Farm forum fall2014

New InVigor hybrids can multi-task

farmforum.ca

BAYER CROPSCIENCE Supporting Canadian Farm Families Fall 2014 路 $5

OYF winner grows

50 CROPS

on 15 acres

TECHNOLOGY Next-gen canola: new traits, high yield

BUSINESS

Demand for canola remains strong

PRODUCTION Herbicide resistance is YOUR issue

FARM LIFE Happy days are here again

A strong pulse.

At the heart of plant health is a quality seed treatment. Trilex® EverGol™ seed treatment for pulses provides exceptional disease control and superior crop establishment.

Not only does Trilex EverGol provide exceptional protection from diseases like rhizoctonia and ascochyta, it also promotes overall plant health.

The result is a higher performing root system, increased biomass and faster emergence, regardless of disease pressure.

To learn more about Trilex EverGol, visit BayerCropScience.ca/Trilex

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

Always read and follow label directions. EverGol™ and Trilex® are trademarks of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

C-61-09/14-10249984-E

Publisher Bayer CropScience Editor Sherry Warner Associate Editor Dave Wreford Contributors Jennifer Barber, Phil Franz-Warkentin, Steve Larocque, Gerald Pilger, Clare Stanfield and Genesis Studio

Volume 28 / Issue 3 / FALL 2014

C OV E R S T O RY

Design/Production Farm Business Communications Farm Forum is published seasonally

by Bayer CropScience.

Contact Farm Forum at: Bayer CropScience Suite 200 160 Quarry Park Blvd SE Calgary, AB, T2C 3G3 T. 1 888-283-6847 F. 1 888-570-9378 E. farmforum@bayer.com www.bayercropscience.ca Contents of this publication are copyrighted and may be reproduced only with written permission of the publisher, Bayer CropScience.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40743517 Registered in Canada Copyright 2014

It pays to dream big OYF winner started vegetable farm from scratch 12

Website www.farmforum.ca Return undeliverable copies to: Bayer CropScience Suite 200 160 Quarry Park Blvd SE Calgary, AB, T2C 3G3

FA R M L I F E

Happy days are here again

On the cover Lydia Ryall is the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmers' program winner for the BC/Yukon region. She started her vegetable operation from scratch and now grows 50 crops on 15 acres.

T E C H N O L O GY

6

Next-gen canola combines new traits with high yield

PRODUCTION

18

Herbicide resistance is YOUR issue

24

Editor’s Note: It's time to start planning for next season

4

Demand for canola remains strong: despite smaller crop than expected

5

InVigor hybrid: with stacked LibertyLink/Genuity Roundup Ready traits is on its way

21

All volunteer canola is herbicide-tolerant: Bayer’s Pardner/glyphosate tank mix can help

27

100 years of seed treatment innovation in a single source

31

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

3

S H O R T TA K E S

Editor’s note

A look back on the 2014 season

S

teve Larocque is an independent crop advisor based in Three Hills, AB. He is a first generation grain producer and publishes Beyond Agronomy News, a leading edge crop production and grain market newsletter. Steve shared with Farm Forum, his take on the 2014 growing season:

“ The 2014 growing season started out with ideal soil moisture from a long awaited snow melt. Timely rains in late May helped produce one of the best stands of canola we’ve seen since 2008 across such a wide area. he rains continued through June but cooler temperatures T dominated which made herbicide timing a real challenge. The heat turned on in July which reduced the risk of sclerotinia but it came at a cost of yield potential with a rapid-fire flowering period.

We coasted through the pod fill stage with warm temperatures and very few insects. The greatest impact on yield potential this year was our split applications of nitrogen at bolting. We generated a 14 per cent yield increase in canola, which took us from 57 bu/ac to 65 bu/ac. he question now is how we fit split applications of nitrogen in the T future. I know there aren’t many of us looking for one more thing to do at herbicide timing. If we can repeat the gains we saw this year, I suspect we’ll find a way.”

—Steve

4

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

Now that the prairie landscape has changed from green through shades of yellow to mostly brown, winter is not far behind. That’s a signal to start planning for the season ahead.

With the new line-up of InVigor canola hybrids, you can now choose from among an ever-wider selection to find the best choice for your farm operation. Whether it’s pod shatter prevention to help protect your investment from severe weather events, agronomic traits built right into the seed to fight disease, better standability and lodging resistance, or simply higher yields, there is an InVigor hybrid for you. Turn to page 18 to find out more.

Although we haven’t seen the same level of herbicide resistance as our friends to the south, that doesn’t mean we should sit on our laurels. Herbicide resistance is every farmer’s issue and it’s best to be proactive.

Experts suggest that crop diversity and rotation through different herbicide chemistries are your best defence against herbicide resistance. Learn more in our story on page 24.

Our cover story introduces you to the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmers’ program winner for the BC/Yukon region.

This 20-something entrepreneur took a huge risk starting her own direct-tomarket vegetable operation and it paid off in spades. Cropthorne Farm now grows crops year round to supply seven farmers’ markets, a Community Supported Agriculture box program, local restaurants and the operator’s own farm stand.

Also in this issue, we bring highlights from one of Bayer’s six InVigor Drive In events held on the prairies this past summer. These family-focused celebrations featured lots of fun activities including a drive-in movie. They were Bayer’s way of thanking its farm customers and giving back to whole communities through the presentation of a $10,000 cheque to go toward a local initiative in each town.

—Sherry Warner

C O N S U LTA N T ’ S C O R N E R

Demand for canola remains strong

By Phil Franz-Warkentin The final numbers are still being tabulated, but when all is said and done the 2014/15 Canadian canola crop ended up considerably smaller than the record of the previous year. However, tighter supplies won’t necessarily translate into higher prices, as canola finds itself drowning in a global ocean of edible oils.

In a late-August report, Statistics Canada pegged the country’s 2014/15 canola production at 13.9 million tonnes, about four million tonnes behind the record of the 2013-14 crop year. In a separate report, StatsCan pegged ending stocks for 2013/14 at 2.3 million tonnes.

While that canola carryover was fourtimes larger than the previous year’s, average market expectations had been for even bigger stocks.

Demand remains strong for canola, as both Canadian and northern-tier U.S. crushers increased their capacity in recent years and international vegetable oil requirements continued to grow as well.

Canada exported more than 8.2 million tonnes of canola in 2013/14, according to the Canadian Grain Commission, and crushed 6.9 million tonnes domestically, according to the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association. Usage was up on both fronts, and early data for the 2014/15 crop year already suggests high demand once again.

The smaller crop and solid demand implies that the canola market will need

A steady summer slide 505.00

Op: 410.70, Hi: 416.40, Lo: 410.70, Ci: 413.60

500.00 495.00 490.00 485.00 480.00 475.00 470.00 465.00 460.00 455.00 450.00 445.00 440.00 435.00 430.00 425.00 420.00 413.60 410.00 405.00 5 0 –5 –10 –15

Feb. 14

March

April

May

to ration some of that demand, or risk running out of supplies. However, canola is not the only player, and any strength in canola may only be found in relation to other oilseeds.

The U.S. soybean crop is the most immediate outside influence on the canola market. In September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast the 2014/15 U.S. soybean production at a record 3.91 billion bushels (106.4 million tonnes). The big U.S. crop will be a

June

July

August

Sept.

damper on canola prices heading through the marketing year.

In addition to the big soybean crop, an even bigger anchor weighing on the world vegetable oil market is palm oil. In early September, futures prices for this tropical oil were trading at their lowest levels since 2009, and analysts warn that values could eventually go lower. FF — Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada.

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

5

FA R M L I F E

Happy days are here again

By Gerald Pilger | PHOTOS by genesis studio

Who would have guessed that a blast from the past would be such a great way to say thank you to a whole community. Bayer CropScience created its “InVigor Drive In” event — an oldfashioned rural fair capped off with an evening drive-in movie — and took it on the road this past summer to six prairie communities. And what a hit it was!

The idea of hosting a drive-in came from Bayer’s field staff who work with farm customers on a daily basis. Most company reps have farm backgrounds or family involved in farm and rural businesses, and they wanted Bayer to host an appreciation event that targeted all farmers rather than just a few big customers — an event that could be enjoyed by the entire farm family, says Blaine Woycheshin, Bayer’s InVigor Seed marketing manager.

6

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

The reps also wanted the entire community, not just farmers, to participate because they understand that Bayer’s success in western Canada extends beyond the farm gate, and that one of the biggest concerns for farmers today is the disappearance of rural communities. “We wanted everybody to come to the Drive In. It wasn’t just for farmers; it was a family event for the entire community,” says Woycheshin.

Once a fixture in most rural communities, drive-ins have all but disappeared. For most young people attending, this was their first time waiting for the sun to go down so they could watch a movie through the windshield of the family car. For older attendees, the drive-in brought back a flood of memories of an earlier, simpler time.

Blaine Woycheshin, InVigor Seed marketing manager for Bayer CropScience.

Bayer contracted Fresh Air Cinema to set up a large inflatable screen, along with an FM transmitter to send the audio to car radios in the six host communities: Glenboro, Manitoba; Avonlea, Blaine Lake and Quill Lake in Saskatchewan; and Killam and Trochu in Alberta. The InVigor Drive In locations were chosen from suggestions made by local Bayer staff.

For youngsters, there were lots of fun interactive activities including sack races, face painting, balloon animals and even a large, inflatable bouncy pirate ship. Bayer partnered with Harlan Fairbanks, a North American snack and beverage company, to provide free pop, water, popcorn, snow cones and cotton candy throughout the evening. And of course, the highlight for everyone was the presentation of The Lego Movie and Frozen on an outdoor, 40-foot drive-in screen.

Marlin Kary a farmer from east of Trochu brought his family to the Drive In. He described the event as “something new.”

He thought it was great that Bayer was supporting the Trochu community. His wife, Cori, added that the Drive In was really about everyone coming together, having fun and showing community spirit.

Dean Duquette farms west of Torrington, AB. He saw an ad for the InVigor Drive In in the newspaper and brought his family to Trochu for the movie. “This is great,” he said. “It is nice to see a company giving back to the community.” His wife, Christa, appreciated that the event made it possible to do something fun with the family.

Rob Humphris, from Australia, was in Alberta visiting family and attended the event. He said there might be corporate sponsored events like this in big cities in

Bayer's InVigor Drive In event was fun for the whole family.

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

7

Rob Humphris (left), visiting from Australia, took in the festivities with his son James and family.

Australia, but he knew of nothing like the InVigor Drive In in rural regions. He thought it was great that a company like Bayer would host a celebration for a community.

Trochu mayor Barry Kletke loved the event: “This is awesome!

It brings everyone out. It builds community spirit. Everyone is involved.”

The InVigor Drive In was a big hit in all six communities. “The Drive In is a great idea,” says Marcus Weidler, seeds business operations manager with Bayer.

“Companies always worry that a competitor will steal an idea.

Well, the Drive In is one idea I hope our competitors will steal — it’s all about giving back to the community and its focus is on people.” FF

On a personal note, the Drive In brought back some powerful childhood memories. I remember the first time my parents took me to a drive-in many years ago and the magic that the old wooden wall and the speaker hanging in the driver’s window created each time I went as a teen. »

8

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

The Drive In event offered lots of family-friendly activities including an inflatable pirate ship, face painting and sack races.

At the InVigor Drive In event in Trochu, AB, Bayer presented a $10,000 cheque to Friends of Troval to help build a fitness facility at the Trochu Valley School. Bayer donated $10,000 towards a local community initiative at each of the six Drive In events during the summer.

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

9

I also fondly recalled the community picnic we had every summer at the end of school — the sack and three-legged races and the peanuttoss that were held after lunch. I especially remember how the entire community happily gathered for the end-of-school picnic. The InVigor Drive In created the same sense of togetherness.

And more than anything, the Drive In reminded me of what, as a young farm boy, I remember as one of the most important days of the year.

It was the John Deere Day at our local theatre. On one late winter day, John Deere would bring a variety of cartoons and short vignettes to town.

Entire families would come out to be enthralled by the free entertainment and to see the new equipment John Deere was introducing that year. It was a farm boy’s dream. Bayer has recreated that special day without the sales punch!

— Gerald Pilger

10

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

Fresh Air Cinema crew from L to R: Jaspreet Sing, Justin Schneider and Callahan New.

Bayer helps communities help themselves In Trochu, AB, as part of the InVigor Drive In event, Bayer CropScience presented a $10,000 cheque to the Friends of Troval Society, a local charity. In fact, at each of the six InVigor Drive In events, Bayer provided a $10,000 cheque to go toward a local community initiative.

Kevin Hoppins farms northwest of Trochu and is President of the Friends of Troval. He explained the donation will be used to help build a fitness centre at the Trochu Valley School.

While the province had approved modernization of the school, there was not enough money available to build a larger gym and fitness centre the community wanted. So Friends of Troval set out to raise the additional funds so the health facility could be built.

“It’s designed for all ages and is a much needed resource for our seniors,” said Hoppins, adding that a school makes a community, so he really appreciates Bayer’s donation to Troval.

“We appreciate what Bayer is doing for the community. There is no other event like the Drive In.”

Kevin Hoppins President of Friends of Troval

David Lunn, prostate cancer survivor, volunteers with The Man Van, a mobile blood testing unit.

For men only

By Gerald Pilger

A

lso in attendance at the Trochu InVigor Drive In event was Combines for Cures, a program run by the Prostate Cancer Centre and designed specifically to reach rural areas with The Man Van, a mobile blood testing unit.

Bayer CropScience is a major sponsor of The Man Van, which travels throughout southern Alberta educating men and their families about prostate cancer and offering on-thespot baseline Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing.

David Lunn is a prostate cancer survivor and a volunteer who travels with The Man Van to many rural community events. He helps increase awareness of a disease few people talk about, but one that is a major killer of men.

Lunn is sure The Man Van is saving lives. He pointed out that at a recent stop, of the 60 men over age 40 who had their blood tested, 33 had never had a PSA test previously. He noted that four of the 60 tests revealed elevated PSA levels, a potential warning sign of prostate cancer. Those four men will now be offered follow-up testing through the Prostate Cancer Centre.

Hopefully, the early detection provided by the Combines for Cures program will minimize the risk, for many men, of dying from prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Centre’s The Man Van: www.farmforum.ca/themanvan

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

11

BUSINESS

It pays to dream big OYF winner started vegetable farm from scratch

By Clare Stanfield It’s rare to find a woman in her 20s willing to risk starting her own farm business from scratch. And while Lydia Ryall had the option to take over her parents’ successful greenhouse vegetable operation, she decided instead to start something new. It’s not that she didn’t like the greenhouse business, but the Delta, BC native yearned for something a little more, well … outdoorsy.

“I enjoyed being outside — haying and things like that,” Ryall says. She also watched as her parents got to the point where they spent more time in the office than on the front lines growing food. And she didn’t want that for herself, either, so she headed to Olds College in southern Alberta, to take its agriculture program.

“Not the hort program,” she laughs.

12

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

From there she went on to complete her BSc. in Agriculture at the University of Lethbridge. A few years spent working on a number of farms in Alberta and B.C. helped Ryall shape her thoughts about what she wanted out of this industry, as well as what she could give to it. So in 2009 she went back home, leased a corner of her parents’ property (three-quarters of an acre) and launched Cropthorne Farm, a direct-to-market vegetable operation.

And if you think that means she’s right back where she started, think again.

“I was just doing it myself at first,” says Ryall, who is the 2014 Outstanding Young Farmers’ program winner for the BC/ Yukon region. “Today, we have 15 acres, which I still lease from my parents, and we grow 50 different types of crop. We have three greenhouses, but try to grow as much as we can outside.”

 Lydia Ryall, 2014 OYF winner for the BC/Yukon region and owner of Cropthorne Farm in Ladner, BC, grows crops 12 months of the year to supply seven farmers' markets, an extensive Community Supported Agriculture box program, local restaurants and her own farm gate stand.

The greenhouses, along with tunnels, raised beds and row covers, allow Ryall to grow crops 12 months of the year to supply seven farmers’ markets, an extensive Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box program (see sidebar), and local restaurants as well as Cropthorne’s own farm gate stand, which runs June to October. Oh, and she also supplies eggs from a flock of 100 free-range hens roaming four acres of pasture.

With growth comes responsibility.

While Ryall manages the day-today operation, her sister, Rachel, looks after the farmers’ markets and marketing side of things. “We’re a really human powered operation,” says Ryall, adding that they have six full-time employees to help with everything from seeding to harvest.

“I have to be an HR manager. That’s a component of the business I had to

learn, and it was a definite struggle.”

Keep in mind that she’s not hiring people to drive combines. Her employees hand weed, hand harvest, wash and pack vegetables. They lug crates and set up market stalls where they are the face of the company she cares so much about. She pays them well and works right alongside them.

“I’m very picky about who I hire,” she says. “We work really hard and they’re just grinding it, sometimes starting at 7 a.m. and going to 6 at night. And I’m managing people older than me, or at least my age.” And those Ryall’s age are looking for more than an hourly salary. “They want perks,” she says. “They need to have their iPhone at work. They want flexible hours. And they want to be part of the culture.”

So Ryall makes sure that she is creating a culture they want to be part »

“Today, we have 15 acres … and we grow 50 different types of crop.

We have three greenhouses, but try to grow as much as we can outside” — Lydia Ryall

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

13

of, with rewards such as gifts of craft beer when sales targets are exceeded, and other celebrations throughout the year.

And those targets are substantial.

“I know my friends on the prairies need to gross about $300 to $400 per acre on average to make ends meet,” says Ryall. “On this kind of farm, we need to gross $30,000 an acre.”

Before she planted her first carrot seed, Ryall knew she wanted to seek organic status for her farm.

This decision was partly driven by her university education: “You take all these ‘agriculture and the environment’ classes and by the end, they make you feel the world’s in a huge mess,” she says. But it was also a solid business decision: “It’s an interesting time to be in the ag business — interest rates are low, organics are huge, local is huge. But soil-based farming is a business, no matter what the commodity.”

The stereotype around organic production is something Ryall has thought a lot about. She has no quarrel with conventional farming.

Indeed, she worked two summers for Bayer CropScience’s InVigor program. In her view, “agriculture” is a big tent with room for all.

“My parents farmed conventionally,” she says. “Every one of my college friends farms conventionally. All of my neighbours farm conventionally.

And I know that everyone is making decisions based on cost of production and the market’s willingness to pay for what they grow.

Everyone wants to be a good steward of the land because if you’re not, no one’s doing well.

“I feel that we’re fighting one another all the time, when there are enough things to battle against in just running our businesses,” she says.

“We’re all farmers,” Ryall adds.

“We’re all up at the crack of dawn.

There are so many commonalities; so many struggles but also gratifying moments like being able to farm with your kids. It doesn’t matter if it’s a grain farm, a dairy farm, or a vegetable farm — we’re all passionate about what we’re doing and trying to do it well. When you strip it all down, it doesn’t matter what the commodity is: a farmer is a farmer.” FF

14

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

Vegetables that sell themselves

Cropthorne Farm sells its produce to local farmers’ markets, local restaurants, through its farm stand and through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.

Community Supported Agriculture (sometimes called Community Shared Agriculture) programs work on a directto-consumer basis. Members pay a set fee at the start of each growing season for a share of the harvest.

Farmers get the benefit of cash flow at the beginning of the season, not to mention a guaranteed market. Members enjoy a weekly box of fresh produce — usually delivered to a central pick-up point. CSA systems mean consumers also share in the risk of food production.

Cropthorne Farm runs summer and winter CSA box programs. A full share, 16-20 weeks, of the summer program costs $440 to $550, depending on pick-up location, and consists of eight to 10 different vegetables such as beets, potatoes, carrots, and broccoli as well as some specialty crops like nappa cabbage and kohlrabi.

A small share ($294 to $368) contains five to seven different veggies. The winter box program runs for eight weeks (from November 1 to December 20), and costs $176. Cropthorne Farm freerange eggs are an add-on for those who want them. There are five summer pick-up locations and two winter locations.

Related Links: Cropthorne Farm: www.farmforum.ca/cropthornefarm

YOU DON’T HAVE TO CLEAN UP TO TAKE HOME THIS AWARD. No brass. No glam. No BS. Just a chance to give your hard work, honest sweat and commitment to Canadian agriculture the recognition it deserves. You’ll build your business, make connections and uncover new opportunities along the way. Nominate someone outstanding at oyfcanada.com.

National Sponsors:

oyfcanada.com National Media Sponsor:

10/14-36221 FF

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

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

Address the Elephant in the Field.

Take charge of resistance by making Liberty速 herbicide a regular part of your canola rotation.

As the only Group 10 in canola, powerful Liberty continues to effectively manage all herbicide resistance concerns for Canadian growers.

Unlock the yield potential of your InVigor hybrids with the exceptional weed control of Liberty.

To learn more visit: BayerCropScience.ca/Liberty

O-67-09/14-10249984-E

T E C H N O L O GY

Next-generation canola hybrids combine new traits with high yield

18

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

BY JENNIFER BARBER

PHOTO: BAYER CROPSCIENCE

A

fter the hot, sunny summer of 2014, Alberta canola growers were ready to harvest a great crop. By the end of the first week of September, canola fields were in swath over much of the province. Combining was under way. Expectations were high.

Then the snow fell. Lots of heavy, wet snow.

Unseasonal weather events seem to be happening more often during the month of September across the prairies. In 2012 high winds split and tore pods from countless canola fields, leaving the seeds — and profit — on the ground. But a new technology from the InVigor hybrid family is tailor-made for this kind of weather.

“When we planned for this year we knew it would be difficult to get everything swathed by early September,” says Glenn Muller, who farms at Hussar in southeastern Alberta. “So we decided to try InVigor L140P to give us more options at harvest. We knew we could spread our workload and leave the crop standing while retaining pod shatter protection against wind damage.

As things turned out, the weather in September was really bad, he adds. “It was a thick, heavy crop, but even where snow knocked over the plants, pods stayed in place where they should be.”

InVigor L140P has a patented pod shatter reduction technology to give growers greater flexibility by allowing them to delay harvest, or straight cut, while minimizing the risk of pod shatter from late season wind or high moisture. In addition, while a grower may choose this hybrid with the intention to straight cut, he can make a decision on whether to swath depending how the fall looks, how the crop is ripening or how the stand appears.

Because the crop had more time to ripen, Muller expects his InVigor L140P to get a higher bushel weight, as well as extra yield and lower green seed count. He applied a desiccant at about 70 to 80 per cent seed colour change. The plan was to harvest five days later, but because of wet weather he had to wait a few extra days to straight cut. No stranger to this practice — he currently straight cuts wheat and malt barley on his 6,000-acre farm — Muller feels confident that this flexible harvest timing will benefit both his yield and time management.

“InVigor L140P can pay for itself with its high yield potential, and by the possibility of removing a swather from the equation,” says Blaine Woycheshin, manager, oilseed crops, InVigor seed with Bayer CropScience Canada. “Right now less than 10 per cent of canola is straight cut, but as more growers look to get the most from their crop they find that delayed swathing and straight cutting have the potential for higher returns.” »

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

19

“We have lots of sclerotinia on the prairies and growers told us they wanted a hybrid that would help protect their canola from the very beginning” — Blaine Woycheshin BAYER'S INVIGOR SEED MARKETING MANAGER

InVigor L140P was one of four new Evolution InVigor hybrids introduced in limited quantities in 2014. Both InVigor L140P and InVigor L160S, the new sclerotinia-tolerant InVigor hybrid, represent a different way to choose what canola hybrid fits best on any specific farm. Both have specific agronomic traits built directly into the seed. With InVigor L140P, that means pod shatter reduction technology. With InVigor L160S, it means sclerotinia protection bred into the genetics of the seed.

Sclerotinia hits growers’ wallets hard. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, it cost the average Canadian grower just over $38,000 in 2012. Go back a year further, and nearly 80 million bushels were lost to the disease across the prairies, for a total estimated cost of almost $900 million.

“We have lots of sclerotinia on the prairies and growers told us they wanted a hybrid that would help protect their canola from the very beginning,” says Woycheshin. “This hybrid is the first defence in sclerotinia control as it has sclerotinia tolerance bred into the plant. And all four new Evolution InVigor hybrids have the next level of blackleg resistance bred into them, too.”

MORE OPTIONS FOR BIGGER YIELDS Bayer CropScience also introduced two mid-maturing hybrids this past growing season — InVigor L252 and InVigor L261. Both had exceptionally high yields in the variety trials, with noted standability and lodging resistance.

“So far we’ve been pleased with the performance of all four new Evolution hybrids,” says Woycheshin. “We had limited amounts of seed in 2014 and sales for all four hybrids exceeded our expectations. In Manitoba, for example, InVigor L252 was one of the top three canola hybrids seeded in the province.”

Muller seeded InVigor L252 as he was looking for a medium-height hybrid with mid-maturity. “We use a high level of inputs in our canola and decided if we were going to invest that much in a crop, we should chase high yields,” he says. “We seeded some to dryland and some on a single pivot, and despite a rough start with frost after seeding, the InVigor L252 caught up in a hurry and filled out really well.”

He said the crop was easy to swath and combine, staying nice and straight with no real lodging. “We had four hail storms on that field and the way it stood up to the hail was

20

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

PHOTO: BAYER CROPSCIENCE

AGRONOMIC TRAITS BUILT INTO SEED

Symptoms of white rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on canola.

really impressive,” adds Muller. “Yes, it took a beating but it looked much better than the wheat field across the way.

Pods weren’t knocked off and the crop was really dense. Our insurance adjuster said we had hail damage to 63 per cent on that canola field, but we still did better than 50 bushels/acre.”

High yield and standability are key selling features of InVigor L252 and InVigor L261. “Crop stand is one of the critical selection criteria when we develop a new hybrid,” says Allan Eadie, market development manager with Bayer CropScience. “When we trial new hybrids we look for those that will stand up against lodging. The feedback we received on all four new hybrids this year is that they were extremely easy to swath because of their uniform stands. Growers could just set their swather and go.”

Muller adds that his dryland canola also fared really well, despite a very dry and hot summer. He sprayed Proline for sclerotinia control, saw no signs of disease in the crop and had very few insects to contend with this year.

Woycheshin says all four new hybrids are finding a place on prairie canola operations because they answer needs that growers have identified. This kind of targeted technology offers an expanded choice of hybrids not only on a farm-byfarm basis, but on a field-by-field basis as well.

In 2015 all four varieties will be in full production to meet high grower demand. Full yield results for the 2014 growing season will be available online at www.invigorresults.ca FF

InVigor hybrid with stacked LibertyLink/Genuity Roundup Ready traits is on its way

By Jennifer Barber With Bayer’s full launch of the four latest Evolution InVigor hybrids in 2015, growers are already looking to the next big thing from a company known for innovation. While research into new hybrids is ongoing, look to the near future for InVigor hybrids that can multi-task.

“InVigor canola has a great reputation among growers, but not every hybrid will work on every field,” says Blaine Woycheshin, manager oilseed crops, with InVigor Seed at Bayer CropScience Canada.

“Our goal with the InVigor program is to develop a range of (alternatives) to meet individual growers’ needs,” he says. “Our next generation of hybrids will look to solve more than one problem by including multiple traits in a single hybrid.”

The next technological advancement expected from the InVigor lineup will be a hybrid with stacked LibertyLink/Genuity Roundup Ready traits. This product has been in development for several years and, pending regulatory approval, the goal is to get it into small-scale field demonstration trials in the coming year.

“This hybrid will offer everything a grower has come to expect from an InVigor hybrid and add in glyphosate resistance,” says James Humphris, manager oilseed crop traits with Bayer CropScience.

This will give canola growers even more flexibility, with postemergent, tough-to-kill perennial weed control, plus management of glyphosate-resistant weeds with Liberty herbicide, he adds.

While many InVigor fields already get a pre-season application of glyphosate, in years where the winter is late or spring is unusually wet, growers are often unable to schedule a pre-seeding burn-off. In these cases, the stacked hybrid allows growers to benefit from the weed control of both chemistries in-crop.

To create a stacked hybrid, researchers at Bayer CropScience

convey resistance to each herbicide into the hybrid, so the number one feature of this hybrid will be flexibility. It offers growers another option with the performance of InVigor, but with the additional flexibility to choose the herbicide resistance traits they need based on their specific situation.

“Having two modes of action tackling the same group of weeds will also work for resistance management, as you are less likely to leave behind resistant plants,” says Humphris. “As in the past, growers will need to consider their crop and herbicide rotation over a three or four year period and see how this will work into their resistance management strategy. This product may not work in every situation, but certainly can be a solution for weed control challenges of the future.”

With so many acres of canola seeded on the prairies today, volunteer canola management is a concern all growers must deal with in their cropping plans. An InVigor LibertyLink/Genuity Roundup Ready hybrid may not fit for every grower, but as glyphosate resistance continues to evolve, growers will have to reassess their current herbicide strategies, and this additional flexibility may be an excellent option.

While Bayer CropScience remains committed to its lead InVigor hybrids being tolerant to Liberty herbicide only, the company is also looking at stacking other agronomic traits. “With the technological advancements available today, we should soon be able to evolve our hybrids — for example, have both clubroot and sclerotinia resistance, or advanced blackleg resistance, combined with pod-shatter technology,” says Woycheshin.

“A lot will depend on what we’re seeing across different canola producing areas and what growers want. But in the future, we hope to be able to manage a number of growing concerns within one hybrid, while still maintaining the agronomic performance and yield advantage growers expect from InVigor.”

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

21

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

Always read and follow the label directions. Raxil速 is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group.

Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

Protect your crop’s full potential.

When it’s the first thing you do in the season, it can be difficult to link your seed treatment to the end result; Raxil® PRO helps connect the dots between that critical first step and your beautiful cereal crop at harvest.

From start to finish, Raxil PRO has three different fungicidal actives, including NEW prothioconazole, for unmatched contact and systemic protection from the most serious seed- and soil-borne diseases, including Fusarium graminearum, true loose smut and much more.

Raxil – Still the toughest thing in pink.

To learn more about Raxil PRO, visit BayerCropScience.ca/Raxil

C-55-09/14-10249984-E

PRODUCTION

Herbicide resistance

is YOUR issue

By Jennifer Barber

24

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

By now, most growers are familiar with herbicide resistance. They even know it’s spreading across Canada. But a surprising number still take a “not in my backyard” approach to managing the problem.

Unless you have it, or neighbours have it, it’s tempting to simply wait and see how the issue unfolds. Unfortunately, this kind of inaction may speed up the spread of herbicide resistance.

“You need a famine before people worry about food supplies, and it seems we’ll need a herbicide resistance disaster before farmers become really concerned about resistance,” says Neil Harker, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe, AB.

Photo: GENESIS STUDIO

“We’ve confirmed kochia resistance to glyphosate in all three prairie provinces,” he adds. “We’ve also seen a lot more Group 1 and 2 resistance in wild oats. The issue is getting a lot more attention, but farming practices are slow to change.”

“We (sense) a reluctance to admit that glyphosate resistance is an issue,” says Kate Sanford Mitchell, manager, oilseed crops with Bayer CropScience Canada. “We hear from growers who have been out spraying for disease control and they see weed escapes. Generally their first concern is that their weed control didn’t work. Their second thought is that it is a second flush of weeds. Rarely does the possibility of resistance get mentioned.”

Resistance to a particular chemical group exists at low levels in every plant population, perhaps at the rate of one in every million to one in 100 million plants. Resistance is the inherited ability of a plant to survive and reproduce following exposure to a rate of herbicide that would normally kill it. After five or 10 applications of the same chemical, such resistant plants take over and the herbicide will fail.

The more that same herbicide, or herbicide group, is applied, the more resistant plants survive. “If we use the same product over and over again, we’ll kill all the susceptible plants, (leaving the resistant ones to grow and set seed),” says Harker. “Herbicides don’t cause resistance; over-use of herbicides selects for resistant plant populations.”

One of the key recommendations to growers managing resistance is to “mind your rotation.” While crop diversity has been identified as the key rotational factor, chemical rotation also plays an important role.

Glyphosate is an important product in agriculture, and while its use is critical for pre-emergence burndown, in crops like canola, it should be rotated with other in-crop herbicides. Alternatives are available if growers look at their whole cropping system, not just what is being used on one crop.

Liberty herbicide is one of the most effective tools to control Group 1 resistant wild oats and Group 2 and 9 resistant kochia — along with other problem weeds in canola. It is the only Group 10 herbicide for in-crop weed control and has no known resistance in Canada. Liberty offers broad-spectrum grassy and broadleaf weed control in canola, with a high return on investment. So the risk for overuse is low. Nevertheless, like any other herbicide, Liberty is not immune to resistance if overused.

Rotating different herbicide chemistries is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of developing resistance while still maintaining the weed control desired in a highvalue crop such as canola.

Instead of simply looking at brand names, dig a bit deeper to uncover what chemical group a selected product belongs to. That way, it’s easier to be sure you’re using herbicides with different modes of action, not just different names.

Sanford Mitchell says that even if you don’t have resistance, expect it to happen on your farm at some point — and keep this in mind when choosing what chemistry to use.

“When planning a crop or herbicide rotation, canola growers shouldn’t really be planning to manage resistance for 2015 — they should be managing for resistance in 2025,” »

“Herbicides don't cause resistance; over-use of herbicides selects for resistant plant populations” — Dr. Neil Harker

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist

“We (sense) a reluctance to admit that glyphosate resistance is an issue” — Kate Sanford Mitchell

Manager, oilseed crops with Bayer CropScience

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

25

Kochia seedling.

Canada Fleabane

Ragweed

Wild Oats

26

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

she says. “By changing the mode of action by including Liberty, they reduce selection pressure on the weeds so we won’t end up with the same issues as on some American farms, where glyphosate can no longer be used.”

In states such as Georgia and Arkansas, where resistance has made glyphosate of limited value, growers are forced to take extreme measures for weed control because, at this stage, they have no choice.

“They are plowing, burning stubble and even hand weeding,” says Harker. “Many of these practices are time-intensive and aren’t great for soil health but growers are doing it because they have to. We don’t want to get to that point.”

One reason Canada has not seen the same glyphosate resistance levels as the U.S. is that most Canadian growers have crop rotations that don’t involve repeated applications of glyphosate. Many keep pulses, flax and winter crops in their rotations.

None of these requires glyphosate in-crop.

Harker says, Canadians understand the threat — weed resistance has been discussed widely in the industry especially in the past couple of years.

The problem is the implementation of resistance management strategies. And he’s learned that advice has to make sense economically — it can’t have a huge impact on a grower’s business model.

“We’d like to see growers move out of tight rotations of canola and wheat,” says Harker. “And they are going to have to do that for long-term resistance management. Currently, there are no other large-scale, high-value crops for growers, so while it makes sense as a weed scientist for me to tell growers to rotate into winter cereals, flax or pulse crops, it’s difficult to ask them to engage in a practice that will make them less money.”

Harker says many large-acreage growers find it more difficult to diversify their crops even when they know herbicide rotation will be critical for the long-term success of their operations. However, some farmers (large or small) are willing to rotate into winter crops, pulse crops, or alfalfa to help manage resistance for the next generation.

“Right now, canola growers need to decide that resistance management is important enough to change their habits,” says Sanford Mitchell. “Different management options can limit future problems and still make financial sense for growers. Rotating out of glyphosate and into a chemistry such as the Group 10 in Liberty will help delay the onset of resistance, a goal that everyone in this industry should keep in mind.”

It’s important for growers to understand that a single chemistry isn’t the solution to herbicide resistance. Crop rotation, using clean seed and taking a comprehensive approach to weed management will create long-term protection against the development of weed resistance.

For more information on crop and herbicide rotation and how to recognize resistance on your farm, visit www.mixitup.ca. FF

All volunteer canola is herbicide-tolerant

Photo: laura rance

By Jennifer Barber With prairie canola acreage hovering around the 20-million mark each year, growers are seeing more and more yellow in their rotations the following season and beyond. Volunteer canola is creeping its way up top-10 lists in weed surveys and its management has some growers worried.

“Essentially, all volunteer canola is herbicide tolerant; you just may not know to which herbicide or which chemical group,” says Kate Sanford Mitchell, manager, oilseed crops with Bayer CropScience Canada. “So odds are, growers aren’t going to get rid of it with a pre-seed glyphosate application alone.” Help is at hand, however. This year Bayer received registration for a Pardner/ glyphosate tank mix to make sure all volunteer canola is addressed before the crop goes into the ground.

Combined with RoundUp WeatherMax or other glyphosate products, Pardner (bromoxynil) manages canola volunteers in addition to controlling 70 grassy and broadleaf weeds, including those with Group 9 and Group 2 resistance. This past growing season saw adoption of the tank mix by growers, especially in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Severe early-spring flooding in those provinces sent growers scrambling to find a way to get their fields as clean as possible, as quickly as possible.

Right now, the volunteer canola seed bank is large due to a combination of tighter canola rotations and increasingly common wind events around harvest. This has led to high volunteer canola seed deposits across the Canadian prairies. While not all that seed will germinate, a troublesome amount will appear in the next crop.

Volunteer canola can persist in the soil for several years after the original crop was seeded, often right into the next rotation of canola. Resistant volunteers can be problematic for a young canola crop since it’s not very competitive at emergence, and thrives best in weed-free fields.

“Volunteers are also known to transmit disease,” says Sanford Mitchell. “Growers now invest a lot in canola that has certain traits, such as clubroot resistance and sclerotinia tolerance. The last thing they need is a non-tolerant volunteer that reduces their return on investment in these new technologies.

“Canada’s long winters leave only a very short time between when the ground thaws and seeding begins, so growers need to make the best of that window of opportunity,” she adds. “While you might think you don’t have a certain type of herbicide tolerant volunteer based on earlier crops, you don’t know what the wind might have brought. This tank mix takes care of volunteers in one application.”

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

27

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER CROPSCIENCE PRODUCTS

LATEST INVIGOR HYBRIDS COMBINE INNOVATION WITH PROVEN PERFORMANCE

InVigor L140P represents the latest in breeding innovation taking specific agronomic traits and making them part of an InVigor hybrid. As the first-ever pod-shatter reduction hybrid patented in Canada, InVigor L140P offers growers greater harvest flexibility by allowing them to delay swathing or successfully straight cut a canola crop. When timed correctly, straight cutting canola offers a higher yield advantage because the crop is fully mature at harvest.

*Source: Based on 2012 Agriculture Canada Statistics

28

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

InVigor L160S

Sclerotinia Disease Severity %

InVigor L160S is a sclerotinia tolerant hybrid developed as the first line of defence against sclerotinia. It is an expensive problem — in 2012 alone, sclerotinia cost the average Canadian grower just over $38,000.* InVigor L160S provides growers with a 46% reduction in sclerotinia incidence (infected plants) and a 63% overall reduction in disease severity while still maintaining the yield potential of the InVigor brand.**

SCLEROTINIA DISEASE SEVERITY INDEX (DSI%) Pioneer 45S52

Pioneer 45S54

25

20

15 Untreated

Source: 2013 Medium to High Disease Pressure Sclerotinia DSTs n=4

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

I

NVIGOR® HYBRIDS continue to be the most seeded canola brand across the Canadian prairies as they evolve to meet grower demands. The newest hybrids target higher yields, and use the latest in trait development technology to improve their performance. In their first full year of field-scale production, the latest InVigor hybrids are making their mark with growers.

InVigor L130

InVigor 5440

108 106 104 102 100 98 Normal Swath Timing

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

**Source: 2013 Bayer CropScience Demonstration Strip Trial Results

Late Swathing

Straight Cut

A NEWSLETTER FROM BAYER CROPSCIENCE

Mid-maturing InVigor L252 was the highest yielding hybrid in the 20112012 Western Canadian Canola/ Rapeseed Recommending Committee (WCC/RCC) variety trials. At 110% of the new checks (InVigor 5440 and Pioneer 45H29 in the 2011-2012 WCC/RRC), it was also ranked first in all growing zones in the 2013 Canola Performance Trials, and was the top yielder in the 2013 Bayer CropScience Demonstration Strip Trials.

InVigor L261 is a new, taller hybrid with great standability and excellent yield potential. It has a high level of lodging resistance similar to that of InVigor L130, which Canadian growers have said has optimal standability.

InVigor L261 was the highest yielding hybrid in the midseason zone in the Bayer CropScience variety registration trials in 2011 and 2012, and yielded 107% of the new checks at the WCC/ RRC trials.

These latest InVigor hybrids have the same foundation as their predecessors: high stress tolerance, early season vigour, uniformity as well as high seed quality. InVigor hybrids are evolving to meet the needs of today’s growers by continually improving performance and adopting innovative seed development practices. All four of these new InVigor hybrids offer improved blackleg resistance.

INVIGOR L252 VS. DEKALB® 73-75 AND DEKALB 74-44 BL

InVigor L252 stacks up exceptionally well against competitor hybrids with superior ratings in yield performance, lodging and swathing. In the 2013 Demonstration Strip Trials, InVigor L252 provided a +3.5 bu./ac. increase over Dekalb 73-75 and a +2.0 bu./ac. increase over Dekalb 74-44 BL.

INVIGOR L261 VS. PIONEER® 45H31 AND DEKALB 73-75

In comparison to Pioneer 45H31 and Dekalb 73-75, InVigor L261 produced a +2.4 bu./ac. increase and a +2.7 bu./ac. increase respectively. No matter which way you look at it, InVigor L261 outperforms the competition.

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

29

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER CROPSCIENCE PRODUCTS

TOOLS OF THE TRADE HELP MANAGE HERBICIDE RESISTANCE

T

he threat of herbicide resistant weeds isn’t going away, but it can be managed. One of the most effective tools to manage the spread of herbicide resistance is Liberty® herbicide.

With no known resistance, Liberty is the only Group 10 herbicide for use incrop on LibertyLink® canola for control of glyphosate- and Group 2-resistant kochia and Group 1-resistant wild oats, in addition to your regular problem weeds.

Understanding herbicide resistance

Harvesting Techniques: Straight Cut vs. Swath

T

he decision to straight cut or swath canola may seem daunting. While straight cutting allows the crop more time to fill and the potential for higher yields, there is also the risk of leaving profit on the ground because of the high risk for pod shattering and pod drop.

However, the new ground-breaking patented pod shatter technology from Bayer CropScience makes that decision easier. InVigor® L140P minimizes pod shatter risk and offers reduced pod drop loss. It gives growers the opportunity to harvest a fully mature, higher-yielding canola crop.

The unique, patented pod shatter reduction technology in InVigor® L140P is a game changer. In the 2013 InVigor Demonstration Strip Trials, straight cut InVigor L140P showed a 7% yield advantage over InVigor 5440 at normal swath timing. Up until now, growers have minimized the risk of pod shatter by swathing at 50-60% seed colour change. When harvest is delayed to its optimal time,

*Source: Average Custom Swathing Rate Across Prairies

30

FARM FORUM / FALL 2014

is the key: crops become resistant to a product when the chemistry in that product is overused. Herbicides registered in Canada belong to one of 13 chemical groups. Of those chemical groups, eight have developed weed resistance and growers need to mix it up – not just change their product or the brand they buy, they need to change their mode of action. To do that, growers need to know their chemical groups; some herbicides are in the same group even

though they come from different brands.

Liberty (Group 10), Velocity m3 (Group 6, 27, 2), Infinity® (Group 6, 27) and Varro™ (Group 2) are great tools to help keep resistance at bay across a variety of crops.

For more information on herbicide groups and resistance management, visit www.mixitup.ca

Giving it to you straight growers can achieve even greater yield potential.

Straight cutting has numerous advantages for growers. By allowing pods to fill longer, there is the potential for larger seeds, fuller pods and lower green seed counts. That extra time allows all branches of the crop to reach full maturity before harvest. By straight cutting, growers can take their

swather out of the equation — a cost savings estimated at $13 per acre.* For large acre farms, the option to straight cut allows more time to get the crop off before the weather deteriorates.

With heavily lodged crops, harvesting with a straight cutter may be easier than attempting to swath. Straight cutting can also leave more stubble, creating more protection for the soil.

INVIGOR 5440 SWATHED vs. INVIGOR L140P STRAIGHT CUT InVigor 5440

InVigor L140P

Estimated Yield

100%

107%*

Bu. / ac.

35**

37.45

Estimated $ / bushel

$9

$9

Estimated Gross $ / ac.

$315

$337

Swathing Cost / ac.

$13***

-

Estimated $ / ac.

$302

$337

Benefit / ac.

-

$35†

Swathed

* Based on the 2013 InVigor DSTs ** Statistics Canada long-term average yield

Straight Cut

*** Average custom swathing cost across Prairies † All other costs assumed to be equal

A NEWSLETTER FROM BAYER CROPSCIENCE

100 YEARS OF SEED TREATMENT INNOVATION IN A SINGLE SOURCE

W

ith a century of seed treatment experience behind it, Bayer CropScience launched the Global SeedGrowth™ network. SeedGrowth is a comprehensive and fully integrated system combining long-standing international industry experience with a focus on growing top quality seeds.

This system for on-seed application is designed to help all growers achieve strong crop establishment, healthy plants and high yields. There are four segments for complete coverage of the seed treatment value chain:

PRODUCTS: SeedGrowth offers a

suite of seed treatment products that protect young plants and help establish healthy crops for the best outcome at harvest.

PHOTO: BAYER CROPSCIENCE, MATTHIAS SANDMANN

EQUIPMENT: In 2014 Bayer partnered with Ag Growth International (AGI) to design the STORM (Seed Treatment Optimized Rate Metering)

seed treater, the first on-farm seed treater of its kind for cereals. Whether it is new commercial soybean treaters or modifying existing equipment, Bayer SeedGrowth can help.

COATINGS: With

their broad range of film coatings, the enhanced coverage, adhesion and colouring of the Bayer SeedGrowth products help set them apart. One of the latest innovations in coatings includes the new Fluency Agent seed lubricant.

SERVICES PRODUCTS

COATINGS EQUIPMENT

SERVICES: Bayer SeedGrowth

specialists offer technical support, testing, training and advice tailored for Canadian growers. There are 10 Bayer SeedGrowth Centres worldwide and eight dedicated Bayer SeedGrowth experts across Canada.

For more information on SeedGrowth and seed treatment solutions, please call 1-888-283-6847, or visit www.BayerCropScience.ca or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Infinity®, InVigor®, Liberty®, LibertyLink®, Pardner®, Raxil®, SeedGrowth™, StressShield®, Trilex®, and Varro™ are trademarks of the Bayer Group. All other products mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

FARMFORUM.CA / FALL 2014

31

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

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

0-66-09/14-10249984-E

BCS10249984_InVigor_OBC.indd

BCS102499848_InVigor_OBC Full Page in Market: October

1 100% Bayer CropScience 10249984 9-12-2014 10:38 AM

SWOP

8.125” x 8.625” 7.625” x 7.625” 7.625” x 8.125” 8.375” x 8.875”

Production:Volumes:Product...s:BCS10249984_InVigor_OBC.indd Helvetica Neue LT Std

Marsha.Walters Alex.VanDerBreggen Noel.Blix -Laura.Zschach

1

Farm Forum --