SARDA's Summer Activities

August, 2019

SARDA’s Summer Activities

You may have noticed that the newsletter is late this time. We have good reason.

SARDA has 60+ trials including 2400 plots this year. Each trial has its own protocols which states the agronomic practices to be followed and which data to collect and process. Some trials require numerous spraying operations of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides in addition to foliar applied nutrients. Data collection could include emergent plant counts, midseason tillar counts, biomass collections, NDVI readings,plant heights, staging visits, forage sampling, creating subsamples and sending samples to the labs. All data and records have to be catalogued in the computer. Plot sites have to be measured, mowed, staked and signed.

The summer time is also the time that we take inventory of all needed harvest supplies, clean the sample bags in preparation for harvest, and ensure that the equipment is serviced and ready to go.

In additon SARDA staff participated in a number of extension events and tours.

Following the very busy Trade Show in March, and the finalization of that event, Darcy and Megan participated in a Peace Region Agronomy Event hosted by Cargill. Shortly after the agronomy event, Darcy was back in school learning about industrial hemp fibre, seed and CBD. Vance Yaremko and Mike Benoit managed to make time for some advocacy work and Shelleen and Megan visited schools in Valleyview to present the Ag. in a Classroom presentation to 100 students in grades 4 & 5. FP Genetics representatives requested a guided tour of the SARDA plots in Smoky River and PCBFA requested a display and attendance at their Field day at the Fairview Research Farm, Morning Coffee and Plot tour in High Prairie. SARDA and PCBFA pulled together and established the plots and organized the WheatStalks Event in TeePee Creek. SARDA staff also managed to visit some sister research organizations across Alberta. This road trip, which occured just after seeding included stops at the CARA Research Farm, Farming Smarter Sites, and BRRG Sites.

A huge event for SARDA was the field tour on July 25, which ended up being indoors due to inclement weather. On one days notice, SARDA staff and presenters managed to pull together a credible day of presentations and displays.

With all the goings on, staff did manage to take some holidays and summerstudents managed to have fun but apparently not too much fun. lol It has been a great summer!

Fun but not too much fun. lol