Gnn141111 by Farm Business Communications

Volume 40, Number 17 | NOVEMEBER 11, 2014

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PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER

New cereal varieties for 2015 There are 14 new cereal varieties on the market this year, including some with fusarium resistance

www.grainews.ca

AAC RAYMORE

AC AVONLEA

BY LISA GUENTHER

armers looking for a new cereal to slide into the rotation will have their pick of 14 new varieties, plus a winter wheat that is widely available for the first time this year. Researchers are doing interesting things with cereals these days. Dr. Jamie Larsen, rye breeder with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, is working on rye varieties resistant to ergot. He told Sarah Weigum that they laid down the equivalent of 80 pounds of ergot per acre as part of their efforts to find resistant lines. You can read more about rye research, and Brasetto, a new hybrid rye, in Sarah’s column from the Sept. 2 issue of Grainews. Wet weather caused problems for many farmers this summer, and fusarium head blight took its toll in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Farmers hit by fusarium head blight (FHB) this year might be interested in new varieties from CPS, FP Genetics and SeCan. All three companies are releasing varieties with moderate to excellent FHB resistance. » CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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PHOTO: AGRI-FOOD CANADA

The sawfly tolerant AAC Raymore stems are solid from top to bottom on almost every plant.

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STRONGFIELD

In This Issue

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

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

Crop Advisor’s Casebook

Columns ........................... 25 Machinery & Shop ............ 37 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 51

Durum breedings

ANDREA HILDERMAN PAGE 20

Outstanding young farmers LEE HART PAGE 44

FarmLife ............................ 55

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Wheat & Chaff STAMPEDE

BY JERRY PALEN LEEANN MINOGUE

own. I’m too busy coping with post-harvest stress.

WHEAT VARIETIES

“That was fun! I invited them all back tomorrow for leftovers!”

Write, Email or Fax SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CST) 1-800-665-0502

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

HEARTS

Ask for hearts When you renew your subscription to Grainews, be sure to ask for six Please Be Careful, We Love You hearts. Then stick them onto equipment that you, your loved ones and your employees operate. That important message could save an arm, a leg or a life.

y father-in-law took the last of our flax into the combine on October 26. Just in time: It started to spit as he was driving the combine home, and by the next morning, there was snow in western Saskatchewan. The end of harvest came just in time not only because the weather turned bad after we finished. It also came just in time to save everyone’s sanity. This was the longest harvest we’ve seen on this farm. It was interrupted several times by rain. One day, even snow. Two- to three-year old equipment broke in places we’ve never seen break before. Almost every piece of machinery on this farm had a down day during harvest (the grain cart, the combine, the swather, the grain truck, the combine again, the tractor, then the grain cart again). More than one of these breakdowns left us waiting two or even three days for parts. Some of our fields were so wet that the combine got stuck — more than once. (I’d run pictures of that, but the combine driver threatened me with a violent death if I took any). By early October I lost enthusiasm for fancy field meals. Thanksgiving dinner was ham sandwiches. (To my credit, I did add cheese and mayonnaise.) One day, near the end of harvest, I had to pick up our son in town. There was dust from the combine hanging in the air when I got in the car. The dust wasn’t just in our yard — it seemed dusty all the way to town. “Must be lots of people still combining,” I figured. The dust in the air was blocking out the sunshine, turning the day dim and dull, kind of depressing. I drove all the way to Weyburn before I realized that the dust wasn’t in the air after all — it was just on my windshield. After I ran the wipers, I saw that it was a bright sunny day with a clear blue sky. I’m sure there’s some sort of clever metaphor in this story, but you’ll have to think of it on your

This is the second of Grainews’ two annual “new seed varieties” issues. In the last issue we focused on oilseeds (canola, flax and soybeans). This time, we’ve rounded up a list of new cereal varieties. In the years to come, I’m sure our listings of new cereal varieties will become more and more interesting. Canada has a proud history of strong public wheat and durum breeding programs. (See Andrea Hilderman’s story on the history of durum breeding at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s Swift Current research station on Page 20.) Now the private sector is getting involved, in a big way. Recently, several large agribusiness corporations have announced huge investments into cereal breeding. For example, back in January Viterra announced a $5 million five-year agreement to work with the Crop Development Centre on wheat research and breeding. In early October, the Canadian Wheat Alliance (made of up Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the University of Saskatchewan, the Government of Saskatchewan and the National Research Council) announced a partnership with Syngenta and KWS. Syngenta’s website says, “Globally, Syngenta is the largest wheat breeder.” KWS (a Germanbased global plant breeding company) claims to be “one of the world’s four leading plant breeding companies, represented in more than 70 countries.” This winter, Bayer CropScience is building a Wheat Breeding Centre southwest of Saskatoon to develop new varieties (it should be finished by July). These are just a few examples of big business investing big dollars to develop Prairie seed, and it’s going to change our seed options. Pessimistic farmers will go straight to the questions. “Now how much will I have to pay to buy wheat seed? Will I have to start signing Technical Use Agreements just to grow spring wheat? Will someone be out investigating my field to see exactly what kind of durum I’m growing?”

Some of their worries might come true. Ultimately, someone is going to pay for this corporate investment, and I think Grainews readers know who that’s going to be. But on the other side of the coin, optimistic farmers might lie awake at night thinking of hauling home record-high-yielding crops of durum, or growing winter wheat plants with built-in resistance to pests and diseases like we’ve never imagined before. New laboratory technologies and advancements in biology research are giving plant breeders the power to do amazing things with genetics, at faster speeds than they’ve ever been able to achieve in the past. Someone is going to benefit from this new technology, and (at least partially), it’s going to be us. One thing’s for sure — things are changing. Your daughter won’t be seeding your grandfather’s wheat.

OUTSTANDING YOUNG FARMERS Ebola. Ottawa shootings. The Islamic State. There is so much bad news on the national and global front these days, it’s hard to focus on low grain prices, poor crop quality, grading issues and grain transportation. So as a break from all of that, we’ve dedicated seven pages of this issue to look at the positive future of farming by showcasing Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers. The Outstanding Young Farmers Program has chosen one young farmer (ages 18-39) from each of six Canadian provinces, plus one more from the Atlantic Region. Thanks to Grainews editor Lee Hart, we have profiled of all of these exceptional young farmers. With sponsorship from CIBC, John Deere, Bayer CropScience, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Annex Media, AdFarm, BDO and Farm Management Canada, the Outstanding Young Farmers program is in its 34th year. At national awards event in Quebec City at the end of November, one of the seven farmers profiled on Pages 44 to 50 will be chosen for national recognition as Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer. Regardless of which farmer takes home that title, all of the young families profiled here are truly outstanding. Leeann

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Find us on Twitter: Leeann Minogue is @grainmuse Lisa Guenther is @LtoG Lee Hart is @hartattacks Scott Garvey is @machineryeditor

PHOTO: LEEANN MINOGUE

We bunched our flax for burning this fall. This season, flax has pencilled out to be one of the most profitable crops we’ve grown on the farm.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Wheat & Chaff Photo contest

Farm safety

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT This was Thanksgiving dinner for the Warnyca family and harvest crew at their farm near Montmartre. Kathy Warnyca emailed to say, “The 27 inches of rain and showers delayed spring and carrie on in to fall in southeast Saskatchewan. Harvest had been delayed and was in full swing during Thanksgiving. Stopping to participate in a Thanksgiving meal indoors did not fit into the schedule. The day was calm, sunny and warm so the turkey and all the fixings headed to the field. The smiling faces showed appreciation of the hot meal and it also amounted to one less day of sandwiches!” The nice weather on Thanksgiving Day gave the Warnycas an opportunity to bring their 90-year old father out to the field. He’s the gentleman in the red had, sitting on his walker. The Warnyca’ farm has consisted for mixed grains and livestock since 1954. Thanks so much for sending in this photo Kathy — I’m sure lots of Prairie farmers had a similar Thanksgiving celebration this year. We’re sending Kathy a cheque for $25. To get yours, send your best shot to leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com. Please send only one or two photos at a time and include your name and address, the names of anyone in the photo, where the photo was taken and a bit about what was going on that day. A little write-up about your farm is welcome, too. Please ensure that images are of high resolution (1 MB is preferred), and if the image includes a person, we need to be able to see their face clearly. Leeann

Time for farm health and safety planning

he grain is the bin, the cattle are home and now is the perfect time to reflect on the past season and prepare for the upcoming new year. Sometimes, in the midst of the busiest days on the farm, health and safety take a back seat. Now, when you are planning next year’s inputs, purchases and crop rotation, why not take some time to plan for the safety and health of the people on your farm? Farm owners, operators and managers are responsible for knowing and applying best management practices and laws to ensure the health and safety of everyone who lives on, visits or works on their farms. Everyone on the farm needs to know that the farm’s health and safety standards apply to them and how these standards will be followed. A farm injury or death isn’t just about the human cost; it’s also about the business cost to your operation. Legal costs due to negligence, economic costs of death or injury, commodity loss and human resource loss are the areas of health and safety business risk for a farming operation. A simple mistake or poor planning can result in the loss of life, limb or livelihood. So what can you do? A written safety plan is the best way to ensure the health and safety of farmers, farm workers, farm visitors and farm children. By using a guide, such as the Canada Farm Safe Plan, a farm owner, operator or manager can develop a comprehensive health and safety. Identifying hazards, developing control strategies, communicating responsibilities and reviewing the plan are all important steps in creating and maintaining a safety plan. It’s also important to develop and communicate your overall policy on health and safety. What do you want it to be? By being purposeful about developing and communicating a general policy statement about safety on your

farm, you are ensuring that everyone on your farm takes safety seriously. It’s also time to assess your personal level of wellness and encourage everyone on your farm to recognize that maintaining optimum health brings dividends, including lower stress levels and safer behaviour. Back aches, sleeplessness, digestive issues, depression and respiratory problems are examples of health issues that affect efficiency, but also quality of life. A visit to a health care provider can not only improve your health outcomes but also give you a better sense of wellbeing. Being well means farming well. A written safety plan and personal health maintenance is an investment in your farm, your workers, your children and yourself. It takes time and even sometimes money to develop and implement a safety and health plan. However, the return on investment both financially and for peace of mind is much greater than the dollars or time spent. The economic cost of an injury resulting in a permanent disability is approximately $143,000 (determined by The Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting Program in the mid-2000s). This does not take into consideration the emotional and personal impact of a permanent disability. The small amount of dollars and time spent in farm health and safety is manageable when compared to the economic and personal burden of injuries. Making farm safety and health priorities on the farm is your choice. By taking this time to make your personal health a priority and to develop a safety plan you are committing to a safe and healthy farming operation. For more information about farm health and safety or for the Canada FarmSafe Plan, please visit casa-acsa.ca. † Canadian Agricultural Safety Association — www.casa-acsa.ca.

Weather Lore

Moon lore

Hogs should be slaughtered after the second frost in the dark of the moon. ountry slaughtering, says Eric Sloane, author of Folklore of American Weather is always done after the warm spell that follows the first frost. Cool weather would keep the hanging meat from spoiling. Advice to butcher in the “dark” of the moon probably referred to the superstition that the moon rays spoil meat, a belief that was held and even promoted in the first U.S. Dept. of Agriculture weather book, printed as late as 1903. That publication stated: “moonbeams produce certain chemical results that spoil fish and some kinds of meat.” †

Shirley Byers’ book “Never Sell Your Hen on a Rainy Day” explores over 100 weather rhymes and sayings. It is available from McNally Robinson at: www.mcnallyrobinson.com.

You might be from the Prairies if...

By Carson Demmans and Jason Sylvestre

HEEL BUCKY!

Crop production

Time to remember

profusion of scarlet-red Flanders poppies with jet-black centres always rouses comment and attention in the garden. Red poppies also initiate memories, but their symbolism goes beyond that. From youth to seniors, Canadians wear a poppy on the left side over their heart as a quiet symbol of appreciation and high regard. A strong desire to support and willingness to wear a poppy is traditional with millions of Canadians. Out of deep respect and togetherness we recall those lost and harmed while serving their country. We remember and thank those who have served and returned and all men and women that presently serve in the Canadian Armed Forces. Taking time to recall and honour each and every individual who fought for our freedom and those that continue to do so is not asking too much. May we never lose sight of the importance, the feel, the reason and significance for setting November 11 as Remembrance Day. †

Ted Meseyton, The Singing Gardener

photo: ted meseyton

Agronomy tips… from the field

Selecting your soybeans

W You have ever leash trained a gopher.

ith a step-by-step approach to soybean variety selection, you can make a decision that improves yields and also manages risk and makes for an easier harvest. The first step is to list the varieties suited to your maturity zone. Rather than relying only on varieties for your zone, consider planting an additional variety with a slightly shorter maturity. This strategy helps hedge against frost risk, improves the chance that one variety will catch the beneficial August rains and spreads out your harvest workload. (Today’s varieties have a range of 16 days between the fastest-maturing and slowest-

maturing ones, so there’s sure to be one for your risk-comfort zone!) Once you’ve identified the high-yielding varieties ideal for your climatic and comfort zone, ask local experts which ones pod higher from the ground. Bottom pod height matters because higher pods make for an easier harvest, especially for farmers with rocky or rolling land. Also, remember to factor in lodging resistance, another aspect of an easier harvest (and a reduced likelihood of white mould). Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) ratings are important to check as well. Last but not least, if using 30”-planter row width, ensure you choose a bush type variety. † This agronomy tip is brought to you by Richard Marsh, B.Ag, CCA, technical development lead, Western Canada for Syngenta Canada Inc.

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Cover Stories Crop Varieties wheat varieties AAC Brandon: SeCan’s new AAC Brandon has short strong straw and is moderately resistant to fusarium.

1 6 6 6 D u b l i n Av e n u e , W i n n i p e g , MB R 3 H 0 H 1 w w w. g r a i n e w s . c a PUBLI SH ER

Lynda Tityk Associate Publisher/ Editorial director

John Morriss

Edi tor

Leeann Minogue fiel d Ed ito r

Lisa Guenther Cattleman’s Corner Editor

Lee Hart photo: secan

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

New cereal varieties for 2015 CANTERRA SEEDS CS Camden — white milling oat Variety from the same breeding program as Triactor. High yields and a shorter stature with better lodging resistance. Improved quality attributes with higher percentage of plumps and higher beta-glucan. Under evaluation with millers. CPS CDC Fortitude — durum Offers improved yields over Strongfield and introduces the highest level of solid stemness available in the durum class, minimizing the risk of grade and quality loss resulting from wheat stem sawfly. Improved lodging over Strongfield, and an MR rating for FHB. Available from Proven Seed at all CPS retail locations. Brahma — two-row feed barley Offers growers top yield performance, while providing improvements to disease resistance and harvest efficiency. Available from Proven Seed at all CPS retail locations.

FP Genetics CDC Plentiful — CWRS Very early maturing variety with excellent resistance to FHB. Very good rating for resistance to lodging. Resistant to leaf rust, stem rust

and stripe rust. Yields 100 per cent of AC Barrie. Supplies are limited. Enchant VB — CPSR Yields 117 per cent of AC Barrie. Very good resistance to leaf rust, stem rust and bunt. Resistance to the orange wheat blossom midge. Brasetto — hybrid fall rye The first viable hybrid cereal to be introduced to Western Canada. Very high yield. It is shorter and with greater uniformity in maturity will mean straight cutting is possible. It also has better winter hardiness than other winter crops. Significantly higher falling number than existing varieties, making it valuable for baking and distilling.

Mastin Seeds Pintail — General Purpose winter wheat Pintail was originally listed in our 2012 seed guide, but it was only available to certified seed growers in previous years. It’s widely available for the first time this fall. Developed at the Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe, Alta. Pintail yields 107 per cent of Radiant, a red winter check variety. Excellent winter hardiness, good lodging and stripe rust resistance. Available through Mastin Seeds retailers.

SeCan AAC Brandon — CWRS Yields five per cent higher than AC Carberry, with short, strong

straw. Maturity equal to AC Carberry. Moderately resistant to FHB (good rating). Has a high test weight, and resistant to leaf rust, stem rust, stripe rust and smut. AAC Redwater — CWRS Early-maturing variety. Harvest/ Mckenzie parentage for good grade retention and good sprouting resistance. Averages five per cent higher yield and is one or two days earlier maturing than AC Barrie. Short, strong straw (similar to AC Stettler). Resistant to leaf rust, stem rust and stripe rust and has an intermediate resistance to FHB (Fair rating). AAC Ryley — CPS red wheat Well adapted to the western Prairies as a replacement for AC Crystal. It yields 105 per cent of 5700PR, with short strong straw and good sprouting resistance. Moderately susceptible to FHB (Poor rating) and resistant to leaf rust, stem rust and bunt. AAC Raymore — durum Western Canada’s first solidstemmed durum. Consistently exhibits a very solid stem (from ground level to the top of the stem) for excellent sawfly tolerance. Maturity, straw height and straw strength similar to AC Strongfield, with a higher grain protein content than AC Strongfield. CDC Maverick — two-row feed or forage barley) Has a smooth awn for improved palatability. Averaged 16 per cent higher forage yield than AC Ranger.

Like CDC Cowboy, CDC Maverick is a tall plant type well-suited for dry areas or low input production. Moderately resistant to FHB (Good rating). Medium maturity, similar to AC Metcalfe. Overall performance is similar to CDC Cowboy, but with a smooth awn. Amisk — six-row feed barley Feed barley with a semi-smooth awn. Very good lodging resistance, better than Vivar. Amisk has 15 per cent higher plumps than Vivar, grain yield similar to Vivar, and a medium maturity. CDC Haymaker — forage oat Provides seven per cent higher forage yield than CDC Baler. CDC Haymaker is a tall variety with late maturity. Has good forage quality with improved digestibility and large, plump kernels.

Syngenta AAC Synergy — two-row malting barley Yields 113 per cent of AC Metcalfe and 107 per cent of CDC Copeland. The variety matures similar to AC Metcalfe and produces heavy, plump kernels and short, strong straw with good lodging resistance. The widely adapted variety offers high yield potential, good foliar disease resistance and excellent malting quality. Limited seed available for seeding in 2015. Currently under market development by Syngenta Canada. † Lisa Guenher is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa. Guenther@fbcpublishing.com.

Tip of the issue

Seed decisions rely on location

o you’re about to make one of the most important purchases of next season — your seed. Seed companies work hard to deliver stronger, better products to savvy growers, but what do you really need to know before you make the call? Determining the best-performing genetics for an individual farm is the most important piece of information growers can glean before making seed purchase decisions. Be sure to talk to your local seed rep for information about how spe-

cific hybrids perform in your area. Make sure to pay careful attention to key factors such as crop rotation, insect and disease resistance, maturity and harvestability. Understand and monitor your crop rotation. Make sure you know what crop you will be seeding the following year and keep detailed records so you can tweak rotation in years ahead. Know the herbicide system of the hybrid you are using; this will allow you to place it on appropriate fields and manage weeds for the best yield possible.

Likewise, consider insect and disease control. Increasingly, certain pockets of land are emerging as high-pressure areas for anything from flea beetles and cutworms to sclerotinia, clubroot and blackleg. Understanding what genetic traits are available to you will offer good peace of mind in vulnerable times. Make sure you know a hybrid’s days to maturity and what the yield potential is for that hybrid in your geographical area, based on soil type and environment. And ask your seed rep about the

standability and harvestability of the hybrid — what you can expect in the field from certain hybrids as you get to the final stages of production. For further information, pay close attention to plot data. Consider the number of trials, and performance consistency. Be sure to factor in the location or area and soil type, and discuss performance with your rep, so you can make the most informed decisions for your farm’s next best season. † Andrea Moffat is an account manager with DuPont Pioneer.

At Farm Business Communications we have a firm commitment to protecting your privacy and security as our customer. Farm Business Communications will only collect personal information if it is required for the proper functioning of our business. As part of our commitment to enhance customer service, we may share this personal information with other strategic business partners. For more information regarding our Customer Information Privacy Policy, write to: Information Protection Officer, Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 Occasionally we make our list of subscribers available to other reputable firms whose products and services might be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive such offers, please contact us at the address in the preceding paragraph, or call 1-800-665-0502.

Farm life Edito r

Sue Armstrong Machinery EDITOR

Scott Garvey Pro duction Di recto r

Shawna Gibson Des igne r

Steven Cote MARKETING/CI RCUL ATION Dir ector

Lynda Tityk

Circul at ion manag er

Heather Anderson president

Glacier farmmedia

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Arlene Bomback Phone: (204) 944-5765 Fax: (204) 944-5562 Email: ads@fbcpublishing.com Printed in Canada by Transcontinental LGM-Coronet Winnipeg, Man. Grainews is published by Farm Business Communications, 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3H 0H1. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Subscription prices: For Canadian farmers, $52.00 per year or $83.00 for 2 years (includes GST) or $104.00 for 3 years (includes GST). Man. residents add 8% PST to above prices. U.S: $43.00 per year (U.S. Funds). Outside Canada & U.S.: $79 per year. ISSN 0229-8090. Call 1-800-665-0502 for subscriptions. Fax (204) 954-1422 Canadian Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverable copies (covers only) to PO Box 9800, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3K7 U.S. Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverable copies (covers only) to 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 Grainews is printed on recyclable paper with linseed oil-based inks. Published 18 times a year. Subscription inquiries: Ca l l t o l l f r e e 1-800-665-0502 U.S. subscribers call 1-204-944-5568 o r email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com

Your next issue! You can expect your next issue in your mailbox about December 2, 2014

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

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Features CROP PLANNING

Corn could be your 2015 cash crop If you thought you lived on the fringe of the corn-growing area, it may be time to take a look at today’s varieties BY MICHAEL FLOOD

armers in Alberta are planting more and more corn. From 5,000 acres in 1990 the area under cultivation has expanded to over 40,000 in 2014. Alberta agriculture professionals expect this trend to continue, driven by increased demand from domestic livestock producers. Though corn requires high inputs, it can produce very high per acre yields, and new varieties requiring fewer corn heat units (CHUs) per season are making it possible to grow corn in regions of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan where it was previously not viable. A high-yielding crop with an increasing local demand, plus a relatively steady market price with large upside potential, certainly sounds attractive. Should you be thinking about corn as your new crop this year? While yields can be very high and corn often fetches a good price, corn also requires extensive preparation and acquisition of new equipment for farms that have not grown it before, all of which increase startup costs.

also extensively irrigated as part of Alberta’s Irrigation Districts program, which means you’ll have ready access to reliable, low-cost water. If you have not used irrigation previously you will need to invest in spraying equipment for your land. The Ministry recommends using spray irrigation rather than field flooding; though more costly in initial setup they reduce soil salinization and use water more efficiently. 3. Weeds and pests: Because it is fast growing corn is highly vulnerable to weed competition; common invasive plants can produce large losses in yields if left unchecked. Thankfully

most of the weeds that affect corn crops are vulnerable to glyphosate and most varieties of corn incorporate some glyphosate resistant technology. You’ll want to plan an extensive preseeding field treatment to make sure you suppress all plants that could compete with your corn for nutrients. Corn shares a number of diseases with grasses like barley, rye and wheat, but does not share any with broadleaf crops like canola, soybeans, or sunflowers. Because of this, you’ll want to plan your crop rotations carefully — planting corn after broadleaf crops but not after grasses, and not following corn with grasses. This is espe-

cially important to avoid problems with Fusarium graminearum, which is readily hosted on corn and remains persistent on residual stalks roots. While fusarium affects corn, it affects short grain crops much more, and you’ll want to make sure you have it under control before rotating crops. One season without corn or broadleaf crops is usually sufficient to suppress it in a field. 4. Machinery: To grow corn you’ll need to invest in new machinery. In addition to the irrigation equipment mentioned above you’ll also have to purchase a special corn header attachment for your combine, and may need to purchase a spe-

cial corn dryer to remove enough moisture from the corn to store it without spoilage. The advent of newer varieties of corn requiring less CHUs has increased the attractiveness of corn for Alberta grain farmers, but you should be wary of high setup costs and the possibility of opening your farm up to new diseases and pests. Check out the Ministry’s report for more information to help you decide whether corn is right for you. Find it online quickly by searching for “Alberta agriculture grain corn potential.” † Michael Flood (www.michael-flood.com) is a business writer and columnist. You can reach him at michael@michael-flood.com.

Coming soon!

DECISION FACTORS The Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s has released a new report: “The Potential for Grain Corn in Alberta.” The report includes the following points for your to ponder while you’re making your decision.

Corn requires a lot of summer heat 1. Location: The first question you have to answer is whether you’re in the right area for corn growing. Corn requires a lot of summer heat to mature. This has traditionally precluded it from being cultivated extensively across Alberta. In recent years, however, improvements in seed genetics have resulted in varieties that require fewer corn heat units (CHUs) per season. Where previous varieties required 2400 CHUs (available only around Medicine Hat) newer hybrid varieties reach full maturity with as few as 2050 CHUs, extending the potential area for corn growing up to near Edmonton. Most of the southeast portion of Alberta receives sufficient CHUs to grow the new varieties successfully. 2. Water: Corn requires around 500 mm of water per growing season, which can be hard to get in areas of the province suited for corn growing — rainfall in the southeast averages between 200 to 300 mm per season. To grow corn you’re going to need access to reliable irrigation to make up the difference. Fortunately the areas now suitable for corn growing are

What’s next in weed control technology?

An advanced glyphosate and dicamba herbicide-tolerant crop system built on the high-yielding Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybean trait.

• Improved overall weed control, including resistant weeds • Residual control up to 14 days • Application ﬂexibility before, at and after planting • Higher yield potential

MORE OPTIONS. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Commercialization is dependent on multiple factors, including successful conclusion of the regulatory process in key export markets, and the registration of new soybean varieties in Canada. The information presented herein is provided for educational purposes only, and is not and shall not be construed as an offer to sell until all necessary regulatory obligations are met. Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield® and Roundup Ready ® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Techmology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. © 2014 Monsanto Canada Inc.

GENUITY 4190 XTEND AD Client: Monsanto

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Features Crop Varieties

New corn varieties for 2015 Early maturing varieties are pushing corn into new growing regions By Lisa Guenther

oybeans aren’t the only crops pushing into new areas. Seed companies are releasing more early-maturing corn varieties again this year, in a bid to expand the growing region. Some of the thriftiest new varieties, in terms of corn heat units, include DuPont Pioneer’s P7332R (2050 corn heat units) and P7410HR (2100 CHU), Thunder Seed’s TH7677VTPro (2175 CHU) and DEKALB’s DKC23-22RIB (2075 CHU). Seed companies are also offering everything from moisture stress tolerance (2123VT2P, a new variety from CROPLAN), to drought tolerance (several varieties from DuPont Pioneer along with Thunder Seed’s TH2146 RR).

CROPLAN 1725RR 2350 CHU. 77 days to maturity. Taller plant for dual-purpose use. Early flow-

ering. Fast drydown. Very good roots. Responds well to fungicide for late-season stalk health. The following CROPLAN varieties were released last year, but we missed them in the 2013 issue.

fungicide. Girthy ear with flex in girth. Use moderate to high populations to protect late season stalks. Best in higher yield environments. Less stress tolerance when nutrients limited. Very good silage product.

2123VT2P 2450 CHU. 81 days to maturity. Consistent yield in short seasons. Responds best to higher populations. Excellent emergence. Very early flowering. Very open husk for good drydown. Ear is 16-20 around with flex in girth. Excellent roots and stalks. Average or below heat tolerance. Excellent cool tolerance. Good moisture stress tolerance in cooler environments.

Dow AgroSciences Hyland 4078 2275 CHU. 77 days to maturity. HxXtra/ RR2/LL. Early flowering and finishing for early corn production adaptation. Strong early emergence and vigour. Dent genetics with good test weight and consistent ear development. Strong stalks and good late season intactness. Good husk cover and grain drydown.

2417VT2P 2625 CHU. 85 days to maturity. Excellent emergence. Good roots. Good late season stalks. Higher response to

Hyland 4093 2300 CHU. 78 days to maturity. HxXtra/ RR2/LL. Very good early vigour. Delivers consistent performance across variable

environments. Excellent dual purpose hybrid. Well suited to early maturity environments. Solid agronomics allow for use of aggressive plant densities in favourable environments.

DuPont Pioneer P7332R 2050 CHU. Excellent root strength. Good drought tolerance. Excellent husk cover. Average grain drydown. P7410HR 2100 CHU. New early corn hybrid with HX1/LL. Good stalk strength. Very good root strength. Excellent drought tolerance. P7632HR 2200 CHU. Good drought tolerance. Above average stalks and root strength. Good husk cover. P7632AM 2225 CHU. Optimum AcreMax product delivering integrated refuge for aboveground insect control. Good drought tolerance. Excellent root strength. Good husk cover.

Grazing corn When Pioneer Hi-Bred held a corn information day in southeast Saskatchewan, farmers listened to Bert Lardner, Senior research scientist at the Western Beef Development Centre talk about grazing corn. “It is definitely cheaper to use a winter grazing system,” he said. The biggest financial benefit comes from eliminating yardage and manure haulage costs. “You’ve got fourlegged manure spreading,” Lardner said. “If we can get about 200 graze days per acre,” Lardner said, “you can cover your input costs.” Corn is relatively new in most parts of southeast Saskatchewan. Many farmers in the crowd were thinking about it for the first time. There were questions about compaction (Lardner suggested moving cattle frequently), and about wastage (“We know they’re not going to eat 100 per cent of the crop you grow,” Lardner said.) For farmers growing grazing corn for the first time, Lardner said, “The biggest challenge is to get it in there and make sure you’ve done all the agronomically correct things.” The Western Beef Development Centre has done extensive research into the economics and production of cattle feed. Access its fact sheets and reports online at www.wbdc.sk.ca. † Leeann Minogue

photo: leeann minogue

Bert Larder from the Western Beef Development Centre told farmers at a corn information day that researchers are finding corn to be an economical feed for southeast Saskatchewan farmers.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Features P7958AM 2275 CHU. Optimum AcreMax product delivering integrated refuge for aboveground insect control. Good drought tolerance and excellent root strength. Moderate Goss’s wilt tolerance. Average grain drydown.

Thunder Seed TH7677VTPro 2175 CHU. Very high producing grain corn. Good drydown with substantial cob. Excellent agronomic package. Deals with variety of soil types. Distributed by Quarry Seed. The following varieties were released late in 2014, after our publication deadline, so we’re including them this year.

TH4578RR (2200 CHU) & H7578VTPro (2250 CHU) The RR and VTPro version of the same grain hybrid. Outstanding yield. Very good emergence. Tall plant with medium ear placement. Superior intactness and overall agronomic package. Distributed by Quarry Seed. TH2146 RR Also available in Conventional and Certified Organic. 2300 CHU. Silage corn. Excellent emergence. Drought tolerant. Very high yielding. Excellent tons and starch producer. Distributed by Quarry Seed.

production. Medium height with large cob production. Deals well across soil types. Distributed by Quarry Seed.

DEKALB DKC23-22RIB 2075 CHU. Early flowering. Excellent stay green and standability. Strong test weight. DKC30-19RIB 2325 CHU. Outstanding emergence and seedling growth. Excellent test weight and grain quality.

DKC31-09RIB 2400 CHU. Exceptional yield. Very good TH8781RR stalk and root strength. Excellent foliar disT:10.25” 2250 CHU. Silage corn. Exceptional ton ease package. B:10.25”

MAIZEX MZ 1624DBR 2300 CHU. Genuity VT Double Pro RIB Complete. Strong seedling vigour for uniform ear development. Early flowering resulting in rapid grain setup. Exceptional stalk strength for harvest ease. Above average test weight. Also available as Roundup Ready (MZ 1625R). LF 730CBR 2350 CHU. Genuity VT Triple Pro RIB Complete. Bred specifically for silage production. Rapid spring vigour and early season growth for uniform plant establishment. Tall robust plant increases silage yield. Also available as Roundup Ready (LF 728R). † Lisa Guenther is a field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@fbcpublishing.com.

S:10.25”

O-66-10/14-10238268-E

T:11.428”

Always read and follow label directions. InVigor® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

B:11.428”

S:11.428”

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Features Crop Advisor’s casebook

Cleaver in canola a mystery By Kayla Sword

t was the later part of June when I received a concerned call from Riley, a grower in Marshall, Sask. The grain farmer, who grows primarily canola, wheat and barley on his 5,000-acre spread, was having a problem with cleavers in his canola fields despite his use of an in-crop herbicide. “I don’t’ think it was a good spray,” Riley said. “It might have been a bad batch of herbicide and that’s why it didn’t work.” Riley asked me to come out and have a look. When I arrived at one of the affected fields, I could see cleavers widely distributed through the canola crop. Riley said there hadn’t been much change at all since he had applied Odyssey, a Group 2 herbicide with the active ingredients imazamox and imazethapyr, three weeks earlier. Upon closer examination, it was obvious that most of the cleaver plants were still growing and showed little effects from the herbicide application. However, I did observe that some of the plants were displaying purpling as well as some cupping on the leaves. When I inquired into the growing conditions that season, Riley said he didn’t believe the canola crop had been under stress. Riley also stressed that he’d been applying the herbicide on the canola in this field the same way successfully for a number of years, always ensuring it was applied at the right rate, time and conditions, so he was at a loss to explain what was going on this season. When I questioned Riley further about such factors as spray

Kayla Sword is a sales agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Marshall, Sask. equipment, water volume, and application procedures, it was clear all the proper measures had been taken during the herbicide application. What then, was at the root of the cleaver problem? If you think you know what’s going on in Riley’s canola field, send your diagnosis to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 3K7; email leeann.minogue@ fbcpublishing.com; or fax 204944-95416 c/o Crop Advisor’s Casebook. Best suggestions will be pooled and one winner will be drawn for a chance to win a Grainews cap and a one-year subscription to the magazine. The answer, along with reasoning that solved the mystery, will appear in the next Crop Advisor’s Solution File. † Kayla Sword is a sales agronomist for Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Marshall, Sask.

Most of the cleaver plants were still growing, and showed little affects from herbicide application.

Casebook winner

he winner for this issue is Joe Waldner from the Prairie Home Colony at Wrentham, Alta. If you’ve been paying close attention, you might notice that Joe won this contest back in April — it’s not really surprising to see him win again. Joe faxes in an answer for every installment of Casebook. Keep your answers coming, Joe! We’ll renew your Grainews subscription for a year and send you another Grainews cap. †

Leeann Minogue

Cleavers were widely distributed through the canola crop, even though Riley had applied a Group 2 herbicide three weeks earlier.

Crop advisor’s solution

Nitrogen application caused paling wheat By Andre Laforge

ack in mid-June, Rodney had come to see about a problem with his wheat crop at his 4,500-acre mixed grain farm near Carrot River, Sask. The plants in his wheat fields had all displayed a lush green colour up until just a day or two earlier, but the crop had rapidly taken a turn for the worse. I drove out to Rodney’s farm to have a look for myself, and while it was evident that many plants had turned a pale green, I could see other areas where the wheat had retained its strong green colour. When I inquired into Rodney’s fertiliza-

tion program and what the weather had been like lately, I began to understand what was causing the paling pattern within the wheat field. Rodney had applied 80 pounds of anhydrous ammonia or NH3 just prior to seeding at a slight angle to the seeding — where the seed row intersected the NH3 application, the wheat was a strong green colour and it was pale green in colour between these intersections. There had been a lot of rainfall in the area in the previous three weeks, which led me to believe that the nitrogen had leached below the root zone in the pale green areas of Rodney’s wheat field. But more perplexing was how to

account for disparity between Rodney’s crop and those in his neighbours’ fields. One nearby wheat field had pale green plants throughout, while the crop in another field was consistently strong green in colour. The two fields shared similar soil types and had experienced the same moisture patterns as Rodney’s farm, so why the differences? The answer lay in placement of the nitrogen. In the case of the mid-row banded application, the nitrogen had been placed about five inches away from the seed row and this had resulted in a pale green crop. In the other neighbour’s field where nitrogen had been placed directly

over the seed, there was no evidence of paling. While heavy rainfall had caused nitrogen to leach both instances, it was obvious that the roots still had access to the nitrogen where it was in close proximity to the seed. But what to do about the problem? Fortunately for Rodney, he was able to acquire some 34-0-0 ammonium nitrate and apply 25 pounds of nitrogen on his worst-looking wheat field. The plants had quickly began to recover and the crop returned to its rich green colour within a week to 10 days. † Andre Laforge is a sales agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Carrot River, Sask.

With up to 8% more yield than other inoculants, it makes a welcome addition to any operation. agsolutions.ca/nodulatorxl

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NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Features SEED VARIETIES

FP Genetics promises profits PF Genetics is offering you a guaranteed profit if you’ll put your bin run CWRS seed back in the bin BY LEEANN MINOGUE

“

t’s folly that somebody uses bin run seed,” said Rod Merryweather, CEO of FP Genetics. “They’re just not using the newest technology.” Through FP Genetics’ new guarantee program, Merryweather hopes to persuade farmers to buy more certified seed. There may be room to increase the market for certified seed. Currently, 80 per cent of Western Canadian cereals acres are seeded with bin run seed. “Seed companies have not done a tremendous job of promoting certified seed,” Merryweather said. New for 2014, FP Genetics’ program promises to compensate farmers if they can’t earn a higher profit using certified seed than they earn growing their current variety. To take part, farmers need to register with their FP Genetics seed retailer and buy the certified CWRS seed recommended for their local area. Then, they need to grow their

own bin run seed alongside the new variety using the same agronomics package. Once the yields and costs are tallied, if there’s not a higher profit with the certified seed, PF Genetics will pay out the difference. “What we’re doing is basically guaranteeing a higher profit on the farm if they’ll grow our varieties,” says Merryweather. “We’ll challenge any farmer,” Merryweather says. Merryweather is confident that the technology encased in the newest varieties is well worth the price of certified CWRS seed. The seed costs, he believes, are easily offset by increased crop yields, better resistance packages, and the costs of cleaning and testing your own bin run seed. (FP Genetics has created a “bin run vs. certified seed calculator.” Find it online at fpgenetics.ca. “Farmers say, ‘Bin run seed is free.’ Well, it’s not free,” says Merryweather. †

FP Genetics will be selling its new flax variety, AAC Bravo, in 2015.

New flax variety

nformation on PF Genetics’ newest flax variety arrived too late for inclusion in the list of new flax varieties for 2015 that ran in the October issue of Grainews. FP Genetics acquired AAC Bravo from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. AAC Bravo matures early and has excellent straw strength. It is also high-yielding

with resistance to powdery mildew and fusarium wilt. FP Genetics was founded in 2008 and has its headquarters in Regina. The company is owned by seedgrower-shareholders. The company doesn’t do its own seed breeding, but instead acquires the rights to reproduce and sell leading new varieties from other public and private breeding institutions. † Leeann Minogue

Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

We’re used to other varieties bowing down to us

Rely on unrivalled standability It’s no secret that Proven® Seed offers high-yielding canola varieties that stand tall for ease of harvest. In fact, Proven Seed offers superior genetics from the best canola-breeding programs in Western Canada to ensure first-rate results for growers. Talk to your CPS retailer to select the best Proven Seed canola variety for your farm. Book your 2015 seed now and save. Learn more at provenseed.ca Proven® Seed is a registered trademark of Crop Production Services (Canada) Inc. CPS CROP PRODUCTION SERVICES and Design is a registered trademark of Crop Production Services, Inc. 10/14-40681 GN

PHOTO: LEEANN MINOGUE

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Features CROP PRODUCTION

Higher corn yields through fertility Fertility recommendations vary from farm to farm, but may be lower for zero-till fields BY JULIENNE ISAACS

rairie farmers are used to being flexible, always on the lookout for new recommendations for fertility applications — and when it comes to growing corn, they have to be. Corn is an expensive crop with high nutritional requirements. And every farmer’s land requires something slightly different. Morgan Cott, field agronomist for Manitoba Corn Growers Association, says that corn has two major fertility needs, nitrogen and phosphorous, and that generous application is required to get high yields. “What each field needs depends on the soil type. Lighter soils will tend to

leach nitrogen more if conditions are right,” she explains. “However, over-applying in a dry year will just cost the grower more money. Nitrogen is very mobile in the soil and corn doesn’t need the bulk of its requirements until V4 to V8 staging, so over-applying nitrogen early on will just lead to losses.” (V4 refers to the fourth Vegetative Growth Stage, the point where the collar of the fourth leaf is visible. At Vegetative Growth Stage 8, the collar of the eighth leaf is visible.) Cott also says that corn benefits from a complete blend of fertilizer, including potassium and sulfur, and soil sampling should be done to assess the soil’s needs. “Corn also loves

micronutrients, but you need to sample for these to know if they are needed or not,” she says. According to John Heard, crop nutrition specialist for Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, and recipient of this year’s International Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) of the year award from the American Society of Agronomy, farmers should be “spoon-feeding” the crop at the rate it requires, but also managing time of application. If farmers apply fertilizer at the wrong time, they’ll need to bump the rate of application to account for possible losses. It’s a tricky balance, and one that growers have to figure out for themselves. “In each individual situation I hope the farmers are getting good

advice and experience and will tailor rate based on the equipment they have for whatever time and placement system they have,” he says.

NEW TYPES OF FERTILIZER APPLICATION Cott says Manitoba farmers are adapting to new methods of fertilizer application. “It used to be that all the fertilizer went down at the same time, but now we have the ability to do split applications of nitrogen, or add fertilizer safeners such as ESN, a nitrogen product, so that it can be placed in larger amounts and closer to the seed without burning,” she says. One common problem she’s

noticed with fertilizer application, Cott says, is that growers sometimes float on the fertilizer before incorporating it, or they apply the fertilizer with an air seeder drill and plant afterward. “The concerns I have with these methods are that they require multiple passes over the field, and that there may be too much fertilizerto-seed contact and create burn,” she explains. Cott is also concerned about farmers who may be over-fertilizing. “Are you capable of getting 150 bushel yields, or just 110? Sometimes we push for a yield that just isn’t possible for our area that we farm in, so don’t be fertilizing for a pipe dream — it’s a waste of money,” says Cott. “On the flip side, if you can get

Corn stalk nitrate test Testing the nitrogen levels in a corn stalk at maturity can give growers an assessment of whether the plant had too much, too little or not enough nitrogen during the growing season. While the plant is growing, nitrogen accumulates in the lower stalk. While the cobs are filling, the plant mobilizes nitrogen out of the stalk. If too much nitrogen remains in the stalk at maturity, the plant had an excess. If there’s too little at maturity, the plant could have used more. To do the test: within a couple of weeks after the plants reach maturity, cut an eight inch section of the stalk, from six to 14 inches above the soil. Most soil testing labs will do this test — check with your local lab for full details about their sample preferences before taking your first corn stalk sample. † Leeann Minogue

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NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Features 150 plus bushels, you need to be fertilizing for that capability. Don’t skimp and expect to get those yields year after year because you’ll end up mining the soil and wind up spending more in the long run.” If farmers wish to self-assess the appropriateness of their fertilizer application, they can take the corn stock nitrate test, says Heard. While it will be too late to make fertilizer changes for the current year, it will give farmers valuable information for future years.

ZERO-TILLERS NEED LESS N This summer, North Dakota State University unveiled a new set of corn fertility recommendations, this time with separate suggestions for no-till soil. According to the North Dakota experts, farmers who have been continuously no-till for six years or longer require 40 to 50 pounds less nitrogen per acre than growers with tilled fields. David Franzen, North Dakota State University extension soil specialist, led the effort to develop the recommendations. “I was able to run a statistical analysis to determine whether the responses of corn to nitrogen were the same in both tillage systems. They were not,” he emphasizes. “The response curve of the no-till sites was flatter (less response to nitrogen) and the economic optimum for long-term no-till was about 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre less than for conventional tillage.” The difference, he says, is similar to that seen in 2010’s North Dakota spring wheat and durum recalibration project.

ing, according to both Cott and Heard. However, the results are highly applicable to Manitoba growing conditions. “Nine of the Manitoba Corn Grower Association sponsored studies conducted by myself during the last decade were included in the NDSU dataset to develop the calculator,” he says. Heard also points to another study led by Curtis Cavers of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada based in Portage la Prairie which is analyzing nitrogen management in corn at three sites for the next three years. “The study looks at different nitrogen rates, sources such as urea, ESN and UAN, timings, both pre-plant and in-crop, and placement, including broadcast and incorporated, surface broadcast and side dress injected. This data should help us validate the guidelines published by NDSU,” says Heard. † Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and editor. Contact her at julienne. isaacs@gmail.com.

Farmers concerned that they may be over- or under-applying nitrogen can take a corn stalk nitrate test.

Creating a more advanced fungicide with more advanced results was no accident.

Don’t be fertilizing for a pipe dream Franzen’s theory is that in long-term no-till soil, the diversity of biology takes up a large percentage of nitrogen and uses it to increase population multiplication and residue decomposition. “The nitrogen is excreted as intermediate nitrogen containing compounds that seem to act like a natural slow release nitrogen. Conventional tillage systems do not have this type of biology, or at least not nearly as much, and so the nitrogen is much more exposed to losses to leaching/ denitrification,” he says. Manitoba’s John Heard cautions that the new recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt, especially for farmesr who have only been zero tilling for a short time. “The zero-till corn function does not always have a lower nitrogen recommendation,” he says of the NDSU’s fertility calculator. “For the first five years the zerotill corn needs more nitrogen, presumably to deal with nitrogen immobilization by crop residue until an new nitrogen cycle equilibrium is established,” he explains. “Then the nitrogen rate is reduced.” The new recommendations out of North Dakota will only be of passing interest to Prairie growers, who have by and large not yet adopted zero-till farm-

After years of extensive research in the lab and—more importantly— in the field, we’ve developed our most advanced fungicide ever: new Priaxor® fungicide. It helps canola and pulse growers maximize their crops’ yield potential thanks to the combination of the new active ingredient Xemium® and the proven benefits of AgCelence®.* The result is more consistent and continuous disease control. And greater returns for you. Visit agsolutions.ca/priaxor or contact AgSolutions ® Customer Care at 1-877-371-BASF (2273) for more information.

*AgCelence benefits refer to products that contain the active ingredient pyraclostrobin.

Always read and follow label directions. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of BASF Corporation; AgCelence, PRIAXOR, and XEMIUM are registered trade-marks of BASF SE; all used with permission of BASF Canada Inc. PRIAXOR should be used in a preventative disease control program. © 2014 BASF Canada Inc.

NEWS

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Features Crop production

Using a seasonal forecast If you have Internet access, you have useful, free long-run weather predictions at your fingertips By Michael Flood

Finding the information

very farmer knows how important the weather is to success: too many hot, dry days and the crop will be stunted; too many cold, wet days and fungi can run rampant, cutting down yields. Knowing what the weather is going to be a few days from now is vital, and having a general picture of the weather a few months from now can help you plan for all contingencies, protecting your harvest and your farm. Unfortunately, the weather is a notoriously tricky thing to predict. While you can be reasonably confident about the weather tomorrow, whether it will be sunny or rainy a week from now can be less certain than a coin toss. How can you expect to predict the weather months from now? By learning to read and interpret a seasonal forecast. We asked Dan Kulak, a meteorologist at Environment Canada, for some help.

Environment Canada issues many types of weather predictions through its “Analyses and Modelling” website (find it online at http://weather.gc.ca/mainmenu/ modelling_menu_e.html). There is a lot of data here, but don’t feel overwhelmed: we’re only interested in the “probabilistic forecast map” and the “climatology of temperature and precipitation chart,” both of which can be found under the heading “Seasonal Forecast.” These are big picture looks at the weather to come. First, click on “Probabilistic Forecast.” This will take you to a map of Canada with the provinces outlined, showing large blobs of colour: blue, purple, yellow and red. This is a map of air temperature predictions for a three-month period. The box in the upper right hand corner will tell you the date the forecast was issued. The colours correspond to cli-

NorthStar Genetics Provides Some of the Earliest Maturing Soybean Varieties

mate variations: either below, above or at normal. An area shaded blue is more likely than not to have below seasonal temperatures for the forecast period, purple shows average predicted temperatures, and yellow through red shows above average. The exact shade shows the forecasters’ confidence in the prediction, based on the past performance of their climate models. For example, a band of yellow across southern Saskatchewan indicates that the meteorologists at Environment Canada have a 40 per cent confidence that temperatures in that region will be above normal for the area. The areas that are not coloured, that have been left white, are areas where the forecasters’ confidence is below 33 per cent, meaning that they consider it equally likely the temperatures could be below, at, or above the normal. On the same page as the probabilistic forecast of temperature, you can also get precipitation predictions. Immediately below the map there is a table listing temperature and precipitation, with columns for one to three months, two to four months, four to six months

and so on. You’ll want to take a look at the precipitation map for one to three months in advance, as the reliability of the forecast is greatly reduced the farther into the future it projects. The precipitation map is similar to the temperature map — colour coded to show how confident Environment Canada is in its rain and snowfall predictions for an area matching or differing from the seasonal norm. All this information isn’t much help if you don’t have some idea about what “normal” means for your region. To find it, go back to the main “Analyses and Modelling” page and look again under Seasonal Forecasts. Click on “Climatology of Temperature andPrecipitation.” This will take you to a new page where you can, using pull down menus, look up maps and tables of normal temperature and precipitation. The most useful for our purposes is the climatology table for the current three-month period. The table lists average temperatures for different regions. Scroll down until you find the nearest city to you, then read across to see the climatology data. Under

precipitation the data is given in millimetres, while under temperature it is given in degrees Celsius. This is the average of the precipitation or temperatures for the whole three-month period. This is the number that’s important, the one against which the probabilistic forecast is weighted, so a 40 per cent chance of above normal precipitation or temperature means a 40 per cent chance of warmer days or millimetres of rain above this base line. As in so many things in life, there is a lot of chance involved in using a seasonal forecast. The trick is to know how to read and measure the chances, while understanding what you’re doing. Remember that it’s not a forecast of whether there will be rain or shine on any particular day, but how the overall weather will be: whether there will be more hot days than cooler days, more sunny days than wet days, and vice versa, vital info for a farmer wondering what to grow and when to expect the harvest. † Michael Flood (www.michael-flood.com) is a business writer and columnist. You can reach him at michael@michael-flood.com.

Produced on 30 September 2014 Produit le 30 septembre 2014

Environment Canada Environnement Canada

NorthStar Genetics is proud to have one of the earliest maturing line-ups of soybean varieties, bred for Western Canadian growing conditions. NorthStar Genetics is also a leader in variety testing to ensure they provide the best products for their trading area. Here are some of the standout NorthStar Genetics varieties to look for this season: NSC Moosomin RR2Y – This is an ultra early maturing variety requiring less than 2300 heat units to reach maturity. In limited demonstration plots last year, this line showed up two days earlier than NSC Reston RR2Y. This will be a game changer for new soybean growers in areas thought to be too short for soybeans. NSC Reston RR2Y – This is a very early maturing line requiring only 2325 heat units to reach maturity. It has a relatively tall stature with exceptional podding. Pod clearance at the Indian Head test plots in 2012 showed significantly higher than DK 23-10RY. This is one of the highest yielding varieties for early maturing zones and will expand soybean production in areas north and west. NSC Vito RR2Y – This is a very early maturing variety, which has great seedling vigor and nice height. This variety also had significantly higher pod height than other lines of similar maturity, so it is ideally suited for growers who may not have a flex header or have land conditions preventing low harvest cutting due to rocks or other debris. Part of the process in bringing new varieties to market is testing them in a wide range of geographic locations. At NorthStar Genetics we have three different levels of variety testing: 1. NSG Demonstration Plot Sites 2. Cooperator Plot Sites 3. Field Scale Trials We will post as much yield and agronomic data on our website as we are able to collect. Please feel free to check out the results at your convenience. We do it to help growers make the best decisions possible about variety selection. For more information on these varieties and more from NorthStar Genetics, visit weknowbeans.com.

Prob (%) below normal/ sous la normale 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Prob (%) near normal/ près de la normale

Prob (%) above normal/ au dessus de la normale

40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Forecast probability of Temperature above, below and near normal (calibrated) Period: November-December 2014 January 2015 Based on 3 equiprobable categories from 1981-2010 climatology

Probabilités prévues de températures au-dessus, sous et prés de la normale (calibrées) Période: novembre-décembre 2014 janvier 2015 Basé sur 3 catégories équiprobables de la climatogie 1981-2010

There is a lot of chance involved in using a seasonal forecast. The trick is to know how to read and measure the chances.

Tundra

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Features CROP PRODUCTION

Plant growth regulators They’re not new, but plant growth regulators are not yet common on the Canadian Prairies BY LEEANN MINOGUE

rairie farmers might be seeing ads for plant growth regulators for the first time, but PGR’s are not new. “They’ve been using them in Europe for over 30 years,” Tom Tregunno, Engage Agro’s product manager, told farmers at the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation (IHARF) Crop Management field day in July. Plant growth regulators are designed to reduce cereal height. They’re sprayed on crops during the growing season, just like herbicides or fungicides. Treated plants are shorter, with stronger stems, for reduced lodging.

“If you’ve got 5,000 acres, there’s no way you’re going to get it all on at that time.” At Indian Head in July, Tregunno estimated the cost of an application of Manipulator at between $10 and $15 per acre. In Europe, Tregunno said, “they might go out three times a season with a plant growth regulator, that’s not going to happen here.”

OTHER PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS Manipulator is not the only game in town. Different PGRs have different active ingredients — they are all designed to change the plant’s natural hormonal activity.

Bayer sells Ethrel, a PGR with ethylene as an active ingredient. Because the application window is so short and application timing is so critical, Bayer doesn’t actively promote this product for use on cereals in Western Canada. Syngenta’s PGR is not yet registered for use on Prairie cereals. Allen Terry, Syngeta’s “biolocial assessment manager” says, “we’re working towards collecting data.” Terry believes PGRs are coming to the market now because with today’s technology technology, we have a better understanding of how crops will respond to chemicals. “We have a real opportunity in Western Canada to increase cereal yields,” Terry said. † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

PHOTOS: LEEANN MINOGUE

This trial was done at the Indian Head research farm. The plants on the left were not treated with a PGR. The plot on the right was sprayed with Manipulator at Growth Stage 39. Both plots are Unity wheat, seeded with the same fertility package.

MANIPULATOR Engage Agro has been conducting trials of its plant growth regulator, Manipulator, for years. In September 2014, Health Canada’s Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) registered Manipulator for use on spring and winter wheat. It will be available to farmers for the 2015 growing season. (Engage Agro is still working on approvals for other cereal crops.) Manipulator works by suppressing gibberellins, the hormone “responsible for causing the plant to elongate.” The Manipulator label says it “can improve resistance to lodging through reduced plant height, enhanced root structure and improved stem characteristics.” When asked if changes to the plant height would also affect the root growth underneath the ground, Tregunno explained, “All you’re really doing is shrinking down the stem.” One reason it’s taken so long for plant growth regulators to come to the North American market is the narrow window of application. Plants need to be sprayed, “When that stem starts to really shoot up,” Treganno said. The Manipulator label recommends spraying between Growth Stage 12 (the twoleaf stage) to 39 (the flag leaf collar visible stage. And, Tregunno said, nighttime temperatures must be greater than 8 C. If you spray too soon, “where you’re preventing the growth is right at the base of the plant.” Too late, Tregunno said, “and you’re reducing the beduncle height.”

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Farming Forward. Tom Tregunno, Engage Agro’s product manager, told farmers about the Manipulator PGR at the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation (IHARF) Crop Management field day in July.

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Features CROP PRODUCTION

Northwest harvest on schedule Grainews field editor Lisa Guenther captured some harvest shots in northwest Saskatchewan

eptember 24 was an ideal day to combine canola near Mervin, Saskatchewan. Farmers are on track with harvest in northwestern Saskatchewan. The September 22 crop report from Saskatchewan Agriculture noted 45 per cent of crops in the region were ready to straight-cut or swath, and 47 per cent were in the bin. Crop yields are about average in the region, with some variation. But, like many Prairie regions, crop quality could be better in the area. Saskatchewan Agriculture reported that many pulses and cereals have sprouted and bleached. Fusarium has infected some wheat crops. And wind wreaked havoc with canola swaths and shelled out some standing crops, the report noted. † Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

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CROP PRODUCTION

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ASF’s new fungicide, Priaxor, relies on two active ingredients: Xemium, and pyraclostrobin. BASF calls pyraclostrobin “one of the most researched active ingredients available in today’s market.” This active ingredient is also found in Headline, Twinline and Insure. BASF has tested pyraclostrobin in more than 6,000 on-farm trials, and according to Glen Forster, BASF’s technical market specialist for fungicides, pyraclostrobin “uniquely interacts with the plan resulting in improved growth characteristics and better management of minor stress.” Priaxor is registered for use in canola, pulses, corn, soybeans and flax in Western Canada. †

Leeann Minogue

Priaxor relies on two active ingredients BY JONNY HAWKINS

Country Chuckles

The making of chicken noodle soup.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Features forage production

Expansion

report released by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) on October 8 (Realities of Agriculture) says that 51 per cent of farmers plan to adopt new, innovative technologies over the next three years, and 44 per cent are planning to expand their business. In the CFIB press release, Marilyn Braun-Pollon, CFIB’s vice-president of agri-business, says this study proves that Canadians’ view of the ag sector is often obsolete. “This is not Old MacDonald’s farm.” The report concludes that: farmers are innovative and modern; the ag sector is growing; farmers are taking action to protect the environment; farms are staying in the family. Grainews readers were already aware of all these factors, but it’s nice to have reports to back us up. † Leeann Minogue

photo: leeann minogue

Despite falling commodity prices, Prairie farmers are still optimistic. A survey Canadian Federation of Independent Business found that 44 per cent of Canadian farmers plan to expand.

2014 hail report

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By Leeann Minogue

n October 16 the Canadian Crop Hail Association (CCHA) reported its preliminary estimate of western Canadian crop hail claims for 2014: $249M for 2014. This compares with premiums of $316M. The number of claims was up only a small amount this year — 13,372 claims in 2014 compared to 13,221 claims last year. However, the average size of a claim payout increased significantly — from $13,061 to $18,628. These larger claims has meant a significant increase in overall payouts: $249 million this year, compared to $172 million in 2013. This summer’s biggest hail losses were in Alberta, where there was serious hail damage in late July and August. Total hail payouts in Alberta were $98 million, compared to only $61 million last year. In Saskatchewan, the most significant storms were on July 17 and 24, and August 8. The CCHA says, “A much higher than normal percentage of crop was written off at a 100 per cent loss.” Manitoba claims were down significantly, with the worst storms hitting fields on July 5, August 17 and September 2. †

Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

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Earth-Shattering, Shatter Reduction Technology The First-Ever Pod Shatter Reduction Canola Hybrid With its patented pod shatter reduction technology, InVigor® L140P provides growers with the flexibility to delay swathing or straight cut their canola, knowing that they have less risk because of the hybrid’s built-in genetic protection.

Save time, money and yield Considering the significant reductions in labour and fuel costs with less wear and tear on machinery, the benefits of straight cutting are numerous; but the biggest advantage of pod shatter reduction technology is the increased harvest flexibility you gain. With the enhanced yield protection of the InVigor pod shatter reduction hybrid, you have more freedom and flexibility in making your most crucial harvest management decisions. The ability to delay swathing or straight cut canola with minimal yield variance is what the InVigor pod shatter reduction hybrid is all about. Straight cutting and delayed swathing allows the pods to mature for a longer period of time, resulting in larger seeds, a greater pod fill and lower green seed counts.

How does L140P work? The genetic researchers at Bayer CropScience found a way to select for genotypes which silence the dehiscence gene, creating a firmer pod seal/seam. This significantly increases the hybrid’s tolerance to in-field pod shatter, while still allowing for normal seed extraction during harvest. In addition to the built-in pod shatter reduction technology, InVigor L140P also exhibits lower levels of naturally occurring pod drop, ensuring all seeds end up in the bin – minimizing volunteer canola in following seasons. The result is considerably lower shelling levels due to pod shattering and a substantial decrease in overall pod drop. Simply put, this hybrid has greater pod adherence to the stem and a much stronger pod seal. InVigor L140P lets your canola ripen safely within the pod, firmly connected to the plant until you’re ready to harvest.

Yield protection you need Heavy moisture and increasingly common prairie wind events can prematurely split pods and shell seeds before harvest time, resulting in massive seed bank deposits and subsequent volunteer canola management issues. However, with the pod shatter reduction technology built into InVigor L140P, seeds remain safely intact inside the pod. Pod shatter technology is not 100% riskfree and growers could still expect losses under extreme weather conditions, but clearly the associated environmental risks with straight cutting are minimized with this technology.

INVIGOR L140P 2013 DST RESULTS Yield (% of InVigor 5440 Normal Swathing)

InVigor L140P

InVigor L130

InVigor 5440

108 106 104 102 100 98 Normal Swath Timing

Late Swathing

Straight Cut

Source: 2013 DST Results n=22 (net yield)

The patented pod shatter reduction technology of InVigor L140P provides stronger adherence of the seed valve and greatly reduces the effects of pod shatter. The results are increased yield protection and greater harvest management flexibility, including the ability to delay swathing or try straight cutting. In the 2013 DSTs (Demonstration Strip Trials), straight cut InVigor L140P showed a 7% yield advantage over InVigor 5440 at normal swath timing. For more information or to view an online demonstration of InVigor L140P, please visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/BayerCropScience To see local trial results for this hybrid and other InVigor technologies, please visit InVigorResults.ca

L140P

The Evolution of Harvest Management. NEW InVigor® L140P is the first canola hybrid to ever feature our patented POD SHATTER REDUCTION technology, providing growers with optimal pod protection for straight cutting canola or delayed swathing. Whether you’re looking to minimize input costs, mitigate weather concerns or need a reliable time-management tool at harvest, InVigor L140P helps ensure you get every bushel in the bin. To learn more visit: BayerCropScience.ca/InVigorL140P

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. InVigor® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Features Crop protection

Avadex is back on the shelves When herbicide resistant wild oats crop up on you’ll farm, you may be looking backwards in time to find a solution with a different, “new” active ingredient By Leeann Minogue

he Brady Bunch. ABBA cassettes. Avadex. Things we remember fondly, but don’t really see much anymore. Right? Wrong. Avadex is back in town. In 2004, Gowan, an Arizonabased company, bought the formulation and trademarks from Monsanto. As wild oats with resistance to Group 1 and Group 2 herbicides continue to pop up across the Prairies, farmers are searching out new (or in this case, old) ways to control these resistant weeds. Farmers who

don’t yet have herbicide resistant weeds are looking for different modes of action to add to their herbicide rotations, in hopes of slowing the speed of resistance development. Adding a Group 8 soil residual herbicide to the rotation can meet these needs. Avadex and Fortress bring different chemistries back to the field. At a meeting of herbicide retailers in Saskatoon, Gowan Canada’s Javan Davis talked about the benefits of going back to Avadex. “We’re not going after every acre,” Davis said. “We’re going to go ahead and try to get growers to start using the product. A lot of young

guys are just starting, and even though it’s a 50-year old product, it’s new to them.” To make sure retailers and agronomists are up to the challenge of helping farmers go back to Avadex, Gowan convened a meeting in Regina to cover the basics.

The products Davis was talking about three different herbicide formats: Avadex as a liquid, Avadex as a granular, and Fortress, a granular. “We are in the process of moving Fortress into a microactive granular also, so a little bit

of a smaller granule, to make it a little more efficient — a little easier to use,” Davis said. Avadex is a Group 8 soilapplied, pre-emergence herbicide. Its active ingredient is triallate. Fortress is a Group 8 and 3 soil-applied, pre-emergence herbicide, with triallate and triflurlalin as active ingredients. “Where we’re seeing the best control of wild oats is fall applied granulars,” Davis said. “Granulars applied in the fall are out-preforming spring-applied granulars or liquid.” Gowan recommends that farmers, “ensure maximum soil contact and incorporate to build

a herbicide barrier in the top one to two inches of soil for best control of wild oats.” Davis said farmers applying granulars in the fall are getting 85 to 90 per cent control of wild oats, “where in the spring we’re seeing 80 to 85 per cent control.” In the best cases, farmers are harrowing the product in the fall, then leaving it on the field until they do a pre-seed burndown. While the product needs to be worked in, Davis stressed that they’re not talking about harrowing, not cultivating. “We’re trying to get away from traditional tillage thinking.”

Permit for broadleaf weeds Since Spring, 2014, western Canadian farmers have a new herbicide to control broadleaf weeds and nutsedge in several field crops, including dry beans and corn. Gowan’s Permit is an ALS inhibitor and provides both post-emergent and residual control for giant ragsweed, common ragweed, roundleaved mallow and other broadleaf weeds. It’s compatible with glyphosate and atrazine. Permit isn’t a good option for Group 2 resistant weeds. Permit should not be used on azuki beans post-emergence. When applying to preemergent dry beans, farmers should apply after seeding, but before soil cracks. And when it comes to rotation, farmers will need a 15 month break before seeding canola, 18 months before sunflowers, 36 months for sugar beets, nine months for potatoes and five months for soybeans. Other cropping restrictions apply as well. UAP is distributing the product. † Lisa Guether

By jonny hawkins

Country Chuckles

WHAT MATTERS MOST?

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Visit SyngentaFarm.ca or contact our Customer Resource Centre at 1-87-SYNGENTA (1-877-964-3682). Always read and follow label directions. The Syngenta logo is a registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. © 2014 Syngenta.

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Features Davis says the possibility of applying a granular herbicide in the fall gives farmers more options. “With the last couple of years its been wet in the spring so you haven’t been able to get out there.”

Tips for users Davis was careful to remind retailers to make sure farmers know that Gowan does not offer a warranty on Avadex and Fortress. “We can’t guarantee control, depending on different field conditions,” Davis said. There are many factors to consider when using granular herbicides. Gowan is expanding its rep network to help farmers use the products correctly. “We want to service the product before it goes out the door.” The biggest decision farmers need to make is whether to use Avadex in liquid or granular form. Davis recommends that farmers consult with their sales

rep or agronomist before they decide, perhaps even emailing a photo of the field so your rep can take a look at the trash on the ground. Contact with the soil is very important — trash on the ground can tie up the products’ active ingredients. Gowan recommends: “For early fall applications, simply apply granular Avadex or Fortress, heavy harrow and plant the following spring. For later applications, apply before snow cover and then make another harrow pass and plant in the spring.” Making sure that granules contact the soil may require a little advance planning. For example, having the combine chop the straw more finely. Some farmers might harrow ahead of time, blow on the Avadex or Fortress, then harrow again. Here are some other suggestions Davis asked retailers to pass on to their customers. • If you’re using Avadex on

a field that will be seeded to cereal crops, you need to “make sure your cereal crops are seeded below that treated layer,” Davis said. “You don’t want those cereals germinating in the treated layer, or you’re going to end up with some crop injury.” • Make sure the soil temperature is below 5 C when you apply granulars in the fall. While daytime may go above 5 C, Davis said, “when the majority of the temperature is under 5 C, you’re okay to go ahead and apply it.” • In the spring, once the soil temperature is above 5 C, the product will begin to activate. Granulars will take 10 to 14 days to activate. Liquid Avadex will activate right away. If you’re not doing a pre-seed burndown, if you apply the granular, and then seed four or five days later, and some of those wild oats are germinating, you’re “going to have a lot of escapes,” Davis said. • Some farmers are finding

better results by harrowing with the rows — if your harrows are plugged, they’ll drag the granules around the field. “What you’re trying to do is get your granules in contact with the soil.” • Because the product needs to contact the soil, Davis said, “Large clods and lumps are the enemy.” You may need to harrow to break up dirt lumps to prevent escapes. • If you’ve burnt your fields, do not apply Avadex for at least a year. The carbon residue left after the burning will tie up the active ingredient. “Even if it’s harrowed,” Davis said, “there’s still enough charcoal left in the field to tie up that triallate. • Gowan says: “Minimum tillage canola fields can be fall treated with Avadex or Fortress. The granular formulations will readily penetrate relatively thick trash. Apply the granules in the fall, harrow aggressively and plant in the spring.” • With this year’s late harvest,

Davis said farmers have been asking if they’ll be able to apply Avadex on frozen ground. “As long as they’re going to get that soil contact sometime before seeding,” it will be alright. “If there’s a skiff of snow don’t be afraid of going ahead and throwing it in.” Davis suggests that farmers who haven’t used Avadex before start out on a small scale, perhaps using Avadex (or Fortress) on 10 to 20 per cent of their fields each year. Adding a different mode of action to crop protection plans can help prevent wild oats from developing resistance, or at least lengthen the time it will take for resistance to develop. “I have a few 20,000, 30,000 acre guys that are doing one third of their farm every year,” Davis said. “That’s going to be their program. They have Group 1 resistance, they’ve identified it, so that’s what they’re going to be doing.” † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

research funding

Funding with a systems approach A new funding program for agronomy will take a multicrop approach to research. On October 17 the Western Grains Research Foundation announced that its new Systems Approach to Crop Sustainability research program will be funded for five years with $2.16 million from the federal government and $2.16 million from the WGRF. Research will cover three main areas: crop risk management; beneficial rotation management; and soil fertility. As crop rotation becomes more important and farmers continue to take a longterm approach to soil management, this app roach to research should be welcome. Individual commodity groups, such as various canola, pulse, flax and barley associations, also had input into the WGRF funding application. † JOB ID: 6306 1J

Leeann Minogue

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FINAL SIZE: 17.4" X 10" UCR: 240% CLIENT SERVICE PROOFREADING ART DIRECTION PRODUCTION

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Features Crop varieties

A short history of durum breeding As private companies step up cereal breeding investments, Andrea Hilderman reviews our public breeding triumphs By Andrea Hilderman

r. Ron DePauw has been actively involved in the breeding program at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre (SPARC) in Swift Current, Saskatchewan for many decades. Over the years DePauw has led diverse teams that have made extraordinary leaps forward in the agronomic and end-use qualities of durum for Western Canada. Durum team leaders have been E.A. Hurd, T.F. Townley-Smith, J.M. Clarke, and A.K. Singh. “I am always the first to say that it is not me that breeds these varieties,” says DePauw. “Really there is a team of scientists and technicians that essentially carries out the scientific equivalent of grunt work behind the scenes. I may be the team leader, but the glory needs to be spread wide in any successful breeding program.” One example of the “grunt work” DePauw refers to is the use of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) in all SPARC breeding programs. SPARC received its first NIR instrument in the mid-80’s. Once researchers understood how to reliably measure protein in a non-destructive way and incorporate that testing into the durum breeding program, the team was able to shift the negative relationship between yield and protein. This contributed to the development of AC Avonlea in 1997 and Strongfield in 2003 — both of which became predominant varieties. The NIR technology was extended to enable selecting for grain pigment content. Based on European codex alimentarious requirements (food standards) for low grain cadmium content, Dr. John Clarke led a team to develop the basic understanding

of cadmium uptake, methods to measure genetic variation, and molecular tools to select for low cadmium uptake. (Cadmium can be found naturally in soil, but is harmful to humans and animals if consumed in quantity. Durum tends to accumulate more cadmium than other cereal crops.) Strongfield was the first fruit of that extraordinary science grunt work by many people from many disciplines. The expertise that a breeding program needs includes agronomy, human nutrition, biotechnology, bioprocessing, entomology, pathology, food processing, microbiology, quality and statistics. “Funding is also a critical component of what we do,” says DePauw. “Without the support of farmers through the Western Grains Research Foundation which we use to attract additional matching funds we would certainly not be where we are today in the enhancement of wheat genetics.”

Durum wheat markets Durum wheat is used as food all over the world, but historically in the Mediterranean basin, which includes Italy and North Africa. Durum is processed into semolina that is then made into pasta and couscous. Canada is the largest producer of durum, growing five to six million acres annually and is the largest exporter of durum in the world with over 50 per cent of market share in any given year. Durum is a very important crop for farmers in Western Canada, coming in fourth behind spring wheat, canola and barley. It has received considerable attention and funding to ensure new address ongoing issues that hold back production potential and

photo: sparc, aafc

Dr. Ron DePauw has been actively involved in the durum breeding program at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre (SPARC) in Swift Current, Sask. for many decades. the desires of end-users when it comes to quality. The objectives of the SPARC durum program include: • Developing durum varieties with five per cent greater yield than Strongfield with good grain protein. • Developing solid stemmed (wheat stem sawfly resistant) varieties with grain yield equal to Strongfield. • Developing durum varieties with 2.5 per cent greater yield than Strongfield and improved leaf spot and pre-harvest sprouting tolerance. • Developing durum varieties with improved wheat orange blossom midge and fusarium resistance. • Developing strong gluten varieties similar to Commander for the western prairies under irrigation with five per cent greater yield than Strongfield.

• All durum varieties developed need to have low grain cadmium concentration. Together, these objectives will increase farm incomes by delivering varieties with superior and/ or improved packages of agronomic, disease and quality characteristics. To meet these objectives, SPARC researchers evaluate performance traits, grain soundness and quality, disease and insect resistance, root traits and genetics suitable for agronomic management systems while all the time breeding for adaptation to varied climatic conditions. In addition to using the best field plot techniques, the SPARC team uses genomic tools for continued progress for variety development and continues to quickly adapt new technology as it becomes available to ensure quicker pace of progress.

Durum developments Looking back on the durum breeding program at SPARC, DePauw highlighted some of the greatest leaps forward. With the release of the sister lines Wascana in 1971 and Wakooma in 1973, farmers experienced a major shift in the quality of the durum they were producing. Wascana brought higher pigment and Wakooma brought stronger gluten. In a blend, these two varieties set a whole new bar of productivity for farmers and soon they jointly were grown on over 70 per cent of durum acres into the mid-to-late 80’s. “Kyle was the next big jump forward,” says DePauw. “It combined the best features of Wascana and Wakooma with improved standability and good grade protection, something that was a major deficiency in most other new varieties up until that point.”

photo: leeann minogue

Dr. A. K. (Danny) Singh, former durum breeder at AAFC Swift Current, enjoyed explaining his research to farmers at field days. Dr. Singh moved to Iowa State University in 2013.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Features Kyle was released in 1984. After that, changes occurred in pasta processing that led to the adoption of high temperature drying. “Then we were challenged with developing a variety with higher protein and higher pigment than Kyle, with gluten strength equal to Kyle to meet the needs of pasta manufacturers.” AC Avonlea was released in 1997 to deliver on those requirements as well as delivering greater yield and standability. Strongfield was released in 2003 with higher protein and pigment, better strength, a great agronomic package and low grain cadmium. According to the last Canadian Wheat Board variety survey conducted in 2011 Strongfield dominated durum acres. “A sub-text to all that development was the desire to have something with much stronger gluten in the portfolio than conventional durum,” says DePauw. Next, SPARC developed AC Navigator, which found a niche

for its exceptional pigment, as well as AC Pathfinder which had greater strength.

COMING SOON Big improvements continue to explode out of the SPARC program. Brigade (2008) is high yielding, has good standability and maybe a little lower protein. Transcend (2010) shows very good productivity and standability. AAC Raymore (2012) is the first registered solid stemmed durum (sawfly resistant). SeCan has the distribution rights for this variety — it will be available in Spring 2015. DT833 (2013) (now named AAC Marchwell VB) contains the Sm1 gene for orange wheat blossom midge tolerance. This variety, renamed AAC Marchwell VB, will also be distributed by SeCan. It should be available in 2016. The team is working now on stacking those genes for full onboard protection against sawfly and midge. Extensive efforts are on-

going to develop improve fusarium tolerant durum varieties, however, sustained financial investments are required to overcome this challenging disease. Durum varieties with resistance to ergot may soon be available to farmers as a result of work at SPARC. The durum breeding program at SPARC has been very active in training younger professionals that have continued to work on breeding improved varieties. These include young women in agriculture research. One such early career scientist, Dr. Arti Singh, has won the prestigious Jeannie Borlaug Laube 2013 Women in Triticum award. Over the last couple of years, various breeding programs operated by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) have seen changes as a result of budget cuts and reductions There have also been significant retirements (such as Dr. Doug Brown at the Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg who led the CPS Red high yielding wheat

program there) and resignations. Dr. A.K. Singh (Danny), who formerly ran the durum program at SPARC, has moved on to Iowa State University. Dr. Stephen Fox formerly ran AAFC’s spring wheat program in Winnipeg, but has now moved on to work for DL Seeds. DePauw believes the future of SPARC is strong. “Our research station is seeing significant investments in facility upgrades and rejuvenation.” The formation of the Canadian Wheat Alliance based on a partnership of AAFC, NRC, University of Saskatchewan, and the Province of Saskatchewan has several new projects to underpin the genetics of heat and drought stress and some of the major diseases of durum wheat. Prairie farmers can look forward to further significant developments from the Swift Current durum breeding program. † Andrea Hilderman has her master’s degree in weed science and is a member of the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists. She writes from Winnipeg, Man.

PHOTO: SPARC, AAFC

Dr. Ron DePauw, research scientist, team leader, AAFC Swift Current.

SPARC’s breeders Prairie durum growers owe thanks to these SemiArid Prairie Agricultural Research Center (SPARC) researchers: • E.A. Hurd team leader and breeder of Wascana (1971) and Wakooma (1973). • T.F. Townley-Smith team leader and breeder of Macoun (1974) and Kyle (1984) • J.M. Clarke physiologist and breeder of AC Avonlea (1997), AC Navigator (1998), AC Pathfinder (1998), Strongfield (2003), Eurostar (2008) and Brigade (2008). • J.G. McLeod winter cereals, forage covers, and co-breeder of AC Navigator (1998) and AC Pathfinder (1998). • A.K. Singh breeder of Enterprise (2009), Transcend (2010), AAC Current (2012), AAC Raymore (2012), DT832 (2013) and DT833 (2013). • R.M. DePauw senior principal wheat breeder co-breeder of durum cultivars since 1978. • R.E. Knox biotechnologist and pathologist who applied molecular markers linked to high value genes such as Sm1 that confers tolerance to midge (DT833) and developed doubled haploids of durum wheat (Transcend and DT832). • F.R. Clarke quantitative geneticist who constructed a trait/gene linkage map of durum wheat, leader of data management systems and experimental design. • T. N. McCaig physiologist and cereal chemist who developed calibration equations to use NIR technology to select for grain protein content and pigment content which resulted in shifting the negative correlation of grain yield and protein content e.g AC Avonlea, Strongfield, etc. • H. Wang physiologist and crop modeller who developed forecasting tools and response of plants to heat and drought. • M.F. Fernandez pathologist of leaves, kernels and roots who provided the response of durum wheat to pathogens. † Andrea Hilderman

As a farmer, you have a lot of decisions to make. The DEKALB® brand team is here to empower you with expert advice, agronomic insight and local data. With every important decision you face on your farm, we’re behind you. And we’re ready to help you turn great seed potential into actual in-field performance. DEKALB canola... Empowering Your Performance.

Talk to your DEKALB dealer today, or visit DEKALB.ca ALWAYS FOLLOW GRAIN MARKETING AND ALL OTHER STEWARDSHIP AND PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Details of these requirements can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in this publication ©2014 Monsanto Canada, Inc.

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Features CROP PRODUCTION

Growing interest in growing hemp Interest in hemp is on the rise. Some see it as a money making alternate crop BY LISA GUENTHER

n 2013, over 66,000 acres were licensed to cultivate hemp, a nearly 10-fold increase from 2003, according to the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance. “It’s a crop that there’s growing interest in it. Especially as canola’s starting to slump so bad,” says Harry Brook, crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. But farmers can’t throw a little hemp in the rotation last minute. “If you’re planning to grow any hemp at all, you need to get your ducks in a row early,” says Brook. Before seeding, farmers also need to know how to manage, harvest, and sell the crop, says Brook. “So you’ve got to do a lot of homework first.” Minimizing hemp harvest problems starts with choosing the right variety with the right height, says Kevin Friesen. Friesen is a certified seed grower, partner in Hemp Genetics International and seed production manager with Hemp Oil Canada. Typically, five feet is the height to aim for, says Friesen. Farmers should look at whether hemp varieties are suited to their locations, machinery and drying capacity, he adds. “And there isn’t any single variety which is the be all and end all for all locations. And that’s where I think most of the mistakes are made when farm-

ers start out. They may not be getting the right advice. They may not be getting the right selections of hemp to grow, or the right varieties,” says Friesen. Health Canada has a long list of approved hemp cultivars, but there are only a few commonly grown varieties, says Friesen. Hemp is a controlled product, so farmers need to file for a licence months before growing it. Licences are issued for the calendar year, but Health Canada starts accepting applications in November, Brook says. Friesen says farmers usually start filling out paper work in the New Year. “It’s not a difficult application but the processing time is typically about two months,” says Friesen. The vast majority of hemp grown in Alberta these days is harvested for seed, rather than fibre, Brook explains. He says there’s “good money” in the seed, once it’s harvested. The seed is used for health food products, such as hemp hearts and hemp oil, and much of it flows into the U.S. “There are producers who have been growing it for a number of years in southern Alberta. And it compares very favourably even to hybrid canola, which pays very well,” says Brook. Both Brook and Friesen say most hemp is grown under contract. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods

PHOTO: MANITOBA HARVEST HEMP FOODS

Kevin Friesen says sufficient fertilizer makes hemp crops very vigorous: “often your fertilizer can be your herbicide.”

and Hemp Oil Canada both offer seed and production contracts. Farmer Direct Co-op also contracts organic hemp.

HEMP AGONOMY Because hemp is a controlled substance, farmers need to buy certified seed. Farmers should hold on to certified seed tags

because they’ll need to show them to inspectors, if requested. Thousand kernel weights (TKW) range from 11 grams to 19 grams, says Friesen. Seeding rates range from 20 to 30 pounds per acre, he says. Seeding depth is the same as canola, although the larger seeds can be seeded a little deeper, says Friesen. Friesen suggests seeding hemp

into medium textured, welldrained soil. The crop doesn’t like wet feet, so heavy soils aren’t the best choice, especially in wet years. It can do well on lighter soils if there’s plenty of rain, “but otherwise they tend to not have the fertility to support” the crop, he says. No herbicides are registered for industrial hemp right now, though Friesen says the minor

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Features

PHOTO: MANITOBA HARVEST HEMP FOODS

Early Riser PHOTO: LISA GUENTHER

use program is evaluating products. The crop isn’t competitive when it first emerges, Brook says, so a pre-seed burn-off is recommended. Farmers should aim for 200 to 250 plants per square metre, he adds. Each haemp variety grows differently, depending on latitude, Friesen says. But plant stand affects morphology, too. A higher plant population concentrates seed set at the plants’ tops. Lower plant populations mean more branching and seed sets from the bottom up. Good weed control and proper plant density create a uniform field, says Friesen. “That means you can set your combine so you can take in a minimum amount of fibre.” Hemp is “a fairly heavy feeder” and fertility needs are similar to canola, Friesen says, but with higher nitrogen requirements. “And often your fertilizer can be your herbicide because putting on a sufficient amount of fertility makes the crop very vigorous.” “There’s a trick to harvesting, too. You have to have a combine and a fire truck,” says Brook. Hemp fibre tends to wind around moving objects during combining, Brook explains. But if farmers hit the right harvest windows for the variety and height, most modern combines won’t have many issues, says Friesen. Most Saskatchewan farmers straight cut hemp, says Friesen. “And they’ll straight cut anywhere between 12 to 20 per cent seed moisture. And then the grain needs to be dried.” Friesen says hemp can be stored for two or three years at eight or nine per cent moisture. Brook says it should be dried to 10 or 12 per cent to prevent mold and bacterial growth during storage. The highest recorded yield topped 2,000 lbs. per acre, according to the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance’s website, with an average yield hitting somewhere between 600 lbs. to 800 lbs. per acre. Ultimately, success in growing hemp comes down to farmers getting “the right agronomic information for their area,” says Friesen. † Lisa Guenther is a field editor for Grainews. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@ fbcpublishing.com.

Left: Kevin Friesen suggests seeding hemp into medium textured, well-drained soil. Right: Most of the hemp grown in Alberta is harvested for seed rather than fibre.

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Features Farm management

Biochar: Good for the planet and your farm Biochar, charcoal made from burning organic matter at low temperatures, could be a way to store CO2 and add nutrients to your soil

y now you’ve heard all about about carbon emissions and climate change. You know that by burning hydrocarbons like oil and coal we humans have been putting CO2 into the atmosphere faster than natural processes can remove it, and that over the rest of this century this will result in more and more extreme weather events. You may also have heard about climate change mitigation plans like carbon sequestration. In these projects fossil fuel burning power plants would scrub the carbon dioxide out of their emissions and pump them deep underground into depleted oil and gas reservoirs. What you may not realize is that you and every other farmer in the world have been temporarily sequestering megatons of carbon every year, and have been since the beginning of recorded history. Kurt Spokas, a soil scientist with the United States Department of Agriculture, believes that farmers not only may play a key role in mitigating climate change, they can improve the health of their fields while they’re at it. Crops absorb enormous amounts of carbon dioxide — an acre yielding 200 bushels of grain can absorb around 19.2 tons in a growing season. The average family car releases six tons in a year of driving, so an acre of high-yield grain sequesters three automobiles worth of carbon. When you think about how much of the mass of a grain is in the stalk and roots, the parts that aren’t eaten by people, that’s a lot of trapped carbon. In current agricultural practice, all that carbon gets released again. The leftover chaff and other plant matter is often either fed to animals, burned, or decays, which releases the trapped carbon. Spokas and other researchers are investigating ways to trap that carbon more permanently. Their solution: biochar — charcoal made from the low-temperature, low-oxygen burning of organic matter. Charcoal is an excellent trap for carbon, able to hold it for hundreds of thousands of years. Plowed under fields at the end of the harvest, it could do a lot to fight climate change, or at least slow the rise in atmospheric carbon levels. By jonny hawkins

Country Chuckles

Producing biochar Biochar production (by a process called pyrolysis) results in three products: the biochar, syngas, and a liquid called bioil. The syngas can be fed back into the production cycle, lowering fuel costs to produce the charcoal, and the bioil could, with refining, become a useful agricultural fuel. Spokas says we do not yet know enough about the cost of that refining, but it could prove to be a good value added product. Spokas and his fellow researchers are investigating the effects of biochar on fields. “Unfortunately,” Spokas says, “we do not understand the full mechanisms by which biochar interacts with soils,

but there are a few things we know that biochar does.” It decreases the bulk density of soil, adds some nutrients, and increases the alkalinity. There is also evidence it can improve the hydraulic properties of soil, increasing its ability to transport water. On this last point, Spokas says that this transportation may be highly dependent on the original soil texture. It’s not clear that all biochar will improve all soils’ water transport. While positive results have been seen, Spokas is cautious: “for all of these properties more research is needed, particularly in the longerterm impacts of biochar on soils before guidelines can be established for its widespread use.”

The bill for biochar While biochar can have real benefits to soil, their magnitude is not understood yet. In addition, another major obstacle to biochar’s adoption is its cost. “Analogous to new prescriptions drugs,” Spokas says, “the costs for biochar are very high due to these initial efforts into producing [it].” He expects that as biochar proves to be a useful soil amendment, production will rise and costs will come down. Even with only preliminary results about biochars use as a fuel, some climate change activists like James Lovelock are advocating widespread use of biochar as a means of counteract-

ing rising carbon emissions. As the effects of a changing climate become more pronounced, governments around the world may start subsidizing farmers to produce biochar. Though biochar holds a lot of promise for fighting climate change, its high production costs and uncertain benefits mean that, at present, farmers will need to be subsidized to undertake biochar production. However, ongoing research is finding new biochar properties, and it’s an area worth keeping your eye on as a possible future nutrient and fuel source. † Michael Flood (www.michael-flood.com) is a business writer and columnist. You can reach him at michael@michael-flood.com.

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Columns READER CONTRIBUTION

The oldest living cow? Grainews reader Christine Pascal wrote in to tell us about her 25-year old cow that keeps on living BY CHRISTINE PASCAL

y husband Lawrence and I have been farming north of Lake Dauphin, around Fork River, Manitoba, for 33 years. My Dad had given me three little heifer calves when I was around 10. In 1989, we brought my little herd of cows and yearling heifers over from my parents’ farm to our place. When we were first married, Lawrence and I worked up north, coming home for seeding and harvest. We saved money, and were able to build our own farm from scratch. From those three calves, we’ve

built our entire herd up over the years. We watched excitedly as our first calves were born. There was a funny little one, with three specks on her nose. She was so tiny and shy and would hide behind her Mama anytime we tried to come close to her. We called her Speckles. She was too small to sell that fall, but I think we both used that as an excuse to keep her because she was so cute. That little calf grew, but never to the same size as the other cows we kept as replacements. However, she was an easy calver. For the first couple of years, everything was fine. But on her third calving, my husband was in the barn with her

when she suddenly turned from a docile, sweet little pet-like cuddly thing into a psycho cow. She almost flattened Lawrence into the manger. “Good thing she was so short,” he joked later. She’d only broken his knee caps. Each year after that we had hair raising stories about her calving suddenly, in -30 C weather. It was impossible to predict when she’d calve. She always managed to fool us. Thanks to Speckles, I learned every trick there was to learn about getting a calf away from a possessive cow. If Lawrence was home when she calved, he would use me as “bait” to get her away from the calf. I’d wave a jacket in front of

PHOTO: CHRISTINE PASCAL

Christine Pascal’s cow Speckles is 25 now. She’s been on the farm since Christine and her husband started farming, and she might outlast them. her, and when she’d come after me like a Tasmanian devil, I’d run for my life, and fly over the fence. Lawrence would grab the calf and run. Speckles was tame and calm

most of the year, and she loved to be scratched and petted. But from the moment a calf dropped to the ground, she’d shift into killer mode. Even the barn cats knew not to cross into her stall or they’d be tossed into the next pen or squashed into the floorboards. Speckles chased us each and every year. I will always remember having that cow on our heels, with her tongue hanging out, and the blood-curdling bellering and snorting, as we’d grab her calf and run. I’m not sure why we kept her. Most farmers would have sold her after the first year. I think, in those days, I enjoyed the challenge. Lawrence calls Speckles the “Herd Boss.” She developed a little lump on her neck, just behind her jaw, which the vet said was a “grass lump.” It didn’t bother her, but she couldn’t be sold at an auction. Another excuse to keep her!

Speckles chased us each and every year

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We kept a part of our herd close to home, along the lakeshore, in summer. We had a fence almost a half mile into the lake. But Speckles figured out that at a certain time in the afternoon, the tide went out, and she was there waiting. Off she’d go, with the herd behind her, around the fence, into the adjoining field and down to the Mossey River Dam. The grass was always greener on the other side for that cow. About the only good thing since the flood of 2012, is that the level of Lake Dauphin is so high now, that they can’t swim around the fences anymore. Now, Speckles is on retirement. When she hears Lawrence call her in the pasture, she puts her head up and trots over to sniff his pocket. He takes her oats in a plastic bag. Speckles is 25 now — she kept calving until she was 19. She was there when we started ranching, and she’ll probably outlast us. We are downsizing now. We were happy to sell a lot of our herd privately, to good farmers all over Manitoba. My cow legacy will live on. My dad would be happy about that. Here’s hoping Speckles will make it through another harsh Manitoba winter in good health. North Lake Ranch wouldn’t be the same without her! † Christine Pascal and her husband Lawrence are Manitoba farmers.

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Columns CAN’T TAKE THE FARM FROM THE BOY

Jumping in with both feet After spending time on the farm working with his father, Toban Dyck is renting land of his own TOBAN DYCK

his is it. The thing that for years, decades, a quarter of a lifetime, I believed I couldn’t and wouldn’t do is about to become as real as the chair I’m sitting on, or a punch in the face. I trust this won’t hurt as much, but I’m sure I’ll feel it. I will be renting 110 acres of land next growing season, and I couldn’t be more excited. And it’s an excited that won’t fade for a while. I am about to become a real, bona fide farmer. Watch out, world. All my agriculture-related theorizing, once comfortable, distant, safe, will now have a practical edge — a much needed one, if you ask me. I remember. I was standing by the sink in our tiny, Toronto apartment when my wife and I had our most powerful chat about moving to the farm. The idea was weak when our conversation started. Almost too weak to mention. “Let’s stay here for a few more months, and see what we think.” “But, why? If we know now, what’s keeping us in Toronto?” The idea started to grow, demanding earnest evaluation. It

then started to become strong. By the end of that chat, me standing by the counter, and my wife standing near the entrance of the kitchen, we were moving to southern Manitoba, where she would find work as a teacher, and I would make motions to take over the family farm. I would resign from my job as managing editor the next day. You fight for something — success, money, title, whatever —and after a while the battle becomes comfortable, and what you begin to fear the most is actually achieving what you set out for. I’m excited for what lies ahead, and I am terrified of losing what I have only recently obtained. There is much about farming that I now understand. And there is much I need to learn. But this is true of all things. It would stand out as suspicious to suggest otherwise. I have taken jobs before, not knowing exactly how I’m qualified or how I’ll actually be able to make it work. The job I resigned from to move here is one of them. But one does these things. One puts one foot in front of the other, without a grasp of the big picture or what lies ahead. You’ll move this way, sometimes forward; sometimes in other directions. And eventually, the fog will lift. And it has.

Now that Toban Dyck is in the land rental market, he’s excited to be a farmer.

LIFE AS A “REAL” FARMER Next year, when I walk into Viterra and Greg and Ross jokingly ask me if this load goes under my name, at least a few times I’ll be able to say ‘yes.’ I know they will appreciate this. And I’ll beam saying it. Many of my friends exist outside of agriculture, living in cities, fighting for organic this or that, championing causes that are quite distant from the kinds of things this area of the world takes seriously. And I’ve learned to appreciate this of them, and of an area that largely avoids them. Bridging the chasm between rural

and urban will never happen, but it’s still a worthy fight, if only for a few converts. Most have never seen a combine. Many have no idea just how huge soybeans and canola are to Canadian agriculture, and more still have no idea the importance of things like transportation are to our nation’s economy. My being on the farm and renting land is exciting for them. They come over. They spend a weekend on the farm. They learn. The few acres I’m boasting about are only a start, I realize. But they are foundational. With 110 acres, I will learn about farm budgets, machinery rental costs, fertilization techniques, pest and weed control, and how to manage what is a large amount of earth in the most profitable and sustainable way. How will I know when to seed? And at what rate? What will I spray? When do I submit for crop insurance? Ah! The beauty, and it really is

PHOTOS: TOBAN DYCK

beautiful, is that no farmer is left to make decisions in a vacuum. Farmers make for strong community. My father will help me along the way, and I know Greg and Ross will, too, as well as others in the area. I’m telling you all this because you’ve been with me from the beginning. You read about my epiphany. And now you’re reading about the most significant advancement since. All of the advice I have offered over the past years I will now put to the test, with my own money on the line. I have driven by my land nearly a dozen times since the contract was finalized. I have brought friends to it. We’ve cheered to it. I’ve dreamed about growing unique crops on it. But, more so, I’m excited to be a farmer. This is it, and this is amazing. † Toban Dyck is a freelance writer and a new farmer on an old farm. Follow him on Twitter @tobandyck or email tobandyck@gmail.com.

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Many of Toban Dyck’s friends live a life completely separated from agriculture. He hopes to try to bridge that rural-urban gap.

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Columns Reporter’s notebook

Interesting times ahead for farmers Farmers are on the environmental front line. If they can keep the public onside, they could turn a curse into an opportunity By Lisa Guenther

T photo: leeann minogue

View from the Farm Centre Legacy Garden in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Agriculture is attracting more interest these days from activists and the urban public. And activists are eager to bridge anyPage urban-rural gap to SEC-RAYMORE14-T_GN.qxd 10/27/14 9:43 AM 1 further their agendas.

he proverb “may you live in interesting times” is often attributed to a Chinese philosopher. The phrase is supposed to imply that it’s better to live a boring, tranquil life, than an interesting, but perhaps stressful, one. But sleuth around a little on the Internet and you’ll find the socalled Chinese curse isn’t Chinese at all. In fact, phrases.org.uk attributes the first widely-known use of the phrase to a 1966 speech delivered by Robert Kennedy. The earliest written

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version of the supposedly ancient proverb dates to a 1936 letter from Joseph Austen Chamberlain, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and brother of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Today’s farmers are living in interesting times. They find themselves on the front lines of complex environmental issues. And we need to do some serious excavation to unearth facts and truths in these messy issues. In fact, “Dig Deep” was the theme of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation conference I recently attended in Charlottetown, P.E.I. And P.E.I. has an abundance of agricultural issues to dig into: deep water wells, land ownership restrictions, soil erosion, nitrate levels and fish kills come immediately to mind. Science is often cited as the key to solving environmental and health issues. People on both sides of an issue will hawk studies that seem to support their positions. This means the rest of us have to delve into how the study was set up. What was the sample size? Was there a control group? Was the study peer reviewed? Does other research support the finding? What do other experts in the field have to say? Seems simple, right? But researchers working in the field can’t isolate each factor that might affect a result the way they might in a lab. Often it takes a lot of careful research before they can even hope to draw definite conclusions. And in the meantime, people want to lay blame. There may still be an urban-rural gap, but activists are more than willing to bridge it so they can monitor the agriculture industry. This summer Pesticide Free P.E.I. tried to recruit Islanders to photograph farmers applying fertilizer and pesticides. The group planned to post the pictures to social media, in the hope of catching on-farm violations, the Truro Daily News reported. Pesticide Free P.E.I. is trying to ban, or at least limit, the use of both cosmetic and agricultural pesticides on the island. The group’s website states “pesticides on P.E.I. are a political, poisonous, hot potato.” It’s easy to dismiss such groups with a roll of the eye and a comment about junk science. One can argue that their rhetoric is propped up by fear (of cancer, of environmental apocalypse) more than fact. There’s been a push for “agvocacy” — a buzzword meaning advocating for agriculture — and I can see why producer groups would want to stamp out the spread of misinformation about their industries. But the agriculture sector can’t dismiss all of the activists’ concerns. The fact is that Prince Edward Island has dealt with several fish kills in its waterways — four in the last four years alone. Natural fish kills can happen after spring spawning or when seasonal factors drop oxygen levels in the water. But sometimes agriculture is to blame, whether it’s nutrient load-

ing or pesticide runoff. In fact, the Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture and Forestry website states that since 1962, there have been 51 fish kills either proven or suspected to be caused by pesticide runoff, generally after a heavy rain. The government has tried to cut fish kills by legislating 15 metre buffer zones next to wetlands, streams and rivers. Row crops aren’t allowed on land with a slope of nine per cent or more. And a Canadian Press (CP) piece reported the P.E.I. government had collected between $14,000 and $17,000 in fines from people violating pesticide-use laws last year. Randall Affleck, farmer and National Farmers Union representative, was part of a panel at our farm media conference. He said he supports buffer zones, but added environmental problems are a societal issue. “And one thing I’m not happy about is, in the end, the narrative is the farmer’s failed,” he told delegates at our farm media conference. Right or wrong, though, farmers aren’t likely to find much public sympathy if they’re linked to environmental mishaps. Greg Donald, executive director with the P.E.I. Potato Board, told us that the general public has no patience for environmental issues such as nitrates and fish kills. “But they also clearly indicated in that survey that they were willing to help pay for environmental initiatives,” he said. P.E.I. programs such as Alternative Land Use Services “actually pays farmers to remove sensitive land from production,” he said. PEI farmers and others in the agriculture industry are on board, too. P.E.I.’s Environmental Farm Plan program leads the country in participation and program design, John Jamieson, executive director of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture, told us at the conference. And Cavendish Farms recently anted up $100,000 to help purchase 96 acres of agricultural land that has been linked to fish kills in Barclay Brook, P.E.I. The provincial government paid the balance through a fund set up to buy land susceptible to erosion and runoff. The environmentally-sensitive land will be pulled from production and managed by a local watershed group. When it comes to environmental issues, farmers and others in the agriculture industry are going to have to work harder than ever to keep the public on their side. Agvocacy alone isn’t enough. It needs to be backed up by efforts, such as the ones in P.E.I., to solve these problems. And hewing into those problems isn’t an easy task. That proverb about living in interesting times doesn’t have to be a curse for the ag industry. It can mean more opportunities to work with the public on issues that affect all of us. † Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@ fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Columns View from the Farm Centre Legacy Garden in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Agriculture is attracting more interest these days from activists and the urban public. And activists are eager to bridge any urban-rural gap to further their agendas.

photo: lisa guenther

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Columns GUARDING WEALTH

Protect your off-farm investments The bull market we’ve been living with could be nearing its end. Keep your capital intact through the downturn BY ANDREW ALLENTUCK

t is a principle of finance that people will pay almost anything for what they don’t know. Stocks with dubious futures can soar in price when investors, fearful of being left out, jump on the bandwagon. Voices of caution are few and far between. Yet now they are being heard. In New York, where you can buy a cocktail for $18 at upscale bars and men’s suits made with nice Italian cloth sell for $25,000 with one jacket and one pair of pants, analysts are warning that stocks are expensive, which is true, and urging people to be careful. The trouble is that there are few places to turn that don’t have a lot of risk.

itability of the companies that pay them out. Money returned to stockholders exceeded profits in the first and third quarters of 2014. Moreover, the proportion of cash flow used for stock repurchases has almost doubled over the last decade while it has declined for capital investments. Share buybacks have supported one of the strongest bull markets in the last half century. The question is: if the buybacks slow, will the stocks they have supported collapse? There is a strong case to be made for the end of the bull market we’ve had for 5-1/2 years. Interest rate declines that sus-

tained the stock bull could be slowing or even ending. Fed chair Janet Yellen is said to be considering letting interest rates rise. That will suck money out of stocks, especially if worried investors take their profits and buy into safe U.S. treasury bonds. There are other worries. The global equities market is in poor shape. Global growth is slowing, driven down by war in Russia/ Ukraine, epidemics in Africa, reduced capital spending in China and what the Islamic State (IS) may do. There is still life in this market. Just because the averages are up in spite of recent and relatively

small declines does not mean they will collapse any time soon. A major market swoon needs an event to trigger the numbers. So far, that’s not at hand. Just as a guess, however, any of today’s crises will be enough to sink the market. That could be a move by Russia into one of the former Baltic republics (Latvia, Lithuania, or Estonia which were part of the U.S.S.R.) more than token spread of Ebola into Europe or the Americas prompting a drastic curtailment in international travel, political chaos in China of the sort spurred by October’s Hong Kong democracy demonstrations, or some act of terrorism

yet to be imagined. Needless to say, a crack in world trade for any reason would echo in Canadian export markets, especially grains. If you can’t ship it, you can’t sell it, after all.

THE SOLUTION What to do? The financial press is clogged with stories of stocks about to take off. Most are small to mid caps with no dividends but, say the authors, a lot of hope. Let me offer a few former hopefuls: Polaroid Corp., Commodore 64, Studebaker Packard and, of course, Nortel Networks. Each had industry-leading technology for a

THE BULLFIGHTING There has been a dramatic recovery from the bottom of the Wall Street and Bay Street meltdown in 2008-09. In that eight-year period, the S&P 500 Composite has nearly trebled, the Canadian S&P/TSX has more than doubled and bonds have continued a massive run that began on 1983 when the Fed (U.S. Federal Reserve) and the Bank of Canada broke the back of double digit inflation and started what is now the second longest bond bull market in history. (The longest was the nearly 100-year decline of interest rates in the U.K. beginning with the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815 and ending with the beginning of World War I in 1914.)

The omens are not good The question is “what’s next?” There is good reason to worry that the boom can’t be sustained. The terrific performance of large cap U.S. stocks has been spurred by share buybacks and dividend increases. These moves make stocks more desirable without doing anything about the basic business or profBY JONNY HAWKINS

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Columns time. All but Nortel failed mainly for the company’s inability to keep up with changing technology. Nortel was a tech company, but its accounting was also material to its fate. Some savants may have known in advance of each company’s flop, but the stock kept trading, if only because the public could not or would not admit that each company had entered the space of the living dead. How to avoid that fate? Invest in big companies with many product lines not wedded to any single technology. Big telcos like BCE Inc., big banks that do many things (our big six meet the standard), big manufacturers with deep pockets (Boeing, for example). And big consumer products companies with global scale, such as, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and Colgate Palmolive. Each of these companies does so many things that no single event or problem can sink it. Each pays a healthy dividend and has a history of increasing

A crack in world trade for any reason would echo in Canadian export markets, especially grains.

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dividends. None makes a toxic product, such as cigarettes, none makes a product closely tied to world commodity prices. These are defensive stocks with protection in depth. Or go for a few bonds. A Province of Alberta 2.9 per cent bond due Sept. 2029 priced at $97.98 per $100 face value currently yields 3.08 per cent to maturity. It will drop in market price if interest rates rise, but if held to maturity, the payoff is certain. Or an IGM Financial six per cent issue due Dec. 2040, recently priced at $123.59 per $100 will yield 4.46 per cent to maturity. Yes, there is a capital loss, but that’s all figured into the price. You get more than today’s interest rates, so you pay more. The present stock market trend, a slowing boom, is called a trend because it is not permanent. As I write this column, the omens are anot good. Falling oil prices and concern about the stronger U.S. dollar, which will crimp American exports, have hurt investor confidence in recent weeks, leaving the S&P 500 Composite index down 3.3 per cent, the worst autumn performance since 2009. Where to go next? If you are willing to take equity risk, Canadian stocks look good. David Rosenberg, chief economist for Toronto-based investment management firm Gluskin Sheff, notes that the consensus of analysts predicting market averages is that the TSX will rise 11.2 per cent in 2015, beating the predicted 8.1 per cent rise in the S&P 500 Composite next year. That would be a catch up, for the TSX lagged the U.S. averages in the fall. Rosenberg estimates that the TSX is undervalued by 12 per cent compared to its 16 per cent overvaluation at the end of summer. These are number games. The math is valid, but nobody knows if the TSX will get to be a better deal, rewarding investors who wait to plunge, or the S&P 500 Composite will get richer, rewarding those already in the U.S. market. Timing is the key and almost nobody gets that right. Stocks and bonds are worth only the money they will ever return to their investors. With an investment grade bond, the return can be calculated to the obsolete penny. With stocks, you can be sure only of sustainable dividends. So be aware, be wary and keep money safe in things that pay off no matter what the market does. Strong dividend stocks and bonds from governments with the power to tax and companies with massive scale are good defensive bets in trouble times. † Andrew Allentuck’s latest book, “When Can I Retire? Planning Your Financial Life After Work,” was published by Penguin Canada in January, 2011.

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

EXTENDED OUTLOOK FOR THE PRAIRIES Weather Forecast for the period of November 30 to December 27, 2014

Southern Alberta

Peace River Region

November 30 - December 6 Colder outbreaks interchange with a few milder days. Blustery with high windchills. Expect snow and blowing snow on a couple of days.

November 30 - December 6 Colder outbreaks interchange with a few milder days. Blustery with high windchills. Snow on a couple of days. December 7 - 13 Temperatures vary and occasionally trend to the mild side. Fair with periodic snow on a couple of days.

December 7 - 13 Cold to mild temperatures. Windy at times with drifting or blowing snow. Fair overall but some snow, possibly heavy in places.

December 14 - 20 Expect blustery winds and variable temperatures. Fair days alternate with occasional heavy snow. Risk of rain in the southwest.

December 21 - 27 Fair and mostly seasonal with some higher windchills. Expect flurries and colder spells from time to time.

26.9 mms

November 30 - December 6 Expect variable temperatures leaning to the cold side, with high windchills. Fair, but scattered snow on a couple of days. Occasional blowing snow in the south.

December 7 - 13 Temperatures will vary and trend to the mild side. Possible chinooks and rain in the southwest. Otherwise, fair with periodic snow.

December 14 - 20 Expect blustery winds and variable temperatures. Fair days alternate with occasional heavy snow.

-19 / -8 Grande Prairie

Saskatchewan

December 21 - 27 Fair and mostly seasonal with some higher windchills. Expect some snow and blowing snow on 2 or 3 days.

Manitoba November 30 - December 6 Seasonal to occasionally cold with high windchills. Gusty winds and blowing snow in south. Often fair, but scattered snow, heavy in places. December 7 - 13 Cold to milder temperatures. Windy at times. Fair in south except for heavy snow and blowing on 1 or 2 days. Clear and very cold in north.

December 14 - 20 Unsettled with snow on 2 or 3 days, possibly heavy in some areas. Windy. Blowing snow in the south. Changeable temperatures.

December 14 - 20 Variable weather and temperatures as colder air intermingles with milder intrusions. Some snow, heavy in places. Blowing snow in south.

December 21 - 27 Seasonal to mild under mainly fair skies, but expect some snow and blowing in the south. Cold with flurries and high windchills in north.

December 21 - 27 Temperatures fluctuate, but trend to the mild side. Mostly fair but some snow, with drifting or blowing in south. Colder with flurries in north.

Precipitation Forecast NEAR NORMAL

-18 / -7 Edmonton 22.2 mms

-20 / -10 North Battleford

-14 / -6 Jasper

26.8 mms

-14 / -5

18.8 mms

34.6 mms

Banff

-14 / -2 Calgary 13.2 mms

-14 / -3 Medicine Hat 19mms cms Lethbridge 16.2 20.1 mms 26 cms -13 / -1

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

19.1 mms

19.0 mms

-19 / -9 Saskatoon

-18 / -6 Red Deer

-23 / -14 The Pas

-22 / -11 Prince Albert

17.2 mms

Precipitation Outlook For December

22.0 mms

NEAR NORMAL

-20 / -10 -20 / -10 Yorkton Dauphin

-20 / -10 -18 / -8 21.0 mms 20.5 mms -17 / -6 Gimli Regina -16 / -6 Moose Jaw 15.9 mms 26.2 mms Swift 18.8 mms -19 / -9 -20 / -10 Portage -19 / -10 Current -16 / -7 Brandon 22.2 mm Winnipeg 21.5 mms Weyburn 18.9 mms 18.6 mms 19.0 mms -16 / -6 Estevan Melita -19 / -7 18.1 mms

19.7 mms

Much Above Normal Below Much above normal normal below normal normal

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NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Columns SOILS AND CROPS

Sold the farm. Now what? After an auction sale, farmers will have a lot of cash on hand. Les Henry offers some investment tips STOCKS AND BONDS LES HENRY

took a run at this topic a couple of years ago but think it is worth another run. This past year I have seen ads for many auction sales of former students, colleagues and friends. They have all recognized a once in a lifetime opportunity. Anyone long enough in the tooth has seen the cycles at least a couple of times and recognizes that the party will end. Wait too long to sell and you will not live long enough to catch the next peak. As Alf Bryan often said, “I may be wrong, but…” I think the party will soon be over. With today’s land prices, even a modest recent farm sale generates a few million dollars, even after capital gains taxes. Farms have a significant exemption. And capital gains is the best tax you will ever pay — they divide by two before calculating what is owing. On many family farms the gravy of the good years is poured back into the farm and there might be little experience with off-farm investments. Based on my experience with investments, what follows are some things to think about. Remember, I have no credentials in investing.

Many investments are in the form of mutual funds with many options in terms of stocks and bonds. If you are thinking of direct investment in individual stocks do be careful. Many advisers will tout the “buy and hold” strategy for stocks as no one can time the market. But, that depends very much on age, and farmers that just sold out are not 27. It is true, in the long run the stock market index does go up — with many bumps along the road. But not all indi-

vidual stocks do, and sometimes deep troughs can last for years. And those deep troughs can come about in a hurry. Many stock market investors buy high and sell low — following the crowd. There is little chance that you will buy at the bottom of the trough, or sell at the peak. But, to make money all that is required is to sell higher than you buy. You will never lose your shirt by making money. And, you need to learn to sell from time to time. Andy Sirski, a former Grainews editor has taught himself how to deal with the stock market. Anyone considering stocks would be well advised to consult Andy. He publishes a newsletter for a fee. I subscribed for a couple of years and found it very interesting. It included a lot of common sense. I discontinued the newsletter because I do not plan to get into direct stock trading. But I found it very interesting and informative. I prefer to be outdoors on the farm rather than at a computer.

I already spend enough hours of the week staring at a screen. But, if you are so inclined do contact Andy. NOTE: I have no financial connection with Andy — our only connection is through his time as editor of “Grainews.” Andy also calls columnists and former columnists from time to time just to chat. One trick Andy uses when unsure about a stock is to sell half. If the stock goes down you are glad you sold half. If the stock goes up you are happy you kept half. Makes a lot of sense to me.

A FINAL POINT: GROWTH Our world seems to exist for growth. Cities, farms, net worth, investments should all grow. But, if you are 67 years old and have a net worth from five to 15 million dollars or more, you need little growth unless you plan a lavish lifestyle. You just do not want a lot of shrinkage. Make sure your financial advisers understand that when you select investments.

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT MONEY The most important part of a good retirement is good health and a reason to get up in the morning. We also need the odd thing to lose a night’s sleep over. We need a little stress to keep the blood boiling, but not too much or it might boil over! When you stop an engine that has been working hard you do not just switch it off. You let it idle for a while first. The same thing applies to a retiring farmer. Do not go from high stress farming to the couch. It will kill you. Good luck and enjoy happy retirement days. † J.L.(Les) Henry is a former professor and extension specialist at the University of Saskatchewan. He farms at Dundurn, Sask. He recently finished a third printing of “Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water,” a book that mixes the basics and practical aspects of soil, fertilizer and farming. Les will cover the shipping and GST for “Grainews” readers. Simply send a cheque for $50 to Henry Perspectives, 143 Tucker Cres., Saskatoon, Sask., S7H 3H7, and he will dispatch a signed book.

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FINANCIAL ADVISER(S) Yes, plural. From my experience, it is best to have two or more financial advisers. I have had occasions where two advisers gave exactly opposite answers to the same question. If you have only one, how do you judge? There are very rare examples where trusted friends or even family have ran off with investors’ money, but for the most part financial advisers are honest folks who are trying to do the best for their clients. But, a second opinion is important.

FEES AND CHARGES In the first meeting with a financial adviser you should ask how they are paid. Fees, commissions and trailers are all part of the game. Many transactions are said to be “no charge,” but the charge is just hidden. Lack of transparency in adviser compensation is a big frustration for many investors. Beware the DSC (Deferred Sales Charges). When an investment vehicle is touted as “no charge,” ask about DSC. Make sure you know how high the DSC is and how many years you must own the investment to avoid paying the DSC. And, get this in writing. Situations change and you may have to redeem a portion of your investment, only to find a significant DSC on the amount redeemed.

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Columns KELLY’S AGEXPERT TIPS AND THINGS

Tracking inventory with AgExpert Get set up and ready to use AgExpert’s inventory tracking features this winter KELLY AIREY

arvest season has been in full swing across the Prairies for several weeks. We see grain filling the bins, livestock coming home from pasture and bales being hauled in from the hay fields. As part of our management system AgExpert allows you to track inventory. It gives you the ability to produce inventory reports for your accountant, net worth reports for your banker

and use other management tools within the program such as “cost of production.” We can set the AgExpert database up to track opening quantities, production, loss, amounts used for feed or seed, quantities purchased and sold and closing quantities at year end. AgExpert Analyst is an excellent program for tracking your farm inventories, but the program is only as good as the information you put into it! This brings us to the very first step: Ensuring our accounts are set up and linked correctly. To set up inventory accounts and link them to purchase and sales accounts for proper inventory tracking, use these steps:

STEP 1 In AgExpert Click “Setup” > “Chart of Accounts” then scroll down the “Asset” section. Ensure the inventory accounts you need for your operation are in this list. You can add, edit or delete items on this list to suit your needs. I usually section out my inventory accounts in the following manner: For grain: Primary account number 1300 — Grain Inventory; Sub-account number 1300-01 — hard red spring wheat; Sub-account number 1300-02 — red winter wheat, and so on. You can continue to create these groups for as many types of inventory as you need.

Make sure each inventory account has a corresponding income and expense account. For example, if you have “Cows” set up in cattle inventory, make sure there is a “Cow Sales” account set up in your income section, and a “Cow Purchases” account set up in the expense section of your Chart of Accounts. Close the Chart of Accounts when you’re finished.

STEP 2 Click “Inventory” > “Detailed Inventory Manager” > “Income/ Expense Accounts Tab.” This is where you check to make sure your income and expense accounts are linked to your inventory accounts properly.

For example, when you enter a grain sale, it will automatically take the grain out of inventory when you record the transaction. Tip: Everything linked with an inventory account will be highlighted in blue. Tip: Check to make sure that “Cow Purchases” are linked to “ C o w I n v e n t o r y. ” M i s t a k e s can be made if you’ve done a lot of editing in your Chart of Accounts, and you have changed account names but not the links. For example, if you edited an inventory account name from Cows to Bull, but forgot to change the link as well, then in this list you may see Cow Purchases and Sales still linked to Bull Inventory. This is the screen where you can correct the link, and ensure all the other sales and purchase accounts link correctly to inventory. Anything not linked to inventory will remain un-highlighted.

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Click “Inventory” > “Detailed Inventory Manager” > “Inventory Accounts Tab.” This is where you can check the unit labels you have given your inventory accounts. Hint: For Grain, I recommend tracking in tonnes, as this is the way the elevator usually pays, and how your grain sales tickets are laid out. It makes it easier to enter sales into the program. If someone comes in from the harvest crew and gives you an estimated number of bushels in the bin, do the conversion outside of AgExpert, and then enter the production in tonnes.

AGRISTABILITY STEP You may also set up commodity types for AgriStability tracking. AgriStability and more detailed inventory tracking will be covered in a future article. So for now, under commodity type you can leave it selected as None. Your accounts are now set up and ready to go! Next Month: Tips on entering inventory adjustments. † Kelly Airey is a producer and Ag Consultant in Western Manitoba. She offers software setups and training, and discounts on software purchases. Contact Kelly at kelly. agconsulting@gmail.com or (204) 365-0136.

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NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Columns OFF-FARM INVESTMENTS

Keep the farm going If the main farmer is suddenly hurt, make sure the rest of the family can keep the farm going ANDY SIRSKI

friend of ours who used to be strong as a bull fell off the roof of a two story building in early October. I went to see him, and listened to his wife talk how he paid all the bills, the money all went into his own account, the bills were coming soon and she had little money in her account. She didn’t know what she was going to do. It occurred to me that many farms are still run the same way: the mother/wife looks after the kids and often looks after the aging parents. Some do the records for taxes and some do not, and hubby deals with the bankers, the accountant, pays the bills and so on. If Hubby got hurt would the mother/wife know how to keep the farm going until he recovered? It’s one thing if Hubby dies suddenly. Cut and dried. It’s also another thing if he gets sick and his wife has some warning. It’s an entirely different situation if Hubby leaves the house in the morning and by nighttime he’s in Emergency in some city 100 miles away. I asked my wife what she would do if that was me in the hospital, and if I was going to be laid up for half a year. She said she would call our two older children and our priest, but past that she didn’t really know. But then, we have a joint checking account, and she has her own savings account and her own RRSP. And, she pays the bills. She could manage. How about you and your farm? Here are a few ideas. 1. Know who to call. This is important. Wifey should have one or two people she can ask for help. Sometimes they may contradict each other but at least she will have choices. 2. The wife needs to know the bankers, have check writing ability and her own credit card. 3. Wifey should know the fields are under control, the crops on them and any livestock enterprises. 4. She should know things like which insurance policies are BY JONNY HAWKINS

Country Chuckles

in place, so she could apply for income replacement. She should also be able to make sure the policies are paid and up to date. 5. The farm’s accountant needs to be informed so she can review the tax situation well before year end. Also she should know how to document medical expenses as they happen so costs like mileage, meals and hotels can be claimed at tax time. 6. If there are young children, mother needs to know who would come over and make sure homework is done, make meals, bathe the kids, put them to bed, get them off to school with a lunch and so on. Or do the kids need to dropped off somewhere on short notice?

7. Grain companies need to be informed in case there are grain contracts to fill and or renew. 8. It’s a good idea to have a power of attorney set up so each partner can cover for the other. This is a brief list of things the farm partner needs to know in case hubby gets injured. If you have tips to share with other Grainews readers call me at 204453-4489 or email me at sirski@ mts.net. I will keep names and locations confidential.

MORE ON STOCKS Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation (TKM.TO) produces the drug that was used to treat sev-

eral doctors who were sick with the dreaded Ebola disease. The drug has been fast tracked to study just how useful it is against Ebola. The word is the sick patients received the TKM drug plus serum from blood from recovered patients. No one can say exactly if the drug or the serum or the combination cured the sick doctors, but they did recover. A big shipment of the drug is expected to go to Africa in a month or three but there are some challenges to overcome. The drug has to be frozen, needs qualified people to administer it and needs proper storage when it arrives. It takes time to set all that up. However, TKM is producing the drug and so I bought 100 shares at $27 per share. The stock has gone up with almost every news release but it is not making a profit. A volcano erupted in Japan in late September. Stuff blew two miles high and will float in the air for thousands of miles for many months. Add the volcano that erupted in Iceland earlier

Andy is mostly retired. He plays with granddaughters, gardens, travels a bit with his wife and manages his family’s investments. Andy also publishes an electronic newsletter where he tells what he does with his investments and why. Contact him at sirski@mts.net.

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and the odds lean toward more cool and wet weather this winter and likely next summer. The Farmer’s Almanac predicted a hard cold winter before this last volcano blew up. The amount of natural gas in storage is 13 per cent below its five-year average. Another cold winter could boost the price of natural gas. However, the natural gas industry is becoming better and better at drilling. There are more modern drill rigs. Some of these rigs are almost self-contained and move from one finished well to a new spot in hours not weeks. Also, companies have learned how to drill multiple wells from one pad. These factors could offset higher demand somewhat and keep a lid on prices. †

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Columns UNDERSTANDING MARKET BULLS AND BEARS

Pennies, dimes and dollars Small differences in price can make a big difference to your bottom line. Make the most of your grain sales BRIAN WITTAL

of so you can to take advantage of those that are relevant to your farm business operation.

CROP INSURANCE DEADLINES

hile it has not been what anyone would call the perfect harvest by a long stretch there has been great progress made across the Prairies over the past month. Now that many have wound up the harvest I thought it would be a good time to review some looming deadlines in regards to crop insurance and marketing programs that you need to be aware

These are just some of the deadlines, so please refer to appropriate websites for full details. Saskatchewan: October 31: the deadline to pay 2014 premiums without being charged interest. November 15: the deadline for filing production declarations as well as yield loss claims on harvested grains and/or to request an extension of insurance on any unharvested acres.

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Any claims submitted after November 15 are subject to a 25 per cent reduction of indemnities up to a maximum of $1,000. Find full Saskatchewan deadline information at: www.saskcropinsurance.com. Manitoba: November 30: the last day to file harvested production reports. Find full Manitoba crop insurance information at www.masc.mb.ca. Alberta: November 15: the deadline for filing crop harvested production reports. After that a $50 penalty will apply. Find full information about

the Alberta crop insurance corporation at www.afsc.ca.

CWB PROGRAM DEADLINES If you are selling your grain through CWB, find full details on its programs at www.cwb.ca. The Early Delivery Pool and the Futures Choice Early Delivery Pool are closed as of Sept. 12, 2014. The Annual Pools are still available to sign up tonnes until Oct. 31 or until the program is fully subscribed. Winter Pools are open to sign up tonnes until Feb. 13 2015, or until the program is fully subscribed. Currently, the remaining pools are no longer accepting sign up for CPSR or

CWRW. Canola or yellow peas being shipped by producer cars are no longer being accepted into any of the remaining pools.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND With all the variability in quality this year it is more important than ever to make sure you know what you have to sell. This starts with taking samples from all of your bins so that you can have each one tested and graded. Make sure you get bushel weights, moisture levels, grade specs, protein and falling number tests for milling wheats. Every buyer has different needs, so shop your samples around in order to ensure that as many buyers as possible see what you have to sell. If they don’t know what you have, they can’t bid for your grain! Something to keep in mind when trying to decide where to sell your milling grade wheat is that grade alone is not going to be the deciding factor — more so the falling number of your grain and your protein levels. Knowing what you have on a bin-to-bin basis will help you better market your wheat. Another thing to be aware of this year is that, despite the poor harvest, protein levels seem to be above average. Buyers are paying premiums for high protein wheat up to 15.5 per cent. If you are considering selling your wheat to the CWB through a Pool or Futures Choice contract be aware that they currently only pay for proteins up to 14.5 per cent for No. 1 and No. 2 CWRS, and only up to 13.5 per cent for No. 3 CWRS and No. 1, 2 and 3 CWADs.

Dimes turn into dollars If your CWRS proteins happen to be above 14.5 per cent or your CWAD proteins are above 13.5 per cent you will want to compare prices offered by all companies to see which company is paying the best overall price — some of the protein premiums being offered are substantial. U.S. buyers are offering very attractive protein premiums as they have very low proteins this year and need blending power. Another thing to keep in mind if you are delivering grain to the CWB: they are offering an equity ownership program which currently gives farmers $5 per tonne of equity value in the CWB when it is privatized in the future. Until the privatization is complete, this is a share proposal only. But once privatization is complete this becomes real value to your farm operation that brings future potential dividends. Farmers who live near any of the CWB-owned facilities or future planned facilities should factor this into marketing decisions when comparing prices offered by other companies. Keep your marketing pencil sharp. Pennies turn into dimes and dimes turn into dollars. When profit margins continue to get squeezed more every year, every penny you can earn counts! † Brian Wittal has 30 years of grain industry experience, and currently offers market planning and marketing advice to farmers through his company Pro Com Marketing Ltd. (www.procommarketingltd.com).

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop Project CJ3A

How to install U-joints

We now need to refurbish the driveshafts on our ongoing Jeep restoration project. That includes new U-joints By Scott Garvey

roject CJ3A is now well into the reassembly phase. It’s taken a long time getting to this point. With our attention now turned to finalizing driveline components, it’s time to take a look at the driveshafts. Before installing them, we decided to replace all the U-joints (otherwise known as universal joints). We took out the old U-joints, cleaned and painted the driveshafts, and freed up the stuck slip joints. There are a few different techniques to use when tackling U-joint replacement. But we wanted to use only basic hand tools to demonstrate how this job can be done in any farm shop — or as a field repair. Here’s how we put the new ones in.

Out with the old First, let’s take a look at how we got the old ones out. Ours are held in by snap rings on the outside of the bearing caps. (Some types have C-clips on the inside.) We used needle-nose pliers to slip them out of the groove in the driveshaft yoke. But that was easier said than done. Almost all of them were rusted in place. We sprayed some WD40 onto the U-joint caps. Then we used a small screwdriver and the pliers to finagle them out. Once the snap rings were removed, we rested the trunion arms of the U-joint on top of bench vice jaws. With an impact socket wider than the bearing caps, we pounded the socket down on the yoke, forcing each bearing cap up and out. After they were removed, we had to ensure there were no burrs on the driveshaft yoke, which could interfere with installation of the new bearing caps. If there were any, they’d need to be filed down. A quick rub inside the holes of the yoke with fine-grit sandpaper shone up the surfaces, readying them for the new bearing caps. It was also necessary to clean all the crud out of the snap-ring groves.

In with the new To get the new U-joints in, we positioned a new trunion in place inside the driveshaft yoke and put a new bearing cap in one ear of the yoke. With the driveshaft on a workbench, a large-faced hammer was used to tap the new bearing cap flush with the yoke. The driveshaft was flipped over and the process repeated on the other side. Next, a socket with a diameter smaller than the bearing cap was used to tap the cap into the yoke below the snap-ring grove. After installing one snap ring, the yoke was again turned over and this step repeated. A couple of firm taps on the ears of the driveshaft yoke with a hammer relieves any stress on the U-joint and allows the bearings to spin easily. You’ll be able to feel the difference when wiggling the new joint after doing this. When installing the bearing caps be careful to keep the needle bearings in place inside the cap. If any fall out of place, they can be put back into position with a small screwdriver — assuming you don’t loose them. Our U-joints are grease-able, so we had to remember to give them a good shot of it after the driveshafts were installed. And we had to be careful to position the grease zerks in the correct orientation, allowing for easy access. If you have access to a press in your workshop, that can make installing and removing the bearing caps an even easier (and quieter) job. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

photos: scott garvey

1: Using only basic hand tools, we put new U-joints into both driveshafts before they go back into the Jeep. 2: With the old U-joint trunion arms resting on top of bench vice jaws, place a wide socket over the yoke and pound it down pushing the bearing cap up out of the yoke and into the socket. 3: Inside the bearing caps is a layer of needle bearings. Ensure all are in place when installing a new cap. If any fall out of position, they can be put back in line with a small screwdriver. 4: Holding the trunion in one bearing cap, tap the cap down flush with the yoke. Then flip the driveshaft over and repeat the process. A small-diameter socket is then used to push the bearing caps into the yoke below the snap ring groove. 5: Our U-joints have external snap rings holding them into the driveshaft. Remove and reinstall them using needle-nose or snap-ring pliers.

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Machinery & Shop Seeding technology

In the field with SeedMaster’s new corn meter Grainews was at SeedMaster’s research farm to look at the company’s new air drill corn seeding capability

he expansion of corn production into non-traditional growing regions has been one of the hottest topics of conversation in prairie agriculture for some time now. But for many producers, the cost of purchasing additional equipment to grow that crop has been one of the reasons they haven’t yet tried it. Air drill manufacturer SeedMaster believes it has a viable alternative to spending all that cash on additional machines to get the job done. The firm’s dedicated corn meter, which is designed to work with the existing on-frame granular tanks on its drills, is now available. “We’re able to use our existing tanks and have a meter that is designed to direct seed corn in a notill application,” says Owen Kinch, SeedMaster’s field research manager. “The corn meter can meter to every opener or every second opener.”

Using only every second opener on a drill with 15-inch row spacing allows farmers to harvest a stand using a 30-inch combine corn header. And although management at SeedMaster isn’t claiming their meter can exactly match the singulation capability of a planter, their field results suggest it can come pretty close. And with seed lines routed directly from the meter to the openers instead of through distribution towers, marketing reps say seed survival rates are very high. “On these meters the rotational direction is reversed,”Kinch continues. “So it’s scooping the (seed) over the top of the meter and dropping it down into the chute. It drops into the venturi tube and goes directly to the openers without going through any towers. We’re seeing definite advantages by eliminating the towers. We’re increasing the seed survival where almost every seed germinates and grows into a viable plant.”

photos: scott garvey

Owen Kinch, field research manager, explains the features of the SeedMaster metering system to farmers attending a demonstration day at the company’s research farm in June.

In the field So how do crop stands planted with the drill and new meter really compare to those from a planter? The company is in the second year of comparison field trials to determine just that. Yield results from the first year of pitting a SeedMaster drill with the new meter against a commercially-available planter showed the drill gave the planter a run for its money. “This year we’re running a number of trials where we’re

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putting the SeedMaster on 15-inch row spacing against the SeedMaster on 30-inch row spacing, against a John Deere vacuum planter on 30-inch row spacing,” says Kinch. “This is the second year for these trials. In the first year, the vacuum planter out-yielded the SeedMaster by 3-1/2 per cent.” But there may be more to consider than just absolute yield numbers. When the advantages of using an air drill — which most western farms already need — are factored in, the new

metering system may actually offer an overall advantage over a planter, particularly if farmers can only expect a yield advantage in the low single-digits with a planter. The most obvious advantage is farmers can avoid spending money on an additional implement just for corn planting. The smaller the number of corn acres in a rotation, the greater this advantage becomes. And when direct seeding, the cost of preworking fields and the time it

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By Scott Garvey

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

SeedMaster introduces towbetween cart

t Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina, Seed-Master pulled the wraps off the first tow-between model in its Nova XP Smart Cart Series. The brand claims the new model comes with all the same “smart” technology available in the Nova towbehind models. With two 260-bushel main compartments and a third 110-bushel tank, the cart has an overall capacity of 630 bushels. Offering a towbetween models allows the brand’s customers to more easily pull an additional fertilizer tank for liquid or anhydrous ammonia behind the drill, the company claims in its promotional brochure. † Scott Garvey

PHOTO: SCOTT GARVEY

SeedMaster debuted the first tow-between version of its Nova XP Smart Cart Series at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina in June.

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SeedMaster staff demonstrate the corn meter’s performance. away takes from the precious spring seeding window are eliminated. No-till corn seeding gets it into the ground early, which could be an advantage in regions where available corn heat units are at a premium. “Where we see the benefits to this meter is it allows growers to use existing equipment and be able to direct seed corn into standing stubble,” says Kinch. “There are many advantages to seeding directly into the standing stubble. We’re not committed to having to pre-work that ground. We’re eliminating that pass. So instead of out there working that land, we’re seeding it. Also, at that same time we’re applying the full nutrient requirement to that crop for the season in that same single pass.” But while yield results from one year are valuable, more research is still required to reliably compare yield differences. So SeedMaster will continue with field-scale seeding comparisons to accumulate more data, allowing growers can make informed financial decisions. “This year we have it on approximately 10 farms,” Kinch adds. “A number of growers are conducting trials against other air drills and other brands of vacuum planters as well.” For a video look at SeedMaster’s corn meter, click on the e-QuipTV heading under the videos link at Grainews.ca. †

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Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com. 14211_Salford_1plus1equals3_8.125x10_Grainews_Sep14.indd 1

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Machinery & Shop Canada’s Farm Progress Show

Morris introduces new drill features A new C2 Contour drill opener and shank design along with a double-shoot option on the Razr took the spotlight at the company’s display during this year’s CFPS in Regina By Scott Garvey

nce again, Morris Industries had new features on display this year at Canada’s Farm Progress Show to entice visitors into its display. But seeing a plastic seed opener on the updated C2 Contour drill shank might have been an unexpected sight for many of those who stopped by. The injected polymer material on Morris’ new opener, however, offers some significant improvements over the cast iron version it replaces, according to the company’s marketing reps. “We’ve worked on these for four years now,” says Garth Massie, Morris’ corporate agronomist. “It’s a type of plastic that’s fairly malleable, so for stones, if there’s an impact, it will take some blows without shattering. It’s kind of an interesting material we’re getting from a company in Germany.” In field trials over the past four years, the new polymer stood up extremely well, proving it can easily compete with the previous cast iron type when it comes to durability, explains Massie. “We found these boots run in the shadow of the shovel so they don’t really wear,” he says. “So we weren’t too concerned (about wear). On our own drill at the farm we’ve had them on for four years. You wouldn’t really be able to tell them from new. There isn’t really any wear on them.” Using this new material allowed engineers to improve overall performance of both the opener and the shank. One significant advantage is the polymer is less prone to dust and debris buildup from fertilizer in damp conditions. “One of the things we learned along the way, with the cast (opener) in these high humidity years if you combine that with some iffy quality fertilizer, dust will gradually build-up on the inside. With these, because of the material, they don’t get a buildup.” And the polymer openers are more compact, making them shorter and a little narrower than the cast iron type, which helps improve soil flow around the shank. “They’re quite a bit lighter,” explains Massie. “The cast one is quite a bit longer, it’s about nine inches, and this one is only six. So there is less surface area for soil to stick to. And if you look at the profile, this is 1-1/8 inch wide and the cast is 1-1/2. Soil flow is

going to be better around these openers, because they are narrower. You don’t want to have any soil pushed to the outside. That normally determines how fast you go, because you don’t want to cover any adjacent furrows. Hopefully, these will be a little more forgiving, because they’re narrower. The polymer openers are designed to accommodate granular, liquid and anhydrous ammonia fertilizer types. And because the new openers do a better job of closing the seed trench, Massie notes there is less ammonia smell and off gassing when using anhydrous. “As far as agronomic performance, fertilizer and seed separation, we really made sure we maintained that level of performance that was always a hallmark of that particular opener,” he continues. The opener shank itself also gets an update, which includes the additional of nearly a third more hardened carbide parts to help reduce wear on the metal and improve longevity. “The plastic material is quite a cost saving,” says Massie. “There are two main savings in this design. First you won’t need those mud guards. Those are costly. And this (polymer) material is quite a bit less than cast. But because we’ve introduced almost a third more carbide, that’s basically eaten up any cost advantage. We’re thinking they’re going to be quite similar in cost (to the previous design), but they should last considerably longer. I’m thinking on our own farm it should double the wear life, but I don’t know if that will be true for everybody.” Also on display at this year’s show was the Razr coulter drill Morris launched last year. But for 2015, it too gets an opener update. When the company first introduced the Razor it was available only in a single-shoot configuration. Company executives, however, acknowledge that really only appeals to a small segment of the marketplace. So this year, the Razr drill on display in Regina sported a new doubleshoot option. The Razr can now place fertilizer between seed rows with the addition of a row of dedicated openers. The fertilizer openers are exactly the same as the seed openers which allows for commonality of parts, and the fertilizer coulters can be locked up to revert to a single-shoot application if desired. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott. Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

photos: scott garvey

Top: Garth Massie, corporate agronomist at Morris Industries holds the redesigned C2 Contour drill shank with a new opener, which is now made of injected polymer material. Bottom: The Razr coulter drill is now available in both single- and double-shoot configurations.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop Shop class

Wearing safety gear in the shop Angle grinder attachment failure highlights the need for caution in the workshop By Scott Garvey

he welding instructors during my college days were strict enforcers of a dress code. Show up without proper safety clothing — or worse yet, with a Bic lighter in your pocket — and you were sent home. (Welding sparks could melt the plastic casing on the disposable Bics and ignite the butane fuel inside them.) Without strict adherence to safety rules, it was just too easy to get hurt in the college’s shop with welders and torches going at every workstation. On the farm it can be tempting to let shop safety practices slide. A couple of incidents in my shop reinforced the need to stay safe. First, while working on Grainews Project CJ3A, I was lying under the Jeep chassis. My safety glasses had a slight tint and were making it hard to see in the dim light, so I took them off to get a better look. A few seconds later a bolt that was lying on the frame fell and hit me in the eye — Murphy’s Law. Fortunately, it didn’t cause anything more than a temporary ache. But it highlights the need to ensure you use the right safety gear. Tinted safety glasses are useful when working outside or to help minimize the affects of arc flash if you accidentally touch a torch to a work piece without your helmet down when welding. But for mechanical work inside the shop, clear lenses are the best. Keeping disposable lens cleaning patches on hand inside the shop for your safety glasses is a good idea. The second shop incident could have been much more serious. While using a wire brush attachment on an angle grinder to strip some paint and rust — again on Project CJ3A — my safety glasses came in handy. (Yes, this time I kept them on.) Several wire bristles stripped off at the grinder’s rated speed of 12,000 r.p.m. and were flung back at me. I was protected, but I was also wearing an additional full-face safety shield, which deflected the flying debris heading toward my face. When using tools like a grinder that send off fragments at high speed, ordinary safety glasses alone aren’t adequate. Always wear a full-face shield. I was also wearing heavy coveralls, which protected the rest of my body. Several of the flying bristles embedded themselves in the thick denim fabric. It took a minute or so to pluck them all out. The metal fragments probably would have only caused minor scrapes if I hadn’t had thick clothing on. Are safety glasses a requirement for anyone working in your farm shop? Do you enforce defined safety practices on your farm? Even with ample safety gear in my shop, I have to admit, there have been a couple of trips to the medical clinic for treatment of shop injuries over the years. But thanks to the training provided by those college instructors, the injuries have been few and far between. †

photos: scott garvey

Left: The wire bristles on this angle grinder attachment stripped off during use and were sent flying back toward the operator, which emphasizes the need for constant eye protection in the workshop. Right: Some of the broken bristles (the sliver pieces) were embedded the in the fabric of these heavy overalls, but didn’t cause any injuries.

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

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Machinery & Shop Farm robotics

Kinze develops its Autonomous Tractor Project The driverless grain cart tractor concept takes another step closer to commercialization By Scott Garvey

photo: kinze

Kinze Manufacturing’s Autonomous Tractor Project, a system that allows a tractor to tow a grain cart without a driver, has moved one step closer to commercial release.

n 2011 Kinze, a company best known for building planters and grain carts, surprised many industry observers by announcing it had taken a plunge into the high-tech world of robotics with its Autonomous Tractor Project. It partnered with Jaybridge Robotics of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to develop an auto-

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mated system to control tractors that pull grain carts through a field, making the driver redundant. Kinze also announced it was developing the same autonomous system to work in tractors pulling planters in row-crop fields. The grain cart project, however, has been the one the company seems to be focusing on the most. In its most recent announcement, Kinze updated the industry on its current stage of development. During the 2013 growing season, systems had been leased to three U.S. farmers who were the first to use them without direct supervision from the company’s engineers. These farmers were part of what was actually an initial realworld evaluation of the system and an early prelude to full commercial release. “...This year Kinze representatives were not in the field overseeing operation of the system, which allowed the farmers to use the technology independently,” reads the company’s press release. Apparently, the farmers who used it were suitably impressed. “Because the technology was brand new last year, we took every precaution to make sure it ran properly,” said Rhett Schildroth, senior product manager at Kinze. “We made several minor improvements, and this year the farmers ran the technology by themselves. We’re now getting very positive feedback. The system just works. The farmers keep asking when they can buy it.” Although the company has still not yet given any firm date for a full commercial release of the system, it says the 2013 limited release provided an opportunity for the farmers who participated to test the four recent improvements. The range of wireless vehicle-tovehicle communications the system is capable of was widened. Kinze also increased the range of diagnostic information available to the operator. The speed of vehicle route planning was improved, and a “go to here” feature was added, allowing the tractor and cart to be sent to a strategic location in the field to await further instructions. “The “go to here” feature really opens up the field,” said Kent Armstrong, a farmer from Cameron, Illinois, who was one of those leasing the system last year. “After the corn is unloaded into the semi, I instruct the tractor to drive to the best place in the field to wait until I’m ready. It helps the tractor get to the combine for unloading in the most efficient way possible and opens up the field for combining.” For 2014 Kinze plans to expand the number of autonomous systems working in fields by leasing the system to a larger group of farmers in Illinois and Iowa. So far, however, they haven’t provided any more details. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop NEW TECHNOLOGY

Kinze’s multi-hybrid concept planter This machine can alternate between two different seed hybrids based on information from prescription maps BY SCOTT GARVEY

inze has announced it is working on a prototype planter that will allow producers to load two different seed hybrids and switch back and forth between them while on the go. When making a field pass, the planter’s controller uses information from a prescription map to select and meter out the appropriate hybrid seeds where they are best suited to the localized growing conditions. Here’s how their press release describes it: “Multi-hybrid technology provides farmers with the ability to change the seed hybrid they are planting automatically as the planter moves through the field. Instead of selecting an average seed variety for use across an entire field, seed hybrids can be selected and automatically planted to suit different field management zones.” For example, in parts of a field with high productivity soil a higher performing seed variety can be used, whereas a “workhorse” seed variety can be used in less productive areas. Or in fields with poor drainage, a variety that can handle moisture can be planted in the lower areas, with a more productive variety used in field locations with a higher elevation. “The electric multi-hybrid planter will allow farmers to maximize yield in every part of their field, and not have to make compromises,” said Rhett Schildroth, senior product manager at Kinze Manufacturing.

“The yield gains in our trials varied from two bushels per acre to more than 10 bushels per acre by utilizing multi-hybrid planting. And unlike other crop practices that seem to have good results one year and negative results the next, every trial we’ve conducted with multi-hybrid planting has resulted in a yield increase.” The multi-hybrid concept planter uses new row units, each equipped with its own pair of seed metres. Both meters drop their hybrids into a common, single seed tube. The row unit gauge wheels, openers, and closing wheels are identical to a standard Kinze 4000 Series row unit. The concept planter also uses electric drive to improve accuracy and to accommodate the new technology. “This (planter design) was only possible by using the new electric drive option on the Kinze 4000 Series meters. By eliminating the drive chain and clutch, we were able to orient the meters close together so that they feed a single seed tube,” said Schildroth. “It is a very elegant way to add the multi-hybrid planting capability.” Kinze has built a few prototypes for the 2014 seeding season and will be partnering with some farmers for further field trials across the U.S. Midwest. Expect to hear more from the company later in 2014, after that round of field trials concludes. †

PHOTO: KINZE

The Kinze multi-hybrid prototype planter uses an electric drive system to turn the twin meters on each row unit.

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

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers

Quebec City hosts OYF national event Outstanding young farmers from across Canada will gather in Quebec on November 28

eautiful down town Quebec City will be the backdrop later this month for the 34th annual Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) national awards program, being hosted this year by the La Belle province OYF committee. Nearly 200 OYF alumni and guests from across Canada are expected in Quebec City, Nov. 26 to 30 to participate in activities that culminates Friday Nov. 28 with the selection of two of the seven regional nominees being selected as the 2014 national OYF winners. The regional nominees are seven entrepreneurial individuals or farm couples from across Canada who have been chosen from their home provinces or regions, and will present highlights of their farming operations at the national event. The regional nominees this year include: Lydia Ryall, Cropthorne Farm representing B.C. and Yukon; Richard and Nicole Brousseau of Moo-Lait Family Farm, representing Alberta; Aaron and Adrienne Ivey of Evergreen Cattle Co. representing Saskatchewan; Myron and Jillian Krahn of Krahn Agri Farms Ltd. representing Manitoba; Jason and Amanda O’Connell of Sunol Farms Ltd. representing Ontario; Bruno Soucy and Helene St-Pierre of Ferme du Murier

Inc. representing Quebec; and Andrew and Heidi Lawless of Hilltop Produce Ltd. representing Atlantic Canada. There are various activities including nominee judging, as well as local tours before the awards event. The public is invited to attend the full day of activities Nov. 28 that includes a special forum during the day followed in the evening by a gala banquet to announce Canada’s 2014 national OYF winners. The day-long OYF event includes an information forum entitled “The Clash of Generations” featuring Carol Allain. Held at the Quebec City Conference Centre, pre-registration is required at www.oyfcanada.com and includes the forum (10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.), lunch (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.), honouree presentations (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.) and awards gala with special In Concert Beatles Story show (6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.). Pre-registration is required to attend the OYF event in person — forum/lunch/ presentations are $60 per person, presentations/gala and show are $90 per person, and forum/lunch/presentations/gala and show are $120 per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable tax and can be ordered at www.oyfcanada.com. Celebrating 34 years, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program is an annual competition to recognize

photo: thinkstock

farmers that exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture. Open to participants 18 to 39 years of age, making the majority of income from on-farm sources, participants are selected from seven regions across Canada, with two national winners chosen each year.

The program is sponsored nationally by CIBC, John Deere, Bayer CropScience and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The national media sponsor is Annex Media, and the program is supported nationally by AdFarm, BDO and Farm Management Canada. † Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

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Straight to consumers, year round B.C.’s Outstanding Young Farmer Lydia Ryall gets her organic vegetables into the hands of her grateful customers 12 months of the year By Shirley Byers

ydia Ryall, the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmer nominee for the B.C./ Yukon region grows vegetables and pastures a flock of 100 laying hens on her 10 acre certified organic farm on Westham Island off the B.C. west coast. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be a farmer. She kept her eyes on that goal through a diploma in agricultural production at Olds College, a B.Sc. in agriculture at the University of Lethbridge and a job with Alberta Agriculture and Rural . Ryall began her farming career in 2009, growing a market garden on a corner of her parents’ South Delta on B.C. lower mainland property. While she liked the gardening part, she wasn’t prepared to take over the family’s 18-acre vegetable greenhouse. “They ended up having a really big operation,” she says. “They have 100 employees. I just thought they had their hands in the soil less and less. I kind of wanted something on a smaller scale.” On Ryall’s 10-acre farm the rotation includes traditional crops like potatoes, beets, carrots and broccoli but she also grows a lot of speciality vegetables, such as celeriac, kale, purple cauliflower and several varieties of winter squash. “We make sure we’re growing a few things that customers traditionally don’t find in grocery stores,” she says. “That pulls them to our farm stand or the farmers market.”

Ryall grows 50 different types of vegetables. Aided and abetted by the mild climate and fertile soil of the Fraser Delta, three small greenhouses, one of which is movable, plus row tunnels and raised beds, she harvests vegetables 12 months of the year, In winter celeriac, leeks, Brussel sprouts, chard and kale thrive outside while hoop houses keep salad greens, radishes, Asian greens, lettuce, spinach and more at the right temperature. Add traditional storage crops such as parsnips, carrots, potatoes, cabbage and beets and it’s not hard to see why her winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes are snapped up as quickly as her summer ones. Her CSA membership, which delivers farm produce direct to consumers, has grown from 25 members in 2010 to 130 today. She added a farmgate vegetable stand in 2013. She sells her produce and eggs from the farm stand and also attends several farmers markets in the area. Her crops and chickens are certified organic through Fraser Valley Organic Producers. While some farmers agree with the organic philosophy but object to the supervision and fees that go with it, Ryall has a different view. “The money goes to beneficial programs and so I never have a problem paying our certification fees,” she says. “And yes, there’s paperwork involved but I think it pushes us to be better farmers. It’s similar to FOOD SAFE paperwork. You need to be keeping production records and

photo: canada’s oyf program

Ryall grows 50 different types of vegetables. seed lot numbers. It’s just good farming practice. There’s not too much record keeping that we have to do for certified organics that we shouldn’t really already be doing, regardless.” Her sister, Rachel, works with her on the farm. She also has two full-time, year-round employees, five full-time seasonal employees and up to four part-time employees and apprentices. From a girl growing up on a

farm to owning and managing her own farm, it’s been a journey. Looking back, over the past five years, Ryall says, what she’s learned has been mostly management skills: how to plan and prioritize, dealing with employees, making sure people are working effectively. “You don’t really get taught that at school,” she says. What does the future hold? “We’ve expanded a lot over the last five to six years,” she says. “Now

it’s a matter of trying to finesse the systems we have. Personally, I want to be an effective manager, and I want to be learning more about the soil, what’s going on down below the surface. And then there are some little things like learning more about cover cropping. My goals are not production or marketing. It’s just getting better with what we have now.” † Shirley Byers is a Saskatchewan-based freelance writer.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers ALBERTA

New barn grows dairy Moo-Lait Farms makes plans for future growth BY LEE HART

icole Brousseau figures her husband Richard walked their dairy herd through every corner of their new northeast Alberta dairy barn at least 1,000 times (in his head) before they even began construction of the barn, which was completed and put into service in March. The 72'x160' loose housing structure that connects to a double seven herringbone milking parlor is working well for the Brousseaus at Moo-Lait Family Farm at St. Paul, Alta., and the cows didn’t miss a beat either. “We are happy with every aspect of the barn,” says Richard. “Everything works as well as we had planned. “A lot of that has to do with the fact that Richard visualized the movement of cattle through this barn, I don’t know how many times, before we even started building,” says Nicole. “We considered a lot of plans and we really wanted to make it functional.” And the transition of bringing the cows into the new barn for the first milking March 18 was flawless too. They had brought the cows into the barn a couple of times before it was completely finished for a bit of a rehearsal. The cows seemed to be as ready for the move to the new barn as the Brousseaus. The Brousseaus who along with their three children farm in partnership with Nicole’s parents, Bert and Yvonne Poulin, were earlier this year named the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmer nominees for Alberta. They will be in Quebec City later this month competing in the national awards program. Building the new loose housing barn, that replaced a long-standing and outdated tie-stall facility, is an important milestone for the dairy farm. “It really gives us a new starting point in the growth of the dairy,” says Richard. “We had maxed out our old facilities and now we have some room to growth, and this new barn is easily expanded as needed.” The Brousseaus returned to the farm part time in 2006 working towards being full time dairy farmers in 2008. Nicole was born and raised on the farm, and later went to Lakeland College in Vermillion. Richard was born on a Vermillionarea grain and hog operation. They both attended and later worked at Lakeland College before deciding in 2006 to get involved in the dairy business along with Nicole’s parents. In 2006 they were milking about 25 head. As Nicole and Richard got involved they bought their own cows and quota and began to increase the milking herd. Along with increasing numbers, they’ve also worked to improve the overall quality and genetics of the cattle. Today they are milking 50 head. The new loose housing barn was initially designed to handle a 60 head herd. When they started milking cows about eight years ago, production averaged about 18 kilograms of milk per cow per day. And today production is averaging 30 kilograms per cow per day. “It is a combination of several things that have made a differ-

ence,” says Richard. There is no natural service now, the cows are all bred to top sires through A.I. and cows are all selected for type and production characteristics. They also produce most of the ingredients used in a dairy ration that is milled and prepared on farm. Along with a high forage component, they buy dry distillers grain and a custom mineral premix for the ration. And as a main protein source for the milking herd they have replaced canola meal, with pea meal, from the pea crop they produce. “Working with a nutritionist, we aim to have a ration that optimizes production but is high in forages and doesn’t push the cows too hard,” says Richard. “We want to increase milk production, but we

also want healthy cows with some longevity and that starts with a healthy rumen.” Along with the dairy, the Brousseau’s crop about 1,000 acres of deeded and rented land producing barley, peas, oats and alfalfa. The new loose housing barn has been perhaps the most visible change in the operation in recent years, but they’ve also made changes that include switching crop production from conventional to minimum tillage, soil testing to better manage crop fertility program, and good rotations. While they are still getting comfortable with the new barn, plans eare to increase the milking herd (and quota) to 60 head, and then to focus on optimizing the milk production of those cattle.

PHOTO: CANADA’S OYF PROGRAM

Richard and Nicole Brousseau with Ethan, Cassie and Emery. “And machinery-wise, for the amount of cropping we do, we have always operated with used equipment, and we plan to continue with that,” says Nicole. “But we also want to look at replacing or refreshing some of this equipment as well.” Along with farming, they are actively involved in school and outside activities with their three children. Nicole is involved with

the school council church programs, while Richard is a vicechair of the St. Paul seed cleaning plant and vice-president of the archery club. Both Richard and Nicole will be members of the advisory committee to the Lakeland College animal science program this year. † Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers SASKATCHEWAN

Focsing on strengths Aaron and Adrienne Ivey’s focus on their cow-calf operation has taken them to the top BY LEE HART

PHOTO: CANADA’S OYF PROGRAM

The Ivey family of Evergreen Cattle Co. will represent Saskatchewan at Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers national awards program in Quebec City later this month. Above are Aaron and Adrienne Ivey with their children Colton, seven, and Noelle, nine, with trusted family member, Ben, in the middle.

aron and Adrienne Ivey say it is important that they concentrate on the strengths of their eastcentral Saskatchewan ranching operation. Producing beef and grass is the core business on their ranch near Ituna, Sask. northeast of Regina. They seed some annual crops to accommodate pasture and hay land rotation, and while they background their calves they no longer run a finishing feedlot. Both crop production and finishing cattle require time, more labour and an increased capital cost. “Probably one of the most important changes we made in the last

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few years was to focus our efforts on what we do best,” says Aaron, who was born and raised on the family farm. “Rather than try to do a little bit of everything we have focused on the cow-calf operation. We’re not growing grain. We are not finishing cattle. We run a cowherd and we produce pasture and forages to feed them. We focus on what works best to maximize our farm profits.” The Ivey’s, who own and operate Evergreen Cattle Co. are the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) for Saskatchewan. They will be competing for the national title at the OYF awards program in Quebec City later this month. The Ivey’s met at the University of Saskatchewan and after completing their respective programs

— Aaron with a degree in animal science and Adrienne with a degree in agronomy — they returned to Ituna in the early 2000’s to work with Aaron’s parents, Bob And Karen Ivey to build the ranching operation. Today they run a herd of 1,200 c o m m e rc i a l , p r e d o m i n a n t l y Angus cows, over about 9,600 acres of pasture, hay and annual crop land. (They seed about 1,500 acres per year to grain crops — it stays in grain for two years — all part of a scheduled rotation to renew tame forages produced for hay and pasture.) With calving in May and June, all calves are backgrounded over winter in an on-farm feedlot, then put on grass the following year. “Depending on the year, by August or September those calves are moved into a custom finishing feedlot,” says Ivey. “ We retain ownership of the calves until they are marketed as finished cattle.” The Ivey’s had considered building the farm with more annual cropping, and for a while they finished their calves in a 2,500 head capacity on-farm feedlot. “Probably one of the most important changes in recent years, was getting back to our strengths,” says Ivey. “We sat down at the kitchen “boardroom” table and talked about what we wanted from the farm and where our focus should be to develop a sustainable and profitable farming operation. And the simple answer to that was to focus on producing grass and a productive cow-calf herd.” The Ivey’s have developed what is essentially a year-round grazing program. The herd calves out on early spring pasture, grazes for the summer and usually well into the fall in a rotational grazing program on the farm. As winter sets in the cowherd moves into a winter bale-grazing program. Hay is strategically baled and placed in different fields over the summer, and the herd is moved from field to field over winter. “We aim to have sufficient bale grazing through into late winter and then as the snow leaves the cows move into stockpiled forage in spring, which carries them through to calving and new grass growth,” says Aaron. It has been a trial and error program.” Looking ahead, the Ivey’s first to get a solid handle on recent farm growth. “In recent years we have poured all our energies into expanding the beef herd and developing our backgrounding operation,” says Aaron. “We have grown fast. And now we have a young family as well, so in the immediate future our plans are to fine-tune the operation we have, as well as have time to raise our family.” Along with the ranching operation, Adrienne is leader of the local light horse 4-H Club and chair of the local school board. Aaron has served on the rural municipality council, is past president of the Saskatchewan Forage Council, current chair of The Forage Network, and serves as a rancher mentor for researchers involved with the Canadian Cattleman’s Assoc. Beef Cattle Research Centre. † Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@ fbcpublishing.com.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers MANITOBA

Adding value pays off When buying more land became difficult, Myron and Jillian Krahn made the most of what they had BY LEE HART

yron and Jillian Krahn don’t have a lot of opportunity to increase the land base of their southern Manitoba farm, but they do grab every opportunity they can to add more value to farm enterprises they do have. They’ve increased the size of the farm near Carmen, Man. considerably since they took over the operation about 13 years ago, but now their focus is in growing various aspects of the business which is centered on commercial grains and oilseed production as well as a pedigree seed business. “We don’t pass up too many opportunities to make a dollar or add value to our farm business,” says Myron, who was born and raised on the family farm located about two miles north of Carmen. Jillian was raised on a farm near Morris, Manitoba. “It is getting difficult to buy more farmland in this area, so we are looking to add value to what we have.” The Krahns are the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmer (OYF) nominees for Manitoba. They will be in Quebec City later this month competing with other regional finalists for the national OYF award. When Myron returned to farming in 2001 after graduating from the University of Manitoba and working off-farm for a few years, he and Jillian decided they needed to increase the size of Krahn Agri Farms Ltd. and also diversify the business. The original home place was about 900 acres. In the following years they increased farm size to about 3,000 acres. About half their crops are commercial corn, soybeans, wheat, canola and oats, while the other half of their soybean, cereal, and canola acres are produced as certified seed. They also have a “small but very interesting” acreage of native grass seed production. The Krahn’s look after all their own field work and take on some custom work for other farmers as well, including everything from seeding to harvesting to grain drying. The native grass seed business isn’t a big part of their operation, but “it has very high margins, and it is fun”, says Myron. There aren’t many producers of native grass seed, used mainly for conservation and environmental rehab and restoration projects, so it comes with an ongoing learning curve. And in the past few years they have also been developing a certified seed retail business at the farm as well. “There are couple things we’ve done in recent years that have helped us develop the farm business we have today,” says Krahn. “One important step was getting involved in the retail seed business. And along with that we began a discussion of what we wanted this farm to be. “We talked about it, we developed a business plan and set goals — and we have stuck to that. It’s meant being very disciplined and it has meant having a sharp pencil. We’ve had to improve our management, C

and we’ve had to focus on certain retail business — put more effort areas and maintain proper records. into marketing and sales, and perBut in that process we know every haps expand our crop types as month were our business is at, and well. And if the opportunity comes along to buy more land we will adjust plans as needed.” With strong demand for farm- look at that too.” Along with farming, the land in the Carmen area, Krahn says it is difficult to find land Krahns also have a young family, available, at an economical price, Cadence, 10 and Keira, eight. Both for grain and oilseed production. Myron and Jillian are involved That fact has directed them to add in the children’s sporting and as much value as they can to the school activities. And at the association level, Myron is president various farm enterprises. “Looking ahead our emphasis of the Manitoba Corn Growers will be on expanding the seed retail Association and also served for business,” says Krahn. They have several years on the board of directheir own seed cleaning and seed tors of the local Co-op. † treating facilities as well as a ware- Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, house. “It is very tough to expand Contact1him2014-10-02 at 403-592-1964 2:51 or by email NSG CA Print Ad 8.125x10 Richer.pdf PM at lee@ acres, so we plan to expand the fbcpublishing.com.

PHOTO: CANADA’S OYF PROGRAM

The Krahn family will represent Manitoba as regional finalists at the Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers national awards program in Quebec City this year. Above, Myron and Jillian Krahn with their daughters, Cadence, 10, left and Keira, eight.

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers Ontario

More production New technology means more milk, fewer cows By Lee Hart

P photo: canada’s oyf program

Jason and Amanda O’Connell with daughter Margaret and one of the up and coming dairy calves on their farm near Carelton Place, Ontario. The newest family member, Mackenzie, born in early October, had not yet arrived when this photo was taken.

roducing more milk with fewer cows has been the management focus of Eastern Ontario dairy farmers Jason and Amanda O’Connell, over the past few years. When they returned to farming in 2006 and began working with Amanda’s father on the family dairy farm at Carleton Place, west of Ottawa they were milking about 115 head producing for 70 kilograms of butterfat quota. Through a concerted program of culling cattle and improving genetics the O’Connells are now milking 90 head — 25 to 30 fewer cows — but producing 120 kilograms of butterfat quota. “The emphasis has been on improving production efficiency,”

says Amanda who was born and raised on the family’s Sunol Farms. “We now have a purebred Holstein dairy herd and continue to work on increasing production as quota becomes available.” The O’Connells, who were also part way through harvest of grain corn and soybeans heading into November, are the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmer nominees for Ontario. They will be competing at the OYF national awards program in Quebec City, later this month. Amanda’s grandfather started the dairy in 1962 with 10 head of Shorthorn cattle. Over the years the dairy was expanded by her father, Stuart Hammond, and today the O’Connells farm in a 50/50 partnership with him.

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Jason was born and raised on a small beef farming operation, not far from the Hammond dairy farm. After high school, he and Amanda attended Kemptville agriculture college south of Ottawa. Amanda then attended the University of Guelph to obtain a bachelor of science degree in agriculture, while Jason managed a family member’s beef feedlot, Hamilton Livestock at nearby Almonte, Ontario. In 2006 they returned to Sunol Farms to join the dairy operation. Along with the cowherd, the O’Connells also produce cash crops including, 700 acres of corn, 700 acres of soybeans, about 200 acres of winter wheat, about 200 acres of grass hay, marketed mostly as a cash crop and about 100 acres of alfalfa. They produce most of their own feed stuffs for the dairy ration that includes, alfalfa hay and silage, corn silage made with a BMR (brown midrib) hybrid corn which has improved digestibility, dry corn, and straw. Those ingredients are all blended in a total mixed ration, along with a protein supplement. While milk production can vary, the average ranges between 35 to 39 litres per cow per day. The O’Connells have followed a management program with related objectives over the past seven years — improve herd production, and buy more milk quota. “We have been vigilant since we returned to the farm to increase our quota and also improve the milk production of the herd,” says Amanda. “We have bid on quota every month since we have been farming.” A few years ago there was no limit on quota so they were able to make some larger purchases, however in more recent years gains have been smaller. “Being able to increase our milk quota has made it possible to improve the overall operation,” says Amanda. “Being able to ship more milk has increased our cash flow, which means we have been able to improve facilities and adopt new technology on the farm.” One of the upcoming major projects for Sunol Farms is to build a new heifer barn. Planning has just started on that. At present the main 220 head freestall barn houses dairy cattle, bred heifers, dry cows and all replacement heifers over six months of age. It is at capacity. “Our plan is to build a new heifer barn, to provide more herd segregation and free up space in the main barn,” says Amanda. “Then as we are able to buy more quota we can add more cows to the milking herd.” There is plenty of room in the double-eight milking parlor to handle more cows, but space is needed in the free-stall barn. The O’Connells now have two hired hands working on the farm. “For the first five years we did everything ourselves,” says Amanda. “But when our first daughter was born three years ago we hired our first worker.” Their young family includes Margaret, three, and Mackenzie, who was born in early October. † Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers QUEBEC

Farmers focus on improving Ayrshire genetics Quebec dairy herd just part of a diversified third generation farming operation BY LEE HART

ontinuing to improve the genetics as well as facilities within their dairy and hog operations tops the priority list for Quebec farmers Bruno Soucy and his wife Helene St. Pierre, as they look at where their farm is headed over the next few years. Further improvements to barns used for a 1,500 head hog finishing operation, continuing to improve the genetics of the purebred Ayrshire dairy herd, and enlarging and remodeling one of the existing dry cow barns, are all key to ensuring the continued success of this third generation Ferme du Murier. Soucy and St. Pierre farm at Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière, a community on the south side of the St. Lawrence River, west of Quebec City. The couple was earlier this year named the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmer nominees for Quebec. They will compete in the national awards competition in Quebec City later this month. Soucy, who was born and raised on the family farm, has had a lifelong passion for farming. Even at the age of 12 he was involved in breed selection and genetics for the dairy herd. Later in life he attended college, La Pocatiere where he obtained a degree (Diplôme d’études collégiales or DEC) in animal science. He worked off farm for a few years before returning home to farm full time with his father. Although Helene, who has a non-farming background, helps out as much as possible, she is also busy raising their two children, and has a full time career as an officer with Quebec Provincial Police. The farm, started by Bruno’s grandfather in 1947, has always been a mixed dairy, hog and cropping operation. Today Soucy, milks a 130 head herd of purebred Aryshire cattle, has facilities for finishing about 1,500 hogs and also crops about 470 acres. He produces alfalfa and silage corn, primarily as feed for the dairy herd, as well as soybean and grain corn cash crops. While Soucy is involved in all aspects of the farm, his expertise is with the dairy herd. His approach to breeding management, use of embryo transplants and genetics and keen eye have helped him improve the quality of the family herd. Their herd genetics are sought after by breeders in various European countries. In 2014, they were honoured with the Ayrshire Master Breeder in Canada title. Since Soucy and St. Pierre returned to the farm 12 years ago, Bruno has focused on improving all aspects of the dairy operation. Herd genetics is one aspect, but

he also recently installed a robotic TMR mixer, which automatically feeds the herd, ultimately improving milk production. Looking ahead he plans to remodel and enlarge housing for dry cows, to develop a free-stall housing system. Improvements to barns for the finishing hog operation are

also ongoing, with more renovations planned. And as opportunities arise, Soucy also plans to buy more land to expand the cropping side of the farm as well. † Written by Lee Hart, field editor with Grainews in Calgary, with interpretative assistance from Lynn Bryson, Bryhill Farms, Ormstown, Quebec.

PHOTO: CANADA’S OYF PROGRAM

Quebec OYF nominees Bruno Soucy and his wife Helen St-Pierre with their two children, Emile, six, and Angèline, four.

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/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers Atlantic Region

Potato partnership brings prosperity The Atlantic Region’s outstanding young farmers work in partnership to grow potatoes on Prince Edward Island By Shirley Byers

ndrew and Heidi Lawless, the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmer nominees representing the Atlantic Canada region, are both from a P.E.I. farming background. Heidi grew up on a mixed farm (purebred Angus cattle, potatoes and grain). Andrew is the third generation on the Lawless potato farm a stone’s throw from the little town of Kinkora where he and Heidi and their four children now live. “I can see the farm from my front deck,” says Andrew in a late October phone interview. The young couple who operate Hilltop Produce are in partnership with three other farmers. Most years the four partners maintain about 1,200 to 1,300 acres in potato production. As in any farming venture, margins keep getting tighter, but signing on with P.E.I.’s Environmental Farm Plan has yielded the farm several benefits including helping to reduce input costs.

The EFP program helps farmers develop a plan for operating their farm in a way that is environmentally sustainable and economically viable. The plan assesses and addresses all environmental risks and opportunities on the farm including proper storage of pesticides and fuel, water and nutrient management and erosion control. For Hilltop Produce Ltd., implementing the EFP has meant several changes in production practices that include a move toward minimum tillage as much as possible, strip cropping, developing field berms to control runoff and planting hedgerows of white spruce or pine. “We have harsh winters,” says Andrew. “When the snow melts we can get some bad runoff. We want to try to negate that as much as we can.” Reducing the use of farm chemicals is another component of their plan. This means scouting before spraying, applying chemical only when absolutely necessary and using banding application of products — spraying the chemical

directly onto the crop row at the same rate as that prescribed for broadcast application. This practice is not only better for the environment, but also improves the bottom line in terms of input costs because it uses fewer chemicals. Working with their farming partners, Andrew and Heidi have built three state-of-the art storage facilities where they can store potatoes for up to a year. Two of the buildings have a five million pound capacity. The third holds 10 million pounds of potatoes. The same partners have built a commercial potato washing facility, which is available to all P.E.I. potato growers and equipped with an optical sorter that can process 80 tons per hour. Looking back, Andrew says the most important element in the success of their farm business has been their willingness to take advice and work with others, referring to their joint ventures which led to the storage and washing facilities. “That’s what contributed to our success,” he said. Looking ahead they see the

photo: canada’s oyf program

Andrew and Heidi Lawless, shown here with their children Vance, Max and Maeve, represent the Atlantic Region as Outstanding Young Farmers. They grow potatoes on their central Prince Edward Island farm, Hilltop Produce Ltd. business growing which will mean more land. “It just seems to be the way of the future,” says Andrew. “You’re either in or you’re out. We’re in for the long haul and we have great business partners, which allow us to keep growing. ” In the area of continuing education, Andrew feels he has benefited from his involvement with the Atlantic Ag Leadership program. It’s an opportunity to meet with other farmers and hear speakers on topics such as agro business management, public relations and human resources. The group has also done a study tour to the U.S. and will go to the Netherlands in February.

Heidi works off farm as a Grade 2 teacher. She has been a 4-H leader and has taught children’s liturgy and Grade 1 religion classes. She’s also involved with the local home and school organization. Community participation is important to them but they’re careful not to over commit. “We have a young family and at this stage of the game if you don’t realize that comes first your success is going to be limited, isn’t it?” says Andrew. “You’ve got to take the time and make sure you enjoy these years. They go by so fast.” † Shirley Byers is a Saskatchewan-based freelance writer.

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JANUARY ISSUES: Deadline: Dec. 22, 2014 January 12 - Saskatchewan AgDealer January 15 - Manitoba Co-operator January 19 - Alberta Farmer

• Full color with limited premium positions and double page spreads available. • 8 week shelf life, possibly longer for commercial breeders to reference later on. • Unbeatable value - about 2 cents per contact for a full page ad.

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WESTERN CANADA’S COMPREHENSIVE BULL SALE SOURCE

BONUS Book an ad in the 2015 Edition of the Bull Buyers Guide and receive a 20% DISCOUNT OFF any ad booked in Canadian Cattlemen or Grainews Cattlemen’s Corner

NOVEMBER 11, 2014 grainews.ca /

Cattleman’s Corner THE MARKETS

Market may weaken if U.S. economy plateaus JERRY KLASSEN MARKET UPDATE

ed cattle prices have traded in a steady range over the past month with Alberta packers buying fed cattle from $164/cwt to $166/cwt. While the cash trade has been relatively stable, the futures market has been extremely volatile due to the uncertainty in consumer spending behavior over the next four to six months. Chinese growth has come in lower than earlier anticipated for the third quarter and deflationary factors are starting to influence the economy; Europe continues to be in a recession; Japan has experienced a sluggish economy as well along with a sales tax increase; North American equity markets have dropped sharply from the recent highs and other commodities such as crude oil remain under pressure. The spread of Ebola appears to be contained for the time being limiting effects on restaurant traffic but this was a fear earlier in October. Despite all these factors, wholesale beef prices have held value and there is no major signal consumers are reigning in spending on beef products. In fact, restaurants appear to have benefited from falling gas prices as dispos-

able income in North America slowly improves. September is usually a slower period for food expenditures; however, U.S. at-home food spending was up a whopping 11.5 per cent over year-ago levels while away-from-home food spending jumped 7.5 per cent. October data is expected to show similar results. Packers are now gearing up for the holiday season during November and December, which is seasonally a positive period for beef consumption.

FEWER CATTLE, HEAVIER WEIGHTS U.S. cattle on feed inventories are running about one per cent below year-ago levels. However, U.S. year-to-date beef production was 19.2 billion pounds, down 6.1 per cent from 2013. The number of head slaughtered was down 7.2 per cent. Lower corn prices have allowed feedlots to feed cattle to heavier weights, which are up nearly 18 pounds from last year. Steers are making up a larger percentage of the slaughter mix, which is also contributing to the larger weights. The cow slaughter has dropped sharply and industry is experiencing a rise in heifer retention for herd rebuilding. Alberta and Saskatchewan, September 1 feedlot inventories were also down one per cent compared to Sept. 1, 2013. For

the week ending October 11, the Canadian federally inspected slaughter was up six per cent over 2013 and beef production was up three per cent. Alberta carcass weights are running seven pounds over year ago levels offsetting the lower feedlot inventories. In addition to lower U.S. beef production, the stronger greenback is having a positive effect on the cattle market in Canada. Exports of Canadian fresh and chilled cuts are up 11 per cent over last year; exports of slaughter steers and heifers are up six per cent over year-ago levels. The demand equation remains uncertain moving forward. Production of pork and poultry is coming in higher than earlier anticipated and beef remains relatively high priced compared to other meats. The main question is if consumer activity will decline in upcoming months? November and December will likely show year-over-year spending increases but the contraction in restaurant and retail spending in January and February could be larger than normal. I believe the U.S. economy has potential to plateau in regards to unemployment rates, consumer confidence and overall growth. After a robust period, if conditions don’t continue to improve, consumer spending has a tendency to ease. This behaviour pattern is especially important for beef consumption and fed cattle and

PHOTO: FILE

Several factors point towards U.S. economy hitting a plateau, which means consumer spending on beef may ease as well. wholesale beef prices. For example, retail grocery chains are not featuring beef as often in weekly flyers. Retail prices serve to ration demand through higher prices and so the beef complex can be extremely vulnerable.

TIGHT SUPPLY The supply situation in Canada and the U.S. remains supportive. Cattle on feed inventories are expected to remain below yearago levels for the final quarter of 2014 and first quarter of 2015. Feedlots have experienced positive margins and this should continue into the spring of 2015. Breakeven prices in Alberta are in the range of $155/cwt to $160/cwt for February through April. Fed cattle prices

are expected to stay firm but are vulnerable for minor slippage in January and February. Feeder cattle were trending higher in early fall, but have levelled off at historically high prices. Barley prices in Southern Alberta have jumped from the harvest lows of $160/mt delivered at Lethbridge to $180/mt. Barley fundamentals are relatively tight for 2014-15 so there is potential for further upside which will stem the strength in feeder cattle prices. Feeder cattle prices are expected to remain stable but are vulnerable if fed cattle values experience weakness early in 2015. † Gerald Klassen analyzes cattle and hog markets in Winnipeg and also maintains an interest in the family feedlot in Southern Alberta. For comments or speaking engagements, he can be reached at gklassen7@hotmail.com or call 204 899 8268

BETTER BUNKS AND PASTURES

Red marker is a good investment at culling time PETER VITTI

utumn is a good time to take a complete inventory of your beef herd and think about which cows are truly profitable and which are not. Culling unprofitable cows and replacing them with replacements of better economic return is the life blood of all cowcalf operations. Producers should set up a cull priority list and effectively implement it into their operation, so better and continuous revenue by each cow in the herd is assured. According to a recent Florida study, sound, healthy, fertile and profitable beef cows have an economically positive reproductive life through to about eight years of age, and then overall fertility slips by 10 years old, and steeply declines after the cow becomes 12 years of age. As young cows move toward becoming 10 to 12 year-old cows, their bodies slowly break down; teeth become worn down and periodic digestive upsets take their toll on nutrient uptake. Teats and udders structures collapse from once good milk

production, uterine disorders increase and repeat themselves and lameness problems seem to multiple. And as cows become significantly older, they tend to become more susceptible to various infections and disease. Producers might prepare their own ‘cull priority list’ and ultimately start marking individual animals with a red grease marker as a cull sign. This seemingly ‘endof-road’ mark can be made for a number of reasons.

REASONS TO CULL By far, all mature cows, first calf heifers or replacement females that cannot get pregnant should top everyone’s cull list, because they clearly will not produce a moneymaking calf and must not remain in any viable cow-calf herd. This primary reason and other reasons of your choice for culling unprofitable beef cows might look like these examples in a well-balanced beef cow culling program: • Pregnancy status — A cow that is not pregnant will not contribute to next year’s basic cow-calf revenue. Until it is marketed, a cull cow adds to the deficit column of all balance sheets. Cows that routinely breed/calve outside a controlled breeding/ calving season (produce less uniform and lighter marketable

calves) should also be considered. Most cow-calf operations target a 90-plus per cent calving rate (season) in order to optimize incoming revenue. • Poor calving cows — Some cows seem to have several hard calving seasons; calf has to be pulled or the cow has a prolapsed vagina or uterus, retained placenta, milk fever or serious uterine infection. • Health status — Some cows are more susceptible to health challenges compared to other mainstream cows and are candidates for culling (i.e. cancer eye). Cows with contagious disease or identified as sub-clinical disease carriers should be removed. Cows with less serious chronic health problems might be culled. • Soundness — As cows get older, their bodies eventually wear out (as mentioned above). • Calf performance — Cows with one or two years of poor “doer” calves should be culled. One obvious goal of most commercial herds is to improve total saleable weaned weight of the annual calf crop. • Poor disposition — Aggression is heritable in beef cattle. Some cows should be culled because they are dangerous. Similarly, cows that continue to abandon their own calf every year should be culled.

KEEP A SPREADSHEET With these half-dozen reasons in mind, it should make sense to develop an actual spreadsheet to keep records of individualized cull activities and reviewed them annually. The goals of any useful cull cow record-keeping system should be: decide what chosen cull information is pertinent and practical to collect, collect accurate information in a timely manner, and use this information for the present and future progress of the cow-calf operation. As producers do the cull inventory in fall, cows that are no longer economically viable to a beef cow-calf operation can realistically be culled at anytime. As a general rule cows with serious health problems (including contagious disease), persistent digestive dysfunction, and advance lameness or in untreatable pain should be culled immediately. Otherwise, the decision should be made to either sell cows before winter or put them into drylot for further feeding to be sold later. The option to retain and put additional body weight on otherwise healthy cull cows can be an opportunity to improve their economic value that otherwise would be considered as basic salvable dollars. Although cull cows tend to vary in age, body statue, health status or have different planes of growth potential, it usually becomes a practical matter of grouping all available culls together and put a couple to a few hundred pounds of bodyweight on each cow, before they are sold as a group.

SLOW GAINERS If you decide to feed cull cows over the next three to four months, there are a few obstacles to profitability that must be overcome. The biggest one is that culled mature cows naturally produce very low feed efficiencies compared to younger beef animals. For example, a 1,200-lb. beef cow can consume up to 40 lbs. and more of dry matter feed to gain two to three pounds of gain. Various field studies have demonstrated that cull cows will gain both lean and fat tissue in the first 30 to 60 days after they are introduced to a high-energy diet. After 60 days, the same cows will likely lay down only body fat and previous desired average daily gains tend to decline. It should be realized that even this modest level of performance is difficult to achieve during periods of oncoming frigid winter temperatures, which naturally diverts dietary energy away from bodyweight gain and used to keep animals warm. Whether cull cows are kept to be fed out or sold only days after the weaning season, there is a bottom performing 15 to 20 per cent of the cows of the main cow herd that for one reason or another should be marked with a red marker, removed and replaced every year. With a growing trend toward larger beef cow herds, there should be a consistent and ample supply of cull cows, which sound contribute to the present and future prospects of cow-calf profitability. † Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

/ grainews.ca NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Cattleman’s Corner ANYONE CAN START FARMING AVG. MATURE WEIGHT OF FEMALES IN FLOCK

MINIMUM WEIGHT TO BREED FEMALES

lb.

100

120

140

160

107

180

120

200

134

220

100

147

240

109

160

Chart supplied by Premier 1 livestock supplies.

PHOTO: DEBBIE CHIKOUSKY

A young ram such as this one, selected for genetic traits, will hopefully improve specific aspects of the next Chikousky lamb crop.

Ram selection can really improve flock genetics DEBBIE CHIKOUSKY

all is when sheep and goat farmers breed their flocks. This year we made sure we weren’t going to have lambs in February. We didn’t pick up our new ram until we were ready for him. Before shopping for a new ram we spent time deciding what we wanted to improve in our flock. The key features our family would like to improve are: • Quality of fleece. • Parasite resistance. • Hardiness of ewes and lambs. Clean fleece weight and fibre diametre are highly heritable traits in sheep, according to the Queensland government in Australia. The ram we have chosen is from a flock that values their wool production. It is exciting to learn that our management program can enhance his genetic potential and improve our fleece. We started raising sheep to produce both wool and meat. Until now meat has been more of our focus, and we have made only some progress in improving wool quality. We love the fine texture and softness of our Rambouillet crosses and really wanted to improve this with our new ram. Characteristics with moderate heritability are staple strength, lean meat yield, eye muscle depth, fat depth, weight, and parasite

FA R M & F O O D C A R E S A S K AT C H E W A N

I N AU G U R A L CO N F E R E N C E

Farms at the Table:

resistance. The reproductive traits such as birth weight and number of lambs born/weaned are actually low in heritability. Although the heritability is low we can still use genetics to improve our production. Research in both sheep and cattle has indicated that daughters from sires with a larger testicle circumference are more fertile than females sired by males with a smaller circumference. This makes the measuring of scrotal circumference an important part of a breeding soundness exam. When measuring scrotal circumference it is important that both testicles are fully descended. The measurement should be taken at the point of greatest circumference. Guidelines from the University of Illinois relative to age and testis size are as follows: When measuring the circumference take note of attachment of the scrotum to the body. There is a high correlation between scrotum attachment and the attachment of their future daughters’ udders. The repeatability of reproductive traits is considered 15 to 20 per cent heritable, which is why they are considered low in heritability. Therefore, improving reproduction by genetic selection takes many generations. The following guidelines can be used, hopefully to speed up success, when selecting replacement lambs: • Select replacements from multiple births that are born early in the lambing season. • Select from multiple births from young ewes. • Keep triplet ewe lambs. When Scrotal Circumference Chart Months of age Minimum circumference (cm) 5-6

6-8

MENUS OF OppORTUNITy

8-10

10-12

12-18

December 10-11, 2014 | Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, Saskatoon SK

18+

Inviting great minds to share in the conversation about food and farming This exciting two-day event features a line-up of thought-provoking, renowned speakers. Presenters and topics include: • Mike Klein, Meshy Communications, Getting the Dirt on Digital – Earning Attention in a Time-Crunched World • Dennis Prouse, CropLife Canada, De-Mystifying the World of Lobbying

s j n i n p la a

• Kelly Daynard, Farm & Food Care Ontario, Speak Up Training – Are You Getting Your Message Out? and Getting the Real Dirt on Farming

• Rob Saik, Agri-Trend, The Agriculture Manifesto – Non-Science and Food Paranoia • Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Office for Science & Society, McGill University, Agricultural Myths and Facts • Carrie Mess (aka Dairy Carrie), U.S. Social Media Farmer of the Year, Welcome to the World of Agvocacy

Correction

n my last article about producing goats I made a mistake in my calculations. The paragraph that appeared in the article read: “Our Alpine does which weigh approximately 150 pounds can wean two 75 pound kids (which sell at meat prices for about $52.50 each) and on occasion have gone on to milk for a few more months to feed orphan lambs.” That calculation should have read: “The market price for a meat kid is $1.70 a pound. So, at 75 pounds a kid would be worth $127.50. Two kids would be worth $255.” †

Tel: 306.477.3663 (FOOD) Adele Buettner

800-235-6140