October 2021 CATTLE COUNTRY
7
Perennial grains - grazing the way forward BY: PATRICK LE HEIGET
Dept. of Plant Science, University of Manitoba
In light of increased environmental challenges that producers face on the Prairies, there is an ever-growing need for investigation of diverse crops for cattle production. A multi-disciplinary team at the University of Manitoba (UM), University of Saskatchewan, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, The Land Institute, and Ducks Unlimited is currently researching an alternative option to help cope with the challenges that arise from conventional annual grains and perennial forages, such as lower feed quality and high synthetic inputs for late fall/early winter cattle grazing. This research is focusing on the development of a sustainable, economically viable dualpurpose perennial grain system for the Canadian Prairies. Originally a perennial forage grass, intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) has been the focus of research programs in North America and Europe to serve as the first commercialized perennial grain. The germplasm developed by Doug Cattani at UM for growth under Canadian conditions offers the potential to diversify traditional annual cropping systems by providing grain for human consumption, as well as residue and high-quality forage for late fall/early winter grazing during a single growing season. The perennial nature has benefits for both the producer and their land; removing the need for annual tillage and reseeding, can reduce input costs and labour for the producer. In terms of ecosystem benefits, the roots of the crop extend deep into the soil and allow for increased carbon sequestration, better access to nutrient and soil water stores, and quicker infiltration rates. Grazing cattle on the stand in the fall can also recycle nutrients into the rooting zone for the next season. Underway since 2019, this multisite project has collected small plot data from across the Prairies in Clavet, SK, and Carman and Brandon (BRDC), MB. A largescale field trial was established at the UM Glenlea Research Station (GRS) in
2020 and has had its first grain harvest and will undergo its first grazing this fall. The trial consists of four main treatments. A three-species intercrop of alfalfa, cicer milkvetch and tall fescue serves as the control. The remaining treatments are an IWG intercrop with clover, and two IWG monocultures, one fertilized with nitrogen following grain harvest and the other unfertilized for the duration of the stand. Meet the Students! Graduate students are at the front of this research and five M.Sc. students are currently investigating the viability of dual-purpose perennial grain crops in our modern agricultural systems from a range of differing perspectives. Autumn Wiebe grew up on an acreage in southwestern Manitoba surrounded by crop fields and beef operations. She earned a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and is currently studying for her Master’s degree at Brandon University where her research on the project focuses on greenhouse gas emissions from the soil in the small plot BRDC trial. Nikisha Muhandiram may not have grown up in Canada or on a farm, she grew up in Sri Lanka where she earned her B.Sc. in Agriculture majoring in Crop Science at the University of Peradeniya. She is a part of the UM soil science team and is assessing the use of soil properties to predict changes in soil functions under different perennial forage-grain systems. Jenai Buchanan grew up on a farm near Crystal City. She earned her Diploma in Agriculture, and B.Sc. in Agribusiness at UM. She is now returning to complete her M.Sc in Agribusiness and is part of the agribusiness team focusing her research on the economics of dual-
(Photo credit Pat Le Heiget) (From L to R) Autumn Wiebe, Nikisha Muhandiram, Jenai Buchanan, Ekoria Chan, Pat Le Heiget.
purpose perennial grain systems. She will analyze the economic return of the crop based on collected field data and will also be involved in determining the net carbon footprint of the crop under different management systems. Ekoria Chan grew up in Hong Kong, China and has lived in Canada since she graduated high school. She came to the UM to complete a B.Sc. in Animal Systems, and is part of the animal science team. She is researching the feasibility and potential of using IWG as a feed source for beef cattle. In the fall of 2021, she will evaluate the impact of IWG-based pastures on animal performance and nitrogen status, feed intake and energetic efficiency. Pat Le Heiget grew up in St. Claude, and earned his B.Sc. in Agriculture majoring in Agronomy at UM and joined the plant science team to study management and development of IWG crops. His research focuses on the effects of fertility and competition on tiller development, as well as yield and quality characteristics of grain and forage products. He is also investigating wildlife habitat suitability to evaluate the ability of the stand to provide nesting place for native bird species. This project is jointly funded by NSERC, Manitoba Beef Producers, Mitacs through the Mitacs Accelerate Program, and Ag Action Manitoba program, funded under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Ripened IWG stand at GRS 2021.
IWG regrowth at GRS (2021) a month after swathing.
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