Grainews by Farm Business Communications

Volume 41, Number 15 | SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

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PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER

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THE FINE PRINT ON GRAIN CONTRACTS Lee Hart talks to seven Prairie grain farmers about their experiences with grain contracts

By Lee Hart

rain contracts: they appear to be a necessary part of doing business for most western Canadian farmers, but how many actually read them? The Canola Council of Canada has published a handy and informative booklet called, “A Practical Guide to Navigate Grain Contracts.” It is a quick and easy, 21-page read which covers many of the points farmers should consider or be aware of when dealing with grain contracts. (See Page 8 for more about this.) With that booklet in mind, a good question to ask producers for The Farmer Panel in this issue is, “Do you read your grain contract?” Answers vary from “yes,” to “no” to “only part of it.” Whether there is a contract or not, most farmer say it is still important to have a good working relationship with their local grain company. If some problem does arise, usually it can be sorted out without dragging the legally binding details of the contract into the discussion, but not always. » continued on page 4

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photo: danita leduc

Dallas Leduc, who farms near Glentworth, Sask., says he hasn’t run into many problems when it comes to meeting contract requirements, although year-to-year price changes can be frustrating.

In This Issue

Wheat & Chaff .................. 2 Features . ........................... 5 Crop Advisor’s Casebook . 8 Columns ............................ 21 Machinery & Shop............. 33 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 42

Grainews goes down under scott garvey page 33

John Deere gets tracks

leeann minogue page 40

FarmLife ............................ 49

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Wheat & Chaff STAMPEDE

BY JERRY PALEN

Leeann Minogue

“Gas, bloat, in my book it’s all the same.”

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

rainews writers have been on the road (and in the air) more than usual this summer. Scott Garvey and Lisa Guenther headed all the way to Australia to cover Bayer’s Ag Youth Summit, the AgQuip farm show (see page 34 and 35) and to generally learn more about how grain farmers operate on the other side of the globe (see Page 6 for Lisa’s story about an Australian farmer fighting herbicide resistance). We’ll run more stories from their trip in next few issues. With Scott, our machinery editor, away, I was dispatched to Iowa to see John Deere launch its new 9RX tracked tractor and a few other pieces of new equipment, then to Decatur, Illinois, to the U.S. Farm Progress Show where Case IH and AGCO were introducing new products. The end of August is a great pre-harvest time for U.S. corn and soybean growers to head off to the show. It wasn’t the most convenient time for me this year. Harvest was in full swing when I started packing, and was still well underway when I came home from the second trip in two weeks. Luckily, my aunt was here to feed everyone, my mother-inlaw looked after our eight-yearold and my husband had pulled together enough harvest help to get the wheat in without me. (He mumbled something about me

photo: john deere

This is the start of the 9R assembly line at John Deere’s tractor cab assembly operations facility at Waterloo, Iowa. being “out of the way,” but I’m pretending I didn’t hear that.) We still have flax and soybeans left out in the field, but the main rush of harvest is done on our farm. After the flooding, hail and disease I’ve written about here in the past few years, I hope you won’t begrudge us an “average” crop this season!

Meanwhile, at the factory John Deere invited ag media from across North America to its plant at Waterloo, Iowa, for the launch of its new 9RX (see Page 40). While we were there, we had a tour of John Deere’s tractor cab assembly operations facility. It was big. The facility is 2.2 million square feet. This is where they make the chassis, cabs and 6R

through 9R tractors. Our tour was Disneyland-style; we rode in carts while a tour guide spoke to us through a microphone and headphone system. I suppose this is the safest way to conduct a media tour — John Deere must know that writers might accidentally put their hands in a press, or stop to learn the whole life story of a woman trying to install an engine, or be taking notes about something on our left while a forklift approaches on our right. We weren’t allowed to take photos (again, we probably can’t be trusted), but John Deere sent us some afterwards. Take a look at the view from the upper floor. It really was like this — more than one journalist commented on the fact that everything was gleaming and absolutely spotless. † Leeann

The unveiling

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f you haven’t been to a tractor unveiling, you might be surprised to find out that they really mean it — a black drapey cover, form-fitted over the new tractor until the moment is right. At the launch of the new 9RX, John Deere lifted the black cloth off its newest tractor in front of an audience of media, staff and invited guests. We sat on bleachers while they played loud music and spotlights danced. After the cloth came off, the 9RX spun slowly on a revolving stage while an announcer highlighted its features. I hope this tractor isn’t too disappointed if its next gig is a lot less glamorous. At the U.S. Farm Progress Show, AGCO waited until the media was gathered to pull the form-fitting cloth off its MT800E Challenger X-Edition track tractor. But, I did see some curious farmers sneaking an early peek under that cover. † Leeann Minogue

photos: leeann minogue

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Wheat & Chaff Farm safety

Preventing grain entrapment

s harvest comes to a close, combines are cleaned and stored, augers fall quiet and the result of all that hard work in the field is safe at home in the bin. Grain bins represent the bounty of the harvest and they are the symbol of a successful season, but they also pose serious hazards. There a many hazards associated with grain and grain storage. Respiratory hazards, fire and explosion hazards and fall hazards. However, there is one hazard that is becoming all too common in stories about near misses, injuries and deaths in and around grain bins — grain entrapment. Grain entrapment can happen within seconds. There are all sorts of reasons why somebody might enter a grain bin, but without proper equipment and training, a simple action can turn into injury and even death. First of all, just like farm equipment, grain bins should be off limits to children and unauthorized personnel. This means

talking to children, employees and visitors about the dangers associated with grain bins. This first step can go a long way in preventing grain entrapment and suffocation. It’s also a good idea to understand how grain entrapment can occur. There are three types of entrapment. Flowing grain, an avalanche of a vertical grain wall and a collapse of a grain bridge. Understanding how grain behaves under different circumstances is a part of understanding how to work safely around it. Flowing grain: When a grain bin is being unloaded, the grain flows in a funnel shaped path towards the auger. The grain then acts like quicksand, pulling the victim down. Depending on the size of the auger, it can take only seconds for a person to become fully emerged in grain. Avalanche of a vertical grain wall: Sometimes grain in a bin can become spoiled due to high

You might be from the Prairies if...

moisture content and variation in temperature. This spoiled grain can lead to serious issues including the sides of the bin wall becoming encrusted in grain. Grain in bad condition can stand almost straight up and down, and removing it becomes difficult and dangerous. Victims of this type of engulfment have tried to remove the grain by shoveling at the base or poking the vertical towers. This can cause the grain to break free from the walls, resulting in a grain avalanche that can bury the worker inside the bin. Collapse of a grain bridge: Grain bridges form when grain on the surface becomes spoiled, moldy or frozen. The grain forms a hard crust that spans to the grain bin walls. When any of the grain is unloaded, the crust remains in place, resulting in a void under the grain bridge. The danger arises when a victim enters the bin and attempts to walk across the crusted surface. The extra weight can cause the grain bridge to collapse. This

results in the victim not only falling but becoming completely submerged in falling grain. Suffocation and entrapment can be avoided. It comes down to taking the time and energy to ensure safe operation around grain bins. First of all, make sure nobody enters a grain bin when unloading equipment is running. If you must enter a bin, shut off the unloader. Locking out the equipment before entering the bin will prevent someone from inadvertently starting the equipment while you are inside. Don’t walk on a grain bridge. It isn’t always easy to determine if a grain bridge exists, one way to detect if a grain bridge exists take a look at the surface of the grain, look for an inverted cone or funnel after unloading from a bin. Follow fall prevention strategies and use a pole or weighted line to free the bridge. Remember to watch out for power lines. Entering a bin to work with vertically crusted and spoiled grain requires equipment and planning. If at all possible, don’t enter the bin. Use a long

wooden pole to break up grain but remember to watch out for power lines. If entering a grain bin becomes necessary because of crusted grain, a detailed plan has to be developed and appropriate safety equipment needs to be used to ensure safety. If at all possible, consider hiring a contractor to clean out the bin. They have the necessary equipment and expertise to safely and efficiently clean out the bin. The need to enter a grain bin to clean out spoiled grain can be avoided all together. By developing storage strategies for the grain, conditions that cause spoilage and formation of vertical grain walls and grain bridges can be avoided. Grain storage specialists can give good advice about storing grain to prevent spoilage. Places to go for advice include local grain handling experts and provincial agricultural departments and ministries. Grain entrapment can be avoided. It’s a matter of communicating and planning. † Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, www.casa-acsa.ca.

Agronomy tips… from the field

By Carson Demmans and Jason

Time your post-harvest herbicide

f your time it right, a post-harvest herbicide application can be an excellent way to set up your field for seeding next spring. The idea is to control emerging winter annuals, such as hawk’s beard and shepherd’s purse as well as perennial weeds such as dandelions and Canadian thistle in crops that you’ve swathed. Going in with a post-harvest herbicide application also helps you control and clean up weeds that you may not have been able to hit pre-harvest due to the thick and tall crop canopy. So, what’s the key to getting most out of your post-herbicide application? Pay attention to your temperature, timing and weed emergence. After you’ve swathed or harvested, look for new leaves to signal a good amount of weed regrowth, and give you a target to hit with your herbicide. Keep an eye on the temperature, too. If you’ve had a frost, those emerging weeds can shut themselves down and not show any growth activity. That’s why it’s best to wait a few hours for your field to warm up after a light frost — or two to three days when you’ve had a heavy frost — to ensure those weeds are growing again and that you’ll get the best possible herbicide coverage. †

‘Tis the season Grainews columnist Les Henry sent us this picture of the canola swaths on his Dundurn, Sask., farm. He took this classic Prairie photo on August 31. Read more about this crop in Les’ column on page 24. †

This agronomy tip is brought to you by David Forster, agronomic service representative, Saskatchewan North, with Syngenta Canada Inc.

You still remember where you were when the riders lost the 1976 Grey Cup.

photo: les henry

Photo contest

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT This photo came from Debbie Svoboda, of St. Walburg, Sask. She wrote, “Our grandson Aiden received this John Deere tractor from his Uncle Ben for his birthday. Thinking he can do everything his Puppa (Grandpa) does, he thought he could help Puppa move bales. Apparently Puppa has to make smaller bales!” Aiden is two. Debbie says he has a great imagination. Thanks for sharing this Debbie! He’s adorable. We’ll send you a cheque for $25. Send your best shot to leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing. com. Please send only one or two photos at a time and include your name and address, the names of anyone in the photo, where the photo was taken and a bit about what was going on that day. A little write-up about your farm is welcome, too. Please ensure that images are of high resolution (1 MB is preferred), and if the image includes a person, we need to be able to see their face clearly. Leeann

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Cover Stories farmer panel » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

THE FINE PRINT ON GRAIN CONTRACTS As one Manitoba producer pointed out, if it ever got to a point where he had to challenge a contract, the grain company has way more lawyers than he can ever afford. Here is what farmers contacted for this issue of Grainews had to say about grain contracts.

ERIC FRIDFINNSON ARBORG, MAN. Eric Fridfinnson says he feels he has a “pretty good idea” of what’s in a grain contract but doesn’t necessarily read them all. Fridfinnson who farms with family members near Arborg, north of Winnipeg, Man., says he usually reads the first contract offered by a grain company, but doesn’t necessarily read subsequent ones, assuming the contract is pretty much the same. “Well it probably isn’t great business, but I don’t read them all,” says Fridfinnson, “However I do feel I have a pretty good idea of what’s in the contract. They actually can be pretty scary documents when you look at all the eventualities that a contract covers, and a producer assumes a lot of liability and responsibility.” He says while it is important to have a reasonable understanding of the contract, he also doesn’t want to feel he needs to go over every clause with a fine-tooth comb. “If you feel there is a need to study every contract to that degree, you might be working with the wrong company,” he says. Fridfinnson says he has dealt with some surprises and disappointments and it usually revolves around delivery issues. The contract specifies an October delivery, for example, and here it is March, he hasn’t been able to deliver and the crop is still in the bin. “That can be pretty disappointing,” he says. At the same time, in his experience, he finds most companies do their best to find a solution to delivery delays and “do what they can to live up to the spirit of the contract.” Fridfinnson says he usually finds little problem in signing contracts for canola or flax sales, but he is a bit leery about signing wheat contracts. “Depending on the year and the market situation, your wheat almost becomes the flavour of the month,” says Fridfinnson. “They may want your wheat but depending on the market the grain company is supplying, if you don’t have exactly what they are looking for in terms of grade and quality specifications, your crop may be discounted or not wanted at all. You think you have it sold and then find out it isn’t. And that can vary from year to year.” He’s also a bit concerned about forward pricing too much crop, noting it is useful to have an Act of God clause in a contract. “If you forward price and then are unable to deliver that can become very expensive and usually at a time when you don’t have much money.”

KELLY KABERNICK SANFORD, MAN. Kelly Kabernick says this is more of a people business, so he pays more attention to people than he does a contract. “Quite frankly I don’t usually read the contracts,” says Kabernick, who farms just south of Winnipeg. “I deal with people. And I have told the grain companies whether I read or understand the contract or not the fact is when push comes to shove they have more lawyers than I do. “So I really rely on the verbal contract. We reach an agreement and I expect them

to do what they say they are going to do, and I will do what I say I am going to do.” That doesn’t mean he hasn’t run into a few surprises over the years. Sometimes there will be a grade issue, which isn’t really his fault, but it was just a fact of the growing season or weather. “The surprises I really don’t like are things like the changes in freight rate,” he says. “The rate goes up and that changes the contract and of course the farmer makes less money. And they can point out that that change is covered in the contract, but again I go back to my point I’m doing what I say I am going to do, and I expect them to do the same.” Kabernick says he finds that in dealing with a reputable grain company there is usually an opportunity to discuss any concerns and disputes “and come to a reasonable agreement.”

DALLAS LEDUC GLENTWORTH, SASK. Dallas Leduc admits he doesn’t spend a lot of time reading the fine print on contracts. “I usually read the first page and that’s about as far as I get,” says Leduc who farms in southern Saskatchewan. “I am probably just very trusting.” He says he really hasn’t run into many problems when it comes to meeting contract requirements, although price changes from year to year are frustrating. “With durum, for example, in a year when they really want your grain they are paying protein premiums, and then another year when there is lots of durum the premium incentives have changed, are lower. You feel a bit like you are being punished for producing a good crop.”

DUSTIN WILLIAMS SOURIS, MAN. Dustin Williams says he has a general idea of what the grain contract says, but admits he could probably do a better job of reading them. “If I am dealing with a grain company that I know and have dealt with before, I probably assume that the contract is the same and the same rules apply,” says Williams who farms near Souris in southwest Manitoba. “If I am dealing with a new company then I do spend more time reviewing the contract.” Pointing out that he is beginning to sound like an old farmer, Williams says there has been a change with grain companies in more recent times. “Grain companies today are probably a bit more sticky when it comes to enforcing the contract,” he says. “In the old days if there was a problem you could probably work out something, but that’s becoming more difficult. “I’ve actually had to buy out contracts in the past couple years if I didn’t have the quantity of grain specified in the contract. That clause was always in the contract but it was sort of just there, now they follow through on it.” He also says there is much less leeway when it comes to grade and quality issues. “Again, in the old days, the elevator might take in grain that was a bit off grade and then if they were putting together a 100-car train they would blend it off to make the grade they wanted and there’d be no penalty,” he says. “Now if you bring in something that doesn’t make the grade you are penalized for it. They might still blend it off to make up that train, but the farmer pays the off grade penalty or takes the discount.”

KRIS MAYERLE TISDALE, SASK. Kris Mayerle says he doesn’t read all contracts. If it is for a commodity going to the same company he will assume the same terms apply as in the last contract.

Sometimes there can be delivery issues, but he is careful not to complain too loudly. “A couple years ago, for example, there was a backlog in the system and we weren’t able to deliver grain,” he says. “But I didn’t want to complain too much because I had the grain contracted for a good price and I didn’t want them to cancel the contract and then I’d be faced with selling the grain at the new price which was lower. So we just held on to it and waited it out.” Mayerle says he usually finds his grain company is willing to work with him. He has run into situations where he can’t fill his contract and the company has found grain from other farmers to fill that contract, so Mayerle didn’t face any buyout. Similarly, at different times he has been able to supply a commodity that helped someone else fill their contract. “The contracts are there and you should know the terms, but I think it is important to have a good relationship with the grain company to be able to work through any problems.”

FRANCK GROENEWEG EDGELEY, Sask. Franck Groeneweg, who operates Green Atlantic Farms, along with his family at Edgeley, northeast of Regina, says he probably should be more diligent about reading the contract than he is. “A contract could be 20 pages long trying to cover all the loopholes, but really a handshake and common sense should still work,” he says. “The important thing is still the relationship between the grain company and the producer.” Groeneweg says it can be frustrating when delivery dates are delayed. “I agree on a delivery date and I just don’t pick that out of the thin air,” he says. “That’s when I want to sell grain to meet cash flow needs. It is frustrating, but at the same time I have to realize if there is no room or no movement in the system, there is just no room.”

CHARLES SCHMIDT CHINOOK, ALTA. Charles Schmidt, says in dealing with the same companies, he feels he has a good understanding of the grain contract and assumes there are no new conditions. “Depending on the company, I read the contract once, but when it comes to next year I may just peruse it quickly before I sign it, assuming there are no major changes,” says Schmidt, who farms in east-central Alberta. He deals with different companies as he sells and hauls grain off his farm. “I prefer to deal with local companies in Oyen because then I can comfortably deliver three loads a day,” says Schmidt. “I have delivered to companies further west at Trochu, but with that distance I can only make one load per day so if I am dealing in Trochu I need to be seeing an extra 30 to 35 cents per bushel to make the extra trucking worthwhile.” Schmidt says he really hasn’t run into many surprises in dealing with grain contracts. He is careful not to over commit on delivery. “In this country because weather is so variable I don’t like to make too many guarantees,” he says. “I will sign a contract for five bushels per acre of production because I am pretty sure I will get that, but I am careful not to commit to 10 bushels per acre, because you never know. And I like to have at least a small contract with a company, because at least then I have my foot in the door. Depending on the year, if I didn’t have that five bushel contract I might not be able to sell my grain to that company, so it helps to keep the door open.” † 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 SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Features

Weed management

Resistance is a global problem Like Canadians, Australian farmers are planning their strategies to manage herbicide resistance By Lisa Guenther

ndrew Morrison’s family bought their farm, southwest of Melbourne, Australia, in 1910. His family home is built from bluestone, a volcanic rock used by earlier generations to construct buildings and fences. Morrison’s farm was originally a livestock operation. After a drought in 1982, the Morrisons started continuous cropping. These days it’s a mixed farm, with about 4,500 acres of cropland and crossbred sheep. Gum trees edge the crop and pastureland. Morrison’s always wanted a legume to slide into his canola, wheat and barley rotation, he says, and fababeans seem to fit.

If there’s an early “break” (Australian farmer slang for seasonal rains), Morrison will sow red wheat in March or early April to graze sheep before harvesting. Otherwise, fababeans and canola go in by April, followed by the rest of the wheat and barley. Harvest begins in November or December. “So if all goes well we usually finish by Christmastime,” says Morrison. Morrison contends with many of the same problems that have plagued farmers since they first planted wheat. They all get frustrated by difficult seasons, he says. “We’ve had a run of very dry years over the last 15 years. We’ve probably had normal years a couple of times out (of that),” he

says. Normally 18.5 inches of rain fall on his sandy loam. Since the soil is susceptible to wind erosion, he’s gone with zero till since he first started cropping. And, of course, like every farmer before him, Morrison deals with weeds. But these days he’s facing a very modern problem: herbicide resistance.

Resistance is an Australian problem Australian farmers are facing weed species that are resistant to “three, four, five modes of action,” says Stuart McLaverty of Bayer CropScience. McLaverty, who manages Bayer’s broadacre, rice and seed treatment portfolio, is giving

us an overview of Australian farming in Bayer’s Melbourne office. Some growers have one or two modes of action left to control certain weeds, he adds. In fact, Australia only has three chemical groups with no known resistance, although McLaverty cautions that’s not the situation on each farm. It means there’s at least one weed population with resistance to one or more modes of action. Bayer is working on a Google map to pinpoint resistant weed populations, based on data from Australian researchers, he says. “What we’re trying to do is to highlight to the guys that it’s not just a neighbour’s problem. It’s an Australian problem,” says McLaverty.

Australian farmers face a host of resistant weeds, including everything from wild oats to wild turnip. But topping that least wanted list is annual ryegrass, with over 20,000 sites reporting ryegrass resistant to Group 1 herbicides. Ryegrass has also developed resistance to six other chemical groups to varying degrees, including over 20,000 sites with Group 2 resistant weeds. Back on Andrew Morrison’s farm, Paul Crack, sales manager with Bayer, picks up a clump of ryegrass, pointing out the purple at the base of the stem. Morrison knows he has resistant ryegrass. Raised beds, once used to try to reduce water-logging, “stirred up” the ryegrass, says Morrison. Post-emergent herbicides don’t control it anymore. Triazine Tolerant (TT) canola isn’t an option because of ryegrass — any time he’s went back to it he’s “always hit the wall,” and regretted it, he says. But genetically modified varieties, only allowed in Victoria since 2008, have helped, he says. Morrison was an early adopter of GM canola, and he can’t see why more farmers haven’t adopted Roundup Ready canola. After seeding RR canola in all his fields with ryegrass issues, he saw a 50 per cent yield jump and a bump in oil content, he says. “Everything was good about it. And we had this clean paddock. Fantastic,” he says. This year he used RT (glyphosate and triazine tolerant) canola to clean up a bad paddock of radish, to great success, he says. Old fences, made of bluestone, line paddocks on the drive from Morrison’s place to Troy Missen’s farm, a couple of hours southwest of Melbourne. Much of the landscape in this part of Victoria is flat, with distant (inactive) volcanoes visible on the horizon. As we get closer to Missen’s farm, we see heaps of earth in fields. Paul Crack explains they’re remnants of old gold mines. Missen is off working cattle when we pull into his yard. A few minutes after a quick call to his cell we hear his ATV roaring from the field. When it comes to ryegrass, Missen’s ditched post-emergents, too. “It’s all about knock downs and pre-emergents for us,” he says of his herbicide regime for ryegrass. But you’ll find a key part of his ryegrass strategy in an unlikely place — the machinery shed. There sits his single disc planter. The machine’s key strength, says Missen, is that it is low disturbance. “Ryegrass loves to be buried, loves to have soil thrown on top of it because then it just keeps coming up. And it comes up later in the season in-crop,” Missen explains. No effective post-emergents mean any in-crop ryegrass is a problem. Missen’s land has been in minimum tillage for seven years, he says. He also practices controlled traffic farming, calling it a “no brainer.” He still has ryegrass.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features 1

photos: lisa guenther

1. Troy Missen stands beside his single disc planter. Low soil disturbance is a key part of his ryegrass management strategy. 2. Gum trees and canola are features of Andrew Morrison’s farm in Teesdale, Victoria. After the drought of 1982, the Morrisons started a continuous cropping regime. 3. Andrew Morrison poses in his canola field. Morrison’s farm has been in the family since 1910. 4. Annual ryegrass, freshly plucked from one of Andrew Morrison’s canola trials. But because it’s not buried, it germinates earlier in the year and the early herbicide applications hit it. While the conventional wisdom is that narrower rows mean more crop competition and better weed suppression, Missen has taken the opposite approach. Wider rows mean less soil disturbance, he says, which is good for suppressing ryegrass. When GM canola came in, Missen didn’t think they needed it. But he’s found it works well as part of his weed management strategy. Thirty to 40 per cent of his rotation is legumes, so he has to watch his chemistries. He doesn’t grow a lot of canola right now but it’s an important crop on his farm, he says. Missen seems optimistic that he can handle herbicide resistance on his farm. He has less ryegrass now than he did when he switched to the disc drill, he says. And this year, he had a couple of paddocks where he says he was able to skip the pre-emergent herbicide entirely. Morrison also hits weeds with everything he can. He funnels chaff into windrows and burns it, to kill any weed seeds. He’s going to try spray-topping canola — applying herbicide to stop in-crop weeds from going to seed. He uses the “double knock” — glyphosate followed a few days later by paraquat to burn off any surviving weeds. He’s starting to see the first hints of glyphosate resistance, so he’s also moving away from Roundup. During our visit he recites the herbicides that he can use on different crops — a list of Australian brands that, when I look up their chemical names, come from several different chemical groups. He’s not particularly scared of herbicide resistance, says Morrison. “I don’t think we’ve got to the stage where we need to go out of cropping to a pasture phase. We hope that we’ll be able to continue our rotation with cropping,” he says. Want to hear more on farming in Australia? Check out Lisa Guenther’s video interview with Andrew Morrison online at Grainews.ca/video. † Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa. Guenther@fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

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Learn more at DEKALB.ca/canola ALWAYS FOLLOW IRM, 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 ©2015 Monsanto Canada, Inc.

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Features Crop advisor’s solution

Crop Advisor’s casebook

Case of the yellowing peas By Naomi Darragh

cottie, who farms 2,500 acres of canola, wheat and peas north of Provost, Alta., called me about a week after spraying his pea crop. There were numerous patches containing thin stands of stunted, yellowing plants throughout the field, and he wondered if the Odyssey herbicide he’d just applied could be causing it. Scottie asked me to come out to the farm to have a look. When I arrived at the pea field, the problem patches were clear to see, but there didn’t seem to be any discernable pattern. The areas with yellowing plants were on hilltops as well as the sides of hills and in low spots. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I’d promised to come back in a couple of days to have another look. On my second trip to the problem field, I observed that the symptoms were even more apparent, particularly in terms of the size difference in plants in the affected and unaffected areas. I also saw that peas in the problem patches were lighter green in colour, which could signify a nitrogen deficiency. The field was known to have somewhat low organic matter content. When I dug up some plants to check nodulation and soil texture, I observed that soil in the affected areas contained slightly more clay than that in the unaffected areas. I was interested to know if the pH was also higher in 1

these areas as a result. Nodulation, while somewhat less in the affected plants, was still apparent and the nodules appeared to be active. I asked Scottie about his fertility program, and he said he’d applied a granular fertilizer to the crop. I could see evidence of these granules remaining in the seed rows. We had experienced drier than normal conditions the previous fall and spring had also been cool and dry. Scottie assured me that he had cleaned the tank out properly before applying the Odyssey herbicide on his pea field. That got me thinking about an area with an apparent sprayer miss I had observed while scouting the field earlier, which eventually led to a diagnosis of the problem. Do you think you know what’s going in in Scottie’s pea field? If you do, send your answer to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3K7; email leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing. com or fax 204-944-5416 c/o Crop Advisor’s Casebook. The 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 the reasoning that solved the mystery, will appear in the next Crop Advisor’s Solution File. † Naomi Darragh is a sales agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Provost, Alta.

1. There were numerous patches of thin stands of stunted, yellowing plants throughout the field. 2. Peas in the problem patches were lighter green in colour.

Multiple factors to poor canola By Tess Strand

on, a grain farmer whose family grows 9,000 acres of wheat, canola, oats and barley in Canora, Sask., alerted me about trouble he was having with his canola crop at the end of May. He’d noticed a problem with plant establishment in one of his fields a couple of weeks after seeding, and he asked me to come out to the farm to have a look. When I arrived at the affected field, I could see the plant stand was poor, with only three to five plants per square foot and very uneven emergence. The canola was also growing very slowly; I observed some seedlings only just emerging and numerous others that were dead which had never emerged. Don, who had used a new independent opener drill he’d purchased that spring to sideband a 70-20-020 blend during seeding, thought fertilizer burn could explain what was going on in the canola field. I wasn’t totally convinced, and after careful consideration, I told Don I thought a number of interrelated factors were responsible for the poor plant establishment. First, it had been a cold and wet spring, which would have resulted in slow plant growth in general. There had also been several heavy rains in the area in May, which would have added more stress to the canola seedlings. Because of the wet conditions during seeding, Don had lowered the pressure on his new drill in an effort to reduce compaction. The packing pressure, however, hadn’t been high enough to fully engage the fertilizer shank on the drill, and that meant the fertilizer wasn’t being placed three-quarters of an inch below the seed as it should have been. As Don had suspected, there did appear to be some seed injury from fertilizer. For one thing, there were lower plant stands on the knolls or high points in the field, indicating ammonia toxicity was an issue. Knolls tend to be more calcareous and have lighter or sandier soil texture, resulting in poorer moisture retention. These conditions typi-

cally result in more extreme effects from harmful ammonia when urea fertilizer converts to ammonium (NH4+). Ammonia is toxic to plant tissues and can cause seed and seedling damage. Another form of fertilizer burn, salt toxicity, can cause seedlings to dry out and prevent germination. There was evidence of this as well. I knew there had to be other factors at work here though, since all the rain that had fallen that spring would have helped reduce the effects of fertilizer damage on the canola seeds. One of them was seed depth in the field, which ranged from one to two inches — too deep and too variable to ensure a quick, uniform emergence of the crop. The slow plant emergence could also help explain the high flea beetle pressure I’d noticed in the field. The flea beetles were more concentrated because there were fewer plants to feed on. In addition, while the canola seed had been treated with insecticide, this was likely wearing off by the time some of the late-emerging seedlings appeared, meaning less protection against the bugs. It was decided the best course of action for Don was to spray the field for flea beetles to protect the plants that had emerged from further damage. There wasn’t much to be done about the damage due to the fertilizer burn, but going forward, I recommended that Don make the necessary drill adjustments that would ensure a healthier, fastergrowing and more uniform crop. For his other canola fields, Don reduced his seeding depth to about three-quarters of an inch. He also corrected the packing pressure on his drill so that the fertilizer was placed properly at three-quarters of an inch below the seed, eliminating the risk of ammonia toxicity. The important lesson for Don, and all farmers, is that producers should always have a clear understanding of how their new equipment works. It’s also important when planting crops to check seeding depth frequently and adjust when necessary. † Tess Strand is a regional sales agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Canora, Sask.

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Harvest management

Canola straight cutting on the rise Some growers are ditching their swathers in favour of straight combining in canola fields

traight cutting is common practice for cereal crops, but canola presents unique challenges, particularly the risk of pod shatter, that have kept growers from adopting the practice. But that may be changing. According to a recent BASF Canada survey, the number of growers straight cutting canola rose by 50 per cent from 2013 to 2014’s harvest season. The survey, conducted by FarmShift, polled 400 growers in Western Canada with minimum canola acre thresholds. Straight cutting allows growers to delay harvest until the canola crop is fully mature at 60 to 75 per cent colour change, increasing yields and saving on expensive swathing equipment. “We’re finding that the main driver (behind the increase) is the yield benefit,” says Danielle Eastman, western herbicides brand manager for BASF Canada. “The second driver is that growers are able to find efficiencies at harvest, timing their work so they are swathing some fields and straight cutting other fields.”

to other farmers about settings on the combine, or talk to the manufacturers to make sure you’re maximizing your combines.” Monitoring bins is also key, he says. With straight cutting, there’s more of a chance of green material getting caught in with the crop. “Keep an eye on that to make sure nothing gets in the bins. Make sure the moisture isn’t higher than expected and the bins don’t heat up after harvest,” he says.

Evaluating the risk Straight cutting canola may be making headlines, but many growers say they are still unwilling to risk it. “There are lots of things that

about it. All of a sudden, $15/ acre to go over it with a swather seems like a good idea. That’s the worst-case scenario, but you have to determine whether you’re prepared to stomach the potentially one in five or one in 10 years that that happens.” Kelly Wheeler, a grain farmer near Strathmore, Alta., says straight cutting can be a good option for growers with damaged or multi-stage crops. His operation began straight cutting in 2008. “In our area, we kept getting hail. Canola crops would get hailed in late June and then they’d be a multi-stage mess, so we started desiccating and straight cutting those crops. “In a crop that was maybe

half hailed, you were able to get more yield and capture more of the re-growth and stage the crop better that way,” he says. “For crops that were really damaged by hail, it was a quick way to clean them up.” Wheeler says growers who decide to try straight cutting canola, but have a sparse crop or don’t use a shatter-resistant variety need to be prepared to spend on desiccants. “You have to be careful. Wind can blow swaths as well — and that’s the trade-off. There’s no silver bullet. You make the best decision at the time,” he says. † Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and editor. Contact her at julienne. isaacs@gmail.com.

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A range of new products is addressing the risks associated with straight cutting canola. Bayer CropScience’s canola variety InVigor L140P offers pod-shatter resistance. According to James Humphries, manager of oilseed traits with Bayer CropScience, growers’ concerns about pod shatter are understandable, but risks can be overcome with careful management. “Straight cutting can become a viable option regardless of the conditions,” he says. “That being said, when a grower is going to try 140 for the first time, start slowly, don’t lose all your acres to straight cutting. Become comfortable with it.” Humphries suggests starting with an even field with no sloughs or potholes, planting a pod-shatter resistant variety and being aggressive on weed control. BASF is also promoting the herbicide Heat LQ for pre-harvest crop and broadleaf weed drydown, which helps growers control harvest timing. “Heat LQ is a great option for canola growers because it helps them get their crop off sooner and makes straight cutting less risky,” says Eastman. “Once growers apply Heat tank-mixed with glyphosate, we’re showing faster dry-down timing than for glyphosate alone. It dries down the entire stem as well as the pod and it’s easier to feed through the combine.” Growers should evaluate whether to use a desiccant based on how early or late the field is seeded. “It’s going to vary on a field by field basis,” says Humphries. “Some years you might have to. If you have good weed control, you’re not using desiccant because of weeds, but because you want to bring the crop in because it’s late in the season.” Humphries also recommends carefully evaluating equipment. “Some growers who have trouble don’t have the right equipment for straight cutting,” he says. “Talk

are appealing about it for sure — we’ve tried it before and it went okay, but I’ve had first hand experience either helping the guys or being involved in situations where it didn’t go so well, where a lot of the crop was lost because of wind damage or hail or being out there too long,” says Mark Bratrud, a grower and independent consultant based near Weyburn, Sask. Bratrud says that his farm straight-cuts pulses and lentils, but having another delicate crop to straight-cut is simply too risky. “I’ve been on fields that have straight-cut well, but I’ve also been on fields where guys have lost 75 per cent of their crop and there’s nothing they can do

By Julienne Isaacs

H S TA R G E N E

© NorthStar Genetics 2015 ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Genuity and Design®, Genuity Icons, Genuity®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, and Roundup® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. Respect the Refuge and Design is a registered trademark of the Canadian Seed Trade Association. Used under license. ©2012 Monsanto Canada, Inc.

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Features

Crop protection

The sweet spot for fungicide use Variety resistance and the level of disease pressure impacts fungicide effectiveness By Lisa Guenther

arly fungicide applications reduce blackleg severity when disease pressure is high and the varieties lack resistance, a researcher told delegates at the International Rapeseed Conference in Saskatoon. But fungicide has little effect when varie-

ties are resistant or moderately resistant, he said. “We need to find kind of a sweet spot with fungicide use,” said Dr. Gary Peng, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Saskatoon. AAFC researchers have studied blackleg management strategies

in Western Canada. “But because those studies were done in the low disease years, generally the fungicide treatments did not provide an economical return,” said Peng. But as blackleg has resurged, researchers have wondered whether fungicide could cut risk if there was a major outbreak, Peng said.

BayerCropScience.ca/InVigor 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.

Peng and several colleagues examined the effect of several fungicides at five western Canadian sites. They left diseased canola residue at the sites to build up blackleg inoculum. To see what would happen in “the worstcase scenario,” they used Westar, a blackleg-susceptible variety, Peng said. Untreated plots were

used as a check. Researchers also applied Headline to a moderately resistant and resistant variety at the two- to four-leaf stage as an additional check. Along with Headline, AAFC B:17.9583” researchers gave several other fungicides a spin (see chart). Once the T:17.4583” canola was mature, they examS:17.0833” ined each plot for blackleg severity

September 29, 2015

grainews.ca /

Features and incidence, and recorded seed yield. Ultimately, they pulled data from 17 site-years.

Results When researchers looked at all of the data, most of the treatments boosted seed yield of Westar and reduced blackleg. The exceptions were Tilt applied at the two- to four- leaf stage and Headline applied before bolting. This pattern held when researchers looked at data from trials with moderate to high disease severity. “When variety resistance has

been eroded and disease pressures are high, that’s probably the time you can consider (fungicide application),” said Peng. Early treatment is more effective, he added. “And the split treatment or double treatment is not really required.” But the trend didn’t hold for trials with low disease severity — researchers saw no difference between treated and untreated plots in seed yield, disease severity, or disease frequency. As for the resistant and moderately resistant cultivars, Headline often reduced blackleg resistance and severity. But it didn’t boost

seed yield substantially, according to the study. Peng recommended canola growers scout for blackleg at harvest to assess how much disease inoculum they’ll be dealing with in the future. He also suggested farmers use resistant cultivars and rotate crops before turning to fungicides. In most cases, fungicide is not needed, Peng said. “It’s not what to spray or when to spray. It’s if you need to spray.” † Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa. Guenther@fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

FUNGICIDE APPLICATIONS IN AAFC STUDY Headline (Group 11, pyraclostrobin)

Tilt (Group 3, propiconazole)

Quadris (Group 11, azoxystrobin)

Quilt Xcel (Groups 3 and 11, propiconazole + azoxystrobin)

Yes

(2-4 leaf, before bolting)

Yes

Single application, before bolting

Yes

Application timing on Westar 2-4 leaf stage Split application

B:12.4286”

T:11.9286”

S:11.4286”

photos: courtesy of the canola council of canada

1. When scouting, pull plants. This photo shows blackleg stem cankers. 2. When variety resistance has been eroded and blackleg disease pressures are high, consider fungicide application. 3. Rate the severity of the blackening of a stem’s cross section on a scale of one to 5. 4. Black discolouration in the stem’s cross section is a sign of blackleg.

Scouting for blackleg The Canola Council of Canada recommends blackleg scouting a week or two before straight cutting or swathing. Don’t wait more than a week after harvest, the Council advises, or plants may be too decomposed to pick out symptoms. While scouting, pull plants and clip stems below ground level. Black discolouration in the stem’s cross section is a sign of blackleg. Rate the severity on a scale of zero to five. Zero means no discolouration. A two means 26 to 50 per cent of the cross section is discoloured. Five means blackleg has killed the plant and the stem is fully discoloured. Check a few sites in each field. Pull a few random plants at each site. If blackleg severity averages 1.5 or more, resistance is likely breaking down in that field. If resistance is breaking, farmers should move to a one-in-four canola rotation, the Council states. Farmers can also use varieties known to have different blackleg resistance genes, the Council adds. Fungicides may have some yield benefit if resistance has eroded, the Council states in an April 2015 edition of CanolaWatch. For more information on blackleg, visit www.canolawatch.org and search “blackleg.” † O-66-08/15-10406655-E

Lisa Guenther

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Features

Grain marketing

Devil may be in the contract details A grain contract should work both ways to protect the buyer as well as the seller By Lee Hart

conditions of a sale agreement be in writing. “Verbal agreements can be risky,” she says, pointing out that a grain company is not bound by anything a sales representative may say out in the field. If the sales rep offers any special terms get them in writing to avoid a dispute later.

t may seem like just a lot of fine print, but farmers are urged to read and understand the whole document before finalizing a contract when selling any commodity, says a manager with the Canola Council of Canada (CCC). Farmers need to know their rights, and they also need to understand any clauses that may be found beyond the first few paragraphs of the contract, says Janelle Whitley, manager, policy development with the CCC in Winnipeg. It’s all about avoiding any upsetting surprises when it comes time to actually sell and deliver the crop, she says. “The terms of grain company contracts can vary considerably from one company to another,” says Whitley. “And when a farmer signs a contract they are agreeing to those terms and conditions. It becomes very difficult to back out once the contract is signed. So read the contract and know what you are signing.” Whitley says surveys show that only about 17 per cent of farmers read the whole contract and about 50 per cent only read part of it. Here are a few key points she makes about developing and signing contracts.

Whitley describes situations where growers might be offered a contract in two parts. A farmer might sign part of the contract that spells out terms and conditions and then receives a separate purchase contract for each sale transaction. Or she says it can be a situation where the two parts are not provided to the producer. It is not uncommon for one part of a two-part contract to have a clause that says: ”This contract is subject to and incorporates the terms and conditions of the (crop year) purchase contract signed on (a given date). An additional copy of the Terms and Conditions will be made available upon request.” By signing the purchase contract and special terms, the grower maybe agreeing to more general terms and conditions they aren’t aware of. “Make sure you have the entire contract to properly review,” says Whitley.

Get it in writing

Right to second opinion

Verbal contacts have their place, but Whitley says farmers should ask that all terms and

Farmers delivering their grain to an elevator have the right to a second opinion if they don’t agree

with the grade and quality assessment offered by the grain buyer. “And a discount on a quality issue can cost the producer money,” says Whitley. For example, if canola is worth $490 per tonne and the elevator discounts it for one per cent dockage, that equals $490 on a 100 tonne contract.

Get a whole contract

Read and understand the whole document Whitley says the farmer has a right to see how the crop is being inspected and they should also be able to look behind the counter and see what type of sieve is being used to determine the quality of the sample. And if the producer isn’t satisfied they can ask for a second opinion. The Canadian Grain Commission makes it very clear on it’s website: “If you (includes anyone delivering grain on your behalf) disagree with the licensed primary elevator’s assessment of your grain’s grade, dockage, moisture or protein, you have the right to ask that a sample be sent to us at the Canadian Grain Commission for a binding decision.” For more details on getting a second opinion visit the CGC website at http://www.grainscanada.gc.ca.

Know the delivery terms Probably one of the biggest areas of complaint among producers are penalties and payments related to changes in delivery, says Whitley. “Especially in the past couple years when there were long delays in delivering grain due to transportation issues — it was very frustrating for farmers,” she says. Again, she says it is important to read the contract and first make sure there is some clause covering late delivery or on-farm storage, and secondly, farmers need to make sure they understand the terms. Here are a couple examples of the clauses that may be found in contracts: Example 1: “If the company extends the delivery period, the company and the producer agree that the company will pay the producer a one-time lump sum penalty of $10 for the entire remaining undelivered portion of crop not accepted within the original delivery period.” Example 2: “If the buyer does not call for any or all of the grain in the delivery period, the delivery period shall be extended for 60 days (The Extended Delivery Period). When the grain is delivered in the Extended Delivery Period… the buyer shall pay the seller, storage rates for the grain not delivered, together with interest calculated at the Interest Rate on the Price. The “storage rates” shall be the storage rates of the buyer calculated in accordance with the Canadian Grain Commission Licensed Primary Elevator Tariffs.”

Expect storage payment

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It is a matter of law. As of August 1, 2014 all grain marketing contracts must contain a provision to compensate growers for grain that is not accepted within the defined delivery terms. So if

you can’t deliver, you are entitled to be paid for storage. Along with specifying the delivery period, a contract should state the producer is eligible for a penalty payment if the licensee does not accept the grain with the delivery period. The contract should also spell out the penalty to be paid either as a lump sum payment or daily rate. A couple of exceptions to this provision include grain that is sold to a U.S. buyer or grain sold to a feedlot, however guidelines for licensing feedlots are under review.

Dealing with defaults and cancellations Grain contracts should contain clauses to cover situations where the grower can’t deliver all or part of grain volume agreed to in the contract. This is called a “liquidated damage” clause. Whitley says it is difficult to cancel a full contract as both parties have to agree. In most cases a producer might be short on his delivery amount or have a quality issue. “Any default on the contract should be covered in the contract,” she says. “So producers need to understand the consequences. And a lot will depend on the relationship a producer has with that company.” There should be language in the contract covering the issue and it is also important for the producer to talk to the grain company, explain the situation and hopefully they an arrive at a solution. For more information on grain contracts, Whitley urges farmers to get a copy of a Canadian Canola Growers Association handbook called “A Practical Guide To Navigate Grain Contracts” and also visit the association website at www.ccga.ca. † Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola contains the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil and thiamethoxam. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola plus Vibrance® is a combination of two separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil, thiamethoxam, and sedaxane. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, and clothianidin. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin and ipconazole. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn with Poncho®/ VoTivo™ (fungicides, insecticide and nematicide) is a combination of five separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, clothianidin and Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, metalaxyl and imidacloprid. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin and metalaxyl. Acceleron and Design®, Acceleron®, DEKALB and Design®, DEKALB®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, JumpStart®, RIB Complete and Design®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup®, SmartStax and Design®, SmartStax®, Transorb®, VT Double PRO®, and VT Triple PRO® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Used under license. Vibrance® and Fortenza® are registered trademarks of a Syngenta group company. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. Poncho® and Votivo™ are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Grainews in Australia

Cattle bred for Australia’s north With a little Canadian help, producers down under created Droughtmaster cattle By Scott Garvey

here probably isn’t a cattle farmer anywhere across the Canadian prairie in January that wouldn’t gladly trade places with an Australian farmer, particularly when the mercury disappears in the bottom of the thermometer. But the generally balmy climate down under isn’t without its challenges for stock growers either. The conditions cattle must contend with in the northern part of that country, not all that far from the Equator, can be even more devastating to a herd than severe cold. As in Canada, the first cattle breeds brought to Australia by settlers originated in the United Kingdom. While they were well suited to the British climate, the unique challenges of Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territories proved difficult for them to overcome. A hot, dry environment with limited access to water devastated British breeds in the region early on. It was those hash conditions and other problems that led to the creation of Australia’s own Droughtmaster breed. “The cattle tick arrived (in Australia) from Asia in 1896 and decimated the herds,” explained Neil Donaldson, CEO of Droughtmaster Australia, at the breed exhibit during the Commonwealth Bank AgQuip expo in Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia in August. “The tick decimated the herds that were all British-bred cattle.” In the early 1900s some ranchers thought the solution was to incorporate breed genetics into their herds from animals common in more tropical climates. “Some commercial cattlemen were looking at ways to sort out that problem,” Donaldson continued. “And the only way they could see clear was to use Zebu genetics. And the only Zebu genetics in Australia were in a zoo in Melbourne at an exotic animal display.” Three Zebu bulls were taken from the zoo and made available to some graziers in the northern part of the country. A few years later, in the mid 1920s, one crossbred cattle herd caught the eye of a certain cattleman who saw their potential. “Years later a fellow called Monty Atkinson was delivering horses that he’d sold in the middle of a drought, and on his way through this property he found a Zebu bull with his half-bred progeny,” Donaldson said. “They were all surviving and doing really well while all the other British-bred cattle around them were dying from the drought.” “He used the money from the sale of the horses to buy the Zebu bull and his half-bred progeny and went on from there to try and get a breed that was tick resistant, could handle the heat and humidity, could handle walking vast distances to water and feed, and handle very poor pasture.” Atkinson’s efforts eventually led to the creation of the Droughtmaster breed, or

Droughties as they’re sometimes called by local graziers. “As time went on they were allowed to import Brahman genetics from America, although they had to come through Canada because for a while they weren’t allowed to import (cattle) from America,” he said. “So the bulls had to go up to Canada and do their quarantine there.” “They used the Brahman genetics to update and fast track what they were doing. Over the years they eventually stabilized the breed to where it is now. It’s now the second largest breed in northern Australia.” The official description of Droughtmasters by the breed organization, which first formed its own association in

1962, claims these cattle embody high fertility traits along with easy calving and docility. But their biggest advantage is in their adaptability to dry, hot climates. Those same traits, however, have also kept the breed confined mostly to Northern Australia, apart from a small number in Mexico, South America and a few regions of Asia that share similar environments. “It hasn’t spread a long way throughout the world,” acknowledged Donaldson. “But there are little pockets of the breed around the world. It’s uniquely Australian. And it’s something we’re proud of.” † Scott Garvey is machiney editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

photo: scott garvey

This Droughtmaster heifer was one of the animals on display at the breed exhibit during the Commonwealth Bank AgQuip event in Australia in August.

Doing nothing is no longer an option

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/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Features

Insect control

Farmers can manage bee risk While neonicitoids poise risks to bees, farmers and the ag industry can manage these risks By Lisa Guenther

eonicitoids pose risks to bees in three ways, says a researcher. But farmers and the ag industry can manage the biggest risks, he told delegates at the International Rapeseed Conference in Saskatoon this past summer. Dr. Udo Heimbach researches pesticide use and environmental effects with Germany’s Julius Kuhn-Institut. He presented research studying neonics’ effects on bees during the conference. One risk lies in the liquid plants give off from leaf edges, known as guttation. Bees haul water for everything from larval food to diluting honey, Heimbach explained. Guttation liquid is one water source for them. And if bees collect droplets containing neonics, those individual bees die, he said. “Very simply, there is a risk. But with all that we saw, there’s no unacceptable effect on honeybee colonies if there is sufficient water available,” said Heimbach. Beekeepers can avoid problems by making sure hives aren’t bordering fields of emerging maize or oilseed rape, he said. Researchers also studied the effect of neonic residue in pollen and nectar on honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees. They did find low levels of clothianidin in the pollen and nectar of winter oilseed rape in 2014. Heimbach said there was also some residue in beehives eight weeks after

the bees were first exposed to the neonic during flowering. “So there is clearly an exposure,” he told delegates. But they didn’t see any significant effect on bees during the 2014 trials, he said. The 2015 trials were being finalized, but they hadn’t seen effects so far that year, either, he said. Heimbach did caution that the honeybee data was more reliable than data for bumblebees and other bees. Heimbach warned against assuming those results would hold for a summer oilseed. A Swedish study found higher residue levels in summer oilseeds than winter oilseeds, he said. Seeding rate, cropping period, and plant biomass all affect residue levels, Heimbach explained. Two peer-reviewed research papers have found low levels of neonic residue from Canadian canola. Both included beehives set in clothianidin-treated and control canola fields. In both studies, the seed treatment was applied at the recommended rate. One study found no more than two parts per billion (ppb) of clothianidin in pollen samples. The other found residue no higher than 2.59 ppb in pollen, nectar and honey samples. Previous research benchmarked 20 ppb of clothianidin as the concentration that harms bees. Neither study found differences between control and treated colonies in honey yield, winter survival, bee mortality, brood development, or other measures. The risks of residue in pollen nectar have been known for 20 years, Heimbach said

in an interview. “This is nothing new. And this is nothing big. But we can really create problems with dust.” Before the European Union (EU) restricted neonics, most oilseed rape was seed-treated in Germany. In 10 years, no beehive poisonings had been linked to neonics used for oilseed rape, Heimbach’s research states. But in 2008, 12,000 beehives were damaged in Germany. The culprit was abrasion from seed treatments and drifting dust during maize seeding, according to Heimbach’s research. To protect bees, farmers need to cut abrasion from seed treatments, Heimbach said. Dust should contain low levels of the active ingredient, he added. And farmers should sow in ways that prevents dust from drifting into neighbouring areas, he added. In 2014, Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) restricted seed flow lubricants to reduce bee exposure to dust. Graphite and talc are no longer permitted in Canada. Currently Bayer CropScience’s “Fluency Agent” is the only approved lubricant. There has been a “considerable effort” put into improving seed treatments in Germany, Heimbach said; active ingredient levels in the dust have dropped. Dust abrasion of oilseed rape has also improved, Heimbach’s research states. The European Union (EU) banned several neonics in crops that attract bees for at least two years. The first oilseed crop after the ban was sown in the fall of 2014. German farm-

ers sprayed five times as much pyrethroid as previous years, Heimbach told delegates. Increased spraying would not have a “positive effect” on the environment, he noted. More spraying also means more selection pressure on pyrethroid-resistant cabbage stem flea beetles, he said. The neonic ban also means farmers have no control for cabbage root flies, said Heimbach. Germany’s oilseed rape growing area has also dropped since 2013, he said, and he suspected it would keep dropping. The EU isn’t the only jurisdiction with neonic restrictions. The Ontario government has set regulations that will require farmers to take integrated pest management courses and complete pest assessments before buying neonic-treated seed for any corn or soy acres, after 2016’s growing season. Eventually professional pest advisors will need to complete the pest assessments. Heimbach said the Canadian ag industry should try to work with regulators and look into improvements immediately. “They should be open to the regulators, sharing what they have and what they did.” Whether or not the current neonic restrictions will stick in the EU remains to be seen. “Of course, I can’t predict the outcome of that because there’s always a risk. And you always have some effects. You never have nothing.” † Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@ fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

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Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Tank mixtures: The applicable labeling for each product must be in the possession of the user at the time of application. Follow applicable use instructions, including application rates, precautions and restrictions of each product used in the tank mixture. Monsanto has not tested all tank mix product formulations for compatibility or performance other than specifically listed by brand name. Always predetermine the compatibility of tank mixtures by mixing small proportional quantities in advance. Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, Monsanto and Vine Design®, Roundup Ready® and Roundup® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. AgSolutions is a registered trademark of BASF Corporation; PRIAXOR and LANCE are registered trademarks of BASF SE; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. © 2015 Monsanto Canada Inc. and BASF Canada Inc.

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Features

Plant disease

Producer group promotes barley MWBGC is putting its research dollars into fusarium head blight resistance By Julienne Isaacs

he Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA) says it is committed to research and market development of wheat and barley in the province, including one project focused on genomic selection for improving two-row malting barley. Officially established on January 1, 2014, MWBGA is funded by Manitoba farmers through a checkoff on wheat and barley. MWBGA joined other organizations in Alberta and Saskatchewan in the post-Wheat Board era to promote wheat and barley growers’ interests and strategically invest in research and development initiatives in all three Prairie provinces. According to Brent VanKoughnet, executive director of MWBGA, producers needed representation for key issues in industry development. “In Alberta, there was a Barley Commission, but in Saskatchewan and Manitoba there were no barley organizations that had producer representatives, and wheat growers in all Western provinces needed representation,” he says.

MWBGA is an active member of Cereals Canada and the Barely Council of Canada. “We think we can get the greatest net return back to producers by contributing to those partnerships for market development in wheat and barley,” says VanKoughnet. VanKoughnet says roughly 70 per cent of MWBGA’s budget will be spent on research. And the majority of issues facing wheat and barley growers are not Manitoba-specific, but are common across Western Canada. “We’re doing our best to be integrated with the thinking of Saskatchewan and Alberta,” he says. “There are world-class Prairie researchers that can approach those issues across all three provinces.” Manitoba researchers bring expertise in Fusarium management to the Western Canadian effort, which makes the province ideally situated to investigate potential breeding lines for improving FHB resistance in malting barley. “There are nationally recognized researchers here in Manitoba who have been working on the issues over a number of years, and

collaborating internationally,” says Lori-Ann Kaminski, research manager for MWBGA. “So it makes sense for Saskatchewan and Alberta dollars to be invested in Manitoba researchers.”

Improving two-row malting barley This year marks the first of the three-year project, “Application and Evaluation of Genomic Selection for Improving Fusarium Head Blight Resistance and Lowering Deoxynivalenol Accumulation in Two-row Malting Barley,” which will be overseen by Dilantha Fernando, a professor of plant pathology at the University of Manitoba, Ana Badea, a barley breeding specialist at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s Brandon Research Centre, and James Tucker, a PhD candidate at the University of Manitoba. Funding ($158,000) comes from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) and the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI). The researchers will sort through germplasm stored at the AAFC Brandon Research Centre, identi-

fying sources of resistance to FHB in the gene pool. “Brandon runs a disease testing nursery for all of Ag Canada’s western breeding programs,” says Kaminski. “They screen barley that’s in breeding development for other research sites. They’ll have the ability to look at barley from across the breeding programs.” By the project’s conclusion, the researchers aim to have selected and validated a minimum of 100 elite barley lines that have significant resistance backgrounds, which can then be used in barley breeding programs. “Fusarium resistance is a tough nut. It’s multi-factorial and goes across a number of genes,” says Kaminski. “And it’s a tricky balance, finding the genetics that work agronomically.” Though genomic selection will be used to identify the strongest lines, all of the resulting lines will end up in traditional breeding programs. “This project aims to understand where fusarium resistance sits within the barley genome,” Kaminski says. VanKoughnet says a major challenge facing barley breeding in Western Canada is combining

strong agronomic characteristics (such as FHB resistance) with the unique needs of maltsters and feeders. “When those are out of sync, we have a variety we can’t sell, or an underperforming variety with a high demand,” he says. “Of course that marketplace gets more fascinating than ever with the rapid emergence of craft breweries, which are looking for something a little different.” VanKoughnet says the organization is also in talks with Manitoba beef producers, asking how barley producers and beef producers can work together. He says he’s encouraged by the work western Canadian wheat and barley commissions and growers organizations have done in looking at ways producers can more effectively participate in variety development. “As we all established our organizations we asked ourselves what has the most significant influence on the profitability of cereals. For the most part, it’s access to the most innovative and progressive varieties,” he says. † Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and editor. Contact her at julienne. isaacs@gmail.com.

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Farm finance

Commodity streaming for farm finance Input Capital offers working capital to finance inputs for western Canadian canola growers By Julienne Isaacs

ommodity streaming is a term most Canadians associate with the mining industry, if they’ve heard it at all. But over the next several years, they may be hearing it more and more, along with the name Input Capital, the Reginabased company that introduced it to western Canadian agriculture. Input Capital, whose shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange, calls itself “the world’s first agricultural commodity streaming company.” The company purchases canola using multi-year contracts, paying 80 per cent of the cash up front so producers can invest in necessary inputs, build succession plans or expand their operations before the crop is in the ground. The company grew out of Assiniboia Farmland Limited Partnership, which began in 2005 and now manages the largest farmland fund in Canada. “Assiniboia’s business strategy was to lease out farm property to other farmers,” explains Gord Nysteun, vice-president of Market Development for Input Capital. “In their pursuit of finding existing farmers, it wasn’t long before they came upon the issue of working capital in their conversations — growers saying that working capital was required just to put the crop in. That was the seed of the idea.” Assiniboia began a pilot project with half a dozen canola producers in Saskatchewan that ran for three seasons. At the end of the three seasons, Input Capital was born. “At the beginning our clients were people we knew personally. Obviously we approached more than just six. Past that point in time, we’ve done progressively more marketing, and typically it’s been related to how much capital we have available,” says Nysteun. “Last year, I think we invested in streams close to 50 million dollars. Now that we’re talking about 50 million instead of five, we need more potential clients.” When Input Capital started, Nysteun visited producers personally, as he was the company’s only salesperson. Last fall, Input Capital added four additional salespeople. “At the beginning, we were dealing with a very localized area. In the past we’ve done ads in newspapers and farm radio. We do trade shows. We have a web presence. We’ve done media interviews. These are the vehicles by which you make your offering generally known. But at the end of the day you still need to make a personal visit to somebody,” he says. To date, the company has raised $110 million dollars, and now works with canola producers in all three Prairie provinces.

crop we can offer the best financial terms to farmers on,” he says. “There are times when durum is at a very high price — last fall it traded at $14/bu. However, not every farmer grows durum. One of the other challenges with a crop like durum is that there’s no futures market. That inability to see future prices for durum makes it hard for us to offer contracts.” Because of the length of the contracts, Input Capital offers producers the best financial terms possible based on the future value of canola in the larger commodity price environment. Producers can choose to pay contracts with other crops, the value of which is calculated based on canola prices. Chris Zamonsky owns a

4,000 acre grain operation near Grandview, Man. He pursued a contract with Input Capital after reading about the company and meeting reps at the CropConnect Conference in Winnipeg in February 2015. “I was in a rut. I’d have to sell grain to pay for inputs,” says Zamonsky. “I was always working out, and could never get enough acres to go full time farming. There’s no way I would have been able to get that kind of financing from the bank.” Zamonsky says that the contract has been beneficial to his operation. “The initial financing allowed us to buy fertilizer and chemical inputs. It also allowed us to expand our acres. I was also able

to get a hired hand who was here through the summer,” he says. “I haven’t delivered any grain against it, but we’re going to soon. We’re pretty blessed and fortunate that our yields are good again.” Input Capital requires partner producers to work with agronomists to maximize their operations’ profits, but as Zamonsky has his CCA license, he says the company is working under the assumption that he knows what he’s doing. “I’m a progressive farmer. I use high inputs, and pretty intense farming, pushing yields and stuff. They want to see somebody who’s doing that.” † Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and editor. Contact her at julienne.isaacs@gmail.com.

photo: leeann minoque

Gord Nystuen gave a presentation on input prices at the Ag In Motion Farm Show near Saskatoon this summer.

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How streaming works Contracts with Input Capital are six years in length. Contract prices are based on the forward price curve for canola. “Behind that, we look at futures quotes on canola,” says Nysteun. Why canola? Nysteun says canola is Canada’s biggest and most valuable crop, but it also boasts the longest futures prices. “It’s the

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.

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Features

Product development

Bayer looks ahead to the future Bayer CropScience’s CEO says its product range and focus on research drives success By Leeann Minogue

Jim Blome is the president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP in North America.

n late August at the U.S. Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP for North America, spoke to ag media about Bayer’s business. Some customers might be put off by the sheer size of Bayer, a multinational company headquartered in Germany. When all facets of the company are included, from health care to materials science, Bayer’s 2014 gross sales were 42 billion Euros (that’s $62.6 billion Canadian dollars). Bayer’s Crop Science division alone has 23,000 people working in more than 120 countries. But Blome explained that Bayer’s

large size allows it to examine the entire span of life, “from plants to animals to humans.” Sometimes, he said, that can lead to efficiencies. “Mining the overlaps and the opportunities between plant, people and pet research is a growing part of Bayer’s strategy,” he said. As an example, Blome cited Velum Total, a new Bayer insecticide/nematicide available to U.S. farmers. This product, he said, “starves nematodes of oxygen and thus gets rid of the pest.” Because Bayer deals with more than just agriculture, Blome said, “When our crop science researchers shared this unique suffocation approach with colleagues in our pharmaceutical group, light bulbs began to go off in their minds.

What if such a product might work to throttle cancer cells?” “Today, early collaborations between crop science and health care include research on proteins that could act as building blocks for new drugs.” Bayer’s large size also means large investments. “Bayer invests about $1 billion every year in research and development,” Blome said. In 2015, Bayer has brought five new products to the U.S. ag market. Between 2016 and 2022, he said, “we are expecting to bring 25 new solutions to the marketplace.” These will include chemical solutions as well as biologicals. Bayer is bringing its bulk on board the digital farming train. “Bayer’s ambition in this space is

to develop, validate and commercialize a software-based analytical platform that translates agronomic data — things like genetics, weather and management practices — into insights that deliver personalized field-specific recommendations to farmers that can help them move from precision to decision. And, optimize their crop inputs and improve their return on investment,” Blome said. Following the logic that sometimes the best new research is done by nimbler, smaller companies, Bayer CropScience is working with two venture capital groups. This, said Blome, will “provide us a window into these new innovation areas that we’ve never had before.” For instance, he said, “The application of IT technologies to data collection, in particular, is attracting new people that have never been involved with ag. And along with them, a whole lot of new ways of thinking about solving agricultural problems.”

Hybrid wheat

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Along with other major players, Bayer is getting into hybrid wheat. Lloyd McCall, Bayer’s North American soybean breeding lead explained that Bayer is already No. 1 in the world in cottonseed and canola, and a world leader in rice and vegetables. “Based on the success we had with cotton, canola and rice, we expanded into soybean and wheat a few years ago. Our intention with these two crops, soybean and wheat, is to also be a serious competitor in both the U.S. and global markets.” To build up a pool of resources for its researchers to work with, Bayer has purchased germplasm and entered into collaborations with companies that had their own. “Our focus is on hybrid wheat that will have new yield levels and improved yield stability and native traits for both yield and herbicide tolerance.” Bayer’s wheat-breeding program operates in two U.S. states, Canada, across Europe and in Australia. † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

Bayer and soybeans “We see Western Canada as a growth opportunity,” said Bayer’s Diego Angel0, soybean seeds marketing. Globally, he said, there are still two areas — Western Canada and Brazil — with room for more soybean acreage. “Western Canada could be significant,” Angelo said. As for Bayer’s research into soybeans with an even-shorter growing season, Angelo said, “We are looking at potential opportunities. We have identified a partner that we might work with.” He expects Bayer will make a decision in this area “pretty soon.” † Leeann Minogue

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

farm finance

Telling your story to lenders By Leeann Minogue

his May, BASF conducted a survey of 200 U.S. ag lenders who work directly with farmers. Brady Spangenberg, BASF’s market intelligence and research manager, said, “What we found is that, no matter what’s going on out there — commodity prices, volatile markets, currencies — what ag lenders are really looking for, in terms of how they make their farm financing decisions, is the growers’ proven history of success, and what their business plan is moving forward. I don’t think it’s any different than any other kind of business out there, even getting a home mortgage. The study found that, although production risk is a consideration, the U.S. lenders surveyed in May said it wouldn’t make or break a loan. The study said: “Ultimately, the grower’s ability/willingness to service a loan is the deciding factor since all production variable cannot be controlled for.” External factors like the state of the economy and commodity prices were also found to matter less than the farmers’ personal financial health. For the coming year, 49 per cent of the lenders surveyed expect their lending standards to be about the same as last year. Only 23 per cent saw lending standards tightening; 32 per cent saw lending standards easing. As for the future, the study said, “Bankers are looking to harvest performance numbers, weather data, global crop forecasts and land prices as the most prominent harbingers of potential change in the markets for 2015-16. Of course, Spangenberg says, keep in mind that there are differences between the U.S. and Canada. “Your ag lending industry is a little more consolidated than the U.S.” However, the results are still applicable, he said. It’s still important to have a discussion with your lender about your business plan. “It’s a little more storytelling,” Spangenberg said. “How are growers really telling their own farms’ financial and business story to their partners?” “Does your plan include provision for something like less rainfall than you expect, like happened this year in Canada? That’s something that ag lenders want to hear more about.” †

Leeann Minogue

Respect the rotation

orn. Soybeans. Corn. Soybeans. You can drive through Illinois for several hours without seeing any other crops growing. “You’ll see a lot of corn, soybean rotations throughout the Midwest,” said Mark Waddington, Bayer’s product development manager, selective herbicides, “What’s always been done has been the corn and soybean rotation. The environment, the ground, the land is well suited for those crops.” In the U.S., Waddington said, “Bayer has been at the forefront of what we call ‘respect the rotation’ in weed management for a few years.” “Respect the

rotation” is Bayer’s U.S. educational stewardship program. It encourages farmers to adopt integrated weed management practices and slow or prevent the spread of herbicide tolerant weeds. These practices can include, Waddington said, “in addition to the corn and soybean rotation, the cultivation, the hand weeding, and stuff like that.” For now, in Illinois, Wadding said, there is only one glyphosate-resistant weed: waterhemp. Unfortunately, waterhemp in Illinois is also resistant to ALS inhibitors (Group 2), and PPO inhibitors (Group 14). Farmers are controlling it using combinations of herbicides, using multi-modes of action for effective control.” “We’re getting a lot more glyphosate

resistance moved in. That’s where our Liberty Link system is really taking off. Again, it’s another tool. We can’t and do not, absolutely do not rely on it solely, but it is another tool for effective weed control. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Waddington said, there is ryegrass that is resistant to Liberty (Group 10). “In the Midwest in row crops there are no gluphosinate-resistant weeds.” In the future? Waddington says, “growers are going to be a lot more educated on their options and on their system. It’s going to be a lot of planning, and a lot of implementing those multi-year plans for weed control and for sustainable efficacy.” † Leeann Minogue

photo: leeann minogue

Drive down most roads in central Illinois, and you’ll mainly see corn, soybeans, corn, soybeans, more corn and more soybeans.

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FACT #10: Proven Seed set the bar in standability. New hybrids, like PV 200 CL, build on this world class standard while offering high yield potential and a non-GMO premium contract option with the Clearfield® production system. FACT #51: Manage your acres and harvest timing. PV 531 G brings strong yields, excellent standability and early maturity so growers can manage harvest windows without sacrifice. Suitable for the short growing zones of the Prairies, this Genuity® Roundup Ready® hybrid lives up to the name Proven Seed.

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FACT #88: Clubroot is a potentially devastating soil-borne disease that causes swelling or galls to form on roots in canola, ultimately killing the plant. The next generation of advanced CPS-bred Brassica napus canola hybrids demonstrate high levels of resistance to clubroot pathotype 5X, and will mark a first in the fight against the growing threat of this disease. FACT #133: The Proven Performance Trials program is the largest retail comparison program in Western Canada. With over 200 trials in 2015, the Proven Seed portfolio

clean and test our seed to ensure the highest level of quality control. Through an accredited seed laboratory, we screen every seed lot extensively for disease, purity and germination — to give you confidence in your seed investment.

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PROVEN WHERE IT COUNTS — ON A FARM NEAR YOU. See for yourself at provenseed.ca

FACT #46: Proven Seed PV 533 G is a new Genuity® Roundup Ready® hybrid allowing you to push your yield potential, while getting excellent standability and blackleg resistance. PV 533 G is a great choice for your best performing fields. See for yourself at provenseed.ca/canola.

Genuity® and Roundup Ready® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, used under license. CLEARFIELD® is a registered trademark of BASF. 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.

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Features

New technology

Need a part? Print your own As the cost falls and the technology improves, 3D printing is becoming relevant to agricuture By Melanie Epp

hen you think of printers, farming isn’t the first thing that comes to mine. However, the ag industry is no stranger to creative thinking, and as 3D printing technology becomes more accessible, it is being used to make everything from machinery parts to demonstration models. Basically, 3D printing allows you to print a three-dimensional object rather than just a flat picture. First, you create a design for the object, using digital modeling software. Then, the printer produces a threedimensional object by adding layer after layer of material. The material is usually either

sprayed or squeezed from the printer onto a platform. The Makerbot Replicator 2, for instance, uses renewable bioplastic. The 3D printer acts much like an inkjet printer and passes over the platform making deposits in layers until the product is complete. As the technology advances, plenty of stories about innovative creations are surfacing on the web. Alex Hansen, a third-year engineering student at the University of Saskatchewan, for instance, used 3D printing technology in an attempt to replace a part — a small directional button — on the joystick of the farm family’s combine. While the broken button was still usable, it was uncomfortable to

Jason Knott printed a packer for the Technotill Seeding system. use for extended periods of time, especially at harvest, says Hansen. Hansen had access to 3D modeling software and a printer. “Printing took a few tries to get it to work, but once it printed it was good,” he says. “The plastic used in

printing solidified into a hard piece that, at the time, looked perfect.” But it wasn’t perfect and unfortunately didn’t work. “Even though it didn’t work, it was an interesting idea to try,” Hansen continues. “Given more time to

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try and fix the problem, I’m sure it could have been done.” Hansen isn’t the only one to try printing a part. Jason Knott, CEO of Framework Animation, was contacted by two of his regular clients and asked to recreate a part — in this case the ‘packer’ component of the Technotill Seeding System — for testing purposes. “In order to create the part, I was first given one of the actual cast metal parts, which I carefully measured and replicated in my 3D modeling software,” explains Knott. “From there, we made certain modifications to understand how they might affect the characteristics of fertilizer placement.” The part was printed from PLA plastic using a MakerBot Replicator 3D printer. The plastic is made of cornstarch, and is both non-toxic and biodegradable. Knott wasn’t sure if the part would work. In fact, he suspected that it might break under the pressure of running it through the soil. “Thankfully, it did just fine and we ran several passes through the soil bin at the Ag Tech Centre here in Lethbridge,” he says. “The part performed admirably and we were able to determine useful information about the modifications we were testing. We will likely make further modifications, retest and then decide if it’s beneficial to recase these parts in iron.” Allan Cronen, CEO of GVL Polymers, a rotational molding manufacturer in Litchfield, Minnesota, purchased a 3D printer for similar projects. His clients have requested 3D printouts of everything from corn snouts to augers, seed discs to closing wheels. All of the parts have worked out well, he says. “They have been used to test form, fit and sometimes functions,” says Cronen. “Three-dimensional printed parts from GVL Poly are often used to verify design or field test before the OEM purchases expensive moulds and tooling.” Cronen says there are almost no downsides to using 3D printing technology. “The only con of 3D printing can be the cost,” he says. “We have printed large parts to small parts. All of the projects have had successful outcomes. Moulds can be very expensive, and producing test parts before this large investment has helped bring product to market faster.” Both Cronen and Knott see huge potential in 3D printing, particularly for expensive test parts. “Three-dimensional technology will continue to provide new ways for engineers to improve products and equipment farmers use,” says Cronen † Melanie Epp is a freelance farm writer.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns Reporter’s notebook

Getting to know durum country A French Durum SAS researcher may turn up at your doorstep, asking about durum Lisa Guenther

f you farm in Saskatchewan’s southern grain belt, you may have met Quentin Renault this summer. Quentin hails from France, but he’s in Canada for two years studying the durum supply chain, from farm to harbour. He spent his spring and summer driving dusty gravel roads in Saskatchewan’s durum belt, looking for farmers. On June 1, he arrived at Leeann Minogue’s farm to talk durum. I know this because he and Leeann figured out they both knew me, and Leeann texted me. Everyone in Saskatchewan knows each other, Quentin said afterwards. The three of us met in person at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina. Leeann wondered how farmers reacted when Quentin arrived, unannounced, at their farms. Quentin said most people were friendly. Leeann thought this would be a brilliant way to spend a holiday in the British countryside — driving around the farmland and telling people she was studying something agricultural so they’d feed her tea and dessert. I’m less sure about that vacation idea.

Canadian durum, Quentin wants to know everything from seeding to harvest. He also wants to know why a Canadian farmer picks one farming practice over another, he said. He’s hoping to talk to about 200 durum growers for his study.

Farming in France Quentin, who has an ag engineering degree, grew up on an 800 acre grain farm in France. As a child, he spent his holidays helping his parents with farm chores, from seeding to harvesting. He inherited a passion for agriculture from his dad, he said, and never considered working in another sector. Agriculture is a “big thing,” he said, because people need to eat.

By jonny hawkins

Country Chuckles

the industry would reduce pesticide use through a combination of biological controls, other technology, and penalties for pesticide suppliers who don’t cut their volumes by 20 per cent over the next five years, according to the Reuters article. You can read the full article by Googling “France delays pesticide reduction goal by seven years.” One of the biggest differences Quentin’s noticed between farms in France and Saskatchewan is the size. France’s fields range from an acre to 150 acres, Quentin said, a legacy of France’s agrarian history. Some farmers are trying to fuse small fields into bigger ones. “But it’s expensive to do that in France because you have restrictions about that,” said Quentin.

And does everyone know each other in rural France? Quentin says they do — but only within a 20 or 30 km region. “It’s no more. And here it’s — I don’t know — 100, 200 (km).” Of course, Saskatchewan’s small population is spread over a much larger area, so this makes sense. If you’re interested in helping Quentin with his study, ring him at (438) 820-1535 or email quentin.renault@durumsas.com. And if you talk to him, be sure to say hi for your cousin George. Chances are they already know each other. † Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa. Guenther@fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

Canada’s most trusted sources for ag news and information is fully searchable.

Durum study Quentin is a development officer with Durum SAS. The company was created by two other agricultural co-operatives — Axereal and Arterris — to market French durum. Durum SAS sells into international markets including Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. So why is Quentin in Canada? “My boss said to me you have to go to Canada because we know Canada is the main producer of durum in the world,” he said. Durum SAS buys Canadian durum when it’s short French durum and needs to fill contracts. Quentin’s two-year study will help Durum SAS understand Canadian agriculture, he said. It will also help the company build relationships with the different actors in the Canadian durum supply chain, he added. When it comes to growing

Quentin’s father’s farm has been in minimum tillage since he started farming in 1994. But not every French farm can switch to minimum tillage, Quentin said. Some soil types exclude minimum tillage, he said, and some specialty crops require tillage. “But I think farmers are going to change because of more and more restrictions. So we have to be smart about the life of soils,” said Quentin. France is the European Union’s biggest agricultural producer, but French farmers deal with a heavy regulatory burden. For example, French legislators are pressing farmers to halve their pesticide use by 2025, Reuters reported in January. France’s agriculture minister said

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/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Columns Understanding market bulls and bears

Production, profitability and protection The paper side of farming: A successful farm needs to turn a profit every year Brian wittal

ver the past few months we have seen a number of events unfold around the world that have sent grain markets tumbling, some to four-year lows. Devaluation of the Chinese Yuan, and subsequent sell off in the Chinese stock markets, 10-year lows in oil prices and a six-year low for the Canadian dollar. Overall, across the Prairies yields are estimated to be below average this year due to dryness, which means that the only real hope of achieving profitability on your farm this year is to capture a higher dollar value per bushel for the volume that you do grow. Needless to say this recent downturn in the grain markets is not a welcomed or profitable event in anyone’s opinion other than maybe the end use buyers of grains. With the weather uncertainties starting this spring, most producers have been reluctant to do much if any pre-pricing earlier in the year due to the fear of not being able to deliver and having to buy back contracts. As harvest progresses and the markets continue to struggle I am trying to figure out how producers can better protect themselves and ensure a profitable outcome on their farm every year. Or is this a pipe dream?

Long-term solutions As a grain marketing advisor my first instinct is to try to get producers to be more aggressive marketers, locking in profitable prices when they are available on a larger percentage of their crops each year, and convince producers that the reward of having locked in profitable prices outweighs the risk of contract buy backs. But does it? If you are overly aggressive one year and get

What level of risk are you prepared to take on, and what price will you pay to reduce your overall risk? caught it could have devastating consequences for your farm business for a long time if you don’t protect yourself. Next I put on my insurance broker advisor’s hat to see if there is a better way for producers to insure their profitability. I see some potential worth exploring within the current provincial crop insurance programs that exist and the revenue insurance program offered by Global Ag Risk Solutions. Over this past winter season I spent many days as an advisor for Global Ag Risk Solutions, in discussions with hundreds of producers about the difference between production insurance and revenue insurance. I reviewed their farm business plan, cost of production and break even numbers to help them make better decisions about what type(s) and how much insurance they should carry. One thing is for sure, no two situations are the same. Parents, children, siblings and neighbours all have different plans, needs and expectations that make each situation unique. To insure your farm business adequately you need to review your plan and numbers thoroughly. Your costs of production, breakeven analysis, land and equipment cost and debt servicing are all critical factors in determining how much insurance you should be carrying.

Bottom line: for your farm business to be successful you need to profitable each and every year. But what level of profitability is acceptable for your operation? One dollar per year, or one million dollars per year?

The risks What level of risk are you prepared to take on and what cost are you willing to pay to reduce your overall risk? Marketing risk: How much are you prepared to pre-price when prices are profitable? There is the risk of having to deliver, and/or having to buyout the contract if you don’t get a crop. You can use futures or options to protect yourself on some crops (wheat, canola) but there is a cost to that. Are you willing to pay it? Production risk: What level of insurance coverage should you be taking? I refer back to my earlier comment: no two farm operations are the same. The coverage you choose will be based off of a number of factors that only you can choose and evaluate. For example if your “all in” costs of production are $300/acre and your anticipated gross revenues are $425/acre, at what level do you insure yourself? The answer is somewhere in between those two numbers. Should you use production

insurance or hail insurance or revenue insurance or a combination of all three? Production insurance covers you until your harvest is complete. If you use the Spring Price Endorsement for price protection it is only valid until the end of October. After that you are in the markets on your own with any grains you have not priced. Revenue insurance covers you for either production or price loss that puts you below your insured revenue threshold. That insurance stays in effect until May of the next year, providing you with an additional six months of revenue protection should markets fall lower after harvest. What do you want your insurance to cover on your farm? You could take production insurance and have an average crop that would not trigger a claim, and still not show a profit for the year if prices collapse after harvest. With revenue insurance you insure yourself at a fixed dollar per acre of revenue averaged across your total farm. Then, if either production, quality or price fall to the point where your per acre return is below your insured value you will receive a payment. In essence you are putting a revenue insurance floor in place for your farm that covers you for the entire year from May to May.

BETTER START. BETTER HARVEST. TM

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). Contact him at bfwittal@procommarketingltd.com or 403-586-0077.

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Revenue insurance is not designed to guarantee you a profit. It is designed to help you cover your costs of production so that in a worse case scenario your costs of production are covered so that you can farm again next year without a big financial hit. However, now with new enhanced rates of coverage, depending on your farm’s situation and financial history you could qualify for insurance coverage that exceeds your cost of production, so in essence you would be insuring yourself for a profit. For those wishing to enhance their coverage to match anticipated gross revenues, you can also use production and hail insurance to provide additional coverage. In conclusion, using insurance, farmers can almost guarantee themselves a profit every year, but it requires some time to understand these insurance products and how they may work on your farm. It’s never too early to start planning for the future! If you have any questions send me an email at bfwittal@procommarketingltd.com or phone me at 403-586-0077. †

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns Off-farm income

Some new rules for selling shares In volatile markets, setting selling rules and following them can limit your trading losses ANDY SIRSKI

ver the past few days I’ve spent maybe 10 hours proving to myself that four new (to me) selling rules worked for pretty well every stock I looked at. As you know I have used candlestick charts on Stockcharts for years. The first thing I had to do was to switch from candlestick to thick line on Stockcharts. The line chart smooths out the smaller ups and downs and more or less reduces or eliminates whipsawing. I studied at least 100 stocks using these indicators and they worked every time. I sold all of my Taser and Alcoa shares on Friday, August 21, so I kind of enjoyed watching the big drop on Monday, August 24. I will likely stay out of stocks for the next few weeks or maybe even a couple months. I might miss out on some capital gain but I have learned over time that if I have no time to watch the markets, I should not own stocks. I have sold out at bottoms more than once but I’m more afraid of losing money than of missing out on some gains. There will be many opportunities in the months ahead for anyone who has money and a decent attitude.

The main point with these indicators is that we want them to be above zero for our shares. If the black line drops below zero it is time to sell. That seemed to hold for all the shares I looked at. When the black line crosses the other line going down is the first sell signal. If the chart is above zero odds are the stock will move sideways. The big thing is as I said before that if or when the black line drops through the zero line, that is a definite sell signal. I checked stock after stock and every time the black line dropped through the zero line, the shares dropped in price. You can fine tune these indicators a bit more by owning

stocks that have a SCTR number above 80. That number is available on Stockcharts free of charge so just find the SCTR line on your menu of indicators. The SCTR a measure of how strong that stock is compared to the rest of the market. Stronger stocks improve the odds of making money. I won’t be so bold as to say that if we use these indicators properly we might never lose money on a stock again. The key is to at least think of selling as soon as the black line drops through the red line and then definitely sell out if or when the black line drops through the zero line. On August 24 the general

stock market dropped over 1,000 points on the open and closed down about 600 points on the DOW. What can happen after such a big drop? Several things could happen. One is that short sellers evaluating the market decide that the August 24 was big enough, and they cover their shorts and drive the market up. Next, if big money continues to feel that the economies are going to shrink they will sell into strength. For months now we’ve had a “buy the dips” sort of attitude in the market but now we could have what might be called “sell the rips.” I don’t know if the

S&P will drop a lot or a little in the next few months. I’m 95 per cent cash and likely will stay there. It takes discipline not to buy some good stocks at what could be very good prices. The talking heads keep saying hang in there and ride out the storm, which seems kind of funny. I have selling rules. If I turn those rules more or less upside down, I can have buying rules. Add in a dose of discipline and I can buy stocks confidently shortly after they have bottomed and started to go up. † Andy Sirski is mostly retired. He gardens, plays with grandchildren, runs a small tax business and publishes an electronic newsletter called StocksTalk where he explains what he does with his families investments. Read it for free for a month by emailing sirski@mymts.net.

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The first two indicators are what I would call fast moving indicators based on short term moving averages. One indicator is price momentum (PMO) with parameters set at 25, 15, 10. The other short term indicator is Trix with parameters set at 9, 10. You can set both of these up on Stockcharts. One the free version they will fall off as soon as you leave the chart. But do save the indicators as you work and they will work for you as long as you are on that page. The other two indicators work a little slower so if we use the first two as an early warning system and the second two as confirmation we can use the four indicators in tandem. Quite frankly if you only mastered either pair you would not be too far off. These indicators look to be quite flexible and from what I see we have two or three days to react when we see the sell signal kick in. So a stock could drop on Friday, we could look at the indicator over the weekend and react on Monday or Tuesday. The two slower indicators are: Pring’s Know Sure Thing (KST) set at its default parameters. The other indicator is True Strength Index (TSI) set at parameters 40, 20, 10.

The indicators

H S TA R G E

T NE

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Columns Soils and crops

Still needed: canola combine There is still a case for more research on combining speed, so we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose valuable product Canola swaths on my Dundurn farm August 31, 2015

les henry

photo: les henry

n the January 9, 2012, issue this column did a piece about combining canola and the need to adjust speed to the crop conditions and combine separation capacity. To recap, we said that in a 70 bushel canola crop in fall 2011 at Annaheim, Sask., it was necessary to go 1.5 m.p.h. to capture all the canola. The swaths were huge, the weather was hot and dry and sieves overloaded easily. Fast forward to August 30, 2015 on my Dundurn farm. The canola harvest started, swaths were heavy but dry and it was no problem to make 3.5 to four m.p.h. or better. The yield monitor bounced around as always with most readings in the 40s but a few in 50s and 30s. This old fossil was left to herd the beautiful machine to provide a supper break for my neighbour Curtis, who does my harvest. This is my 60th year of herding combines RUN YOUR OWN IN-FIELD EXPERIMENT TRIAL 1 Field: <Smith> Date: <Sep29/15> Crop: <Canola> Operator: <Joe> Swath 1 Speed

2.0 m.p.h.

Acres: Start End Total Bushels: Start End Total Bu./acre

Swath 2 Speed

4.0 m.p.h.

Acres: Start End Total Bushels: Start End Total Bu./acre

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns Tip of the issue

By Breeanna Kelln

rain corn is the most-produced crop in the world, with a diverse group of end uses including animal feed, food processing and ethanol. Domestically, 2011 farm cash receipts ranked grain corn the thirdmost produced crop in the country, with most of it growing in Eastern Canada. Despite all that corn, Canada remains a net importer. That means there’s plenty of room to grow — particularly in Western Canada, where new genetics have brought profitability. But if everyone jumps on the corn bandwagon, what has to give? Who will grow traditional western Canadian crops, and how will markets react? Profitability is the name of the game. With canola acres capped at 20 to 22 million, as producers make their crop mix

decisions, they’ll look for other methods to increase profitability on other acres. That’s because according to 2011 farm cash receipts, canola and wheat were the most valuable crops in Canada — with corn placing third. Livestock producers were among the earliest adapters of corn in Western Canada. Corn offers more energy per kernel — and it’s a more efficient feed for the region’s roughly four million beef cow herd and nearly six million head on feed. Grain corn offers versatility too. Ranchers can leave it standing for cattle to graze on in winter months, or silage can be added to feed rations. It offers plenty of benefit to Western Canada’s dairy and hog sectors too. With new genetics now available, harvesting corn for grain is also a very real option. Dry grain B:8.125” corn will be the largest potential acres for producers and will be T:8.125”

Breeanna Kelln is the livestock information manager, Western Canada for DuPont Pioneer.

S:8.125”

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J.L.(Les) Henry is a former professor and extension specialist at the University of Saskatchewan. He farms at Dundurn, Sask. He recently finished a second printing of “Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water,” a book that mixes the basics and practical aspects of soil, fertilizer and farming. Les will cover the shipping and GST for “Grainews” readers. Simply send a cheque for $50 to Henry Perspectives, 143 Tucker Cres., Saskatoon, Sask., S7H 3H7, and he will dispatch a signed book.

Are you corn curious?

used in feedlot rations, human consumption, ethanol or export. As corn begins to take hold in more acres across the region, producers are expected to replace less profitable crops, such as alfalfa or barley. Corn offers more bang for the buck — and more nutrition value too. Industry experts estimate there could be up to eight million annual cropped acres of corn down the road. As producers overcome the learning curve that comes with introducing any new crop, infrastructure is expected to keep pace. There are options for equipment solutions, grain bin system expansions and an expanding seed catalogue. If you’re still uncertain about working corn into your rotation, now might be the time to give it a try. Talk to your seed rep about options for your area, and crunch the numbers to see if, once the learning curve has passed, it’ll make a difference to your operation’s ROI. †

S:10”

around a field. A couple of very uniform looking swaths came along so I decided to do a little experiment. The S680 does not record the bushels in the tank but does record the bushels and acres since starting a field. That data was recorded at the start and end of each swath. At 2.5 m.p.h. there was 10 bu./ acre more than when I went 3.5 m.p.h. Now, one rep does not an experiment make, but it did justify a closer look. After a bit more speed variation and monitor watching, work proceeded at 2.5 m.p.h. At that speed some 60s would appear from time to time and the field average continued to increase for the main part of the quarter. A few wet, salty acres always leave much to be desired and the average declined. I watch with interest the various methods to capture and measure how much canola a combine is leaving in the field. But, does that really tell the true story? The sample size is so small that interpretation is problematic. And in the heat of the harvest how many folks are actually catching samples and in how many fields? Also, some combines have internal choppers so there is no way to gather losses and weigh them. Modern combines have progressed to greater and greater threshing capacity. I remember a MF 8570 in 140 bushel oats. Yes, two m.p.h. was all she would make, grunting as hard as it could. So, we need capacity. Bigger rotor. But now we are underpowered. Bigger engine. How many big models of a given colour are the same machine with more power? Now the problem is solved. We can thresh a 60 bushel wheat crop easily and in canola four or five m.p.h. is easy. But, has separation capacity kept pace? In many cases I think not. So, to measure losses in relation to speed of travel why not use all the fancy technology that is already on the combine? In the end, the bushels in the hopper are what matters. (This shows my age. I know I should say tank, but I still like hopper.) The Masseys show what is in the tank, but I think all makes show what has been done for acres and bushels in a field. So, we can use that data to see what is happening in a given swath. It is no trouble to get folks to come along for a ride (farmers should charge city slickers for combine rides). Make up a little booklet of forms as per the table and let the side-rider record the numbers. Techie folks can probably come up with an easier way than paper. Grain carts that record weight are now common so many may use that to check on the combine monitor. But, my point: there should be some real research work done to determine the protocols required to get reliable results and there should be some meaningful comparisons of the difference color of paint makes. It is likely that percentage engine capacity utilization will be a useful reference point between different fields/crops. If the engine is grunting its hardest is separation really happening? I am sure young, smart and tech savvy folk can do much better than this digitally challenged old fossil, but I think the idea is sound and if implemented will save folks bushels of money. †

READY FOR ANYTHING

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/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Columns Agronomy management

Soil sampling and soil testing Fall is generally the most convenient time for soil testing. Plan now for effective testing Ross McKenzie

n the last issue of Grainews Les Henry wrote a great article on soil testing. I couldn’t agree more that soil sampling and testing is a great tool to assess the soil nutrient levels in your fields so you can wisely plan your fertilizer program for next spring. Here are some of my thoughts on soil sampling and testing.

When to soil sample? Soil sampling annually-cropped fields just before spring seeding gives the most accurate measurement of soil nutrient status. But realistically, spring is often too short and rushed to allow soil sampling, analysis and developing your fertilizer plans. So, sampling in late fall after soil temperature has dropped to 5 to 7 C is often the most practical time. But, it is important to remember that plant available soil nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur will fluctuate from fall to spring, particularly if soils are moist with warmer-than-normal conditions. Variation from fall to spring is greatest in the Chinook regions of the southern Prairies. There are years when we have to compensate for over-winter changes of soil nutrients. Also, I am not a fan of sampling frozen soils simply because of the difficulty in obtaining representative sampling depths.

zone can be randomly sampled or benchmark sampled. Consider working with an agronomist to prepare zone maps for each field. 3. Benchmark soil sampling involves sampling a one to two acre area representative of the majority of the field or zone. Sample the same area each year. When a field is variable in soil or topography, three or more benchmark locations may be needed to represent the different field areas. When selecting soil/crop management zones make use of crop yield maps, aerial photos, topographic maps, soil salinity maps and satellite imagery information. Also, use your personal field knowledge and observations of crop growth differences (crop

establishment, vigor, colour and growth) and topography of each field to identify where different soil types occur.

How many sampling sites? I suggest taking a minimum of 20 soil sampling sites for each field, zone or benchmark area. Les Henry suggests 30! The more sampling sites, the more representative your samples will be of the field. A common mistake is only taking six or seven soil cores from a field or management zone, which is not enough and can result in unreliable information and inaccurate fertilizer recommendations. Why do we need so many samples? Typically, each soil sample

sent to a soil testing lab weighs about two pounds. One acre of land, six inches deep, weighs about 2,000,000 lbs. If a 160 acre field is soil sampled to six inches, a two pound soil sample must be representative of 320 million pounds of soil. The soil sample would represent about 0.0000006 per cent of the field. This is an extremely small representation of the total field. Therefore, it is very important that an adequate number of soil cores be taken!

What depth increments to sample! Various sampling depths are suggested but my preference is to separate each soil core into depth

intervals of zero to six, six to 12 and 12 to 24 inches. Place the three sampling depths into three clean plastic pails. Do this at each site sampled. Most soil test correlation research with annual crops in Western Canada with nitratenitrogen and sulphate-sulphur has been with sampling to 24 inches. But, it is also important to know the distribution of N and S in the soil profile. Sampling three depths will give a good picture of the amounts of each nutrient and where the nutrients are located in the soil profile. For P and K, most soil test correlation research has been with the surface zero to six inch depth, as these nutrients are less mobile in soil than N and S.

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Sampling options Many fields across the Prairies have moderately rolling topography resulting in considerable soil variability. This is a major challenge when deciding how to take representative soil samples. Samples must be representative of the field or each management zone of a field. Work with your fertilizer dealer or agronomist to decide how to sample each field. I strongly suggest you go out with the person doing the soil sampling on your farm to ensure sampling is done in appropriate areas in your fields and to make sure enough sites are sampled in each field. When you are with the sampler you know where and how the samples were taken. There are a number of ways field soil sampling can be done. The three more common sampling methods are: 1. Random sampling of a whole field works best in fields with relatively uniform soil and topography. It involves taking representative samples throughout the entire field, but making sure to avoid unusual areas. 2. Sampling soil/crop management zones works best in fields with variable soil and topography. Uniquely different zones are mapped based on soil characteristics, topography, and/or crop yield potential. Representative soil samples are taken within each zone. This works well in fields with variable soil. Each management

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Columns Some agronomists and dealers prefer to only sample one or two depths making the sampling process simple and faster. If only the zero to six and six to12 inch depths are sampled, you have no idea of the amount of N or S that may be present in the subsoil — this information is important to develop accurate N and S fertilizer recommendations. If the zero to six and six to 24 inch depths are sampled, the results of an extended sampling depth of 18 inches (six to 24 inch depth) can be more difficult to interpret and sometimes misleading. After taking the 20+ soil cores, thoroughly mix each composite sample and lay out the soil samples to completely air dry to stop nutrient changes. If moist soil samples are sent to the lab in sealed bags, soil microbes can alter the levels of plant available nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur causing incorrect estimates of soil nutrient levels. To air dry, spread the soil sample in a thin layer

One acre of land, six inches deep, weighs about 2,000,000 pounds.

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Coverco Buildings Ltd. Crop Production Services CWB Colonsay d3h Hotels Degelman Industries Ltd. DEKALB DeLaval Dairy Service DionCo Sales and Services Ltd. D&H Equipment Ltd. Doepker Industries Ltd. Double HH Ag Sales & Services Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. DuPont Pioneer / DuPont Crop Protection Dutch Bunning Distribution Ltd. Dutch Openers Dynamic Ditchers Inc. Eagle Creek Watershed Agri-Environmental Group Plan Eastwood Products Easy-Kleen Pressure Systems Ltd. EkotuningCom Canada ELIAS reliaBELT Elmer’s Manufacturing Ltd. EMB MFG. Inc. EMF Nutrition Engage Agro EZlid Fabrication S. Houle Farm Business Communications Farm Business Consultants Farm Credit Canada Farmers Edge FastCover Fabric Structures Ltd. Flaman Sales Fort Garry Industries Ltd. Frontlink Inc. Full Line Ag Sales Ltd. Gem Silage Products GlenMor Equipment Golden West Radio Golden West Trailer Sales Goodon Industries Ltd. Gowan Canada Grain Bags Canada Grain Shark Grainews Great Northern Growers Green Aero Tech Green Lea Ag Center Inc. Grober Nutrition Hammond Realty

Hi-Tec Ag/New Direction Equipment (NDE) Horst Welding Houston Seed Saver Huber Ag Equipment Ltd. Hunter Implement Supply Ltd. IAP Group Ltd. Input Capital Integrity Post Structures Ltd. Intelligent Agricultural Solutions Interlake Resources Inc. IntraGrain Technologies Inc. Janzen Steel Buildings Ltd. JD Skiles Company KNR Ag Sales & Service Inc. Kongskilde Industries Inc. Kubota Canada Ltd. Lakeland Group Lambert Distributing Landoll Corporation Le Bulletin des agriculteurs LEMKEN CANADA INC. Leon’s Mfg. Company Inc. Lone Pine Cattle Mandako Agri Marketing (2010) Ltd. Manitoba Co-operator Manulift EMI Ltd. Matrix Environmental Solutions Meridian Manufacturing MiEnergy Monsanto Canada Inc. Morand Industries Ltd. Mr. Tire MTZ Equipment Ltd. Multione Equipment (Canada) Neeralta Manufacturing Inc. New Leader New Vision Agro NORAC Systems International Inc. Norheim Ranching North Sask River Basin AgriEnvironmental Group Plan Northern Plains Drainage Systems Ltd. Nufarm Agriculture Inc. Nuhn Industries Limited Oat Advantage OPIsystems Inc. Pneu-Tek Tire Tools Poettinger Canada Inc. Power Up Lubricants

Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) Prairie Steel Products Ltd. Prairie Storehouse Promat Inc. R.D. Sales & Service Rack Petroleum RBC Royal Bank RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty Real Estate Centre Renn Mill Center Inc. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Rite Way Mfg. Co. Ltd Road Boss Grader Rogers Sprayers Inc. Rostech Electronics Royal Hotel Group Salford Group Inc. Saskatchewan Association for Resource Recovery Corp. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Saskatoon Motor Products SeCan SeedMaster Select Holidays Shymko Farm Sales South Sask River Agri-Environmental Group Plan Springland Manufacturing Stoller Enterprises Ltd. Tama Canada Terog Mfg. Co. The Container Guy The Co-operators The Orthotic Works The Water Clinic The Western Producer Top Krop Fertilizers Inc. Toyota Canada Inc. Tuff Livestock Equipment Valmetal/Jamesway Farm Equipment Value Tire Versatile Walinga Inc. Wall Grain Handling Systems WeatherFarm Western Ag Professional Agronomy Willsie Equipment Sales Inc. Zak’s Agricultural Building

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onto clean paper, plastic sheets or place into clean, shallow plastic or aluminum trays. Dry the samples at room temperature in a clean room (no cats or other animals, to prevent contamination). Do not use artificial heat to dry samples. If moist samples are sent directly to the lab, they must be shipped in coolers, kept below 5 C and arrive at the lab the next day for drying

What analysis is required? The important plant-available macronutrients to test for are: nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N), phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P), potassium (K+), and sulphate-sulphur (SO4-2-S). Determine plant available N, P, K and S in the zero to six and six to 12 inch depths and test for N and S in the 12 to 24 inch depth. Normally, there is no need to test for plant available calcium (Ca+2) or magnesium (Mg+2) as these nutrients are very rarely deficient in Western Canada. It is a good idea to occasionally check the soil micronutrients copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), boron (B) and chloride (Cl). Testing for micronutrients every year is only necessary if one or more micronutrients are in the marginal or low range; otherwise testing every four years is fine. It is important to realize the tests for B and Cl are not very reliable. Often soil analysis levels are interpreted as low for B or Cl, but crops do not respond to added fertilizer. The problem is with the soil test methodology and critical levels used, resulting in unnecessary fertilizer recommendations. Determining soil organic matter, pH (a measure of soil acidity/alkalinity) and electrical conductivity (E.C. — a measure of salinity) are useful to monitor soil chemical properties of your fields. Some agronomists may recommend determining Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and determining base cation saturation ratios. Research has shown this is not a useful determination for making fertilizer recommendations for most soils or crops in Western Canada. Finally, make sure the soil testing lab uses the correct soil test methods. For Alberta farmers, all soil test P calibration has been with the Modified Kelowna method since 1990, Alberta samples should be sent to a lab that uses this method. For Manitoba farmers, all soil test P calibration has been with the Olsen method (also referred to as the Bicarb method). For Manitoba farmers, use a lab the uses the Olsen method. For Saskatchewan farmers, either method can be used to determine soil P. Other soil test P methods, such as the Bray method, have never been calibrated to Western Canada soils. It is my opinion that other methods that have not been calibrated for western Canadian soils should not be used. Most labs report N, P, K and S levels in pounds per acre (lb./ ac.) and the micronutrient levels are reported in parts per million (ppm). The process of soil test interpretation is the next step in the process. Make sure you seek the advice of several agronomists when developing your fertilizer plans for next spring. † Ross McKenzie, PhD, P. Ag., is a former agronomy research scientist. He conducted soil and crop research with Alberta Agriculture for 38 years. He has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Lethbridge since 1993, teaching four-year soil management and irrigation science courses.

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Columns Can’t take the farm from the boy

A potential opportunity knocks For a young farmer, the opportunity to buy land close to home is a life-changing prospect Toban Dyck

brought Glenfiddich but they offered Laphroaig. I’ll chat about land with either brand of scotch in my hand, but if put to a fight, the smoky and absolutely delicious Laphroaig wins every time I’m not buying. I put up nominal resistance, saying something awkward and barely intelligible about how they shouldn’t waste their good stuff on me. We barely knew each other. But that was three hours ago. We lost track of time.

August 16 began as most days do: with some fear-laden thoughts about where this succession plan is at, a thought or two about how long we’ll be living in this mobile home, and some loathing over why the farmland gods haven’t answered my reasonable request for acres to come for sale at an affordable rate within a few miles of my yard. It was a Sunday and we were expecting company. “It’s pasture right now,” said our guest, “but he wants to convert it back into crop land, and possibly put it up for sale. I said, ‘Hey, you should talk to Toban. He farms in the area. Maybe you two could do something together.’”

We hopped in my truck and drove to the piece he was talking about. I was excited. Desperately so. If you’re a farmer, there’s a good chance you’re looking to expand, and there’s a good chance you can appreciate what even the weakest whisper of more land stirs on the inside. Suddenly, I felt in competition with every farmer around me, as if I was the only one to see that block of land start to flicker on the map, and I had only a small amount of time to take the lead before someone would come up from behind and take me out on a bidding war. Farming is a stoic and senti-

mental industry requiring its members to make sober decisions yet asking of the same membership to care that current land prices might make it hard for young farmers — of which I am allegedly one (at 35) — to get into the business. It’s this tense contrast, in part, that fuels our anger that foreign investors are coming in and buying up all the land at exorbitant prices, if in fact that’s who’s buying the land. It may as well be the boogeyman, in some areas. Only a scarcity of people knows who can afford the few acres that do come up for sale. For those able to do so, the trick at this stage during a poten-

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tial opportunity is to temper the excitement, calming it to a manageable and rational level, and with the calculating precision of a businessperson, begin exploring the financing options available, which, for someone like me, whose previous career was not padded with assets worth more than a laptop and an old camera, are limited. To say that succession plans are an emotional roller-coaster is misleading. It presumes you have one. And I think many people don’t. It feels formidably strange that just by living nearby, expressing interest, and helping out I am entitled to a piece of what I had little part in building. This emotion, this feeling of unworthiness or whatever you want to call it, makes it hard to communicate honest goals and expectations. And, like any career change, you do what you can, trusting that whatever whirlwind of a learning curve you’re swirling around in, you’ll land on your feet and further ahead than where you started. You wait, hoping that the community you live in doesn’t think you’re too strange; that farmers thinking of selling would have mercy on you, even if they don’t share your love for Laphroaig.

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This potential opportunity could be that. This could be me landing on my feet, running, investing in land that a few years from now might allow me to buy into the family farm in a substantial and convincing way, bringing into focus my own goals and expectations. I brought this up with an accountant, casually over coffee. He agreed, and added, “The hardest part of any succession plan is getting each party to be honest about what they need and want from the farm.” In the three years we’ve been on the farm, my wife and I have had some serious chats about the future. We’ve doubted the move at times. We’ve felt restless and frustrated. But these things are normal. It’s okay to patiently wallow in the darker unknown places for a while. Things don’t always work out. To say otherwise is Kool-Aid. But, often, clarity is around the corner and it comes in spurts. Take it when it comes. I like independence. Most do. We like our movements in this world to be our own, whether as a farmer or writer or whatever it is you do. I’m a few days from harvesting my very first crop of soybeans, and whatever comes of this possible new venture, I’ve made a genuine connection with a fellow farmer and scotch lover. † 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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Columns Guarding wealth

Low interest rates: opportunity and peril Low interest rates are tempting, but in the long run, debt always comes with a risk By Andrew Allentuck

Household debt hits record

lmost every Canadian farm family has four financial goals: buy a home, pay off farm and home debt, educate the kids and build up retirement savings. Satisfying all is a problem of balancing each. Very low interest rates for the last five years have made it easier to pay off debts and buy a home, but those rates have also encouraged people to take on more debt while discouraging them from saving for the kids’ education and for their own retirement. For farmers, adding debt when interest rates are low and crop prices are high amounts to juggling two cycles. Driven by low interest rates, people looking for income have shunned saving in the usual things such as Canada Savings Bonds, GICs and bank accounts. These just don’t pay enough. Instead, people spend on cars with what are peddled as “no interest loans” and other car deals with seven years of low payments. The cars may rust out before they are paid for. Low interest rates (some of which are not so low on plastic) have lured people into debt without forcing them to assess the risks of living on other peoples’ money. Government, in the form of the Bank of Canada, has pushed down the cost of debt to historically low levels. Moreover, the Federal Department of Finance has made it easier to give oneself a no-interest loan. For example, you can use the Home Buyers’ Plan to take as much as $25,000 from retirement savings to use for a first time purchase of a home. The money is usually used for a down payment. Various student plans also allow tapping RRSPs. For example, students in full time training or post-secondary education and their spouses can take up to $10,000 from their RRSPs over a four-year period as long as the total amount withdrawn does not exceed $20,000. Inflation suggests that limits on that amount of money that can be transferred from RRSPs to other uses will be raised. Prime Minister

On September 11, Statistics Canada announced that the ratio of Canadians’ debt to disposable income reached 164.6 at the end of the second quarter of 2015. That means for every dollar earned after tax, the average Canadian owes $1.65 in debt (mortgages, credit card debt and other consumer loans.) Total Canadian household debt was $1.87 billion. † Leeann Minogue

Harper made an election promise to raise the Home Buyers’ Plan limit to $35,000. That’s not much more than an inflation adjustment and, given the inflated prices of homes in many communities, $35,000 is really just a drop in the bucket.

A problem of perspective Part of the problem is perspective. Consider a house as an investment asset. Stocks may return five per cent per year based on dividends and appreciation before inflation adjustments. Corporate bonds return three per cent annually before inflation. Houses historically return four per cent per year before inflation. The risk of price declines of an owner-occupied home, which is the largest part of the market, is moderated by the value of living in your own home. Your home pays a return in the form of rental services. There is no explicit charge, but if you figure out what it would cost to rent your house, then work out the capital value — how much money you need to invest to generate the after-tax money you need to pay the rent — the market risk of owning your own home is reduced. For example, if rent would be $1,000 a month or $12,000 a year, you would need to have $500,000 earning interest at three per cent per year before tax (based on a 20 per cent average tax rate) to leave $12,000 available

for implied rent. If you pay with a mortgage, tax would be charged on what you earn to pay the interest on that mortgage. Tax would also be charged on money you earn to pay rent. It’s a level playing field. The situation flips upside down when you want to finance your retirement. With interest rates hovering at near historic lows, the amount of money needed to generate any amount of rent or capital to generate a pension is far more than it would be if interest rates were higher. Government bonds with no risk of default pay just a few per cent a year. Add default risk in corporate bonds and you get more income. Move to stocks with still more risk and no guarantee or irrevocable promise of income and the return is still higher. A home of your own is a low risk investment. It’s almost as solid as a government bond and, with the addition of fire and windstorm insurance, it has few uncovered risks. Given that borrowing rates are low and won’t even rise very much for years even after they begin to creep up, the cost of the mortgage offset by the implied rent you get (or don’t have to pay) when living in your own home is low.

It’s the economics The economics of borrowing versus investing these days favour borrowing. That’s why Canadian

household debt levels have soared. The total amount of credit market debt — which includes mortgages, non-mortgage loans and consumer credit — held by Canadian households hit a record high, climbing to 163 per cent of disposable income at the end of 2014. When interest rates do rise, some very indebted people, who may be those who are on the hook for retail credit on store cards for rates of 19 per cent a year, will suffer the most. Those rates can rise with 30 to 60 days notice. Fixed rate mortgages that don’t renew for a few years allow time to adjust to higher rates. Few other kinds of loans allow this much foresight of problems to come. However, coming they are. Rates must rise. The Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve have kept interest rates at emergency levels, even though the crisis of 2008 and 2009 is over. Interest rates on government bonds, which ultimately set the market rates for consumer loans, will eventually rise a few per cent to five per cent for a 10-year bond. But that will take years. Perhaps a decade. Until then, the market acts as though it is better to be a debtor than a lender. Sure, that is a precarious way to live, but getting rental service in the form of a house or even condo in which you live reduces the pure speculative cost of borrowing. But don’t

be fooled. The risk of debt never goes away. Folks who already own their homes should not remortgage just to take advantage of ultra low interest rates. Some investment dealers encourage borrowing against equity, which is foolish when you examine the risks involved. It’s a bad move because whatever investment one makes in a capital market other than a short government bond, which pays almost nothing, has much more risk than living in a paid up home of your own. Moreover, as one ages, the time for recovery for losses diminishes. A common pitch for the “hock the house” strategy is that stocks or one sort or another have outperformed houses during some sample period. The investment advisor picks the sample period to make his example work, talks up the money to be made, then uses the old line about stock markets never falling over periods of 10 years. The advisor may even throw in a costly investment guarantee, sold by insurance companies, that a portfolio of funds held for ten years can be set up to refund 80 or 100 per cent of purchase value. If you need a reply to all this, one word should do it: Nortel — Canada’s telecom giant that filed for bankruptcy in 2009. † Andrew Allentuck is author of “When Can I Retire? Planning Your Financial Future After Work” (Penguin, 2011).

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

Grainews in Australia

The perspective from down under

photo: scott garvey

n the past, we at Grainews have travelled far and wide to bring you, our readers, the latest and best information on farm machinery. We feel its our duty to do that. But this year we really got carried with ourselves and logged more miles in a single trip than ever before, and in the process we submitted expense claims that gave our boss a cardiac arrhythmia. We spent 15 non-stop hours in a Boeing 777 (in economy class) to bring you a look at machinery in Australia. Beginning in this issue we’ll be running a series of articles on what we found. Some of the sights are familiar, while others are quite different. All of them, we think, are pretty interesting. For a video look at some of the machinery we saw, go online to Grainews.ca and click on the eQuipTV heading under the videos link. Enjoy! † Scott Garvey

Grainews in Australia

Field bins keep combines rolling Portable grain bins can be spotted in fields to help improve harvest productivity By Scott Garvey

eeing one definitely stops you in your tracks if you’re not familiar with the Australian field- or mother-bin concept. These grain carts on steroids are massive, with capacities up to 150 tonnes. But they’re not built to chase combines with. Instead, they’re placed in a field and grain carts — or “chaser bins” as they’re known down here — still perform their traditional role of running back and forth to combines. They then unload into a field bin. With grain carts stockpiling grain in the field bins, truckers can pull up alongside the field bin and fill up as soon as they get back to the field. Then they can head right back with another load. Grain carts, too, can quickly unload and return to combines without waiting for trucks to arrive. Truck waiting time is reduced or even eliminated. That offers the potential to reduce the number of trucks necessary to keep up with the combines. “What we’re trying to achieve is to get the grain away from the (combine),” says Craig Miller, managing director of Dunsten Farmers Engineering, an Australian manufacturer of field bins who was exhibiting a 110 tonne model at the AgQuip machinery show in Gunnedah, NSW, in August.

“We want to keep the (combine) working in the field or the paddock without stopping. It’s all about logistics; it’s all about handling; it’s all about efficiency.” Although buying a field bin is another major equipment expense, Miller notes that combines are a much higher cost. And it is cheaper to invest in a field bin rather than an additional combine, which can increase the productivity of existing machines. “The combine is the most expensive piece of equipment in the paddock at harvest,” he says. “So you really want to keep that investment working.” Dunsten manufactures field bins that offer from 85 to 150 tonne capacity. “These are actually fully mobile,” Miller says. “They’ll just follow the harvest. It’s not uncommon for people to tow them 10, 20, 50 kilometres. And, indeed, we have contractors that will tow them hundreds and hundreds of kilometres. You can move them half full of grain. It certainly makes our farms out here more efficient, and we would argue a better return on investment.” For a video look at a field bin on display at the AgQuip machinery show, go online to grainews.ca and click on the eQuipTV listing under the videos link. †

With capacities up to 150 tonnes, field bins provide temporary in-field storage to help keep combines and trucks moving. photo: scott garvey

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

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/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Grainews in Australia 1

AgQuip, one of Australia’s premiere shows The large outdoor equipment expo near Gunnedah, NSW, attracts visitors from across the country

By Scott Garvey

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hen the annual Commonwealth Bank AgQuip farm equipment show rolls around each August, the small city of Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia (where the event is held) gets inundated with visitors from virtually every region of the country, not to mention foreign visitors. In fact, the demand for hotel accommodations becomes far greater than what’s available in the city of about 8,000 people and surrounding communities. To help with the problem, the Gunnedah tourism department sets up additional campsites and co-ordinates a home-stay program, encouraging local residents to put up show goers for a few nights. Organizers of the event estimate roughly 100,000 people walk through the AgQuip gates each year, although admission is free and no one has an exact count. “Those people come from all across Australia,” says Kate Nugent, group manager for Fairfax Rural Events, which runs the show. “We have many delegations that come from China and the United States.” The 64 acre outdoor site with roughly 3,000 exhibitors and organizations jammed into it is what attracts the crowds. Vehicle traffic around the show grounds is so high that local authorities have to implement some road sign changes and provide traffic control along the local highway on each of the three days of the event. On the grounds, loudspeakers broadcast music and commentary from the show’s own temporary radio station. “AgQuip started in 1973 and it’s one of the longest-running major field days in Australia,” Nugent continues. “It’s been very successful in securing all national agricultural companies, and these days we also have participation from overseas agricultural companies, too.” That blend is evident on the show grounds, where there is an interesting mix of Australian-, European- and North Americanbuilt equipment and vehicles. Included in that blend this year were examples of three different brands of Canadian-built seeding equipment. Some of those machines, however, get modified to conform to local practices. For example, the Morris display

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop 2

photos: scott garevey

1. Australia’s premiere farm equipment expo, Commonwealth Bank AgQuip showcases 64 acres of farm-related exhibits. 2. Canadian-built seeding equipment had a presence at AgQuip. Some machines sported modifications intended to meet local demands, such as this Morris seed cart with space left on the frame for a liquid N tank. 3. This Goldacresbrand Crop Cruiser model sprayer is an example of the Australian-built equipment on display. Three SP models are available with tank sizes up to 5,200 litres and boom widths of 42 metres (138 feet). 4. Built as a one-off for the show, this black 380 CVT Case IH Magnum model was meant to attract attention. 5. Robinson helicopters are popular with ranchers in some regions of the country. They’re used for “mustering” (herding) cattle and shooting predators. Suggested retail, USD$472,000 for the larger R44 Raven II. 6. Another Australian-built machine. This NDF narrow-fold planter with single-disc openers is designed to seed small grains from an air cart or be equipped with electric-drive vacuum planter openers. It’s available in working widths up to 24 metres (77 feet). 7. No Australian farm would be complete without at least one stock dog. This Kelpie breeder was showing the latest litter of pups available. The show also featured many livestock-handling equipment suppliers. 8. If you were in the market for hand tools, there were more than a few suppliers ready to sell you all types at “show special” prices. 9. Kate Nugent is group manager at Fairfax Rural Events, included an air cart with a smaller product tank that left part of the frame open to accept a liquid N tank, a popular Australian option. And the cart beside it had its front axle modified to match the three metre track width often used in controlled traffic farming. The Seed Hawk display included an example of the brand’s compact 30 Series seeder, which is popular in Australia because of its ability to fold up to a three metre transport width. The maximum on-road dimensions for agricultural equipment are much less generous in that country than Canada. According to most I spoke with at the show, those transport rules are strictly enforced. As Nugent describes it, the intention of show organizers is to create a “supermarket environment” at AgQuip where marketers and farmers can interact, discuss machinery and make deals. “We have many, many exhibitors who’ve been with us for many years and say this (show) is a very important part of their marketing plan,” she adds. “It’s very far ranging from tools to tires to tractors... It covers the whole gambit of Australian products that are built for Australian conditions.” The event also has a strong attraction to urban residents, some of whom travel long distances to come and spend a day on the show grounds taking in the sights. “We also promote the event as an opportunity to see Australia’s finest agricultural on show,” she adds. “And we have lots of families that come to this event. It is a big day out. Even though you might not be a primary producer, a grazier or a farmer, it’s still that chance to come out and see what happens in rural Australia.” Then, of course, there is the opportunity to enjoy what is touted by organizers as the best steak sandwiches you’ll find anywhere. All the major beef breed organizations serve them at their exhibits and provide tables and chairs to eat at alongside pens of award winning cattle. Want to see more from Australia’s AgQuip show? Then go online to grainews.ca and click on the eQuipTV listing under the videos link. †

Step into the Future New John Deere Canola Equipment for 2016

Why live in the present, when you can make tracks for the future? Actually, make it four tracks. Introducing the new 9RX Series Tractor. It’s designed for better agronomic performance, offering articulated steering for turning under load in soft, wet conditions. Plus, new cab suspension affords you a more comfortable ride throughout the long workday. And the e18™ Powershift Transmission with Effciency Manager provides some of the smoothest power shift in the market. Round out your portfolio with John Deere air seeding equipment: the 1870 Air Drill gives you precise separation of seed and fertilizer with pinpoint depth control, and the 1910 Air Cart with SectionCommand™ reduces skips and overlaps to minimize input waste. Then, ensure the health of your canola with the R4045 Sprayer to get consistent application coverage, acre after acre. When it’s time to harvest, go with the new W155 Windrower, allowing fullwidth use of the platform with speeds up to 19 km/h to cut more crop in less time. Straight cutters, check out the new S-Series Combine. It’s built with the new Dyna-Flo™ Plus cleaning shoe that raises capacity in canola by 13% in limited shoe conditions, while presenting a 28% reduction in tailings volume. The new John Deere line of canola equipment. As serious as ever … more superior than before. Nothing Runs Like a Deere™

JohnDeere.ca/Ag

Scott Garvey is editor of Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

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/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Classic machines

Chamberlain C6100 is a native Aussie Australian tractor builder Chamberlain produced this model back in the 1970s By Scott Garvey

ou may never have heard of Chamberlain tractors. They were far from a household name here, because they, like kangaroos, are rarely found outside of Australia where they were built. So it was a treat to stumble across this one parked alongside the Oxley Highway in Mullaley, New South Wales, Australia this past August. The Chamberlain brand was founded by tractor mechanic Bob Chamberlain soon after the Second World War ended, and the company’s first production line began rolling tractors out the door of its home in a former munitions factory in Welshpool, Western Australia, in 1949. The C6100 model was introduced in 1970 and featured 101 engine horsepower, delivering 91 on the P.T.O. and 81 on the drawbar, according to tractordata.com. It relied on a six-cylinder 6.354 Perkins diesel engine for power and offered nine forward speeds and three reverse. Production of the C6100 ended after a seven year run in 1976 with serial numbers topping out at 5599. The same year the C6100 was introduced to farmers, 1970, John Deere bought a controlling interest in the firm, which eventually shut its doors for good in 1986 due to declining demand. †

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpuglishing.com.

photos: scott garvey

An Australian native, the Chamberlain C6100 saw production in that country between 1970 and 1976. The tractor has an offset steering wheel and bench seat that can accomodate a passenger. Hydraulic capacity was rated at 53.6 litres per minute (14.17 g.p.m.).

great farm service is never far away. At OK Tire, we know there’s more to life than your fields. That’s why we service what we sell, and offer a full range of tires for tractors, combines, wagons, implements, even ATV’s. We keep you moving, leaving you more time to enjoy the other important parts of your life. For the latest specials, visit your local OK Tire or oktire.com

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

Grainews in Australia

Australian distributor comes to Canada Agri-Spread’s Australian distributor is now also taking on the North American market By Scott Garvey

hen he went looking for a new dryproduct spreader for his farm in Western Australia, John Warr says he found a lot he liked in the Agri-Spread models manufactured in Ireland. “We used to run an Australian brand of spreader but it wasn’t meeting our expectations,” he explains. “We wanted something that would go down controlled traffic (lanes), so we wanted the three metre wheel standards. We wanted something that would give us the spread widths we needed for 12 metre controlled traffic trams. We also wanted something that was variable (VRT) ready.” “We’d done a lot of research and looked all over the world. We found a company that was new that was manufacturing in Ireland. We finished our harvest in 2013 and flew over there.” After spending a few days in Irish fields with Agri-Spread machines, Warr says he decided to purchase three for his farm. His brother and neighbours decided they wanted to buy spreaders too. So Warr arranged to import several machines to his native Australia. “We changed a few specs for Australia,” he adds. But the spreaders were already VRT ready and have a spread pattern that offers “99 per cent accuracy,” which made them ideal for farming conditions in his part of the world. “Spreaders are a pretty important tool on our farm,” he says, “especially for in-crop applications of nitrogen. We’re spreading our risk. We do a lot of spreading. Our soils are quite acidic. So we spread a lot of lime and we spread a lot of fertilizer as well.” After he arranged such a large purchase of machines, the manufacturer offered Warr the opportunity to take on the role of distributor in Australia. And although Australia and Canada aren’t exactly next door to each other, Warr says he only wanted to act as a distributor for AgriSpread if he could have both of those markets. So he was given distribution for Australia as well as North America. “It was a crack product, and I could see it being a good opportunity for Australian farmers,” he says. “I thought if I was going to have a go at being a distributor, why not North America as well.” Warr already has a few Canadian dealers handling the line. But he’s still looking for more. “We’re just over a year and a half now (as distributor).” he adds. “I guess one thing I’ve learned, being a farmer myself, is building that relationship and looking after the customer and the product is the most important thing. So, trying to find dealers with that attribute is what we’re focusing on.” The five-model line of spreaders offers capacities from five to 11.6 tonnes. The largest model uses hydraulic drive, making it VRT ready, while the smaller models use a standard ground drive C

CMY

system. All come with hydraulic brakes and lighting packages. Even though Canadian farmers may not currently use spreaders as much as Australian farmers do, Warr thinks using them offers an opportunity to limit investment risk by topping up inputs during the growing season based on weather conditions. “I think some of the farming systems we’ve implemented, especially in Western Australia, we could bring (to Canada),” he says. “At the end of the day, we’re all faced with the same issues.” For more information on AgriSpread spreaders go online to agrispread.com.au. †

Scott Garvey 10112_24_7ToughAd_8.125x10_VF.pdf is machinery editor of Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

photos: scott garvey

2015-09-01

3:11 PM

1. The five model line of Agri-Spread fertilizer spreaders built in Ireland offer a variety of features including VRT-ready capability on the largest machine. 2. A farmer in Western Australia, John Warr has taken on distribution responsibility for Agri-Spread products in both Australia and North America.

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Hay and forage equipment

John Deere doubles down on forage equipment With hay in high demand, John Deere’s got an enhanced line up of hay and forage products By Leeann Minogue

ohn Deere has released three new products for hay and forage growers. “With the straw market that we have today in our variant livestock sector, John Deere is capitalizing on that opportunity,” said Jeremy Unruh, John Deere’s product line marketing manager. “We’re hitting where the market’s hot.”

F350R) are front machines with cutting widths of 3.1 and 3.5 metres. They have a “sleeker design at the edges,” Unruh said, for better operator visibility. Combining either of these two fronts with two different configurations of rear machines (two 3.1 metres or two 3.5 metres) allows for three different configurations: R870R, R950R or R990R with cutting widths of 8.7, 9.5 and 9.9 metres.

1. Self-propelled swather

3. 459E round baler

The W155 self-propelled windrower replaces the W150 that was introduced three years ago. (“The model number indicates 155 engine horsepower,” Unruh said.) “This a Final Tier 4 engine with a 4.5L Litre John Deere engine. Our previous model had a Cummins. We’re transitioning that to a John Deere engine.” The W155 can be transported 9.5 per cent faster than John Deere’s other Windrowers with the same horsepower. “We’ll continue to maintain the same header options that we had.”

“Our 459E is a great little baler,” Unruh said. “It’s coming in at a competitive customer price point, to help us get in there with some of our customers who aren’t quite as large, who don’t need the bells and whistles we have on some of our other products.” “With the 459E,” Unruh said, “we will give our customers the option of having twine or net.” Using net wrap, John Deere has calculated, is 75 per cent more efficient than twine, and results in 30 to 60 per cent less spoilage. Diamond Belts cover more than 90 per cent of the bale chamber. “Our competitors in the same space have wider gaps,” Unruh said, “that allow more hay to be lost.” An adjustable hitch will allow users to hook up to any tractor. †

2. Triple mounted mower conditioner There are five new models of mower conditioners in John Deere’s 2016 lineup. These replace the current 131 and 388 models. Two of the new models (F310R and

photo: john deere

Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

mOBile

photo: john deere

photo: leeann minogue

1. There are five new models of mower conditioners in John Deere’s 2016 lineup. 2. The R990R has a cutting width of 9.9 meters. 3. The 459E comes in at a competitive price.

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

New machinery

New “multi-purpose” tractors Case IH’s new Optum tractors are aimed at squarely at forage and hay growers By Leeann Minogue

ase IH has introduced a new two-model line of tractors designed to closely compliment its hay and forage equipment. The all-new, multipurpose Optum models are rated at 270 and 300 engine horsepower, giving them 240 and 270 on the PTO. The brand has tailored the specifications of these machines exactly to the needs of forage growers and livestock producers, even giving the machines a more compact size in comparison to their horsepower ratings. The Optum “was born on the foundation of the PUMA tractor, but it’s much more than just a higher horsepower version of the PUMA tractor,” said Case IH marketing manager, Dave Bogan, at the U.S. Farm Progress Show in Illinois in August. The Optum, he said, is a preview of

what’s to come. “The first thing you notice is the dramatic new styling. This is a new style that’s going to permeate the entire Case line in the coming years.” The hood and grille have been redesigned, and lighting has been upgraded to LED. In the cab, there are new seat options, including ventilated (HVAC cooling) leather. “We have the same 6.7 litre engine, but we beefed it up and gave it some more horsepower. We did that through electronic variable geometry turbocharge that’s available in these tractors,” Bogan said. In the rear, Case IH has increased the hydraulic flow: “43 g.p.m. (162 l/min) is standard,” Bogan said. “You can opt up to 55.5 (210 litres), which is going to be very useful for some of our planters and tillage operations.” The Optum comes autoguidance-ready, and its Class 3 ISOBUS compatibility ena-

bles it to work with all implements that use that technology. There are also hydraulic, electrically activated brakes, with an antilock brake system, “just like you have in your car.” Bogan referred to the new Optum as a “Fendt Defender” designed to compete in the market with the high-spec, Germanbuilt Fendt tractors. “Fendt’s really trying to make inroads, and they are making inroads, especially up in the northeast, especially with our French Canadian friends.” As for the Optum, Bogan said, “the French Canadians are ecstatic about this tractor.” This tractor might not be a fit for your grain farm now, but, as Bogan says, “Who knows what it might develop into? Especially with some of those features.” †

Case IH’s new Optum is designed for hay and forage operations. The styling on the Optum is a preview of new Case designs to come. photo: leeann minoque

Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

New machinery

AGCO’s limited X-Edition

FIELD TO BIN TO TRUCK GRAIN HANDLING PRODUCTS FROM START TO FINISH

all your dealer fast: AGCO is making a limited-edition production run of MT700E and MT800E Challenger X-Edition track tractors. It’s wrapping them in a custom paint job for the customer who wants to stand apart from the pack by adding some bling to his or her horsepower. “We’re only going to make 50 of these, and it’s first come first served,” said Ash Alt, AGCO’s field marketing manager, track tractors. “It’s all about giving our customers that next level of comfort and performance, and a little bit of style, too, obviously.” He’s not kidding — you can see your reflection in the custom midnight black paint. All the MT700E and MT800E models will get some tweaks this season, and the X-Edition models feature those same updates. “The hood has been redesigned to get more air flow in the front and out of the side for better cooling capacity,” he said. And, they’ve added more lights to the front of the hood for better visibility at night. Apart from the cosmetics, Ash said, “this is our legendary Challenger track tractor. † Leeann Minogue

VISIT WWW.FARM-KING.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION OR SEE YOUR LOCAL FARM KING DEALER.

HIGHER INPUT COSTS AND TIGHTER MARGINS REQUIRE A COMPLETE GRAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO MAKE YOUR OPERATION AS PROFITABLE AS POSSIBLE. The complete line of Farm King grain handling equipment ensures you get top dollar for your crop. With decades of grain handling experience, Farm King offers everything you need to get your grain to market after it leaves the combine. ©2015 Buhler Trading Inc. | info@buhler.com | www.farm-king.com

www.farm-king.com

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Machinery & Shop

New machinery

Tracking the new John Deeres John Deere adds a four-track tractor to its high-horsepower 9 Series with the new 9RX By Leeann Minogue

t’s been a long time coming. Last year John Deere gave us a glimpse of what it would be. Finally, farmers who’ve been waiting for John Deere to offer a high horsepower, fourtrack tractor to compete with the Quadtrac and DeltaTrack can call their dealers. John Deere’s 9 Series already included the 9R wheeled tractors and the 9RT two-track models. But the four-track 9RX gives the 9 Series family another sibling. The 9RXs range from 470 to 620 horsepower. The 470 and 520 options come with a John Deere PowerTech PSS 13.5 litre engine, the two larger 570 and 620 models come with a Cummins QSX15. The tracks are made in Kansas by Camso (formerly Camoplast Solideal. The puncture resistant Camso Duradrive 3500 and 6500 rubber belts are available in 30- and 36-inch widths. All 9RX models get Deere’s e18 powershift transmission with Efficiency Manager, for automated control of the engine and transmission. 9RXs also get optional Active Command Steering that is available on the wheeled 9Rs. By altering steering wheel sensitivity, the Active Command steer-by-wire system makes the tractors more stable at road speeds with precise control in the field. The hydraulic system has been redesigned, with up to eight SCVs and a standard 58 gpm (219 l/min.) of flow, or an optional 115 gpm (435 l/ min.) of flow. John Deere’s 9RX product manager Colin MacDonald explained the features of

the track modules. “We used two large-diameter midrollers. These midrollers are a simple bolt-on design that’s been proven over the past 20 years on the 8RT and 9RT tractors. Each of those midrollers bolts on to a sealed cartridge hub, a very simple design. That sealed cartridge hub was designed to reduce maintenance, eliminating any daily service intervals and actually requiring one simple oil level check every 1,500 hours.” “These two midrollers are spaced out on either side of the axle. As that undercarriage travels over obstacles in the terrain, it reduces the shocks and upward vertical loading of impacts, delivering improved ride quality for our customers.” “You see a lot of designs in the market where there are more than two midrollers,” MacDonald said. “One of those midrollers will typically be sitting right under where your axle connects to the undercarriage.” This can make for a less comfortable ride, MacDonald explained. “When that undercarriage travels across the ground and hits any kind of obstacle,” he said, “you’re going to feel it in the cab.” This track design “inherently starts us off with better ride quality. Then we go ahead and add in the cab suspension and we’ve improved the ride quality dramatically.” “With four positive-drive undercarriages, the ability to maintain traction while turning under heavy load makes this tractor the ideal choice for those customers pulling large air seeding trains or large tillage tools.” † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

photo: leeann minogue

photo: john deere photo: leeann minogue

1. The 9RX is John Deere’s first four-track tractor. 2. The 9RX cab suspension system uses a mechanical Parallel Plane Four-Bar linkage system with four inches of vertical travel. 3. This isolates the cab from sudden impacts and vibration. The undercarriage rides on two large midrollers spaced out on either side of the axle.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

New machinery

How do they stack up? New Versatiles: There are two other four-tracked high horsepower trackers in the market: Case IH’s Steiger Quadtrac and Versatile’s DeltaTrack. Here’s a look at how the highest-powered models in each line compare. CASE IH’S STEIGER QUADTRAC AND VERSATILE’S DELTATRACK

John Deere’s 9620RX

Case IH’s Steiger 620 Quadtrac

Versatile DeltaTrack 550

Rated Power

620 hp

550 hp

Max engine power

670 hp

682 hp

591 hp

Transmission

18-speed, 18F/6R 25 m.p.h.

18-speed, 16F/2R w/16Hi 25 m.p.h.

16-speed CAT powershipft 16F/4F 22 m.p.h.

Engine

15 L Cummins QSX15

Iveco 12.9L

15 L Cummins QSX15

PTO Horsepower

335

473

440

Remote valves: standard/optional

4 to 6/8

4/up to 8

4/6

Max hydraulic flow

115 g.p.m. (435 l/min.)

113 g.p.m. (427 l/min.)

106 g.p.m. (401 l/min.)

Available flow at single remote valve

35 gpm

Fuel tank

400 gal.

470 gal.

475 gal.

DEF tank

22 gal.

85 gal.

N/A

PTO (optional)

1,000 r.p.m., 1-¾" shaft

Estimated shipping weight

41,820 lbs.

48,780 lbs.

58,850 lbs.

Suggested price

US$574,786

US$587,499

US$483,011

big power at a slow pace DeltaTrack models available with low-speed creeper gear

Three new DeltaTrack models from Versatile are available with a creeper gear that allows the tractors to pull as slowly as 1.52 km/h. photo: versatile

By Scott Garvey

ith more and more farmers installing drain tiles across the Prairie, one equipment brand now sees a growing demand for high horsepower tractors that can move slowly and pull very hard to get jobs like that done. The computer control modules in some late-model, high-horsepower tractors derate engine horsepower when a very low gear is selected, limiting their drawbar pull under those circumstances. That is necessary to reduce the stress on driveline components. In mid March Versatile announced it was introducing special editions of three DeltaTrack models designed specifically for high-torque, slow pulls, making them ideal for drain tile installation according to the company. The new 450DTC, 500DTC and 550DTC models, with horsepower ratings corresponding to their model numbers, will get a 0.95 m.p.h. (1.52 km/h) at 1,800 r.p.m. creeper gear. Versatile’s announcement says these tractors are “factory approved” for heavy, very slow pulls. “Customers of the Versatile DeltaTrack have been

asking for a machine for low-speed applications such as tile plowing,” explained Adam Reid, director of marketing, speaking in the company’s recent press release. “They like the set up of the current machine with the engine-transmission-drivetraintrack set up but were concerned about component stress at lower speeds. The new DeltaTrack Creeper allows customers to keep the engine in peak torque range while still working at reduced speeds.” “The top-end road speed is reduced but customers were willing to accept that trade-off for optimum performance in the field,” he added. To help prevent driveline damage, engineers beefed up the rubber belts on DTC models. To extend their track life, the tractors use new Camoplast 6500 Series belts in 30- or 36-inch widths, which get an extra fabric layer to handle the push from the drive lugs. And these belts use tall, narrow tread bars for better traction. Versatile initially began production by making a limited number of DTC models available this past spring. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott. Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

Colin MacDonald, product manager, John Deere.

Best job at the factory

s the 9RX product manager, Colin MacDonald said he is really the voice of the consumer as the new product is developed. That means his job involved: “Focus groups, gathering customer information. Going out and visiting customers on their farms and showing them the new concepts.” Really, he said, a big part of his job is advocating for customers, and making sure that the end product meets customer needs. “It’s a thrill,” he said. “And I get to travel North America doing it.” Another part of the job that MacDonald enjoys is working with the toy companies to make sure their products match the specs on the real thing. “”I worked with Ertl and Tomy on these tractors.” The timing was as important as the details. “They timed it so that when we go to market, they go to market. “Some of the most demanding customers are the toy customers. They will tell you very quickly when there’s a detail that’s not quite right.” † Leeann Minogue

Organizer

www.DLG.org

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/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Cattleman’s Corner western beef survey

Highlights of cow-calf survey

ere are some of the key averages that showed up in the 2014 Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey (WCCCS). The survey provides an opportunity for producers to see how their production practices compare with industry averages.

2013 BREEDING SEASON Average ratio cows to bulls — 24:1 (Heifers to bulls 17.5:1). Average breeding season length — 91 days (cows) 89 days (heifers). Producers who exposed heifers earlier than cows — 26 per cent. Average open rate — seven per cent (cows) 10 per cent (heifers).

2014 CALF CROP

New Western Canada Cow-Calf Survey shows trends and opportunities BY ANGELA LOVELL

esults from the 2014 Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey (WCCCS) show some interesting industry trends and changes in management practices since the last survey was conducted 16 years ago in Alberta. The 2014 WCCCS was rolled out to producers from British Columbia to Manitoba from November 2014 to February 2015 and asked 58 questions — some new and some the same as in the 1998 survey — about their 2014 calf crop, beginning with the 2013 breeding season. The average age of respondents was 50, just below the average age of all western Canadian farmers, which is 54. Most (86 per cent) were male and had been raising cattle for at least 25 years, and had commercial herds. “The cow-calf survey was done to generate an updated set of benchmarks for producers to compare to and to guide extension and researchers,” says Kathy Larson, beef economist with the Western Beef Development Centre. “Cow-calf producers should calculate their production indicators on an annual basis, however, it can be useful to compare numbers to see if they are on the right track with the overall industry.

LATER CALVING Some interesting changes from the previous survey include the shifting of the calving season to later in the year. Sixty per cent of respondents calve in March and April compared to a February calving start back in 1998. About seven per cent of cows in the 2014 survey were found open during preg checking — up about three percentage points from 1998. “An increase in the average open rate is not favourable, and has been raised by pro-

ducers as an area requiring further investigation and research,” says Larson. There are improvements in calving distribution, with 55 per cent of females calving in the first 21 days compared to 48 per cent in the previous survey. About 42 per cent met or exceeded the recommended target of 60 per cent calving within 21 days of the calving season start. Average herd size has also increased by about one-third with around 170 females calving per operation in 2014. “Even as herds increase in size, the importance of adhering to recommended reproduction management practices has not been overlooked,” says Larson. “Seeing increases in the utilization of pregnancy checking and bull evaluation, and improvements to calving distribution are encouraging.”

IMPROVED MANAGEMENT Less than half of producers pregnancy checked their cows in 1998, and that figure has risen to 60 per cent today. In addition 64 per cent of producers are now semen-testing their bulls, up from 51 per cent. But there is still some room for improvement, says Larson, especially in the area of breeding season length. “We recommend exposing breeding cows for 63 days or less, and heifers should be bred earlier than the rest of the cows given their longer post-partum interval. Heifers need 80 to 100 days postpartum for breeding, compared to 50 to 60 days for cows, says Larson. “More than 90 per cent of the producers who responded have an average breeding season length of 92 days for cows and 89 days for heifers. Only 26 per cent of producers were exposing their heifers earlier than their cows. Calving season length was also longer than recommended in most cases — 92

days for cows and 66 days for heifers. The suggested ideal calving span is 60 to 80 days to allow the most efficient use of labour, produce a more uniform calf crop, and improve productive and reproductive efficiency. Fewer than 25 per cent of respondents indicated that they used growth implants on their 2014 calves, which is still a surprisingly low number, says Larson. “A twodollar implant easily pays for itself in increased wean weights,” she says. Feeding and grazing practices have changed significantly since the last survey. Forty-seven per cent of producers now test their feed for quality, up from 30 per cent, and more producers are utilizing extensive feeding — such as bale grazing, swath grazing, rolled-out forage, crop residue, standing corn or stockpiled grazing as part of their winter feeding regimen. Rotational grazing is now the most common management practice on both native and tame pastures. Although pasture rejuvenation is one area where there is still room for improvement. A third of respondents never rejuvenate pastures, 38 per cent rejuvenate once every 11 or more years, and 25 per cent every six to 10 years. Only 3.4 per cent rejuvenated pasture every one to five years. “Pasture is the cheapest feed source and there is a need to rejuvenate pastures as they age,” says Larson. The Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey is a collaborative effort involving provincial producer associations, provincial Ministry of Agriculture specialists, the Beef Cattle Research Council, CanFax, and the Western Beef Development Centre. To view or download the overall results summary of the 2014 WCCCS go to: http:// www.wbdc.sk.ca/pdfs/economics/WCCCS_Summary_ Overall_Jun2015.pdf. † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer based in Manitou, Man.

Average length of calving season — 92 days (cows) 66 days (heifers). Most common month to start calving — April (followed by March and February). Producers with 60 per cent or more cows calving in first 21 days of season — 42 per cent. Calving ease — 96 per cent (unassisted cows), 84 per cent (unassisted heifers). Average calf death loss — 6.9 per cent. Causes of death — disease (30 per cent), predator/accident (29 per cent), weather (16 per cent), unknown (24 per cent).

WEANING Most popular time to wean — November 1-15 (followed by October). Most popular weaning method — traditional separation. Average weight weaned per cow exposed — 534 lbs. Average weaning per cent — 85 per cent.

WEANED CALF MARKETING Number of producers selling calves at weaning — 72 per cent. Number of producers backgrounding — 35 per cent. Number of producers retaining replacements — 79 per cent. Number of producers selling via live auction — 80 per cent.

CULLING AND DEATH LOSS Average culling rate breeding females — 10.3 per cent. Main reasons for culling — reproduction (50 per cent), age (19 per cent) physical soundness (16 per cent), calf performance (five per cent). Average herdsire culling rate — 22.6 per cent. Main reasons for culling — physical soundness (32 per cent), age (27 per cent), reproduction (21 per cent), progeny performance (13 per cent). Average breeding female death loss — 1.4 per cent. Average breeding herdsire death loss — 2.4 per cent.

REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT Number of producers using AI — 18 per cent. Number of producers using ES — 11.3 per cent. Number of producers pregnancy checking — 60 per cent (cows), 66 per cent (heifers). Average cow weight — 1,374 pounds (only 22 per cent provided actual scale weight). Number of producers using breeding soundness evaluation for bulls — 64 per cent. Top three bull selection criteria — breed, conformation, birth weight.

CALF MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Average per cent herds with 90 per cent or more calves born polled — 69 per cent. Number of producers dehorning calves — 70 per cent. Most common time for dehorning — after birth (43 per cent), at spring processing (38 per cent). Most popular methods of dehorning — dehorning paste (40 per cent), debudder, hot iron (34 per cent). Number of producers using pain control when dehorning — nine per cent. Number of producers implanting calves in 2014 — 24 per cent. Most common timing for calf castration shortly after birth — 64 per cent, at spring processing or branding (30 per cent). Most common castration methods — elastrator (76 per cent), scalpel (22 per cent). Number of producers who use pain control during castration — 4.2 per cent.

GRAZING AND FEEDING MANAGEMENT Number of producers who rotational graze — 67 per cent (native), 70 per cent (tame). Number of producers who continuous graze — 30 per cent (native), 19 per cent (tame). Pasture rejuvenation — every 11 or more years (38 per cent), never (33 per cent), every six to 10 years (25 per cent), every one to five years (3.4 per cent). Number of producers who lab-tested feed for quality — 47 per cent. Number of producers who sorted breeding females for winter feeding — (56 per cent), by age (84 per cent), by condition (67 per cent), by stage (26 per cent). Most common winter feeding methods (some use more than one) — bale feeders (67 per cent), bale processors (46 per cent), bale grazing (33 per cent), rolled-out forage (28 per cent), swath grazing (17 per cent), stockpile forage (18 per cent), crop residue (17 per cent).

HEALTH MANAGEMENT Number of producers who vaccinate — 91.4 per cent. Number of producers who inject in neck (recommended) — 91 per cent. † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer based in Manitou, Man.

BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF

Update on new VBP+ modules There’s progress. Here’s what producers should know

The Verified Beef Production (VBP) program, known in Canada for on-farm food safety, is adding new modules for biosecurity, animal care and environment. It’s an ambitious development for the program and potentially significant for the national beef industry. These new plans and related development around sustainability have producers regularly wondering about the purpose and progress of this effort. Manitoba cattle producer Betty Green has watched the developments of the new modules from both inside and outside the program. As a producer she knows these will affect her own ranching operation in Manitoba’s Interlake region. As VBP co-ordinator for her province and a program representative on the national VBP+ effort, she knows the questions producers and industry players are asking. Here’s a recap of key things she believes producers should know. There’s a purpose for doing this. Market expectations domestically and globally are asking for transparency and accountability. Adding new modules can help accomplish that, she believes. “And a co-ordinated industry effort also works to avoid unnecessary and costly duplication of the services needed in the beef marketplace.” Other groups are working to leverage this effort. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has spearheaded the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable beef. This VBP+ program is a platform for this initiative. Even more important a number of leading companies such as McDonald’s and Loblaws are looking for ways to leverage the VBP+ effort in their own branded products. Others are also expressing interest.

“As a result the work on VBP+ has potential to pay off in many ways,” says Green. It’s a combination of old and new. There are new aspects to this new era of sustainability but the bulk of this is built on triedand-true practices well established over time, says Green. “It’s really important that producers understand VBP+ has been built around the goal of not reinventing the wheel. The goal is a program that is easy to use. We are using generic risk assessments to identify priorities. And we are using existing programs such as animal care codes and Environmental Farm Plans. “This is designed to build on established efforts such as Ontario’s Corn-Fed brand.” We’re making good progress. The VBP+ initiative is being overseen by an extensive industry-led group designed to realistically meet producer and industry needs. The business plan for the new VBP is being developed. Modules have been tested on farm and will be available in 2016. Industry pride

“There is a lot of hard work yet to be done to get all of this implemented seamlessly,” says Green. However, she believes producers would be pleased with what has been accomplished in the VBP+ process. “It would be very rewarding if all producers could have a chance to hear first hand the complimentary comments about producers from the players around the table during in these meetings. “There is strong support for how beef producers manage their farms and ranches today. And there is real confidence in VBP to work with partners to meet market expectations.”

Producers like Betty Green of Fisher Branch, Man. are instrumental to adding practical and flexible modules to add to VBP.

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Cattleman’s Corner Keepers and Culls

Harmony in limbo pending approvals Calgary pressing for a scientific environmental review of packing plant proposal Lee Hart

he long-anticipated opening of the Harmony Beef processing plant just north of Calgary remains in cold storage, as the company which was supposed to begin operations nearly a year ago awaits some final approvals from Rocky View County. The plant, which was supposed to be operational in late 2014/ early 2015, processing between 700 and 800 beef per day, has been renovated, but it needs the final approval of the rural municipality on its plan to build a wastewater treatment plant. County administration appears to be in favour of Harmony Beef’s proposal but the fly in the ointment is opposition from the nearby city of Calgary. Calgary city council isn’t rejecting the plant’s operation outright, but it

wants some further assurances that Harmony won’t produce odour, traffic problems or pose any threat to the environment. Although the plant is located on 140 acres in the county it is within a couple of kilometres of the northern edge of Calgary city limits, within sight of some existing communities and land slated for future development. The meat packing plant, which was first built in 2005 under the name Rancher’s Beef, has been a burr under Calgary’s saddle since day one. There was concern then about the impact of the plant. It did operate for about 14 months before going broke and closing in 2007. Later when the Price family of the Sunterra Group bought the closed plant with some intention of getting it operational, there was more fuss from the city over the potential odour, traffic and environmental risks it might pose. Finding a reliable water supply in the county for the plant was also some concern in the early days, although that got resolved.

Along comes long-time U.S. meat industry businessman Rich Vesta and his family in 2013, who buy the long-closed plant from Sunterra with plans to remodel, update, incorporate state-of-theart technology and begin operations somewhat as a niche market, specialty meat operation. Their redesign of the plant was intended to greatly reduce its environmental footprint — drastically reduce water consumption, which meant less wastewater for disposal — basically operate an innocuous, profitable operation that wouldn’t bother anyone. Rocky View County thought it was a good plan, but the notion raised alarm bells again with urban neighbours immediately to the south. So the project just seems to be stalled for the time being. Harmony Beef can’t operate until it gets approval for its wastewater treatment plant and Rocky View County Council seems to be holding back on that due to the Calgary City Council concerns. Calgary council is asking Rocky View to participate in a joint,

contact us BY WRITE, E-MAIL OR FAX Contact Cattleman’s Corner with comments, ideas or suggestions for and on stories by mail, e-mail, phone or fax. CONTACT: LEE HART PHONE: 1-403-592-1964 CELL: 1-403 815-3719 FAX: 1-403-288-3162 E-MAIL: lee@fbcpublishing.com WRITE TO cattleman’s corner, Box 71141 Silver Springs PO Calgary, AB T3B 5k2 independent scientific review to assess potential impacts concerning noises, odour, and air quality, but there has been no movement on that plan. Calgary council has also contacted the provincial government asking that the province get involved by creating a stronger dispute-resolution mechanism when two municipalities can’t agree over an issue such as this. No word from the province on that either.

It is a close-but-no-cigar situation for Harmony Beef until Rocky View either rejects or signs off on the waste water treatment plant proposal. No one has suggested moving the city of Calgary away from the plant, but that might be an option worth looking at too. †

winter nutrition

Keep cows fed heading into winter Each thin cow will need an extra bale over winter just for maintenance, never mind rebuilding heather smith thomas

ows need higher-quality feed, and more of it, as pregnancy progresses. Nutrient requirements in early gestation are not much different from maintenance requirements, but as the fetus grows larger the cow’s nutrient needs increase. After calving, when a cow is lactating, she needs a much higher level of protein and energy than when she is pregnant. Young cows’ requirements are highest because they are still growing. A heifer should be about 85 per cent of her projected mature body weight at breeding, says Barry Yaremcio, an Alberta Agriculture beef and forage specialist. During her first pregnancy, the heifer needs to grow a calf and herself at the same time. For the average 1,100 to 1,600pound beef cow the protein requirements in mid-, late -and after-calving rations would be a minimum of seven, nine and 11 per cent protein respectively, on a dry-matter basis. “The energy requirements, as a percent of TDN, should be 55, 60 and 65 per cent respectively, for those same stages,” says Yaremcio. There is a change from the last trimester of pregnancy to after calving (lactation).

The cow’s nutrient requirements jump by about 25 per cent from late pregnancy to after calving to maintain lactation.

WATCH BODY CONDITION During winter, cattle also need an increase in feed just to maintain body heat in cold weather. It helps if they go into the winter in good body condition, since fat acts as insulation against the cold; the cow won’t need as much feed to keep warm. Fat can also be mobilized for heat energy if needed. “Ranchers need to watch for thin cows going into winter. Pastures in many regions are running out and some cows are losing condition. A cow that is one body condition score lower than what it should be will be about 200 pounds lower in weight. It is difficult for her to regain weight during winter without grain supplement,” Yaremcio says, “In order for the thinner cow to stay warm, she will require an extra 1,400 pounds of hay compared to a cow in proper body condition. She needs that much extra hay just to stay warm and hold her own, without gaining weight. That’s one extra big round bale per cow through winter, and with hay prices at $150 a bale or more, that’s a major expense,” Yaremcio says.

MILKING OFF THEIR BACKS It pays to keep cows from losing weight in late fall. “If a cow is thin, and doesn’t pro-

duce the quantity and quality of colostrum needed by her calf, there is a greater risk for the calf to get sick. Passive immunity from cows to their calves will be compromised and the ability of the calf to resist diseases will be reduced,” Yaremcio says. The thin cow won’t be able to milk adequately. Peak lactation occurs during the first eight weeks of lactation. Maximum feed intake does not occur until 12 weeks after calving. During early lactation, it’s very difficult to meet the energy requirements of the cow. If energy needs aren’t met she will take the fat off her back, and lose more weight. If she’s thin it will affect reproduction and breed-back. For every pound of fat that the cow mobilizes off her back, there’s enough energy in that fat to produce seven pounds of milk. For a newborn calf, seven pounds of milk is what’s required to gain one pound of weight per day. “So basically the cow and the calf are trading weight, pound for pound, at that point in time,” Yaremcio says. If you don’t have some fat on the back of the cow to produce that extra energy, the calf is not going to grow as well. You need to pay special attention to the first-calf heifer because the amount of feed she is able to consume is less than the larger cow.” Yaremcio says you have to feed the cow to produce milk to grow the calf. Feeding extra grain

photo: heather smith thomas

Maintaining good condition with products such as protein blocks helps cattle heading into winter. to this group, compared to the mature cows, can be beneficial. “The goal for after-calving nutrition is to have the cow on an increasing plane of nutrition and have her maintain or gain a small amount of weight each day. If a cow is in good condition and she loses a pound of fat per day for one or two weeks it’s not a big deal. But if the cow or first calf heifer is thin and loses more weight, it will negatively affect reproduction.”

REPRODUCTION SETBACK The long-term effect of having a thin cow or one that is losing weight after calving is it will take between 30 and 60 days longer (than a cow that’s in good condition) to be physically prepared to have her first heat cycle, says Yaremcio. She will either be late

calving or open the next year, in a 45- to 63-day breeding season. “First service conception rate on thin cows is roughly 20 to 25 per cent lower than a cow in good condition,” he says. “If the rancher doesn’t take care of the problem there could be a large number of open cows the next calving season. The long-term ramifications of being short of protein and energy in the ration and having thin cows this fall is not going to stop at Christmastime. It will carry over for a year or even two years, until reproductive efficiency is back to normal.” If feed quality is too low, cows will need some kind of supplement through the winter, during pregnancy. † Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband Lynn near Salmon, Idaho. Contact her at 208-756-2841.

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Cattleman’s Corner foreign markets

Optimism stoked the Australian cattle market

Indicators favoured a strong cattle market in Australia but time will tell if strength is there this fall BY KIM NIELSEN

arlier this year I participated in a webinar sponsored by Meat and Livestock Australia and came away with some incredible optimism and understanding more clearly why the Australian cattle frenzy is continuing. The stars are indeed lining up in 2015 for Australian cattle producers and the new record prices set on a daily basis from all corners of country don’t seem to be slowing anytime soon. What has spurred on such optimism has comes in variety of ways. • The continuing declining dollar, which has gone from par against the American “greenback” to now just in the mid- to high 70s, • While there are still lingering droughts in some parts of the vast expansive cattle country in Queensland and New South Wales, other areas have gone from destocking to restocking, • Exports to the U.S., China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea are going extremely well. The Chinese market is especially strong with a 10-fold increase in exports from 2013 to 2014, • Exports to the U.S. are highest in 2014 with 70 per cent of the Australian export of beef heading in that direction and likely to increase even more. • The weather forecast is showing an 80

per cent probability of above-average rainfall over the coming months. Optimism for good grass growth not yet been dampened by an El Niño forecast for later.

STRONG FEEDER MARKET The feeder cattle market is understandably hot as well with an unusual phenomenon of heavier cattle selling at a premium over lighter stock. Our 660lb. heifers purchased in November 2014 for $0.65/lb. sold here in April to a local feedlot for $0.91/lb. It was welcome to see a gain of $0.26 along with the 220 extra pounds. But we accept this scenario will likely not be repeated for a while. Lighter calves have since picked up reversing the anomaly of the bright forecast for finished cattle. These prices are in Australian dollars but the Canadian and Australian dollar relative to the U.S. are pretty even. The Australian Eastern Young Indicator (EYCI) is the general benchmark of Australian cattle prices. The indicator is a seven-day rolling average produced daily by Meat and Livestock Australia’s National Livestock Reporting Service. The EYCI includes young weaned or yearling heifers and steers with a grade score of C2 or C3 or of well-muscled cattle. The four-year-old bullocks coming to market from the cattle stations in the outback,

which I wrote about in a previous article, are obviously not part of the EYCI. This is perhaps the reason for the term Eastern Young Cattle! The EYCI is in essence similar to the fat market in Canada and has continued its upward gains and record breaking almost as a daily occurrence. Earlier speculations of prices hitting above 500 c/kg ($2.27/lb.) came to fruition in June. A year ago prices were 160 c/kg lower. During the webinar we also heard cattle producers are likely to enjoy these good times for a little while longer. Historically the Australian prices have been approximately 80 per cent relative to the U.S. So where does this leave us? Are the Australian prices going to gain further or will the prices in the U.S. soften? The USDA slaughter cattle report of May 12, 2015 showed average prices of heifers and steers around US255 cents/lb. With an exchange rate at the moment of $1.24 Australian for one greenback this would equate to 252.96c/kg Australian (255 x 0.124 x 0.8). In other words there is still a discrepancy of about 30 cents/lb between Australia and the U.S. When I left Australia a few months ago I had just finished seeding some more of our Alcheringa Pastoral to pasture. Come late October, when I return to this part of the world, we will be back into grazing Australian feeder cattle. Buying grass

The 2016

photo: kim nielsen

Time will tell if the Aussie beef market maintains its strength. cattle in this buoyant market is not for the faint at heart, but with a discrepancy of 30 cents before the Australian market is fully aligned with the U.S. and good winter rains in the forecast to boot the Aussies would rejoice “she’ll be right mate!”. † Kim Juul Nielsen provides an Australian perspective from time to time. He grows grass during the Australian summer at Alcheringa Pastoral in the South West of the state of Victoria, Australia and during the Canadian summer up on 4-Clover Ranch, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. He can be reached at kim.juul56@yahoo.com

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Cattleman’s Corner using technologies

Choosing the right beef industry app Keep records, monitor pastures, even evaluate poop — these are all new smartphone options BY ANGELA LOVELL

here are a bewildering number of apps available today for everything from games to personal fitness, and the livestock industry is not being left behind. But how does a producer decide which app will be the most useful to his or her operation? Kathy Larson, beef economist with the Western Beef Development Centre (WBDC) near Lanigan, Sask., recently gave a webinar presentation that gave an overview of some of the apps available for livestock producers. Larson says in her opinion apps can be a great tool to help cow-calf producers with record-keeping, but they don’t replace a good recordkeeping program. When Larson researched apps for cattle producers she found a variety of options, some of which were free, and others ranging from $17 to $170 to purchase. Which means as much as producers might like to “test drive” a few apps, it can be costly. For anyone new to the technology, an app (short for application) is software for a smartphone or tablet. Many basic apps for weather forecasts, social media sites or games often come installed with the mobile device. Other apps need to be downloaded from app stores such as the Apple Store, Google Play or Blackberry App World. Many apps are free but some must be purchased, usually for a modest fee So WBDC is helping producers by posting some online tutorials on different apps, showing how to navigate them and listing some of the pros and cons. For the webinar Larson compared a number of free and paid apps that might be useful to cattle producers. Below is a summary of Larson’s review of each.

devices, the app costs $24. View the WBDC tutorial at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=zv1LPYq-794

CATTLEMGRPRO A record-keeping app for herd and pasture records, which also syncs to Apple iCloud, but is cumbersome to use because it handles 16 different species and it’s hard to navigate through them. It’s also only available for Apple devices for $22.

GRASS SNAP A free app for Apple and Android developed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,

It allows producers to keep a photo log of their pastures. Users can take digital photos of a landscape and up to five separate plots and the app records the GPS co-ordinates, date and the direction the user is facing in the field. By creating maps and using an overlay function the app shows producers how their pastures change over time.

COW POOP ANALYZER This free app for Apple and Android developed by Texas A&M University may sound gross but it compares pictures the user takes of cow manure in the pasture to stock photos to get an indication of the crude protein

content and digestibility of the animal’s feed source.

CANFAX CFX PRO CanFax CFX Pro is another free app for Apple and Blackberry, which gives access to market information, price projections, futures, and WLPIP premiums, and also includes a break-even calculator, with the ability to store the calculations to retrieve later.

and keeps track of grain marketing details, agronomic information by field, machinery, grain storage, and pricing. It is free of charge for farmers. Larson adds that record-keeping programs such as Cattlemax and Biotrack also have mobile interfaces so data can be recorded using a smartphone or tablet. † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer based in Manitou, Man.

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Cattleman’s Corner funding available

Grants available to help with traceability programs Traceability technology helps to track animals or food products from farm to consumer BY ANGELA LOVELL

raceability is a high priority for the livestock industry in Canada, and federal and provincial governments have been working in collaboration with the industry to develop a National Agriculture and Food Traceability System, primarily focusing on livestock and poultry. Traceability, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s website is the ability to follow an item or group of items — animals, plants, food products or ingredients — from one point in the supply chain to another. Traceability systems have three basic elements: animal/product identification; premises identificationand and animal/ product movement. As part of the drive towards full traceability, each province has implemented funding programs for producers designed to assist with the cost of implementation — such as purchasing RFID tag readers and software. Following is an overview of the traceability implementation funding programs available in Western Canada. Programs receive funding through the FederalProvincial Growing Forward 2 and criteria and delivery agencies vary in each province. Funding for many programs is on a first-come, first-served basis, so producers should apply as early as possible.

SASKATCHEWAN Saskatchewan has a generous Livestock Traceability Rebate program, which began in 2009 under Growing Forward 1 and will continue to offer rebates for equipment purchased up to February 2018. Continuing under Growing Forward 2, the current program offers a rebate of 70 per cent to a maximum of $50,000 for the purchase or lease of eligible handheld or panel RFID tag readers, software, or for training costs that producers incur to learn how to operate their traceability equipment or software. Only equipment purchased after February 1, 2013 is eligible for this round of funding. Saskatchewan also offers funding through its On-Farm Food Safety initiative

as part of its Verified Beef Production (VBP) program. Producers registered under the VBP can receive 50 per cent funding up to $2,000 for individual livestock weigh scales, squeeze with neck extenders and record keeping software. Producers can also get 50 per cent up to a $1,000 towards the cost of a first VBP certification audit on their farm. As well, if a producer commissions an on-farm assessment by a veterinarian to develop a biosecurity protocol, he or she may apply for 50 per cent of the cost up to a maximum of $1,000. For more information go to: www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/GF2LivestockTraceabilityRebate www.saskvbp.ca/index.php/pages/ funding/food-safety-funding www.saskvbp.ca/index.php/pages/ funding/biosecurity-funding www.saskvbp.ca/index.php/pages/ registered-producers

ALBERTA Alberta has a number of programs funded through Growing Forward 2, including its Traceability Technology Adoption program. The program will reimburse eligible producers for 70 per cent of approved costs for equipment and software that capture animal data for animal management and traceability purposes. The Traceability Pilot program is designed to help producers, agribusinesses and nonprofit organizations evaluate and recommend ideal traceability technologies that are practical and cost-effective. Projects are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and if there is program funding available and the project meets the Program’s priorities the applicant will be sent an application form. The Traceability Training program reimburses 100 per cent of approved costs up to $25,000 for organizing and delivering training sessions to increase knowledge about how to implement traceability systems. This program is available to industry organizations, groups, and educational and nonprofit institutions, not individual producers. Projects are evaluated on a case by case basis.

For more information go to: www.growingforward. alberta.ca/Programs/index. htm?contentId=TRACBLTY_TCH_PRG& useSecondary=true&active=yes www.growingforward. alberta.ca/Programs/index. htm?contentId=TRACBLTY_PLT_PRG& useSecondary=true&active=yes www.growingforward. alberta.ca/Programs/index. htm?contentId=TRACBLTY_TRG_PRG& useSecondary=true&active=yes

MANITOBA The Beef Program component of Manitoba’s Growing Assurance — Food Safety On-Farm program provides technical and financial assistance to beef producers towards adoption of the principles of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association Verified Beef Production (VBP) program. Eligible producers can access up to $12,000 in funding through three programs. Once beef producers have completed training and successfully completed a VBP audit of their facilities they can apply for a number of programs to assist with the cost of purchasing equipment that helps them implement traceability and other aspects of their on-farm food safety system. The Traceability Program offers eligible producers up to $5,000 on a cost-shared basis (65 per cent government funding and 35 per cent applicant) for the purchase of RFID readers and software and accessories such as a carrying case or docking station. The Food Safety on-Farm Beef program provides cost-shared funding (65/35) up to a maximum of $2,000 for equipment such as a single animal scale, neck extender chute, electric thermometer, calibration devices for medicated feed and water, software and the first audit (up to $500) for the VBP program The Biosecurity GAP program provides cost-shared funding (65/35) up to a maximum of $5,000 towards the cost of biosecurity assessment by a veterinarian, as well as equipment such as quarantine pens,

cleaning or disinfection stations, and compost sites for management of deadstock. For more information go to your local Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives office or: www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/food-safety/ at-the-farm/print,growing-assurance-foodsafety-on-farm.html

BRITISH COLUMBIA The Traceability Adoption Program for 2015-16 has recently been posted on the B.C. Agricultural Research & Development Corporation (ARDCorp) website. It provides between 50 and 75 per cent costshared funding to a maximum of $15,000 to producers for the purchase of traceability infrastructure and staff training costs. The Traceability Speaker program provides funding to agriculture organizations that hold workshops or other events to educate their members about traceability to a maximum of $3,500 per event and $10,000 per sector. Funding is on a firstcome, first-served basis and the program ends March 2016. The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture also provides a no-cost identification program for producers. The Verified Beef Production program offered through the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association, also helps producers access funding — such as through the On-Farm Food Safety Program — for equipment such as weigh scales and squeeze chute neck extenders. Visit any of the following websites for more information: For more information go to: https://bcac.bc.ca/ardcorp/program/ traceability-adoption-program www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/ agriculture-seafood/agriculture-business-and-economy/programs/growingforward-2/traceability-speaker-funding www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/food-safety/ premises-id-for-livestock-poultry www.cattlemen.bc.ca/programs.htm www.qfirst.ca/vbp/ † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer based in Manitou, Man.

6th Annual CFGA Conference November 17-19, 2015 • Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, Saskatoon, SK

Canadian Forage in the International Year of Soils Capture the Intensity!

MORE SELECTION MORE OFTEN MORE DEALS... OV

ER 30,000

The 6th Annual CFGA conference will explore intensive forage management systems, their impact on soil health and how forages generate ecosystem goods and services for on-farm users, exporters and the Canadian public. For information go to www.canadianfga.ca or send an email message to conference@canadianfga.ca

PIECES OF A EQUIPMENT G !

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Home Quarter Farm Life SEEDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Stopping the conflict avoidance dance on your farm Here’s some ways to engage in constructive conversation Elaine Froese

ou are likely exhausted from harvest as you have grabbed this paper for a few moments of “downtime.” Harvest stress gives everyone on the farm team a chance to show their true colours as to how they manage mistakes and high tension. My question for you is, “Are you tired of the conflict avoidance dance on your farm?” “Are you finally ready to prevent destructive conflict avoidance?” I bet there are folks on your farm who are ready to work out issues, yet they are highly frustrated by those who usually avoid. They often tell me, “I can’t deal with someone who won’t talk to me and tell me what the problem is!” So how can you deal with the “strong, silent types” who won’t engage with you? Here are some tips from William Wilmot and Joyce Hocker, authors of Interpersonal Conflict: • Put them at ease. Use a non-threatening approach — calm voice, friendly and open non-verbal actions (like extending your hand when you are asking someone to dance); don’t trap them in the pickup or a small space, and consider sharing a meal together. Breaking bread together has a huge impact on setting a good tone for

a tough conversation. Pie makes people happy I am told! • Provide safety. Set ground rules (“I promise I won’t raise my voice or interrupt you”) and let them have time to prepare for discussion. I usually ask, “Is this a good time for us to talk? If not, when would work better?” • Change the mode of communication. Please don’t text! If you have been using emails, talk face to face; try writing out a letter if talking in person doesn’t work. I have seen the power of the written word with a young successor who carefully laid out his vision for the farm on paper, and then shared it with his parents. He typed it on the computer so that he could correct the tone of his letter. He was also careful to thank his parents for the opportunities they had provided, and he made requests in a polite manner. • Frame the conversation as relationship building. You might say, “I have a suggestion for how you could help build our relationship,” or, “Our project needs some help. Would you be able to talk with me about our timeline?” • Do not say, “We need to talk.” That strikes fear into the heart of most folks. My friend Shelle Rose Charvet who wrote the book Words that Change Minds, has many great ideas for better communication. She encouraged me to start saying, “May I make a request?” rather that using, “I need to talk with you.” Check out Shelle’s free persuasion course at www. wordsthatchangeminds.com.

When you avoid According to Wilmont and Hocker, “If you see yourself as an avoider, we hope you will want to expand your repertoire to be able to collaborate, confront, stay engaged, and even escalate when needed. You will need to find the sources of your fearful responses, be willing to take breaks when you need to, practise initiating important conversations instead of waiting for others to initiate (this gives you a sense of necessary control) and focus on what is actually happening in the interaction instead of only how you feel.” You may need to ask a third party for help in resolving the conflict to deal with your sense of overwhelm. That is why I will never be out of a job as a farm family coach. Farm families are entangled in the avoidance dance and they want it to stop. If you keep avoiding, others around you will avoid all hot issues to take care of you, but I can tell you right now they are sick and tired of walking on eggshells on your farm. Their other option is to get really mad, which is called escalating, and they threaten to leave. Either of these dances sets in motion a destructive system. “You may see yourself as the victim, or as the one who is right but persecuted,” says Wilmont. He says you can change your sense of self by adopting new, risky, but rewarding conflict skills. Here are his tips for working with your own avoidance: • Safety comes first. If you do not feel protected, you can’t use productive con-

flict skills. If your partner shows any history or signs of physically harming you, work only with a third party. If you own a grain bagger, be careful. I have seen this machine cause father and son come to fisticuffs on more than one occasion! • Take breaks if you freeze when you are afraid. Let others know what is going on, “This is hard for me, I need to take a break, but I will be back.” You won’t be seen as an avoider but as a careful person. In mediation we call these “caucus” breaks where the person speaks privately to the mediator to get their bearings and more understanding or information. • Ask for the dance. Learn to initiate conversations rather than waiting. John Gottman calls this “making quick repair.” Don’t let issues fester and boil. Engage! • Ask for help if you are stuck. The greatest gift we can give each other is the sense of being heard. Talk to a professional third party, the farm stress line counsellor or a trusted friend to work out how you want to address your conflict situation. I have many resources on my website to encourage better conflict resolution. “How to Have Better Family Fights” is one of my most-watched webinars. You’ll find it at www.elainefroese.com. † Elaine Froese empowers farm families and helps them secure legacy. She doesn’t own a grain bagger, but she farms with her husband and son near Boissevain. She loves to dance. Elaine would like to know what topics you’d like to see in this paper. Email Elaine@ elainefroese.com or call 1-866-848-8311. Buy her books for Christmas gifts that will encourage your farm team at www.elainefroese.com/store.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK FOR THE PRAIRIES Weather Forecast for the period of October 4 to October 31, 2015

Southern Alberta

Peace River Region

Saskatchewan

October 4 - 10 Variable temperatures. A few frosty nights. Fair, aside from scattered rain and gusty winds on a couple of occasions.

October 4 - 10 Variable temperatures. A few frosty nights. Fair, aside from a chance of snow on a couple of occasions. Gusty winds.

October 4 - 10 Fair with seasonal temperatures, but cooler, windy outbreaks on 2 or 3 occasions result in some rain. Chance of snow in the north.

October 11 - 17 Fair and milder days will alternate with cooler, wet days. Chance of snow in a few areas. Windy at times.

October 11 - 17 Fair and milder days will alternate with cooler, wet days. Chance of snow. Windy at times. October 18 - 24 Fair overall with seasonable temperatures, but cooler outbreaks on a couple of days bring some snow. Gusty winds.

October 11 - 17 Temperatures fluctuate from mild to cool under windy conditions. Changeable weather, as fair skies interchange with rain. Intermittent snow in the north.

October 18 - 24 Fair overall with seasonable temperatures, but cooler outbreaks on a couple of days bring scattered rain. Gusty winds from time to time.

October 25 - 31 Fair skies dominate although snow falls on a couple of occasions. Chance of heavier snow. Temperatures vary, but lean to the mild side. Blustery.

October 18 - 24 Temperatures will swing from mild to cool. Fair and dry days are interspersed with some snow north and rain south. Windy at times.

October 25 - 31 Fair skies dominate although rain and possibly snow falls on a couple of days. Temperatures vary, but lean to the mild side. Blustery.

-1 / 10 Grande Prairie 21.7 mms

October 4 - 10 Cooler air on a few windy days brings scattered rain. Risk of heavy rain south, and wet snow north. October 11 - 17 Fair, seasonal weather alternates with windy, cooler and wet weather in the south, and snow in the north. October 18 - 24 Fair skies interchange with scattered rain and blustery winds. Mostly mild, but a couple of cooler, wet days. Some snow in the north. October 25 - 31 Blustery winds send temperatures from mild to cool. Fair, but rain in the south on 2 or 3 occasions changes to periodic snow in central regions and the north.

Precipitation Forecast -2 / 11 Edmonton 17.3 mms

-1 / 10 Jasper

BELOW NORMAL

30.9 mms

-1 / 10

30.3 mms

Banff

-1 / 13 Calgary

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

October 25 - 31 Fair, apart from scattered rain in south, and snow in central regions and north on a couple of days. Seasonal to mild. Gusty winds.

Manitoba

15.5 mms

-3 / 12 Red Deer 20.2 mms

0 / 14 Medicine Hat cms Lethbridge 15.519mms 15.9 mms 26 cms1 / 14

-1 / 11 North Battleford

-3 / 10 Prince Albert 21.6 mms

1/8 The Pas

33.2 mms

NEAR NORMAL

13.6 mms

-1 / 11 Saskatoon 16.9 mms

-1 / 11 Yorkton

-1 / 11 Dauphin

1 / 11 -2 / 12 24.5 mms 31.2 mms Gimli 0 / 13 Regina -1 / 12 Moose Jaw 20.3 mms 39.8 mms Swift 18.3 mms 1 / 12 -2 / 12 Current Portage 0 / 11 -1 / 12 Brandon 32.7 mms Winnipeg 17.5 mms Weyburn BELOW 22.2 mms 29.5 mms NORMAL 19.7 mms 0 / 13 Estevan Melita -2 / 13 21.3 mms

28.2 mms

Precipitation Outlook For October Much Above Normal Below Much above normal normal below normal normal

/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Home Quarter Farm Life PRAIRIE PALATE

Thoughts of upcoming election bring thoughts of Dief’s dinners John Diefenbaker was a proud Prairie boy and his mother was an excellent cook Amy Jo Ehman

ince we’re in the midst of a federal election campaign, I’m thinking of John Diefenbaker’s dinner. The Dief was Canada’s 13th prime minister and a proud Prairie boy… especially proud of his mother Mary’s good Prairie cooking. Diefenbaker was born in a small town in Ontario in September 1895. In 1903, when he was seven, his family moved west so his father, William, who had been diagnosed with tubercu-

losis, could take advantage of the healthful Prairie air. William took a teaching position at a one-room school near Fort Carlton, a mounted police depot and former fur trade post midway on the wagon trail between Winnipeg and Edmonton. Their home and school served as a community centre and rest stop where locals, travellers and new homesteaders were welcomed for a friendly conversation and a bite to eat. In his memoir, One Canada (Vol. 1), Diefenbaker recalls North West Mounted Police officers dropping by, humorously noting: “No doubt it was coincidence but they usually arrived at mealtime.” Residents of the local reserve fre-

quently came for tea, and Gabriel Dumont, leader of the Métis uprising of 1885, visited now and then with a gift of game for the stew pot. “He could speak no English but he could shoot, and he gave us some examples of his marksmanship,” writes Diefenbaker who, as a boy, was awed by the stature and stories of the legendary Métis hero. Their daily diet was typical for Prairie settlers at that time. Day to day, they ate rabbits, fish, wildfowl, prairie chickens and domestic chickens. Neighbours brought them Mennonite sausages, cured hams and garden vegetables until the Diefenbakers had a garden of their own. They picked wild mushrooms and berries by the pailful at a time

when the prairie was bountiful in wild fruit. Diefenbaker lists a typical haul at 30 quarts of strawberries, 50 quarts of saskatoons and 100 quarts of raspberries! In 1906, the family moved to a homestead near Borden, Sask., (the province of Saskatchewan having been created the year before) where they kept a milk cow and planted a large garden, particularly potatoes. Mary made excellent butter, which she traded at the general store for groceries such as flour, sugar and prunes. Her harvest meals were exceptional, and it was not unnoticed by young Dief that the harvest crews, usually consisting of 15 to 20 men, slowed their pace of work so

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they could stick around for one more meal. “Mother was a good cook,” he writes. “We always had plenty of wholesome food.” Diefenbaker was so enamoured of his mother’s cooking that he saved her cookbook, Good Housekeeping’s Favourite Recipes and Menus From Our Kitchen to Yours, which is now part of his collection at the University of Saskatchewan Archives in Saskatoon. The cookbook is well used, frayed at the edges and splattered with the memories of cake batter and tomato sauce. Additional recipes clipped from the newspaper are glued to the inside covers, most notably recipes for chocolate cake. Perhaps it was a favourite of young John and his brother Elmer. Mary’s cookbook includes this recipe for baked string beans. The original recipe calls for an unspecified “fat” for which I used butter. I also cut this recipe in half, since I am not feeding a harvest crew or a couple of active Prairie boys. You’ll find more of Mrs. Diefenbaker’s recipes on my food blog, HomeForDinner. blogspot.ca. † Amy Jo Ehman is the author of Prairie Feast: A Writer’s Journey Home for Dinner, and, Out of Old Saskatchewan Kitchens. She hails from Craik, Saskatchewan.

photo: amy jo ehman

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Baked String Beans and Bacon 2 lbs. string beans 6 slices bacon 1-1/2 cups light cream OR thin white sauce (see below) 1-1/4 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 3 tbsp. melted butter 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs To make a thin white sauce: On the stove, melt 2 tbsp. butter in a small pot. Add 2 tbsp. flour and blend well. Pour in 2 cups cold milk. Heat, whisking vigorously until bubbling and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut string beans into one-inch pieces and cook in salted water until tender. Dice bacon and fry until crisp. Drain beans and mix with bacon, thin cream or white sauce, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp. of melted butter. Place in a greased baking dish. Mix bread crumbs with remaining 1 tbsp. of melted butter and sprinkle over beans. Bake at 425 F for 20 minutes, until golden brown. †

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 grainews.ca /

Home Quarter Farm Life

Lowly cabbage deserves recognition Fresh or fermented — it’s packed with nutrition BY EDNA MANNING

abbage may still be regarded as a vegetable of the poor by some, but it’s high time it receives equal respect and recognition with its cruciferous cousins. This humble vegetable is chock full of nutritional benefits. Part of the brassica family, cabbage is a cool-weather crop widely grown around the world. Studies at the Oregon State University indicate that cruciferous vegetables, particularly cabbage, contain protective phytochemicals called glucosinolates that are powerful weapons in the fight against cancer. Sulforphane, for example, will stimulate enzymes to remove carcinogens before they can get a foothold. Red cabbage also contains anthocyanin polyphenols, naturally occurring pigments that give the red, blue and purple fruit their colouring. Anthocyanin contains powerful antioxidants and antiinflammatories. The high vitamin C content and the presence of sulforphane help the body produce detoxification enzymes, as well as remove free radicals and uric acid which are associated with rheumatism, gout, arthritis and skin conditions such as eczema. As a low-calorie, nutrient-dense food, cabbage is low in carbs, and an excellent source of dietary fibre, which helps to slow digestion and thus control hunger. Fibre is also good for preventing constipation, colon cancer, hemorrhoids and obesity, and helps to lower blood cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar levels. Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins C and K. Both are essential in strengthening the immune system, fighting illness, healing wounds and proper functioning of the nervous system. Vitamin K is also necessary for blood clotting and bone formation and repair. The B vitamins in cabbage are important for the health of nerves, skin, eyes, hair, liver and proper brain function. Cabbage also contains: manganese (needed for protein and fat metabolism, the maintenance of healthy nerves, blood sugar regulation and energy production), potassium (important for a healthy nervous system and regular heart rhythm), and iodine (essential in thyroid health). Unpasteurized fermented cabbage has additional health advantages derived from the fermentation process. These probiotic benefits include strengthening of the body’s immune system and regulating intestinal functions. In order to gain the most from its beneficial bacterial organisms, use fresh vegetables and natural sea salt. Making fermented cabbage is a simple process. Here’s how: 1. Grate cabbage and beets into a clean stainless steel or glass bowl. 2. Mix five pounds of these vegetables with three tablespoons of sea salt. For different flavours add caraway seed, ginger or cardamon for example. 3. Press mixture into a stone crock or glass jar until juices come to the surface and cover with a plate.

4. Place a jar of water on the plate to weigh it down and keep the vegetables covered with juices. 5. Cover with a clean tea towel and place in a cool location (70 F or lower) to begin fermenting process. Check daily and remove any discoloured vegetables from around the edges. Bubbles will form as fermenting begins. 6. After a week the fermented vegetables should have a mild, tangy taste. Longer fermentation will produce more tang. Pack into jars and store in refrigerator for up to three months. Can also be frozen — vegetables will retain crispness. If you do freeze, make sure to leave plenty of headspace for expansion. Enjoy! † Edna Manning writes from Saskatoon, Sask.

photos: edna manning

Above: Weigh the plate down to make sure the vegetables stay covered in juices. Right: After a week the fermented vegetables will have a mild tang.

AGRICULTURE IS A CURIOUS BUSINESS. Always watching and thinking, then searching for ways to make our industry more effective. AdFarm is proud to be part of this curious process, helping our clients present the true picture of farming, food and rural life. AdFarm is a Contributing Member of Ag For Life, an initiative which delivers educational programming around rural and farm safety and a means to build a genuine understanding of the impact agriculture has on the lives of all Albertans. To learn more about Ag For Life, go to agricultureforlife.ca

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/ grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Home Quarter Farm Life SINGING GARDENER

Tree stumps? Saltpetre? Skin toner? Read on for all the info Plus, Ted shares reader letter ted meseyton

n this issue of Grainews — I, Ted, have some ideas for dealing with tree stumps. Also, a handwritten note re: naming of horses and a letter re: Italian heirloom tomato, both from Laura Hughes of Edmonton. Recently, I made a batch of facial skin toner and think it’s a pretty darn good formula for helping maintain normal pH (acid/alkaline) balance. The skin is sometimes referred to as the human body’s largest organ. The curtain’s going up, so journey along with me through another merger of words and welcome to the show.

DEALING WITH TREE STUMPS What’s your answer/approach to getting rid of surface tree stumps and tree roots? I’ll share a Canadian gardener’s method that goes back to the 1940s… without the use of equipment such as a front-end loader or backhoe. Frequently a stump becomes a problem after the tree has been cut down or brought down to its knees by damaging winds during a storm. Besides deep roots, some trees also have roots close to soil surface that send up annoying shoots and suckers all over the lawn and beyond. Keep in mind it’ll take longer if you’re dealing with a recently cut down or storm-damaged tree with live roots still in the ground, as opposed to an old tree stump whose roots are already dead.

PROCEDURE Drill 3/4-inch-wide holes and bore down six inches deep on the tree stump surface. Fill those holes nearly to the top with saltpetre

(potassium nitrate) and seal each hole with a wine bottling-type cork or paraffin wax. Don’t be in a rush. It takes time and depends on girth and age of the tree stump. The more holes drilled and filled as noted, hastens decomposition. As a boost, dig down and remove soil from around the outer circumference of the stump to a depth of at least four inches and then peel back or hack off the exposed bark with an axe or hatchet. Be careful and apply due diligence. From another perspective there’s an alternate suggestion that prepared holes can be filled instead with 100 per cent pure Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) and then sealed with cork or wax. How well any of these work before stump disintegration is evident, I cannot say. For an alternate use, Epsom salts is frequently added to bathwater and footbaths to soothe joint pain, ease stiffness and promote relaxation, having tried that many times myself.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SALTPETRE For whatever reason, many pharmacies and drugstores do not appear to stock or carry saltpetre, but it can be ordered in. When I inquired about price, one pharmacist told me 125 grams costs $10.30; yet I can order two kilograms (four pounds plus) for $17. Besides tree stump removal, other major uses of saltpetre are in fertilizers, fireworks, and rocket propellants. Since Middle Ages it’s been used as a food preservative. Apparently, it’s also been added to cigarettes to maintain an even burn of the tobacco. Saltpetre was once thought to induce impotence and was falsely rumoured it may have been added to some institutional food and military fare in places. However, there’s no hard scientific evidence to support such a claim that saltpetre acts as an anaphrodisiac: i.e. tending to cool, quench and suppress libido. The common name of saltpetre is derived from medieval Latin sal petrae: “stone salt” or possibly “Salt of Petra.”

ll summer long we rose growers have been removing spent flowers once past their prime from both shrub and tender rose bush varieties. It’s called “deadheading” and encourages new growth and more rosebuds to form. With the arrival of autumn it’s time to put on the brakes and stop deadheading. This tells roses to start cutting back, settle down and prepare for winter. Roses need enough time to form seeds inside the circular pods called rosehips. When you avoid pruning, you’ll notice the canes become more woody and the thorns sharper as they start going dormant. Cutting back canes now is a no-no, as doing so will encourage new growth which won’t have time to “harden off” properly before winter. Matter of fact, you needn’t prune back canes or groom roses at all until early next spring. Once pruning is curtailed, some roses will still continue to produce occasional blossoms well into late October and even early November. It depends on the nature of the season, region of the country, the variety and vigour of the rose bush itself. Rose canes also do a good job of catching and holding snow.

The chemical compound potassium nitrate is a naturally occurring mineral source of nitrogen. As a fertilizer it has been used to induce flowering of mango trees in the Philippines. Well wouldn’t you know, here’s a plant food recipe you can make at home having made it myself and it follows.

WHEN HOUSEPLANTS SAY NO Do you have a stubborn houseplant that won’t do what’s expected of it? A verbal scolding and some homemade plant food might help. Green-thumbers needn’t put up with any houseplant that fails to grow or bloom. Remember — you’re in charge of the plant, not the other way around. Let me share some suggestions. Yes — people do talk to plants. Place a balking or obstinate houseplant in the kitchen or same room when you prepare your next salad from scratch. A plant with a bad attitude becomes traumatized when fellow greenery goes on the chopping block. A plant quickly reacts to the sight of other less fortunate vegetation that’s minced, chopped or shredded and soon decides to smarten up. Tell a backward plant it shall receive the same fate and be put onto the chopping block too and tossed onto the compost heap if it doesn’t smarten up. Repeat each time you make a salad and watch for an improvement. When all else fails, tell the plant you’ll treat it to dessert with some homemade plant food. Here’s a recipe and it works particularly well with African violets. You might want to experiment using it on outdoor plants too.

PLANT FOOD RECIPE 1 teaspoon baking soda OR baking powder (either one, not both) 1 teaspoon Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) 1 teaspoon saltpetre (potassium nitrate) Dissolve above ingredients into a cupful of warm water then pour it into a clean four-litre milk jug. Fill

jug with water into which you’ve added one teaspoon of non-detergent household ammonia. Shake the mixture before feeding it to either indoor or outside plants and apply monthly. Keep surface soil of plants loose, worked up and pliable. Some houseplants do better when watered from the bottom rather than the top. Six to eight weeks later you should notice a change of growth for the better.

NEXT A NOTE AND LETTER Laura Hughes writes: “Dear Ted, re: the July 21, 2015 Grainews article re: naming horses. Our horses (mares) were named and their young were named with the first letter of its mom. The last one was Cody — and this mare needed a vet. The family of the vet came out (after hours of course). After asking what his two-year-old son’s name was — he said: Coltan. So that became the name. We are at the farm — Vegreville, Alberta — but live in Edmonton. Have dwindled our herd of horses down to two. They are a matching pair “buddy-buddy” so hate to sell them. We sure enjoy your many wonderful hints in your column. Later, Laura followed up with her letter dated August 22, 2015. Dear Ted, I am writing in regards to the package of tomato seeds I won in your February draws. Mine was the Italian heirloom. Thank you very much. I shared a few seeds with friends in case mine would not grow. However, from one plant I got a five-gallon pailful. One was even in the form of three together — four inches wide, four inches deep. A real treasure. Most of them were two to three inches or odd ones four inches wide. Still green as we had a frost warning in Vegreville. I am very pleased and thank you again. Sincerely, Laura H. Hughes.”

FACIAL SKIN TONER Restore pH acid/alkaline balance to the skin and help keep it toned, healthy and resistant to infection. All skin types can benefit from

regular use. It even controls blackheads on oily skin and cancels out flakiness on very dry skin. You’ll notice a cooling sensation too. 1 cup distilled water 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 3 or more whole fresh mint leaves OR one tablespoonful dried mint OR one mint teabag You can experiment by using less vinegar and more or less mint. Place all ingredients in a clean container; give it a stir and let sit for three days. Afterward, strain or filter out all solids and pour prepared liquid into a clean bottle with a tight-fitting lid. To use: Apply to clean skin with a cotton ball, avoiding the eye area as it will sting. Keep remainder in the fridge. Herbal medicine, acupressure and massage are nothing new, tracing their roots back to the earliest days of civilization. They continue to flourish as healing arts to this very day, despite amazing technological advances of modern medicine. Light from one full moon to the next wanes and waxes again and again. Those who garden according to moon cycles are particularly aware of this. The art of healing with plants and its popularity with humans is still gaining; not waning. †

This is Ted Meseyton the Singing Gardener and Grow-It Poet from Portage la Prairie, Man. Who’s the boss when you talk to your plants? The following is yours truly, poking fun at myself. My wife bosses the kids; the kids boss the dog and the cat and I, Ted, can say anything I like to the garden, so I wrote it a letter. Dear Garden: Thank you for being there when nobody else was. I’m a mostly ignored professional in work clothes with green thumbs and calloused hands. My work socks have 18 holes in them and I don’t even golf. Where are the workers? The harvest is plenty but labourers are few. My email address is singinggardener@mts.net.

John Davis shrub rose likes to climb. Canes are easily trained and can reach 2.5 metres (six to eight feet) and beyond. It’s resistant to black spot and powdery mildew; producing endless spectacular flowers with light, spicy fragrance. It’s a tough one for Western Canada and the North, rating Zone 2 hardiness. photo: ted meseyton

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