Grainews by Farm Business Communications

CATTLEMAN'S CORNER

feature

Keeping that water flowing

Detecting your canola dockage

Heather Smith Thomas on keeping winter water in liquid form 31

Leeann Minogue gets a dockage demo from CGC staff 12

Volume 43 · number 01 January 10, 2017 · $4.25 Practical production tips for the prairie farmer www.grainews.ca

By Scott Garvey

The Tribine begins production Harvest technology

photo: mark moore

Will the Tribine’s design become the new standard configuration for combines?

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t sort of looks like a combine. But not like one you’ve ever seen before. The Tribine, which was officially introduced to the public at the U.S. Farm Progress Show in August, is the blending of a rotary combine threshing body with a 1,000-bushel grain cart. The result, said Greg Terjesen, Tribine’s VP of sales and marketing, is a machine that pushes combine technology and productivity into the 21st century. “Really, if you look at the (combine) industry, it hasn’t changed much since the Second World War,” he said as he sat next to the first production model Tribine at the company’s display during the show. The Tribine concept has been around for a while, and the budding manufacturing company behind it has shown a prototype at a major farm show before. It first appeared at the Ag Connect Expo in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2013. Back then, prototype number four, the one on display, was based on a Gleaner combine body modified to work with the rear grain tank. When I spoke with company owner Ben Dillion at that time, he said he hoped to interest one of the major brands in the concept and licence them to produce it. That didn’t happen. So Dillon has chosen to begin commercial production of the Tribine with his own company. But under its skin, the current machine is considerably different than the concept machine that appeared in Kansas City. It incorporates the firm’s own newly developed threshing body design, using one of the largest rotors in the industry. See TRIBiNE on Page 4 

PLU S

Wireworms in garden potatoes, and some controls Ted shares emails plus first full moon for 2017 arrives January 12 36

CONTENTS 3 | COLUMNS 14 | CATTLEMAN’S CORNER 29

S:14”

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wheat & chaff

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Fanning the flames of discussion photo: leeann minogue

CONTENTS

Leeann Minogue

leeann.minougue@fbcpublishing.com

I Planter problem or pests? Terry Moyer looks for a solution to the mysterious case of the missing soybean plants 10

Taking the long view Soil fertility is a long-term prospect, Les Henry says, so we need long-term soil research 21

Truck King challenge

n the last issue of Grainews I shared a photo of burning flax straw in one of our fields — a picture I’d posted on Twitter. I wrote in these pages that, while burning flax straw is an accepted and often necessary agronomic practice in Western Canada, we probably don’t want urban consumers to spend too much time thinking about all that smoke. I apologized for posting the photo on Twitter, where anyone could see it. After that issue hit mailboxes, I had a call from a reader who gave me a bit of a hard time about my apology. “You shouldn’t apologize for that,” he said. “We need people to know we have a problem so we can find a solution.” The man on the other end of the call wasn’t a crank. It was Tim Oleksyn, a farmer/rancher from near Prince Albert who also happens to be a recent inductee into the Saskatchewan Agriculture Hall of Fame, chair of the Western Beef Development Centre, chair of the Canadian Beef Advisors, and past chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council. “Flax consumers understand the value of Omega-3. They want to consume it. So they in turn have to accept the challenge of fixing our problem, which is also their problem. Many recognize and are doing just that, coming up with innovative products like cellphone cases or mats for the oil industry using flax straw co-products. There are blended flax co-products utilized in the manufacturing of vehicles. “The problem solvers go to work, they don’t just chirp from the sidelines. Let’s park those people and get the intelligent, articulate ones to the drawing board.” Flax burning is just one of many problems

In this photo, the fire is almost over, and we’re just left with the lingering smoke.

Tim Oleksyn would put in this category. Plastic grain bags, twine and water drainage are all examples of problems that people outside the ag industry might be able to solve — if they only knew we had issues. Tim has a good point. My photo of flaming flax straw might inspire a young fibre researcher to finally develop a process that will put a dollar value on our excess straw. Maybe a biofuel engineer will happen to see my tweet, and come up with a way to turn flax straw into fuel. One person’s problem is another person’s opportunity; how will we ever make those connections if we hide our “problems” from the rest of the world? But, I’m not going to withdraw my apology right away. I suspect there are more smokeaverse consumers chirping from the sidelines of my Twitter feed than problem-solving scientists. One of my Twitter followers left this comment in response to the picture of my smoldering field: “Oh great… One more excuse for Prime Minister Haircut to insist on a carbon tax.” Grainews and I don’t endorse the wording of this comment, but the commenter, a Saskatchewan farmer, also has a point. When we’re trying to make sure the public knows about all of the great things we do for the environment, let’s not highlight those few things we do that aren’t exactly helping.

Leeann

Automotive journalists compare and rank the latest truck models 23

Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Machinery & Shop . . . . . . . 23 Cattleman’s Corner . . . . . 29 FarmLife. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

photo: brock minogue

Wheat & Chaff. . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 OYF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Crop Advisor’s Casebook.10 GET IN TOUCH

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Happy New Year Welcome to 2017. My family isn’t the type to pose for a lot of group photos, so I wanted to share this one from a family wedding at Cypress Hills in mid-December. (I’m the one in the white toque. My husband is behind me.) As you can see, after a long warm fall, snow settled in by mid-December. It started in the southwest corner of the province, but by the middle of the month we had a good two feet of snow in our yard in southeast Saskatchewan, and we were frantically trying to move snow out of the way so we could get some oats out of the bins and haul them to town. Here’s hoping you haven’t broken all of your New Year’s resolutions yet. — Leeann

cover stories

Grainews.ca / January 10, 2017

Harvest technology 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 www.grainews.ca Publisher Lynda Tityk Editorial director Laura Rance Editor Leeann Minogue Field Editor Lisa Guenther Cattleman’s Corner Editor Lee Hart Farmlife Editor Sue Armstrong Machinery Editor Scott Garvey Production Director Shawna Gibson Designers Steven Cote, Ron White Marketing/Circulation Director Lynda Tityk Circulation Manager Heather Anderson President Glacier Farmmedia Bob Willcox Head Office 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 Phone: (204) 944-5568 Fax: (204) 944-5562 Sales Director Cory Bourdeaud’hui Phone: (204) 954-1414 Fax: (204) 944-5562 Email: cory@fbcpublishing.com

photo: mark moore

National Advertising Sales Kevin Yaworsky Phone: 250-869-5326 Email: kyaworsky@farmmedia.com

During a field demo at the U. S. Farm Progress Show in August, the Tribine proved it can handle the largest available headers.  tribine from Page 1

“Most of our engineers are parttime farmers,” explained Terjesen. “They’ve all worked for one of the other major manufacturers of combines. These guys started with a clean sheet of paper, and almost 18 months to the day, the first machine rolled off the assembly line” Terjesen believes that aside from a gain in harvesting productivity, the Tribine concept also helps improves field conditions. “We were not only looking for more capacity, we were looking for less compaction,” he continued. “One of the reasons the machine is designed the way it is, is to lessen compaction. Here you have a machine that weighs 42,000 pounds, but it only makes two tracks. Add a tractor and grain cart to that and all you’re doing is compacting the soil.”

In the cab

TRIBINE SPECS

Horsepower

590

Fuel tank cap.

1,893 litres

Estimated run time per fuel fill

24 hours

Feed width

66 inches/ 168 cm

Rotor diametre

38 inches/ 97 cm

Rotor vanes

hydraulically adjustable 0 to 27 degrees

Concave wrap

270 degrees

Concave area

3,561 sq. inches/2.30 sq. metres

Separating area

3,561 sq. inches/ 2.30 sq. metres

Cleaning area

13,293 sq. inches/ 8.58 sq. metres

Grain tank

1,000 bushels

Unload rate

8.5 bushels per second

Weight

48,000 pounds/ 21,772 kg

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Subscription Prices: For Canadian farmers, $63 per year or $95 for 2 years (includes GST) or $119 for 3 years (includes GST). Man. residents add 8% PST to above prices. U.S: $43 per year (U.S. Funds). Outside Canada & U.S.: $79 per year. ISSN 0229-8090. Call 1-800-665-0502 for subscriptions. Fax (204) 954-1422 Canadian Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverable copies (covers only) to PO Box 9800, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3K7 U.S. Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverable copies (covers only) to 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 Grainews is printed on recyclable paper with linseed oil-based inks. Published 18 times a year. Subscription inquiries: Call toll free 1-800-665-0502 U.S. subscribers call 1-204-944-5568 or email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com Your next issue! You can expect your next issue in your mailbox about January 24, 2017

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

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

With an articulated body as well as a steerable rear axle, the all-wheel drive Tribine has a very small turning radius.

Printed in Canada by Transcontinental LGM-Coronet Winnipeg, Man.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Tribine Specs

photos: scott garvey

Inside the cab, things look almost as different as they do on the outside. “The other thing we’ve done is eliminated the steering wheel,” he added. “We’ve gone with a single joystick control. The farmer is always looking forward and to the sides, because that’s where the header is. By getting rid of the steering wheel, we could put a glass bottom in the cab, so they can look down and see exactly what’s going on.”

The joystick steering concept has already appeared widely on equipment in the construction sector. “We’ve had that machine out testing with farmers, listening to customers, trying to get their input on what we should do better to leapfrog the competition, which is what is really our goal,” said Terjesen. Initial marketing efforts will be concentrated on the U.S. Midwest around the Kansas manufacturing plant where the Tribine is being built. “Our target production is conservative for next year, because we are going to be selling and servicing the machines directly,” he said. The idea is not to get rich overnight. I would rather grow a steady business and take care of customers.” “We’re going to go into Canada in the fourth quarter of next year (2017). I’ve had a lot of interest from Canadian customers, especially from Western Canada. My biggest concern is I don’t have anybody to service the machine in Canada. But looking at our marketing plan, we will be looking at Canada next year.” So what will a Tribine retail for? Terjesen won’t provide a hard and fast number. “The market price we’re targeting is the average price of a combine and a grain cart,” he said. GN

Advertising Services Co-ordinator Arlene Bomback Phone: (204) 944-5765 Fax: (204) 944-5562 Email: ads@fbcpublishing.com

The cab interior is lacking one common feature: a steering column. Instead it uses a joystick.

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wheat & chaff

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

farm safety

“BeGrainSafe” gets off the ground

See the Canadian Ag Safety Association's new mobile demonstration at a show near you Association (CASA) has developed a grain safety program, “BeGrainSafe.” At the heart of the BeGrainSafe program is a mobile demonstration unit which can function as both a grain entrapment demonstration unit and a rescue-training unit. The mobile unit will serve three purposes: (1) Rescue training. The unit will be used to train first responders in grain extrication procedures. (2) General prevention education. It will be used as a learning tool to sensitize public audiences about the dangers of grain entrapment, and the importance of lockout-tag out procedures. (3) On-site training. Along with this mobile unit, the BeGrainSafe program includes a trade show component. This display will include activities demonstrating the forces holding a person entrapped in grain and information about hazards associated with confined spaces and mechanical hazards.

Of course, awareness of grain entrapment isn’t just important for adults, but also for children and youth. BeGrainSafe will include interactive youth tabletop displays that will engage youth (and their parents!) to impress the importance of understanding the hazards associated with grain. The whole program will be supported by a microsite with an online calendar, information, learning materials and more. The BeGrainSafe program aims to be interesting, educational and easy to understand. CASA will be launching the BeGrainSafe program in January at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon. CASA will be there with a mobile unit and interactive displays. This program will start in the three Prairie provinces and will visit as many major farm shows in this area as possible. Remember, grain entrapments occur when: a person is present on the surface grain, which is being drawn out from beneath them; a

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The best bet for avoiding grain entrapment is avoiding entering places where grain is moving or has the potential to move. For more information about BeGrainSafe, or other farm safety issues, please visit casa-acsa.ca or contact CASA at info@casa-acsa.ca or 877-452-2272.

photo: cASA

rain is the life of most farming operations. Grain volumes, storage capacities and handling rates continue to grow in Canada in response to larger yields and a growing world population that requires grain products. Along with this good news, there is some bad news. The frequency of grain entrapments is growing nationally. In 2015 alone, media reports indicated that there were seven deaths and two injuries connected with grain across Canada. To put that in perspective, there have been 17 deaths over 23 years from 1990 to 2012 attributed to suffocation due to grain. In the United States, extensive infrastructure exists for grain safety training, including training in grain extraction, lockout-tagout procedures, confined spaces, grain dust and more. In Canada, no such program exists for individual producers. In response to the growing need, the Canadian Agricultural Safety

CASA’s mobile unit will be the first in Canada. It is modelled after units already in use in the United States.

person attempts to walk across the surface of grain where a void exists beneath the surface; or a person is in a grain storage facility where grain has solidified onto the walls of

the bin and then the wall of grain collapses onto the individual. GN Canadian Agricultural Saftey Association www.casa-acsa.ca.

agronomy tips… from the field

Testing for seed quality At the grower meetings and events I’ve been to in the last few months, one topic on everyone’s mind is poor seed quality coming out of the challenging 2016 growing season. Last season had excessive moisture, high humidity and heavy disease pressure across most areas. Factor in an extended fall that brought cooler temperatures, and you have a recipe for seed with high seed borne disease, as well as decreased germination and vigour. Getting your seed tested by an accredited lab should already be part of your normal pre-season routine. But what you might not realize is that you can get your seed tested with and without a seed treatment applied. Not only can this help you determine the severity of your seed quality problem and set yield expectations, but it will also help you decide on the most suitable seed treatment. Ultimately, the success of your season largely depends on the seed you put in the ground. Having the best possible idea of how your seed is shaping up will help you determine what other investments you put into that crop going forward. GN This agronomy tip was brought to you by Carolyn Wilson, agronomic service representative with Syngenta Canada.

Bradi Smith sent us this photo, but she was quick to point out that her mom, Patti Mills-Smith, actually took the picture. The interesting thing about this shot is that Patti lives in town. She took this picture from her front window in Elrose, Saskatchewan. That’s urban life on the Prairies. Send your best shot to leeann@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

FEATURES

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Plant disease

Slowing blackleg resistance with rotation Labelling canola seed could help farmers slow the development of genetic resistance

crop DISEASE

By Lisa Guenther

Types of resistance Major gene, or qualitative resistance comes from a single gene, Godfrey Chongo, plant pathologist for Bayer, explains. Major gene resistance only affects specific strains of the disease. “But it’s also very effective from the seedling stage onwards,” says Chongo. That effectiveness is also an Achilles’ heel, as it puts a lot of selection pressure on the pathogen. Minor gene, or quantitative, resistance comes from many genes. Each gene only contributes a little to

Managing blackleg on the farm photos: Canola Council of Canada

s blackleg resurges in Western Canada, canola growers and agronomists have been calling for seed companies to label the blackleg resistance genes on their varieties. Those labels would allow farmers to rotate resistance genes when one resistant variety breaks, the thinking goes. “We’ve been engaged with the industry over the last few years to see if there is a new type of labelling system that we can come up with,” says Clint Jurke, agronomy director for the Canola Council of Canada. Jurke adds it seems like most of the industry is ready to adopt new labels. “It’s just a matter of working out the details of what this new classification system looks like.” But some in the industry have reservations about labelling resistance genes. While it might seem simple to rotate the resistance genes, that might not best serve the industry, says Stewart Brandt, breeding operations manager at Bayer CropScience. Australia has been labelling blackleg-resistance genes, so why not Canada? Brandt points out growing conditions are different between the two countries. “We have a much different growing season. It’s much shorter. We have a very harsh winter. They don’t.” But a lot of it comes down to major and minor gene resistance.

Scout fields before seeding, to see if the canola residue has pseudothecia — tiny black dots that release spores.

the overall resistance. It’s effective against a broad spectrum of strains of the disease. Minor gene resistance doesn’t protect seedlings, but does protect adult plants. Because minor gene resistance comes from so many genes, it’s difficult for plant breeders to work with. But it doesn’t put much selection pressure on the pathogen, says Chongo. “And for that reason it tends to be more durable.” Jurke says about half the canola varieties on the market are believed to have good minor gene resistance, as well as major gene. Australia, on the other hand, has focused on major genes in its blackleg-resistant canola varieties, Brandt says. Brandt worries that labelling major genes will remove the incentive for plant breeders to incorporate minor genes in blackleg-resistant varieties. Because minor genes are more difficult to work with, Brandt says, “it starts to become a question of how much do we resource something that we don’t put on the bag?”

A new labeling system Jurke acknowledges the new labelling system is “likely not going to be perfect.” But it will evolve and improve over time, he says. Right now, it’s a “crap shoot” whether or

not farmers are incorporating a new type of blackleg resistance when they rotate varieties. “It’s not even an educated guess.” Choosing a variety with different resistance genes will be a “much better choice than just picking another variety and hoping that you’ve got a different type of resistance,” says Jurke.

One more tool to manage blackleg The current proposal, Jurke says, is to identify the major resistance genes while retaining the old labelling system. The old labelling system, which comprises ratings such as Resistant and Moderately Resistant, would encompass minor genes, he explains. The long-term plan is to label minor gene resistance as well, Jurke says, but assessing minor gene resistance is complex. “You need to have a screening program that will remove the effect of the major resistance genes, so you’re just left with the quantitative.” Jurke says they’re working with

researchers to come up with a quicker process to assess minor gene resistance, which they’ll make available to all the life science companies. While that process needs improvement “the technology is certainly there to identify the major resistance genes quite easily now.” As for Brandt, he thinks we need to better understand how blackleg overwinters, and why Canada’s infestations haven’t been as severe as in Australia. He points out we don’t know how many different blackleg strains exist in any given field, or how many genes are involved in resistance. But he sees an opportunity in the industry to focus on both major and minor gene resistance. “And I think most breeders try to do this,” says Brandt. “They see that it has definite benefits for performance consistency for their growers and for growers in Western Canada.” As for Jurke, he sees labelling resistance genes as one more tool to manage blackleg. Over the last five years, the disease “has been creeping up,” says Jurke. “And it’d sure be nice if we could knock that back down.” GN Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

Look for cankers at swathing time. Farmers who scout regularly and don’t find blackleg might want to stick with similar canola varieties.

By Lisa Guenther Clint Jurke, agronomy director for the Canola Council of Canada says the industry is “losing millions of dollars in terms of canola yields every year due to blackleg.” The disease is also a trade issue, and we need to improve control as much as possible, he adds. “We really want growers to look at what is the overall blackleg risk in their farming operation,” says Jurke. “Do they have any practices that are higher risk, like tight rotations?” Farmers then need to adopt practices to reduce that risk, he adds. Jurke urges canola growers to scout. “You need to be scouting because that’s the only way you’re going to know whether or not you have a blackleg problem.” The Canola Council of Canada recommends scouting during three different periods: 1. Before seeding, in case canola residue has pseudothecia. Pseudothecia look like tiny black dots, and they release spores. 2. During the three-to-six leaf stage, walk a w-pattern, starting at the field edge. Look for lesions. 3. Swathing is the best time to look for cankers. Walk a W-pattern, pulling at least 50 plants. Clip at the base of the stem and look for blackened tissue in the stem’s crown. Farmers who scout regularly and don’t find blackleg might want to stick to similar varieties in the future, Jurke says. But if they find blackleg, they’ll know that variety’s resistance has fallen down. The resistance breakdown isn’t specific to any one company, Jurke says. “It’s just the nature of the pathogen. The pathogen changes quite quickly to any type of controls we try throwing at it.” The best way to control it is “to keep changing things so the pathogen is always one step behind you,” he adds. Godfrey Chongo, Bayer plant pathologist, says other measures, such as chemical control, can go hand-in-hand with resistant varieties. But one practice in particular tops his disease-management wish-list. “I think the one thing that is probably underemphasized is crop rotation because you want to employ strategies that limit or minimize potential changes within the pathogen population,” says Chongo. “And one of those is to reduce inoculum in the field.” GN

FEATURES

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Crop production

On the farm: the 2016 crop year in review Every year is different on Kevin Elmy’s fall. This year: cover crops, soybeans and rain By Kevin Elmy

he good thing about farming is two years are rarely alike. 2016 started out a bit on the dry side, with close to ideal subsoil moisture. The occasional May shower did not delay seeding much. About 20 per cent of our acres were seeded in the fall of 2015 to Luoma winter triticale, which helped reduce the spring stress level. Fifteen per cent of our land is seeded to alfalfa that we cut for hay, and we have a small field of sainfoin that we are learning how to grow for seed production. We started seeding on May 18, which is fairly normal for us. The first plot we seeded was sweet corn. In 2015, we started up a new brand, Cover Crops Canada. This umbrella group has retailers from LaCrete, Alta., to Winkler, Man. Becoming an authorized importer seemed the logical way to speed up seed imports. We seeded two SeCan soybean varieties this year: Mahony R2 and Barron R2X. Mahony R2 is a medium maturing (003 Relative Maturity) and the Barron R2X is a new Xtend soybean with a rating of 0008 Relative Maturity. A flat tire on our tractor on Saturday night, rain Monday, delayed seeding, but we got the rest of the soybeans in by June 1. Next on the list was to seed our corn plot. On June 10, we got the grazing corn field seeded, along with our corn grazing variety trial. Then the monsoon season started.

We’ve decided to take the year off of winter cereals and will wait for the environment to dry out before getting back into any cereal grain production.

Soybeans Soybeans looked good all summer everywhere I went. There were few issues, minus flooding and hail. From our past experience, spraying fungicide has not been cost effective. Our soybean harvest started at

the normal time. Both varieties matured within a couple of days of each other, so I have rated the Barron R2X to be more like a 002 relative maturity instead of 0008. We have been growing 003 maturity soybeans from Day 1, and have had no issues on maturity. But we have been screening for varieties that are more determinant versus heatrequiring varieties. On cool years, the heat loving varieties require the heat units that they are rated for, where the more determinant types

will mature when night temperatures start to drop, or daylight hours decrease. Overall, soybeans averaged 32 bushels per acre, based on seeded acreage. We did lose some acres to flooding, again. It’s been seven years since we have purchased nitrogen for our farm. On 1,500 acres, we normally buy $5,000 to $7,000 worth of a phosphate potassium blend, which I can see dropping in the near future. Between cover crops and soybeans, our fertilizer requirement is drop-

ping, and our soil tests are maintaining or building. Next year, we will continue growing soybeans, continue with corn grazing and short term alfalfa in our rotation, and continue screening species for cover crop use. Here’s to a “normal” 2017. GN Kevin Elmy operates Friendly Acres Seed Farm, along with his wife, Christina, and parents, Robert and Verene, near Saltcoats, Sask. Contact him at 306-7442779 or visit www.friendlyacres.sk.ca.

Then the monsoon season started Cover crop seeding Cover crop seeding was next on the list. The biggest weed issue on our farm is RoundUp Ready canola. We found light tillage works well to control it. But between rains, the canola just kept germinating, causing us to delay seeding. We finally got seeding on June 28. The first field seeded was a demonstration plot of cover crop species. Then the field scale seeding began. My main blend was red proso millet, Japanese millet, pearl millet, sorghum Sudan, sugar beet, forage collards, crimson clover, safflower, and phacelia that we were planning on using as a greenfeed crop. More showers delayed seeding, until we finally wrapped up on July 9, with 350 acres seeded in 12 days. Winter triticale was ready to harvest first. I’ve learned that chicory will overwinter, the triticale crop needs to be swathed instead of straight cut. Swathing, for the last few years, creates rain. Once started, harvest went relatively smoothly. Test results showed 28 per cent fusarium infection and eight ppm vomitoxin. There goes seed potential.

What we do is in our name. Trust Pioneer® brand canola hybrids with Pioneer Protector® traits to give you the peace of mind you need when growing canola. To find out more, talk to your local Pioneer Hi-Bred sales representative or visit ca.pioneer.com/west/en/

Add Lumiderm® for early-season cutworm control and enhanced protection against striped and crucifer flea beetles.

45H33

81.6

Bushels per acre ! Minburn, AB *

Twitter @PioneerWCanada

*Canola yield from a large-scale, grower managed trial in Alberta as of November 30, 2016. Product responses are variable and subject to any number of environmental, disease and pest pressures. Individual results may vary. Multi-year and multi-location data is a better predictor of future performance. Refer to www.pioneer.com/yield or contact a Pioneer Hi-Bred sales representative for the latest and complete listing of traits and scores for each Pioneer® brand product. As with all crop protection products, read and follow label instructions carefully. Member of CropLife Canada. Genuity® and Roundup Ready® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. Unless indicated, trademarks with ®, ™or sm are trademarks of DuPont, Pioneer or affiliates. © 2017 DuPont and PHII.

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12/20/16 1:28 PM

FEATURES

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

photos: Courtesy of OYF

Outstanding Young Farmers

Canada’s 2016 Outstanding Young Farmers with sponsors, from left, Komie Hossini, Bayer CropScience; Teresa Garside, John Deere; Jennifer and Andrew Lovell, Atlantic Canada; Celia Neault and Dominic Drapeau, Quebec; Arvid Dhar, CIBC; and Luanne Lynn, COYF president.

Eastern farmers honored by OYF Tough decision to select only two winners from a field of outstanding nominees By Lee Hart

wo eastern Canadian farm couples have been named Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (CYOF) for 2016. Andrew and Jennifer Lovell of Keswick Ridge, NB and Dominic Drapeau and Célia Neault of Ste-Françoisede-Lotbinière, Que., were named to receive the national honors at the CYOF annual awards program held in Niagara Falls, Ont. in early December. The two farming couples were selected from a field of seven regional nominees from across the country. While in past award years it has usually worked out that one of the awards went East and one went West, the CYOF policy aims to pick the top two regardless of geographic location. “And it is a very difficult decision too,” says Luanne Lynn, CYOF president who lives near Moose Jaw, Sask. “All the regional nominees are just exceptional farmers, so making that final decision is extremely difficult. “The judges spend much more time with each couple than the public sees. They get to know each couple more closely, and not only learn about their farming operations, but their commitment to family life, their commitment to the community and to commodity organizations and the industry. The judges use a scoring system and this year they said it came down to just a few points separating these regional nominees. They are all exceptional.” Both national award families have dreamed of owning their own

farm since they were young and were not afraid to make changes and embrace technology along the way. Their entrepreneurial spirits and adaptability has made them successful both on and off the farm. “All of this year’s regional honourees have shown us their incredible passion for agriculture,” says Lynn. “It was extremely difficult for the judges to make their decision, but ultimately our winners stood out for their state-of-the art thinking and commitment to the future of Canadian agriculture.” The Lovell’s story is different than most farm couples. Neither of them grew up on a farm. In 2012 they purchased their farm River View Orchards, west of Fredericton, with roots tracing back to 1784, and created a diversified u-pick fruit and vegetable operation. It wasn’t an easy start as they sustained $100,000 in wildlife damage to their crop in 2014, but they persevered and adapted their plans until they were able to begin full production again. By offering fence and trellis construction services and building attractions that brought more than 1,400 visitors to their farm they were able to carry on with the farm they have always dreamed of. Drapeau and Neault are third-generation dairy and field crop southern Quebec farmers who are not afraid to make changes and embrace technology. Raised in a farming family, Dominic got involved in the family business at a young age. When he was 16, he was performing artificial insemination on cows and developed his

management skills by taking over the herd and feeding responsibilities. In the barn they use genomic testing on young animals, motion detectors for reproduction, a smart scale on the mixer-feeder and temperature probes close to calving. In the fields, the farm uses a satellite navigation system for levelling, draining, seeding, fertilizing and spraying. With these innovations over the last four years, they have enabled the farm to increase overall yields by five to 10 per cent each year. Celebrating 36 years, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program is an annual competition to recognize farmers that exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture. Open to participants 18 to 39 years of age, making the majority of income from on-farm sources, participants are selected from seven regions across Canada, with two national winners chosen each year. The program is sponsored nationally by CIBC, John Deere, Bayer, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Growing Forward 2, a federal, provincial, territorial initiative. The national media sponsor is Annex Business Media, and the program is supported nationally by AdFarm, BDO and Farm Management Canada. Nominations are now open for the 2017 regional competition. Details are available at: www.oyfcanada. com. GN Lee Hart is a field editor with Grainews based in Calgary. Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

Andrew and Jennifer Lovell of Keswick Ridge, N.B. are Outstanding Young Farmers.

Dominic Drapeau and Célia Neault of Ste-Françoise-de-Lotbinière, Que., are Outstanding Young Farmers.

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Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Canola 100

Canola 100 Challenge still waiting for a winner The top yield was 81.4 bushels per acre in 2016. Will we have a winner next year? leave the Agri-Trend conference empty handed. There was no fieldscale equipment, but John Deere did award “the leader” a complete line of John Deere toy machinery. For more details and registration information on the Canola 100 challenge contest visit www.agriprize. com. GN Lee Hart is a field editor with Grainews based in Calgary. Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

photo: Courtesy Mike Nelson

have a fall or pre-seeding soil test analysis completed, making it easier to determine the amount of nutrients actually needed/used by the crop to produce whatever yield it produces. He also plans to have Premium Weather service available for each grower location providing an accurate report on the actual growing conditions during the growing season. While Mike Nelson didn’t win the grand prize with an 81.43 bushel yield — not yet anyway — he didn’t

Mike Nelson of Westaskiwin, Alta., had the highest canola yield among contest participants, but the challenge continues to hit the 100 bushel target.

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ortunately there’s next year. While there was no 100 bushel canola yield winner in the firstever 2016 Canola 100 challenge, organizers say that isn’t necessarily all bad, as the interest, excitement and momentum will carry on in 2017. None of the 21 western Canadian farmer finalists who registered for the high yield contest produced a 50-acre plot of canola that yielded a verified minimum 100 bushels, per acre. There is a leader in the contest, however. Mike Nelson (coincidentally featured in the December 6 issue of Grainews) produced the highest yield in the 2016 contest, with a verified yield of 81.43 bushels per acre on his farm near Wetaskiwin, Alta. If no one beats that yield over the next two growing seasons, Nelson could be named the grand prize winner — winning the use of 100 hours of field time for a whole fleet of John Deere equipment. Nelson was one of about 80 farmers from across Canada who registered for the Canola 100 challenge — a national contest sponsored by Agri-Trend Agrology, John Deere Canada and Glacier Farm Media. The contest threw down the challenge to Canadian farmers to produce a plot of canola with a verified yield of at least 100 bushels per acre. The first farmer to hit that target (or come closest) over the three-year term wins. Of the 80 farmers registered for the contest, 21 saw the contest through to the harvest verification stage. Farmers needed to harvest a 50-acre block of canola yields verified by third-party auditors. “In some respects I am delighted there was no winner in 2016,” says Rob Saik of Agri-Trend Agrology, who announced the results at the company’s annual Farm Forum Conference in Calgary, in early December. “The contest would have been over too soon. It is creating interest, it is creating a lot of discussion, producers are challenging themselves — it is a friendly and fun competition. I am pleased it is going to continue.” Saik, who met with all contest participants at the December conference, emphasized that this is a learning experience for all growers. The idea is to share experience and knowledge. “Hopefully the contest is fun, with a great prize, but it should also be a learning experience that hopefully can be a benefit to all producers,” says Saik. “The Canola Council of Canada has set a goal to increase the average of Canadian canola yields to 52 bushels per acre by 2025. All of those participating in the challenge in 2016 produced yields way north of that 52 bushel figure. That 52 bushel average isn't unreasonable. We may not see a 100 bushel average, but hitting that 100 bushel mark is very doable.” While there are reports of a few producers in Western Canada who

have hit 100 bushel yields, Saik says “it is too bad they weren’t part of this contest.” Next year, Saik says, he hopes more farmers across Canada will sign up and see the contest through to the final weigh in. “It would be good to have farmers from across all of certainly Western Canada and all of Canada participating in the contest,” he says. He says a couple of tweaks for the 2017 contest year include encouraging all contest participants to

CHEM

By Lee Hart

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CALCULATE YOUR REWARDS TODAY Your rewards accumulate with your qualifying-product purchases. The more you buy, the bigger your reward cheque. Additional terms and conditions apply. For full program details, a list of qualifying products, and to calculate your potential rewards, visit RealFarmRewards.ca *Monsanto will not issue a cheque for amounts less than $100. **Payout to a maximum of 2x of Genuity® Roundup Ready® canola acres purchased. 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. These products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from these products 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 these products. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Agricultural herbicides containing glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Compatibility tests are conducted with registered seed treatments to ensure the viability of our inoculants is not compromised by pesticides and other seed treatments. Cell-Tech™, Genuity®, Optimize®, Real Farm Rewards™, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup Xtend™, Roundup® and TagTeam® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. BlackHawk®, Conquer® and GoldWing® are registered trademarks of Nufarm Agriculture Inc. Valtera™ is a trademark of Valent U.S.A. Corporation. ©2016 Monsanto Canada Inc.

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Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

crop advisor’s casebook

Planter problems or pesky pests? By Terry Moyer

T Mark’s problem area was located in the north 30 acres of an 80-acre field. In the affected area, only one plant was present per 15 feet of row on average. Neighbouring corn and canola fields were healthy.

The plants that were still standing were healthy and unaffected by stress or weed competition.

hree weeks after planting, I was called out to Mark’s 1,500-acre farm, located south east of Winnipeg, Man., where he grows soybeans, canola and spring and winter wheat. Mark wanted to know why an area of his soybean plant stand was so thin. The thin plant stand was located in the north 30 acres of an 80-acre field. In the affected area, only one plant was present per 15 feet of row on average. All other plants were missing. The few plants that were still standing were healthy and unaffected by stress or weed competition. Also, affected soybean rows stood beside unaffected rows. In addition, the plants located in the remainder of the field had emerged evenly and were healthy. Neighbouring canola and corn fields were also healthy and showed no signs of disease or pest pressure. Mark had three possible theories as to what could be causing the problem. Since the 30 acres in question were located in a lowlying area, Mark thought a poor seed bed could be to blame. It was possible the low-lying area was susceptible to excess soil moisture, creating issues such as compaction and limited root growth due to lower oxygen levels and increased phytophthora root rot infection. He also reasoned above-ground insect feeding could be responsible for the damage in this section of the field. However, his strongest suspicion was the poor plant stand was

caused by planter misses, and it did look a lot like the planter didn’t do its job. Mark looked dejected. “I guess it’s time for a new planter,” he said. Mark’s planting records did not shed any light on the issue. As far as I could see, the correct amount of seed was used, and the planter was in good shape with no seed depth or vacuum delivery issues. In addition, damage from phytophthora root rot was improbable because Mark had used fungicidetreated seed, and the plants left standing in rows did not show symptoms for the disease. There was also no evidence of above-ground insect feeding, however, I had a theory of my own. “Let’s wait a few hours and then check for insects,” I said. “I’m pretty sure something is eating your crop before it even gets out of the ground.” What pest is taking out Mark’s soybean plants? If you think you know, send your diagnosis to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, Man., R3C 3K7; email leeann@fbcpublishing.com or fax 204-94495416 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 reasoning that solved the mystery, will appear in the next Crop Advisor’s Solution File. GN Terry Moyer is a regional sales agronomist for Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Landmark, Manitoba.

“ I’m pretty sure something is eating your crop before it even gets out of the ground.”

Casebook winner This issue’s Casebook winner is Vern Shaab, a farmer from south of Unity, Sask. We’re sending Vern a free one-year subscription and a Grainews hat. You could be a winner too. If you know the answer to this issue of Casebook, email Leeann@ fbcpublishing.com.

Crop advisor’s solution

Adding blackleg to grey stem problems in canola By Spencer McArthur When I visited his farm near Watson, Sask., in September, Mark was swathing his canola crop. He was concerned about some lesions developing on his ripening canola plant stems. He thought his fungicide had not stopped sclerotinia from infecting and spreading in his field. Upon examination, I found minimal sclerotinia infection, which often appears as white, watery lesions on canola stems, and only a few plants had ripened prematurely due to the infection. The fungicide’s performance was not the issue. Mark pointed me to another area

of the field where more plants were injured with stem lesions, however, these greyish- to purple-coloured speckled areas were distinctly different from sclerotinia lesions. Mark usually planted canola every three years, however, at times, he had planted canola every second year. It was possible that these lesions were caused by blackleg. After clipping a selection of canola plants near the base of the stems, I could see some had blackening of the stem tissue characteristic of blackleg infection, but the majority of the plants were healthy, with white stem tissue. In addition, these speckled stem lesions did not contain the pepperlike spores called pycnidia, and the

lesions were located higher up the canola stems than would be expected of a blackleg infection. Although blackleg was present in the field, it was not causing the speckled lesions we were addressing. I noticed the greyish to purple speckles were more common on ripened plants, especially where sclerotinia or blackleg had killed the plants prematurely. Mark had also mentioned the speckling had worsened as the plants matured and ripened, but these lesions didn’t appear to affect pod filling or the maturity process. Laboratory test results confirmed Pseudocercosporella capsellae (grey stem) was causing the lesions.

This fungus causes white leaf spot on canola leaves during the rosette stage and greyish discolouration of the stem until maturity. Symptoms usually intensify as the plants mature and become pronounced on canola stubble after harvest. However, grey stem rarely causes economic losses in canola in Western Canada because infection usually develops too late in the growing season to significantly affect yield. Management practices are seldom tailored to reduce the occurrence of this disease. While crop rotation, cruciferous weed control, and establishment of a healthy, vigorous crop can help reduce the occurrence of grey stem,

I recommended Mark focus on blackleg prevention in canola, which he noticed has become more prevalent in his fields. Because blackleg can affect future canola crops significantly, we agreed to implement management strategies to reduce blackleg across his farm. In this instance, Mark’s canola yield was not affected by grey stem, however, the occurrence of grey stem, blackleg and sclerotinia in the field together convinced Mark to avoid a two-year canola rotation in the future. GN Spencer McArthur is a sales agronomist for Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Humboldt, Sask.

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Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

GROUP

Grain marketing

Detecting the dockage in canola The CGC’s Judy Elias demonstrates the 4 steps to determining dockage

SEED EVERYTHING

AND THE KITCHEN SINK.

By Leeann Minogue

ockage matters. If you’ve sold your canola for $10 a bushel and you’re hauling in loads of 5,000 bushels, every one per cent increase in dockage takes $500 right off your cheque. If you’re hauling all day, it won’t take long for the losses to add up. The standards for determining dockage are set by the Canadian Grain Commission. The CGC has trained staff in 10 service centers across the country. One of these service centers is in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. The operations supervisor at the Weyburn office, Judy Elias, demonstrated all four steps of the process for determining dockage in canola and explained what farmers need to know. Step 1: Round-hole sieve

Graders need a sample of 1,000 grams of canola to calculate dockage.

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The first step in the process is putting your 1,000 gram canola sample over a sieve with round holes. The grader can choose one of five different sieves — each with differentsized holes. With the right size sieve, your canola should fall through the holes while the dockage stays on top. “We’re trying to give the best possible grade with the least amount of dockage,” Elias said. “We’re trying not to take whole seed out of the sample.” On average, Elias said, graders use the sieve in the middle of the allowed range. Experienced graders can usually tell which sieve to use just by looking at your sample. “On average, with the canola that we grow out here, we usually use a 6.5 to a 7.0 round hole. A 7.0 round hole is for great big fat canola,” Elias said. The non-canola material (dockage) that stays on top of the sieve is pulled out and kept separate from the “clean sample” that is used in Step 2.

choose one of five sieve sizes, ranging from 0.028 to 0.040. At this step, the grader’s goal is to “take out small weed seeds, but not so much broken and whole canola,” Elias said. The grader should start with the smallest possible sieve. “We’re supposed to shake it 30 times back and forth,” Elias said as she demonstrated. After Elias shook out the sieve, small bits of straw, broken canola and shells were left behind. This material is considered dockage, and added to the material removed in Step 1. The clean canola that stayed on the slots is used for Step 3. Using the wrong size sieve for this step can make a big different at this point. “Some use 0.035, some use 0.038,” Elias said. To prove the point, Elias put the same, already clean, sample over a larger-sized sieve — a size larger than truly necessary. This time some small canola seeds came out through the sieve. “This is dockage material that the farmer should be paid for,” Elias said. In this example, the amount of dockage that was wrongly removed was about the same weight as the dockage that should actually have been removed. Using the wrong sieve roughly doubled the amount of dockage removed in this step. Does this sometimes happen to farmers? “All the time,” Elias said. It’s not technically wrong; they are allowed to use a bigger sieve. However, you can keep an eye out for problems. “It is your right as a producer to watch,” Elias said. While you can’t insist that the grader use a different sieve, she said, “you can say, ‘I don’t agree with how you’re doing my dockage, and I want you to send that to the Grain Commission’.” Farmers can ask to have their canola sold “Subject to Inspector’s Grade and Dockage.” The CGC will determine the dockage, and the CGC’s ruling will be binding on both parties. Step 3: Aspiration

Step 2: Slotted sieve

Using this Carter Dockage Machine is Step 3 in determining dockage.

In Step 2, the grader sifts the canola over a slotted sieve. Fines or small seeds should fall through the slot; canola will stay on top.

In this step, graders take out the “fines,” or any fine dockage material left in the sample. This is done with a second sieve — this time a sieve with slot-shaped holes. Graders can 16FMC082_Aim Grainews 1/3 page vertical (3.85”Wx14”H)

At Step 3, the grader puts the clean sample left after Step 2 through a “Carter Dockage Machine.” This machine blows air over the sample to remove remaining dockage. The machine in the Weyburn office happens to look like a relic from the 1960s, but Elias assured me it still meets specifications. Graders set these machines differently for each crop type, according to the set-

tings laid out in the CGC grain grading guide. With the sample Elias was using, the machine only removed a small amount of dockage. This material is combined with the other dockage removed through the first 2 steps. Step 4: Hand pick

In Step 4, the grader hand picks any remaining weed seeds out of the sample.

This step is just what the title says: a “hand pick” of the clean canola that’s “What we’re looking for in here is weed seeds,” Elias said. The guide says that, at this point in the process, only one per cent of the material can be removed by hand picking for the canola to remain a No. 1 grade. If there’s more than that, one of the first two steps may have been done incorrectly. “This is the part that an elevator will leave out,” Elias said. To save time, sometimes elevator graders will use a larger slotted sieve, and assume that this is equivalent to a hand pick. With Elias’s sample, if the grader had used the larger sieve and skipped this step, the farmer would have been assessed more dockage than necessary. “The hand pick is so minute that they shouldn’t have used the larger sieve,” Elias explained. There wasn’t much left to pick out at this point, but, as she had showed me back at Step 2, using a larger sieve would have removed quite a bit of material.

The final sample After Step 4, all of the dockage was removed, and “everything that’s left in this sample is canola.” Elias weighed up all of the dockage she’d taken out during the four steps. (But not before she laid it out nicely in four piles showing the outcome of each of the four steps so I could take a picture.) In total, from the dockage she removed this 1,000 gram sample weighed 160 grams, which meant the dockage for the sample was 1.6 per cent. Elias labeled the sample, put the clean canola into a container, then put all of the dockage into a small plastic bag to store along with the sample. Knowing your grade is key. The CGC will grade your grain for free if you take part in the Harvest Sample Program. Unfortunately, the deadline to send harvest samples was November 1. If you didn’t take part in the Harvest Sample Program, you can still get a CGC assessment of grade and dockage for $49.28. GN Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

FEATURES

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

13 GROUP

photos: Leeann Minogue

PRE -EMERGENT

To calculate dockage, everything removed during each of the four steps was combined and weighed.

market tip

Your sample may not be considered “commercially clean” Leeann Minogue If your sample meets all three of the requirements in this chart developed by the Canadian Grain Commission, it is “commercially clean.” To be commercially clean, the total dockage must be 2.5 per cent or less. However, if the total weight of “non-canola material,” such as wheat, barley, or other large seed, in your sample is more than 0.5 per cent of the total sample weight, your canola must be cleaned. Or, if the total weight of roughage material is more than 0.3 per cent of the weight of your sample, your canola must be cleaned. When I looked at a canola sample with Judy Elias, operations supervi-

JOIN THE

MATERIAL OTHER THAN CANOLA Remaining on top of the round-hole sieve

Total net dockage (%)

Grade:

Roughage material such as wild oats, seed pods, knuckles

Total

No. 1 Canada

0.3

0.5

2.5

No. 2 Canada

0.3

0.5

2.5

No. 2 Canada

0.3

0.5

2.5

sor at the CGC’s Weyburn service office, we found a total of 0.4 per cent “material other than canola.” This met the standard requiring 0.5 per cent or less of the total sample weight to be material other than canola. However, to be considered “commercially clean,” your sample must meet all three

UNDERGROUND

REVOLUTION

requirements. “As soon as it goes over one of them, it’s no longer considered commercially clean,” Elias said. The roughage material in this sample made up more than 0.3 per cent of the total sample weight; the sample would require cleaning before export.

market tip

Make sure you know if your canola sample is green or heated Leeann Minogue

THRESHOLDS FOR GREEN AND HEATED SEED Grade name

Some farmers struggling with a late harvest are bringing in canola at higher than ideal moisture levels. With moist grain in the bin, heated canola is a risk. When you take your canola in for grading, keep in mind that sometimes, heated canola seed can look very similar to green seed. This makes a difference. As you can see in the table, the grade threshold for heated canola is much tighter than the threshold for green seed. If the green seed in your canola is mistaken for heated seed your sample could be downgraded unnecessarily. Here’s how it can happen: To test for green seed, a grader will use a 500-seed stick. Judy Elias, operations supervisor at the CGC’s Weyburn service office, put 500 canola seeds into the holes in the stick, then transferred them to a piece of masking tape. (Graders should do this test twice, for a total sample of 1,000 seeds.) With the seeds on the tape, Elias ran a roller over the tape to crush the seeds. The CGC’s colour chart (it looks like

To really see if a crushed seed is black or green, you need to look at it through a magnifying lens.

Damage Distinctly green %

Heated %

Total %

2.5

No. 1 Canada

0.1

2.5

No. 2 Canada

0.5

2.5

No. 3 Canada

2.5

a paint sample) determines “acceptable” shades of green. If too many of the seeds on the tape fall into the category of “distinctly green” (dark green), the canola will be downgraded. One of the seeds in the sample Elias was working with looked black on the tape. However, when we looked at it through a 10-power microscope, it was clear that the crushed seed was actually green. “Do you see how that looks green, now that you know that it’s green?” Elias asked me. She was right. Late harvested canola has the green locked in, “because it’s been frozen out in the field,” Elias says. And it will be really dark green, to the point

where it may look black on a quick inspection. The problem is that heated seeds are also dark coloured. If you have a sample where some seed is green and some seed is heated, Elias says, “then you’re looking through the 10-power a lot,” to determine which seeds are green and which seeds are actually brown or black. A grader who doesn’t take time to look carefully may determine that a sample that looks black is heated, rather than green. “You’re allowed 2.0 per cent ‘distinctly green’ in a No. 1, but you’re only allowed 0.1 per cent of heated,” Elias says. The grading tolerance for heated canola is much higher than the threshold for green seed.

Using the sample stick, 500 canola seeds are transferred to a piece of tape, then crushed with a roller. Graders use CGC colour samples to decide if seeds classify as green or heated.

These samples of heated canola seeds look significantly different from the green seeds in the sample. However, it is hard to tell the difference in the crushed seed without looking through a magnifying lens.

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columns

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Reporter’s notebook

Tips for safely managing ag reporters Some tips on how to talk to reporters, and why you might want to in the first place Reading the story

By Lisa Guenther

ast spring I wrote a column designed to scare all of you from ever talking to a reporter. If you’ve run into a pack of farm reporters at a field day, you’ll know why I felt compelled to warn you. (Just kidding, we’re okay). I thought I’d start the New Year with a couple more tips, and also a reason for talking to us, so my colleagues don’t stop talking to me.

more eloquent. This is an ethical problem as well, as anything within quotation marks should reflect what the source actually said. Plus, editing quotes usually drains the life right out of them. All that being said, some publications do let sources read the story. In fact, some publications require that sources read the story, to check for accuracy. Personally, I will usually let people read the interview notes, if they ask, as long as they only fact check

Many journalists will never let a source review a story before it goes to print. There are a couple of good reasons for this. One is tight deadlines. The other reason is ethical. Letting a source read a story before it’s published could open the door to censorship. How would you feel as a reader, knowing sources had edited a controversial story before it was published? More common is a source who wants his or her quotes to sound

rather than edit quotes or start back-tracking on things they said. My advice, if you’re concerned, is to ask at the beginning of the interview. And I hope you wouldn’t turn down an interview based on this. Most of us are pretty conscientious.

Public speaking If you’re speaking at a farm show, you should assume media are there, and that they may quote anything you say for a story later on. Besides, even if there aren’t any journalists

in the crowd, there’s a good chance people are tweeting about your presentation. Alberta Farmer reporter Jen Blair and I were talking about this with Alberta rancher Patrick Kunz, on Twitter. The gist of the conversation was that as farm media, we’re not really out to hurt anyone or make them look like goofs. But it is our job to quote you if what you’ve said is of interest to our readers. So when you’re speaking, think about what you want to add to the public discourse and how you want to be seen.

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Doing an interview is unlikely to add to your farm’s bottom line. But I think there’s a benefit to getting your perspective on the record for certain issues, events, or experiences. On November 29, Turtleford’s last grain elevator caught fire. Fortunately no one was hurt and volunteer firefighters kept the blaze from spreading. It was a historic event for our community, as we lost the last historical tie to the grain and railway infrastructure that we once had. Many people posted photos and video to social media as the old Sask Wheat Pool elevator burned. It wasn’t long before the media got hold of it. By the next day, several media organizations had reposted photos and video from the fire. But there wasn’t much context, and at least one media organization got the facts wrong. I can understand how this happened. The fire was visually stunning, and Turtleford is a long way from any major centres. Reporters from Saskatoon and Regina are unlikely to make the drive, especially given the ongoing budget cuts at so many companies. Besides, most reporters likely didn’t know who owned the elevator and likely didn’t have the contacts within the community to find out. But the elevator fire wasn’t just a symbolic loss for the community. It was a very real loss for the McDonald family. I can’t imagine how they must have felt, watching their grain, elevator, and a semi-trailer burn after such a rough harvest. I felt it was important for our community to get that story on record, and Blair McDonald was kind enough to talk to me. I rarely have trouble finding farmers willing to talk, even though there’s usually no tangible benefit to them personally. I think this speaks to the good relationship between the farm media and the agricultural community. I’m grateful to work in a media industry with so many colleagues I respect. But we couldn’t write these stories without sources. So thank you to all the farmers who’ve talked to me over the years about everything from root rot to railways. GN Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

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Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Can’t take the farm from the boy

Concern about public concerns Farmers don’t generally trust urban views. This won’t help us move forward Toban Dyck

tobandyck@gmail.com

We need to be able to defend what we do and why we do it

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wo weeks and one day ago, I was elected president of the Stanley Agricultural Society. The nomination shocked me. The election results also shocked me. It was my first time being the subject of a vote. I sat there, looking around at Society members cast their ballots. My leg was jumping. My heart was pounding. I was sweating. I already knew I’d take the loss hard. It would affect me for days, despite the cognitive prep work I was doing while the scrutineers were counting the small pieces of folded-up paper. More than 50 per cent of the voters wanted me in, apparently. It’s an honour and it will be a challenge. The Society is in the throes of something I shouldn’t divulge here. But it’s something that will take clear communication to move past. I remember my first Grainews column as if I wrote it yesterday. And I still tell people, “Yeah, my wife and I recently moved back to the farm.” This is not true anymore. We moved in 2012. I’m starting to catch and correct myself now. To be honest, it changes things. Since I’ve been here, I have been astounded at the need in the agriculture sector for clear communication and clear communicators. It’s the missing element in many squabbles. And clear communication is what animates and steers hot-button agricultural issues that fall into the public trust and social license camps. There’s a general distrust among producers about the public’s perception of agriculture and what it means to operate a farm. We think we know better. And we think that bridging this gap requires us to educate the city folk on things like GMOs, pesticide usage, and livestock handling procedures. The tendency is to be blunt, almost impatient with their lack of understanding. We tolerate their ignorance. Our agricultural practices change when trusted ag-news sources publish articles by specialists and agronomists informing us of a better way. We can’t think about social license this way. If we do, we’ll find ourselves butting up against an unpredictable amount of regulatory roadblocks at some point down the line. The notion that the public has a say in how we farm is on one level preposterous. But on another, not at all. It’s a very outward, public-facing vocation, farming is. When I spray, everyone who drives be will see me. If I leave the booms on while driving through a drainage ditch, people see that, too.

The world is small. And we’re all connected. We can’t participate in questionable practices on one hand, then assume all the public needs is a good old fashioned lecture on how farms need to make money to stay alive and this practice is a way of ensuring that. It’s weak, and it casts an unnecessarily dark shadow on what we do. It’s not a concession to pause and think about what is causing cities across the country to implement pesticide bans. When my wife and I moved into the farmhouse a few months ago, I discovered a stack of old The Farm Quarterly magazines from the 60s. The feature article in one of them talked about pesticides as a doubleedged sword. It provided stats on the proliferation of synthetic chemicals since the late 30s early 40s. The numbers were staggering and brought you, as a reader, into the story.

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The article was interesting. (total of three winners) to donate Despite its DDT focus, it could have been written today. $20,000 each to the charity of their Has the science behind agricultural chemicals been allowed to choice. Enter next growing season grow and change without the with some very good karma. appropriate checks and balances? If you’re reading this as me being anti-pesticide, you’re missing the To enter, visit point. The point is we need to think cropscience.bayer.ca/PayItForward harder about such things. We need to question what we do and allow others to do the same. We need to be critical about where research comes from and which companies are funding it. We need to be able to defend what we do and why we do it. And, yes, we need to listen to the public on agricultural issues. We don’t have to agree. We don’t have respond. But we should take a few minutes to dig beneath the surface and attempt to get at what exactly is @Bayer4CropsCA cropscience.bayer.ca 1 888-283-6847 fueling the comment or question or Always read and follow label directions. InVigor® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada. criticism. We’ll be better farmers if we do, and, while there will always be a gap between what we as farmers concern ourselves with and what someone living in downtown Toronto concerns themselves with, we’re all rational people. I enjoy it when people listen to me, and I’ve Visit grainews.ca been wrong many BCS10613911_PayItForward_106.indd times. GN to sign up for free enews. None Toban Dyck is a freelance writer and a new farmer on an old farm. Follow him on Twitter @tobandyck. Bayer Crop Science None

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Dinno Espiritu Alex.VanDerBreggen Noel.Blix -Heather MacLeod Grainnews

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Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Off-farm income

Learning to invest for a lifetime

The ability to manage your own financial affairs is becoming more important Andy Sirski

hen Russia and a few other oil producers said they would cut or at least hold production levels, the price of oil went up taking oil shares with it. These producers have not respected such promises in the past so very few believe they will this time. You can do several things as a result. First, you can make sure you own good stocks. Most stocks are cheap by historic prices so you have to be careful. I don’t own shares yet, but Vermillion (VET. TO) is one of the few oil companies that has not cut its dividend. A good part of its oil production is in Europe, and the company sells that European oil at a much higher price than it sells Canadian oil. Vermillion has monthly calls. The shares were over $70 at the high,

I know how we teach in agriculture. Two issues ago there was an article in Grainews about fellow columnist Les Henry, who has been a very prolific soil science “teacher.” I know he taught by talking, and with written material. And I’m sure he worked test trials into his lessons as well. I know we did when I worked on extension in my other life. I also reviewed how I teach in my newsletter StocksTalk and here in Grainews. I don’t tell anyone what to invest in. I just explain what I do, and usually why. I also take a lot of time to explain my thinking in print. That brings you the “doing, the listening and the reading.” A guy on a TV program the other day said there are two important parts to a happy and successful life. Knowing how to have a successful relationship and knowing how to invest. Sadly, he wondered if enough of both are being taught.

then dropped to about $40 at the low and now trade around $55. I do own Birchcliff Resources (BIR.TO), which is a low cost natural gas producer and apparently can pull natural gas out of the ground for a low, low price.

How do you learn? I’m involved in the education of o u r g ra n d d a u g h te rs, m o s t ly because I’m very interested in the process of learning, especially now after I’ve had my strokes. I’ve heard that children the age of my granddaughters will have interesting careers — 65 per cent of the jobs they could work at are not even invented yet. I asked my daughter, their mother, how we as parents and grandparents can prepare these kids for the working world. She replied that these kids will have to learn how to learn. So I asked my 10-year old granddaughter how she learns — by doing, by reading or by listening. She thought for a few moments and said, “all three.”

Wage contract negotiations for auto workers and postal workers are including a lot of chatter on pensions. Employers want to get out of defined benefit pension plans (where employees will receive a set payment in their retirement) and replace them with defined contribution plans (where retirees only receive their original contribution and the returns from investment, even if this amount is smaller than expected.) Children the age of my grandchildren will face that issue when they start working. I hope their parents and grandparents are learning this stuff so they can set good examples.

That part of the cycle now seems to be over and a new cycle is starting — interest rates (yields) will go up and the market price of bonds will drop.

Kids will have to learn how to learn

Bonds and fixed income assets

This will not happen in a straight line, but odds are very good that this new cycle will last for years. The interest rates will not likely reach those historic highs any time soon. In fact we might see 50- or 100-year bonds, which will be about as close to perpetual debt as we can get. That’s how I think governments will handle their big debts. GN

A long time ago interest rates peaked at 12, 15, 17, or 23 per cent, depending who you were talking to. Since then rates have been on a many-year slide. The value of bonds kept going up and yields kept coming down.

Andy Sirski manages his investments, runs a small income tax business and publishes an electronic newsletter. Read StocksTalk free for a month by emailing sirski@mts.net.

Tip of the issue

Fungicides in canola and soybeans Kirsten Ratzlaff

any hybrids and varieties are developed to be resistant to potentially damaging insects and diseases, but this isn’t always possible. Fungicides and insecticides are important tools that pick up where genetics end, protecting crops against disease and pests when plants are not resistant. Several diseases can affect canola, with the most widespread being sclerotinia white mould. In soybeans, the main foliar diseases

of concern in Western Canada are sclerotinia white mould and septoria brown spot. Fungicide applications can provide protection from these diseases to preserve yield and quality.

protective, post-infection, and/or eradicative protection, and its residual activity; and, • How the product fits into your overall spraying program, required water volume and application rates. When deciding to use a fungicide, evaluate the risk of disease and the value of the crop. Disease risk depends on weather conditions and timing of weather events (for example high humidity in the crop canopy during flowering), crop rotation, variety

When choosing a fungicide, know: • What diseases the product controls; • Its performance on targeted diseases; • The type of fungicide and its properties, such as: its movement and coverage abilities, whether it provides

or hybrid selection, and history of disease occurrence on a field under question. Understanding these factors will help you determine whether a fungicide is needed, and how much to invest in your fungicide program (multiple applications may be needed). Fungicides can be very effective when applied correctly and efficiently. It is important to apply the fungicide at the correct timing and rate. Obtaining full coverage is also important, so water volume, speed, and

BETTER START. BETTER HARVEST.

equipment type are important considerations as well. Without a fungicide, growers have far less control. Disease severity depends on weather conditions. If disease is present, not using a fungicide can have devastating results including yield and/ or quality loss. Get more information about diseases or fungicides from your local crop protection retailer or agronomist, and crop protection supplier representatives. GN Kirsten Ratzlaff, DuPont Crop Protection.

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columns

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Hart Attacks

The pros and cons of a head transplant I have my doubts about whether or not this old brain can do a new body justice By Lee Hart

s the New Year kicks off, I have been giving some thought to getting my name on the head transplant waiting list — I just have to decide whether I want to be a donor or a recipient. Yes, that’s the new boundary that medical technology dares to be pushing as an Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero late last year claims he and an international team of specialists have the skill and capability to surgically lob the head off one body and carefully attach it to a different headless body. The lead candidate in this story, to have his healthy head attached to a new healthy body, is a 31-year-old Russian computer scientist — just a kid — who has a “devastating muscle-wasting disease that has left his body compressed like an accordion.” And wouldn’t it be wonderful if this guy who is imprisoned by a faulty body could be given a fully mobile life, to use his skills and talents and mobility to enjoy all that life has to offer. On the down side, the healthy recipient body for this new head has to be donated by someone who is mortally injured in an accident. The theory certainly has some merits, but it opens way more than just a simple can of moral and ethical worms. First, there is the technical issue of whether it is even possible. Other surgeons and bioethicists say in polite terms a head transplant is just fiction. Doctors so far have never succeeded in rewiring a human spinal cord. Canavero may have some tricks up his scrubs no one knows about, but you have to wonder. And critics also question, what happens if it only sort of works. What if there is a big “oops” moment and the procedure results in a severely mentally disabled brain on a body that doesn’t move? Then what do you do with this computer scientist who is worse off than he was before? Throw him out with the medical waste? And Canavero talks about the bigger picture potential of a head transplant — cloning and living forever. So you collect a DNA sample from Lee Hart, use that to create a human clone, grow the clone out to say a physically healthy 20-year-old body, but you don’t activate it. It is just a body in cold storage. So Lee Hart gets to be 65-years-old, the original body is showing some wear and tear, so he decides it is time for a make over. Into the operating room, lob off the 65-year-old head full of wisdom and knowledge, attach it to the body of the 20-year-old clone, attach the jumper cables to the new body and voila, Lee Hart is good for another 50 year run. Again it is an amazing theory, but you really have to wonder will it ever be possible? Should it be? So back to my original decision. Aside from the cloning option, which is likely a really long ways off, so if I go forward with this head transplant

today, do we end up with my head and brain on a new body, or does the John Doe recipient end up with an ugly old head and an often troubled brain, bordering on crazy some days? Do I want to impose my kind of thinking on a healthy human form? Like this morning — I got really angry because the toaster didn’t pop, so I started planning revenge against Walmart and Sunbeam. Do I really want a seemingly innocent body carrying out these acts of aggression? Does society really want that perpetuated?

I meet a friend down the road. “Hey, great to see you Bob. All is good. Going in for my third body transplant next week. My brain is actually 180 years old. I still haven’t figured out how to properly use this 100-year-old smart phone yet but I’m sure that will come... Oh, what do you mean no one uses smart phones anymore?” Stuff like that. I have enough trouble pretending I can keep up with technology and trends today. Do I really think this old head is going to be any smarter 100 years from now?

The cold hard reality is that I should just stick with what I got. As it is, I can’t watch any TV, music, or movie award shows — I have no idea who these people are. It takes a lot of work now to pretend to keep up with technology. And I like to get to bed by 10 p.m. I don’t think that’s fair to a young healthy body. And if by some fantastic medical development I did keep some version of this “unit” running for another 100 to 200 years, do I really want to

still be writing about the role of copper in wheat in 2080, the potential of carbon credits in 2100, a livestock traceability system that is just about there in 2110, and a brand new 2125 idea to create something called the Canadian Wheat Board. Been there, done all that. There can be some things worse that death. GN Lee Hart is a field editor with Grainews based in Calgary. Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

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2016-11-25 3:02 PM

columns

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Understanding market bulls and bears

World events will change prices In the first of a two-part discussion, Brian Wittal looks at global market forces Brian Wittal

ooking out the window at -20 C and eight inches of snow I can hear that old proverb repeating in my head. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” I am going to take some creative license with this saying and replace the word “nice” with the word “informative,” in hopes of giving you some useful information to help you make amore informed decisions for your farm business.

Supply and demand A quick glance at commodity supply and demand charts shows variability in grain production over the past few years due to weather issues around the globe. Over the long term, there has been a steady increase in overall grain production and demand, but when you look at ending stocks and stocks-

to-use ratios, slowly climbing higher year over year, you can see an inventory surplus building. This will not bode well for prices. From a Canadian perspective, canola is the only grain that, even w i t h s i g n i f i c a n t p ro d u c t i o n increases over the past four years, has falling ending stocks and stock-touse ratios. This is due to aggressive exports and increases in crush demand. Can we continue to meet that growth demand?

Macro influences Other factors around the world could impact world grain markets and our competitiveness. First, the results of the U.S. election will continue to bring an element of uncertainty both from a political and a market perspective. No one knows what the President Elect will do regarding countries like China and Mexico. Those countries are seen as stealing jobs from Americans, which Trump has vowed to stop. The tactics he employs could impact other

market sectors — including agricultural commodities. The threat of trade embargoes or tariff and trade challenges could compromise the opportunity for U.S. and Canadian farmers to access markets. Brexit is also still to fully play out. It’s unknown what kind of impact, if any, this separation could have on world grain markets, or whether it could open up market opportunities for Canadian grains.

Changing Currencies Over the past 12 to 18 months world currencies have been playing a game of “who can get to the bottom fastest.” Those include Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, China, Russia, Ukraine, Canada and a few others. The one exception is the U.S. dollar, which soared to a 13-year high in November in response to Trump’s election victory and his pledge to Make America Great Again with jobs and an improved economy. It has since come off that high but is still holding strong, waiting for Trump to take control of the White House.

For the most part, lower currencies were a direct result of governments consciously allowing their currencies to devalue, in an effort to boost local exports to stimulate local economies and increase jobs. Currency devaluation plays a major role in the ability of a country to sell its grains into the world markets at competitive values. This has been very evident over the past couple of years in places like Russia, Ukraine, South America and Canada. An agriculture revolution of sorts has been taking place in the Former Soviet Union region for the past 25 years. We are seeing a huge shift in grain production potential as foreign investment and corporate farms appear, bringing with them the latest in genetics, agronomics, technology and production practices. This has dramatically changed the world grain export scene. Back in the late 80s and early 90s the FSU region was importing in excess of 30MT of grains a year. Now they’re exporting more than 50

MT a year — a shift of 80 MT in the world export trade. If you allow your currency to devalue as Russia has for the past two years, you position yourself to become a very aggressive exporter of grain products. This means you’re selling goods abroad and bringing foreign currency back into your economy, stimulating growth and creating jobs, which is good for your people and your country. Over the past year, Russian has become the largest exporter of wheat in the world. Ukraine and other countries in this region are following Russia’s path, intent on becoming grain export powerhouses in their own rights in an effort to improve their countries’ economic futures and standards of living. We’ll continue this discussion in the next article. GN 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.

HOW CUSTOMERS USE CANADIAN FIELD CROPS

Pasta in Italy is made with durum – or else! The best pasta is made with durum wheat, just ask Italy. A decree from the President of Italy in 2001 declared that Italian pasta manufacturers are forbidden by law to use any wheat other than durum in dried pasta for domestic consumption. That’s a good thing for Canada, the world’s leading exporter of high quality durum wheat.

cigi.ca

Canadian International Grains Institute

columns

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Farm Financial Planner

Tax planning critical for farm widow More paperwork leads to lower taxes for this farm widow and her adult children By Andrew Allentuck

couple we’ll call Lisa and Herbert emigrated to Canada 34 years ago. They left a small farm in England and bought a 1,120 acre farm in central Manitoba. With their children, a daughter, now 51, and a son, now 48, they ran a mixed grain and beef operation. Herbert passed away in 2010. Lisa, now 77, faces the challenge of generational change. At present, the farm land is rented to a neighbour. Lisa’s daughter, married and with her own children, wants to build a home on a quarter adjacent to their farm’s home quarter. Lisa thinks that would be a good idea for companionship and assistance. Lisa and Herbert’s son would like to help run the farm. The problem is to make a plan for generational change and a fair division of the family estate while Lisa is still living. Lisa sought the assistance of Don Forbes and Erik Forbes of Forbes Wealth Management Ltd. in Carberry, Manitoba. Money is not a problem for Lisa. She receives a British pension with a current value of $3,000 per month. The transfer of value to the children will be easier in financial terms thanks to the provision in the Income Tax Act that allows transfers between parents and children or grandchildren to be at any value between the book value, $579,650 in this case, and the current market value. The Farm Land Capital Gains Tax Exemption allows $1 million tax-free, so the total value of the land transfer could be as much as $1,579,650 before triggering taxes Erik Forbes says. The amount the children may

have to pay would be termed “consideration” and could be as little as $1. This payment could be structured as a loan with no interest payable and the loan forgivable on Lisa’s death. Land rental income could be paid to Lisa in lieu of interest payable on the promissory note. If Lisa does not need the money, she can gift it to the two children, Don Forbes adds. The increased value of the land is the transfer value. It becomes the book value for the children. They are responsible for tax on any future increase in the value of the land. Structuring the transfer in this fashion means that if either child were to encounter marital problems or an insolvency, there would be no claim on the original value of the land as transferred. The claim on the value of the promissory note would have precedence on a subsequent claim by creditors, Don Forbes says.

Tax liabilities Although assets can be protected by this means, the Alternative Minimum Tax or AMT will create a tax liability if Lisa uses her large capital gains tax credit to offset capital gains on her farm land. The AMT would be triggered if Lisa declares $320,000 or more in income in a calendar year. Although a small part of the capital gain will generate an AMT liability, the amount paid will still be covered under the Farm Land Capital Gains Tax Exemption. It will become a component of the tax paid credit account with the Canada Revenue Agency. It amounts to prepaying some future tax, Erik Forbes explains. The credit will be on the CRA’s records and can offset future federal tax over the next 10 years. Thus it could be advantageous for

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. These products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from these products 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 these products. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ soybeans contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. Agricultural herbicides containing glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate, and those containing dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Contact your Monsanto dealer or call the Monsanto technical support line at 1-800-667-4944 for recommended Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System weed control programs. Acceleron® seed applied solutions for canola contains the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil and thiamethoxam. Acceleron® seed applied solutions 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 applied solutions 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 applied solutions 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 applied solutions 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 applied solutions 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 applied solutions for soybeans (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin and metalaxyl. Acceleron®, Cell-Tech™, DEKALB and Design®, DEKALB®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, JumpStart®, Optimize®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup Xtend™, Roundup®, SmartStax®, TagTeam®, Transorb®, VaporGrip®, VT Double PRO®, VT Triple PRO® and XtendiMax® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Used under license. Fortenza® and Vibrance® 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. ©2016 Monsanto Canada Inc.

Lisa to continue to receive farm land rent until the CRA tax payable credit balance is exhausted. There are other tax control strategies. Lisa could gift the land in parcels to the children and thus declare just a part of the capital gain each year. This process could keep the tax due below the AMT threshold each year. The alternative is to transfer all gift parcels less the home quarter in one year and thus create a capital gains reserve of which a small part would be declared each year for five years, Don Forbes says. This process comes at a price, however. On a $1 million transfer value with $200,000 declared each year, there would be a cost, for Lisa would not be eligible for Old Age Security for five years. Her income would be consumed by the clawback, which starts at about $74,750 next year and takes back all OAS when income is over about $119,600, Don Forbes says. The clawback is indexed, he adds. This plan for transfer of the family farm to two adult children with asset protection in the event of marital difficulties or insolvency can produce income sufficient to cover Lisa’s monthly $3,000 living costs. Lisa will undoubtedly have more income than that. She can use a Tax-Free Savings Account to shelter savings. Money

withdrawn from the TFSA is not counted as income and thus does not trigger the Old Age Security clawback, Erik Forbes explains. The added benefit of the use of a TFSA is that the children can be designated as beneficiaries. So adding funds to $46,500 in 2016 and $5,500 per year for each additional year can be both an intergenerational transfer mechanism and a way to hold an emergency cash reserve. For now, the land transfer should go ahead so that the value is split over two years. The AMT tax liability generated, perhaps just a few thousand dollars, is a credit for federal tax payable in 2018. Lisa can take a promissory note for the transfer value protect retirement income and to insulate the children from any claims against their inheritance. Finally, land rental income can be held for Lisa’s personal use. It will be taxed in her hands in order to use up any remaining AMT credit. Any aftertax money can be given to the children if Lisa so wishes, Don Forbes adds. In dollar terms, there is a lot of flexibility. Lisa’s present income with land rental is $70,000 with an estimated $22,000 tax liability. If all land is transferred in one year, Lisa’s gross income would rise to $307,665 and her total tax would be $40,845 with an AMT of $40,845 and $5,200

of extra provincial tax. While the AMT is recoverable in future returns, the extra provincial tax is not recoverable. It is just a tax surcharge, Don Forbes explains. If Lisa does the transfer over two years, her gross income would be $198,900 per year and her tax liability would decline to $25,500 with AMT of $2,140 and just over $1,000 of extra provincial tax per year. If the transfer is done over three years, her gross income per year would be $158,900 with $22,300 of total tax and zero AMT. Time and patience are clearly virtues in this transfer process, Erik Forbes notes. The home quarter and its yard are not part of the transfer process. This can be dealt with in Lisa’s will and retained as a source of capital should Lisa need to raise additional money for care later in life. “This is a plan for a widow who has substantial capital ties up in her farm and two children willing to take over the operation,” Don Forbes explains. “We have created a choice of strategies for tax minimization. There is some paperwork involved, but it is really a simple plan with few unknowns and very little risk.” GN Andrew Allentuck is author of “When Can I Retire? Planning Your Financial Future After Work” (Penguin, 2011).

“It’s all of our responsibility to speak up for agriculture.” Emmett Sawyer, Agvocate 4-H Member and Farmer

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Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Agronomy management

Getting the most from soil test reports Understand all the numbers in your soil test reports to make your fertilizer plan GENERAL NUTRIENT RATINGS FOR CEREALS AND OILSEEDS ON PRAIRIE SOILS

Ross McKenzie

hen you understand your soil reports, you’re in a better position to develop fertilizer plans with your agronomist. All soil testing labs report the same basic information, but each lab has its own unique format. No matter what your report looks like, first, check the information at the top: your name, address, field name, etc. If this isn’t correct, contact the lab. Then, move on to the other information in the report. 1. Soil pH The term pH comes from a French term meaning “power of hydrogen.” Soil pH measures hydrogen (H) ions in soil. When soil pH < 6.5 it is acidic. It’s near neutral at a pH of 6.5 to 7.5, and alkaline when pH is > 7.5. The pH range of surface soil is typically between 5.5 and 8.0. When soil pH is less than 5.5, the soil is very strongly acidic. This can affect legume nitrogen fixation and cause crop toxicity problems with elements such as aluminum or manganese, as these elements are more soluble at lower pH. Low pH can reduce availability of nutrients such as phosphorus. Soil liming may be necessary when soil pH is less than 6.0. When soil pH is greater than 8.0, availability of some nutrients like phosphorus or metal micronutrients can be reduced. Soil pH greater than 8.3 can indicate a high sodium or sodic soil problem. 2. Soil EC (Electrical Conductivity) Electrical conductivity measures soluble salts, or salinity level. The units are usually in dS/m (deci Siemens per meter). EC is determined by measuring the amount of electric current a saturated paste extract of your soil will conduct. Less conductivity means less salt. That’s good. Ideally, your surface soil should have an EC of not more than 1.0 dS/m. An EC between 1 and 2 is acceptable for most crops. If your surface soil EC is between 2 and 4 dS/m you have slight to moderate salinity. This can reduce crop yields by 10 to 40 per cent. When EC is between 4 and 6 you should only grow salt tolerant crops such as barley. When EC is greater than 6 dS/m, it might be best to grow salt tolerant forages. Typically, the characteristic white salts on the surface of saline soils are not observed until EC is greater than 8 to 10 dS/m. Generally, sub soil samples will have some salts, but usually not greater than 4 to 6 dS/m. 3. % OM (Organic Matter) Organic matter is the humus in soil that remains after plant and animal residue has initially broken down. OM is an important storage reservoir

Nutrient

Units

Depth (inches)

Deficient

Marginal

Adequate

High

Nitrate-N Irrigation

lb./ac.

0 to 24

0-60

60-120

120-180

>180

Nitrate-N Dryland (Adequate precipitation)

lb./ac.

0 to 24

0-50

50-100

100-150

>150

Nitrate-N Dryland (Limited precipitation)

lb./ac.

0 to 24

0-35

35-70

70-110

>110

Phosphorus (Bicarb)

lb./ac.

0 to 6

0-10

10-20

20-40

>40

Phosphorus (Kelowna)

lb./ac.

0 to 6

0-35

35-70

70-100

>100

Potassium

lb./ac.

0 to 6

0-150

150-300

300-600

>600

Sulfate-S

lb./ac.

0 to 6

0-10

10-20

20-30

>30

Sulfate-S

lb./ac.

0 to 24

0-20

20-40

40-80

>80

Very Low

Low

Medium

Adequate

Micronutrients Boron

ppm

0 to 6

0-0.2

0.2-0.5

0.5-1.0

Chloride

ppm

0 to 6

0-10

10-20

20-30

>30

Copper

ppm

0 to 6

0-0.2

0.2-0.4

0.5-1.0

Iron

ppm

0 to 6

0-1.0

1.0-2.0

2.0-5.0

Manganese

ppm

0 to 6

0-0.2

0.2-0.5

0.5-1.0

Zinc

ppm

0 to 6

0-0.2

0.2-0.5

0.5-1.0

Source: Ross McKenzie

of nutrients in organic form, which mineralize and breakdown to release available nutrients for plants. Soil OM also improves the physical condition of soil including soil structure, tilth, and water infiltration. Typical ranges of organic matter are: Brown soils: two to three per cent; Dark Brown: three to five per cent; Black: six to 10 per cent and Gray: two to four per cent.

Some labs give ratios for K:Mg or K:Ca and use these ratios to make K, Ca or Mg fertilizer recommendations. Some agronomists use the “Base-cation saturation ratio” (BCSR) approach to develop fertilizer recommendations. I don’t recommend using the BCSR approach, as research has shown this is seriously flawed for fertilizer recommendations in Western Canada.

4. Soil texture Some reports include this. Soil texture is the relative proportion of sand, silt and clay in a soil. Soil texture is grouped into classes: fine textured soils are higher in clay; course textured soils are higher in sand; medium textured loam soils have about 40 per cent sand, 40 per cent silt and 20 per cent clay. Soil texture directly affects soil water holding capacity, water infiltration rate and indirectly affects soil fertility.

7. The macronutrients The soil nutrient analysis is the heart of the report and should be used as the basis for your fertilizer plan. The major plant available nutrients, macronutrients, are: nitrogen (N) measured as nitrateN (NO3-N), the form plants take up; phosphorus (P); potassium (K); and sulfate-sulfur (SO4-S). Some labs also determine calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), but it is extremely rare that these two nutrients are deficient in Western Canadian soils. If you get recommendations for Ca or Mg fertilizer, make sure you get an unbiased second opinion. Some labs report soil macronutrient levels in parts per million (ppm); some convert to pounds per acre (lb./ac.). To convert ppm nutrient levels to lb./ ac., multiply a six-inch depth sample by two, multiply a 12-inch depth sample by four, or multiply an18-inch sample by six. For example, if soil nitrate-N is 10 ppm and the soil depth sample is six inches: 10 ppm x 2 = 20 lb./ac.

5. Soil CEC Some labs measure CEC, the capacity of soil to hold or adsorb positively charged elements called cations, some of which are plant nutrients. The major soil cations include: calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+), sodium (Na+), hydrogen (H+) and aluminum (Al3+). CEC is strongly affected by soil texture. Soil CEC capacity increases as soil clay content increases. Soil CEC doesn’t change from year to year, so there is no need to measure it annually. Most important, it is not normally needed to develop fertilizer recommendations. 6. % Base Saturation (% BS) Base saturation indicates the amount of negative sites on the soil particles occupied by the base cations (K, Ca, Mg and Na). The other sites are occupied by acidic cations (Al and H).

8. The Micronutrients The important micronutrients determined by a soil testing lab are: boron (B), chloride (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn). Micronutrient levels are typically reported in ppm. In my opinion, the soil test for

Ratings vary depending on crop type, yield goal and soil zone boron is not very reliable. Often, when a soil test indicates low B, applying boron doesn’t increase crop yield. There is a problem with the boron soil test method and calibration for western Canadian soils. It is also my opinion that the soil test for chloride is not very reliable.

Using the table The table shown here includes my generalized rating of each macronutrient ranging from deficient, marginal adequate and high for cereal and oilseed crops. Ratings vary depending on crop type, yield goal and soil zone. I have shown Nitrate-N with three ranges: irrigation, dryland with adequate precipitation; and dryland with limited precipitation. Phosphorus ratings are provided for both the Bicarb (Olsen) P method and the Modified Kelowna methods. I prefer the Kelowna method, as this method is better correlated with crop response to P fertilizer and is not affected by soil pH or OM level. The Bicarb method is reasonably good on high pH soils but was not intended for use with acidic soils, and is less reliable. For sulfate, I suggest looking at just the surface soil (zero- to sixinch depth) and then the full 24-inch depth to assess the need for S fertilizer. It is also important to note that soil S levels can be quite variable across fields, which makes interpretation more challenging. When N, P, K or S are deficient, there is a high probably that you

need to add additional fertilizer. In the marginal range, some additional fertilizer may be necessary. When a nutrient is in the adequate range, generally there is no need for additional fertilizer unless you have a high target yield. The table also shows my generalized micronutrient ratings. Ratings vary depending on crop type, yield goal and soil zone. When a micronutrient is in the very low or low range, this is cause for concern but I would not immediately recommend applying a micronutrient fertilizer. Discuss the issue with your crop advisor and your provincial soil specialist to get several opinions. You may want to try strip trials first. Remember, the probability of crop response to micronutrient application is not clear in many instances across the Prairies and much more micronutrient fertilizer research is needed. We have good information for copper for cereal crops but recommendations for other micronutrients and crops are lacking. Now that you have your soil test results, the next step is developing your fertilizer plan. Get advice from unbiased, knowledgeable agronomists to ensure you’re using the right fertilizers, at the right times, at the optimum rates. GN Ross H. McKenzie, PhD, P. Ag., is a former agronomy research scientist and an adjunct professor at the University of Lethbridge. He conducted soil, crop and irrigation research with Alberta Agriculture for 38 years.

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Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Soils and crops

A convert to long-term experiments Soil fertility is a long-term prospect that calls for long-term approaches to research Les Henry

photo: les henry

n my younger days I was not a fan of long-term experiments. Almost all were on Federal Research stations with good soils and plot practices that did not always relate to farm fields. But recent information coming from long-term experiments has changed my mind. Worldwide, the longest experiment is the famous Broadbalk field at Rothamsted Research near London, U.K. The continuous wheat since 1843 has some interesting lessons. The exhaustion experiments (Wheat cropped for years with certain nutrients withheld) also showed the need to look at nutrients in the long term. But the real kicker came just a few years ago when Reynaud Lemke did simple arithmetic on nutrient addition and removal from Swift Current continuous wheat experiments since 1967. The lessons were dirt simple: 1. Ninety-eight per cent of the phosphorus fertilizer applied could be accounted for by the extra P removed from wheat fertilized with P. 2. The extra nitrogen removed from N fertilized plots was more than 100 per cent of the added in fertilizer over the years. More than 100 per cent recovery may seem impossible but it is true. The extra N not accounted for by fertilizer comes from organisms that fix nitrogen all by their lonesome (that it, not rhizobium) and a bit from lightning, etc. Previous work with high tech methods like radioactive or stable tracer P and N fertilizers did provide some information on the fate of fertilizer in the short term. But, in the end, simple arithmetic on long-term additions and removals of nutrients has completely changed our thinking. No amount of shortterm high tech will substitute for lessons from the long-term experiments. Then came the 100th anniversary of the Scott station where they have had a plot in continuous wheat for 100 years with no fertilizer or manure added. And, it still yields 15 or 20 bushels per acre, so the N has to be coming from the soil and small natural additions.

This is a feed barley crop at Spiritwood, Sask., in 1996, on Gray Wooded loam soil. This crop yielded 80 bu./ac. with no fertilizer in the year of seeding.

Most of the federal research stations are on grassland soils with natural high organic matter topsoil left behind by the thousands of years of grass.

GRAY WOODED SOILS: THE BRETON PLOTS Gray Wooded soils are a much different beast. When broken, the topsoil is grey (ghost like) in colour and low in organic matter and nutrients in general. In this case it was the University of Alberta that stepped up to the plate and established long-term plots to determine how to make a go of farming on such challenging soil. That work started in 1930; by the early 1970s the Breton and other work (by federal employees in various substations) was combined to publish a classic. Enter “Gray Wooded Soils and Their Management” in Google and up pops a PDF of that classic piece. The editors were Fred Bentley (University of Alberta), Tommy Peters, Arnold Hennig and Don Walker — all feds. Their coordinated effort made it a classic. Anyone reading that classic should first read page 27, when they say P and K they mean P and K — not P2O5 and K2O. There are way too many examples in current farm literature where folks say P when they really mean P2O5. The error is a factor of 2.29. The work was carried right

through to the bread making ability of wheat with various fertilizer treatments (see page 55 of the PDF). Don Flaten, soils professor at the University of Manitoba, recently used that data by adding it to modern studies showing the role of sulfur fertilizers in wheat quality. Thanks to the IPNI (International Plant Nutrient Institute) a recent report on the Breton Plots has been published in the 2016 No. 4 Issue of Better Crops with Plant Food. You can read it online at: http://www.ipni. net/publication/bettercrops.nsf. Recent nine-year average wheat yields in a five-year rotation with no fertilizer were a meager 15 bu./ac. when the soil was left to its own devices. With annual modest N,P,K,S fertilizer rates, wheat yield was 45 bu./ac. Nothing too surprising there. But when they omitted individual nutrients the biggest hit was leaving out the P. The yield was only 22 bu./ac. without P. Leaving out K also had a 10 bu./ac. yield penalty in this rotation where all plant material was removed in three years out of five. No such yield loss from omitting K came from experiments where only grain was removed. Most of the plant K is in the straw. Grain alone removes little K.

GRAY WOODED SOILS: MY SPIRITWOOD FARM I owned a quarter section of Gray Wooded soil for 30 years (1981 to

This malt barley crop grew in Dark Brown loam soil at Dundurn in 2016. It yielded 80 bu./ac. with the following fertilizer: N = 50; P2O5 = 30; K2O = 0; S =10 lb./ac. NUTRIENT REMOVED AND ADDED ON SPIRITWOOD FARM Pounds per acre total for 10 years

P2O5

K2O

Removed:

400

100

400

Added:

160

200

140

2011) south of Spiritwood, Sask., about two hours northwest of Saskatoon. It was in alfalfa for 10 years (1984 to 1994). Fertilizer applied was 16-20-0-14 at 200 pounds per acre of product every second year. The table shows approximate data on nutrient removal and addition for that 10-year period. I estimate the yield at a modest 0.75 tons per acre per year. N and K were both a big deficit. Of course it is alfalfa, so N is no problem and the soil test K was still OK. The excess of P and S should have boded well for a future crop, and it did. In 1995 canola was planted. Early drought saw nothing come up so it was summerfallowed (last time that happened). In those days, canola seed cost was not an issue. In 1996 feed barley was planted neat (no fertilizer) with an old CCIL discer. As is often the case, we rounded off the yields a bit. While the caption on both of my barley photos say they yielded 80 bu./ac., the 1996 yield at Spiritwood was actually net sold 78.5 bu./ac., and the

J.L.(Les) Henry is a former professor and extension specialist at the University of Saskatchewan. He farms at Dundurn, Sask. His “Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water,” mixes the basics and practical aspects of soil, fertilizer and farming. To order a signed copy, send a cheque for $50 (includes shipping and GST) to Henry Perspectives, 143 Tucker Cres, Saskatoon, Sask., S7H 3H7.

! ay d. tod ite ter lim gis is Re ting a Se

This is a great opportunity to learn from great, powerful women in Ag and other industries. Sometimes it can be easy to forget all the possible connections we can make, so getting into a room with 570+ women really helps! – Jamie Y., Regina, Saskatchewan, AWC Delegate

actual net sold yield at Dundurn in 2016 was 82.6 bu./ac. There is little doubt in my mind that the good 1996 yield came not only from the N left behind by the alfalfa but also the N and S left behind by the several applications of 16-20-0-14. And we must not forget that Mother Nature had a big hand by providing the rain and sun to make it all happen. The bottom line is this: soil fertility is a long-term proposition. If one is buying land it would make a lot of sense to look at more than the lay of the land and the type of soil. Past management plays a huge roll in future yields and profit. GN

LISTEN, LEARN, NETWORK & GROW ~ HYATT REGENCY CALGARY, MARCH 6 & 7, 2017 Open your mind to the endless possibilities. Prepare to be inspired. Acquire the life skills you need to reach your goals and live your life to your full potential. Network with women passionate about agriculture. This conference could be life-changing. Register today! Visit advancingwomenconference.ca or phone 403-686-8407.

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Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Seed varieties

CPT small plot data is now online Leeann Minogue Small plot data from the 2016 Canola Performance Trials has been posted online. At the CPT website (www.canolaperfor mancetrials.ca) you can look up average yield, height, lodging and days to maturity for tested canola varieties. Filters on the

website let you look for results in specific locations, and directly compare one variety to another. These small plots were 1.5 to 2.1 metres wide by five or six metres long. Field scale data will be added to the website soon. The CPT program is managed by the Canola Council of Canada, and funded by your canola levies through the three Prairie canola grower groups: the Alberta Canola Producers Commission, the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) and the Manitoba Canola Growers Association. GN

I will not limit my potential, cut corners or compromise on quality. I will do things right the first time. I will work tirelessly to achieve my goals. I will make my farm a true reflection of me.

For local trial results, please visit

InVigorResults.ca

cropscience.bayer.ca

1 888-283-6847

@Bayer4CropsCA

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

O-66-11/16-10590104-E

machinery & shop

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

New truck review

How do the newest

pickups

compare? Judges at the 2017 Canadian Truck King Challenge rate the competition By Howard J. Elmer

Continued on Page 24 ď&#x201A;&#x201E;

photos: Howard Elmer

he Canadian Truck King Challenge is an annual event where automotive journalists get together to evaluate the current pickup truck offerings from all brands. This year we had a field of 11 pickup trucks, falling into four classes: midsize, half ton, three-quarter ton and oneton trucks. All pickups are tested in the same way, by six automotive journalist judges who drive them back-to-back in each condition. The test loop we use is 17 kilometres long and combines gravel, pavement and highway. There are twists, turns and elevation changes. An off-road course on the IronWood test site is saved for the last afternoon of testing. The trucks are always driven empty first. Then, we add payload and do the loops again. Finally, we travel the route pulling loaded trailers. This is the best way to feel the differences between them. This year the midsize trucks carried a payload of 500 pounds and towed a total of 4,000 pounds. The full-size half tons used a payload of 1,000 pounds and towed 6,000 pounds, while the three-quarter tons towed 10,000 pounds and also used 1,000 pounds for payload. These figures take into consideration the lowest manufacturer-set limits among the entries. The weights we used never exceed any of those limits.

An off-road course on the IronWood test site is saved for the last afternoon of testing

machinery & shop

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

The one-ton trucks pulled 15,000 pound trailers as part of the testing routine.

The truck to receive the highest overall evaluation this year was the Hemi-powered Ram 1500.

Trucks in all categories were required to tow a load that was within the manufacturers' rated capacity claims.  Continued from Page 23

Midsize category

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In the midsize group we had the allnew Honda Ridgeline and the Chevy Colorado diesel. Toyota opted not to give us a Tacoma (which we did test last year) and the Nissan Frontier was also not offered — no doubt because it’s in the last year of its current cycle before a major upgrade. Between the two midsize trucks, the Honda impressed the judges most. As with anything new, it had an edge, even though the Colorado diesel was a big splash last year. However, it wasn’t just the new factor that pushed its score past that of the Colorado. The prior generation of Ridgeline was a niche, quirky truck that appealed to a select buyer. Now, the Ridgeline has moved closer to the mainstream while retaining some of its unique characteristics. It did almost everything (payload, towing, even off-road) well and still offered the most car-like ride.

Half-ton category

April 2015 $3.00

www.canadiancattlemen.ca

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The full-size half-ton category is the meat of the market. In Canada it makes up just under 80 per cent of total pickup sales. As such, it is one of the most competitively fought over among the builders. For us at the Challenge, it’s a segment that we annually consider most carefully, as in what to test and how. Despite the competition, there are rarely more than two “new” half-tons in a given year. Generational upgrades are typically seven years apart, while lesser changes do come along in between. This leaves us with a problem when it comes to testing. How do we field a full spread of pickups where perhaps only one is really new? This year we came up with an idea that should appeal to Canadian buyers. We asked each of the manufacturers to give us a truck with their best-selling body style, cab and power-train combination. This way we’d test the trucks that Canadians buy most often. We had a Ram 1500 crew cab with the 5.7L Hemi V8, the Chevy Silverado crew cab with the 5.3L V8, the new Nissan Titan crew cab with the 5.6L V8 and the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro crew cab with the 5.7L V8. For Toyota, the TRD Pro (or off-road version) of the Tundra was the newest truck they had, not really the most often purchased. But that was the machine they chose to enter. The others were exactly what we asked for.

machinery & shop

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

The judges reported that testing trucks under load was when their differences became most obvious.

All trucks were driven along the same predetermined route so judges could more accurately compare them.

The test course included gravel, pavement and highway portions.

Ford, the leader in half-ton Canadian truck sales, chose not to compete.

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The three-quarter tons In the three-quarter ton category, each of the trucks was diesel powered. These are the most common big haulers being bought by Canadians, and the judges made a point of saying that under load was when they really felt how well they behaved. The scoring here was close, as each truck did well. However, the Ram 2500 with the Cummins 6.7L diesel did come out slightly ahead. What was more interesting was the Nissan HD tied with the HD Silverado. The first uses the all-new 5L Cummins diesel V8, which is new this year, while the Chevy had the veteran 6.6L Duramax diesel under the hood.

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One-ton truck group For the one-ton trucks, we had a field of two — again we missed Ford, particularly because its 2017 Super Duty trucks are all new. However, we still performed a full field of tests on the Ram 3500 and Silverado 3500. After a full day of driving both trucks back to back, the judges awarded the win to the Chevy Silverado 3500.

The winner It’s worth noting that all the trucks performed well, and as a group you’ll notice how close all the scores are. If anything, this makes it tough for the judges to crown a winner because none of these trucks are “bad.a” The group of judges worked through the field of trucks creating a mass of data in 20 key categories. Each judge hailed from a different part of the country and is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. Collectively, they brought over 200 years of experience to this intensive testing. Over three long days they drove almost 4,000 km while evaluating the trucks. The overall winner of the 10th annual Canadian Truck King Challenge, with the highest collective score of 79.4, is the 2017 Hemipowered Ram 1500. GN Howard J. Elmer is a freelance automotive journalist, a member of the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada and organizer of the Canadian Truck King Challenge.

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machinery & shop

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

new truck review

HOW THE JUDGES SCORED THEM

One-Ton Truck Results

Nissan

RAM

Chevrolet

Toyota

Honda Ridgeline

75.5

5.6L V8 390hp 394 ft-lbs

HEMI 5.7L V8 395hp 410ft. lbs.

EcoTec3 5.3L V8 355hp 383ft. lbs.

5.7L V8 381hp 401 ft. lbs.

Chevy Colorado

72.2

Empty Test Loops Head Lake Loop)

16.24

13.38

14.46

14.64

17.32

Loaded with 1,000 lbs. Head Lake Loop)

15.59

13.21

12.88

14.24

HALF TON:

23.79

29.92

Trailering 6,000 lbs. Head Lake Loop)

26.48

19.52

21.69

21.08

Ram 1500 5.7L V8

79.4

14.72

15.83

Comparable Average*

18.04

14.6

15.3

15.8

Chevy Silverado, 1500 5.3L V8

76.7

Nisan Titan, 5.6L V8

74.3

Toyota Tundra, TRD Pro 5.7L V8

73.7

Chevrolet

RAM

Duramax 6.6L Diesel Turbo V8 397hp 765ft. lbs.

Cummins 6.7L Diesel Turbo 16 350hp 660ft. lbs.

Empty Test Loops (London-Woodstock- Norval via 401)

12.45

15.45

Loaded with 4,000 lbs. (London - St. Thomas Loop

14.92

Trailering 15,00 lbs. (London-Parkhill) Comparable Average*

3500

Powertrain

MIDSIZE:

Half-ton truck results

L/100km

3500

L/100km

When towing such a significant load, the 3500 series experienced a substantial increase in the consumption of fuel. The Chevrolet and Ram 3500s saw an increase of 92 and 93% respectively over their empty-load fuel efficiency.

Titan

Engine type

1500

L/100km

2016 Silerado

L/100km

Tundra

L/100km

Unexpectedly the 1,000lb payload numbers showed lower consumption than the unloaded cycles. Looking at the specific drive cycles the empty tests included high driving speeds and more idling

Average driving (removing idling time) was approximately 66km/h for the unloaded test with payload. Accordingly the results should be interpreted as being operated on different drive cycles.

Idle time for the unloaded test averaged 54min and the idle time for the payload test averaged 50min.

Trailering fuel consumption rose by 63% over an empty-load trip for the Nissan Titan. The other three models saw an increase of 44-50% while towing.

Three-Quarter-Ton Truck Results

Mid-Size Truck Results

Chevrolet

Honda

Chevrolet

RAM

Nissan

Duramax 2.8L Diesel Turbo 14 181hp 369ft. lbs.

3.5L V6 280hp 262ft. lbs.

Duramax 6.7L Diesel Turbo V8 397hp 765ft. lbs

Cummins 6.7L Diesel Turbo 16 350hp 660ft. lbs

Cummins 5.0L Diesel Turbo V8 310hp 555ft. lbs.

Empty Test Loops (Head Lake Loop)

7.68

10.87

Empty Test Loops Head Lake Loop)

14.07

14.5

14.67

Loaded with 500 lbs. (Head Lake Loop)

7.53

10.85

Loaded with 1,000 lbs. Head Lake Loop)

14.2

15.6

14.88

Trailering 4,000 lbs. (Head Lake Loop)

11.17

15.43 L/100km

Trailering 10,000 lbs. Head Lake Loop)

20.0

21.11

20.18

Comparable Average*

8.32

11.81

Comparable Average*

16.9

17.13

16.52

Colorado

Powertrain

Mid-size trucks showed similar behavior to the half-ton trucks when trailering on the same cycle, with increases of 42% for the Ridgeline and 45% for the Colorado The impact of the 500lb payload was small and within the amount of variations in drive cycle.

L/100km

2016 Silerado 2500

Ridgeline

L/100km

It's important to note that while the Colorado consumes less L/100km,the fuel used differs between the two vehicles. The Colorado uses diesel while the Ridgeline runs on regular gas. This also accounts for some of the fuel usage comparisons for the other sized trucks *Comparable average remove trip segments that are not sufficiently similar between vehicles.

Powertrain

L/100km

Three-quarte -ton trucks showed more consumption when trailering on the same cycle, with increases of 27-30% over their empty test loops. The average speed was calculated by removing the time spent idling.

1500

L/100km

THREE-QUARTER TON:

Titan XD

Ram 2500, 6.7L Cummins I6

77.0

Nissan Titan, XD 5L Cummins V8

74.9

Chevy Silverado 2500, 6.6L Duramax V8

74.9

L/100km

ONE TON:

L/100km

For all eleven vehicles, the average speed was reduced by several kilometers per hour while trailering. All trucks are 2017 model year unless otherwise specified in the tables. Specifically, the Silverado 1500 & 2500 trucks were the only 2016 models.

Chevy Silverado 3500, 6.6L Duramax

75.1

Ram 3500, 6.7L Cummins inline 6

71.8

M CO G

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machinery & shop

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

photo: kubota

More equipment choices

The newest and largest round baler to join the Kubota product line is the BV4580, which can make 1,800 pound, 5' x 6' bales.

Kubota expands its line and grows again By Scott Garvey

photo: kubota

nyone who attended the Agri Trade farm show in Red Deer this fall will almost certainly have noticed some all-new Kubota equipment on display. At machinery shows all around North America in the past couple of years, the brand has certainly been making its presence known, showing an ever-expanding line of ag products. And executives haven’t made any secret of the fact they intend to keep up that pace of new machinery introductions. In August, American farmers visiting the U.S. Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, were given the first look at the BV4580 5x6 round baler, a few months before its Canadian introduction. “This is just our first launch,” said David Palmer, senior product manager for implements at Kubota, while standing beside the new baler at the U.S. show. “We have other products we’re working on that we’re going to be continually bringing in.” The larger BV4580 round baler will help make Kubota a much bigger player in the livestock equipment niche it has been targeting with its initial implement introductions. Prior to the debut of the BV4580, the orange brand had integrated balers with narrower fourfoot chambers from Kverneland into its line. Kverneland, a Norwegian implement brand, was

The new “economical” M6S-111 tractor has 114 engine horsepower and designed to appeal to hay and livestock producers.

acquired by Kubota in 2012. But under Kubota ownership, its implements are now being scaled up to better interest producers on this side of the Atlantic. The BV4580 is a prime example of that. According to Palmer, the brand is also incorporating new technologies and design refinements into the mix as the new products roll out. “We have a completely different intake system, and we have an integrated auger-rotor system in the chamber floor of this baler,” he explained. “As material is brought in from the side, it’s able to flow. And this rotor is giving us an even feed into the bale chamber, which gives us maximum density on our bales. “We’ve done some side-by-side testing with two leading competitors and we had a 10 per cent advantage, both in density and performance over those machines, so it’s really given us a lot of capacity for feeding into the baler.” And the BV4580s get a new in-

cab colour monitor. Although it’s a little smaller than the previous version, this one has a high-density screen, making it easier to see in the sunlight. “It’s a real user friendly monitor, simple, easy to understand,” said Palmer The new balers will be built at Kverneland’s Ravenna Baler Competence Centre in northern Italy and shipped to North America. Final assembly of Canadian balers will take place in existing Kubota facilites here.

New utility tractor Kubota is giving farmers who buy one of its new BV4580 balers another choice of tractors to put in front of it: the new M6S-111. According to the company, “This economical machine is ideal for hay and cattle operations.” With a four-cylinder diesel putting out 114 engine horsepower (95 on the PTO), the tractor offers the more economical, basic features livestock producers often go for in a utility tractor. That said, the tractor provides a pretty wide range of working speeds for an “economical” model with the Swing Shift Plus 32F/32R electro-shuttle transmission. It’s also available in a 48F/48R creeper version. And the tractor supplies both 540 and 1,000 r.p.m. PTO. GN Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

photo: Great Plains

The orange brand announced new acquisitions and new equipment in 2016

Great Plains Manufacturing This past spring Kubota announced it had purchased Kansas-based Great Plains Manufacturing, which builds seeding, planting and tillage equipment. The announcement revealed that like Kverneland, which Kubota purchased in 2012, Great Plains will continue to operate under its original brand name for the foreseeable future, but it’s almost a certainty that its products will eventually be available as Kubota-branded machines, just as Kverneland’s have. Says David Palmer, senior product manager for implements, “Kubota has made a commitment that we’re going to be a full-liner in the ag market.” During a 2014 interview with Grainews’ sister publication Country Guide, Todd Stucke, Kubota’s VP of ag and turf in the U.S., said the company’s strategy regarding its introduction of haying equipment in North America has been to have tractors capable of handling the new implements it introduces. “I’ll speak for the U.S.,” he said, regarding Kubota’s Hay tools. “We’re

going to roll out the products as they match the horsepower of the tractor lines. We want our products to be pulled by a Kubota tractor. As we get higher horsepower tractors we’ll get more products. That’s been our strategy here.” So, will that strategy hold when and if the brand incorporates the larger tillage and seeding equipment produced by Great Plains into the brand? An interview with David Webster, general manager for sales and marketing in Canada, also in 2014, suggests it might. And the brand’s current flagship tractor, the M-171, may not hold top spot for too much longer. “... As we look at getting into larger farming operations, we’ll definitely continue to see product-line expansion, evidenced by the M7 tractor that was introduced,” he said. “And we’ll definitely see that product line continue to grow. The company isn’t done there.” The company hasn’t yet announced anything more on the high-horsepower tractor front. So, all we can do is wait and watch.

cattleman's corner

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

The Markets

The 2017 market has flickering bright lights Lower retail prices help to fuel increased beef demand

U.S. QUARTERLY BEEF PRODUCTION (MILLION POUNDS)

MARKET UPDATE Jerry Klassen

he price outlook for fed and feeder cattle prices has improved over the past month. First, beef production during the first half of 2017 will be lower than earlier anticipated. Second, offshore North American beef demand has strengthened in Southeast Asia due to lower exports from Australia. Third, Canadian exports of fed cattle and beef products will remain strong through the first half of 2017 due to lower U.S. imports from Australia and New Zealand. Finally, the weaker Canadian dollar and strong U.S. greenback continue to support Canadian export volumes. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $153 to $155 in mid-December, which was up nearly 20 per cent from the yearly lows back in September. Wholesale beef prices are percolating higher, encouraging the year-over-year increase in

Quarter

2013

2014

2015

Est. 2016

Est. 2017

6,172

5,868

5,664

5,935

6,165

6,517

6,183

5,857

6,087

6,290

6,608

6,179

6,068

6,468

6,750

6,420

6,021

6,109

6,550

6,735

Total

25,717

24,251

23,698

25,140

25,940

weekly slaughter levels. At the same time, we’re seeing a softening of retail beef prices, which has increased purchases at the meat counter.

IMPROVED MARGINS Margins throughout the beef production pipeline are coming back in line with traditional levels. Feedlot margins are now in positive territory with Alberta breakeven pen closeouts near $145. Given the positive margin structure, feedlots have been more aggressive on feeder cattle purchases in an effort to recoup some of the losses over the past year. Largerframe Simmental-based steers aver-

aging 550 pounds were trading for $197 in central Alberta, while Charolais-cross steers just over 600 pounds traded for $187 in the same region during mid December. Feed grain prices remain under pressure given the larger production of Canadian feed barley and feed wheat. A burdensome U.S. corn situation along with a sharp increase in South American corn production will continue to weigh on world feed grain prices. U.S. fourth-quarter beef production will finish sharply above yearago levels, however the USDA lowered production estimates for the

first half of 2017. Lower feedlot placements during the fall along with minor downward revisions for expected carcass weights have drastically altered the supply situation. First-quarter beef production is estimated at 6.165 billion pounds. Second-quarter beef production is projected to finish near 6.29 billion pounds, which is down from earlier projections of 6.6 billion pounds. The futures market is now starting to factor in a risk premium due to these lower production estimates. Pork production during the second quarter will also be at a seasonal low so the overall red meat price structure for the second quarter of 2017 is not bearish, but rather has a mildly friendly sentiment. The main point is that the production fundamentals for the first half of 2017 are not bearish from current levels but rather point to higher prices. However, beware during the third and fourth quarters of 2017. Feedlot operators will want to hedge their fall production in late

The 2017

March or early April because the futures markets will turn over during this time. Fed cattle prices have potential to make seven-year lows next fall given the surge in beef and pork production. The feeder cattle outlook for the first four months of 2017 is also quite positive given the healthy margin structure of finishing feedlots. However, the feeder market may start to turn lower in late April and May of 2017 as the market factors in a surge of third-quarter beef production. Next spring, cow calf producers will likely want to take some protection on their fall 2017 marketings because the latter half of 2017 will experience sharply lower fed and feeder cattle prices compared. GN Jerry Klassen is manager of the Canadian office for Swiss-based grain trader GAP SA Grains and Products Ltd. He is also president and founder of Resilient Capital, a specialist in commodity futures trading and commodity market analysis. He can be reached at 204-504-8339.

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cattleman's corner

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

pioneer remembered

Anderson recognized for a lifetime of contributions Lifetime rancher and longtime writer remembered

amily, friends, neighbours and livestock industry colleagues from across Western Canada gathered in Glentworth, Saskatchewan on December 10 to remember the life and times of Boyd Anderson, a respected rancher and leader in the Saskatchewan and Canadian beef cattle industries, who passed away Dec. 1, 2016 in Moose Jaw at age 96. Anderson, who had started ranching in about 1937 near Fir Mountain, about 170 km southwest of Moose Jaw, is well known as a longtime columnist for the Cattleman’s Corner section of Grainews starting in 1975. At the regional and national level, Anderson served as president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (1976-77), the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (1969-72) and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (1977-78) and as a

chairman of the Saskatchewan Beef Stabilization Board. Anderson also served as a delegate to the Saskatchewan and Canadian Federations of Agriculture and on several provincial agriculture advisory committees. Among the accolades Anderson received over a lifetime in the industry were the Centennial Medal (1967); an honourary doctor of laws degree from the University of Saskatchewan; an honorary membership in the Northern International Livestock Hall of Fame; an honour scroll from the Saskatchewan Livestock Board (1984); induction in the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame (1987) and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (1997); and membership in the Order of Canada (1999). Anderson also wrote three books, Beyond The Range: A History of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers

(1988), Grass Roots (1996), and Grass and Grain, a collection of his Grainews columns (2009). Anderson acquired his first quarter section in the Wood Mountain Uplands at age 17, and by age 20 was an established shortgrass sheep rancher.

He then served with the First Canadian Parachute Battalion during the Second World War, parachuting in June 1944 into France. He was wounded and, days later, captured and spent 10 months in a prison camp in Germany. “Did we do any good? We were out of action after two days,” Anderson wrote in Grainews in 2012. “However, it is believed by the military and other people that planeloads like ours and others confused the Germans so much that several divisions were held back from the front and thus our bridgehead at Normandy was made secure.” Returning to southwestern Saskatchewan, Anderson resumed sheep and cattle ranching with his wife Lorene, who passed away in 2007 at age 87. He was elected in 1946 to municipal council for the RM of Waverley, where he served 40 years, including 27 as reeve.

Anderson also ran in two provincial elections and federally as a Tory candidate in the Assiniboia riding in 1972, where he was defeated by NDP MP Bill Knight. Anderson also served as president of the Fir Mountain Co-op, Fir Mountain Hall board and Glentworth branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, and sat on the Fir Mountain United Church board. In his citation for the Order of Canada, he was also credited for helping to plan and build Waverley Gardens, a community skating and curling rink. In 2012, Anderson noted his 26 grandchildren and great-grandchildren were living and working “scattered over much of the world,” and noted that “even through the years when I was tied down to the ranch, I travelled when I could and I always wanted to see what was over the next hill.” GN

rancher diary

Cold weather arrives, feeding begins Heather Smith Thomas

NOVEMBER 20

ast Tuesday Andrea and I rode Sprout and Dottie up to the 320 even though it was windy and rainy. We made sure all cows were in the lower section and shut the gates in the division fence. If weather gets cold and troughs freeze or snow gets deep, the cows need to be in the lower part. They’ve eaten almost all the grass on the Baker Creek side, so it was time to shut the gates and lock them out of the canyon. That afternoon Michael, Carolyn and Nick tried to catch their five horses that spent the summer and fall on the 160-acre pasture. They want to move them to Cheney Creek for winter, but the horses were feeling sassy and didn’t want to be caught. They’ll move them another day. The heifer calves are climbing into the round bale feeder, walking on the hay with their dirty, manure-covered feet and pooping in the hay. We need to find a different way to feed them or keep them from getting through the slots into the feeder. Thursday morning was cold. I broke ice on the heifers’ water tank then let them drink it down to where I could dump and refill it. I plugged in the electric tank heater (using an extension cord from the barn). Friday was colder, so Andrea and Carolyn went up to the 320 on a four-wheeler to break ice on the big round tank.

NOVEMBER 26 Last Monday Rosalie’s heifer was in the feeder tromping on the hay. She’s the biggest heifer and when she tried to get out, her hips got caught and she was stuck. Carolyn, Lynn, Andrea, Dani and I used our combined strength to tip the feeder enough to change the angle and the heifer was able to pull free. We took the rest of the hay out of the feeder and spread it around in many small piles. Two days later, after they’d cleaned up the hay piles, we gave them another bale in the feeder — and I tied baling twines through the top portions of the slots so they couldn’t climb into the feeder. The cows have eaten most of the grass on the 320 so Tuesday Andrea and I rode Sprout and Dottie, and Carolyn met us up there on her four-wheeler. We called and gathered the cows, and took them down to the road pasture along the upper place. There’s a lot of grass for them there, if it doesn’t snow under.

DECEMBER 6

The heifers managed to stretch the baling twines and started climbing into the feeder again, so Michael and Robbie welded metal bars across the tops of the slots so they can’t fit through. This is a better solution. We bought some barley hay (big square bales) from a neighbouring rancher. His son and hired man delivered two semi loads and Lynn unloaded it with our tractor. He had to gather up five bales along our driveway that tipped off the first load because it wasn’t strapped on. They delivered two more loads to

the upper place (for Michael’s cows) the next day, and used straps on that truck to hold the hay. We’re glad they were able to haul it before our roads got bad. It snowed the next day, so that was good timing. The white-tail deer are hitting our haystacks. Lynn and Robbie put plastic netting around the hay again. Yesterday was colder, down to -18 C last night. I sorted our Christmas tree ornaments and gave some to Michael, Andrea, and some for Michael and Carolyn to take to Heather and Gregory in Canada for their first Christmas.

DECEMBER 18 Michael, Carolyn and Carolyn’s mom drove to Handel, Sask. a week ago Wednesday to visit Heather and Gregory a few days and take Christmas gifts. It was the first time they’d been there and enjoyed a tour around their grain farm, and enjoyed visits with Gregory’s family. Nick stayed home to do chores while they were gone. The day they left for Canada was cold and snowy. Nick broke ice on the creek for the cows to drink. Some of the cows weren’t grazing; the only grass left is high on the hill and snow is getting deep. Andrea and Robbie loaded little bales on the blue flatbed truck and we feed in the wild meadow. The cows were grateful! We had a flat tire on the way home, and stopped at Michael’s house to use his tools to change it. The next day was even colder so we gave the cows a full feed. Lynn and I helped Nick feed one of the big barley hay bales that was already on Michael’s feed truck (they planned ahead and left it loaded with hay in

photo: Heather Smith Thomas

Cattle are sorted, processed, brought in close for the winter

Granddaughter Dani helps her grandfather Lynn deliver feed to cattle as winter feeding begins in earnest.

case we had to start feeding while they were gone to Canada). Last Friday Nick lured all the cows up into the corral with Michael’s feed truck (that still had one big bale on it). Nick and Lynn fed half that bale in the wild meadow while Robbie, Andrea and I sorted cows. We brought ours down the road two miles. They followed Andrea and Robbie in the old blue truck while Lynn and I followed behind them in our truck down to heifer hill. So now we’re feeding hay. We planned to sort the cows into two groups for winter so we would feed the young ones separately and delouse them, but we had snowstorms for several days. Saturday was predicted clear and cold, so Friday Lynn took a bale feeder to the swamp pasture, and a big round bale of oats and peas. We loaded a big barley hay bale on the feed truck for the next day, and brought a straw bale around for the weanling heifers to bed on.

Saturday morning the temperature was -26 C, but a little warmer after the sun came up. Robbie put chains on our feed truck so we can get around better in the 14-inch deep snow. We shovelled snow away from gates in the corral, and brushed snow off the poles of the alley to the chute so snow wouldn’t fall on the cows when we put them through the chute to delouse them. They need to be dry for pour-on application. After we deloused them, we sorted them into their winter groups. Now the young cows can get their share of food and won’t lose weight before they calve. It got cold again last night, down to -26 C before midnight, but warmed up a little this morning. We’re not as cold as Saskatchewan, however. It was -42 C yesterday at Heather and Gregory’s farm. GN Heather Smith Thomas is a longtime Grainews columnist who ranches with her husband Lynn near Salmon, Idaho. Contact her at 208-756-2841.

cattleman's corner

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

dealing with winter

Options for keeping winter water open BY HEATHER SMITH THOMAS

roviding adequate stock water can be a frustrating challenge during colder months. Having adequate water and keeping it ice-free is not a simple task. In some pastures, water availability is also an issue. Trey Patterson, CEO of Padlock Ranches in Wyoming, says one of the challenges is keeping water thawed. “If you have multiple groups of cattle in various locations and have to chop ice, it can be labour intensive,” he says. “You need a system in which drinking water stays open. We have a combination of systems on our ranches. In some areas we simply chop ice. We don’t have enough labour to do that on every water source, so one of the water systems we’ve developed in pastures where winter cattle is a well that runs into a linear water line. Along that line there are several stock tanks. These are concrete tanks, buried in the ground.

This takes advantage of ground heat, to keep the water a little warmer so it won’t freeze." For winter watering, herdsmen open a portion of each tank, and the rest is underground and partially buried and mounded over the top. There’s a lid on the tank if they need access to work on the float if needed. Even if some ice develops on the front (open) part, the water underneath is warmer — there isn’t a foot of ice to chop. These tanks face south to catch more sun and also painted black. “We also have some stock tanks above ground and use propane heaters to keep the water from freezing,” he says. “These basically work like a furnace. You can haul propane bottles or big propane tanks out to these tanks.”

DUGOUTS Some ranches depend on ponds or dugouts for winter water. These water storage areas can supply stock water all winter, but often they freeze over, requiring daily ice-breaking along the edge for cattle to have access to water.

Sometimes cattle walk out on the ice and fall through and drown. The Padlock Ranch winters a lot of cows on dryland pastures, and some of those pastures rely on ponds/reservoirs for stock water. Patterson says when weather is very cold and they are chopping ice at the edge of a reservoir, pond or even a small stream, the ice gets thick and water levels change. “The ice may be clear down into the mud,” he says. “You have to make sure you are getting through the ice into adequate water, so cattle can get a drink of water that’s out of the mud. “What used to be the bank has changed because the water has receded and you are working farther out. Cattle have to walk on the ice to get to the water. It can be risky as cattle may fall through the ice during a thaw.” One of the things they’ve done with ponds where they have to chop the ice back farther and farther to reach water is to fence off the pond. They use a battery-powered charger, and put the electric fence across the

photo: Heather Smith Thomas

Water supplies need to be reliable but also safe

A number of heating systems can be used to keep water open and available to cattle during winter.

corner of the pond or reservoir. They pound posts on either side of the pond to carry the electric wire. “With the rest of the pond/reservoir fenced off, the cattle only have access to the 10 or 15 feet where you want them to water,” he says. “This allows you to break ice in that location, get the ice away from the mud, with adequate access to water. You can always move the fence if you need to,

but it keeps cattle from getting farther out where they might fall through. “Sometimes we learn these solutions the hard way. Nobody wants to see a bunch of healthy cattle fall through the ice and drown, so we came up with this solution.” GN Heather Smith Thomas is a longtime Grainews columnist who ranches with her husband Lynn near Salmon, Idaho.

DAIRY CORNER

Pre-weaned calves need extra water Satisfying thirst also promotes good dry calf starter intake By Peter Vitti

eeding milk replacer or whole milk does not provide enough water for growing pre-weaned dairy calves. Young calves have a natural requirement for water which is often higher and separate than what is provided by most milk-based feeding programs. By providing all the water needed, calves adapt to dry calf starter quicker, grow faster and ideally can be weaned at an earlier age and at heavier weights. I recommend clean, good-quality water should be made available at all times in addition to their whole milk or milk replacer diets. The daily water intake by an average pre-weaned dairy calf is roughly 10 per cent of its bodyweight. The actual amount of water drunk depends upon a host of factors such as calf age, diet, health status, stress level, type of housing, sanitation, environment and water quality. For example, a 90-lb. dairy calf housed outside in a hutch and sunning itself at comfortable temperature of 10 C and 65 per cent humidity requires about four litres of clean water (re: 90 lbs. x 10% / 2.2). Based on this guideline, the accompanying chart shows the amount of milk replacer a calf would need to meet its basic water requirement. As a dairy nutritionist, I know more milk replacer (or whole milk) is needed solely to meet the basic water requirement of pre-weaned calves than recommend by many

conventional milk feeding programs. I know of many dairy producers who feed a maximum of four to six litres of milk replacer per day (plus supplemental calf starter) without extra water until weaning. In theory they could raise bettergrowing calves without changes to their feeding program, if only they would provide extra water on a freechoice basis. Case-in-point: A 1999-2000 research study conducted at the APC Calf Research Unit in Ames, Iowa tested water consumption in 120 newborn Holstein bull calves. The researchers offered “extra water” to each calf on a daily basis in addition to about four litres/day of a milk replacer diet. They reported many consistent results that demonstrates the importance of extra water made available for pre-weaned calves. Highlights of their findings include: • The “total water” (milk replacer plus extra water) balances out to about six to eight litres consumed by each pre-weaned calf per day; the more liquids fed by milk replacer means less “extra water” is drunk and the vice versa is also true. One can assume the calves’ total water requirement to maintain life-giving functions are achieved. • Water consumption is very much correlated with dry calf starter intake. These researchers stated that increased daily starter intake accounted for more than 60 per cent of the variation recorded in increased water intake. According to Penn State University; as soon as a young calf readily accepts dry calf

starter, its rumen development is accelerated, which leads to superior growth rates and promotes early weaning. • Natural water consumption among calves varies greatly. The actual amount of total water required by each dairy calf differs, because of the large number of factors associated with the need for water.

KEEP IT CLEAN Dairy producers should also practice good water hygiene by regular cleaning of all buckets or troughs for young dairy calves. One Utah State University field trial recorded a nine per cent better growth rate in preweaned calves drinking from pails that were cleaned every day as opposed to cleaned every two weeks. Similarly, algae growth tends to be a summer problem that can be alleviated by a daily scrubbing of calf pails, troughs and any drinking devices. Given the chance, pre-weaned calves may drink a lot of clean water in addition to their whole milk or milk replacer diet. However, satisfying this thirst also promotes good dry calf starter intake, which in turn encourages good rumen development and may advance their age of weaning. When good-growing dairy calves are not bawling for more water, they are off to a good start and they might just become the most profitable cows on the dairy farm. GN Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-2547497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

Producers could raise better-growing dairy calves without changes to their feeding program, if only they would provide extra free-choice water

cattleman's corner

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Anyone can start farming

Repairs can be a great learning experience Debbie Chikousky

ost farmers we know from Alberta to Ontario spent the fall of 2016 stalled out, due to either weather and field conditions or major machinery breakdowns. For some it was both. For us, the weather being what it was made it a lot less stressful because with our John Deere 3020 torn into pieces in our front yard, our farm was stalled out. My expertise is more in the areas of livestock care and sewing, but this tractor repair has been fun. My dad used to tell me that the only reason a person couldn’t do a new thing was because they hadn’t tried. There was no such word as “can’t.” I have thought about that a lot in late fall while staring at random pieces of our tractor's engine my son has been bringing in the house to show his dad. Amassing knowledge and helpful tools has been interesting too. A very important part of learning what to do was getting the use of a John Deere 4000 Series service

manual (SM-2039). Although a 4020 has six cylinders instead of the four cylinders on our 3020 it was very helpful. We also borrowed shop manual No. JD-53. This is where all the clearances and other specifications were found, without which the tractor cannot be put back together. An area that proved to be a bit of a challenge was reinstalling the pistons after changing the connecting rods. We found this video very helpful when learning how to properly use a piston ring compressor tool h t t p s : //w w w.y o u t u b e . c o m / watch?v=kzUAhLkVd5w. On this video it is made very clear that the piston ring end gaps needed to be offset. The gaps must not line up. Plus there can be no carbon on the sleeve or top of the piston. All this was done but a ring still broke. Thankfully the repair expert said only the rings on that particular piston needed to be replaced not in the whole engine. The only ring we replaced was the one we broke because we didn't replace any others — again, the repair expert thought this best. The logic behind this decision was that doing all the rings would have made that partic-

photo: Debbie Chikousky

No one hopes for a piston repair, but figuring it all out teaches some life lessons

Using the coloured paper gauge to measure the plastigauge piston ring gap.

ular piston have a different compression than the rest of the engine. The package insert was very helpful.

The procedure First identify which ring is needed: 1. Top ring — keystone-shaped ring, letter “C” towards the top of the piston. 2. Second ring — rectangular ring, letter “C” and the word “top” towards the top of the piston, bevel towards the top of the piston. 3. Oil control ring — place spring in the groove and join ends with the

latch wire. Install ring over spring in the groove, making sure the spring end is opposite the gap. The piston rings end gaps must be staggered as follows: 1. Top ring gap — towards the rear of the engine 2. Second ring gap — towards the front of the engine 3. Oil control — towards the rear of the engine ring gap. Another very important tool for this repair job was plastigage — a measuring tool made of strips of soft material and used for measuring plain bearing clearances. We used plastigage to determine the connecting rod bearing clearance. It is very reasonably priced at less than $10 per package for the red plastigage. Using it can make the difference between successful connecting rod bearing replacement and a wrecked engine. The proper bearing clearance specification for the John Deere 3020, according to the shop manual JD-53, is between .0015 and .0045 inches. This is determined by placing a small piece of the plastigage on the fresh bearing. Install the bearing on the journal to

the proper torque specifications, which for this tractor are 100-110 foot pounds, then remove the connecting rod bearing and, using the gauge on the side of the package, determine the thickness of the squished plastigage. If this measurement doesn’t match the specified parameters then the options would be a different connecting rod bearing or having to turn the crankshaft so that the available connecting rod bearing will work. In the old days there were many more sizes than now. When this all started the popular opinion was that we hoped to never have to pull apart a tractor like this again. The number of parts that had to be taken off this tractor and put back on has provided a huge learning experience for our son, which he will carry for life. It hasn’t just been learning about tractor parts it has been learning how to not lean on his own understanding. GN Debbie Chikousky farms with her family at Narcisse, Manitoba. Visitors are always welcome. Contact Debbie at debbie@chikouskyfarms.com.

Better Bunks and Pastures

Poor corn residue may need supplement Peter Vitti

n the last few years, many beef producers have taken advantage of corn residue as part of their cow herd’s overwintering feeding program. It’s a low-cost feed and for the most part, because early-gestating cows are allowed months of grazing without much trouble. Unfortunately, this wet fall has presented many challenges in feeding lower-quality corn residue and in displaying a likely chance of serious mould contamination. Different feeding strategies should be in place as the winter progresses. The nutrient value of corn residue should compare to other lowcost feeds, including similar standing corn fed to overwintering beef cows. Good corn residue is very comparable to wheat or barley straw and can support the nutrient requirements of gestating beef cows with the right amount and type of nutrient supplements. Specifically, early- to mid-gestation cows need to consume about 52-55 per cent TDN and eight to nine per cent crude protein feed daily for body maintenance, to keep warm and to support an early-term fetus. Over-

wintering pre-calving cows need about 55-60 per cent TDN and nine to 11 per cent crude protein to also maintain body condition, to survive winter, support a late-term fetus and to get ready for calving. Earlier this winter I walked into a few corn residue fields being grazed by cattle. The corn leaves left over from harvest looked like straw, cornstalks snapped like kindling and the dropped cobs had corn kernels; either hard pebbles or were mushy. These observations only confirm my belief that this fall's wet weather produced corn residue of lower nutrient value. I also expect such limited nutrition will decrease further as the winter progresses. That’s because beef cows are selective feeders and tend to graze only the most palatable portions of the corn residue first and leave the worst parts until they absolutely are forced to eat it. Winter weather also plays havoc with corn residue and thereby tends to degrade all existing plant material.

SUPPLEMENTS AVAILABLE The good news is that there are many energy and/or protein feed supplements available, which should complement overwintering cow feeding programs based upon grazing low-quality corn residue. For example, many producers across Western Canada have access

photo: peter vitti

The wet fall and can reduce feed quality of corn residue, create mould

Wet fall conditions can lead to mouldy corn cobs and residue in the field which can be harmful to grazing cattle.

to dried distillers grains, which is both a good energy and protein feed; 75 per cent TDN and 28 per cent crude protein. Adding four lbs. of DDGS can raise a diet of 23 lbs. of corn residue from five to eight per cent protein and supply enough dietary energy for early and midgestation cows. Only because this is a challenging year for feeding corn residue, I would make sure an increase in the plane of nutrition is put in place for

the late-gestation or pre-calving cows. I would do this by substituting a portion of their corn residue diet with an adequate-quality forage. For example, I would provide a grass hay or mixed grass-alfalfa mixtures with an energy TDN of 55-60 per cent TDN and protein level of 11-12 per cent. Some beef producers roll out bales of this better-quality forage right onto corn residue pastures. Cold weather in January and February will further increase energy demands for overwintering cows just to keep warm, regardless of corn residue quality. An additional 0.51.0 kg of grain or DDGS should be provided. It is also important to purchase a well-balanced beef mineral with complementary levels of calcium and phosphorus, fortified with essential trace minerals and vitamins A, D, and E.

WATCH FOR MOULD In addition to lower feed quality, this year’s corn residue was very susceptible to mould growth. In a few fields, I have seen corn leaves that were dotted with blue spots (penicillium mould?) and leftover corncobs with blue-green patches or furry white coats. Fortunately, most beef cows should stay away from mouldy feeds because infected corn is less palatable than available clean residue.

Then again, if the whole field is littered with mouldy corn cobs, stalks and leaves, gestating beef cows may have no choice but to eat contaminated feed, which can lead to a substantial reduction in feed/ nutrient intake. Significant mould levels will also lower feed digestibility as well as reduce energy and protein feed content. At their worst, some moulds such as penicillium can produce potent toxins called mycotoxins, which can induce abnormal metabolism, damage organs, infertility and literarily shut down the cattle’s entire immune system that fights disease. Awareness of such mould contamination or of general lowerquality corn residue after a wet fall is a big leap forward in assuring that gestating beef cows remain healthy and meet their overwintering nutrient requirements. The next step is to take appropriate actions; avoid mouldy “hotspots” in corn residue fields as well as supplement essential dietary nutrients where needed. If you do this, you should be able to stop and enjoy the practical and economic benefits of feeding corn residues to your beef cows. GN Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-2547497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

home quarter farm life

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

SEEDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Managing brothers who behave badly on the farm Brothers are often competitive so here’s some tips on how to deal with that Elaine Froese

www.elainefroese.com

“

can’t believe that we have farmed together for over 25 years, and the fights between these two brothers farming just don’t stop!” says the exasperated farm woman who has had enough. This winter may be a good time to reflect on how you want things to be different at your farm. I think Dr. Michael Rosmann’s insight at http:// bit.ly/2gbsNxw will be an encouragement to you, and here’s my application of his tips as a farm psychologist. Brothers are typically competitive. How can you mange that? 1. Learn from each other. You each bring different skill sets to the operation, so how about having a learner mindset rather than a judger one? What can you take responsibility for to change? 2. Share your deepest needs and don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. I have seen bachelor brothers

clam up and not talk. I have witnessed a next-generation farmer longing for a leg up from an heirless uncle who just doesn’t want to help his brother’s family. UGH! People cannot read minds. Start exploring new possibilities about how each brother’s family can be a support to the other, and have a formalized meeting about the farm business plan, and the succession path you hope to take. Be civil in your conversations. 3. Honour each other at family gatherings. Be family. Love one another. Love is a much healthier choice than hate. Seek out a mental health worker or therapist if there are deeper issues that need healing. When you die you will not be remembered for the size of your tractor or wheat yields. Celebrate the family bonds that make you rich in relationship. 4. Affirm each other’s strengths. Say, “I am proud of what we have created together. You are an amazing… (fill in the blanks) and I appreciate your contributions to our success. Things are shifting now, and we need to face the fact that we are

not getting any younger! What is best for our family, and what is best for our farm business?” 5. Embrace diversity. You might not have the same core values with your brother, and that is what is fuel-

three brothers recognized that their adult farming sons would not work well together, so they separated. This is OK, as long as a plan is well thought out, proactive, and all the emotion in the process is recognized.

This winter may be a good time to reflect on how you want things to be different at your farm ling discord. I have often seen incompatibility in the work ethic or amount of work one brother is willing to keep performing compared to the “lazy” brother. Talk about your disappointments and don’t let resentment continue to build. Address the issues! 6. Separate, or have a plan to, before you arrive at that desire. As you age and reassess what is really important in your life, you might want to let go of your business partnership and create a new structure for the farm. I have seen this work wonderfully when

Unresolved family conflict between two aging farm partners who are brothers is a common theme of my coaching work. You might want to read Cain’s Legacy, by Jeanne Safer, or the book Emotional Blackmail, by Susan Forward for more insights. It saddens me when farm families are stuck in angst and conflict. What steps can you take today to have better harmony between brothers who farm together? Some of you who are sisters in the mix of partnering with your brothers may

also be experiencing the same frustrations with competitions and values that are out of sync. In my seminars I have many audiences that have more than one successor, so there are several young farmers looking for benevolent uncles to create room for them. Whatever your scenario looks like on your farm, start reaching out for help to change your current reality. Go to www.elainefroese.com to explore my farm family tool box which is a download to help you. Reach out to your advisers if it is time to start planning an amiable separation. Stop hurting each other with nastiness, and choose to embrace responsibility for your behaviour. Protect your family farm legacy. Treat your brother right. Love one another. GN Elaine Froese empowers families to get clarity in their communication of expectations and create timelines that will secure the legacy of the farm. Visit www.elainefroese.com/contact. Come see her at Farm Tech!

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home quarter farm life

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017 exercises

KATMAH TRAINING

Low back pain common in farmers

Here are three exercises to try, to begin conquering low back pain (without medications!).

High incidences due to the mix of manual labour and seated positions in most ag jobs BY KATHLYN HOSSACK

ow back pain — one of the world’s most prevalent musculoskeletal complaints. A study done in 2010 estimated that 21.7 billion people are affected globally per year from some form of low back pain, usually attributed to a work-related cause. The highest relative risk factor, according to the study, was agriculture-related work. Not surprising,

given the mix of manual labour and seated positions in most ag jobs. Whether it’s rice farmers in the oceania, grain farmers across the world, hog/dairy/beef/equine workers, or tobacco farmers in Brazil, there’s high incidences of low back pain within the population. It’s most commonly caused by poor movement habits, postural deficiencies, long periods of immobility, repetitive movements or a combination of all of these. If you’re suffering from acute low back pain that is severe or new to

you, seek advice from your doctor, athletic therapist, physio, kinesiologist or movement professional as soon as possible. Pain is there to tell you something, not to be ignored. Eating right, moving right, and using appropriate stretches, heat, and ice will be key in managing your back pain. Consulting your local movement professional and having

an assessment done is the best way to prevent or treat your pain. GN Kathlyn Hossack is an athletic therapist from Winnipeg. She owns and operates Katmah Training, a mobile therapy and education service focused on preventing and rehabilitating injuries and chronic pain. She can be reached at katmahtraining@gmail.com.

Integrative Movement & Katmah Training is designed to help ALL humans from all backgrounds reach their health goals. Visit katmahtraining.com.

• Wall Angels — This exercise isn’t directly designed for the low back but indirectly has shown some amazing results, targeting the postural muscles in the upper back and shoulders and correcting position malfunction in the lower back. Leaning against a wall with your feet about a foot in front of you and knees slightly bent, tilt pelvis so that the entire spine is touching the wall from hips to shoulders. Bring arms to touch the wall. If your back pops off the wall here, correct before continuing. If you are unable to keep the arms flat against the wall, straighten them in front of you instead. Slide the arms up and down the wall, or up and down in front of you keeping shoulders active. Repeat 10 times, doing frequently throughout the day. You’ll feel the muscles between the shoulder blades working, but this helps to stretch the low back and correct posture through the entire spine.

• Cobra — This exercise reverses the flexion motion — which anyone working in manual labour will do a lot of. Laying on your front, using your arms, push yourself up to the level that feels comfortable and lower down. Breathe in as you move up, and exhale as you come down. Repeat 10-15 times, and do as many sets daily as you’d like.

JANUARY 17–19, 2017

KEYSTONE CENTRE

BRANDON, MB. visit AGDAYS.COM for full show details

• McGill Curl-Up — This exercise will strengthen the core. The key point is not to suck in but brace the muscles in the torso by pushing them out or bearing down. Laying on your back with one knee bent and opposite arm overhead, pushing or bracing the core muscles (you should feel the abdominals “pop” into your hand at the hip as if you were laughing vigorously or coughing). Curl the chest off the ground, with core activation. Repeat this movement 10 times/side three times daily. Practise the brace throughout daily movements as well (such as lifting, bending, twisting) and notice a decrease in low back discomfort.

home quarter farm life

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

Swiss Rösti

PRAIRIE PALATE

The mysterious potato Amy Jo Ehman

ne summer day I was picking potato bugs in my little patch of community garden when a young mother came along with a babe in a stroller and another on the way. She asked what I was doing and a conversation ensued: Her: “Where do you get the potatoes?” Me: “I got these potatoes from a friend. They’re fingerlings.” Her (perplexed): “But where do you get the potatoes?” Me (perplexed): “The potatoes are underground. You dig them in the fall.” Her: “Cool!” We both learned something that day. As for me, I learned that not everyone grows up planting and picking (and sprouting) a farm-sized garden patch of potatoes. Which got me

thinking, the potato is a mysterious thing. In the wild, the potato is bitter and toxic. Over many centuries, and perhaps millennium, the farmers of the high Andes used selective breeding to produce many varieties of potatoes that won’t make you sick. How exactly does that happen? “Here, junior, try this one. How do you feel? Oh, OK, back to the drawing board…” When the potato arrived in Europe (with the Spanish explorers) no one would eat it. Doctors warned the potato could cause leprosy and gout because it looked like it had leprosy and gout. Clerics called it ungodly because it wasn’t mentioned in the Bible. The famous French gourmand Brillat-Savarin dismissed it out of hand, “I know of nothing more eminently tasteless.” In 1748, the parliament of France passed a law against eating a potato of any kind.

Yet it was the French who rescued the potato. Around the year 1770, the humble potato won a competition to identify the best “food substances capable of reducing the calamities of famine.” French nobility adopted the potato, serving fancy dinners with potatoes in every course. Marie Antoinette was apparently very fond of them. Perhaps if she had said, “Let them eat spuds,” she would still have her head. There’s a story that the royal potato patch was watched by armed guards for the express purpose of hoodwinking the peasants into making off with some in the middle of the night, thus overcoming their deep suspicion of the spud. Nutritionally, a potato eaten with a bit of dairy has all the nutrients we need to live. An acre of potatoes is four times more productive, in terms of calories, than an acre of wheat. Peasants who embraced the potato grew healthier and lived

longer than they did on a traditional diet based on grain. It’s a sad twist of history that, because the Irish ate more potatoes than anyone else, there were naturally more of them to suffer from the loss of them during the Great Potato Famine of 1845. Nowadays, the potato is the most consumed vegetable in North America. We eat more potatoes in Canada than all other fresh vegetables combined. It’s dinner central around the world. Thus we have potato perogies, shepherd’s pie, potato salad, poutine, colcannon, curry aloo, latkes, lefse, raclette, gnocchi, samosas, spudnuts, tartiflette, vichyssoise, french fries and this Swiss-style hash brown called rösti. GN 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

Once thought of as toxic it’s now the most consumed vegetable in North America

Leftover baked or boiled potatoes 1-2 green onions, sliced (optional) Salt and pepper Vegetable oil Grated cheese of any sort Peel and grate the potatoes. Mix with green onions and season with salt and pepper. Pour a sheen of oil into a frying pan and bring to medium-high heat. Press the potatoes into the pan. Fry the potatoes until the bottom is brown and crispy, then turn them over and fry the other side until crispy. Sprinkle on the cheese. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave a few minutes until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

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home quarter farm life

Grainews.ca / january 10, 2017

SINGING GARDENER

Wireworms in garden potatoes and some controls Ted shares emails plus first full moon for 2017 arrives January 12 Ted Meseyton

WIREWORMS IN RED POTATOES An email from (F. K.) in late October 2016 reads: “Hi Ted, I always look forward to receiving Grainews and go to the back page to read your column. Several issues ago, you wrote about ‘wireworms’ in potatoes. Well, this year my red-skinned potatoes are loaded with them. Had to get rid of all my red potatoes because by the time you finished cutting out all the ‘bores,’ there wasn’t much left of the potato. My ‘white’ potatoes, grown right next to the reds, were OK with only three or four worms in about 30 hills. I have several questions for you. Where do these worms come from? Are they dangerous to your health? And finally, how do I prevent from getting them next year? Hope you have a solution to this problem. Thank you. (Name withheld by request) Emerson, Man.

TED’S TWO CENTS’ WORTH It appears wireworms have a preference for red potatoes when a choice is available. You’ve heard the expression, two heads are better than one. Some info and the

photos: COURTESY ROB SPENCER

e’ve said goodbye to our shortest day and already the sun is projecting a stronger face. Back when I was a DJ there were two turntables in the control room studio, each capable of playing 78s, LPs and 45s. While one song was going out over the airwaves, another tune was already cued, waiting its turn to be aired. Got a load of words already cued to share on the subject of wireworms in potatoes. Had to do some digging (maybe I should say research) relative to said subject. My special thanks to Robert (Rob) C.J. Spencer, commercial horticulture specialist with Alberta Ag-Info Centre for providing some helpful information. Aren’t we lucky we can read? Many times reading has inspired me to write songs including one titled: “I Love to Read.” Thanks to our teachers who taught us readin’ — writin’ — ’rithmatic. While I never went to a country school, they certainly existed in my area. Some eventually became a home or district hall. I’ve always admired the ability of country school teachers and met a few over the years who taught Grades 1 to 8 in a single classroom. We owe all teachers — rural and city — great debts of gratitude. In a way this Grainews page is like a classroom of words. It’s good to have you among my reading audience. A tip of my hat signals welcome to all.

This trio of pictures shows the following: The top left is a mature wireworm. Hole on exterior surface of the whole potato (bottom left) is the wireworm’s entry point. To the right is an indication of damage inflicted on interior potato flesh.

pics from Robert C.J. Spencer came in handy. Damage inflicted by wireworms can be far reaching and not restricted to potatoes. They may also attack a host of garden veggies such as carrots, parsnips and peppers plus barley, wheat and other cereal grains. The adults are bullet-shaped click beetles, sometimes called snapping beetles, spring beetles or skipjacks. They are a cosmopolitan beetle family usually black, brown, tan or orange in colour and between onequarter to one-half inch long, characterized by their unusual click mechanism that can bounce them into the air. Clicking is mainly used to avoid predation, but is also useful when a beetle is on its back and needs to right itself. Click beetles are very good at “playing dead” to be less interesting to a bird or other predator, and will pretend such image for hours. Adults emerge in spring and lay eggs in soil near grass and other plants. Both adults and larvae hibernate in the ground during the winter. Hatched offspring live on dead plant material, do little damage in the early stage and can tolerate a period of starvation. Over a span of about four years they mature into wireworms with hard, flexible bodies reaching over an inch (three cm) in length. There are about 965 valid known species in North America and some have become serious agricultural pests. Damage is more severe in soil that has recently been converted from pasture or grassland. Wireworms burrow into seed potato pieces and developing roots and shoots, rendering potato plants spotty and weakened. They also feed on developing tubers. Entry is via three-mm-diameter holes made on exterior surface and by burrowing up to four cm deep. Holes will be lined with wound periderm tissue and tubers may be distorted. Such feeding can provide a point of entry for blackleg and Rhizoctonia diseases in potatoes. Rhizoctonia solani is a fungus that attacks tubers and underground

stems of potato plants, resulting in misshapen tubers and reduction of tuber numbers and size. Damage by wireworm feeding renders potatoes unmarketable. Any good or salvaged part on homegrown spuds may be eaten if desired. Here are some management controls to disrupt this pest in your potato patch. Tilling of soil while wireworm larvae are young can expose them to predators such as land seagulls, chickens and other birds. Ideally, thorough cultivation several times in fall exposes and destroys many larvae. Avoid planting potatoes into land that has recently been broken. Crop rotation to a different spot can reduce early larvae population development. They prefer cooler soil so wait until the temperature has warmed before planting potatoes.

OTHER CONTROLS Work a dusting of diatomaceous earth available at garden centres and animal feed supply outlets into the bottom of each planting hole. There are many made-at-home pestfighting strategies and here are a few. Sprinkle a thin layer of garlic powder (not garlic salt) OR mixture of black pepper and cayenne pepper OR dry cinnamon powder OR spruce tree needles OR plain baker’s wheat bran OR dried tea leaves into the bottom of each seed potato planting hole. Mix a batch of equal parts dry thyme and sage herbs and coat each piece of seed potato before planting. Stir in one cup white vinegar into a four-litre jug of water and pour a cupful over each planted seed potato then fill in the hole with soil. Keep a written record and determine what works best or doesn’t.

NEMATODES — THE GOOD KIND Consider introducing beneficial nematodes at planting time to attack and destroy soil pests. Nematodes can sometimes have a difficult time

battling against the tough skin on wireworms so timing and attention to weather and temperature are critical. Owning a soil thermometer is desirable. Beneficial nematodes are microscopic worms that attack and kill targeted pests, without affecting beneficial organisms. Nematodes have a limited shelf life so are kept refrigerated and shipped cool. They are easily applied from a watering can and continually reproduce, then spread out for long-term control. Your garden centre may want to order in nematodes on an individual basis due to refrigeration requirement. For more nematodes product information, availability and special shipping requirement contact: West Coast Seeds at Delta, B.C., phone 1-888-804-8820 and ask for Erika about Terranem, or Early’s Garden Centre, at Saskatoon, phone 1-800667-1159 and ask for Bob McHargue about Nemasys.

PEPPERMINT AND SAGE The following comes via email. “Was just reading about you eating peppermint and sage from the garden on Nov. 8, 2016 (see Grainews, Dec. 6, 2016). We just had our last feed of lettuce from the garden today (Dec. 2, 2016). My husband planted it in August and since the fall was so nice we were able to pick the last of it last week and kept it in the fridge. My husband plants lettuce and carrots in the fall before freeze-up. The lettuce is ‘Prize Head’ — our favourite. We seldom buy garden seeds. We keep our own seed as much as we can, including carrots and lettuce. Carrots produce seed the second (year) so we just plant a carrot from the previous year. I also have pea seeds that my grandparents brought from the old country ‘Belgium’ in the early 1900s. We just keep seed every year. The peas are a climbing variety and are similar to ‘snow peas’ but the shells are much more tender. I also still have some seed from Belgium

lettuce that was given to me a few years ago but don’t know if it will be viable anymore. It’s a soft head lettuce. We prefer the Prize Head. We don’t normally eat lettuce until this late in the fall but it being an exceptionally warm November and no grasshoppers this year, we were able to do so. Enjoy your column in Grainews. Take care. Rene and Marjorie Ricard. We live south of Baldur, in southern Manitoba. Sent from my iPad.”

FIRST FULL MOON OF 2017 It arrives on Thursday, January 12, 2017, just a couple of days after date of this Grainews issue. Some regional arrival times across the country are: St. John’s, N.L. 8:05 a.m.; Halifax, N.S. 7:35 a.m.; Toronto 6:35 a.m.; Winnipeg 5:35 a.m.; Regina 5:35 a.m.; Calgary 4:35 a.m.; and Vancouver at 3:35 a.m. All times are local. Farmers are looking forward to a successful growing season as are those of us who are gardeners. The following is one of my favourite expressions that could be totally relied upon at one time. “As the days lengthen, so the cold strengthens.” But here again, changing weather patterns may dispute that now. GN

This is Ted Meseyton the Singing Gardener and Grow-It Poet from Portage la Prairie, Man. Remember there are year-long 150th birthday celebrations going on across Canada throughout 2017. We’re a nation like none other. What are you doing as a gardener, farmer or whatever your profession to mark this momentous and historical year?

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