GNN130204

Volume 39, Number 3 | FEBRUARY 4, 2013

$4.25

PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER

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Summer pea inoculant trials Inoculant may build up in the soil over time, but researchers who ran summer trials in Swift Current say that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep applying it

BY MELANIE EPP

T

his summer, thanks to funding through the Agricultural Demonstration of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) program, three pea inoculant trials were conducted in Saskatchewan, at Swift Current, Scott, and Melfort.

While the Swift Current results are in, the final report has not yet been written up, which means results are preliminary and have not been fully analyzed. Bryan Nybo, manager of Wheatland Conservation Area, was willing to share some of the results, but is careful to note that this is the first year that the demonstration has been conducted and trials were not replicated. For this reason, he is not overly confident in making firm recommendations; however, he did say that some results were consistent with traditional findings for the region.

SWIFT CURRENT TRIALS Besides being un-replicated, the trials had a few other

things working against them last summer, namely weather.

Although they had a really good start to the year, an early hailstorm on June 24 created some unexpected damage. “We had higher than average rainfall from April, May and June,” says Nybo. “And then that was followed by July, August and

gen was added instead. In the last trial, peas were grown without inoculant or nitrogen.

Of the 13 trials, yields ranged from 31 to 26 bushels per acre.

Consistent with expectations, the peas that were not inoculated and grown without nitrogen came in second from the bottom.

“There’s still a need for inoculants on pulses in this area.”

— Bryan Nybo, Swift Current

September, which were the driest three consecutive months that have ever been recorded in Swift Current.”

Products were demonstrated in 13 separate trials using peat, liquid and granular inoculants by Tag Team, Cell Tech, Pulse Signal II/Optimize and Nodulator. In one trial, no inoculant was used, but nitro-

“So there’s still a need for inoculants on pulses in this area for sure,” says Nybo.

“Traditionally, in this area we’ve found the granular inoculant still to be the best. Sometimes the peats are as good as the granular. In other years, they’re just a little below. Again, the long-term traditional results in this area, the liquids — some

years they do good, but other years they don’t tend to do quite as well. They seem to die off a little earlier than some of the other inoculants.”

NITROGEN VS. INOCULANT Interestingly, the peas that received no inoculant, but nitrogen instead, fared quite well. In fact, they came in second on the list. Brad White, an agrologist with South West Terminal at Gull Lake, said they tried nitrogen on its own just to see what it would do.

“Actually,” he says, “It was every bit as good as. Between the little bit of inoculant that came out of the soil, and the nitrogen that was provided there, the yield was actually the second best in the whole trial. But 60 pounds of nitrogen is going to cost a guy $35 to $40 an acre, whereas your seedapplied inoculants will be down to $5, and your granular inoculants are $10 to $15, so it’s quite a bit more money.”

Nitrogen, he says, is a bit of a

relief as an option, since the use of insecticide reduces the survivability of inoculants. And, unfortunately, with an escalating pea leaf weevil problem, foregoing insecticide really isn’t an option.

“If we keep seeing a lot of issues with these pea leaf weevils chewing all the nodules off and reducing the plant’s ability to make nitrogen, and therefore, yield, well, is it going to make more sense to just fertilize these things?” asks White. “I would assume that most guys would not plant them if they get that bad, but if peas are worth $10 or $12 per bushel, you’re going to grow them.”

OVERWINTERING After a number of years, some inoculant will survive over the winter and build up in the soil, affecting the pulse crop in the following year. White is careful to note that this does not mean that farmers can stop using inoculants altogether.

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Brad White explains inoculant trials at a demonstration day at Swift Current. The trials included several types of inoculant, as well as nitrogen on its own.

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240

In This Issue

PHOTOS: LEEANN MINOGUE

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

2

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

5

Crop Advisor’s Casebook

12

Columns ........................... 16 Machinery & Shop ............ 19 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 25

Better wheat yields

JASON CASSELMAN PAGE 10

Tractor evaluation: 6R SCOTT GARVEY PAGE 20

FarmLife ............................ 29

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Wheat & Chaff STAMPEDE

BY JERRY PALEN

LEEANN MINOGUE

A

fter zipping up my warmest coat for the third day in a row, I started daydreaming about a vacation. But how much would it cost?

FARM BUSINESS GETAWAYS

“It just doesn’t feel that cold out, does it Flo?”

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Like (almost) any farmer would, I started wondering if we could write off at least some of the costs of a trip to a sunny place this winter. Then I called MNP’s (formerly Meyers Norris Penny) Humboldt office.

According to Dave Moore, regional ag leader and business advisor, writing off travel expenses is a “little bit of a grey zone.”

For example, if you take a trip to Disney World and stop in to tour a working orange grove while you’re in Florida, the Canada Revenue Agency may have some pretty tough questions for you.

But, the more business-related your trip actually is, the more likely it is that you have a legitimate expense.

Wayne Kunz, an agricultural business advisor in MNP’s Humboldt office, says you need to ask yourself, “What’s the main reason you’re going?”

He gave an example of a farm family driving to Saskatoon, picking up some parts while they’re in the city, and calling it a business trip. The CRA may want to know if those parts could have been purchased locally.

Before you try to write off your trip to Maui as a “factfinding expedition to look at macadamia nut production,” consider Kunz’s next question. If you do write off that trip, “What are you really saving?” If your farm is incorporated, you’ll only save the small business tax rate (in Saskatchewan, 13 per cent in 2012). Is it worth leaving the Puerto Vallarta beaches to look at agave plants for a whole day, just to try to get a 13 per cent discount on your flight to Mexico?

I asked Moore and Kunz if they have many clients calling to ask this question, and they said, really, they don’t. They just recommend that farmers take a common-sense approach. “It has to be logical,” Kunz said.

“You’re taking all the fun out of this,” I told them. They both started to laugh, and Kunz said, “Who said tax was fun?”

FARM ACCOUNTING

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

Actually, I suspect that both Kunz and Moore think tax is fun. They both seemed to be enjoying their jobs.

I’m no accountant, but I’m starting to understand their enthusiasm for the area. After keeping the books on our farm for the past two years, I’ve almost

worked through the “frustrated and loud cursing” stage of the learning process.

I won’t try to pretend there’s no cursing at all when I have stacks of mismatched invoices spread out all over the table and a computer program humming — typos that put the bank reconciliation out by $0.02 are frustrating. But I’m starting to enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a correct inventory valuation, a reconciled bank account or the ability to calculate the costs of a specific part of the farm operation with the few keyboard clicks.

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to learn more about record-keeping and data analysis,to see if we can use our information to make even better management decisions on our farm. I’m planning to attend a workshop to improve my AgExpert skills (AgExpert is FCC’s farm-accounting software). This might cut my cursing down to the point where I can even use AgExpert when our sixyear old is in the house.

I’m also taking a trip to Syngenta’s Grower University in January. Syngenta Canada Inc. has set up this course with the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario.

Syngenta invites invite farmers from across Canada to take part in the four-day program.

I expect to learn a lot about financial planning and management at the Syngenta course. I’m looking forward to learning more about farm business management, meeting farmers from across the country, and sharing what I learn with Grainews readers.

(Before you get enthusiastic about reading articles on how my record-keeping resolution is turning out, I should let you know that another of my New Year’s resolutions was to never drop another smartphone into a toilet, and then let you read the next section.)

FARM SHOW MEMORIES There was a lot of machinery, new ideas, and innovative products at Ag Days, Manitoba’s big annual ag show in Brandon in January. I learned quite a bit.

But I think the most important thing I learned in Brandon was to not keep my smartphone in my pants’ pocket when I go to the washroom. (I am a slow learner. This was my second chance to learn this lesson.)

Normally, especially since last time, I keep my phone in a pocket of my jacket or my purse. Especially when I enter a washroom. But there were a few things I wanted to photograph of at the farm show. So while we were walking around, I had to keep my phone handy.

I suppose this a classic example of trading long-term usefulness for short-term convenience.

It was a bad decision. I’ve lost all those snapshots (down the drain, sort of.)

Luckily, Grainews machinery

editor, Scott Garvey, was at the show the day after me. Scott took photos of most of the things I’d wanted captured on film (if we still say that, in this digital age). However, I lost all of the Australian memories I was storing on my phone.

I am sad to lose my photo of Jack. I found Jack and his mom near the Agriculture More Than Ever booth. Agriculture More Than Ever is FCC’s campaign to promote agricultural success.

My six-year old was refusing to hold up their cartoon-style text balloon that said “kiss me, I’m a farmer” and let me take his picture. But eight-year old Jack was more accommodating. He had a great big grin on his face while he held up the sign that read “I’d rather be farming.”

Jack and his family were visiting from Australia, where they run a dairy farm near the south shore. Jack had a full Aussie accent, but his mom grew up in Manitoba, reading Grainews, and Jack’s grandfather is still a regular reader. Jack’s mom’s email address was also conveniently stored on my phone.

Unfortunately, I suspect Jack’s grandfather will spend the rest of the winter leafing through Grainews, searching for Jack’s photo and wondering why the Grainews editor would lie to a sweet young kid at a farm show.

I also lost the photo of a baby kangaroo enjoying the booth displays. That’s right — a kangaroo. Its owner had it wrapped up in a blanket, strapped to her chest like a baby. You could hear cries of “What the heck’s that?” in the aisles ahead of them as they walked through the show.

(The kangaroo’s owners run a Manitoba petting zoo.)

The point of this story is that you never know what you’re going to find at a farm show.

Or lose.

IN THIS ISSUE As you’ve already noticed, we kicked off this issue with a story about pea inoculant trials in Swift Current. Not all of the results are finalized, but there is some information available that could help you get ready for spring.

On page 6, you’ll find Lisa Guenther’s story about midgetolerant wheat. This isn’t the first year that midge-tolerant wheat has been on the market, but there are some new varieties.

Page 8 features a rundown of products available for your pre-seeding burn-off, by farmer/ freelancer Gerald Pilger.

When you get to the machinery section, you’ll see an evaluation of John Deere’s 6R tractors.

This is the second full-length machinery evaluation story we’ve run recently. Scott hopes to be able to write a few more articles like this over the winter.

Maybe you have a 6R yourself, and you have your own comments you’d like to share. We’d love to hear about it, so please get in touch.

Enjoy this issue!

Leeann

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

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Wheat & Chaff CORN VARIETIES

Grainews founder John Clark dies in Winnipeg

BY JOHN MORRISS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

For the first managing editor, John didn’t hire a writer, but Lin Boyes, an ag rep from Saskatchewan.

John combined those attributes of the ohn Clark, the founder and first editor publication with an insistence for good — of Grainews, passed away Jan. 18 in although not necessarily polished — writWinnipeg at age 81. ing. Anyone who wrote for Grainews got the Born in Regina, John spent lecture on “Write like you speak, with short much of his early life in Kamsack, sentences and no big words.” If the colwhere his father Stan worked for Canada umns didn’t come in that way, the writers Malting. John went into plant science at may not have recognized them after John the University of Saskatchewan where he went to work with a ruthless “blue pencil.” received a master’s degree with the intenHe combined his eye for good writing tion of being a barley breeder. Learning with a desire to find writers who didn’t that was probably a surprise to anyone mind shaking things up a bit, such as Alf who met John later in his career, as I did Bryan, who passed away recently, and Lyle when he hired me as a field editor in the Walker. John spotted Lyle through his spring of 1976. Plant breeders require the letters to the Western Producer, and called ultimate in patience as they wait years for him up to ask if he’d write for Grainews. In their work to become a commercial reality, addition to his still-requested pieces on old and meticulous organizational habits. machinery, Lyle would either entertain, infuriate or both with his ruminations on metric, the wheat board, governments in general or whatever was on his mind at the time.

Like the grain business itself, Grainews was a wild and wooly place in those early days, and not only for readers. Production day tended to turn into production day(s) and nights. More than once when an edition was almost ready, John would come in and start ripping pages apart to make them look better. This was in pre-computer days, when everything had to be typeset all over again.

At some point UGG decided it would no longer foot the entire bill for Grainews and that readers would have to subscribe, which they did by the thousand, a testament to John’s winning formula. Grainews also started to accept advertising, partly because UGG was happy for the revenue but partly because the publication was so popular that advertisers wanted to be in it.

After 38 years, Grainews is still going strong, largely because it’s still following the principles John Clark set out. We’ll miss him.

Our condolences to his wife Colette, his children Stan, Lori, Wendy and Fred, and A recent photo of John Clark, with front page of Grainews first issue his 13 grandchildren. A memorial service is planned for a later date. † from Oct. 1975 in the background

J

Neither were John’s strong suits. He had an idea a minute, and once they came to him he wanted them acted on as soon as possible. As for organization, the office manager lived in fear of the regular visit by the fire inspector, who took a dim view of the many stacks of paper in John’s office, always in close proximity to at least one burning cigarette.

That was at United Grain Growers in Winnipeg, where John headed the information division. Grainews started life as a free publication for UGG members, and part of the content was by and about UGG staff and directors, promoting its commercial and policy objectives.

However, John took it well beyond that. He saw a gap in the farm publication marketplace for the “how to” in grain production and marketing. He also realized that farmers would like to read articles and opinion pieces written by other farmers, and always wanted every article to contain information that would allow the reader to make an extra buck.

Fusarium project

A

Manitoba-based company is looking for farmer partners in a project to develop a commercial machine to remove fusarium-damaged kernels from wheat and durum.

David Prystupa of Spectrum Agricultural Inc. in Pinawa, Man. says he has been experimenting with a system to detect damaged kernels using infrared and laser

light since 2002. He has since developed the system with funding from the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI) and the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC).

The system uses an automated method to line up kernels in single file, scan them and if damaged, ejected by a mechanical lever.

Prystupa says that the system has shown accuracy of 93 per

PHOTO CONTEST

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT Jason Dafoe sent in this gorgeous photo. This is Shellby Dafoe. Shellby was out at her grandfather’s farm (Bill Dafoe) exercising her horses with her mom and little sister.

Jason and his family farms with his parents at Riding Mountain, Manitoba.

They have a few head of cattle and grain farm naturally — without spray or fertilizer. Jason, we’re sending you a cheque for $25.

If you’d like to see your photo on this page and receive $25, send your best shot to leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com. Please send only one or two photos at a time and include your name and address, the names of anyone in the photo, where the photo was taken and a bit about what was going on that day. A little write-up about your farm is welcome, too. Please ensure that images are of high resolution (1 MB is preferred), and if the image includes a person, we need to be able to see their face clearly.

— Leeann

A

Alberta will cover about 24 cents per bushel of the field trial costs.

Producers participating in the tests would be asked to contribute 40 cents per bushel, plus a suitable building, electricity, augers and bins as needed.

Spectrum Agricultural will hire an operator — which could be the producer — at 13 cents per bushel.

For more information contact David Prystupa at (204) 7538229 or prystupa@spcsci.ca. †

few issues ago, Grainews featured new corn varieties for 2013. Here are some more to consider.

Yo u c a n f i n d m o r e information about these Croplan varieties at www. croplangenetics.com.

• 2123VT2P / 2123RR 2500 CHU — Attractive laterflowering hybrids with fast drydown, good seedling vigour, and strong roots and stalks.

Exceptional resistance to northern corn leaf blight, eyespot, common rust, anthracnose and fusarium stalk rot.

• 2845SS 2725 CHU / 2845VT2P 2700 CHU — Earlyflowering hybrids with high yield potential. Excellent stand establishment, disease resistance and fast drydown. Perform best in medium to medium-high plant populations on rotated or corn-on-corn acres.

• 3499VT3P / 3499VT2P 2850 CHU — Shorter plants with lower ear placement deliver consistently high yields with excellent drought, greensnap and Goss’s wilt tolerance.

Adapted for a variety of east to west geographies.

• 3533VT2P 2875 CHU — Excellent, high-yield potential choice for light, sandy or doughty soils. The female provides greater genetic diversity and increases the root size, ear length and stress tolerance of the male.

• 3733VT2P 2900 CHU — A good option for wet, sticky poorly drained soil. The female provides greater genetic diversity and increases the root size, ear length and stress tolerance of the male.

• 3899VT2P 2875 CHU / 4099SS 2950 CHU — These tall, racehorse hybrids offer excellent seedling vigour, comprehensive disease packages, and aboveaverage stalk strength and test weight. High Goss’s wilt and heat tolerance.

• 4975VT3P / 4975VT2P 3075 CHU — Goss’s wilt and greensnap tolerance, strong roots and stalks, and aboveaverage staygreen and late-season intactness. Performs well in corn-on-corn rotations with the flexibility to plant north and south of maturity zone. †

Grainews

Leeann Minogue

CROP DISEASE

cent in laboratory tests, and that it is intended to improve the grade of wheat by at least one level. He says that based on fiveyear average prices for No. 3, 4 or Feed wheat, this would raise the value by between 80 cents and $1.07 per bushel.

Prystupa has built a trailermounted pilot-scale machine and is looking for producers with fusarium-damaged wheat to test the system on up to 400,000 bushels in 2013.

Funding from provincial adaptation councils in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and

New corn varieties for 2013

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Cover Stories Crop nutrition » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

pea inoculant trial

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

“The issue here is that there’s no way to figure out if it’s overwintering,” he says. “Just because it overwintered for the past year, it might not survive in a colder year. You have no idea how much, if any, survived. That’s why you always want to put some commercial inoculant on your seed.”

Bob Willcox Associate Publisher/ Editorial director

John Morriss

Edi tor

Leeann Minogue field Edi tor

Lisa Guenther Cattleman’s Corner Editor

Choosing a product

Lee Hart

On his own farm, White used Tag Team for a number of years, but recently switched to Nodulator. He wanted to see if something else would give him higher yields.

While higher yields are what most farmers are looking for, some have different reasons for switching products. Randy Taylor, a farmer at Gull Lake, has been using both Tag Team and Nodulator.

“I started out with the peatbased stuff years ago, and then I went to the granular-based for probably the last almost 10 years,” he says. The reason for the switch had nothing to do with

Farml ife Edi tor

Sue Armstrong Machinery EDITOR

Scott Garvey Produ ction Dire ctor

Shawna Gibson Desi gner

Pea inoculant trials at Swift Current in the summer of 2012. yields, though. Taylor claims that as far as he can tell, both products work equally well. He switched to Nodulator simply because he found it more user-friendly.

“Nodulator — they were the first to come out with the minibulk bag, and I really like them,” he says. “Instead of messing around with the little 60 pound

Tundra

bags, I think they’re 800 pounds and they do about 160 acres.”

“Before they came out with those mini-bulk bags, well, where I farm, there’s lots of wind.

Trying to get the bags in the grain truck took two or three guys to put a day’s worth of inoculant in. Bags are blowing all over the country…” And, he

Steven Cote

says, the peat-based products left the inside of his grain tank dirty.

The final Swift Current results, as well as those for Melfort and Scott, should be ready soon. † Melanie Epp is a freelance writer who specializes in writing web copy for small businesses. She is based in Guelph, Ont., and can be found online at melanierepp.com.

MARKETING/ CIR CULATION Dire ctor

Lynda Tityk

Ci rc ulat ion manag er

Heather Anderson H e ad O f f i c e 1666 Dublin Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1 Phone: (204) 944-5567 Fax: (204) 944-5562 Adv ert isi ng Sa l es

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Tundra

Adv ert isi ng Serv ices Co -ordi nat or

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Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK FOR THE PRAIRIES Weather Forecast for the period of January 27 to February 23, 2013

Southern Alberta

Peace River Region

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

January 27 - February 2 Generally cold and quite settled, aside from some moderation in southern areas with light snow and blowing.

January 27 - February 2 Generally cold and quite settled, aside from some moderation in southern areas with light snow and blowing.

January 27 - February 2 Mainly cold and fair with a few higher windchills. Milder days with gusty southerly winds in the south bring some snow and drifting.

January 27 - February 2 Bright and generally cold on most days this week, but milder southerlies bring snow and drifting on 1 or 2 days.

February 3 - 9 Bright days and seasonable to milder days are followed by a couple of colder, blustery ones with snow and blowing.

February 3 - 9 Bright days and seasonable to milder days are followed by a couple of colder, blustery ones with snow and blowing.

February 3 - 9 Considerable sunshine aside from light snow and drifting on a couple of occasions. Temperatures trend to the cold side.

February 10 - 16 Temperatures reach thawing on a few days, but it will be cold in the north. Mainly fair with scattered snow. Chance of rain in the south.

February 10 - 16 Temperatures reach thawing on a few days, but it will be cold in the north. Mainly fair with scattered snow. Chance of rain in the south.

February 10 - 16 Fair overall this week with thawing temperatures on a few days. Colder outbreaks bring some snow and drifting.

February 3 - 9 Mainly fair with seasonal to cold temperatures. Blustery at times with drifting. Some snow in southern regions, and flurries in the north.

February 17 - 23 Expect several milder, fair days and thawing in the south with occasional snow, chance of rain.

Cold, some snow in the north.

February 17 - 23 Expect several milder, fair days and thawing in the south with occasional snow, chance of rain.

Cold, some snow in the north.

-19 / -8 Grande Prairie 20.5 mms

February 17 - 23 A couple of milder days with some thawing, otherwise seasonal to cold. Intermittent snow and drifting on 2 days.

Precipitation Forecast -18 / -7 Edmonton 16.8 mms

-14 / -3 Jasper

17.4 mms

ABOVE NORMAL

-13 / -2

23.9 mms

-21 / -10 North Battleford -18 / -6 Red Deer 14.7 mms

-25 / -14 The Pas

-25 / -12 Prince Albert

12.8 mms

-21 / -11 Saskatoon 12.9 mms

13.6 mms

15.4 mms

NEAR NORMAL

-22 / -11 Yorkton

14.8 mms

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Published 18 times a year.

-22 / -11 Dauphin

-24 / -13 -21 / -10 16.2 mms 16.1 mms -19 / -8 Gimli Regina -14 / -2 20.8 mms -18 / -8 Moose Jaw 13.0 mms Calgary Swift 14.7 mms -21 / -11 9.9 mms -23 / -12 -15 / -3 Current Portage -23 / -12 -20 / -9 Medicine Hat Brandon 19.6 mms Winnipeg 16.2 mms Weyburn 15.6 mms cms Lethbridge 10.319mms 14.8 mms 13.4 mms -19 / -9 13.0 mms 26 cms -13 / -2 Estevan Melita -23 / -10

Banff

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

February 17 - 23 Blustery winds create fluctuating temperatures and a couple of milder days. Fair skies alternate with snow and drifting. Risk of rain in the south.

February 10 - 16 Variable conditions as milder southerlies and thawing interchange with blustery, colder northwesterlies and snow.

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

14.2 mms

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

Temperatures are normals for February 1st averaged over 30 years.

Precipitation (water equivalent) normals for Feb. in mms. ©2013 WeatherTec Services www.weathertec.mb.ca

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

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Your next issue!

You can expect your next issue in your mailbox about February 11, 2013

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.

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

5

Features CROP PRODUCTION FLAX: ESTIMATED PER ACRE INCOME AND EXPENSES Revenue: Expected price Yield Gross revenue

$14.50/bu.

28 bu. $406

Burnoff Nitrogen Phosphorus

At Flax Day 2013, farmers heard some good reasons to keep growing flax

BY LEEANN MINOGUE

Expenses: Seed

Five reasons to grow flax

$16.30 $4.00 $39.56 $9.90

Sulfur

$10.95

Weed control

$29.25

Fungicide

$16.00

Total Variable Costs (VC):

$125.95

Net Income after VC:

$280.04

Source: Shane Stokke, presentation, Flax Day 2013

V

enkata Vakulabharanam, Saskatchewan Agriculture’s oilseed specialist, is optimistc about flax. At the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission’s “Flax Day 2013,” Vakulabharanam gave farmers five reasons grow flax.

1. Per acre profit. According to Vakulabharanam, flax provides “equal or better profitability” when compared with other crops.

2. Better yields next year.

Research has shown that canola yields better when grown on flax stubble.

3. Hail insurance. Flax plants are very tolerant to hail, as

compared with other crops.

When flax plants are damaged by hail, they often produce lateral branches. They can sometimes produce better yields than if the hail had not hit.

4. Flax can break the disease cycle. Vakulabharanam says, “I think flax makes perfect sense to be in the crop rotation.”

5. New and better chemicals make flax a more practical option than it once was.

Shane Stokke is a Watrous-area farmer, and a SaskFlax director.

Like Vakulabharanam, Stokke is optimistic about flax. “Flax is the highest net profit crop that I can grow,” he said.

As well, with a lower up-front

cash outlay required to grow flax, Stokke told farmers, “it’s lower risk than other crops.”

Stokke presented an estimated flax budget, and explained that on his farm, he’s projecting a net income from flax (before fixed costs) of $280.04 per acre (based on a 28 bushel crop, at $14.50 per bushel). In comparison, Stokke’s estimated net income (before fixed costs) for canola is $237.48 per acre, mainly due to the higher variable costs of growing canola.

Stokke shared four tips for higher flax yields.

1. Seed early.

2. Seed shallow.

3. Keep seed-placed fertilizer down (to avoid fertilizer burn).

4. Have clean fields.

Stokke reminded farmers, “flax doesn’t compete well.” But, he says, “Authority works well.”

He is also convinced that fungicide is “a must” for good flax yields. “It’s one of the few inputs that makes you feel good when you leave a check strip,” he said.

“But you wish you’d never left that check strip.”

But farmers still have issues with flax straw. Stokke says, “straw is more needed than it was 10 years ago.” More companies buying straw. If you can’t find a buyer for your straw, chopping and spreading it is the next best alternative. † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

The end of Triffid

C

anada’s flax was shut out of European markets in 2009 after the discovery of traces of Triffid — a genetically modified flax variety developed in the mid1990s but never commercialized — in our flax suppy.

As the European Union, a major market for Canada’s flax crop, closed its ports to GM foods in the 1990s, Triffid supplies were ordered in 1999 to be crushed and taken out of the system; the variety was deregistered in 2001.

After the Triffid discovery in 2009, however, trace amounts of the contaminant were revealed to be present throughout the Canadian system, eliminating the possibility of exporting to the EU. Industry representatives now believe it’s time to refresh the flax supply.

Through painstaking DNA testing, plant breeders at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre have reconstituted four varieties of Triffid-free seed. These new varieties will be available to farmers in 2014.

“In 2014,” said Dave Sefton, a Broadview, Sask. farmer and director with both SaskFlax and the Flax Council of Canada, “we are going to ask every producer to buy certified seed.”

The new GM-free flaxes will be offered through SeCan. Todd Hyra, SeCan’s Winnipeg-based business manager for Western Canada, told farmers, “The time is right to flush the system once and for all.”

SeCan has taken care to multiply the new varieties on farms where flax has never been grown. The introduction of the new seed, Hyra said, is “likely our best and only chance to get this right.” †

Soybeans for maximum yield Yield potential isn’t something you take for granted. It’s a top priority all season long. Pioneer® brand soybean varieties have the newest genetics with key defensive and agronomic traits to accelerate top-end yield performance. And with early maturity, varieties like Pioneer® brand 900Y61 (RR) and 900Y71 (RR) are bred to perform in Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan.

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www.pioneer.com Roundup Ready ® is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company.

The DuPont Oval Logo is a registered trademark of DuPont. ®, TM, SM, Trademarks and service marks licensed to Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited. © 2013, PHL. PR401 WSoybean_GN_FE

Leeann Minogue

PR401 WSoybean_GN_FE.indd 1

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Features WHEAT VARIETIES

New midge-tolerant wheat varieties Western Canadian farmers have had access to midge-tolerant wheat varieties since 2010, and more are slated for release in 2013

BY LISA GUENTHER

I

n 2006, Prairie wheat farmers lost about $40 million to wheat midge damage that dropped grades and yields.

But since 2010, midge-tolerant varieties have been on the market in Western Canada.

Midge-tolerant wheat varieties were developed by wheat breeders with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Crop Development Centre. Each variety contains the SM1 gene, a naturally occurring gene that triggers the plant to produce phenolic acid when attacked.

“So as soon as the midge bite the kernels that have SM1 gene, they’re kind of turned off by it. And they start looking elsewhere. And they’re not very mobile, so then they end up starving to death,” says Mike Espeseth, communications manager with the Western Grains Research Foundation.

NEW MIDGE-TOLERANT VARIETIES FOR 2013

PHOTO: CANTERRA SEEDS

Farmers who purchase a midge-tolerant blend like AC Conquer VB must sign a stewardship agreement to help prevent wheat midge populations from developing resistance.

How to find the ag equipment you need... OVER Start here.

43,000 PIECES OF A EQUIPMENT G !

AC Vesper VB is a midge-tolerant Canadian Western Red Spring slated for commercial release in spring 2013. It’s a good fit for anyone who has been growing other wheat midge-tolerant varieties, says Todd Hyra, Western Canadian business manager with SeCan. “It offers a yield bump over Unity, and that’s one of its biggest strengths. It probably has a little bit stronger straw than Unity.”

However, AC Unity VB is a unique variety because it’s tolerant to wheat midge and has a partially solid straw.

“And so if any individuals are faced with the combination of pests, being sawfly and midge, then Unity is really the only product that offers protection to both of those.”

Hyra says he tells farmers that spraying for midge defeats the purpose of using a midge-tolerant variety.

“Under extreme, extreme pressure, because the midge have to take a bite of the kernel, there will be some downgrading. So you’ll see some damage in the sample.

But it won’t be near the level that you would expect to see in a sample that has no tolerance.”

Canterra Seeds released AC

Conquer VB in limited quantities in 2012. Canterra is releasing AC Conquer VB in larger quantities for 2013. Brent Derkatch, Canterra’s director of operations and business development, says he expects supplies will be tight soon.

“Wherever farmers have historically grown CPS wheat varieties, I think this variety is a very good fit. And I think that it would also expand beyond where midge is present as well,” says Derkatch.

AC Conquer VB is the only midge-tolerant Canadian Prairie Spring wheat. Derkatch says it’s a great choice for farmers purchasing certified seed of a new variety.

It offers a 25 to 30 per cent yield bump over a standard CWRS variety, he says.

But farmers in areas with high fusarium head blight levels may want to be cautious about growing AC Conquer VB. “This variety does have an improved fusarium tolerance, relative to some other CPS wheat varieties. But the CPS class as a whole doesn’t have as strong a fusarium tolerance relative to some of the CWRS varieties that have been developed more recently.”

Derkatch says there is a renewed interest in CPS wheat from all parts of the value chain, and AC Conquer VB will be a good fit.

“We are looking to do some more work to understand the more quality attributes of the variety to see what other markets the variety may fit into.”

There are currently several other midge-tolerant varietal blends, including AC Unity, AC Goodeve, AC Glencross, AC Fieldstar, AC Shaw and CDC Utmost. For more information, visit midgetolerantwheat.ca.

STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENTS TO PROTECT TECHNOLOGY Because wheat midge tolerance is based on just one gene, wheat midge populations can develop resistance, rendering the technology ineffective.

Virulent midge can survive on midge-tolerant wheat. Very low levels of virulent midge already exist. But virulence is a recessive trait, so offspring of virulent and

Find it fast at PHOTO: CANTERRA SEEDS

AC Conquer VB is the only midge-tolerant Canadian Prairie Spring wheat.

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

7

Features non-virulent midge can’t eat the midge-tolerant wheat.

To prevent virulent wheat midge populations from building up, each midge-tolerant wheat variety is sold as a varietal blend. The blends are comprised of 90 per cent midgetolerant wheat and 10 per cent susceptible wheat. This refuge system gives the non-virulent midge something to eat, keeping a lid on virulent midge numbers. Without a refuge system, midge tolerance could break down within 10 years.

Farmers who purchase a midgetolerant blend must sign a stewardship agreement. The agreement only allows farmers to save seed for one generation past certified so that the blend retains the right ratio of susceptible and nonsusceptible varieties.

If the susceptible variety level declines, it would drive the midge population to convert to virulence on the SM1 gene and build up, eventually breaking down the technology, says Espeseth.

“If there’s more refuge — so say if the refuge was 20 or 30 per cent — then that means there’s more of the susceptible variety in there.

And if heavy midge damage came, farmers would be disappointed with the level of midge (tolerance) relative to the 90-10 varietal blend,” says Espeseth.

All midge-tolerant wheat purchases are recorded in a database.

Farmers may be audited to make sure they are following the stewardship agreement.

PHOTO: SECAN

AC Vesper VB is a midge-tolerant Canadian Western Red Spring that is slated for commercial release in spring 2013.

Why do crops keep coming back for more?

Because they can.

Farmers in areas with high fusarium head blight levels may want to be cautious about growing AC Conquer VB “We use the database to find anomalies in purchase patterns. If somebody’s coming back and buying midge-tolerant wheat every two years, there may be some random audits there, but they’re probably compliant. Maybe some have exited farming, or the variety didn’t work for them, and that’s fine, but that will be the follow up discussion that we’ll have,” says Hyra.

Midge-tolerant varieties are the culmination of years of research, supported by funding from checkoff dollars, variety distributors, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Crop Development Centre. Espeseth says researchers haven’t yet identified another midge tolerance source.

“It took them 15 years to get this single gene into the wheat varieties, so it’s really important to (have) stewardship and seed management to protect this technology,” says Espeseth.

Hyra says the stewardship agreements and audits are for the industry’s long-term benefit.

“This is a technology that was developed by public breeders and released for the overall good of wheat growers in western Canada.

And we get one shot at making sure it lasts for as long as we can make it last.” †

ESN ® SMART NITROGEN ® feeds your crops throughout the growing season.

And timely N-feeding helps increase yield and improve crop quality.

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Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.

Guenther@fbcpublishing.com.

19870-04-B ESN 2012 Brand ad_Grainews_rev.indd 1

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Features WEED CONTROL

Pre-seed burn-off herbicides Make sure you’re following good chemical rotations. Know your active ingredients before you plan your pre-seed burn-offs

BY GERALD PILGER

T

ime and again farmers are warned about the dangers of the development of herbicide resistance. They are told over and over not to use the same product repeatedly and to rotate chemical groups. Yet glyphosate, arguably modern agriculture’s most important herbicide, is still used every year on many farms, and by some farmers multiple times per year for burn-off, in Roundup Ready crops, for pre-harvest and post-harvest weed control.

World-wide, there are 24 weed species that have developed resistance to glyphosate. In Canada there are documented cases ofthree

glyphosate resistant weeds: giant ragweed, horsetail, and in 2012 glyphosate resistant kochia was confirmed in Alberta. The discovery of Group 9 resistant kochia is even more troubling because in some cases the plants were also resistant to Group 2 chemistry, severely limiting the control options that are left for this tough to control weed species.

To prevent further herbicide resistance development there are best practices which every farmer should follow when applying herbicides. This includes herbicide use for pre-seed burnoff. The DuPont Canada Crop Protection website (go to www. dupont.com, then type “pre-seed burn-off” into the search box)

outlines these pre-seed burn-off best practices.

GLYPHOSATE BURN-OFF PRODUCTS There is one more practice that farmers need to add to DuPont’s best practices list: know your herbicides.

This is especially important for glyphosate given the many brand names glyphosate is sold under. Not all glyphosate brands are the same in terms of formulation, registered usages, tank mixes or strength but all are equally susceptible to the development of resistance. Once glyphosate resistance develops, it will extend to all glyphosate

CURRENT REGISTERED PREPACKS CHEMICAL GROUP

Start

carfentrazone-ethyl + glyphosate

14,9

Pre-seed in wheat, barley, oats, corn, soybeans, canola, flax, lentils, peas and some speciality crops

StartUp, SpikeUp

tribenuron-methyl + glyphosate

2,9

Pre-seed in spring, winter, durum wheats, barley

PrePass

florasulam + glyphosate

4,9

Pre-seed in wheat, oats and barley

PrePare Complete/ Pace

flucarbazone sodium + glyphosate

2,9

Pre-seed or pre-emergence in wheat (excluding durum)

dicamba + glyphosate

4,9

Restler/ Takkle

GLYPHOSTE TANK MIXTURES Instead of relying on glyphosate alone for a burn-off, there are a number of pre-packaged products which combine glyphosate with second product that has a different mode of action.

These products offer the broad spectrum control of glyphosate plus another active ingredient to control weeds which glyphosate may be weaker on like buckwheat or dandelion or to control roundup ready volunteers. Having two active ingredients also reduces the chances of development of herbicide resistance.

However, farmers need to know the second active ingredient in these prepacks. In many cases it may be the same active you will be using in-crop. This can increase resistance issues for the second active.

An alternative to using a prepackaged mix of glyphosate and a second active is to tank mix an existing herbicide with

GLYPHOSATE BRANDS THAT FARMERS CAN USE FOR PRE-SEED BURN-OFFS

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

PREPACK

brands. Simply rotating brands of glyphosate will not prevent resistance development.

As of December 2012, the Alberta Agriculture herbicide selector website listed 22 registered brands of glyphosate that farmers could use for pre-seed burn-offs.

There will likely be more names added by spring. All of these herbicide brands have only glyphosate as the active ingredient.

USES

Cheminova glyphosate

Polaris

Clearout 41

R/T 540

Credit

Roundup Transorb

Credit 45

Roundup Ultra

Factor 540

Roundup Weathermax

Glyfos

Sharpshooter

Glyphogan Plus

StartUp

Knockout

Touchdown Total

M Power Glyphosate

Traxion

Maverick III

Vantage Plus Max II

NuGlo

Wise Up

Pre-seed in wheat, barley, oats, rye and corn

Check your pesticide handbook to see what in-crop herbicides contain these same actives.

Source: Alberta Agriculture website for December, 2012

TANK MIX OPTIONS REGISTERED GLYPHOSATE TANK MIX OPTIONS FOR PRE-SEED BURN-OFF AT TIME OF WRITING ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

CHEMICAL GROUPS

2,4-D

4

Banvel /Dicamba

Dicamba

4

Buctril M /Logic M

Bromoxynil+MCPA

4,6

Express Pro

Tribenuron-methyll +methsulfuron

2,4

Express SG

Tribenuron-methyl

2

Pre-seed in cereals and pulses

Tribenuron-methyl

2

Pre-seed in spring, winter, durum wheats, barley

MCPA

4

Pardner /Brotex

Bromoxynil

6

PrePare WDG

Flucarbazone sodium

PRODUCT 2,4-D

YIELD POTENTIAL

Get the advantage of outstanding yield potential with Genuity® Roundup Ready® systems.

In field scale trials conducted by Monsanto, a number of Genuity® Roundup Ready® hybrids yielded on par with InVigor® LibertyLink® hybrids.* www.genuitycanola.ca

First Step /Nuance MCPA

*Monsanto Field Scale trials conducted in 2010 and 2011. Always follow grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions.

Details of these requirements can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in this publication. InVigor® and LibertyLink® are registered trademarks of Bayer. © 2012 Monsanto Canada, Inc.

Heat

Saflufenacil

USES

Pre-seed in cereals

Pre-seed spring, winter, durum wheat, barley

2

Pre-seed or pre emergance of wheat (excluding durum)

14

Pre-seed or pre emergance of wheat, barley, oats, corn, peas, soybeans, lentils

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

Features glyphosate on farm. There are 11 registered glyphosate tank mix options for pre-seed burn-off at time of writing.

Monsanto, the original manufacturer of glyphosate, is in fact recommending tank mixing Roundup Transorb HC with Heat to optimize weed control in preseed burn-offs. In a December 10, 2012 news release, Sean Dilk, weed management technical lead, Monsanto Canada states: “Mixing heat with Roundup Transorb HC is an important part of sustainable weed management for reduced tillage operations.”

Joel D. Johnson, BASF’s brand manager, Western herbicides, adds: “By using multiple modes of action, you can delay herbicide resistance. Mixing HEAT with Roundup Transorb HC provides a second mode of action for pre-seed burn-off and chemfallow treatments. Not only do you get the fastest and sharpest burndown, it’s effective in managing volunteer canola (all biotypes) and kochia as well as many other tough perennial and annual weeds.”

To promote the use of the Roundup Transorb HC and Heat tank-mix, Monsanto and BASF are offering a $0.50 per acre discount on Roundup Transorb HC when farmers purchase matching acres of Heat and Merge. The discount will be available at participating retailers on products sold between Nov 15, 2012 and June 30, 2013.

NON-GLYPHOSATE BURN-OFF PRODUCTS If you are looking for a glyphosate alternative for pre-seed applications, here are some other products you can consider using. (Check the label for follow crop restrictions and application instructions.)

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

CHEMICAL GROUPS

USES

amitrol

11

Pre-seed in wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, field peas

sulfentrazone

14

Pre-seed or up to 3 days post seed in peas, flax, sunflowers

Paraquat

22

Pre-seed or pre-emergence of wheat, barley, oats, corn, peas, flax and some specialty crops

ethafluralin

3

Pre-seed in canola, peas, lentils, soybeans, sunflowers and some specialty crops

Treflan

trifluralin

3

Pre-seed in canola, oilseeds, peas, soybeans and special crops

Avadex

Triallate

8

Pre-seed in spring and durum wheat, barley, canola, peas, and some specialty crops

Fortress

triallate + trifluralin

3,8

Pre-seed in spring and durum wheat, barley, canola, and some specialty crops

PRODUCT Amitrol 240 Authority Gramoxone Edge

Pre-seed weed control

F

ollow these best practices for best results.

Scout fields frequently in early spring to determine the best timing for herbicide application.

Apply herbicides when weeds are young and actively growing.

Avoid spray drift into adjacent crops and other sensitive areas.

Use an add-in product with a view to increasing glyphosate effectively and/or providing residual control.

Note and follow any recropping restrictions with herbicides.

Use multiple groups of herbicides to reduce the risk of resistance. †

DuPont Canada

Always read and follow label directions. INFERNO and the INFERNO DUO logo are trademarks of Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. Arysta LifeScience and the Arysta LifeScience logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience Corporation. All other products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective companies. ©2013 Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. INF-002

Simply rotating brands of glyphosate will not prevent resistance development NON-GLYPHOSATE BURN-OFF Unfortunately there are very few alternatives to the low cost, pre-seed in multi-crops, broad spectrum weed control glyphosate offers. However, there other products registered for use in specific crops that farmers can consider using. When compared to glyphosate, each of these have disadvantages which must be factored in to your herbicide selection decision.

However, these products enable farmers to occasionally rotate away from glyphosate. † Gerald Pilger farms at Ohaton, Alta.

BY DAN PIRARO

Bizarro Tough broadleaves and flushing grassy weeds have met their match. No burndown product is more ruthless against problem weeds in spring wheat than new INFERNO DUO. Two active ingredients working together with glyphosate get hard-to-kill weeds like dandelion, hawk’s beard, foxtail barley and Roundup Ready® canola, while giving you longer lasting residual control of grassy weeds like green foxtail and up to two weeks for wild oats. INFERNO DUO. It takes burndown to the next level.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Features CROP PRODUCTION

Better wheat yields Phil Needham shares tips and strategies to increase wheat yields on your farm

BY JASON CASSELMAN

SOIL AND TISSUE TESTING

a r l i e r t h i s w i n t e r, Kentucky-based Phil Needham from Needham Ag Technologies, LLC spoke at a clinic at Falher, Alberta sponsored by Bourgault.

Needham discussed strategies and steps to improve wheat yields.

Phil Needham moved from England to the United States in 1989 and has worked with wheat management systems around the world for over 25 years. At the Falher presentation, Needham shared several tips to increase wheat yields.

Needham recommends implementing a consistent soil and tissue testing program.

Once you have test results, split fields into smaller management zones based on observation and evaluation of field data, including yield information, topography and soil type.

Needham recommends tissue testing wheat at the fourleaf stage. When testing, compare good areas to poor areas to check nutrient levels and evaluate top dress options. Based on Needham’s experience, at the five-leaf stage the wheat plant has

E

to be healthy without any nutrients deficient or out of balance.

With any top dressing program, choose foliar top up products compatible with crop protection products to reduce application costs.

Use tissue tests to identify transient deficiency — the specific demand of a nutrient during reproductive growth or periods of peak demand.

SEED AND SEED TREATMENTS When you’re choosing seed, pick the right wheat genetics or variety for your farm. Find out what a variety brings to the table and what it doesn’t. Look at each

variety’s disease resistance and favourable growth characteristics.

It’s a good idea to evaluate several varieties right on your farm.

Needham recommends growers plant as many as six wheat varieties.

Check seed quality and apply s e e d t r e a t m e n t s a c c u r a t e l y.

Needham has the following tips for seed testing: Send seed lot samples to an accredited seed lab.

Check seed for germination and vigour. Ask the lab to check vigour with an accelerated aging or cold germ test.

Allow your seed to rest for two months after harvest before sending it for a germination test.

Sort seed for large seed — the goal is seed that doesn’t pass through a 2.5 mm or 6/64 inch sieve. Larger wheat seed has better germination and higher yield potential, especially when planted at greater seeding depth or in cooler soils.

A nutrient, or feed analysis, test on the seed tells you what you

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trials in peas and lentils. Crops inoculated with Nodulator® XL out-yielded crops inoculated with competitive products 82% of the time,

out-yielding our competitor’s product by an average of 1.5 bu./ac. or 3%.

45

2011/12 Nodulator® XL Performance Summary - Pea and Lentil

43

1.5 bu./ac. MORE

42

42.8

And 2012 grower experience is proving that when it comes to pea and lentil inoculants, nothing outperforms Nodulator® XL. Here’s a cross section of yield data, hot off the fields.

Mike Verbeurgt Ceylon, SK Lentil: 27 bu./ac.

Ben Hofer

Eli Wurz

Paul Hofer

Foremost, AB Pea: 55 bu./ac.

Lentil: 32 bu./ac.

New Dayton, AB Pea: 60 bu./ac.

Lentil: 35 bu./ac.

Lumsden, SK Pea: 55 bu./ac.

Lentil: 40 bu./ac.

Clinton Paysen

www.nodulatorxl.com Nodulator® and XLerated Performance. Accelerated Yield.™ are trademarks or registered trademarks used under license by Becker Underwood Canada Ltd. The Becker Underwood logo is a trademark of Becker Underwood, Inc. and is licensed to Becker Underwood Canada Ltd.

Jeff Downey

Central Butte, SK Perdue, SK Lentil: 30 bu./ac. Pea: 52 - 54 bu./ac.

For complete trial data please visit nodulatorxl.com

SEEDING Uniform crop emergence is the goal when it comes to high yield wheat establishment. Needham believes that the top 10 per cent of farmers do the best job of seeding.

First, seed with the right rate.

Different wheat varieties have different 1,000 kernel weights.

Depending on the year, seed lots can vary by as much as 50 per cent. Check seed counts and target plants per square foot — don’t just use the same old couple bushels per acre seeding rate.

Evaluate seed placement performance by monitoring stand counts over the first 10 days

41

Yield (bu./ac.)

44

44.3

have to work with. Compare samples from at least two lots to see which one is better.

If you’re going to use your own production as seed, manage seed fields right from the start. Know which field you’re using to grow a seed crop — don’t just wait until the end of the year to decide which field not to spray with pre harvest glyphosate.

Seed has to have enough nutrients to perform; you may have to prime your seed with micronutrients. Options are to foliar apply micronutrients to the crop in the field, or use a micronutrient seed dressing.

Seed treatments protect roots and early leaves from diseases like seed rots and seedling blights.

Seed treatments with both insecticide and fungicide offer complete protection. Seed treating must be done with care and accuracy.

Evaluate your seeding treating method and determine if your seed is treated as well as you think it should be. If your seed treating equipment is not achieving your goals, consider upgrading or hiring a custom seed treater.

Needham recommends a rotating barrel-type treater that allows the seed to mix with the treatment, entirely coating each seed.

Miles Gerwin Kindersley, SK Pea: 40 bu./ac.

Place seed at the same depth across the whole field to get a picket fence stand of plants. Target uniform seed placement at one inch deep, and seed narrow rows speeds that do not move much soil. To achieve uniformity Needham recommends seeding between the previous crop rows rather than across the rows. Needham promotes seeding wheat at narrow row spacing when targeting higher yields and cited research showing yield advantages from narrower row spacing compared.

Achieve uniform seeding by managing residue flow and residue clearance with seeding equipment and openers.

Needham recommends very low soil disturbance with a narrow opener with little soil movement.

He does not recommend side band openers or twin row openers, because he sees increased soil disturbance and more variation in seeding depth.

Needham referenced a study called “Relative Seedling Emergence Patterns” (by Gan, Stobbe and Moes, in “Crop Science,” Vol. 32

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

11

Features Sep-Oct 1992). These researchers found: “Averaged across two years, wheat plants that emerged on Day 1 to Day 3 produced 1.4 times the yield of those which emerged on Days 4 to 6, and 3.2 times the yield of those which emerged on Days 7 to 9.”

Evaluate seed placement performance by monitoring stand counts over the first 10 days as the crop emerges.

WEED CONTROL Weeds have no place in the field. Weeds allowed to grow larger than an inch in size cost yield.

Needham believes narrow-seeded rows offer improved crop competition with weeds compared to crops seeded in wider rows.

Manage perennial weeds with glyphosate in the fall prior to seeding the crop.

Pre-seed burn off in the spring with glyphosate and a tank mix partner that targets the weed spectrum present.

Stay on top of weeds with incrop applications in a timely manner. Choose effective in-crop herbicides that control weeds with least amount of crop damage.

IN-CROP OPERATIONS The right timing of in crop operations is a prime objective in a high yield wheat system.

Needham told that audience that, in England, they used to say the difference between a good farmer and a poor farmer was a week.

Now, he believes that difference is only couple of days.

Early season foliar diseases at the two- to four-leaf stage warrant early season fungicide application. Use a triazole fungicide application with herbicide. With later season disease evaluate the justification for disease management. Have enough sprayer capacity to spray all the wheat with fungicide on the farm in a five-day window. You will see the best response to fungicide application with on-time spraying.

When spraying fungicides, watch maturities. Triazole products do not extend maturity as much as a strobilurin (or products containing strobilurin fungicides).

When timing fungicide application plan for prevention; protecting the crop before infection is better than relying on curative action after the crop has disease.

Look at weather conditions and forecasts to determine if disease pressure is moving towards you.

Needham believes that wheat yield response to fungicide is variety specific.

Apply fertilizer according to yield potential. Start with 90 per cent of nutrients applied for removal, based on a 10 year yield average. Then, if you get rain, put on more fertilizer.

Needham’s recommendation is to apply additional nitrogen after jointing to make more yields and fewer tillers. Understand that too much nitrogen too early in the season will contribute to lodging, so consider reducing the amount of nitrogen placed in the soil at seeding time and post apply nitrogen

BASF 7.143X5.00 000033526r1 4C

later in the season when you better understand the crops potential.

Needham does not like to see fall banded nitrogen. Some plants will be seeded right over the nitrogen strip, and that is not good for uniformity. Needham prefers applying the majority of the nutrient within a mid-row band. Use technology that can help apply the right rate to the crop in season. Optical sensor rate controllers on application equipment can help determine the correct rate of in-season nitrogen application.

CROP RESIDUE Manage crop residue correctly starting at the combine the year prior to seeding your wheat crop.

Ideally, evenly spread residue the width of the header. Do not leave any strips of uneven residue spreading in the field.

Needham recommends a high performance chopper like the Redekop MAV chopper — a chopper that provides 100 m.p.h. or more of wind speed — to help distribute straw and chaff (assuming chaff and straw are blended together on a rotary combine).

Needham also recommends using the wind in your favour when harvesting, even changing the direction of combining depending on the direction of the wind at harvest. He is definitely not a fan of harrowing for residue management and recommends buying a better straw spreader rather than a harrow to manage residue.

Needham recommends leaving

PHOTO: JASON CASSELMAN

Phil Needham believes the top 10 per cent of farmers do the best job of seeding. stubble as high as possible. If you have eight-inch row spacing, you should target no taller than eightinch high residue.

On seeding equipment, a single narrow point better is best to manage residue. To check residue flow on openers mount a wireless camera to visually see how well the seeding tool is allowing residue to flow around the opener. If you are seeing residue bunching and piling as you’re seeding, you’re not getting optimum residue flow.

YIELD GOALS To get high wheat yields, you have to know what you are trying to accomplish, evaluate what you

are seeing in the field and check to what your goals are.

Gather information and observations from your wheat fields during the growing season. Compare areas with different tiller counts and head counts per square yard and determine what factors caused the variation. How many spikelets per wheat head and how many kernels per spikelet do you get in good areas compared to poor areas?

Of the potential weak links to growing high wheat yields that Phil Needham identified in his presentation, most don’t cost anything to implement. † Jason Casselman is a partner and agronomist with Dunvegan Ag Solutions Inc. (www. howtogotoagsi.com) at Rycroft, Alta

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Features Crop production

Crop Advisor’s casebook

Crop Advisor’s Solution

UNEVEN WHEAT FIELD CAUSE FOR CONCERN

THE SOLUTION’S IN THE SOIL

By Rachelle Labby

By Tom Dooley

id-June of 2012, I received a call from John — a Morinville-area farmer with 1,000 acres of wheat and canola — who was concerned about the health of one of his wheat fields. In early June, John noticed the field was coming up unevenly, but he had decided not to investigate further as he thought the crop might outgrow the situation.

However, a couple of weeks later the field was still uneven while his other wheat fields looked healthy and were progressing normally.

With growing concern, John inspected the wheat plants in the affected field. He told me over the phone the field was very uneven for that stage, with many small plants that were setting fewer tillers than expected. John said these plants were also much paler in colour when compared with the healthier plants in the field.

“There must be a pest in here that I can’t see,” John said.

“Could you come out here and take a look?”

Upon arrival, I observed that the field did not look healthy — the size and colour of the plants was varied throughout the field.

The damaged plants were stunted, wilted and pale. I could also tell that John’s insect theory was incorrect. The pattern of symptoms within the field was not consistent with damage caused by insects. For example, insects would normally destroy plants in their immediate vicinity, affecting patches of the crop

oe, a dairy farmer near Millet, Alta., who grows 900 acres of barley silage and barley for milling in a rotation with canola, had called me with his predicament in April, 2011. He’d been experiencing problems with poor emergence and a wavy-looking top to the stand had given him second thoughts about the wisdom of purchasing the land.

I’d driven out to see the field for myself. I saw that the soil had been worked and was dark grey to black in colour. It had a clay loam texture and a fairly mellow structure.

One by one we’d crossed possible causes off the list. As there were multiple gas wells on the land, I thought it may be a reclamation issue, but Joe said the yields seemed to be poor continuously across the field.

As Joe’s crop was in its third year of barley, I thought disease pressure could be hurting yields. But there were not enough signs of disease pressure to explain the problem. I ran a germination test on the barley seed, but the seed checked out as well at 95 per cent.

But not all problems are visible to the eye. I ran a soil test on the field, following a hunch. Sure enough, the test results showed macronutrient values that were far too low, low CEC (cation-exchange capacity) levels, and a moderate sodium concentration. Higher sodium levels are difficult to change and could be limiting yield potential, but we could work with the low nutrient levels and CEC by adjusting the nutrient management strategy.

Once we’d determined the

M

J

Rachelle Labby rather than spreading damage across an entire field.

The field was rather wet and saturated, but had this been a moisture issue, low-lying areas would have exhibited greater damage than the rest of the field. A nutrient imbalance was another possible cause for the uneven growth.

However, the wheat plants on the slopes and low-lying areas, where leaching would normally have occurred, were no more damaged than the rest of the field.

While walking through the field, I noticed the unhealthy plants were leaning to the side as if nothing was holding them up. I dug out a sample each of a healthy and unhealthy plant.

I noticed there were significant differences between their root structures. The unhealthy plant barely had any roots at all, while the healthy plant had a typi-

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cal root structure for a tillering wheat plant.

However, it was what I found on the seed — and didn’t find on the seed — that allowed me to solve the case.

What is causing the uneven growth in John’s wheat field?

Send your diagnosis to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 3K7; email leeann.minogue@ fbcpublishing.com or fax 204944-5416 c/o Crop Advisor’s Casebook. Best suggestions will be pooled and one winner will be drawn for a chance to win a Grainews cap and a one-year subscription to the magazine.

The best answer, along with the reasoning which solved the mystery, will appear in the next Crop Advisor’s Solution File. † Rachelle Labby is an agribusiness assistant for Westmor Terminals Inc. at Morinville, Alta.

Tom Dooley Tom Dooley is an area marketing representative for Richardson Pioneer at Wetaskiwin, Alta.

Disease management

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities

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The unhealthy plants were leaning to the side as if nothing was holding them up; they barely had any roots at all

source of the problem, we were able to come up with some changes to Joe’s management practices.

As Joe is a dairy farmer, I told him to spread cow manure on the field to increase his organic matter and therefore increase his CEC levels in the field. This would also increase the nutrient and water-holding capacity of his land.

In the short term, I told Joe he could supplement all of his macronutrients and then use a foliar nutrient application — his soil’s poor CEC levels would struggle to supply the nutrients when the plants needed them.

We factored in the costs of spreading manure on the field, came up with a value for the land, and decided that the poor crop yield could be remedied — making the purchase worthwhile.

In the end, the yield in 2012 was about 40 bushels per acre, the same as the field’s average, but the fertilizer rates were reduced and replaced with low rates of foliar fertilizer, so the cost per acre was reduced overall.

“Now that we have a grasp on the cure, we can plan for the 2013 crop year and the land purchase,” I told Joe. We’d both been reminded of something that’s easy to overlook. The first year a farmer takes on any field, they should have a soil test with CEC and micros done, not just to assess the value of the land, but to determine the fertility treatments that should be applied to that newly-farmed land — rather than waiting for problems to arise.. †

New discovery will change soybean disease research New information may bring scientists closer to a solution for soybean root rot

By Aafc

A

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RESISTANT Soybeans are vulnerable to root rot.

SUSCEPTIBLE photo: aafc

new and unusual discovery by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) represents the first time a pathogen has broken Mendel’s Law, a genetic law that states how characteristics are passed on through inheritance. This discovery could impact the control and management of soybean root rot disease, a major problem worldwide. A paper highlighting this discovery recently appeared in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Soybeans are vulnerable to soybean root rot, a disease caused by Phytophthora sojae.

AAFC research scientist Dr. Mark Gijzen is part of a team that discovered a previously unknown way in which the soybean root rot pathogen is able to defeat plant resistance and adapt for survival. With this new infor-

mation, scientists will alter how they study the pathogen to create better targeted methods of control and management of the disease, in turn helping producers and the soybean industry.

Dr. Gijzen discovered that virulence in P. sojae is passed on, but not through the normal means of inheritance from parent organisms to their offspring described by Mendel’s laws.

The pathogen actually breaks Mendel’s laws and uses something called transgenerational gene silencing to pass on traits that enable it to infect and kill soybean plants.

“This is an extremely unusual phenomenon we’ve never seen before,” says Dr. Gijzen.

Working with a team of experts from Oregon State University and Nanjing Agricultural University (China), Dr. Gijzen is researching methods for detecting, monitoring and controlling P. sojae. “ Tr a n s g e n e r a t i o n a l g e n e silencing is an epigenetic phenomenon, meaning the unit of inheritance is not the DNA sequence of the gene but rather some other self-propagating factor; in this case we believe it to be small RNA molecules. This has big implications that will affect the evolution of this pathogen and how we control it.” † Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

13

Features FARM MANAGEMENT

Sustainable farming about relationships The term “sustainable farming” can mean many different things to different people. For these farmers, it means changing the way they look at food

BY REBECA KUROPATWA

F

or organic trainer and inspector Jenine Gibson, sustainable farming means acknowledging that all of life is about relationships.

When it comes to sustainable farming, “we need to be looking at our food differently,” says Gibson.

“We need to focus on identifying and creating our food sources and to be working within our environments to create win-win situations — recognizing all the different interrelations and resources that come into play.”

Gibson, 58, was born in Winnipeg and has been living at Northern Sun Farm Co-operative for 21 years. She works with the International Organic Inspectors Association and has been training organic inspectors since 1995.

“We need to re-examine how we treat each other, ourselves, the environment, and animals,” said Gibson.

According to Gibson, sustainable agriculture needs to take all these factors and how they impact one another into account.

“Healthy soil translates into healthy feed and healthy livestock and healthy people who consume the food. Soil isn’t just an inert medium that just holds up crops. It’s a dynamic environment working together for all life above the soil.

“Chemical agriculture — though all food production requires a great deal of skill — tends to rely on chemical quick fixes but doesn’t address the underlying issues. The guys call it ‘label farming,’ where you read the label and pour, solving your solutions that way.

“That’s where you get resistant weeds and persistent problems that become worse, because you’re using Band-Aid solutions and not looking systemically at the whole underlying structure or of where the weaknesses are.

“In sustainable farming, you have to learn system thinking, analyzing systemically and looking at what you’re doing in terms of examining many interrelated systems, trying to maximize how they work together.”

“When some farmers discover that by intercropping they actually get better yields, they’ve been able to move away from the mono-crop, uniformity concept.”

PASSION FOR FARMING Larry Bugera (61) and Murielle Bugera (56) have been married for 34 years, with four children and two grandchildren. They farm about 1,600 acres (1,000 of which they own) just east of St-PierreJolys, growing wheat, oats, canola, soybeans, alfalfa, organic alfalfa and organic flax.

“I never expected to become so passionate about farming, but I guess it was fuelled by my strong roots, as my great grandfather was Minister of Agriculture in the 1930s,” said Murielle.

The way Murielle sees it, “Sustainable farming is a way of balancing the economical, social, and environmental aspects of farming.

“It’s about taking care of the environment in a proactive manner — to take care of the soil, and to keep our families, friends, and neighbours safe and healthy. It’s about farming in a way that your risks are such that you don’t worry that any year can be your last.”

Although Murielle said it can sometimes be costly to change or try new things, she sees the benefits of doing so outweighing the risks. “You also need the capacity or incentive to change,” she said. “We’re always looking at surrounding ourselves with the resources we need to make change easier. Our children, especially our son and his family, are our incentive to change.

“We’ve been taking courses in organic farming and grain marketing. In our area, there is a composting initiative where a large piece of equipment has been purchased to compost manure and municipal compost. Buying local is also a growing trend. People are eating less processed foods and are looking for safe foods and less chemical use.”

Looking ahead, Murielle envisions their farm as having “a good mix of conventional and organic fields, livestock, and tourism.

“We all need to be flexible, be aware of what the consumer wants.” † Rebeca Kuropatwa is a professional writer in Winnipeg, Man.

Larry and Murielle Bugera are passionate about sustainable farming.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Features Crop production

Optimize your soybean crop Once you’ve chosen a soybean variety, seed at the right time and use the right inoculant to get the most out of your seed

By Lisa Guenther

T

he final Statistics Canada numbers for 2012 indicate a record soybean harvest across the country. In Manitoba alone, farmers harvested 800,000 soybean acres, a 40 per cent jump over 2011. Yields rose from 26.7 bushels in 2011 to 34.9 in 2012.

More acres and yield added up to a record 759, 300 tonnes for Manitoba farmers.

As soybean acres grow in We s t e r n C a n a d a , f i r s t - t i m e growers have many questions.

But their first question should be about which genetics fit their farm, says David Townsend, product manager with Becker Underwood in Clinton, Ontario.

Townsend says he prefers to spread his risk by seeding two or three soybean varieties, if they’re available. Farmers can seed different varieties to different areas, based on that variety’s performance in specific rotations and soil types.

Varieties are grouped into maturity groups, which are similar to the United States’ system.

Maturity group 00 varieties can be grown in North Dakota and southern Canada.

“Now, at the same note, there are lots of people who are going to move it above the zone and be successful and say ‘Townsend wasn’t even close.’ And I know that’s going to happen and can happen,” says Townsend.

Townsend says the TransCanada highway is a rough boundary for how far north farmers can consistently grow soybeans in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and western Manitoba. Between Brandon and the Canadian Shield, the zone extends north to the Interlake region.

As earlier-maturing varieties are developed, soybeans will push north.

“And it depends a lot on if we continue to have this warmer environment. We seem to be in a warm trend as far as environment goes these last two or three years,” says Townsend.

Farmers should also consider their rotations before seeding soybeans. Soybeans fit in well after a cereal crop. White mould in soybeans is caused by the

same pathogen as sclerotinia in canola and mould in field peas.

“And so if you’ve got a lot of canola and peas in your rotation and you throw soybeans in on top, the white mould will affect soybeans. At the same note, it doesn’t devastate soybeans because the petals of the flower are a lot smaller.”

However, moulding areas are usually the highest yielding areas because they’re so thick.

Those areas will still yield, but not as well as they could have.

Before seeding soybeans, soil tests ensure there are enough nutrients in the soil. Ideally phosphorus levels will have been beefed up the year before planting soybeans. Any phosphorus applied during seeding should be banded so it’s available to the plants.

“It’s a difficult one because the response to phosphorus is hard to show, but it needs to get on there sometime because as those phosphorus levels get down, it is going to affect the soybean,” says Townsend.

Soybean maturity groups Classifications

Source: Courtesy of DuPont Pioneer

Soil temperature Getting soybeans to maturity is the biggest challenge to growers, says Townsend. But long sunlight hours are a big asset to Western Canadian farmers.

Though heat units help hasten soybeans to maturity, they are more sensitive to sunlight.

The long days around June 21 trigger flowering, while waning daylight in September prompts the soybeans to mature. If frost hits before the soybeans have started shutting down, yield and quality suffer.

The biggest yield advantage a farmer can manage is the planting date, says Townsend.

If the soil temperature is warm enough, planting in early May gives the plant more time to grow before it starts flowering in June.

“So they’re going to get taller, they’re going to have more nodes, more chances of branching, a bigger plant. If you have a big plant early, you’ve got your rows covered in, you’re intercepting more light, you’ve got more places for flowers to » continued on next page

Built for

BaRLey.

Soybean classification

S

oybean varieties are classified into 13 different groups based on time to maturity. Most of the soybeans seeded in Canada will be classed as 000, 00 or 0.

The earliest maturing varieties are classed as 000 (three zeroes). Seed in this group generally requires less than 2400 corn heat units to mature.

The next groups 00 and 0, can be grown in Canada and the northern U.S. Seed in these groups need between 2400 and 2800 corn heat units.

The remaining groups range from I (roman numeral 1) to X. Those in group I can be grown in a band in the U.S. ranging roughly from Wyoming to Vermont. After that, each variety needs less time to maturity and can be grown further south. Group IX is mainly suitable for growing in Florida and Georgia in the southeastern U.S. Seed classed as group X is best for areas south of the U.S. †

Leeann Minogue

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

15

Features APP QUEST

Farm Logic tank mix calculator app In this series, Jay Peterson reviews ag-related apps.

This app will help you calculate tank mixes JAY PETERSON

Editor’s note: Jay Peterson has a new iPad. He’s using it to check out apps (software applications) that might be useful on your farm. Let us know if you’re looking for an app for a specific need, or if there’s an Android or Blackberry app you’d like to review. arm Logic has created a nice free app for your iPad that allows you to create different tank mix options and calculate the amount of chemical needed for that mix.

The app allows you to quickly look through different tank mix options to help you figure out what might be the best for your crop safety or pricing options.

F

First of all, you simply put in how many acres you wish to spray, your tank size and your target rate of gallons per acre.

You can either put in how many acres you wish to spray per tank or total number of acres you need to cover. This will allow you to either look at how much chemical you need to fill each tank, or to totally finish the job depending on which you prefer.

From there you can pick the chemicals you wish to tank mix.

The list of chemicals included within the app is long and extensive. There may be some chemicals missing but I have not found one yet.

Then, you can select the rate per acre in a wet or dry amount using gallons, quarts, ounces or even pounds.

Once you’re happy with your tank mix, the app then gives you an input summary screen where

you can confirm that all the information is correct.

This leads you to the total material screen. You’ll see how many loads it will take and the total amounts of chemical and water you’ll need for the job.

The next screen gives you the per load information —how many acres will be sprayed per load and how much chemical is needed for each load’s tank mix.

If there is a partial load needed, there will be another page for this partial load. You can then save this mix if it is something you will use often, or just delete it and start again.

If you wanted, you could save time by working through your tank mixes with this app, then taking them straight in to your chemical distributor. This is a great app to help you work on your tank mixes.

Price: Free. † Jay Peterson farms near Frontier, Sask.

» CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

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initiate, and that seems to give us more yield at the back end,” says Townsend.

In 2012, Brent VanKoughnet, owner of Agri Skills Inc., ran seeding trials for the Manitoba Pulse Growers near Carman, Manitoba. He seeded in late April, May 9, May 17, May 24, and May 30. He says seeding conditions were ideal through the whole stretch.

“And the yields went up marginally the later I planted. Partly because I think we got some rain at the end, and partly because in the later time slots the bean just exploded out of the ground in those hot, moist conditions.

And by the end, even thought I’d planted over 30 days apart, by the end they could be harvested within three days of each other.”

But VanKoughnet wouldn’t delay seeding to June 1 if seeding conditions were good in mid-May. “If I could go on the fifteenth of May, I’m going to start going.

But I’m going to be pretty hesitant from the last of April to the 10th or 15th of May.” Though Townsend suggests seeding in the earlier part of May, soybeans can’t be seeded until the soil is warm.

“The most important thing with soybeans is the first drink of water it gets. The temperature of the water it absorbs when it’s first put into the soil is more critical than the soil warming up later on,” says Townsend.

Even planting in the early morning can slow emergence if the soil is cool, Townsend says.

Townsend says a gradient in plant populations can develop through a field, with higher populations in the areas seeded in the afternoon, when the soil was warmer.

Townsend doesn’t recommend 22-inch or 30-inch row spacing in Western Canada, partly because it’s harder to manage weeds. Both 15-inch and seveninch rows are a good option.

Rows set at seven inches help the canopy close more quickly

and make it easier to control weeds. Townsend says 15-inch row spacings increase air-flow through the canopy, helping control soybean diseases like white mould.

OPTIMIZE EMERGENCE The biggest thing with soybeans is to get them out of the ground, Townsend says.

Seedlings have to push a large seed out of the soil. Townsend says he likes to see seed treatments on the seed.

“If you’re spending that much money, do it right. And then inoculate as well.” Farmers should check that seed treatments are compatible with the inoculants.

Inoculant formulations have improved, particularly for the liquid inoculants. Once applied to the seed, liquid inoculants will last up to 10 days before seeding. Extenders give farmers 30 days to plant. Formulations also contain more rhizobia than they used to.

Townsend says farmers should calibrate their air seeder metres before applying the granular inoculant to the soil, as application rates are low.

Townsend recommends double inoculations for new fields.

Inoculant can be seed applied and banded.

“The biggest thing in Western Canada is we have not built up a population like we have in the Dakotas, in Midwest U.S., in Ontario,” says Townsend.

Farmers who have grown soybeans for years still use a single inoculant rate, Townsend says.

Farmers who have been growing soybeans for several years in the same fields can start adjusting rates to see how the crop responds. Previous applications of other inoculants, such as those used for field peas, won’t help build up rhizobia populations for soybeans, as soybean inoculants use a different rhizobia species. † Lisa Guenther is a communications specialist at Livelong, Sask. Find her online at www. brickhorse.ca.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Columns Guarding wealth

Off-farm investments in 2013 What capital markets have in store

By Andrew Allentuck

2

013 looks to be the year of the enigma when stock markets flourish in spite of economic news that gives little reason for joy.

An armchair investor can look ahead with a degree of confidence that a broadly based investment strategy in Canadian large cap stocks and some exposure to American and global stocks will produce a good return.

Powering the rally It helps to look under the hood to see what is powering this rally, for it is not obvious why a weak economy should support a strong investment market. In fact, corporate profits in Canada and the

U.S. are up, driven by returning consumer confidence and, for capital-intensive industries, very low interest rates.

Corporate bonds have done very well as yield-hungry investors have bought up investment grade issues with yields to maturity of 3.5 to 4.5 per cent depending on term and rating. Big companies have been able to borrow at exceptionally low rates. Cheap money will strengthen their balance sheets and fatten shareholder dividends for years to come.

In bonds, corporate investment grade issues continue to have yields of 3.5 to 4.5 per cent or so to maturity. Provincial bonds have lower running yields, say 2.5 to 3.5 per cent for terms of five to 30 years, but their prices may rise in

2013 if only because they lagged Government of Canada issues in 2011 and corporate bonds in 2012. That would mean investors could buy an Ontario bond, get, say, a 2.8 per cent running yield and capture a capital gain of two per cent or so, if provincial bonds return to market favour.

The downside is that if Canada remains mired in slow growth, then provincial finances may sour, provincial deficits may grow, and the prices of Ontario bonds could weaken further.

The wild card: China The wild card in this mildly bullish outlook is China. If it has a hard landing and tumbles into a severe recession, then demand for Canadian resources will shrivel.

Reliable investments For off-farm investments, it’s fair to ask what’s reliable. For the next few years, bonds will pay modestly.

When interest rates rise, government bonds and investment grade corporate bonds with terms over 10 years will suffer.

There is also a question of expectations. As David Rosenberg, the chief economist of Bay Street money management firm Gluskin Sheff notes, we are in a zero return environment in which there is vast excess capacity in the world, especially in the U.S., no threat of inflation, where safety and a zero return on assets is a reasonable baseline and in which every other return over insured bank accounts and government bonds has some risk of failure.

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Where to put your money With all of that noted, the question — the bottom line — is where to put your money?

Dividend paying common stocks, such as BCE Inc. with its five per cent yield, bank stocks with yields of 3.5 to 4.5 per cent, shares of regulated electrical utilities with yields of four to seven per cent, and large cap consumer staples companies like grocery stores with yields of two to four per cent all look good.

Dividends represent 80 per cent of returns on common stocks.

They are a backstop if stock prices tumble. The biggest companies almost never cut dividends, for if they did, their future costs of raising money would soar.

Investors would no longer trust them. No chartered bank cut its dividend in the 2008-09 credit crisis and none is likely to do so in the foreseeable future. Note that this forecast does not apply to large American banks nor to big European banks, which seem to have a rare ability to be where trouble lies.

Where not to go Where one should not be in 2013 and onward is the corresponding question.

I would suggest that speculating in housing is a bad idea.

Buying a home for yourself and perhaps for resale after the kids are grown is reasonable. But speculation is not, for the ability of young families to buy homes is declining. The way our parents got retirement money was often through sale of homes to people just starting out. Now that does not work, for the price of housing in most cities has risen faster than individual incomes.

There is a house construction revival, very mild and meek, in the U.S. It will be sustained only if the U.S. economy returns to strength.

This is a double bet a conservative investor would not take.

Diversify

wild oats and other resistant weeds. And a wide window for

RELENTLESS ON WEEDS

At the end of December, the U.S. Fed resumed outright bond purchasing. That has the effect of driving down short U.S. interest rates, but given that they are mostly below one per cent, there is not going to be much downside to this move.

TREAT MORE WITH LESS

INCREASED YIELD POTENTIAL

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Always read and follow label directions. EVEREST and the EVEREST 2.0 logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. “Flush after flush” is a trademark of Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. Arysta LifeScience and the Arysta LifeScience logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience Corporation. ©2013 Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC. ESTC-209

A final word: Diversify. A N o v e m b e r, 2 0 1 2 s u r v e y b y Bloomberg of economists’ predictions on interest rates trends since 2001 showed that 97 per cent of the economists’ trend forecasts were wrong. We are in a time in which conventional macroeconomics does not work.

Interest rates are now controlled by central banks, not markets. To survive in this climate, you need, in poker-speak, a full house of investments: farm land, dividend-paying common stocks, perhaps some investment grade corporate bonds with terms of seven years or less — they won’t suffer too much when interest rates rise, a hefty bank balance, and a lot of patience.

This time of troubles will end, for every trend is just that, a temporary thing. Until then, defensive investing and diversification will separate the winners from the losers. † Andrew Allentuck’s latest book, “When Can I Retire? Planning Your Financial Life After Work,” was published in 2011 by Penguin Canada.

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

17

Columns OFF-FARM

Thorium technology might replace uranium China’s is researching thorium, as a replacement for uranium in reactors. Andy Sirski explains what this could mean, gives us an update on his portfolio ANDY SIRSKI

I

n this column I will touch on research China is doing on the use of thorium instead of uranium to run reactors to produce electricity. The U.S. did a lot of work on thorium back in the 1950s but the administration wanted to develop nuclear bombs so it chose to focus on uranium instead.

Now China has committed big bucks and many PhD researchers to study thorium and how to build a cooler-running reactor to generate electricity. This could take years or the researchers might hit it lucky and get a prototype going in a fairly short time.

I don’t think this means uranium will lose out to thorium any time soon. But if thorium reactors can be developed, they will produce energy for a lot lower cost (than uranium) because the reactors will cost less to build and run. And they are a lot safer to operate which could or should reduce the Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) resistance to reactors that run on uranium.

At this time I have not been able

to find a company that might be ready to build reactors that run on thorium but maybe it is a little early.

Here is an update on some of the stocks I’ve been looking at so far in 2013.

BONAVISTA (BNP) In early January BNP cut its dividend from 12 cents a month to seven cents, bought or leased more land and bought some infrastructure that is supposed to cut costs. When I sold calls on my shares I decided to play defense, so I sold calls for July strike price $14 which brought in a premium of $1.28 per share. That cut my cost from $15.80 to about $14.50. But after the dividend was cut, share prices dropped to just under $14.

I will watch this stock and, if need be, I will buy that July $14 call back for less than I sold it and then sell a call for July at a strike price of $13 or even $12. I don’t need to make that decision at yet, so I will let you know how things turn out.

The dividend of seven cents per month is still 84 cents per share per year, which is about six per cent per year. That’s still good compared to many shares. But it sure took the wind out of the sales on Bonavista stock.

SHERRITT (S) First off, in a recent issue of Grainews, the words on Sherritt in the last issue read that I started buying S at $15.15 — it beats me how the extra “one” got in — I actually started buying S at $5.15.

The company pays a dividend of 15 cents a year, this is just over 2.5 per cent, more than most savings accounts pay.

The company’s website (www. sherritt.com) has a lot of information. This company has been around for decades, has oil and a mine in Cuba and also has developed a huge nickel mine in Madagascar. I couldn’t get anyone to tell me how much it cost to develop the mine, but I suspect it was around $1.5 billion. The mine is expected to run for 27 years.

Management put some unique thinking into this mine. For example, it is an open pit in the hills of Madagascar and the processing mill is near the ocean, 1,000 feet below.

They mine the ore, make a slurry and send it down a 140-mile twofoot pipeline. In 30 hours the slurry is at the mill.

B:11.5” After the tailings settle out, water is treatedT:11” until it’s close to matches salt water, then it’s piped S:10.25” out into the ocean. The dried stuff

is shipped by boat and train to Fort Saskatchewan and used in fertilizer.

I bought more shares and have not sold calls. I plan to hold this stock for capital gain for now.

THOMPSON CREEK MINES (TCM) This company will save around $100 million over the next two years because it stopped stripping dirt off the molybdenum ore. If molybdenum prices stay low, TCM will shut its molybdenum mine in Nevada and wait for higher prices.

In the meantime TCM is developing a copper mine in BC called Mt. Mulligan which will cost $1.5 billion and should run for 22 years. There’s quite a bit of gold mixed in with the copper ore which will reduce the cost of the copper. The company set up financing in the spring of 2012 to pay for the new mine but the loan will be converted into shares in 2015 and I suspect the dilution has already been accounted for.

The mine in BC is expected to be in production in the third-quarter of 2013. Keep in mind is will be a start up.

I own a lot of shares and I’ve sold puts on a few thousand.

PLATINUM As you have likely heard, car companies are planning to build about 20 million cars in 2013 and many use platinum in the catalytic converters. Not all platinum gets recycled, and a couple of mines will be cutting back production, so there is a growing demand for the stuff.

A company called Platinum Metals Group (PTM) is developing a platinum mine in South Africa. The company issued a few hundred million shares at 80 cents per share to pay for development costs. The mine should open later in 2014.

MEETING: If you’re in Beausejour, Man., on the evening of February 11, 2013, join me to learn more about investing. This meeting will be very hand-on (we’ll have computers). We’ll be talking charts, selling covered calls, and cycles. Register ahead of time by calling 1- 204268-6094. † Andy is mostly retired. In the winter and play with his granddaughters. Andy also manages his own investments and publishes an electronic newsletter called StocksTalk. Read StocksTalk free for a month by emailing Andy at sirski@mts.net.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Columns SOILS AND CROPS

Soil pH

If you’re farming soil with a low pH, be on the lookout for clubroot LES HENRY

S

oil pH to a soil scientist is like blood pressure to a doctor — it’s the first thing we want to know.

The pH affects nutrient availability, and acid (sour) soils are generally unproductive.

In many parts of the world liming acid soils to raise its pH is a fundamental part of farming.

PH AND CLUBROOT Soil pH is also a factor in residuals of certain herbicides but the biggest issue bringing soil pH to the front burner is clubroot in canola. Low pH soils are more susceptible to clubroot.

High pH can be an issue in volatile loss of surface-applied ammonium fertilizers but, for this issue we are most interested in low pH. Clubroot is not a new disease in Brassica species. The historic British Research station of Lawes and Gilbert fame (Rothamsted, near London) gave data that led to this statement many decades ago: “By the late 1940s there was increasing concern that the soils in a number of plots getting ammonium sulphate in the Classical experiments were becoming so acid that yields were adversely affected. ... In the Agdell experiment, acidity was so severe on the NPK plots that the disease club root so decreased yields of turnips that the experi-

ment had to be extensively modified in 1951.”

The modification was applying lime to raise the pH. It was not a quick fix and a further quote is, “Once established this fungus (clubroot — also called “finger and toe”) is difficult to eradicate and turnips could not be grown satisfactorily.”

Keeners of the CCA or P.Ag type can find that and other Rothamsted gems at www.rothamsted.ac.uk. Go to “publications” under “research” and click on “Guide to the Classical…”

The solution to acid soils is to apply lime, but tonnes per acre of lime are required to do the job.

High freight costs have limited the practice in Western Canada.

ALBERTA AND MANITOBA Alberta has lots of acid soils. One acre in three in the Peace River country is acid. Liming was carried out in the Peace River country when trucking subsidies were in place. Acid soils also occur in the Edmonton area, and acid surface soils are also common in the Solonetzic soil belt at Vegreville.

An extension bulletin —old but good — is “Farming Acid soils in Alberta and northeastern British Columbia” by Paul Hoyt (19302011), Marvin Nyborg and Doug Penney. Paul Hoyt was a soil chemist at Beaverlodge (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) for many years. He and I played tennis often at the Lyamungu Research Station on the slopes of Kilimanjaro Mountain in Tanzania circa1973.

He was a grand fellow, a good friend and a great scientist. We miss him.

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Paul Hoyt taught me a lot about soil chemistry. Put “Hoyt farming acid soils” into Google, click on first item and you will soon have a PDF of that bulletin on your desktop.

If you are from Manitoba you can skip this article. Most Manitoba soils are on the high side of pH rather than the low side and acid soils are rare.

pH of Saskatchewan soils

PH 101 The pH scale is a different beast.

It is a log scale, and the smaller the number the greater the acidity (i.e. hydrogen (H) ions). Soil with a pH of five has 10 times as many H ions as soil with a pH of six, 100 times as many H ions as soil with a pH of seven and 1,000 times as many H ions as soil with a pH of 8.

We often make the general statement that Saskatchewan soils have a neutral to slightly alkaline (basic) pH. But, that is not always true.

My first experience with soil pH was as a very green instructor in Voc Ag labs at the University of Saskatchewan. We had the students bring in soil samples from their home farms and determine salt levels and pH in the student lab. A sample from the Lloydminster area of Sask., (it was likely brought in by Vic Hult of Waseca) gave us an answer of pH about 5.5. I dismissed it as a faulty lab result and carried on. It was probably a true result!

The map “pH of Saskatchewan Soils” was made by Harold Rostad and others from the Saskatchewan Soil Survey. Harold was a federal employee (AAFC). He and I were two-thirds of the Soil Science graduating class at the U. of S. in 1964 (the other third was Jim Bole, retired Director of Winnipeg Research Station of AAFC).

I have always been very proud of the job done by my classmate Harold Rostad —it is a nice piece of work. Harold carried pH equipment and did many measurements

Source: At res.agr.ca/cansis/publications/surveys/index.html, click on Sask.

Query —- and follow your nose to the pH map.

The site includes this map as well as explanatory data.

in a field lab and on the tailgate of a pickup truck.

The Saskatchewan map shows that low pH is not much of an issue east of the third meridian.

In West Central and Northwest Saskatchewan acid soils (red on the map) are common. In the most acid area (A1 map unit: Unity, Macklin, Luseland) 20 per cent of soils have pH less than 5.5, 40 per cent have pH between 5.5 and 6.0, and 40 per cent have a pH between 6.1 and 6.7.

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

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* The Roundup agricultural herbicide and HEAT Offer off-invoice discount acres will be calculated using the following label rates: One case of HEAT= 640 acres (Jug of HEAT= 80 acres), Roundup Transorb HC and Roundup Ultra2 0.67L= 1 acre (10L= 15 acres, 115L= 172 acres, 450L= 675 acres, 800L= 1,200 acres). * Offer expires June 30, 2013. See your retailer for further details.ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Monsanto and vine design®, Roundup®, Roundup Transorb® and Roundup Ultra2® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of BASF Corporation; the unique KIXOR X symbol is a trade-mark, and HEAT and KIXOR are registered trade-marks of BASF SE; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. © 2013 Monsanto Canada, Inc. and BASF Canada Inc. TANK MIXTURES: The applicable labeling for each product must be in the possession of the user at the time of application. Follow applicable use instructions, including application rates, precautions and restrictions of each product used in the tank mixture. Monsanto has not tested all tank mix product formulations for compatibility or performance other than specifically listed by brand name. Always predetermine the compatibility of tank mixtures by mixing small proportional quantities in advance.

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

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19

Machinery & Shop MOBILE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Take telematics on the road The MyJohnDeere.com website, Trimble’s Connected Farm and AGCO’s AGCOMMAND telematics systems can now all be accessed with a smartphone SCOTT GARVEY

D

o you have a smartphone clipped onto your belt or in your purse? If so, you’re one of roughly half of all Canadians that do, and that number is steadily climbing. The question people used to ask is “why should I get one?” Now, the question seems to be “why don’t you have one?”

According to the most recent survey data, farmers are keeping pace with their urban cousins when it comes to smartphone ownership.

The machinery manufacturers and digital providers have taken notice of that fact, and over the course of 2012 three major brands announced their telematics systems can now be accessed either fully or partially with a tablet or smartphone. Subscribers can download apps to make that happen.

I guess the question is no longer “Why would you want to access machinery telematics from a smartphone?” it’s “Why did it take so long for those apps to come out?”

But three are finally here, so lets take a look at what each has to offer.

TRIMBLE Trimble released its smartphone app in late August. Its functions are aimed solely at field scouting and mapping chores. It can be used to record information and upload it to a producer’s personal Connected Farm website location.

Producers or ag support companies who use Connected Farm can download the app for free.

It’s available for both Apple and Android platforms.

“We are seeing an increasing number of farmers and agronomists looking for apps they can utilize on their smartphones to help them collect important data from the field,”

PHOTO: TRIMBLE

PHOTO: AGCO

Farmers who operate Massey Ferguson- and Challenger-brand equipment can now access AGCO’s AGCOMMAND system wirelessly using an iPhone or iPad. said Erik Arvesen, vice president of Trimble’s Agriculture Division.

“Trimble’s introduction of the Connected Farm app gives farmers an easy-to-use tool to capture field data for later viewing and analysis online, while also providing agronomists with access to additional data they can use to better assess the needs of their customers.”

The app uses a smartphone’s built-in GPS feature to capture georeferenced images and record pest or disease observations. It can also be used to map field boundaries and obstructions such as rocks or record drainage problems. Once a field’s boundaries are mapped, the app can also calculate its area in acres — or hectares, if you prefer.

Users can view, sort, print and analyze any information captured on the smartphone by sending it

to Trimble’s Connected Farm website for free online access, or by transferring the data to Trimble’s Farm Works Office software.

The company says its Connected Farm system, which allows for wireless data transfer from field to office or between vehicles in the field, is still growing. So like most of the wireless telematics systems on the market today, expect to see new features built into it in the future.

AGCO At the end of November, AGCO unveiled a mobile app for its AGCOMMAND telematics system, which will allow producers to “manage their operation from anywhere, anytime,” according to the press release. Right now it’s only available for iPhone and iPad users. “ A G C O ’s i n d u s t r y - l e a d i n g telemetry service, AGCOMMAND, has gone mobile,” declared Martin Richenhagen, Chairman, President and CEO of AGCO, in that same press release. “Professional farmers and agriculture enterprises can increase their productivity through this new, wireless agriculture management tool that focuses on fleet management, vehicle health and overall machine uptime.”

What the new app allows pro-

Tundra

PHOTO: JOHN DEERE

Need to access your personal MyJohnDeere.com site on the go? Now you can do it from anywhere with an iPhone or iPad by downloading the app from the Apple store. Deere says an Android app will soon be available, too.

Trimble has recently released an app for Apple and Android phones so farmers can upload field scouting and mapping information to its Connected Farm network.

ducers to do, specifically, is transfer the same kind of control over AGCOMMAND they have at their office computer to their smartphone. The new app also extends AGCOMMAND’S core telemetry features by adding 13 new functions.

Among those new capabilities are some tailored to baler operation, which are designed to appeal to forage growers. And there are other enhanced fleet monitoring capabilities. Those include an integrated radar monitoring system that allows you to check the weather conditions where a machine is operating, something that will be particularly useful for sprayers. You can also use the app to compare the performance of multiple machines or set the system to alert you under certain, user-defined circumstances.

The app can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store. So far, nothing for Android.

JOHN DEERE November also saw John Deere deliver on its promise to make an app available so farmers could access and manage all their data through their personal space at the MyJohnDeere.com website —

at least those who are iPhone and iPad users, which is the most common platform used by farmers according to Deere’s survey.

When Deere’s managers invited members of the ag media to a “technology summit” in Des Moines, Iowa, last June, they promised that an Android app would be made available sometime after the launch of the Apple version.

“It (the mobile app) makes it much easier to analyze field data such as application and fertility maps, soil sample grids and crop product data directly from the field,” said Tyler Hogrefe, senior product marketing manager for John Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Group.

The MyJohnDeere.com website is central to what Deere’s management calls a digital infrastructure that allows producers to store, organize and blend data obtained from equipment monitors and third-party input. Farmers can also give selected others, such as their agronomists and accountants, limited access to the site to help them plan cropping strategies and manage business records.

The current app is available at the Apple Store.

Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Machinery & Shop TRACTOR EVALUATION

Reviewing John Deere 6R Series tractors In the last issue we took a close look at John Deere’s 7R tractors. This time we see how owners and test results rate a sampling of the smaller 6R models

BY SCOTT GARVEY

B

PHOTOS: SCOTT GARVEY

Owners don’t agree on just how convenient it is to access the engine compartment, which requires removing side panels for maintenance procedures like oil changes.

ack in 2011, John Deere introduced the 6R Series as part of an update to its tractor line-up in the mid-horsepower range. Last summer the company announced the addition of 12 more models to the 6 Series family, which now also includes the 6M and 6D tractors.

With Deere’s current model numbering system, the more a tractor’s capability increases, the higher its letter designation. So, the 6D models offer the most basic features, the new 6Ms are mid-range models, and the 6Rs, the most capable machines, top out the line.

Engine horsepower ratings in the new 6M line run up to 170 and overlaps 6R range. “They’re for customers who may not want all the technology that’s in a 6R but still may want the horsepower,” says Bradley Tolbert, division marketing manager for 6 Family tractors. “We’re happy to have that higher-horsepower, standard-spec tractor.”

There are now four 6D models, six 6Ms, and eight 6R Series tractors spanning the 105 to 210 engine horsepower range. Deere offers more option and model choices in this horsepower range than any other. If price is important, the baby of the 6 family, the 6105D with a cab and two-wheel drive starts at US$61,730. At the other end of the scale, base price for a 6210R with cab and MFWD comes in at US$164.469. So there is something in this group for almost everyone.

All eight 6R models use a sixcylinder, 6.8-litre, PVX engine.

“We wanted to make sure we got the Intelligent Power Management (IPM) (in all 6Rs), and we can do that very well with the six-cylinder engine,” explains Tolbert.

The IPM feature in 6R tractors will automatically boost engine output delivering up to 20 or 30 extra horsepower (depending on the model) when used in transport and non-stationary PTO operations. This feature is designed to give the tractors a little more muscle to more easily power through the tough spots.

“We’re really excited about IPM,” says Tolbert. “The 140 and 150 have a 20 horsepower IPM boost. And the 170 through 210 have a 30 horsepower boost. So the extra ponies are there when you need them.”

The base transmission is 20-speed AutoQuad Plus ECO Transmission. Optional choices include a 16-speed PowerQuad Plus or IVT Transmission. The IVT and AutoQuad Plus configurations are available with up to 50 KPH (31 MPH) transport speed.

This year, a brand new option for the 6R line is Deere’s DirectDrive transmission. It’s a mechanical gearbox that allows the tractor to behave in a very similar way to those equipped with an IVT. Operators get the advantage of easier control requirements, such as not having to clutch during forward-

and-backward direction changes when using a front-end loader.

Just apply the brake and the tractor stops. Release it and the tractor begins moving again.

TEST RESULTS For this evaluation, we’re focusing solely on the 6Rs. So, let’s start with a look at how a sample model fared during formal testing. At the time of writing, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab results hadn’t yet been made available, but DLG, the German Agricultural Society, had put a Mannheim-built 210 horsepower 6210R AutoQuad through a power-mix test at its facility in Gross-Umstadt.

The power-mix tests (which blend demand between drawbar and PTO loads) were performed under two conditions, one measuring the standard horsepower rating and a second measuring output with the IPM (Intelligent Power Management) “boost” feature.

“They’re the best thing since sliced bread.”

— Glen Walter

If my metric-to-imperial conversion calculations are correct, here’s how those DLG test results came out.

During standard testing, the 6210R netted 203 PTO horsepower under full load at rated speed. When operating at full throttle and delivering 80 per cent of maximum power at rated speed, fuel consumption was measured at 15.87 horsepower hours per gallon.

In boost mode, the engine developed 214 PTO horsepower under full load at rated speed.

And with the engine again operating at full throttle and delivering 80 per cent of maximum power, this time it put out an even better 16.1 horsepower hours per gallon.

OWNER IMPRESSIONS The 6Rs have now been around long enough for owners who bought one soon after the line was introduced to get a good feel for them. So formal testing aside, do the farmers who paid money for these machines think they got what they paid for?

To find out, we asked two 6R owners to tell us how their tractors have been performing and what they like and don’t like about them. Between them, these owners have three 6170Rs with total combined operating hours hovering around the 1,000 mark.

Here’s what they said.

Both cited the cab interior, instrument and control layout along with very low interior

» CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

21

Machinery & Shop TRACTOR EVALUATIONS

Deere’s DirectDrive transmission close to an IVT

The DirectDrive drive transmission option on 6R tractors provides most of the conveniences of an IVT but with the efficiencies of a mechanical gearbox

BY SCOTT GARVEY

I

f you’re mulling over the purchase of a 6R John Deere tractor, you’ll find there is now an additional transmission option to choose from for the 2013 model year: the DirectDrive. The company believes this gearbox is an ideal middle ground between the traditional power-shift and the step-less IVT (Infinitely Variable Transmission).

“We’ve added the DirectDrive transmission to the 6140R through the 6210R tractors,” says Bradley Tolbert, division marketing manager for 6 Family tractors. “It’s a dual-clutch transmission. How we’re able to do it is three ranges with eight gears in each range.”

Its two internal clutches alternately engage and disengage in unison to provide rapid and smooth gear changes, although there is still a notice-

able bump unlike the ultrasmooth speed adjustments characteristic of an IVT.

IN THE CAB The DirectDrive’s control arrangement inside the cab is very similar to that used for an AutoQuad power shift. Push buttons handle shifts between ranges and a lever controls gear selection, which can be manually bumped up and down within each range. If you prefer, the built-in thumb wheel on the lever can be used for gear changes instead, in case bumping the lever is too much effort for you.

Or, if you rather let the tractor to the shifting, the lever can be moved to the “auto” mode position and the tractor will automatically respond to pre-set, desired speed settings, just set the speed on the tractor’s monitor, engage the lever

on the left side of the steering column and the tractor starts off. “The tractor engine and transmission will work together to find that right speed in the right gear, and it will autoshift for you,” Tolbert says.

“It will autoshift for you.”

— Bradley Tolbert The biggest difference between the DirectDrive and the power-shift transmission option is it’s not necessary to use the clutch. To stop the tractor, the driver just steps on the brake and the tractor comes to a standstill. Simply releasing the brake allows the tractor to return to its pre-set speed.

“There are a lot of differences

PHOTO: JOHN DEERE

Controls for John Deere’s DirectDrive transmission option look similar to the AutoQuad power-shift arrangement, but this option offers features closer to an IVT. between the transmissions, but the main one is DirectDrive has auto-clutch functionality built into it,” says Tolbert. “So, much like an IVT, if you come up to a stop sign or you want to stop and wrap a bale, you just step on the brake and the tractor comes to a stop. When you’re done it’ll take off.”

Deere believes farmers will like the convenience of using the DirectDrive, and they’ll appreciate the advantage of sticking with a gear-drive transmission.

“We’re looking at a 100 per cent mechanical transmission that behaves like an IVT,” says Tolbert.

“A lot of those IVT features, set speed and efficiency gains get even better when you couple that with a mechanical transmission.”

If you need a reasonably fast

transport speed, the DirectDrive has a 40 KPH top end.

“We’ve learned to pair those (new transmission designs) with the engines and deliver a fuel-efficient tractor,” says Tolbert. “That’s what we’re really driving for.”

Selecting the DirectDrive transmission option will add US$6,200 to the base price of a 6R tractor. That will give you a choice of 24 forward and 24 reverse gears. An IVT option with the same 40 KPH maximum speed, in comparison, adds US$8,638 to the base price, giving the DirectDrive a US$2,438 price advantage. That makes for a cheaper alternative if you don’t need all the capability of an IVT. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

» CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE noise level as something they really liked. “It’s amazing how quiet it is,” says one of the owners, a Saskatchewan farmer who asked not to be named.

“It’s excellent, very quiet. The visibility is excellent,” says Glen Walter of the Big Rose Hutterite colony at Biggar, the other owner.

As for the control arrangement, Walter liked that too.

“It’s very simple. Everything is right there.” “Instrumentation is really good,” added the anonymous owner. But he didn’t care for the electronic front-end loader joystick. “It’s too sensitive when lowering the loader,” he says.

Outside the cab, though, both thought the full-width cab door was awkward and could be hard to close. “I don’t see why they need the whole side of the cab to be a door,” says the anonymous owner. He also thought cab access could be improved if the steep angle on the steps was more gradual. Those are criticisms others have made of Deere’s larger 7R tractors as well.

Up front, the owners don’t necessarily agree on engine access. Walter thought accessing maintenance points like the engine oil dipstick was relatively easy. “For checking the oil, it’s not a problem,” he says. “But I’ve never worked on one.” The anonymous owner found the hood awkward to open, and he thought unfastening side panels for other maintenance pro-

Both owners rate drawbar performance of the 6R as impressive, but one owner wishes he had purchased rear axle weights to further improve his tractor’s performance in the field. cedures, like oil changes, was unnecessarily time consuming.

When it comes to field performance, both owners are back in agreement. “It looks small for the horsepower,” says Walter.

“It’s quite amazing how that little tractor will pull. Even without the duals, it pulls excellent.”

The anonymous owner agrees, but added he wished he would have ordered rear wheel weights for even better results. And both say they were impressed with how manoeuvrable their tractors are.

Ample hydraulic capacity and the convenience of computer aided shifting were cited by the anonymous owner as other major pluses.

When it comes to reliability, both owners were satisfied overall. The anonymous owner’s machine did suffer a couple of problems. A computer programming fault early on was corrected in his yard, but a later hydraulic check valve failure meant it had to go back to the local dealer for warranty repair. That was handled satisfactorily and the tractor is back in service.

Both owners agree the cab interior, instrumentation and control layout are very good in the 6R cab.

Walter said one of the Big Rose tractors had an unusual noise that turned out to be a hydraulic line touching the cab, and that was easily corrected. But there have been no significant warranty claims on these two.

THE CONCLUSION Once again we put this question to the owners: If they had known before they made the purchase how their specific tractors would perform on their farms, would they still have bought

them? For both owners, the answer is a definite yes.

“They’re the best thing since sliced bread,” says Walter, enthusiastically. He adds that the colony is considering trading these two tractors back on newer 6R models. This time he says they’ll get the optional right-side cab door so operators can access the new tractors from both sides, which will make them handier when used for stationary PTO work. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Machinery & Shop MOBILE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

2D codes link operators to a virtual mechanic 2D codes on Vermeer-brand balers give operators in the field direct access to videos showing service procedures

BY SCOTT GARVEY

H

ave you ever found yourself in the field working on a breakdown and wishing you had a mechanic beside you to help get through the repair?

Mobile digital technology may actually be able to grant that wish — in a way. Combining 2D codes (also known as QR codes) and a smartphone, it is now possible to instantly put a virtual mechanic right there in the field with you.

2D CODES 2D codes are those funny-looking, chequered squares that are popping up almost everywhere.

You may have even seen them at farm equipment shows. Companies are even starting to use them at displays to connect a smartphone user to an online source of expanded information about the machines or products they’re standing in front of. Placing those codes at service points on machines follows the same principle. Operators can scan the codes and get access to detailed online video or service manuals.

It is now possible to instantly put a virtual mechanic right there in the field Vermeer is one of the manufacturers implementing that t e c h n o l o g y. T h e c o m p a n y recently announced it is starting to place them in strategic locations on its Rebel 20 Series balers. The idea is to help operators understand how to perform some service functions on the twine mechanisms.

By scanning the 2D code with a smartphone, operators get linked to an online video showing how to route twine or netwrap through the mechanism.

“The 2D codes were added to give operators a quick and convenient way to see how these processes are done,” says Joe Michaels, director of forage solutions at Vermeer. “Connecting to helpful videos is a great way to use the 2D code technology. It’s help in your pocket.”

If you don’t have a smartphone, you can go to Vermeer’s website and view the same videos on a regular computer.

2D code usage could become an extremely useful tool to help farmers make infield repairs and get going again quickly. It makes the idea of just posting service manuals online seems old school.

For more information on Vermeer balers, go to Vermeer.com. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

2D codes can be scanned with a smartphone to guide you to online information.

PHOTO: VERMEER

Vermeer is placing 2D codes on its Rebel 20 Series balers to help operators see videos on how to perform some service functions.

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

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Machinery & Shop VERTICAL TILLAGE SPECIAL

Sorting through vertical tillage, part three Once you’ve removed the density layers in your fields, you’re ready to start using vertical tillage implements that fall into the surface tillage category

BY TODD BOTTERILL

S

PHOTO: SCOTT GARVEY

Todd Botterill

This Salford-brand surface tillage tool uses wavy coulters to move topsoil. The wider the waves in the coulter, the more soil it will move.

urface tillage tools. This is by far where the most interest in vertical tillage tools exists today. These tools are really designed not to put density layers back into the soil after it has been worked. They aren’t designed to remove the layers, just keep from doing the damage again.

These tools started with farmers taking old tandem disks, straightening the gangs, replacing the disks with coulters and using them typically in no-till conditions for residue management. They did a great job of sizing residue and fluffing it so that the soil would warm and dry quicker. Soon manufacturers

began building machines and the vertical tillage arms race began!

There are three categories of surface tillage tools: coulter, disk and rotary machines.

COULTER MACHINES Coulter machines were among the original surface tillage tools.

Wavy coulters are used to fracture soil and throw it up on top of residue to speed decomposition.

The coulters can also cut the residue into smaller pieces to make it pass through seeding equipment easier. That also speeds up decomposition. They typically have a harrow, harrow rolling basket, or stalk chopper system on the back for residue management and levelling.

Coulter machines are ideal for high residue farming, where a farmer wants to maintain as much surface residue as possible in order to prevent erosion and conserve moisture. They are ideal for farmers focusing more on spring use as well, as they work through extremely wet conditions without plugging and without over-drying the soil. They typically leave the seedbed smooth and firm, allowing for easy planting afterwards.

Many farmers are amazed at how much residue these machines can run through without plugging (imagine cat tails in a slough).

The differences between these machines usually involve coulter spacing, whether gang or individually mounted, and harrow systems.

There are also many choices of coulters that can be used on these machines. The smaller the diameter of the blade and the narrower the wave the more penetrating power and cutting force you have. The wider the wave and the larger the diameter, the more soil movement you will have. A larger diameter blade will also give you a longer working life.

The wider the wave and the larger the diameter, the more soil movement you will have One of the most important things to remember about coulter machines, especially in the fall, is that they aren’t always an immediate-gratification machine. They really rely on Mother Nature to finish the work they started, especially with residue management. I sometimes call them a religious experience, as you have to have faith that they are working, but those who are patient are often surprised to see the difference the next spring after running the machine.

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of five articles on vertical tillage

by Todd Botterill. Look for the next instalment in the February 11 issue of “Grainews.” †

You’ve come to trust Meridian for the best SmoothWall hopper bins in the industry… as of 2013, we’ve merged Meridian, Behlen and Sakundiak brands all under MERIDIAN. Combined, these well established and trusted industry leaders have over 180 years of experience manufacturing innovative, high quality products for customers across North America and around the world. Insist on Meridian for all your Storage and Handling needs.

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Todd Botterill has been in the farm machinery business since 1994. In 2009 he took over the family business, which now wholesales tillage implements across Western Canada for several different companies. He currently lives in the original family farmyard in Newton, Man.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Machinery & Shop Equipment news

AGCO drops SpraCoupe and introduces Gator improvements AGCO has decided to “retire” the 50-year-old SpraCoupe brand in favour of its more popular Gator sprayer lines

By Scott Garvey

C

iting the need to comply with EPA emissions regulations and diminishing sales volumes, AGCO recently announced it will discontinue production of its line of SpraCoupe compact, selfpropelled sprayers for the North American market in 2013.

Graceful retirement Mark Sharitz, AGCO’s marketing director for application equipment, said production of all SpraCoupe 2013 models — including the 4460, 4660, 7460 and 7660 models — will continue only through to May. After that, the company will just manufacture SpraCoupe parts, which will remain available to machine owners along with service support from their SpraCoupe dealers, he said.

For roughly the past 50 years, SpraCoupe-brand sprayers have had widespread distribution across North America. Their appeal was primarily to farmers who wanted smaller, self-propelled application equipment. Not surprisingly, the number of farmers who fit into this market segment has been steadily shrinking, reflecting fewer, smaller farms and a growing number of larger operations.

Sharitz said that market shift

photos: agco

AGCO is dropping its smaller SpraCoupe line after 2013 and will now focus on its “Gator” line of sprayers. combined with the cost required to upgrade the SpraCoupe machines to Tier 4 emissions compliance have made it impractical to continue the brand.

“Our SpraCoupe brand has enjoyed a proud, 50-year heritage of serving farmers’ application needs, and we thank our customers for their confidence in our quality AGCO products,” he said. “This was a difficult decision, but a necessary step for AGCO to maintain its leading position in the application industry.”

FITS MY

COLOR

RoGator, TerrGator and telematics All of that means AGCO will limit its sprayer line-up to the much larger RoGator and TerraGator models after 2013.

And The RoGator line, the most comparable to the SpraCoupes, was given some updates for this model year. Most notably, the company’s AGCOMMAND telematics systems along with a no-charge, one-year subscription will now come standard on the all

three models, the RG900, RG1100 and RG1300.

“Telemetry-based tracking is becoming less of a trend and more of an invaluable tool, particularly for agri-retailers and large-scale farm operations that manage fleets of machinery,” said Craig Jorgensen, business development specialist for AGCO. “Knowing where your machines are and how well they are performing at all times virtually cuts out any guesswork and helps operators move more intuitively and productively.”

The company is proud of the AGCO Power engines now offered in the RoGator line and points to improved fuel economy in the current Interim Tier IV-compliant versions. “When you estimate running your machine for 600 hours each year with diesel prices at four dollars per gallon, the savings add up quickly,” says Paul Haefner,

AGCO Application Equipment product marketing specialist.

Among the other options now available for the RoGator models is the Norac UC5 spray-height controlNsystem. Ultrasonic sensors on each boom section maintain a constant spray height across the full operating width, eliminating the need for an operator to manually control boom height to ensure proper adjustment and prevent machine damage.

And there is the GatorTrak four-wheel steering option.

It’s designed to minimize crop damage during headland turns.

When activated, the rear axle automatically adjusts to place its wheels in the tracks left by those on the front axle. That minimizes the amount of crop trampled in the field.

It’s now possible to equip the smallest model, the RG900, with a spinner box, so all three models are now wet, dry or combination ready.

In all, RoGators offer four boom width choices between 80 and 120 feet. Those booms also offer improved plumbing and air aspirators for better on-off times.

The RoGators’ current body design, which was introduced a couple of years ago, also incorporates some visibility improvements over previous models to help the operator see better when the booms are folded up alongside the cab. Sitting in the seat, it’s clearly much easier to side to each side, which makes road travel much safer.

“We’ve poured a tremendous amount of engineering and design into the RoGator over the past few years,” says Sharitz. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews.

Contact him at scott.garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

Scott Carson MAIDSTONE, SK USING 682-ASY-0711L & 12L ON A BOURGAULT 3310

“The service I have received is second to none and the R&D team really cares about developing a better product. I have no problem recommending BTT openers to anyone that asks.”

Regardless of which make and model you pull in the field, we manufacture ground engaging tools to meet your seeding, fertilizer and tillage applications.

1 800 878 7714 www.tillagetools.com But don’t take it from us, ask one of your neighbours.

AGCO’s line of SpraCoupe applicators will end their 50-year production run in early 2013.

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

25

Cattleman’s Corner PROFITABILITY

Workshop geared for planning for profit

BY ANGELA LOVELL

P

roduction often overshadows economics when it comes to planning for the year ahead, but careful financial projections make a big difference to the bottom line and are well worth the investment in time.

This is the message that Leonard Piggot will deliver to Manitoba producers at a financial planning workshop Feb. 21 and 22, 2013 at the Brandon Research Centre.

Piggot, a producer himself and holistic management instructor from Dysart, Saskatchewan, has led a number of similar workshops for Manitoba and Saskatchewan producers to introduce them to a financial planning system which incorporates the concepts of holistic management.

“Recent emergencies like the flooding of 2011 and the drought of 2012 have made a lot of people realize they have few contingencies in place to cover additional expenses or reductions in income that such events cause,” says Piggot. “The workshop is a great place to

start learning how to develop a cushion against these kinds of emergencies.”

ers can proactively decide if they need to reduce expenses or borrow more money ahead of time.

Planning should be about more than immediate cash needs, says Pigott, and decisions should meet criteria based upon core holistic principles of lifestyle, protection of the resource and production sustainability.

PROFIT FOCUS It begins, says Piggot, by turning conventional wisdom on its head.

Instead of starting with a plan that deducts projected expenses from income and show what’s left, the holistic financial planning approach takes a gross revenue figure to start, deducts the desired profit margin off the top and then allocates the remainder to expenses. “A core holistic goal is to be profitable,” says Piggot. “So you need to turn a psychological step into reality and take gross income and decide what you want your profit percentage to be.”

The premise is that if a producer focuses too much on expenses he will prevent himself from increasing profit. “It sounds simple,” says Pigott. “But it’s a big transition in thinking for a lot of people.”

The planning process Piggot covers will help producers predict their annual income and expenses for each farm operation, such as

WEALTH GENERATION

PHOTO: DUCKS UNLIMITED

Saskatchewan rancher Leonard Piggot speaks to a producer workshop on planning for profit. livestock, crops and other enterprises. A cash flow is developed from these enterprises, which forms a blueprint against which actual monthly incomes and expenditures can be compared.

The idea is to avoid the “squeeze” of unexpected cash shortfalls by where incoming cash may not meet outgoing expenses, so farm-

Although some expenses are fixed such as loan payments and land taxes it’s “wealth-generating” expenses which should get the most attention, says Piggot. He cites an example of costs to fence land into paddocks for planned grazing that increases the carrying capacity of the land. “That’s a wealth-generating expense,” he says.

Piggot estimates that fewer than five per cent of farmers go through a formal financial planning process, which is why he encourages farmers to attend these workshops and learn how to help themselves become more profitable.

The workshops are funded though the Agri-Extension

Environment Program, an initiative of MAFRI (in co-operation with Ducks Unlimited Canada, and the Manitoba Forage Council), which aims to encourage the adoption of environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.

The two-day course provides a frame work that producers can take home and apply that helps them better manage the financial aspect of their operations.

“Over the two days the attendees will develop complete, profitable financial plans for 2013,” said Piggot. “They will be based on their own operations and goals and they will learn how to track their progress using cash flow projections throughout the year. They will be able to see how profitable their operations are and the steps they need to take to maintain or increase profitability.”

To receive information about the upcoming workshop in Brandon in February or to register email Michael Thiele, grazing club co-ordinator at: mthiele@mymts. net. † Article courtesy of Manitoba Forage Council and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

THE MARKETS

Barley high, fewer cattle on feed Despite seasonal ups and down, it might still be a good time to expand the cow herd JERRY KLASSEN MARKET UPDATE

A

lberta fed cattle prices were trading in the range of $116/cwt to $118/ cwt in the first half of January while slaughter cattle in the U.S. Southern Plains sold at $126/cwt to $128/cwt. The market is entering a very volatile period as market-ready supplies tighten and beef demand moves through seasonal softness after the holidays.

Alberta feedlot margins have been struggling in red ink throughout the fall with feed grain prices near historical highs. Wholesale prices are also near 12-month highs but retailers are having a difficult time selling beef at these levels.

Consumer spending generally contracts in January and February and then surges in March and April.

This will be the main factor driving cattle prices over the next couple of months.

Feeder cattle weighing 600 pounds are approximately $10/cwt below year-ago levels due stronger barley prices. Barley supplies will drop to pipeline levels at the end of the 2012-13 crop year which will keep feeder cattle prices highly correlated with the fed market.

FEWER CATTLE ON FEED U.S. cattle-on-feed numbers as of Dec.1 came in at 11.3 million head, down seven per cent from Dec.1 of 2011. November placements were reported at 2.0 million head, down six per cent while marketings were 1.8 million head, down one per cent from year-ago levels. Alberta and Saskatchewan cattle on feed as

of Dec. 1 were also down seven per cent compared to last year. Given the placements throughout the fall period, I’m expecting this trend of lower on-feed numbers to continue into the spring which will result in lower beef production.

In the accompanying table, notice that the 2012 fourth-quarter beef production was actually above the same period of 2011, which was largely due to carcass weights running 20 pounds above last year. The USDA is expecting a marginal year-over-year decline in the first quarter of 2013 but carcass weights will again play a major factor. More importantly, second through fourth-quarter production is expected come in below year-ago levels with a sharp drop in the last quarter of 2013 as feedlot inventories decline further.

Canadian exports of live feeder cattle during 2012 were up nearly 80 per cent over 2011 which has contributed to the lower on-feed numbers in Western Canada. The U.S. feeder market continues to trade at a premium to Manitoba values drawing feeder supplies south. I’m expecting this trend of larger feeder exports to continue in 2013 given the lower calf crops in the U.S. Retail and restaurant spending tends to decline sharply in the first two months of the year as consumers reign in spending after the holiday season. There is no doubt that this behavioural pattern will continue in 2013. However, retail spending starts to trend higher in March while restaurant spending tends to surge at the same time.

Many cattle producers know that cattle prices generally spike in late March and early April for this reason. Wholesale prices are expected to soften in February and then increase in March as consumer spending increases.

U.S. Quarterly Beef Production (million pounds) Quarter

2009

2010

2011

EST 2012

EST 2013

1

6,248

6,251

6,411

6,283

6,170

2

6,602

6,547

6,559

6,475

6,330

3

6,690

6,768

6,737

6,584

6,300

4

6,426

6,741

6,492

6,575

6,005

Total

25,966

26,307

26,199

25,917

24,805

Southern Alberta 500 to 600 lb. steers monthly average ($/cwt)

*2013 estimates Gerald Klassen

ECONOMY IMPROVING The overall economic situation in the U.S. appears to be improving. Consumer confidence is expected to increase throughout the first quarter while unemployment numbers continue to trend lower. Disposable income for the average American consumer is up approximately four per cent. However, U.S. ground beef prices are up eight per cent over year-ago levels while higherend sirloin prices are up seven per cent. The market is clearly rationing demand at these levels, which will result in lower per-cap-

ita consumption. It is important to realize that disposable income is expected to show a year-overyear increase of six per cent by the second quarter, which should keep retail prices well supported.

Feeder cattle prices are expected to be rather stagnant during February but then start to trend higher in March as fed cattle makes seasonal highs. There is potential for some softening in the summer months as fed cattle prices generally weaken and barley prices stay firm. Longer term, the feed grains complex is expected to come under pressure in the fall period due to larger

barley and U.S. corn crops. For this reason, I’m expecting feeder cattle prices to reach record highs in the final quarter of 2013.

The accompanying graph shows my outlook for 500 to 600 pounds feeders in southern Alberta. Given the positive outlook, I’m still recommending that producers expand their herds this spring. Bred cows and heifers are reasonably priced given the current outlook for feeder cattle next fall and winter. † Gerald Klassen analyzes cattle and hog markets in Winnipeg and also maintains an interest in the family feedlot in Southern Alberta. For comments or speaking engagements, he can be reached at gklassen7@hotmail.com or call 204 899 8268.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Keepers & Culls Stockgrowers planning 100th anniversary LEE HART

The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013, making it the oldest functioning agricultural organization in the province. This historic event is going to be celebrated in Moose Jaw, where it all began, during the 100th annual general meeting and convention, June 9-11. By the code of the Old West, “Riding for the Brand” meant that a cowboy had signed on for the mission, fully committed to the cause.

“Riding for the Brand” has been adopted as a fitting theme for the 100th anniversary, in tribute to the commitment, dedication and loyalty of the organization and its members and a century of contribution to the beef industry in this province. The event will combine the business of the 100th annual general meeting and conference with a salute to history and heritage at a traditional ranch rodeo and barn dance and conclude with a gala anniversary banquet.

For details visit the conference website at: www.skstockgrowers. com/100th

COMING EVENTS LIVESTOCK CARE CONFERENCE Alberta Farm Animal Care’s 2013 Livestock Care Conference is now open for registration. The conference will be held at the Executive Royal Inn in Calgary, March 21 & 22, 2013. For more information visit the conference website at: http://lcc.afac.ab.ca.

And the event always welcome more sponsors. For sponsorship contact Lorna Baird (lorna@afac. ab.ca) or Angela Greter (angela@ afac.ab.ca).

COMMENT ON THE BEEF CODE The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) have called for a public comment period on the draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle. The draft code can be viewed at nfacc. ca/codes-of-practice/ beef-cattle until March 8, 2013. Comments must be submitted through the online system at nfacc.ca/codesofpractice/beef-cattle and easy-tofollow instructions are provided.

Cattle producers, consumers, and others with an interest in the welfare of beef cattle are encouraged to provide input to ensure that this code reflects a common understanding of beef cattle care expectations and science-based recommended practices in Canada. A scientists’ committee report summarizing research on priority welfare topics for beef cattle can be found online alongside the draft code. This peer-reviewed report aided the discussions of the code development committee as they prepared the draft Code of Practice.

“The code development committee is a great representation of interested stakeholders. This public comment period really allows us to check our work with an even more representative group,” said Ryder Lee, CCA manager of federal and provincial relations.

“I encourage producers to weigh in and make their points known as the code will be an important tool for communicating how beef cat-

tle are raised in Canada. The more producers that review the code the more certain we can be that the final code will represent how cattle are raised across Canada.”

The beef cattle code is one of eight codes of practice currently under revision as part of a multiyear NFACC project. Codes of practice serve as our national understanding of animal care requirements and recommended practices.

It is important codes be scientifically informed, practical and reflect societal expectations for responsible farm animal care. The codes cover housing, feed and water, handling, euthanasia, transport and other important management practices.

The final version of the code will be released later in 2013.

WELFARE APPROVED The herd of beef cattle at TK Ranch, near Hanna, Alta. is now certified as Animal Welfare Approved.

This certification and food label lets consumers know that these animals were raised in accordance with the highest animal welfare standards in the U.S. and Canada, using sustainable agriculture methods on an independent family farm. TK Ranch is the fourth farm to receive this certification in Canada.

Animal Welfare Approved has farms in almost every state in the U.S., but Canada is a newer market.

“AWA is growing rapidly throughout the U.S., but we’re especially pleased to certify our fourth farm in Canada and gain more brand recognition,” says AWA program director Andrew Gunther.

Like other AWA farmers, Colleen and Dylan Biggs recognize the growing consumer interest in how animals are being raised. Raising animals outdoors on pasture or range

CONTACT US

Write, E-mail or Fax Contact Cattleman’s Corner with comments, ideas or suggestions for and on stories by mail, e-mail, phone or fax.

Phone Lee Hart at 403-592-1964 Fax to 403-288-3162 E-mail lee@fbcpublishing.com Write to CATTLEMAN’S CORNER, PO Box 71141 Silver Springs RPO, Calgary, Alta. T3B 5K2 has known benefits for animals, consumers and the environment.

Located southeast of Edmonton, 10,000-acre-TK Ranch is widely recognized for its commitment to the environment, animal welfare and sustainable agriculture. In 2010, the ranch received the National Prairie Conservation Award at the 9th Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The ranch direct markets their grass-fed beef, an innovative approach to sales. “Instead of being defeated by the conventional commodity-based system, we decided to create an alternative to the mainstream,” says Colleen Biggs.

“The only way to make change in agriculture was to become the change itself.”

The ranch’s success has positioned Colleen and Dylan as role models to other farmers. “Every year the number of farm families that contact us for information and mentoring increases and this is a sign that people are looking for alternatives to the mainstream,” says Colleen.

For more information visit www. tkranch.com.

INFORMATION ON THE WORLD OF BLOAT If you are wondering how to spend your time this winter, check out the relatively new Canadian beef and forage information website at foragebeef.ca. Extension specialists keep adding all kinds of useful

information on beef and forage production and most recently added research papers and links to research dealing with pasture bloat.

Found in the Animal Feed Science and technology, volume 172, Issues 1-2, Pages 103-114 (February 28, 2012) Foragebeef.ca has added “Frothy bloat in ruminants: cause, occurrence and mitigation” into its Bloat in Pastures folder.

This work and subsequent published paper was done by Walter Majak from Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Range Research Unit, Kamloops, BC, Yuxi Wang, and Tim A. McAllister from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, Lethbridge Alberta.

Found in the Canadian Journal of Animal Science 90: 109-112 (December 3, 2009), Foragebeef.ca has added “Effect of grazing mixtures of alfalfa and orchardgrass grown in strips on the incidence of bloat in cattle” into its Bloat in Pastures folder.

The foragebeef.ca co-ordinators say if you find these research papers interesting, feel free to pass them on to friends, or if you have your own published research papers pass them on to Foragebeef.ca and they will post them. Foragebeef.ca is a storehouse of good information from many sources pertinent to forage and beef in Western Canada. †

ANIMAL HEALTH

Management tips to prevent calving problems Pay close attention to how cows and heifers are behaving and don’t be afraid to ask for help ROY LEWIS ANIMAL HEALTH

T

he best approach in dealing with calving problems is through prevention. It is the key, and producers have been very successful with these measures over the years. However, I still have a list of key preventative measures that serve as good reminders.

Caesarian sections and calving pulls have dropped by 75 per cent over the last few years because producers have followed these simple guidelines.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS • Breed to easy-calving bulls, especially with heifers. All breeds have easy-calving lines which still

produce good growth calves in the fall. You don’t have to sacrifice much performance and still have ease of calving.

• Watch your second calvers.

This is the group we see having the biggest problem with calving currently. If their body size warrants it, breed some of them back to the heifer bulls as well.

• Watch the birth weights of any bulls you buy. These weights have been brought down diligently by all purebred producers over the last several years. This is a highly heritable trait and can be easily selected for.

• Exercise. I cannot stress this enough. Fat, overweight cattle buildup lots of internal fat in their pelvis, decreasing the size of the pelvic opening. So a proper ration and plenty of exercise keep cows in good shape. Good nutrition is imperative especially the macro-minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. These minerals

help to strengthen the uterine contractions at calving.

• When checking heifer calves in the spring before breeding or at preg-check time, have your veterinarian warn you of any abnormally small pelvises. The pelvis can be formally measured with a pelvic meter and a prediction of calving ease given or a subjective assessment made. Generally the bigger the heifer the bigger the pelvis but you can select for larger pelvises while keeping the heifer’s weight the same.

CORRECTIVE MEASURES Foot-back presentations are only corrected by retracting the other front foot and head gently back into the birth canal and bringing the foot up. Bear in mind, especially with heifers, that this is an indication of lack of room and only two things can fit into the birth canal. This is like-

wise the same situation and more common with the head-back scenario. This may indicate the need for a caesarian section.

With any assisted calving, use copious amounts of lubricant.

There are very good ones out there. With a dry birth the friction creates an unnecessarily hard pull, which is hard on both the newborn calf and the dam.

One must always try and minimize any trauma to the birth canal as that injury will jeopardize any subsequent rebreeding.

Always always pull in unison with the cow’s contractions. A lot of farmers get in too big a rush which makes for a forced delivery.

I always use the comparison of a cow naturally calving where contractions are spread out with rests in between. You want the assisted calving to be as natural as possible.

The only time to pull fast is with a backward presentation once the tailhead is presented out the back

end. The navel cord is pinched off and the calf should come out quickly and easily at that point.

Learn from your veterinarian.

If just starting out in the business you may require your local veterinarian for more calvings.

Ask questions during the process to give you more knowledge and experience for the next time.

Take your time when examining a cow for the first time to really get a handle on the position of the calf and its viability.

Cows that produced twins will often repeat with twins. This is a very important point to remember as twins often are presented abnormally. If you note any thing abnormal about these cows close to their calving date they should be examined.

Happy calving. † Roy Lewis is a practising large-animal veterinarian at the Westlock Veterinary Centre, north of Edmonton, AB. His main interests are bovine reproduction and herd health.

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27

Cattleman’s Corner RANCHER’S DIARY

Two January calves were a surprise Cold snap makes it hard on cattle and machinery HEATHER SMITH THOMAS

JANUARY 1, 2013

W

ith the cold stormy weather we decided not to wean Michael and Carolyn’s summer calves, and leave them on their mothers a while longer, since those cows won’t be calving until May and later. We preg-checked and vaccinated the cows and calves while Michael was home from North Dakota and the kids were still home from college. I fed everybody lunch here after they got done working cattle. We put their cows and calves down in our lower field. Carolyn, Lynn and Andrea can feed them here, with the round bale processor.

Thursday before Christmas we all had supper here (Andrea and kids and Rick, Michael and Carolyn and kids). The next day Lynn and Michael went to town to meet with the Farm Bureau Insurance claims adjuster. She assessed the damage on our flatbed trailer (totalled) and said the insurance might pay for what a used trailer of that age might be worth, but will pay only $1,000 toward fixing our John Deere tractor. The damage to Michael’s pickup bed will be fully covered. The day after Christmas he drove it to Blackfoot where the old box bed was removed and a new flatbed put on it.

The morning after he got his pickup fixed, Michael left early to drive straight through to North Dakota, back to his job driving trucks. He hauled 20 new truck tires back there, for the outfit he’s working for.

With our big tractor still being repaired, Rick and Andrea helped Lynn put a hayfork loader on our smaller tractor, so we can load big bales. Lynn brought some big alfalfa bales around to my stack yard, for feeding our heifers.

We’ve been feeding the two fillies a little grain and alfalfa pellets (mostly to the weanling Willow and only a handful to Spotty Dottie) in this cold weather. Andrea and I have been leading them a few times, but not as regularly as when the weather was nicer.

JANUARY 10 Lynn did chores for one of the neighbours for two weeks while they were visiting their children and grandchildren in California.

The weather got really cold and froze their water, but he was able to get it thawed out. We are breaking ice daily at the creek for the cows. Last Wednesday when Lynn started our tractor to move some big bales, the diesel gelled up.

We apparently didn’t have enough Power Service in the mix.

Sunday, Emily went with Lynn and me to feed our cows. She had her first practice session driving our feed truck. While we were on Heifer Hill feeding, a friend of Rick’s drove

in that driveway in a little car, and spun out. Lynn didn’t have a chain or rope to pull the car, so he tied the baling twines together from the bales we’d just fed to pull the car up out of the driveway.

Later that morning Nick stopped by. Lynn helped him install a new toolbox in the bed of his pickup, then Nick drove back to college in Iowa. Young Heather went back to Helena last week for her final semester. She’ll be graduating in May.

JANUARY 17 Last Friday it was Lynn’s turn to feed with the processor. Carolyn had to work at the vet clinic. When Lynn pulled out into the field he found a newborn calf. Most of the cows Michael and Carolyn bought last summer had very young calves at side or were ready to calve, but three had large calves and had a chance to breed before they were sold. When our vet preg checked them a few weeks ago he said this old cow, #206, would probably calve in January but the other two wouldn’t calve until April.

It was cold and windy, but #206 probably calved in the brush where the cows were bedding. The new calf was dry, and had nursed. Later that morning Rick helped Lynn adjust the processor to blow hay out the side, and they spread an extra bale of grass into the edge of the brush for more bedding.

Andrea took Emily to her hockey tournament in Kalispell, Montana Friday through Sunday.

Their team won all four games, for the first time ever.

Saturday morning it was -26 C. It took awhile to break ice out of all the horse tubs and open water holes in the creek ice. We fed all the cows extra hay. Carolyn had to leave for work early in the morning so she left the blankets on Molly and Chance (their two skinny old horses) because it was still cold. Lynn and I drove up there late morning to take off the blankets and put more wood in Carolyn’s stove.

It was cold again on Sunday.

When Lynn and Carolyn fed cows they discovered another newborn calf from one of the cows that was supposed to calve in April. The calf was cold but seemed OK, and had nursed at least one teat. After sub-zero weather for several more days, this new born wasn’t doing as well as the older calf. When Andrea and Carolyn fed the cows Tuesday they saw the younger calf laying on the old feed trail, on its back, stuck between two big frozen manure piles. The calf looked dead, but raised its head when they approached with the tractor and processor.

They jumped out, with an ax handle for a weapon in case the mother cow was aggressive, and grabbed the calf. The cow was worried but didn’t attack. It was a big calf, about 90 pounds — about all Andrea could lift while Carolyn held off the cow.

Then Andrea handed the calf to Carolyn and climbed up into the tractor, grabbing the front legs of the calf as Carolyn handed it up

and pushed on the back end. They got it into the cab, finished feeding (not much room in the tractor) and brought the calf to the house.

We spent the rest of the day thawing and warming that calf.

It must have been stuck on its back quite awhile. Perhaps a cow knocked it down or rooted it out of the way, rolling it between the frozen manure piles. It’s body temperature was below 80 F; too low to register on my thermometer.

We lay the calf on blankets by the wood stove with a hot pad under her, using warm water on its cold stiff feet. I injected dextrose under its skin in several places. After we started warming the calf, we tubed it with 1-1/2 quarts of warm water with powdered colostrum mixed in. We thought this might give her more energy than regular milk replacer. The calf hadn’t nursed for a while; it was dehydrated and didn’t urinate until evening when we gave her another 1-1/2 quarts of colostrum mix. By that time her temperature was rising, up to 99 degrees (normal for a calf is 101.5) and she was strong enough to stand.

Lynn, Carolyn and Charlie (who was here doing homework after school) took the calf to Carolyn’s house to stay in their basement by the wood stove. Carolyn fed it a bottle at 2 a.m. and again at 8 a.m. She stayed home from work yesterday, and after she and Andrea

PHOTOS: HEATHER SMITH THOMAS

Bale processor works well to distribute feed and bedding to cow herd.

Andrea and Carolyn working to thaw the cold calf that wasn’t supposed to be on the scene until April. fed the cows, they put the calf back out with its mother. Lynn and I were outside feeding the two fillies their grain when I heard Andrea yelling, so he went to see what was happening and I led both fillies back to their pen. The cow was kicking at the calf, so Andrea and Carolyn were bringing the pair to the barnyard.

Once we got the pair into the corral the cow let the calf nurse, and we could see she had a very sore hind teat — the end was raw from frostbite. So we put the pair

in a small pen by our barn where we can monitor them. We shoveled snow away from the windbreak and bedded it with hay. The old cow is smart and acts like she’s been handled on foot before; she made herself at home in the pen. She’s an old cow, without much milk, but we can pamper her here. This morning (-26 Celsius again) the calf was cold, but nursing, so we won’t have to raise it on a bottle. † Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband Lynn near Salmon, Idaho. Contact her at 208-756-2841.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Cattleman’s Corner BETTER BUNKS AND PASTURES

Beef cows need good feed after calving PETER VITTI

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ood winter post-calving feeding programs tailormade for beef cows for about 80-90 days after calving, should contain a higher plane of nutrition compared to that fed during the previous gestation period. These new diets are geared to help cows produce lots of milk for the next few months prior to the grazing season, will help produce heavier and healthier calves at weaning. Furthermore, new firstcalf mothers are going to need extra nutrients for continued growth.

It’s also important to raise this bar of nutrition even a little further for good reproductive performance. We want cows and heifers to repair their reproductive tract and resume a normal estrus cycle as soon as possible once they drop their calves.

University field trials conducted on post-partum cows that quickly return to a reproductive life; proves higher conception rates than similar cows that cycle later. This is because the early cows can have one or two more estrus cycles and thus have more chance of getting pregnant, particularly in a limited breeding season. The calves of these same early-cycling cows are shown to be older and heavier at

Water is a critical part of a feeding program. weaning and more uniform in size, which translates into higher value and revenue.

COWS NEED 50 PER CENT MORE ENERGY The National Research Council (NRC) estimates most post-calving cows, which maintain an adequate body condition of 2.5-3.0 (1 = emaciated and 5 = obese) and are nursing newborn calves, typically need about 50 per cent more dietary energy and 10-15 per cent more protein over early to midgestation stages.

Such mature beef cows (in the 600-700 kg range) can only received their nutrient requirements by consuming about 2.02.5 per cent of their body weight

per day in good quality feed, on a dry matter basis. Under normal circumstances, it’s not that difficult to make up a proper ration as long as we remember energy and then protein are the first and second limiting nutrients for all post-calving beef cows. Of the two nutrients, dietary energy is the largest component and often most difficult to meet.

Post-partum beef cows require about 60-62 per cent TDN (total digestible nutrients) and about 11-12 per cent crude protein in their diet, by the time they are milking at their highest levels which could be up to 10 litres per day. First-calf heifers do not eat and do not milk compared to older mature cows, but their dietary concentrations are very similar because

they need extra nutrients required for their own growth.

It is also important to keep in mind all cows that calve in early February to April may need 20-30 per cent more dietary energy just to keep warm. Coping with the cold is all part of their most basic maintenance needs and supersedes all milk production and reproduction requirements.

Along with a proper ration, if we do not have enough fresh clean water for post-calving cows, even the best dietary intensions can go astray. Optimum feed consumption, adequate feed digestibility and good nutrient absorption by beef cows of any post-calving diet relies upon substantial water intake. It is often recommended that each nursing now be supplied with up to 50 litres of good-quality water per day.

WATER IS CRITICAL Whether water comes from waterers or a snowpack, most sources are often well-established before the cows calve out. Likewise, putting together post-calving diets should not be much trouble! Since forages make up 90 per cent or more of many gestation diets, many of these same forages are going to be supplemented with high energy and/or protein feeds to increase their plane of nutrition to lactation/breeding status.

• To start — adequate quality grass hay, grass-alfalfa mixtures, or

cereal/corn silage with a TDN of 56-60 per cent and nine to 12 per cent protein make an excellent foundation for post-calving diets. In contrast, low-quality forages such as grain straw and poorquality grasses are often too low in dietary energy (high in fibre) and protein content to make up a substantial portion of a diet.

• The next step — even the best quality beef forage is likely to be shy of energy. Therefore, 0.5-2.5 kg of grain such as barley, corn distiller’s grains (extra protein) or a commercial 13-14 per cent cow-pellet should be added.

Keep in mind, if the cold winter winds blow; another 0.5-1.0 kg of energy concentrates should be fed in order to help cows keep warm. Also a commercial beef mineral (with vitamins) should fed at 50-100 grams per head per day along with salt, usually placed near a water source.

With these primary steps covered, given today’s commodity prices for forage, grain, protein supplements and cattle mineral, the cost of sound post-calving beef cow rations should in the range of $1.75- $2 per head per day. These couple of dollars should provide good winter feed during a significant portion of the post-calving period until grass appears in late spring and summer. † Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg.

To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

DAIRY CORNER

Corn for dairy cows pushes westward

BY PETER VITTI

A

lberta and Saskatchewan still grow millions of acres of barley, but Manitoba broke a 30-year-old record in 2012 by planting 300,000 acres of harvested grain corn, which easily surpassed the previous high of 225,000 acres in 1981.

On a Prairie-wide basis, barley is still the major feed grain crop with about 6.3-million acre harvested in 2012. However Manitoba planted only 490,000 acres of barley last year, down considerably from a high of about 2.5 million acres of barley in 1981. In Manitoba and to a lesser extent in other provinces, corn is becoming a viable option as a cash crop and a livestock feed.

Along with that, many dairy producers on the Prairies have replaced barley with corn as the sole grain in their cows’ lactation rations. Recent spikes in corn prices on the cash and futures market as well as more economical barley has not reversed the trend, showing that corn is unlikely to be removed from high milk-producing diets anytime soon.

CORN HAS A FIT That’s because good-quality corn has a high starch content, which permits the formulation of higher energy-dense dairy rations, particularly needed during a period of early lactation in dairy cows. At this time dairy cows are most likely to suffer from a period of “negative energy balance.” There’s a lag time

of five to six weeks between the heavy demands of energy for milk production and the lack of dietary energy intake in even the best dairy feeding program.

To survive this natural energy crisis, the cow mobilizes and breaks down her own body fat, which supplies a substantial amount of energy to support milk production. This often leads to serious metabolic diseases such as ketosis or fatty liver syndrome.

However, a corn-based dairy diet can help minimize excessive fat breakdown, Not only does a corn kernel contain a high level of starch (72 per cent), but the natural digestibility of cornstarch in dairy diets seems to be more time-controlled than in cereal grains such as barley.

A kernel of cornstarch is uniquely embedded in a highly resistant protein matrix, which repels microbial invasion. What bacterial degradation that does take place to cornstarch is slow. A significant portion is forced into the small intestine for final digestion. In addition, as grain corn dries (to less than 15 per cent moisture), its starch forms a crystalline structure that is even more difficult for the rumen microbes to degrade rapidly.

PROCESSING OPTIONS Some dairy specialists have viewed this relatively slow degradation of cornstarch in the cows’ rumen as a nutritional obstacle in supplying large amounts of readily available energy for bet-

ter milk yields. Therefore, many physical and “cooking” techniques have been developed, which increase corn-starch’s exposure to the ruminal microbes for better fermentation and energy release.

Such examples include: (i) highmoisture corn (25 per cent moist), (ii) grinding/cracking (increases surface area/breakdown of protein matrix) and (iii) steam-rolling or cornstarch gelatinization.

There are many university and field trials that illustrate the dietary benefits from each of these processes. It has been showed that high-moisture corn is quite palatable compared to dry corn and increases diet dry matter intake. In a similar fashion, fineground or steam-rolled corn yields eight to 10 per cent more dietary energy than regular dry corn and is backed up by some favourable production studies.

Other studies temper these positive results with a substantial threat of rumen acidosis and off-feed problems in high milk-producing dairy cows. Despite these latter adverse messages, science tends to favour processed grain corn for lactating dairy cows as long as corn moisture and particle size is optimized in order to promote healthy cornstarch digestion in the rumen and small intestines, which turns into good milk production.

No matter how the corn kernel is processed to release more dietary energy for dairy cows, it really does little to improve corn’s natural lowprotein content or digestion.

Corn contains eight to nine per cent protein compared to cereal

grains such as barley, wheat or millet with 11-13 per cent protein. It doesn’t concern most dairy people because of routine formulation often calls for high-protein forages such as alfalfa forage or high-protein concentrates such as canola or soybean meal. Corn protein has a bypass protein value, which is about double of cereal grains, so there is a small nutrient trade-off, especially when soluble protein is fed.

CAN BE REPLACED As much as corn might be favored in lactation dairy diets for its high energy (starch) content (and accept it as a lowprotein grain), it can be easily replaced, when its availability shrinks or its cash price skyrockets. Luckily, there are many total or partial replacements for grain corn such as barley, wheat, wheat middlings, or even bakery wastes.

Ironically, some energy substitutes are derived from grain corn.

Corn distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) is low in starch, but is an excellent source of protein (27-30 per cent), ruminal by-pass protein (57-62 per cent), fat (1012 per cent) and a source of highly digestible fibre; together is estimated to have a energy density of corn (Nel = 2.10 Mcal/ kg). One kilo of DDGS can theoretically replace 0.6 kg of corn and 0.4 kg of soybean meal in a high milk producing diet. As a result (from sound field trial data) dairy cows fed DDGS up to 30 per cent of their dairy ration can produce comparable milk volume

and maintain important milk components.

Such movement toward corn substitutions like DDGS and other replacements seem to be more imminent when corn supplies are tight and these other ingredients are more available. By comparison, when corn is expensive, the movement toward the same replacement feedstuffs is not as predictable, because the producer’s decision to feed corn is not always based upon its cost.

For example, the cash price of corn is about $7.50/bushel ($295/ mt) and barley is about $5.50/ bushel ($251/mt); a standard 7.0 kg of barley substituting corn strictly on a 1:1 dietary energy/ starch basis would technically save about $0.31/head/day in ration costs. For a 100-dairy-cow herd, this diet translates into an approximate $11,000 annual savings in feed costs.

Dairy producers who have the favourable experience of corn as a grain ingredient, have often made it the gold standard for dairy cows, particularly on the eastern Prairies.

Manitoba total grain corn acres are predicted to increase between 10-15 per cent in 2013. With the development of new corn varieties that require fewer heat units and shorter growing seasons; the movement of more corn onto traditional cereal acres, and then some of it into more westward dairy diets is very possible. † Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg.

To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

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Home Quarter Farm Life SEEDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Cain’s legacy: Farm sibling strife Act now to work on relationships with your brothers and sisters ELAINE FROESE

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he radio announcer suggested that the longest relationships we have are with our siblings, 80 years or more, and he hoped they were good ones. Then he mentioned the book Cain’s Legacy: liberating siblings from a lifetime of rage, shame, secrecy and regret, by Dr. Jeanne Safer. “Wow,” I thought, “I wonder what tools Safer has for farm sibling strife?” and I bought the book to encourage you.

“When people have what they need emotionally, they do not envy what others have… even brothers who have cheated them out of what, by rights, was theirs (Jacob and Esau story),” Safer writes. I wonder if she has ever interviewed the farm sisters who are taking each other to court over Dad’s will?

Farm families are in deep angst over sibling strife, and you may be shocked at this next observation.

“Parents are responsible for parenting the sibling rivalry that leads to strife and siblings who have a legacy of grief with each other.

Parents should not ignore the violence or fighting between siblings, and they should defang it. Navigate the wrath!” says Safer.

I would say, “discuss the undiscussabull™.” Deal with the issues when they are small, and have the courageous conversations to deal with hostilities before they

become entrenched in the family history. If one child is saying, “I am afraid that when our parents die, that you’ll take everything and not leave anything for me!” talk about your estates, succession plans, and possession wishes.

Be conscious. “The most effective strategy is the most elusive: self-knowledge and empathy for all combatants,” says Safer. What is it that you really want? Can you evoke some empathy to try and understand what your siblings are going through?

The best-equipped siblings in strife are those who were well loved themselves (or understand why they weren’t) and have satisfying lives.” Addressing unfinished business with one’s own siblings is the best way to foster mutuality in the next generation.

What type of sibling relationships are you modelling for your children?

Do you have the awareness of the conflict, and the will to change the future relationships in your family?

Many folks I coach are re-enacting the past. Safer challenges us to repudiate Cain’s legacy (Cain killed his brother Abel in the Bible account).

She says all we need is “consciousness and a new perspective on the past will open up for us.”

When I work with farm families, I usually ask them to tell me the stories about how the dad and mom got the farm from their parents. I am looking for clues and patterns or perspectives on fairness, and keeping the farm intact. Usually there is a rough relationship between farming brothers, the uncle, and things

that the current founders want to avoid with their legacy.

I am curious if you are courageous enough to be more aware of the internal struggle that your siblings cause in you. Anxiety about knowing and revealing unacceptable feelings (like hate) keeps you stuck, and inhibits what you say to your siblings. Likely they already know the truth about how you feel about what is happening.

Could you approach a sibling with: “Let’s work on our relationship so that we want to be together?”

Here’s some insights that might help you cope: • Move on. This is a coaching term that helps people see that things may never change, so they need to let go and move on. This happens when you create a place of your own while maintaining a very minimal role in your farm family home. Essentially you stay connected in a very small way, and build a satisfying life beyond the farm.

• Irreconcilable differences that are beyond repair may teach you to look in the mirror and spare the next generation from the same mistakes. The desire for reconciliation needs to come from both siblings in order to be effective.

• Adopt new “family” or find a surrogate family, as Safer calls it.

We have found our church family to be a part of our extended family, people who chose to love and care, even when they are not true relatives. Safer feels that “brotherhood or sisterhood should be earned.”

• Grieve your losses. What struck me about Safer’s insights is

that “siblings are indelible, they are written in your heart and your history. Severing your external relationships doesn’t mean that you can divest yourself of the internal relationship.”

So the folks that I meet who have severed physical ties with siblings, are still deeply affected by their heartstring struggles of wondering what went wrong.

• Make a choice. “Whatever decision you make about the type of relationship you will have with a problem sibling, make it a conscious choice; you will have fewer regrets later on. Avoiding the painful truth, blaming external circumstances, letting the relationship trail off, or believing it no longer matters prevents recognition, resolution and mourning. Acknowledging reality liberates emotional energy, and this will help you discover men and women who can become your authentic psychological brothers and sisters even if they are not your biological ones.” (Safer, page 211) Ten tips to moving from strife: 1. Strive to see the world from the other person’s perspective.

2. Empathize and appreciate what the other sibling has tried to do. Build on the positive.

3. Explain the “why” or the intent behind estate decisions.

4. Don’t let the parents sow the seeds of favouritism.

5. Take initiative to have frequent conversations so that you are not kept apart by silence.

6. Some people love money more than relationship. Let them go.

Money does not buy love. Identify the roles your parents played or

contributed to the conflict so you can alter the outcome.

7. Embrace honest conversations. Be real. Hurt siblings need to be validated by being seen and heard before forgiveness comes.

Rebuilding trust takes time and selfawareness.

8. Accept “good enough.”

“Sometimes you have to adjust your notion of the perfect reconciliation to the good-enough one that accepts the other person as she is,” says Safer.

9. Seek common ground or common interests, rather than staying stuck in your positions. What is it that you both really want?

10. Take risks to have courageous encounters that build trust. “Your willingness to hear, undefensively, how the other person sees the situation establishes trust, which is the most potent tool for reconciliation,” says Safer.

Be receptive to emotional engagement to search for insights into your sibling strife history. As Dr. Jeanne Safer explains, “the only person whose involvement you can control is yourself.” I would add that you might also want to pray for wisdom and divine intervention in the process. † Elaine Froese is a catalyst for courageous conversations with farm families who seek positive outcomes. She is a member of CAFA, the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors, and has been a certified coach since 2003.

She has three living siblings, one deceased.

Elaine helps farm families define their legacy with clarity, certainty and commitment to action. “Like” her on Facebook at “farm family coach.” Buy her books at www.elainefroese. com/store or contact her at www.elainefroese. com/contact. Call 1-866-848-8311 to book her wisdom and tools for your next conference.

One sweet success story

BY EDNA MANNING

“

T

he flavour is unique — a combination of blueberries and grapes. The colour is a rich, dark purple.” Lyn Brown is describing the Black Pansy Syrup she produces.

Two other syrups she makes, Red Clover Blossom Syrup and Rose Petal Syrup also have their own novel and delicious taste.

“These are locally made products that aren’t made anywhere else in the world,” adds Brown.

In 2005 Brown and her husband purchased the family farm near Choiceland in northeast Saskatchewan. They were harvesting the red clover on the land for seed but she thought there might be something else the clover could be used for.

“I was researching and studying herbs and medicinal plants at the time and found that red clover has many health benefits and the blossoms can be made into a delicious tea,” she says.

Brown experimented with the red clover blossoms and discovered that by adding unrefined organic cane sugar to the tea and boiling it down, she could produce delicious syrup that tasted a little lighter and slightly nuttier than maple syrup.

Impressed with the results, she felt the syrup might be a product consumers would enjoy and appreciate.

“Because shelf life for syrup is determined by the maple syrup

industry, we used the same Brix level — the same formula in terms of percentage of sugar to water. That gives the syrup the same consistency and shelf life as maple syrup. Once I had the syrup, I had a product with a shelf life,” Brown said.

With help from family members and the local community, Brown hand picks the red clover blossoms once a year on the August long weekend. Because they use only fresh flowers, and have the use of the University of Saskatchewan commercial government-inspected kitchen for a limited time period, the blossoms have to be picked en masse.

Massive pots of tea are brewed and allowed to steep overnight.

Next day the flowers are removed and unrefined organic cane sugar is added to the tea which is boiled down to the proper consistency.

The syrup is then bottled and packed into boxes.

The black pansies are grown in three-feet-wide by four-feet-high by 60-feet-long raised beds. The plants continue to blossom all summer so flowers can be picked every couple of weeks. At the end of the summer, Brown makes an appointment at the commercial kitchen at the University of Saskatchewan where she begins to process all the dried pansy blossoms into syrup.

“What we need at this point is more people to grow the black pansies for us because this syrup has

become very popular and sells out before Christmas every year.”

Brown isn’t able to label the Black Pansy Syrup as certified organic at this stage because the seedlings she purchases from greenhouses aren’t grown organically. “Even though I grow them organically, I’m unable to get that certification at this point.

I’m working with some certifiers to see what we can do,” she says.

Growing and harvesting sufficient rose petals on their property to fill the demand for the Rose Petal Syrup is also a challenge at this point, but she has begun to source certified organic rose petals from other growers.

Initially the local farmers’ market served as a test market for her products. The response was such that by 2009 she realized she could no longer go it alone. She felt confident about the product and knew it was time to move forward.

She and her four daughters incorporated Bedard Creek Acres Inc. She has since received some funding from Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food. This has helped to produce promotional material as well as provide more marketing opportunities.

Brown has a business and farming background. Her oldest daughter Angela has a master’s degree in science and has been able to assist with the nutritional components of the products. Carmen, daughter No. 2, has an engineering degree and

PHOTO: EDNA MANNING

Lyn Brown and her husband Claude Page serving customers at a craft show in Saskatoon. has helped in the marketing process. Arianna is in her first year studying commerce and is looking at the business end of things, including international marketing. Youngest daughter, Crystal, is still at home and helps with growing the pansies and harvesting the red clover.

“Currently we are doing some educational awareness at the same time we’re doing marketing and promotion. We want our customers to learn how these syrups can be used in cooking, for instance. We decided from the beginning our motto would be that we wanted people to experience the beauty of life through taste,” adds Brown.

For the moment she wants to continue focusing on the growing market in the western provinces, particularly cities such as Saskatoon and Regina. “I want my product to be the best it can be. At some point in the future, if I want to step back and my daughters decide to carry it forward, that will be their opportunity. I love what it is now.”

Bedard Creek Acres Inc. markets its syrups in Saskatoon at SaskMade Marketplace; in Prince Albert at the Prince Albert Visitor Centre; and in Regina at Beer Bros. Deli and Dad’s Organic Market.

For more information, visit www. bedardcreekacres.ca. † Edna Manning writes from Saskatoon, Sask.

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FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Home Quarter Farm Life POSTCARDS FROM THE PRAIRIES

Mommy, I snipped my nuts…

This admission ranks right up there with things you never want to hear coming from the mouth of your four-year-old son JANITA VAN DE VELDE

H

eck, you wouldn’t want to hear it coming from the mouth of anyone, never mind the age. Ah, one of the many joys of raising sons when you really have no idea what you’re doing.

Last year, after suffering through months of a particularly dismal winter (and a husband who continually turns down the heat because he’s cheap AND his people are used to running around in kilts so my guess is that they’re of hardier stock), I decided to buy the kids warmer PJs. You know the ones: they’re fuzzy, they’re cosy, they’ve got feet. The ones you wish came in your size. The ones where you don’t want to be messing with a classic combo of zipper and private parts.

This particular night in question, my husband was away on a business trip. Goes without saying that the first thing I did was crank up the heat. Being that I was heavily pregnant, within minutes the soaring heat threw me into a lather. But I soldiered on, because I wanted the house to be warm enough for the kids. I was bathing my daughter, intermittently laying against the cold tile on the bathroom floor in an attempt to regulate my body temperature, while my four-year-old son sat in the living room watching Treehouse. (You know the station... the one that makes parents want to saw on their wrists with a butter knife but we don’t turn it off for fear of being physically assaulted by a toddler. I pick my battles.)

Things were ticking along smoothly until I heard an earthshattering shriek from the living room... the type that makes the hairs in your unshaven pits stand on end. I quickly wrapped Isla in a towel and went racing (waddling really, like only a heavily pregnant woman can do) from the bathroom, and rounded the corner just as my son screamed out, “Oooooooooooweeeeeeeeee, Mommy! Hurry! I snipped my

I was already mentally preparing for the 911 call because I’m not good with these sorts of things nuts.” As I met him in the hallway, I dropped to my knees. The sight of him clutching his tackle amidst the wreckage of a long zipper had me praying to Jesus.

I had to focus, friends... I had to pull myself together quickly.

All I could picture was that scene from “There’s Something about Mary,” and I tell you, I was already mentally preparing for the 911 call because I’m not good with these sorts of things.

Truth be told, until that point, I’d never really stopped to consider, “Hey, would I be good in a situation where my child has erroneously clamped his genitals in a two-foot zipper?” But now I can answer that question for certain. No. I would not consider this to be an area of strength.

Mercifully, by the time I got

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in there to survey the damage, I could see that he had already dislodged “his nuts.”

I was crying. Tears of relief were streaming down my face... albeit heavily laced with tears of laughter, which I desperately tried to hide from him. Snipped my nuts? Where does he get this from?

And of course I had to ask him, mostly because I was downright curious: Me: How on earth did you manage to snip your nuts?

Jack: I was hot and my nuts needed some air so I pulled the zipper down and it snipped my nuts.

I was without words. How to kindly tell a four-year-old that an alternate method of obtaining fresh air would be to step outside? Needless to say, I turned down the heat.

And now, when the footed PJs get pulled out, there’s a rule that we always throw gitch on first. Precautions, people. Crap like that should be in bold font as a warning on the footed-PJ label. In my opinion, that information would be much more useful than how to wash it.

(Like really, all kids’ clothing is going in one cycle anyway, regardless of colour and fabric, no matter what the label recommends... that’s just how this mama rolls. I’ll suck up the odd casualty.)

As luck would have it, around the same time of the “snipping of the nuts” incident, I had to have a discussion with Jack about scratching his nuts. He was doing it a lot. My final attempt at seeing progress in this area went something like this: Me: Jack, you really need to stop playing with your nuts.

Jack: Daddy does.

Me: You are correct. Daddy does. But you shouldn’t do it around other people.

Jack: Just read the book, OK Mommy? (We were engrossed in Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney.)

Me: OK, I’ll keep reading but you have to promise you’ll quit scratching your nuts.

Jack: What if my nuts are itchy?

Me: Then scratch. Just not around other people. It’s gross.

Mother-of-the-Year speech over, I continued to read Guess How Much I Love You. That is, until we got to the page in the book where the cute-as-a-button

Tundra

Exhibit A Little Nutbrown Hare is rubbing his eyes, getting sleepy, staring up into the great big sky... it’s my favourite part of the story.

(See Exhibit A. For copyright reasons I can’t show you an image of the actual book, but here’s my best crack at replicating the photos.) I’m about to turn the page when the following flies out of his mouth: Jack: Hey, look! Little Nutbrown Hare is scratching his nuts.

Me: What are you talking about?

Jack: He’s rubbing his eyes, then he’s scratching his nuts. See? His paws are down there and he’s scratching. Look, he’s smiling.

By this point, Jack was laughing hysterically and I all but released urine in an attempt not to laugh; I wanted my message about not scratching nuts to be serious. But that lasted all of... oh... let’s go with two seconds, before I collapsed in a helpless heap of body-shaking laughter. Seriously though, is something the matter with his brain? When I finally pulled

myself together long enough to speak, I conceded: Me: You’re right, Jack. It looks like he may be having a scratch.

For the record though, I don’t think he is... I think he’s just resting his paws there. But great imagination! Wow! Well done. Just remember, if he is in fact scratching his nuts, it’s OK because he’s in the woods and no one’s around.

Jack: So I can scratch in the woods?

Me: Be my guest.

Jack: What does that mean?

Me: Go for it. In the woods.

Jack: Thanks, Mommy.

Me: You’re welcome. † Janita Van de Velde grew up on a farm near Mariapolis, Man. She holds a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics from the University of Manitoba, and has worked for a financial institution since graduating. She lives in Regina, Sask., with her husband Roddy and their children Jack, Isla and James. Her first novel, Postcards Never Written, was the recipient of the Saskatchewan Reader’s Choice Award and also listed by CBC as one of the top funny books in 2009. She donates a portion of proceeds from the sale of her book to World Vision to help those less fortunate. For more information, or to order her book, visit her website at www.janita.ca.

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

grainews.ca /

31

Home Quarter Farm Life

A labour of love After four years of work, volunteers see the fruits of their labour

A

fter 50,000 hours of research, writing and editing, a group of Saskatchewan volunteers has produced a 1,500-page history book that is unlike any other in the province.

The three-volume tome written about the history of Montmartre, Kendal, Candiac, Moffat, Mutrie and Carry the Kettle Reservation was released last spring after more than four years of volunteer work.

Frank Korvemaker, an appraisal archivist with the Saskatchewan Archives Board, said Montmartre: History of the Village and RM 126 is one of the most comprehensive Saskatchewan community history books he has ever read.

“They’re almost like an encyclopedia because you can thumb through and find all kinds of interesting things that you weren’t expecting.”

Korvemaker said the book set is also unique because of its extensive coverage of the Assiniboine Reserve No. 76 (Carry the Kettle First Nation). Of the hundreds of community history books Korvemaker has read, he has never witnessed one that has been so inclusive of a First Nation community.

“If you pick up this book, you’ll be able to read about First Nation’s history in a way that you just haven’t done before. It’s refreshing, and very surprising, to see that kind of story being told in a regional history book.”

Marianne Bast, a committee member, was responsible for researching and writing the Assiniboine Reserve section. She conducted interviews with elders and collected many personal photos in order to construct a history of the Assiniboine Indians that dates back to 1640.

The box set of three books takes readers back in time to 1893 when

eight families from France established their homesteads in southeast Saskatchewan’s RM 126.

The history book committee was aided by community members who submitted family histories, as well as information about churches, schools, sports teams and businesses.

The committee included Marrianne Couckuyt (chair), Sandra Brown (vice-chair), Marianne Bast, Andre Perras, Gail Leippi, Wanda Eberle and Colleen Fink.

“We hope when people read the book that they have a sense of pride in all the things people endured and all the things that were accomplished,” said Couckuyt, a semi-retired

farmwife who didn’t grow up in Montmartre, but adopted it as her home when she and her husband bought land in the area.

Brown researched every land title document for properties in the Village of Montmartre. This resulted in a supplemental book A Century of Ownership. Brown, a retired teacher who established roots in the community in 1975, said she appreciates all the work done by the committee members and community volunteers who dedicated thousands of hours to ensure the history of the area was as comprehensive and as accurate as possible.

“It was a labour of love,” she said.

Korvemaker said the book is

PHOTO: CHRISTALEE FROESE

Marrianne Couckuyt (r) and Sandra Brown with the finished product. one that should be read by anyone interested in Prairie history and everybody living in a 50-mile radius of the communities covered.

“It’s just a great book,” he said.

“Even if you don’t read it from beginning to end, you can flip through over and over again and

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FBC SAT GNN EQUIP ADMAT 01/2013

BY CHRISTALEE FROESE

32

/ grainews.ca

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Home Quarter Farm Life SINGING GARDENER

More on deer-proofing Plus, some highlights from a phone conversation TED MESEYTON

M

ore on deer-proofing your yard and garden as a result of a letter from Emily Fulkerth at Didsbury, Alta. She wrote in part, “I just have to share my experience living with deer and elk. We have tried everything to save my garden, flowers and trees. So after reading your article last spring, I decided to fence my garden.” As a followup, I, Ted, had the good fortune to speak with Emily in early January via telephone and am devoting part of what you read further on to some gems from our conversation. You’ll be glad you stuck around.

CURIOUS CREATURES OF HABIT Once they pay a visit, your yard or garden can become a familiar and regular deer and elk stop. But how do you give them the “brush off” with quick action? That’s usually easier said than done.

During winter they’ll chew away on woody shrubs, hedges, fruit and ornamental trees.

Even bird feeders aren’t safe.

Although it sounds odd, some deer are known to check them out. There’s the true story of a deer hoisted on its hind legs while investigating the contents of a bird feeder and was attacked by a squirrel. That deer fled in disordered haste. The aggressive squirrel appeared to resent any competition near its turf from an encroaching invader, regardless of size. However, we can’t rely on squirrels to become watchsquirrels. During summer, don’t be surprised to catch deer digging up carrots, nibbling away at roses, lettuce and even tomatoes.

A bed of petunias is certainly to their liking and rarely are tulips left untouched. Here comes the question: What can a gardener do to provide a sense of security for precious things green and growing?

SUE ARMSTRONG

LOVE HEARING FROM YOU Do you have a story about a farm or home-based business?

How about some household management tips? Does someone in the family have a special-diet need? Share some of your meal ideas.

Send them to FarmLife, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1. Phone 1-800665-0502 or email susan@ fbcpublishing.com. Please remember we can no longer return photos or material.

— Sue

SNOW FENCING … is usually seen standing upright to hold back or catch snow, but here’s another use for it. Place sections of orangeor black-coloured snow fencing laid flat and touching each other. Raise them up about a foot off the ground on something like cement blocks. That’s right! You want them lying flat (not standing up) on cement blocks all around the area you wish protected. Ring with a second row of snow fence lying flat and butted up against the first row. Deer will usually not jump over nor place their hooves into an entrapment or compromising situation.

Snow fencing placed as described can be left year round depending on deer presence. It may show like a sore thumb at times, but provides useful service over many seasons and works quite well if you do it right. For an added deterrent sprinkle some dry, hot cayenne pepper, diluted hot pepper sauce or diluted Tabasco sauce over and along the snow fence barrier. Have you ever seen a sneezing deer?

Remember those days before underarm deodorants? This one’s worth a chuckle. Get a man’s old, unwashed shirt that’s well worn and has become a nose pincher from strong perspiration and body odour. Drape it on a shrub or over tree branches.

It may take many dirty, smelly shirts to do a thorough job.

Recycled shirts are usually available cheap at thrift stores. Can’t you just imagine someone coming up the driveway, wondering why you didn’t use the clothesline? Deer quickly get used to dangling foil pie plates, coloured ribbons and plastic bags strung on a line and left to blow in a breeze. Bars of strong-smelling deodorant or carbolic bar soap hung inside old pantyhose seem to work a little better and may bring some measure of relief.

NOW SOME HIGHLIGHTS … from my telephone visit with Emily Fulkerth. She and husband Raymond live five miles east of Didsbury, Alberta on their quarter section farm that she manages. When it comes to deer and elk, Emily said, “I’ve had no end of trouble. They like my yard and ate my broad beans right at the gazebo.” One morning when she rose early to work among her flowers, she recalled saying to her husband: “Come here Raymond! I saw the biggest of something this morning. Them’s not deer droppings, them’s elk droppings.” Elk had eaten away parts of full-size bur oak trees and nibbled on twigs and pulled branches down. “They’re scary.

They’re such big animals and to think they’re right on our doorstep.” As for deer, Emily recalled, “The biggest herd that ever came into the yard was a group of 20.” Visitors have also included three big bulls with fully developed horns and two “spikees”

PHOTO: TED MESEYTON

It’s generally concluded that deer tend to avoid this mildew-resistant perennial beauty. Bergamot (Monarda didyma) is commonly referred to as bee balm. Could it be because of the aromatic, citrus-scented leaves? Bees, butterflies, other pollinating insects and hummingbirds are constant visitors. (youngsters with spikes not fully developed). “I’m telling you, at times I never slept with all the deer and elk and everything.”

Emily decided enough was enough and as a result bought some deer fencing from T & T Seeds in Winnipeg. She described it as “a plastic of some sort, kind of like a durable mesh.” The material comes in rolls seven feet tall by 100 feet in length.

With assistance from her daughter and husband, they tightly pulled, wrapped and attached the mesh to the outside of poles placed at each corner of the garden. The poles were 11 feet long with two feet of each pole having first been sunk into the soil. I, Ted, took that to mean a lot of elbow grease was required (i.e. time, work and energy).

According to Emily, “We must have put up 400 feet of the plastic netting.” The benefit of fencing has given her some “peace of mind” and says she’ll rely on it again this upcoming season. “It’s pretty strong. When deer did appear, they’d walk around that fence but wouldn’t attempt to climb it nor break through. We’ve repaired it a bit but it’s still standing out there and hasn’t been taken down.

I will not go through another year without fencing. It’s costly I know, but so is the garden. We hadn’t had nice green peas for years. I’ve lost nice, sweet, green onions in past and a whole lot more. When you lose a whole garden you lose a lot of money.”

FLOWER POWER AND A MUSEUM TOO Emily has taken prizes with her gladiolus entries at Bench Fairs in the past. Here’s one experience she recalled after planting about

300 glads one year. “Those deer would pick the blossoms right out of the stems. It’s impossible to win when there is no gladiolus to enter.” Prior to the fencing, Emily had “tried so much stuff to save her garden, flowers and trees.” The list included radios, tin lids, egg formulas and water, but all to no avail. There are two other things that did help her out a lot. She bought Skoot at Home Hardware and sprayed it on shrubs and trees resulting in a good deterrent effect. Emily described it as almost like milky, sticky glue when thinned down with water. Marigolds (the smelly ones) that were planted in front of and throughout her perennials were not touched.

If all the above weren’t enough, Emily then informed me: “We have a nice little museum here.

Raymond’s mother who lived to age 100 just kept sending everything to us on and on.” When Emily asked her husband, “What are we going to do with this stuff?” Raymond responded, “I shall build a museum,” and he did. Emily described it as “a nice little barn with an upstairs, galvanized siding and a bell roof. It’s so cute. We started with a barn dance and then we had birthday parties before we began to fill it.”

Emily concluded: “It’s full now with a lot of tack, a hosier, treadle sewing machine, wood and coal stove, antique beds, a complete sitting room and children’s area, all kinds of fishing gear and a whole lot more.” When I said to Emily, “You must get some tourists in summer,” she replied with two words: “Well yes.” I also learned she plays electric piano with 88 keys and taught music lessons for many years until, as she told me, “My husband taught me to drive a truck.”

We talked about so much more, but hey! I can’t wrap up my literary sojourn without this acknowledgment. On behalf of our Grainews readers and myself, allow me to extend many happy returns of the day to Emily and Raymond Fulkerth on the occasion of their 59th wedding anniversary coming up on February 25, 2013. We wish them many more anniversary celebrations to come and extend these lyrics from a well-known song that may be familiar to many.

Our best to you, may your dreams come true, May old Father Time never be unkind.

And through the years save those smiles and tears, They are souvenirs; they’ll make music in your heart, Remember this each new day’s a kiss, Sent from up above with an angel’s love, So here’s to you, may your skies be blue, And your lives blessed, that’s our best to you.

This is Ted Meseyton the Singing Gardener and Grow-It Poet from Portage la Prairie, Man. Thanks for walking with me along the Grainews Garden Path. I’m a magician in training and shall never know everything there is to learn about gardening. As a result, there will always be some magic in the garden. I’ve learned... that the Creator didn’t do it all in one day. What makes me think I can? My email address is singinggardener@mts.net.

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