ken Coles checks the soil because understanding the texture, depth and nutrient composition of the soil is critical.

Smarter currently conducts field research in Bow Island, Mossleigh Strathmore, and Falher (Peace Country). They also work closely with Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association (SARDA), a non-profit organization that conducts agricultural research. h

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Growing Stewardship

Conservation award goes to researcher Ross McKenzie Orville Yanke Award

// by Helen McMenamin

F

arming Smarter chose long-time Alberta Agriculture research scientist Ross McKenzie as this year’s recipient of the Orville Yanke Award for his leadership in soil conservation and crop management.

McKenzie dedicated over 38 years to research and extension for the benefit of Alberta farmers and the environment. He published hundreds of papers, endless articles, spoke at conferences and with his team put in thousands of research plots across the province to develop dependable farming advice.

In accepting the award, McKenzie paid tribute to all those who worked alongside him in his research — the farmers, including Yanke, who gave their land, their time and expertise for projects. His stellar staff, particularly Allan Middleton, who worked long hours, often late into the night and far from home, meticulously putting in thousands of plots, managing and harvesting them.

“There were never any ‘lazy government guys’ on my crew,” said McKenzie. “We all worked together to link what we saw above the ground to what’s going on below.”

McKenzie celebrated the award with a lecture. Alberta’s huge agriculture industry depends on a limited land base, only 16 per cent, 25 million of our 159 million acres suits annual crops. Always threatened, that productive land now faces big challenges.

Soils in this province are young, only 10,000 years since the glaciers retreated, not much time for soil development.

Glaciers made our landscapes — hummocky moraine where glaciers melted in situ and sandy areas at outwash areas, finer textured soils and flatter landscapes where lakes formed lacustrine soils. Over centuries, different soils developed under the prairies of the brown and dark brown soil zones, the parkland of the black soil zone and the forests of the grey wooded areas as the land was grazed by buffalo, then cattle, but farming changed things, starting around 1900.

Soil mapping to define soils kept soil scientists busy until 1975.

Agrisid remains a valuable guide to soil productivity.

“Rotation studies, set up by forward thinking scientists over 100 years ago, are now even more valuable in helping us to understand soil processes,” says McKenzie. “We see the dropping levels of organic matter and productivity linked to early cultivation. Good yields from the natural fertility of the prairie lasted 30 or 40 years, then leveled off or declined as all the labile fraction (about half) of the organic matter was mineralized to plant nutrients, leaving behind the stable fraction that can take 1000 years to break down. Tilled fallow left land vulnerable to erosion, loss of organic matter, silt and clay. Salinity increased, organic matter was lost. Soil productivity, yields and returns dropped so far over six million acres were abandoned and returned to grass.

Soil scientists figured out the way to farm this new land and control wind erosion. The head of Lethbridge’s Experimental Farm was known as “Trash Cover Palmer” (for his proselytizing) for leaving crop residues on the soil surface, against specific instructions from Ottawa.

Likewise, McKenzie did not always agree with or entirely accept directions from his superiors that he saw as wrong-headed.

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

Ross McKenzie — a man outstanding in his field. PHOTO: Rob Dunn

A soil profile test site at Farming Smarter’s research site in Lethbridge. photo: C. Lacombe

GROWING NEW IDEAS / GROWING KNOWLEDGE / GROWING STEWARDSHIP

Soil blows off a field on a clear sunny day. PHOTO: C. Lacombe

A. E. Palmer and Charles Noble, who invented and produced the Noble blade cultivator, were followed by scientists like Tracy Anderson and then Wayne Lindwall who began research on conservation tillage and direct seeding in 1970s. Farmers, especially Gordon Hilton and Ike Lanier gambled on zero-till and learned as they developed effective techniques that were widely adopted through the ’90s. Now, over 60 per cent of Alberta’s farmland is direct seeded and the rest is under much reduced tillage.

“Direct seeding has led to greatly reduced erosion, greater moisture storage and much more diverse cropping,” says McKenzie.

“Canola acreage has grown three-fold, pulses 10 times. Soil quality has improved, productivity has increased enormously along with better economic returns and lower production risks.

“Now, Alberta’s productive soils face destructive new threats. First, from non-agricultural land uses. The footprint of cities, rural industrial development and rural residential development has increased enormously. Cities are expanding rapidly, particularly Calgary and Edmonton. Calgary presently occupies about 600 sq. km of land with a population of 1.2 million people. If population growth continues at three per cent, Calgary’s population will be 3.7 million and its area 1,800 sq. km in 2050 — only 36 years away!

“Much of southern Alberta’s best farmland will be gone, lost to urban sprawl.”

Alberta has no Class 1 land — land without significant restrictions to cropping, and only a little Class 2 land with moderate limitations to crop production. The province’s remaining agricultural land has severe limitations for farming. It will also be fragmented so that farming is uneconomic.

“Alberta is blessed with great hydrocarbon reserves that have brought great prosperity and done lots of good things for us,” says McKenzie. “But, it’s not a sustainable industry. We have 110,000 km of pipelines and 120,000 abandoned wells in Alberta. The oil

GROWING NEW IDEAS / GROWING KNOWLEDGE / GROWING STEWARDSHIP

and gas industry claims it meets the current reclamation standard of bringing land back to 80 per cent of its former state. But often “reclaimed” land does not even meet 50 per cent of its previous productive potential. It could take hundreds of years to recover fully.

Higher reclamation standards are needed.”

McKenzie sees a huge problem in Alberta’s lack of co-ordinated agronomic research. “There’s an attitude that the research has been completed and we have all the answers! Over the last 12 years, Alberta Ag lost half its research staff and most of its extension staff.

“Alberta farmers spend $750 million annually on fertilizer, but there’s very little ongoing research to update recommendations for changing cropping practices and increasing yield potentials. Only Doon Pauly will be doing a significant amount of this research. Agriculture Canada, universities and research associations do very little fertilizer research, and the work done is piecemeal, short-term and often not co-ordinated with other agencies.

“Farmers still need technically advanced, leading-edge soil and crop production information, says McKenzie. “Industry may offer biased information that may not lead to the best economic or environmental outcomes for agriculture. Farmers need unbiased information from co-ordinated research across the province to help them make decisions that are economically sound and help them care for this great resource entrusted to them.

“No matter how advanced our society, soil and water are essential for the production of food to sustain life.” The demand for local, sustainably produced food is clearly a sign that ordinary people understand this.

“Alberta has made huge strides in improving the management of soil quality, but we must pass it on to future generations so they have the means to keep on producing food, fibre biofuels and other necessities of life. That means conserving our soil, respecting this invaluable resource.” h

Farming Smarter / spring 2014

33

Growing Stewardship

Conservation offsets in southern Alberta // by Donna Trottier, P. Ag

D

uring the unprecedented growth phase that occurred in Alberta in the early 2000s, Albertans were looking to the provincial government for a plan to manage the impact of rapid growth. In response, the Alberta Government developed the Land Use Framework (LUF) that includes a regional planning component. In the fall of 2013, the Alberta Government issued the second of seven regional plans for Alberta with the release of the Draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP).

The SSRP is a land-use plan covering approximately 12.6 per cent of Alberta’s total land area, affecting more than 1.6 million people living in the region. The SSRP attempts to achieve a balance between urban development, resource extraction, recreation and agricultural needs as well as protection of the headwaters.

“Regional Plans are about managing growth on a regional scale and are designed to guide future decisions in areas such as development, recreation and conservation in the region,” explains Jason Cathcart, Manager of Land Use Policy with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD). Cathcart represents ARD on the cross-ministry team responsible for Regional Plan Development. “The SSRP provides the blueprint for growth in the region, balancing the social, economic and environmental pillars for the region,” states Cathcart.

Cathcart explains where the responsibility to implement the plan lies, “We are taking the one-government approach for the implementation of the SSRP. All ministries are committed to achieving the outcomes of the SSRP and each ministry is responsible for its content within the Plan.”

Cathcart explains that the development of the SSRP will proceed while respecting the autonomy that currently exists in municipalities. “The Alberta Government understands that municipalities have been managing the land and activities in their region for a long time.

Municipalities will continue to manage their land base with the understanding that they will now apply the principles and strategies of the SSRP when making decisions,” states Cathcart. One of the strategies in the SSRP emphasizes the importance of maintaining the agriculture land base. The plan places the responsibility of managing fragmentation onto municipalities, encouraging them to direct development on to less The Draft South Saskatchewan Regional Plan was released in productive farmland.

October 2013. Photo: Alberta Government The SSRP commits to recognizing

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

Rob Dunn, outstanding in his field, at the summer soil tour 2013. Photo: Dick Puurveen

“Through the pilot, we seek out voluntary offsets that have the best potential to improve native wildlife habitat and biodiversity.”

— Rob Dunn

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stewardship and conservation on private land, including voluntary contributions of private landowners that enhance ecosystem services. “Land managers in southern Alberta are doing a great job of implementing stewardship on their land. The SSRP sets out objectives to recognize that existing conservation efforts are helping to achieve the goals of the plan,” states Cathcart. The SSRP will explore government and private market-based options as a means of recognizing stewardship and conservation on private land. As part of the SSRP, the Southeast Conservation Offset Pilot has been initiated to assess the applicability of and use of conservation offsets.

Rob Dunn, Agricultural Land Management Specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, works on the Southeast Alberta Conservation Offset Pilot. Conservation offsets are compensatory actions that address the ecological losses arising from development. The pilot looks at testing a market-based approach to address the impacts that industrial developments have on Alberta’s native prairie by contracting with private landowners to convert marginal cultivated land to native perennial species. The marketbased approach refers to linking up offset buyers with offset sellers.

Dunn explains that developers should proceed through a mitigation hierarchy as they set out on a development project. The first step in the hierarchy should be avoiding development in areas with sensitive habitat, species of concern or areas where water quality is of concern. The second step in the hierarchy is on site mitigation and implementation of beneficial management practices to minimize impact during construction and thereafter. “Offsets are the third Continues on page 36

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Farming Smarter / spring 2014

35

Growing Stewardship

Continued from page 35

step in the mitigation hierarchy to address any residual development impacts and should only be considered after avoidance and on site mitigation has been implemented,” states Dunn.

The pilot aims to develop an approach to quantify the offset requirements for industrial developments, develop a method of measuring the loss of ecosystem services that occur from development, and establish a tradable unit for offsets. “Through the pilot, we seek out voluntary offsets that have the best potential to improve native wildlife habitat and biodiversity,” explains Dunn. “How do we determine which privately-owned lands are the most at risk for loss and how do we determine a fair way to compensate those individuals when they enhance biodiversity services on their farmland?”

Offset selection involved prioritization based on an offset suitability index developed as part of the pilot. The index rated parcels based on the level of habitat enhancement and protection of species at risk. Parcels with more stewardship points would be worth more as an offset.

Dunn explains that the offset opportunity does not fit some operations because of the type of operation (livestock versus crop production) or because the crop production potential of the land is too high to convert to pasture. “When a landowner considers providing an ecosystem service such as biodiversity, they need to consider the other potential uses for the land. What would they lose by converting their land to native prairie and could they be using the land for another purpose that would benefit their operation more significantly,” considers Dunn. The offset has to work for the landowner with consideration for what the future holds.

“We have developed tools to engage landowner participation in conservation offsets but further work is required on shaping government policy before some of the companies doing industrial development will come on board,” explains Dunn. In the meantime, as policies are being developed, the pilot will continue to encourage voluntary participation by all industry players, to offset new development activity on native prairie landscapes.

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

Map Courtesy Resource Information Unit, Prairies Area

Following consideration of the feedback received during the Draft SSRP consultation, it is anticipated that the final SSRP will be released in the spring of 2014. As the components of the SSRP take shape,

such as the Biodiversity Management Framework and the Surface Water Quality Framework, we will have a better understanding of how the plan will impact agricultural landowners. h

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Farming Smarter / spring 2014

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Growing Stewardship

SEAWA — water, wildlife and all on the web // by Donna Trottier

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he South East Alberta Watershed Alliance (SEAWA) is one of Alberta’s 11 watershed alliances or councils set up as forum for all stakeholders in the major watershed in the province. We might think of Alberta’s driest region as a place where the need for a watershed group means less than in other areas, but as a dry area, nobody takes water for granted in the southeast.

The recognition of water’s importance for everybody living and working in the region, keeps the stakeholders working together.

They represent 14 different groups as well as the unique wildlife of the region.

“We have some pretty good discussions around the table, even a few that can be quite heated,” says Maggie Romuld, executive director of SEAWA. “But we don’t have a lot of conflict because our role is to summarize what we hear from all the stakeholders and pass it on to government. We’re only an advisory group, we have no legislative authority.”

SEAWA covers the South Saskatchewan River Sub-Basin, from the point where the Bow and Oldman meet at Grassy Lake, northeast of Taber, and the land that drains into the river. It includes dryland farming areas as well as irrigated farms and irrigation reservoirs and the 35,000-acre Bow Island grazing area.

The river meets the Red Deer River north of Medicine Hat, then crosses into Saskatchewan and Lake Diefenbaker. The country north of Medicine Hat includes stabilized sand dunes and badlands as well as dryland farming and prairie potholes — productive wildlife wetlands The 121,000 sq. km watershed has a relatively small population, around 70,000 people. Over 1,200 archaeological sites show where and how First Nations used the area.

The region has some wildlife species found nowhere else on the prairies — the hognose snake and kangaroo rat. Shallow lakes like Pakowki are internationally significant as a major stop on the international flyway for shorebirds and waterfowl. Over 250 species of birds are found in the region.

Water quality is the main concern of water users. Agricultural runoff may contribute to

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Farming Smarter / Spring 2014

The South Saskatchewan River begins here at the confluence of the Bow and Oldman Rivers.

PHOTO: C. Lacombe

loading of nutrients and some other pollutants in the river, but to a great extent, the state of the South Saskatchewan in the SEAWA area depends on what happens upstream.

Romuld is developing links with watershed groups upstream and downstream, so groups can work together to protect and improve the whole waterway.

Some assume the muddiness of the water indicates poor quality, says Romuld. But, water quality is quite good, she says. Muddiness is characteristic of a prairie river, silt and other particles settle out in Lake Diefenbaker.

But, changes in water management have led to loss of some species, particularly cottonwoods and the area is vulnerable to invasive species.

The SEAWA area includes creeks that flow out of the Cypress Hills. Seven Persons Creek is one of the biggest, augmenting the flow in the South Saskatchewan. Oil and gas develop-

ment has led to roads through this area. These have altered the landscape and exposed the basin to problems with invasive species.

The Pakowki Lake and Many Island Lakes, as well as smaller areas are closed systems, with no waterways draining them. These form wetlands, vital to many plant and animal species. Agricultural drainage and oil and gas development have amplified low water levels, but some wetlands have become more stable refuges for wildlife, through Ducks Unlimited projects.

SEAWA has completed its State of the Watershed (SOW) report, but it has produced a web-based report that provides information in map and short information pages on various aspects of each sub-basin. It also provides groundwater information. SEAWA is working on a management plan and testing technology to assess trace organics like pharmaceuticals. h

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