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Volume 41, Number 11 | MAY 19, 2015

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PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER

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THE BUZZ ACROSS THE PRAIRIES Which bugs might be bugging us this summer By ShaNnon McArton

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mologist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. Hartley, like Gavloski, anticipates a good year for wheat midge, among other unwelcome guests. “Wheat midge has been making gains in recent years, probably because of the wide-spread moisture,” says Hartley. “Southeastern Saskatchewan can expect very high numbers of wheat midge this year, extending north to Regina. The East-central region, including Yorkton, should also see them in high numbers. Moisture is tough on grasshoppers but very favourable for midge and root maggots.”

Canola threats Bob Elliott, research scientist with Agriculture and AgriFood Canada in Saskatoon, specializes in pests that pose the biggest threat to canola, including flea beetles and leaf hoppers. Widespread canola acres have made flea beetles a well-known problem for producers

and they’re often managed very effectively with seed treatments. In recent years, Elliott has seen a dramatic shift in both distribution and abundance of flea beetles that could also have been influenced by weather conditions. This shift may change the strategy for producers. “Crucifer flea beetle has traditionally been more prevalent in the south because it likes warmer, drier conditions, while the striped beetle was exclusive to more Northern locales,” says Elliott. “But over the past two years there’s been a very substantial shift. Striped beetles are now on the move across a much wider area. The speed of this transition has been shocking.” From a dominant position in 2004 to 2010, crucifers declined significantly in a period from 2011 through 2014 while the striped beetles made huge strides. “More effective treatment of crucifer has allowed other species to move in and take its place, but weather also plays a big role,” says Elliott. “The crucifer needs

a warm and dry climate and the striped prefers the cooler, wetter conditions that we’ve seen more of over the past few years. As one population recedes, another species is ready to take over.”

Plan of attack Careful scouting in 2015 will help you make the best decision for 2016 treatments, according to Elliott. He advises diligent monitoring in July and August, when summer populations emerge. The two species will hatch about two weeks apart, the striped beetle appearing in late July and early August, followed by the crucifer in later August. This staggered arrival can make scouting more difficult, and also more important. The agronomic benefits of early seeding are well known. A general shift to earlier planting dates has created some

In This Issue

» continued on page 4

Wheat & Chaff .................. 2 Features . ........................... 5 Crop Advisor’s Casebook . 8 Columns ............................ 10 Machinery & Shop............. 16 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 22

Spring auction prices

scott garvey page 16

Belarus is back

scott garvey page 17

FarmLife ............................ 28

photo: istock

very new production season arrives with its own set of profit-munching insect challenges. Grasshoppers, wheat midge and sawfly can wreak havoc in cereal crops while flea beetles and bertha armyworm take their toll on the canola. The list keeps growing, and the ability of these pests to adapt to changing conditions is nothing short of amazing. Of the three Prairie provinces, Alberta recorded much higher overall insect populations in 2014. Wet conditions make monitoring very difficult. This may have had an impact on the lower than normal counts in areas of excess moisture, like Saskatchewan, but there’s no doubt that some of the dry-weather bugs took a hit last year. In Manitoba, levels of crop feeding insects were generally at low to moderate levels, with the exception of some species of cutworms, flea beetles and grasshoppers, where populations were high in many areas. “The good news about too much moisture is that insects like grasshoppers don’t thrive,” says John Gavloski, entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. “In some years that have prolonged wet and humid weather a lot of grasshoppers may die from a pathogenic strain of fungus. Grasshoppers climb high onto the plants after they’ve become infected, and will die clinging to vegetation high in the plant canopy. The body fills with spores and eventually splits, enabling the spores to spread easier from these higher levels.” Some sun-loving nuisances may be feeling discouraged but wetter conditions have been much more welcoming for the humidity-hungry wheat midge and moisture-loving flies and maggots. It’s all a question of opportunity, and weather conditions create all kinds of them, according to Scott Hartley, ento-

/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Wheat & Chaff STAMPEDE

BY JERRY PALEN Leeann Minogue

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n recent issues of Grainews I’ve been using this space to write about some of the many farm organizations working on our behalf. I’ve covered levy-collecting organizations, general farm organizations and how soybeans are represented. Now, it’s time to look at some of the political organizations. Let’s start with the right — the Western Canadian Wheat Growers. With the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly powers stripped and a private company running what’s left of the CWB, I wondered if the Western Canadian Wheat Growers might have packed up their laptops and called it a day — after the victory party and all the back-slapping. However, not only is WCWG executive director Blair Rutter still in his office and answering his phone, he says he’s quite busy. “I thought we might have a lull,” he told me, “but there’s lots of other issues.”

WCWG Files The de-monopolization of the CWB is sure to remain a high point in WCWG memory for a long time to come. “That certainly is the big policy achievement of the Wheat Growers over our history,” Rutter told me. But even with that file moved into the cabinet, the dust has not totally settled on Western Canadian grain marketing. “We’re in a transition period here,” Rutter said. He believes it will take 10 years to develop a fully functioning market economy for grain in Western Canada. “That’s a legacy of the Wheat Board,” he said. “You do not move from a command economy to an open market economy overnight.” While the first post-CWB crop year went well, the second was plagued with problems caused by what Rutter referred to as our “monster crop.” “That’s where the weaknesses of our system really came to light.” “There’s no single solution. There’s a number of things that have to happen,” he said. “In 10 years we’re going to get to where we need to be.” While some of the issues still be solved involve market access and other trade issues, solving grain transportation problems is going to be the key to making things work. But grain transportation issues are keeping many Western Canadian farmers awake at night, and there are several other farm groups hard at work on the issue, from special crop shippers to general farm groups like KAP and all three of the newly formed provincial Wheat Commissions. I wanted to know what the WCWG is bringing to the table that other groups aren’t.

“We’re bringing the free enterprise point of view,” Rutter said. For the WCWG, the question is, “How can we bring about more competition into the marketplace and more market signals?” When it comes to grain transportation, the WCWG’s question is: “How do we increase capacity, competition and service in the rail sector?” One example of a transportation solution Rutter would like to see is a modification of the current railway revenue cap, a change that would give railways incentive to add capacity when farmers need it the most, during our peak shipping periods. “Right now,” Rutter said, “whether they haul it in December or June they get compensated the same.” The WCWG sees the involvement of more U.S. players in our transport market as a positive trend. For example, the new rail terminal at Northgate, Sask., will be serviced by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and will ship Canadian grain straight south instead of east or west. “That will bring about the competition and the discipline that’s necessary to make sure all players treat you fairly,” Rutter said. Basically, Rutter said, the WCWG are going to stay strongly involved in ag policy areas where they see a need for more competition. They’re not, for example, going to get involved in lobbying for something like changes to trucking rates. “Are trucking rates out of line? I don’t concern myself with that because I’m satisfied there are plenty of options.” Where they see a concern about a lack of competition or a potential lack of competition, the WCWG will step in and start lobbying.

How does it work? The WCWG is run by a 13-person board of directors, including president Levi Wood, a 31-year old farmer from Pense, Saskatchewan. Blair Rutter is the only staff member. (They hire out some of what he refers to as the “back office work.”) While the new Wheat Commissions rely on default levy collection to raise funds from farmer members, the WCWG is on its own in that department. If you want to be a member, you have to take the initiative to phone them up (306-586-5866) or visit their website (wheatgrowers.ca). Rutter says there are about 150 WCWG members. Of these, 12 are agribusinesses. With annual membership rates of $300 per farmer, $525 for agribusinesses and $26.25 for students, it’s not hard to calculate that the WCWG is bringing in less than $50,000 a year through its membership fees. For comparison, the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission had a line item of $79,817 for board members’ “per diems, expenses and communications allow-

ances” in its 2013-14 Annual Report, plus another $37,216 itemized for “meetings.” But, membership fees aren’t the WCWG’s only source of funds. “We get some sponsorship at conventions,” Rutter said. “That makes us some money.” Some funds also come from enthusiastic members who make donations in addition to their membership fees. Rutter tells me that the WCWG is truly a “lean operation,” and that he runs the office out of his home to keep costs down. When I asked about membership trends, Rutter said, “It’s been holding steady.” They haven’t been losing members, he said, “we are maintaining.” For now, Rutter says, the economics just aren’t there to send someone around to farmyards and trade shows to drum up new members. However, they have hired a summer student for this season, “to develop a marketing plan for us, to see how we can reach out to younger farmers.” After what Rutter referred to as its “near death experience” 12 years ago, when the organization was desperately short of money, Rutter says, “We’re not flush with cash, but we’re at least not in danger of turning the lights out anytime soon.”

The future What about their relationship with the new wheat commissions? Rutter says his members strongly supported these organizations. In Manitoba and Alberta, WCWG directors Grant Dyck and Kevin Bender are directors on their wheat commissions. Rutter says the Commissions are filling a role that the WCWG is not designed to fill. “We only have one product, and that is policy advocacy.” As for the Commissions, “they’ve got a vital role to play in research and development.” While the Wheat Commissions have a role in promoting products to consumers or arranging on trade missions, “that’s not us,” Rutter said. And, he says, the WCWG can fill a gap the Commissions can’t fill. “They’re limited or constrained on the policy side,” he pointed out. “They have to be centrist and accommodate viewpoints from across the political spectrum.” “I find it liberating that I’m accountable to my members,” Rutter said. “I don’t have to be accountable to all farmers.” He says he likes that fact that the WCWG are not checkoff based, and they have to earn respect and dollars from Prairie farmers. “There’s something invigorating about that,” Rutter said. This year, the WCWG convention was held in Winnipeg in January. In 2016, they’ll be meeting in New Orleans from March 1 to 3, in conjunction with the Commodity Classic, an annual U.S. ag convention and trade show. † Leeann

MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Wheat & Chaff Farm safety

Thinking about hiring a safety consultant

n more than one occasion, there have been stories of farmers doing the right thing and establishing a safety management system for their farm. But because they didn’t have the background nor the time to do it themselves, they hired an independent consultant. Six weeks later the farm had a new and glossy three-inch binder filled with occupational health and safety documents. So far so good. Fast-forward eight months and a health and safety inspector that has been making the rounds is at the farmer’s door. With confidence, the farmer produces the glossy binder and proudly says, “Here you go, got it all done!” But, that’s not the end of the story. A physical inspection of the farm and a few hours later, the inspector is sitting in the farm office with a clipboard full of notes, leafing through the binder and asking some very challenging questions. The questions are challenging because there were things on the farm not mentioned in the binder and information in the binder that doesn’t relate to any of the farm’s business activities. What went wrong? How could this happen? The consultant knew all about health and safety!

Before hiring a health and safety consultant to develop a safety management system, there are several items to consider. Simply, a safety management system is a systematic way of identifying hazards and managing risks. A safety management system provides for goal setting, planning and measuring performance. A safety management system should be specific to your farm. A custom-tailored system will address your specific operation and will include your workers, your facilities, and your commodities. There are some key components that make up any safety management system. Safety management strategy should include (but not be limited to): • Your policy statement to farm workers, family members and visitors to your farm. • A risk management assessment tool. (Everyone involved with the farm should help identify the risks associated with the various work activities.) • Control strategies like: • Integrated Safety Standard Operating Procedures • Emergency procedures • On-going training plans and toolbox talks • Pre-operational inspections • General inspections

• Near miss and incident reporting • Internal investigations Now that you know what a safety management system is, what you want it to do and how it applies to your farm, how do you go about hiring a consultant to help you build one? What are the qualities of a good safety consultant? What do you have to do to help the process? Farmers need to make sure that the consultant they hire not only has a good understanding of provincial regulations and requirements for agricultural safety but also knowledge about farm equipment, facilities and commodity production cycles. Asking for and checking the references of your potential consultant can give you a good overview of not only the quality of the work, but what the experience previous clients had building a safety management system. Reference questions to ask include: • Was the finished product workable and is it still being used? • How much involvement did the farmer have in its development? • Did the consultant explain the safety management system? • Did the consultant give examples and explain how to continue using it and update it on an ongoing basis? Also ask the consultant some ques-

Agronomy tips… from the field

tions. You need to know how much time the consultant will spend on your farm, and it’s also a good idea to have a conversation about the consultant’s expectations and needs of you. You will have to explain your farm and business operation. If a consultant says that they only need a few days on the ground and a couple hours, be cautious. Will that be long enough to develop a complete, comprehensive system? Will it be tailored to your needs? To help Canadian farmers and safety consultants when building a safety management system, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association in partnership with the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council has developed the National Occupational Standard for Agricultural Occupational Health and Safety Specialists. This document details the knowledge and skills required to develop, implement and maintain safety management systems on Canadian farms and is available to farmers and consultants. For more information about the National Occupation Standard for Agricultural Occupational Health and Safety Specialists, please visit the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association’s website at casa-acsa.ca/nos. † Glen Blahey, Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, www.casa-acsa.ca.

Weather Lore

Flea beetle timing

You might be from the Prairies if...

By Carson Demmans and Jason Sylvestre

The winds of daytime wrestle and fight, longer and stronger than those of the night.

ll things being equal, you want to come out of the season with as much of the plant stand you came in with. However, heavy flea beetle pressure during the cotyledon to the first or second true-leaf stage can take a big bite out your final yield. The secret to success in dealing with flea beetles is to get out and scout your fields so that you can keep tabs on how the insect pressure is intensifying. You might be seeing lots of shot holes and bite marks on the plants even if you’re getting only five to 10 per cent defoliation early on. In general, the critical threshold that you’ll want to watch for is 25 per cent defoliation. Once you hit that point, get in and apply a foliar insecticide. High in-season flea beetle pressure also brings to mind why it’s so important to achieve good, even plant stands at the beginning of the season. The more plants you have per square meter of soil, the better your crop will be able to absorb that early insect pressure and push past into the later growth stages. † This agronomy tip is brought to you by David Forster, agronomic service representative, Saskatchewan North, with Syngenta Canada Inc.

Photo contest

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT Phyllis and Cameron Penny sent us this photo, taken on their farm west of Eriksdale, Manitoba. These twin calves are one of five sets they had on their farm. Also in the photo are the Penny’s friends Michelle and Cody Lucier and their adorable son Hunter. Thanks for sharing this, Phyllis! We’ll send you a cheque for $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

WINDY WAYS

ll winds tend to decrease at night, at least at ground level. As the sun goes down, the ground cools and reaches a temperature very close to that of the upper air. Since wind is air movement, caused by the mixing of air at different temperatures, we often see a definite calming of winds as the night deepens.

The west wind is a gentleman and goes to bed. You don’t know who Jerry Seinfeld is but you have see Nestor Pister 23 times.

Shirley Byers’ book “Never Sell Your Hen on a Rainy Day” explores over 100 weather rhymes and sayings. It is available from McNally Robinson at: www.mcnallyrobinson.com.

/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Cover Stories Farmer panel

Mother Nature, as usual, holds all the cards Farmers are optimistic about the growing season, as long as the weather doesn’t tip too far either way By Lee Hart

hile the spring seeding outlook was generally good as of late April, farmers in different parts of the Prairies described being close to feast-orfamine conditions as they planned to get the 2015 crop in the ground. Producers from mid-Saskatchewan and east were hopeful about getting the crop in as long as it didn’t rain, while on the west side of the Prairies farmers said a good rain would help to get the crop germinated. And with commodity prices down, compared to highs of the past couple years, none of the producers interviewed for this Farmer Panel were leaning heavily toward any particular price-driven crop. The general feeling was to maintain the status quo, or tweak the rotation a bit with no major changes. A Manitoba producer had started some fieldwork in preparation of seeding, in central and northern Saskatchewan it looked like the start of seeding was still 10 days to two weeks away and in southern Alberta, one farmer the third week of April already had half of his seed in the ground. Here is what farmers interviewed for the May Farmer Panel had to say about the seeding season ahead.

Dustin Williams Souris, Man. With a bit of harrowing to dry out the fields and a new lighter

seed drill, Dustin Williams was hoping to get all of his crop seeded in the coming weeks. After fighting with excessive moisture last year, which left about 20 per cent of his farm unseeded, Williams was prepared to seed his crop with a new 40-foot New Holland single chute drill. “It was time for some new equipment and we went with a narrower system that should be easier to pull,” says Williams who farms near Souris in southwest Manitoba. “We really struggled with moisture last year, but conditions are looking pretty good so far as long we don’t get any big spring rains.” With sloughs around the country still full of water, Williams says there is obviously plenty of subsurface moisture, but the top few inches of soil were reasonably dry making it possible to travel with equipment. He was harrowing some of his fields to help dry out the seedbed. He is making no major changes in rotation although he is adding yellow peas back into the mix after a several-year absence. He figured both moisture and market conditions were favourable for the crop. With about 1,000 acres unseeded in spring of 2014, he seeded a “fair bit” of fall rye and winter wheat last fall, which was looking pretty good this spring. And once conditions were favourable he’d begin seeding the rest of the crop which included spring wheat, oats, faba beans, soybeans and flax.

The buzz across the Prairies interesting pros and cons for things like flea beetle populations. Flea beetles will move in at about 14 C, the adults beginning to feed on young plants and females laying eggs on the stems, near the ground. Larvae will hatch and burrow into the roots, creating entry for disease and pathogens. Ideally, earlier-seeded crops will have the chance to develop ahead of the highest-risk stage for insect attack. But when cool, wet weather creates a stalled growth stage, seed treatment can wear off and turn the opportunity in favour of the beetles’ advance. “Seeding date won’t affect the emergence of beetles, but could have a great impact on the potential for damage,” says Elliott. “Early seeding can help to ensure that canola flowering is over by the full heat of summer and it can also help to avoid voracious eating during the plant’s more vulnerable stage. Early seeding can reduce damage by summer

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Bob Willcox

This is a screen shot of part of Brad Hanmer’s farm near Govan, Sask. from a video taken by a camera-equipped drone operated by Greg Adelman of Crop Command Agronomy Ltd.

Larry Spratt Donaro Farms Melfort, Sask. With soil temperatures still only about 1 C to 2 C in late April, Larry Spratt figured it would be May 7 or perhaps even May 15 before he would be seriously into seeding on his farm near Melfort in northeast Saskatchewan. Excessive moisture has been the name of the game in his area for the past five years, he says. “Conditions right now are as dry as I have seen it in a long time,” says Spratt, who is part of a family run mixed farming operation — Donaro Farms. Along with purebred and commercial cattle, they crop about 5,200 acres of wheat, barley, oats and canola.

Spratt isn’t planning any major changes in seeding equipment or crop rotation this year. “It has been such a struggle the past few years, we’re just hoping to get the crop seeded and hopefully see some decent yields,” he says. Canola yields have been a disappointing 20 bushels per acre with barley ranging between 40 and 50 bushels, for example. “With the uncertain conditions and with commodity prices as they are, it just doesn’t pencil out to be looking at equipment purchases right now,” he says. The wet growing season conditions have taken their toll by increasing the fusarium head blight levels in cereal crops, he

» continued on next page

Crop protection » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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

beetle populations by 40 to 60 per cent, under good conditions.” When it comes to beetles the key is in telling one from the other, because there’s a huge difference in the efficacy of seed treatment between the two species. Neonicotinoid seed treatments provide excellent control of crucifer flea beetles under warm, dry conditions, while the diamide group of insecticides also provide a higher level of control on striped flea beetles and under cool, moist conditions. Another option for seed treatment is a mix of both neonicotinoid and diamide, for those fields in which you find both populations this year. Cost and insecticide load are both key considerations, but a mix could be the best option for 2016, if striped flea beetles are the dominant flea beetle species or cutworms are also a concern. The right treatment and spray strategies can’t control the weather, but they will provide the best line of defence against the most prevalent Prairie pest threats, both for this season and the next. † photo: mafrd Shannon McArton is a grain farmer and freelance writer There have been dramatic shifts in flea beetle distribution. from southern Saskatchewan.

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MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features » CONTINUED FROM Previous PAGE says. Spratt has become a firm believer in applying seed treatment to all crops, and he is also planning to grow a newer wheat variety with improved fusarium resistance. “I have to do what I can to give the crop the best head start,” he says. While the weather has spoiled opportunity to produce malt quality barley, Spratt has switched to a newer, higher-yielding feed barley, CDC Austenson, in the past year. Producing about 500 to 600 acres of barley, some will be cut for silage for the on-farm feedlot and the rest will be fed as grain. “Cattle are really the bright spot right now,” he says. “I was joking with someone they other day, noting that for the first time in a long time, this year cattle are not a hobby,” he says.

Brad Hanmer Hanmer Seeds Govan, Sask. Six years of excessive moisture have left a mess of field conditions in Brad Hanmer’s part of the world in east-central Saskatchewan. The ground is saturated, farmland is still flooded, highways are damaged, standing water laps up against the driving lane of narrow rural roads, soil salinity will be a serious issue if and when it dries up — it’s a devastating situation with no easy or low-cost fix. “The real story in our area is the destruction of the infrastruc-

ture,” says Hanmer who along with family members operates Hanmer Seeds near Govan, Sask., about half way between Regina and Saskatoon. “In all fairness conditions right now on most of our farm are not that bad — in fact the best I have seen in sometime — but in the area generally it is really a devastating situation,” says Hanmer. And conditions are borderline “The soil is saturated so we can not handle any weather events between now and seeding. It is just going to be a challenge getting equipment, seed and fertilizer out of the field.” In some respects, looking at Saskatchewan as a whole, the worst affected area is not that big “but if you travel one to two hours north of Regina and then take that block east to the Manitoba border it affects a lot of farmland and people,” he says. “In some of that area last year they had 40 inches of rain — including 10 to 12 inches at harvest — so there is still crop out there that never got harvested. Some people are facing a very tough time. This country wasn’t built to handle 40 inches of rain and the question now is was this just a stretch of wet conditions or is this becoming the norm?” While Hanmer says about 10 to 15 per cent of their farm is in the worst-affected area, the wet conditions have meant an overall change in farming practices. “Basically we took the direct seeding manual and burned it,” says Hanmer. “We’ve

had to get out there with tillage equipment and work the fields to try and dry out this soil.” He isn’t planning any major changes with his crop rotation this year. “With moisture conditions and markets we figure the best plan is to stick with what you know,” says Hanmer. “Canola and wheat will be our focus, and we’re also seeing more flax grown in this area.” The pulse crop market is fairly good, so he’ll be seeding some faba beans, although scaling back on soybeans. And the market is favourable to peas although he is concerned about root diseases such as aphanomyces and pythium root rots.

Mel Stickland Red Deer, Alta. With faba bean seeding underway in late April, Mel Stickland says aside from conditions being cool, all was looking pretty good for the 2015 seeding season in his part of central Alberta. “We are probably a bit drier now than we have been in recent years, and things are still a bit cool, so it will be a while before we seed the rest of the crop,” he says. “But faba beans seem to be able to handle cooler conditions so I started with them.” Stickland who also grows malt barley, wheat and canola says he has grown faba beans for a couple of years and was increasing acres from 150 to 300 in 2015. “We’re not really changing the rotation too much this year,” he

says. “The markets are down and input costs are still up so we’re not making any big changes. I had wanted to try some hemp this year, but that didn’t work out so we are growing more faba beans.” He had also considered growing peas but peas are more prone to fusarium root rot, while faba beans don’t seem to be affected by the disease. “Actually we’ve had five or six pretty good years, so I am thankful for that and you can’t expect a winner every season,” says Stickland.

Bryan Corns Corns Brothers Farm Grassy Lake, Alta. wThey had good moisture last fall, with some reasonable snowmelt earlier — and that has provided good subsurface moisture. “We haven’t had much moisture in recent weeks, so the top two or three inches is a bit dry so I don’t think anyone in this area would object to a bit of rain right now to improve the seed bed,” says Corns. “But overall conditions are good.” Corns along with his brother Gary operate the family-run mixed farming operation at Grassy Lake, east of Lethbridge. Along with producing seed and forage crops such as triticale, sorghum, Sudan grass and millet, they also crop oats, spring wheat, winter wheat and canola. Along with crops they run a 430 head cow-calf operation. “We haven’t made any major changes to our crop rotation this year,” says Corns. “And with the markets being so volatile I think

a lot of people were waiting until the last minute to making their cropping decisions.” Beef production has received the brightest market spotlight in the past year. Corns overwinters and backgrounds calves, marketing them as 750-pound yearlings. The most recent batch sold for nearly $2,000 per head, “which is a very respectable price,” he says. Along with being feed for the cattle, the forage crops provide an important break in the grain and oilseed rotation, he says. They use forages in a number of ways. They are a large North American distributor of a several spring and winter triticale seed varieties. On their own farm they plant a triticale and pea blend and a triticale and oats blend which can be cut for hay or silage. Corns also seeds a blend of sorghum/Sudan grass/millet (all warm-season C4 crops that can be seeded later in the spring) which is then left to be used as winter grazing for the cow herd. After two or three years of the forage/pasture blend the field is turned back to grain production. While he is optimistic, Corns says there are three key factors to be determined. “With farming about one-third of the challenge is to get a crop out of the ground evenly, about one-third is to have good moisture during the growing season, and one-third is to have a reasonable harvest.” And on all points time will tell. † Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

STOP THE SPREAD Help stop the spread of kochia. Tank mix two or more herbicide groups to help control the spread of weed resistance on your farm. For tank mix recommendations, visit www.rrwms.ca/kochia

Download the WEED ID App today, visit weedidapp.ca ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. 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. Monsanto and Vine Design® and Roundup Ready® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada, Inc. licensee. © 2015 Monsanto Canada Inc.

/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Features

Crop protection

Seeder miss or misdiagnosis When you’re checking for pests, this insect’s wily ways could give you the slip

or Scott Hartley, an insect pest management specialist at the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, it’s an all-too-familiar story. A producer notices areas in the field where growth is slow, plants are dying back or missing altogether. The damage is often put down to a seeder miss or poor germination, poor nutrition or environmental conditions, or even cutworm damage. Alterations to correct the problem are made the following year — which ultimately fail because the diagnosis is wrong. The problem is an unwanted pest with an elusive nature, making it one of the most difficult insects on the Prairies to identify and control: the wireworm. “Wireworm is hard to monitor

because the larvae remain in the soil,” says Hartley. “They may not be noticed until you’ve had them for a couple of years because you thought the problem was due to some other issue.” Often, once the damage is caught and wireworms are discovered, it’s too late in the year to reseed. Hartley says producers seeking a leg up on wireworm should be scouting for damage early in the spring. “Knowing what’s going on in your fields is No. 1,” he says. Wireworms, which are the larval form of click beetles, are attracted to the soil surface in spring when carbon dioxide is released from germinating seeds. They feed on seeds, roots and seedlings, and shred stems and

plant tissue below ground causing a plant’s central leaves to wilt and die, eventually killing it entirely. In the field, stands may look thin with plants dying back or crop rows missing altogether. Other signs of infestation include hollowed out seeds, dead seedlings and dying plants still attached to their roots (and not severed at the soil surface as with cutworm damage). It is often thought that wireworms prefer cereals, but there are more than one species and they will feed on most crops including pulses, canola and potatoes. “Be aware that just because you’re not growing cereals, doesn’t mean you won’t have a wireworm problem,” says Hartley.

Understanding the wireworm’s life cycle will also give producers an edge, he says. Adult click beetles overwinter in the soil and emerge in the spring, entering cereal — and other economic — crops, pasture, or grasses to lay their eggs. The eggs typically hatch within three to seven weeks (by mid-summer) producing neonate larvae. Once neonates survive for one year they are known as resident larvae, which typically live for another two to four years, resulting in many wireworm larval stages in the soil at any one time. Wireworms move freely up and down in the soil as temperature and moisture conditions change. They like the cooler, moister conditions spring offers, moving within

™

inches of the soil’s surface and retreating deeper when temperatures rise and the soil dries out as summer advances. They will move closer to the surface again to eat once a canopy develops, but plants are well established at this stage and are not affected by feeding. Pupation takes place during the last year of the wireworm’s life cycle, usually in July, and lasts for about a month. The adult click beetle emerges from the pupa and overwinters in the soil and emerges in the spring to begin the cycle all over again. Soil sieving or using bait balls and whole potatoes to attract wireworms can help producers establish and monitor populations in a field, but will not give an accurate picture of population size as many factors influence when and where they are located in the soil profile and their responsiveness to bait.

Using bait

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Ag in Motion Welcomes Crop Production Services

rop Production Services (CPS) is Ag in Motion’s largest exhibitor to date, with a 500 by 170 foot outdoor exhibit space well-suited to showcasing the agricultural products and services that will help farmers achieve maximum success. For Ag in Motion, CPS is planning product demonstrations of over 50 products and seed varieties, including their proprietary seed portfolio - Proven Seed®. They will also have an on-site display of storage and handling solutions. In addition, the CPS Innovations tent will feature the expertise and services that demonstrate the company’s dedication to technology and product development, including their precision agriculture platform, Echelon. “For CPS, Ag in Motion offers a unique opportunity for farmers to see and touch our latest innovations,” says Bruce Harrison, Director - Research & Development. “It provides a platform for us to demonstrate our commitment to research, innovation and technology, first-hand.”

About CPS CPS provides the tools, products, services and support that growers need to produce higher yields in a sustainable and profitable manner. As the leading provider of agricultural inputs and services across Western Canada, CPS is dedicated to supplying the grower with the innovation,

technology and expertise they need to get the job done – delivering locally, backed globally. Committed to agricultural sustainability, CPS demonstrates its commitment to the grower every day, starting with support of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship system. Based on employing best practices derived from the best available science, the 4R’s focus on applying the right source of nutrients at the right rate, right place and right time. CPS combines the highest quality inputs with industry-leading precision agriculture services to help growers apply a prescription for more precise seeding and fertilizing. CPS works in partnership with local organizations to strengthen and grow rural communities. CPS strives to be good neighbours – protecting, growing and enriching communities where they operate. Visit CPS at Ag in Motion this summer, July 21-23 on Highway 16, just NW of Langham, SK. For more information on CPS, visit their website at www.cpsagu.ca.

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The key to using bait, says Hartley, and a better estimate of wireworm numbers, is more samples. “With more samples, you’re increasing your knowledge of the field,” he says. Place bait in the field once the ground is warm enough for heightened wireworm activity (between 10 C and 20 C) and clearly mark the location of each. Check bait balls or potatoes within a week, before the bait gets too mushy to find or the wireworms have time to move away deeper into the soil, says Hartley. Sieve soil during germination when wireworms are attracted to the surface. Entomologists question the use of an economic threshold for wireworm. In the past, an action threshold of 32 wireworms per square metre was recommended, however, due to the insect’s complex nature, even low numbers may be cause for concern, depending on the crop. Hartley is cautious about using an economic threshold, but says it can still serve as a rough guide when soil sampling. “If you’ve already found 20 wireworms in a square foot, I’d say you’re well over the economic threshold. At least it gives you a gauge,” he says. A producer who has already seeded and discovers a wireworm problem may have to sit tight and wait for the following spring to use a seed treatment with an insecticide component and cultural control methods, when viable. However, when it comes to wireworm management, options continue to be limited for cereal and pulse crops. “Leading up to spring, the key is you’ve got to make sure you’ve got your seed treated because there is no alternative later on in the season. You can’t use a foliar spray for this. You can’t do anything else. It is a seed treatment issue and that is your management option,” says Hartley. “Ultimately, seed treatment is still the answer.” Seed treatments containing neonicotinoids, which are the only option for chemical control in cereal and pulse crops, are available in products such as Cruiser Maxx, Cruiser 5FS, Alias 240 SC, Raxil Pro Shield, Raxil WW and

MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features Stress Shield 600. In the past, seed treatments could only be applied by commercial seed treaters, but now some products, such as Cruiser 5FS and Stress Shield 600, may be applied on-farm. Wireworms move up and down in the soil, but there is little lateral movement, so damage can be patchy, with low-lying, moister areas at greater risk. Hartley points out producers can save money by using treated seed only in areas of the field known to be populated or at risk for wireworm damage.

Protective measures Neonicotinoid seed treatments protect the crop when it is at its most vulnerable — during the early stages of growth. Wireworms feed on treated seed and become lethargic and enter a period of suspended animation during the seedling growth stage, allowing the plant stand to develop to the point where it is no longer vulnerable to wireworm feeding. The

comatose wireworms recover by mid-summer. However, treated seed only causes low mortality in resident wireworm populations and does not affect newly-hatched neonates. Therefore, seed treatments must be applied on a continuous basis each spring, meanwhile wireworm populations continue to rise. “Even if there isn’t high mortality, you’re still protecting your crop for the year,” says Hartley. The seed treatments on the market today protect the crop and get it off to a good start, but Hartley says there’s hope for future products that also offer high mortality. “We are still trying to find more control options. There are gaps in our options for wireworm. There are options the United States has that we’re looking at trying to get here. It is ongoing… to try and find new viable options that get better mortality.” In the meantime, cultural control methods can reduce damage, says Hartley. Shallow seeding,

increasing seeding rates, altering seeding dates while avoiding very early or late seeding, crop rotation, and shallow cultivation with soil packing (to impede wireworm movement close to the seed row) are some methods that could curb populations. Watch for high numbers in no-till fields, where cooler, moister conditions are favourable. Agronomic practices that establish quick and even germination and healthy crop establishment also mitigate damage. “Get that crop up and growing,” says Hartley. “The quicker you get it up into a more robust plant, the less vulnerable it is.” Although none of these methods is 100 per cent effective, says Hartley, wireworms taking on a field where producers have combined seed treatments, cultural control methods and good agronomic practices may find they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. †

photo: courtesy of syngenta

Young larvae are pale white in colour, whereas older wireworms are brown, tan or copper in colour. They are hard-bodied, segmented and slender, and measure from one to four centimetres when mature. Wireworms have three pairs of legs behind the head and the last abdominal section is flattened and notched. Approximately 30 economic Kari Belanger is a Winnipeg-based writer T:8.125” species can be found across Canada. and editor.

Detecting wireworms on your farm Using bait can help you get a better estimate of the scope of your wireworm problem.

Making a bait ball

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For one ball: • Mix one to 1-1/2 cups of oatmeal or wheat flour with two tablespoons of honey and up to 1/2 cup of water to form a ball • Tie up ball in a mesh bag (e.g. an onion bag) or cheesecloth • Bury bait balls four to six inches in the soil and mark locations with flags • Evenly space approximately 20 balls per acre for a reasonable assessment of wireworm presence • Check baits every four to five days for wireworms Note: Larvae may not be attracted to bait if they have sufficient feed already. Recently tilled soil may also be giving off carbon dioxide, so larvae may not be attracted to bait.

Potato Sampling • Bury whole potatoes 10 to 15 centimetres deep in marked locations in the spring or earlyto mid-August • Dig potatoes up after a couple of weeks and examine for wireworm tunnels Note: Monitor fields every year Soil Sampling • Mark out areas 50 cm x 50 cm and sieve soil through a screen to a depth of 15 cm • Repeat in different areas of the field to determine an average number of larvae per square metre Note: Sampling during germination will increase the likelihood of finding larvae feeding on seedlings Source: Alberta’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s “Agri-Facts: Wireworm.” † Kari Belanger

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/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Features

Crop Advisor’s casebook

A tale of two wheat fields By Audrey Bamber

ack is an Alberta farmer who grows 4,000 acres of wheat, canola and peas on his brown soil zone, dry land farm in the southeastern corner of the province. In early July, he asked me to come out to check two wheat fields that looked remarkably different, even though they were right across the road from each other. I arrived at the farm and while driving out to the wheat fields, Jack said he’d noticed since June that the wheat in one of his fields was small and thin, but the problem had become more apparent when the crop headed out a few days previously. He found this puzzling since the nearby wheat crop was doing just fine. When I arrived at the problem field, I could see the plants were quite short (only about 14 inches high) and that the wheat heads were also very small (about 1.5 to two inches in length). The symptoms were widespread, and affected plants did not appear in patches or along spray lines but were present throughout the entire field. Just across the road, the wheat crop looked healthy and robust, just like Jack said. There were no signs of disease in the problem field, so I wondered if a nutrient deficiency could be to blame. Jack said he’d side banded a 28-26-0 fertilizer blend at 140 pounds per acre at planting. The fertility program seemed fairly typical of the area when considering

soil type, environmental factors and existing soil nutrient profile, but I took some tissue and soil samples in for testing to see what they could tell us. I asked Jack about the field histories, and I was told the cropping programs for both fields that year had been the same, except the struggling wheat crop had been planted on pea stubble while the other had

been planted on canola stubble. So I also inquired into the herbicide history for both fields. Do you have an inkling as to what’s causing the discrepancy in these two wheat fields? If you do, send your diagnosis to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3K7; email leeann.minogue@ fbcpublishing.com or fax 204-9445416 c/o Crop Advisor’s Casebook. The best suggestions will be pooled

and one winner will be drawn for a chance to win a Grainews cap and a one-year subscription to the magazine. The answer, along with the reasoning that solved the mystery, will appear in the next Crop Advisor’s Solution File. † Audrey Bamber is a sales agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Shoal Lake, Man. She was a sales agronomist for the company in Dunmore, Alta., prior to joining the Shoal Lake office.

Some of the plants were quite short, and the wheat heads were very small. The symptoms were present throughout the entire field.

Crop advisor’s solution

Too much phosphorus for canola By Dan Friesen

avid, a grain farmer in southeastern Manitoba, called me in mid-May to say the canola crop he’d planted three weeks previously was exhibiting very poor emergence in the field. Hoping to get eight to 10 plants per square foot in his seed rows, he was disappointed to see only two to four canola seedlings per square foot. David told me he thought a bad seed lot, leading to poor germination, might be the culprit. That, however, was ruled out with a call to David’s seed supplier, who indi-

Tundra

cated that this particular batch of seed was fine by all accounts. I went out to David’s farm to have a look, and a plant stand count confirmed that emergence was poor in all areas of the canola field, with no signs of patchiness. Initially, I thought herbicide carryover in the field might be to blame, but I dismissed this idea when I learned that no residual herbicide had been used the previous year and that there had been just one application of a glyphosate product prior to seeding that spring. It was when I looked at the grower’s nutrient program records that I began to suspect

the real source of the problem. David had applied a rich 36-500-20 fertilizer blend at planting in an effort to boost phosphorus levels in the field. I also learned that the fertilizer had been seedplaced with a narrow opener disc drill. Looking at David’s nutrient blend sheet for the field, it was evident that he had exceeded the recommended rates of phosphorus and sulphur in the seed row. This had produced a high level of salt toxicity as well as some ammonium toxicity in the soil — both of which would have caused plant damage to occur and led to fewer canola

seedlings surviving to make it above ground. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much the grower could do to rectify the situation, and he ended up with a reduced yield for his canola crop that year. I urged David to be more careful with how he applied nutrients in the future and that he also consider using other rotational crops that are more tolerant of fertilizer as a better solution to increasing phosphorus levels in the field. In addition, I recommended a number of changes in his nutrient program for the following planting season. These included putting less phosphorus down

with the canola seed and using any leftover product with other crops better suited to handling higher quantities of seed-placed phosphorus. I suggested he try different sources of phosphorus fertilizer that aren’t as potentially toxic to canola plants, and I urged him to not to hesitate to ask for a second opinion when it came to crop nutrient plans. David took my advice, and the following year he had a much better canola crop. The plant stand this time around was right on target, at eight to 10 plants per square foot. † Dan Friesen is a sales agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Starbuck, Man.

Casebook winner

his issue’s Casebook winner is Ron Atsinger. Ron farms at Lacombe, Atla. Ron, we’re renewing your Grainews subscription for a year and sending you a Grainews cap. Thanks for reading and thanks for entering! †

Leeann Minogue

MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Crop protection

Fight resistance with change Multiple modes of action and stacked seed traits help farmers manage resistance By Lisa Guenther

hen it comes to herbicide resistance, chemical companies are focusing on multiple modes of action. More varieties with stacked herbicide-tolerant traits are also on the horizon. But as western Canadian farmers sail towards that new future, they should keep in mind management goes hand-inhand with technology. Stacked herbicide-tolerant traits are a new tool, giving farmers an easier way to use multiple modes of action, said Joe Vink, weed management technical lead with Monsanto Canada. “But by no means are they a silver bullet for preventing herbicide resistance.” Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans will tolerate both glyphosate and dicamba. “When you have Roundup and dicamba, you have two effective modes of action on emerged broadleaf weeds,” said Vink. “But then you also have that added residual from the dicamba portion, which is an added benefit.” Monsanto has other stacked herbicide-resistant traits that are further out, said Vink. Future generations will be tolerant to several modes of action, he adds. The company plans to launch Roundup Ready 2 Xtend in Canada by 2016, if global regulatory approvals come through.

“we can extend the life of some of the products that may not seem like they have much life left.” Wintonyk said they’re also looking at modes of action that aren’t used as frequently these days. For example, Edge is a Group 3 that works for Group 2 and 9 resistant kochia. “The risk for selecting resistance there is low compared to Group 2s,” he said. BASF’s focus over the next two or three years is getting additional modes of action in the tank with glyphosate, said Danielle Eastman, brand manager for western herbicides and Clearfield. Eastman said the company is asking growers to add “an additional, unique mode of action, be it a

Group 14 that’s in our Heat LQ herbicide or another group, in order to manage those Group 2 and those glyphosate-resistant weeds.” All three company reps agreed that farmers should use two modes of action that are active on the weeds they’re trying to control. “If you apply a broadleaf herbicide with a grass herbicide, well then you still only have one mode of action on broadleaves and one mode of action on a grass,” said Vink. The same principle applies when controlling herbicideresistant weeds. For example, Eastman said tank-mixing a Group 2 herbicide with glyphosate for a pre-seeding applica-

tion in cereals isn’t “necessarily the best practice since a lot of those weeds are already resistant to Group 2 herbicides. So you’re really only relying on the glyphosate to get control of that weed, specifically.” Western Canadian farmers are managing herbicide resistance better than other world areas, said Vink, partly because they have “pretty solid crop rotations.” Along with rotating crops and herbicide groups, and using multiple modes-of-action, company reps are encouraging farmers to adopt other management practices. Dow encourages practices such as equipment hygiene to control weeds, said Wintonyk.

He also advocates changing farming practices to throw weeds off balance. For example, while it makes sense to seed whichever field dries out first each spring, that means the same field probably gets seeded first each spring, Wintonyk said. Seeding that field a couple of weeks later than usual throws weeds off their game. Glyphosate resistance has perhaps had one silver lining. Because of the attention around the problem, said Vink, “people are making management changes and I think it really does make a difference, long-term.” † Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@ fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

People are making management changes Asked how farmers will control volunteers with stacked tolerance traits, Vink said the herbicides available today will control volunteers. “There just needs to be some thought around the rotation and the herbicide programs.” Stacks in canola are also coming, said Vink, although they’re a little further out than soybeans. Monsanto isn’t the only company sliding multiple herbicide resistance traits into new varieties. Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist corn and soybeans include glyphosate and 2,4-D-resistant traits. Enlist varieties are part of the company’s focus for Eastern Canada, said Brian Wintonyk, western crops agronomist with Dow. Stacked traits will be introduced to Western Canada at some point, said Wintonyk.

Multiple modes of action For the western Canadian market, Dow is examining existing chemical groups, as there can be significant differences within a chemical family, said Wintonyk. He’s seen fields where weeds are resistant to one Group 2 mode of action while another Group 2 is still effective. Wintonyk said that if industry is mindful and plans rotations,

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/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Columns Crop protection

Using economic thresholds By Michael Flood

praying pesticides is expensive and time consuming. The damage from an infestation varies: sometimes it will be a complete wipeout, other times it is minor and won’t majorly affect your overall harvest. But how do you judge when to spray and when not to spray? Economic threshold tables can help you make these decisions. An economic threshold is the point where the population of an insect or its damage to the crop

exceeds the cost of spraying to control it. Each province publishes its own tables based on extensive studies of the agricultural economics in their different growing regions, as well as data on the cost of interventions. The tables are based on the extent of the damage, the cost to spray, and the value of your crop. Before you consult the tables, you’ll need solid data on the size of your problem. If damage in your field is being caused by insects, trap a few examples of the bugs to identify them. If the pests are

BayerCropScience.ca/Infinity or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Infinity® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

particularly small it may be most effective to take either all or a part of an afflicted plant. Small glass jars are ideal for this, though you can use clear plastic bags as well. The insects don’t have to be alive, but try to avoid crushing them. If you’re stumped, take photos of the insects and the damage and send them to your local ministry of agriculture. Now, find out how much of your crop is affected. You’ll need to pick a type of sampling appropriate for the insect being monitored. Like the kinds of damage they inflict on crops, the distribution of insects varies based on their type and particular life cycle. Some are more uniformly distributed through a crop while others are localized.

Grasshopper populations are estimated by counting insects per square meter; tiny insects like flea beetles are estimated by rating the percentage of damage to plants. Clearly, you can’t check every square meter. You’ll want to sample randomly across your fields, totaling the amount of infestation and dividing by the number of sites sampled. Once you’ve identified your pest and estimated the level of infestation in your crop, consult an economic threshold guide, to determine if getting in that B:17.7083” sprayer is worth your while. † T:17.4583”

Michael Flood (www.michael-flood.com) is a business writer and columnist. S:17.0833”You can reach him at michael@ michael-flood.com.

MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns Reporter’s notebook

Prepare to watch your data Data is becoming an industry. Whether you like it or not, you’re part of it By Lisa Guenther

e talk about environmental stewardship, land stewardship and animal stewardship in agriculture, but there’s not a lot of discussion about data stewardship. And that’s too bad because there are some good reasons to

have control over who accesses our data. I’m really talking about Big Data here — the move by businesses to collect mountains of data from their customers, pool it and trawl for interesting patterns and market trends. In agriculture, we’ve seen BASF partner with Affinity on farm management and accounting software.

A couple of years ago, Monsanto purchased Climate Corp, a climate data company started by former executives of Google. And anyone who’s ponied up for a new tractor or combine recently knows that machinery companies have their own data systems embedded in the equipment. There are practical concerns around data use in the agricul-

ture industry. If, for example, you break up with your long-time agronomist, will you be able to take your production data with you? And will your agronomist delete it from their laptop and company servers? How will you manage the ballooning data pile, especially when the various platforms you use don’t talk to each other?

Who’s using your data Do you know who is accessing your data and for what purpose? Farmers — along with the ag industry — have been pondering these questions south of the border. U.S. farmers have started a co-op, called Grower Information Services Cooperative (GISC), to pool their data and control who accesses it. The cooperative is working with Ag Pro Exchange, a company whose investors include farmers and a company outside of the agriculture industry. Together, they’re developing a cloud-based platform for farmers to store their data. Farmers will control who views their data and how much access they have through this system.

The horse hasn’t yet left the barn

LIGHT ’EM UP

#AskBayerCrop your Question of the Week @Bayer4CropsCA

C-52-04/15-10287626-E

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Spray Responsibly.

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Managing herbicide resistance is everyone’s fight.

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I chatted with Billy Tiller, a Texas farmer and director of business development with GISC. Right now GISC has about 1,300 members in 37 states, he said. Another 6,000 farmers are interested and waiting to see what the co-op does, he added. GISC members will be testing the system in May, to make sure it’s easy to use and gives them what they need, he said. Eventually they’ll offer other premium services that have a price tag. But free data storage really underpins what they’re trying to do, he explained. And the majority of the co-ops members consider that crucial. The Co-operative isn’t trying to create roadblocks for the ag industry, he said. In fact, one of the Co-op’s goals is to share better information with agribusiness, so they can bring better products to market. But if farmers are sharing data with corporations, there should be something in it for them, Tiller told me. For example, the Co-op hopes to eventually sell reports to agribusinesses, when it’s in the interest of farmers, and when they have enough data to render individual farmers anonymous. It will channel money from those sales back to members. Tiller is far from a Luddite. He is a fan of technology and science that helps him boost yields, use less pesticide and manage his farm better. He bought a 3-D printer just to see how it worked, he told me. He also has a business background and worked in banking for years. Nor is he trying to vilify agribus-

iness, he said. “We want to make sure we have at least one hand on the steering wheel, even if somebody else has a partial hand on it,” he said. Tiller and I chatted for quite a while, and the gist of our conversation was that an agribusiness’s interests will frequently overlap with a farmer’s interests. After all, if a machinery company wants to keep its customers, it has to build equipment that its customers need. And the people running those corporations today may have the best intentions when it comes to protecting their customers’ data.

The future of your data But if a company’s information services are losing money, how can you know they won’t sell that part of their business? As Tiller pointed out, corporations are accountable to their shareholders. We only need to look at RadioShack, which recently filed for bankruptcy in the U.S., for a worst-case scenario. RadioShack customers handed over personal data, such as names and addresses, to the retailer on the condition it wouldn’t be bought or sold. But now that RadioShack is sinking, that data is on the auction block. In all fairness to the agriculture industry, they haven’t been shutting out GISC from their own efforts to standardize the way data is shared. Tiller said that AgGateway, a consortium of agribusiness that is working to standardize how they handle data, has been very cooperative. In fact, GISC is now a member. But waiting on the sidelines isn’t a great option for farmers. Tiller thinks things will settle in the next few years, leaving fewer companies standing in the big ag data arena. GISC needs “to be there when the dust settles,” Tiller said. “And if we do that, we’ve succeeded.” Personally, all this makes me quite optimistic. It looks like U.S. farmers will have a hand in how their data is handled. They’re being quite proactive on this, and it seems like most agribusinesses are willing to work with farmers on it. Whether Canadian farmers will do the same is still up in the air. But Tiller’s been getting lots of interest from our side of the 49th, he said. GISC doesn’t have a presence in Canada, but Canadian farmers are on the Co-op’s email lists. Canadian growers are very independent, he said, probably partly because of the weather they deal with. “I mean, they make their own world when they have to,” Tiller said. “But if you talk to them about what it means to own data, it’s like a revolution.” The horse hasn’t yet left the barn. Now’s the time to shut the door, or at least put a halter on the hayburner before he’s half a mile down the road. † Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@ fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Columns Open field

Women advancing in agriculture Sarah Weigum’s advice for young female Grainews readers in the ag industry tribalism — avoiding anyone who looks different than themselves. Being the minority in one’s profession poses the opposite problem: you can work a long time without seeing someone who looks like you. With this reality, I was excited to attend the Advancing Women in Agriculture conference held in Calgary in April. I talk with men all day long about farm-related issues — how exciting to attend an event where I could talk about those same things with women. (Believe me, the experience is different, although it’s hard to pinpoint why.) While I was anticipating this event, there was some chatter on social media about whether it was appropriate to have a women only event. I get it. Men are probably tired of being told they’re all privileged chauvinists. If my experience in agriculture has taught me anything, it’s that our menfolk are quite enlightened these days. I seldom get pushed around for being female and in fact I’ve encountered a lot of outright enthusiasm that I, as a young woman, would choose farming as a career. Men in our society receive a pretty clear

sarah weigum

n the summer of 2011 I went to a combine clinic put on by our dealership. I had returned to the farm only a few months earlier and was still finding my footing in a new-again world. There was one other woman at this clinic and I remember thinking, “I don’t want to sit by her at lunch, as if I’m obligated to talk to the only other woman in the room.” How silly I was. I did end up chatting with her and that was the beginning of a great friendship. In the years since, I have become more comfortable in this male-dominated field, but I have also learned to value the female connections I make in agriculture. The reality is, if I had sat next to Allison’s husband, I would’ve had a good visit, but I probably wouldn’t have developed the friendship that I have with her. Often humans are guilty of

message that women are not to be excluded, so why should there be venues for women to gather exclusively? For the same reason that elementary school principals are excited to hire my brother. And for the same reason that a Swedish father and photographer I read about is documenting the lives of other dads on paternity leave with their children. “I had a hard time finding literature, blogs or anything that was written for me as a father,” wrote Johan Bavman on his website, www.johanbavman.se. Boys in school need male role models and men being hands-on fathers need to feel a sense of camaraderie. Similarly, when women see other women succeeding and in positions of leadership, they are empowered to strive for excellence in their career. Kirstine Stewart, head of Twitter Canada and former head of English programming at CBC, expressed this sentiment on the second day of Advancing Women. She told us about a big announcement she made while at the CBC and her subsequent mortifica-

tion when, rather than focusing on the content of her message, the media decided to talk about her shoes. It wasn’t until a young female CBC employee said, “It’s so good to see people that look like us up on that stage,” that Stewart realised she didn’t want or need to hide her femininity. Of course, as women we shouldn’t confine ourselves to female ghettos (although, if we did the food and decor would probably improve dramatically). It’s important to meet the world in all its fullness and diversity and be challenged by it. We exist in social circles that are constantly dilating and constricting. If you’re a beef producer you might go to a cattlemen’s association meeting one month, a breed-specific gathering the next and a general farm meeting after that. The importance of gathering in both familiar and diverse crowds can apply to all facets of our lives, be they gender, age, religion, political affiliation or profession. Both like-mindedness and broad-mindedness make our lives richer. A while back, Leeann asked

me to write a column with advice for other young women starting out in agriculture. I thought for a while and realised that I didn’t have much — at least not particular to women, or even agriculture, really. Most of the lessons I’ve learned could apply to any young person starting any career. We’re not all that different, after all. Nevertheless, most people are encouraged by seeing someone who looks like they do, succeeding at the thing they want to do. If you’re a man in agriculture — or a women in nursing or elementary education — that’ll happen without anyone thinking twice about it. So have empathy on those for whom it doesn’t come as easy. If you’re an outlier in your field, there will be times you want your gender to disappear, but embrace the challenges of being in the minority and don’t make the mistake of being too proud to connect with those who look like you. At the combine clinic, I almost missed a great opportunity. † Sarah Weigum grows pedigreed seed and writes in Three Hills, Alta. Follow her on Twitter: @sweigum.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK FOR THE PRAIRIES Weather Forecast for the period of May 24 to June 20, 2015

Southern Alberta

Peace River Region May 24 - 30 Weather fluctuates as sunshine gives way to showers or thunderstorms. Periods of frost in central and northern regions.

Saskatchewan

May 31 - June 6 Sunny but with a few showers and isolated t/storms, heavy in places. Highs often in the twenties.

May 31 - June 6 Sunny but with a few showers and isolated t/storms, heavy in places. Highs will be in the teens.

May 31 - June 6 Sunny skies interchange with showers or heavier t/storms in the south. Cooler and at times wet in the north. Occasionally windy.

June 7 - 13 Warm and mainly sunny on several days, apart from scattered showers or heavy t/storms on 2 or 3 occasions.

8 / 20 Grande Prairie 74.2 mms

June 7 - 13 Sunny in the south aside from passing showers or t/storms, heavy at a few localities. Often warm, humid. Cooler, showery in the north.

June 14 - 20 Sunny with seasonal to warm temperatures. Scattered showers or heavier t/storms.

June 14 - 20 Sunny with highs often in the 20s. Scattered shower activity or heavier t/storms.

Precipitation Forecast 7 / 21 Edmonton 79.9 mms

6 / 20 Jasper

49.9 mms

BELOW NORMAL

5 / 19

60.0 mms

Banff

7 / 21 Calgary

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

May 31 - June 6 Variable from sunny and warm to cooler with wet periods. Blustery at times. Cooler and occasionally wet in the north.

June 7 - 13 Warmer, sunny in the south but with passing showers or heavy t/storms on a couple of days. Cooler, showery in the north.

June 14 - 20 Sunny with seasonal to warm temperatures, but showers or heavier t/storms on 1 or 2 days.

May 24 - 30 Seasonal with a frost risk in the south. Sunny, but showers and a chance of heavy t/storms on 2 or 3 days. Scattered showers, snow, frost in the north.

May 24 - 30 Pleasant, but with a few showers or t/storms. Seasonal to warmer, but frost risk in south, and periods of frost in central and north regions.

May 24 - 30 Weather fluctuates as sunshine gives way to showers or t/storms. Expect a slight risk of frost.

Manitoba

76.9 mms

10 / 22 North Battleford 7 / 21 Red Deer 85.5 mms

10 / 24 Medicine Hat 19mms cms Lethbridge 56.4 66.3 mms 26 cms 9 / 23

8 / 22 Prince Albert 66.9 mms

9 / 21 The Pas

64.2 mms

9 / 22 Saskatoon 63.4 mms

9 / 22 Yorkton

Precipitation Outlook For June

63.0 mms

9 / 23 Dauphin

NEAR NORMAL

10 / 22 9 / 23 68.8 mms 77.5 mms 10 / 24 Gimli Regina 9 / 22 Moose Jaw 67.3 mms 76.3 mms Swift 59.5 mms 11 / 23 9 / 23 Current 10 / 24 Portage 10 / 23 Brandon 75.0 mms Winnipeg 66.8 mms Weyburn NEAR 66.9 mms 83.8 mms NORMAL 64.4 mms 10 / 24 Estevan Melita 9 / 24 67.0 mms

85.3 mms

Much Above Normal Below Much above normal normal below normal normal

MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns Off-farm income

Investing post-federal budget Adjustments to Tax Free Savings Accounts and a rising Canadian dollar ANDY SIRSKI

he recent federal budget includes a few things that can help us think investing. On the bigger picture, the federal government has changed the capital cost allowance rules on equipment used for natural gas. This change lets business depreciate equipment at a faster rate, which is more in line the capital cost allowance rules in other countries. This should help businesses decide to build liquefied natural gas plants in Canada. On a more personal basis the contribution limit to the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) has been raised to $10,000 per year. If you have already contributed $5,500 you can top that up to $10,000 anytime now. That increase in contribution limits is getting criticized and I don’t think all of the criticism is justified. For one thing the TFSA is very flexible. You can contribute money with no tax consequences but then you can take some or all of the money out with no tax consequences. People do need lump sums of money from time to time and the TFSA makes that possible. Money you take out this year can be contributed back into the TFSA in the next tax year again with no tax consequences.

You can top that up to $10,000

to convert the RRSP into a RRIF. Ask that $4,000 be paid out and then split the pension with your spouse so each claims the $2,000 pension deduction on line 314.

the price of houses in some parts of Canada and farm machinery at auction sales. I’m waiting for the calendar to move a little closer to June when normally the price Other market movements of gold and silver bottoms. My plans is to buy some shares in As you likely know the gold-related companies when Canadian dollar has gone from I believe the price of gold has a low of around $0.79 to about come into its in season period $0.82 near the end of April. This on the calendar. was while many prognosticators Stocks like Detour Gold (DGC. were saying the Canadian dollar TO) have had a good winter. was going to $0.75. It might yet, When the price of gold drops but as the U.S. dollar weakens, those shares do drop some but the our dollar goes up. price seems to go back up as soon The rising Canadian dollar as the price of gold stops falling. B:8.125” The market and prognosticawill likely help push down the price of cattle and grain and it tors of the price of oil are still T:8.125” certainly seems to help push up split over the near term price. S:8.125”

As the price keeps rising some prognosticators keep saying that pretty soon storage will be full and the price could easily drop to under $40 a barrel. Others say that will not happen because refineries will start up and export all the gasoline and diesel to Mexico and Brazil they can produce. Many oil wells have depleted, so supplies are supposed to come down. I am waiting but it is tempting to buy some good oil-related shares. † Andy is mostly retired. He has a tax business, runs his family’s investments and of course writes for Grainews. Andy also publishes an electronic newsletter called StocksTalk where he tells what he does with his investments and why. IF you want to read it free for a month send an email to sirski@mts.neta.

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Another reason to put money into a TFSA is because there is a sur tax on the old age pension if a person’s income goes over about $70,000 but that number is raised each year. That tax is 15 per cent on top of the regular tax rate. Very often seniors who already earn, say, $68,000 would raise their income above that tax threshold when they start to take money out of their RRSP. So it makes sense to put more money into a TFSA rather than an RRSP, if you can see that your income will be in that higher bracket after you start milking your RRSP. In this budget the government also lowered the minimum withdrawal rate for taking money out of our retirement funds. Those funds have to be converted by the end of the year in which a taxpayer turns age 71. If that is not done the fund will be collapsed and taxed accordingly. I converted some pension funds into a LIRA (Locked-In Retirement Account) when I retired from Grainews. The year I turn 71 I’ll convert RRSPs into a RRIF. I could have done that at age 65 but didn’t see the need. I will continue to manage my RRSP as a self-administered plan

so nothing will change but I will likely take the minimum out at the beginning of each year. By the way, if we take out the minimum the administrator does not have to deduct income tax. My plan is to own decent stocks in my RRIF and sell calls to make the value grow and provide cash for the withdrawal. There is one good reason for most people to convert their RRSP into a RRIF at age 65 instead of age 71. All taxpayers now can claim a tax-free amount of $2,000 of pension income on line 314 of Schedule 1 even if they are not retired. But the money has to come from either a defined benefit pension plan or a RRIF or LIRA. The idea is

/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Columns Soils and crops

Bigger farms, bigger farmers There have been big farms since people started farming. But they aren’t immune to market forces. Ownership rules can have an impact too les henry

he recent demise of big farms like wand Broadacre has been much in the news lately. This column predicted just that when the trend started several years ago. Big corporate farms with decisions made in the corner office of the 51st floor in Toronto or Calgary are destined for failure. The three-piece suit crowd look at rich farmers and say “We must get in on the action.” Indeed, farming is a business. But, a business unlike any other. It must deal with the vagaries of the market place — which is common to all businesses, witness the oil patch over this past winter. What makes farming unique is the need to adjust on a daily or even hourly basis to what Mother Nature hands us to deal with. And there are no predictions or forecasts that help much. By the time the deci-

sion is made in the high tower office, the rules of the game have all changed. So much for big “high office corporate” farms.

Big farmers So, what about big farmers? There are many big farmers that do quite well thank you. I was on such a farm north of Saskatoon a few years ago when the harvest from Hell was underway. Huge swaths of tough canola were being rammed through seven combines and packed away in bags at 16 per cent moisture. And two more combines were on the river flats taking off some oats. What made it all happen was the few ounces of brains under the hat of the farmer who was bouncing around in a little yellow pick up truck and making every decision on the fly. And, the whole operation was to high standards. An employee was handling the grain bagging — the bags were as straight as a die, with no big lumps. I recall media reports of another big farmer in east cen-

tral Saskatchewan. As I remember he said the “sweet spot” was about 7,000 acres but he had gone way beyond that. Why do big farmers get big? Money is part of it but that is not the real driving factor. They do it “because they can.” That is to say they have the smarts, they have the drive and they cannot pass up the challenge of making it all happen. From what I see and hear, they can’t not do it. I have great respect for folks that can handle that kind of operation and all the risk and stress that goes with it. Big farmers can go broke also. They are playing with big numbers and a few bad breaks can put them down. But many rise from the ashes and start over. Where I was raised at Milden the big farmers that everybody talked about were the Wilsons — north of the correction line up Harris way. In coffee and other refreshment establishments we would argue about whether it was 24 quarters or 24 sections. It was my good fortune to move to a Saskatoon address in the 1990s that was very near the matriarch of the 24

Wilsons, by then a widow. She was a feisty type and lived to the grand old age of 98. We had many great visits. She knew every land location and soil type. In 1935 they planted 10,000 acres of wheat. Never harvested much but they did plant it. They went under but rose again to run another farm.

I think we have a grand bubble on our hands Who owns the land anyway? In Saskatchewan, our government is just launching a review of provincial land ownership rules. The big deal by the Canada Pension Plan was what rocked the boat. How they think they are going to make money buying at the peak of the market is beyond me. The winners were the folks smart enough to sell at the right time. But, is that what we want?

Our good Saskatchewan farmland treated as a commodity like a stock on the TSX. This old scribe thinks not. To be sure, at one time the rules were a bit over the top. In the 1980s good family friends of mine ended up in a situation where the only surviving son inherited some of the land but was a resident of Manitoba. He had to sell the land. But, I think the pendulum has swung too far the other way. In 1820 my great great grandfather and seven brothers left a stony hill in county Sligo, Ireland to take up land in New Brunswick. My grandfather and his uncle left New Brunswick in the 1880s for better land at Stockton, Manitoba. Grandpa got the sand and the uncle got the good land. So, in 1906 Grandpa pulled up stakes and took up another homestead on the Regina heavy clay at Milden, Sask. Alf Bryan described such soils as “soft sweet clay that the discers cut into like butter.” Good land to be sure. They all made those moves to get to a place where they could own the land. Share cropping was not an option.

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MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns I have never carried a card of any political party and do not go to rallies. But in 1982 I went to a rally by the Sask. PC party with Grant Devine at the podium. We had been colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan, and I wanted to see what it was all about. Busloads of farmers from the clay belt where I was raised were in attendance. The former government had set up a Land Bank and the government held the title to some land — never much land mind you. One of the big lines I remember was “My grandfather and

yours did not come here to be sharecroppers.” Some of the old guys were in tears. Devine was elected in a landslide. Now, to put it mildly, it did not go all that well in the end, but such is politics. This past winter while searching out books at U. of S. library I stumbled on a whole shelf of thick books entitled The Agrarian History of England and Wales. I selected Vol. VII, 1850 to1914. The book ran to 944 pages and included a table: “The Great Landowners of England and Wales in 1883.” Entries included: Duke of

Northumberland 186,397 acres, Duke of Devonshire 138,536 acres. The list ran all down the page of dukes, lords and earls to the lowly Duke of Newcastle with a paltry 35,547 acres. Most of our ancestors came to Saskatchewan to get away from all that and to own some good Saskatchewan farmland. So, I wish our government good luck in their task of reviewing the rules. With all the hype about food security it seems we should have the land in the hands of our citizens. I do thinkB:10.25” that the smart money has already met their T:10.25”

objective and is on the sidelines waiting for the fall. This old fossil might well be dead wrong — but I think we have a grand bubble on our hands with overpriced land. We do live in interesting times. Good farming to all in 2015. †

By jonny hawkins

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/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Used equipment values

Spring auctions start strong What’s hot and what’s not in the first half of the spring auction season TABLE 1: AIR SEEDERS, AUCTION PRICES TO MID-APRIL Brand

Year

Spacing

Model

Working width

Cart

Sale price

Seed Hawk

2012

12 inch

Series 45

60 feet

500 bushel

$172,500

Seed Hawk

2012

12 inch

Series 45

60 feet

$103,000

Seed Hawk

2008

10 inch

6510

65 feet

800 bushel

$81,000

SeedMaster

2012

12 inch

6612

66 feet

$87,000

SeedMaster

2011

12 inch

5012

50 feet

JD 1910

$141,000

Bourgault

2010

10 inch

5710

47 feet

3325

$71,000

Bourgault

2009

10 inch

5710

74 feet

$32,500

Bourgault

2009

10 inch

5710

64 feet

$27,000

New Holland

2010

10 inch

P2050

58 feet

430 bushel

$88,000

John Deere

2010

10 inch

1830

60 feet

430 bushel

$97,000

TABLE 2: FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE TRACTORS, AUCTION PRICES TO MID-APRIL photo: ritchie bros.

Attendance at auction sales so far this season remains strong, with no shortage of registered buyers. By Scott Garvey

fter several years of robust sales of new equipment, the used equipment inventory across North America has grown a lot, because of all the trade ins and lease returns flowing back to dealers. Combine that fact with the current slowdown in demand for new machines, and many people in the equipment industry had been wondering where the auction sale market would pick up this season. Some, including Simon Wallan, Ritchie Bros. VP of agriculture for Western Canada, were expecting a downturn in prices and demand. But initial sales this season suggest the market is still relatively strong. “We started off late last fall, early this spring being conservative with some of our estimates,” he says. “But it hasn’t seen much change and certain categories have strengthened. We’re about 50 per cent of the way through our spring auction sales now and the pricing is continuing to hold and the interest is continuing to hold.” Among the negative market adjustments that have occurred is a weakening demand for swathers. And sale prices for seeding equipment have become a bit unpredictable. “Maybe the best word to use is erratic,” he continues. “It’s a buyers’ market out there for seeding tools. Every farmer out there seems to want something different in a seeding tool, so we are having trouble finding consistency when it comes to size and specifications.” Kim Kramer of Saskatchewan-based Kramer Auctions Ltd. has noticed some differences in the marketplace so far this season as well. “Guys this year are more selective,” he explains. “Bidders in general have pulled their horns in on some items but not others. I think a lot of that is due to more selection at dealerships and auctions. One guy told me at an auction sale yesterday, I’ve bought so much machinery there’s no sense of urgency anymore that I need to buy it today or I won’t find another one. There are lots available. (Buyers) are not pushing the panic button like in previous years where they’d get in a bidding war because they were worried they wouldn’t find another one.” Livestock-related equipment, including loader tractors, is one of the hot spots when it comes to demand this season, with stock growers apparently in the mood to spend some cash. And combine values continue to hold their own.

One thing driving prices higher in some equipment categories now is preemissions engines. Those machines and trucks with diesel engines that do not have any of the latest emissions control systems are seeing strong demand. “Trucks, anything pre-emissions, I bet they’re up a good, solid 20 per cent,” says Kramer. “A pre-emissions Kenworth or Peterbilt, those brands, they’re a really strong sale.” Wallan agrees. “When it comes to truck tractors, anything in good condition with a pre-emissions engine is very, very sought after,” he adds. “It doesn’t matter what sale you’re at, a farm sale or an industrial one.” In general, four-wheel drive tractors seem to be holding their values compared to last season, and in some cases prices are up a bit. But Kramer says he hasn’t seen prices of late-model machines being pulled up as much as some expected because of the U.S. exchange rate, which is really pushing up sticker prices on new tractors. For four-wheel drive tractors just a couple of years old, Kramer thinks the availability of certified pre-owned programs from dealers on similar machines may be putting some pressure on auction sale prices, making some late-model tractors “a good buy.” And, again, anything with a pre-emissions engine generates a lot of interest. “For a tractor, maybe a Tier 2 without the emissions controls, they’ll bid way stronger on it,” he says. “Guys are saying they can buy an older tractor, as long as it has the horsepower and the hydraulic power, it will do the same job as a new one.” When it comes to sprayers, Kramer has seen some softening of prices, which he also attributes to a larger selection of used models now available to buyers. Wallan says he believes the strongest demand in sprayers has shifted away from the more mid-range models to the largest, highest capacity versions. Wallan says the bulk of his company’s sellers so far this year remain farmers who are leaving the business rather than inventory dispersals from dealers, and the number of machines at auction this season remains relatively consistent with previous years. In case you haven’t been able to make it out to any sales, we’ve tallied up some of the selling prices we saw by mid April in the accompanying charts to give you an idea of where things are so far this year. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

Brand

Year

Model

Hours

Selling price

John Deere

2010

9630T

1,535

$225,000

John Deere

1998

9400

6,355

$72,500

John Deere

1996

8970

3,873

$85,000

John Deere

1983

8450

8,465

$25,000

New Holland

2013

T9.615

632

$217,500

New Holland

2013

T9.615

898

$220,000

New Holland

2013

T9.390

879

$170,000

New Holland

2002

TJ450

Case IH

2013

500HD

467

$200,000

Case IH

2012

550HD

536

$222,500

Case IH

2012

550HD

1,128

$217,500

Case

1985

4894

11,685

$16,000

1984

4840

8,465

$11,500

Versatile

1988

876

7,934

$18,500

$117,000

TABLE 3: COMBINES, AUCTION PRICES TO MID-APRIL Brand

Year

Model

Hours

Selling price

Case IH

2012

8230

948

$200,000

John Deere

2010

9770STS

904

$200,000

John Deere

2004

9860STS

2,261

$85,000

John Deere

2012

S670STS

916

$247,500

TABLE 4: LOADER TRACTORS, AUCTION PRICES TO MID-APRIL Brand

Year

Model

Hours

Selling price

John Deere

1981

4440

3,950

$26,000

John Deere

2010

7230

1,850

$97,500

John Deere

2007

6715

976

$77,000

Case IH

2006

MXM175

3,803

$57,000

New Holland

2007

TV145

5,975

$39,000

New Holland

2004

TV145

4,297

$37,000

New Holland

1998

TV140

5,691

$33,000

Massey Ferguson

1967

165

2,981

$6,000

TABLE 5: SPRAYERS AUCTION PRICES TO MID-APRIL Brand

Year

Model

Hours

Selling price

John Deere

2009

4930

1,717

$122,000

John Deere

2004

4710

3,400

$105,000

John Deere

2013

4830

296

$255,000

Apache

2000

790Plus

$27,000

Apache

1999

575

$19,000

Case IH

2012

4430

1,126

$237,500

Case IH

2012

4430

1,428

$217,500

Case IH

2011

4420

1,464

$177,500

RoGator

2006

1274C

1,816

$88,000

RoGator

1994

844

4,566

$30,000

MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

New machinery

Belarus is back

A new North American distributor officially announces the reintroduction of the Minsk-built line of tractors By Scott Garvey

he Minsk-built line of tractors offering low purchase prices and simple mechanical technology, formerly marketed in Canada as Belarus, is officially back. Their distributor claims the tractors still offer what it calls simple, durable and easy-torepair designs. But this time the machines wear the MTZ brand name, not Belarus. “It’s the same manufacturer, for sure,” explains Arie Prilik, VP of sales and marketing for MTZ Equipment, the brand’s new North American distributor. “They were sold in Canada under the Belarus brand name and the factory itself is Minsk Tractor Works. It’s kind of like Chevy, Pontiac and Oldsmobile. The factory was always using two brand names.” Because of legal issues surrounding the Belarus brand name in Canada, which is still owned by the now-defunct, previous distributor, the new company simply chose to import models wearing the factory’s alternate nameplate. However, they are the same machines. MTZ Equipment has been operating in Canada since 2009, but Prilik says it’s been busy with the process of obtaining emissions certification for the tractors’ engines and setting up a dealer and parts distribution network. That work is now mostly complete, and the brand is now officially launching itself in Canada and the U.S. One line on MTZ’s North American website seems to sum up the brand’s primary marketing strategy here: “Some competitors offer more gadgets: MP3 players, Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, colour screens, etc. We offer none of this,” it reads. Prilik believes that gives the brand a significant price advantage. “The rule of thumb is about $1,000 per horsepower in the industry,” he says. “As an example, a 150 horsepower (tractor) from the majors is going to run about $150,000. Our machine is about $100,000 Canadian. So we’re looking at about a 30 to 40 per cent price advantage.” The lack of computerized technology in the machines also helps MTZ hit that price point. And lately, one of the features that has been getting a lot of love from farmers at used equipment auction sales is preemissions engines. Demand for equipment with Tier 3 engine emissions level technology or lower is rapidly growing. MTZ may be able to capitalize on that trend. “The biggest claim to fame for our tractors is we’re still allowed to bring Tier 3 engines, which are much simpler than the more complicated Tier 4s,” he says. “Environment Canada is running a program called Transition, which allows us to bring in Tier 3s until 2018. It’s based on a U.S. program. It allows for an limited exemption. We just have the right timing, I guess. The majors

ran their exemptions within the first year of the program, because of the volumes they make.” “Coming from another industry, I thought, OK, we have the best pricing, that’s going to sell our tractors. But after many trade shows and hundreds of conversations with farmers, what sells them is their simplicity and the Tier 3 engine.” Part of that simplicity means the four-cylinder tractors get basic synchronized transmissions, although larger, six-cylinder models are also available with either a power shift or CVT option. But that isn’t to say they are too simple, according to MTZ Equipment’s website which

emphasizes that the features built into these tractors are designed with practicality in mind. For example, the tractors offer some standard features like a built-in hydraulic joystick control, radial tires and a quick-change PTO shaft, which are unavailable or extra-cost options in other some brands’ basic models. The MTZ website also offers a comparison of the costs of optional features, emphasizing that if buyers choose to up-rate their tractors, they can do so at a lower cost — at least according to MTZ’s market analysis. The brand is initially launch-

» continued on page 18

photos: mtz equipment

MTZ equipment is planning to show 120 and 150 horsepower models at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina in June.

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/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Project CJ3A

CJ3A Jeep project wraps up The old Willys Jeep finally roared out of the workshop under its own power By Scott Garvey

It’s finished. n a weekend morning, my neighbour Corey and I jumped into Project CJ3A after spending some time tinkering with a cantankerous fuel pump and drove the Jeep out of the Grainews garage. Our test drive through a hay field that day was the first time the Jeep moved under its own power since it arrived over a year ago. If you’ve been following along in previous issues, you’ll know Project CJ3A has been the focus of our ongoing restoration of a civilian model, 1952 Willys Jeep. In previous issues we’ve shown you how we tackled a variety of the necessary repairs, while turning what was was a non-running vehicle into one that is now road ready and wearing a licence plate.

And the job was a major effort, because there were so many problems to address. The replacement parts list was a long one, but we’ll refrain from providing you with financial information as to how much was spent buying them, just in case the bean counter ever reads this. In fact, we eventually just got tired of adding up the totals on the many parts invoices after it became clear we blew the budget right out of the water, so we can now honestly claim we don’t really know how much we spent. Anyway, that’s our story and we’re sticking to it. It’s likely fair to say that we could have simply bought a Jeep in equivalent condition for the same amount of money and not had to spend all that time in the shop pulling wrenches, But where’s the fun in that? And we can feel good about rescuing a classic vehicle that had three wheels in the scrap yard and the other on a banana peel.

There are a couple of finishing touches to add and minor changes we want to make to the old Jeep in the coming months as time permits. But for now, it’s payoff time. We’re going to get some seat time and log a few miles with it, both on and off roads, which is what the old Jeep was built for. Given that a picture is worth a thousand words, we’ll let the associated images explain what we started out with and what we ended up creating. Now it’s your turn. Go out to your shop and build something. And remember, we’ve shown you ours, so show us yours. If you’d like to see your project featured in Grainews, let us know about it. Send me some pictures and we may find a place for it in the pages of a future issue. †

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

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

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Belarus is back

300 and 350 horsepower MTZ models will be introduced to Canada soon, according to the brand’s North American distributor. ing 84 to 212 horsepower models. But Prilik says there are firm plans to add more tractors to the line. In the not-too-distant future, that means offering 300 and 350 horsepower front-wheel assist workhorses. Eventually, MTZ Equipment plans to break into the high-horsepower market with articulated tractors up to 450 horsepower. Those models are built in St. Petersburg, Russia. “The way it worked in the past, under the Belarus brand, the Soviet Union was marketing tractors from three different factories,” Prilik says. “The Minsk factory was about 80 per cent of the tractors. The big articulated machines were produced in St. Petersburg, in Russia. We have an agreement in principle with the St. Petersburg factory, which makes tractors up to 450 horsepower. We just want to walk before we run. Once we have more dealers, we can bring the bigger machines as well.” One question potential customers may have on their minds is what about parts and service support. MTZ Equipment has secured about 25 dealers in Canada and as many again in the U.S. It has set up a parts distribution centre in Hawkesbury, Ontario, which will provide dealer and service training. And it is stocking parts for older Belarus machines. “For the tractors that were sold here 20 or 30 years ago, we’re still supporting them with factory-original parts,” Prilik says. You can find the brand’s North American website at mtzequipment.com. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpubishing.com.

MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop 2

photos: scott garvey

1. We stripped the Jeep right down to the frame and worked our way back up again. 2. When it was pushed into the garage for a makeover, Project CJ3A couldn’t move under its own power. 3. Now, CJ3A has regained a bit of the glamour it had when it left the factory in Toledo, Ohio back in 1952. 4. We had to create a entire electrical system for the Jeep. In the process we decided to wire in a spotlight we found lying unused in the workshop. We fabricated the mount out of 18 gauge metal. 5. Interior before: A non-original steering column, rusted-through floor boards, peeling paint and non-functioning gauges all had to be changed. 6. We removed the Pontiac steering column CJ3A had when it arrived along with the entire jerry-rigged steering system and replaced it with original parts, including a brand new steering wheel.

We told you it was a farm machine! When we kicked off our Project CJ3A Series several months ago, we explained why we thought the old Jeep was qualified to be the focus of our latest restoration efforts. We pointed out that Willys’ marketing people specifically targeted farmers as potential customers for Jeeps after the end of the Second World War. Jeeps of this vintage were even produced in special agricultural versions that included rear three-point hitches and PTOs, with which farmers could pull and operate a variety of implements. If after that any of you still thought the old Jeep was out of place in an ag publication, here’s one last effort to convince you. In 1949, Willys sent a CJ3A to the Nebraska Tractor Test Lab for testing, so it could market the Jeep as a farm tractor. How did it do? The lab rated it at just over 25 horsepower on the drawbar and 29 on the belt. If it went through a test at the Nebraska Tractor Test Lab, we’re convinced it fits the farm machine category. Editors note: We would like to thank the Lester F. Larson Tractor Test and Power Museum at the University of Nebraska’s Tractor Test Center in Lincoln (http://tractormuseum.unl.edu) for granting permission to use the historical image in this article. † Scott Garvey

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A CJ3A Willys Jeep pulls a load car around the test track at the Nebraska Tractor Test Lab.

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/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Equipment maintenance

Dirty farm diesel Dirty farm diesel fuel can cause serious trouble By Scott Garvey

photos: donaldson

An example of the change in diesel injector patterns caused by wear from abrasive particles in dirty fuel.

any farmers regularly update their equipment fleets to get their job done. But the farm fuel storage tanks where those new machines stop to refuel tend to stick around the farm for years. And old, outdated fuel storage systems can allow contaminants into the fuel that gets pumped into all that new equipment. With the level of sophistication built into today’s diesel engines, dirty fuel is now a far bigger problem than it used to be, and it can sabotage the reliability of new equipment. “It’s important for them (farmers) to understand the new equipment they’re running is a lot less tolerant to dirty diesel

than before,” says Scott Grossbauer, director of clean fuel solutions at Donaldson, a filter manufacturer. “New engines have to meet new emissions requirements. To do that, they’ve done two main things. One is exhaust aftertreatment. The other is an in-cylinder solution related to the fuel system, which means having higher injection pressures, more precise injections and more injections per cylinder stroke. As a result, the tolerance for (dirty) fuel goes way down.” To protect modern injection systems, engines now depend on very efficient filters that trap particles at much smaller micron levels. “For example,” continues Grossbauer. “If you are running a tractor from the late ’90s, you could probably get away with

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putting a little dirtier diesel in there. It would probably run and not damage anything. If you do that now on today’s equipment, you’ll either plug the filter up or if some of that contamination gets by the filter it can damage the injection system.” That means relying solely on the filters installed on farm machines isn’t a sound strategy for preventing trouble. If a machine goes down in the field due to a plugged fuel filter, that means lost production, usually at the time you need it most. So Grossbauer recommends taking a more systematic approach to fuel handling and storage, as well as taking steps to make fuel cleanliness a top priority. At the very least, fuel taken out of on-farm storage tanks should have to go through a dispensing filter before it gets into a machine. “We’re trying to advocate for the cleanliness of fuel going into the equipment itself,” he says. “As a farmer, the way you obtain that is by focusing on dispenser filtration, first and foremost.”

Further steps There are also other steps that can further guarantee fuel stays squeaky clean. Farmers should ensure they prevent contamination from getting into their storage tanks in the first place. Placing a filter on the tank’s breather is an often overlooked but very valuable step in that direction. The risk of dirt being drawn into a tank through an unfiltered ventilation cap is actually pretty high. “Every diesel storage tank is open to the atmosphere,” Grossbauer explains. “The reason is that when the fuel gets pumped out, air gets sucked in. Even atmospheric changes during the day can make the tank breath in and out a little bit as the air (inside) expands and contracts. If you’re in a dusty environment, that (dirty air) gets into the fuel as well. So we advocate putting a breather filter on the storage tank.” Most fuel suppliers across the Prairie do a pretty good job of delivering clean fuel, but there is always the risk of inadvertent contamination before it gets to the farm. Producers who want the highest level of protection can take an additional step to eliminate the risk of letting dirty fuel contaminate their tanks by installing another filtration system on the inlet side. “Another option, and a lot of people do it in a lot of different industries, is you put a filter on the fuel coming into the tank,” he adds. “Then if you get a delivery of fuel that plugs up the filters, you know there’s a problem, and you can deal with the fuel supplier then and there. That’s a problem that’s not going to get into your storage tank.” But don’t think you can skip the filter system on the outlet side if you’ve opted for filtering delivered fuel. Because fuel sometimes sits in farm tanks for long periods, there are a number of contamination risks from things like bacteria forming inside if there is any kind of water accumulation. “The reason you put a filter on the outlet as well as the inlet is fuel can change over time,” says Grossbauer. When retrofitting a storage tank

MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

Digital technology

Your ISOBUS compatibility By Scott Garvey

n 2008 engineers at the major manufacturers and a few other brands decided to work together to create a standard for tractor-implement digital compatibility. That led to the creation of the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF), which now has over 170 member companies and groups. The ultimate goal of that organization was to create a global standard for electronic communication between all tractor monitors and implement control systems. Having a standard communications protocol eliminates the need for each implement to have its own, dedicated in-cab monitor. Instead, a single monitor is

Microscopic views showing the excessive wear around the needle seat in an injector on the left compared to a normal injector on the right. Dirt in fuel acts like a sand blaster changing the very fine tolerances in a fuel injection system. with a dispensing filtration system, picking the right filter system depends primarily on two factors: how much fuel passes through the system in a season and how fast the pump transfers fuel. Filters should be capable of matching the pump’s flow rate without causing a restriction, and they should have the capacity to handle an adequate level of material to avoid frequent changing. Each bulk storage and transfer system should be evaluated on its own before deciding on the number of filters needed. “There’s no rule of thumb,” Grossbauer says. The best way to assess the condition of a dispensing filter already in use on a storage tank — without removing it — is to check for pressure drop when filling equipment. Clogged filters will noticeably reduce the flow rate. If you have relatively clean fuel in your tank and it doesn’t get contaminated during storage, a single dispenser filter could clean 50,000 to 100,000 gallons before needing replacement, according to Grossbauer. For a detailed discussion on diesel fuel cleanliness, visit Donaldson’s website at mycleandiesel.com. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

able to control all implements the tractor may drag behind it. That AEF communications standard has become known as ISOBUS 11783. Machines that use it should all play nicely with each other — at least, that’s the theory. Monitors and implement systems that use this electronic communications format are considered ISOBUS compatible. But so far not all so-called ISOBUS compatible systems seem to be working as advertised. Now, however, farmers can get some help when trying to determine whether or not they can count on ISOBUS compatibility before buying new equipment. In April AEF announced the launch of a special website, www. aef-isobus-database.org, designed to allow anyone to log in and

determine the digital compatibility of tractor-implement combinations before they make buying decisions. Just find your tractor and the implement you want to put behind it in the website database and see if they’ll talk to each other. And if they will, find out what level of compatibility they will accommodate. The data there is based on actual testing done by the AEF, so it should be accurate. All systems tested by AEF are in the database. So far not every manufacturer has been willing to fully open their systems to ISOBUS communication, choosing instead to keep some functions proprietary. That means some implements only offer full functionality when paired with their own brand’s monitor.

The AEF Certified label signifies a system has been tested in an AEF lab and is ISOBUS compatible. Systems permitted to wear this label will also be listed in AEF’s online data base. For farmers intending to by a new implement that requires an in-cab terminal — say a round baler — knowing ahead of time how compatible their existing tractor’s monitor is with that machine could be a real bonus. That information will help them decide whether or not they should poney up the extra cash for a dedicated monitor for the implement before they make a purchase decision.

Coinciding with this year’s Agritechnica show in Germany, AEF will begin allowing manufacturers who’ve proven their systems in an AEF test lab to display a certification label, signifying that the product has been tested by AEF and meets the ISOBUS compatibility standard. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@ fbcpublishing.com.

/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Cattleman’s Corner beef management

Linear measuring points to better grass-fed genetics A Manitoba grass-fed beef producer uses a set of homemade calipers to select the best cattle

Brian Harper says linear measurement is about creating balance. Cattle that are not balanced display defects and generally are not productive or efficient in a forage-only environment.

BY ANGELA LOVELL

s consumers continue to drive demand for grass-fed beef, some producers are rethinking their cattle genetics to select for animals that will be the most productive on forages. Brian Harper has been using linear measuring as part of his beef genetic selection process since 2007, and has seen steady improvements in the quality of his grass-fed herd. Harper, who raises Lincoln Red and Shaver Beefblend cattle near Brandon, Man., breeds only the top 10 per cent of his cows — determined through linear measuring — with his premier sire to maximize the best genetics. “You can’t improve your cow herd by just culling,” says Harper. “You need to select from the top, and that starts by using the bull with the most prepotent (showing greatest potential) paternal genetics you can find, and always breeding him with your best cows. It may take two or three generations to get what you need but I’ve seen definite improvements in the quality and efficiency of my herd over the past five years.” Linear measuring is not about a gene pool, but rather a tool that enables the producer to identify structural weaknesses and strengths that are genetic, and thus heritable. Linear measuring shows how different body measurements correlate to indicators of potential fertility and production efficiency. The process allows producers to select bulls and cows for breeding that have the highest levels of reproduction, the best ability to efficiently utilize grass, low maintenance requirements, and the ability to produce primequality meat. At a recent workshop, Harper demonstrated to producers how he takes measurements of the rump, body length, neck, shoulders and heart girth with specially designed calipers that he says any enterprising farmer could easily fabricate in his or her shop. Harper feeds the measurements into a computer program which ranks the cows or bulls according to the measurements, and from this ranking Harper picks animals with the most desirable genetics for his breeding program.

Details on the linear measuring process

COW MEASUREMENTS

photo: angela lovell

Brian Harper demonstrates how a calliper is used to measure the width of an animal’s rump — all part of the linear measure technique used to determine the potential of beef cattle to finish on grass. pounds more meat, and conversely, every inch of girth that is less than the total topline equals a deficit of 37 pounds of meat. Harper also emphasizes the importance of producing milk that is high in butterfat. “The average beef cow today produces about eight ounces of butterfat a day, which is around four per cent of butterfat content in the milk. A calf receiving eight ounces a day will have an approximate average daily gain of about 1.6 lbs./day. We need our cows to produce 13 to 16 ounces of butterfat a day — or greater than six per cent butterfat content — to achieve an average daily gain of 2.25 to 2.5 lbs./day,” says Harper. To develop efficient and productive genetics, Harper leaves his calves nursing their mothers for 10 months, which allows the calf’s gut to develop so it can process forages more efficiently. “The calf requires the high nutrition found in its mother’s butterfat for at least 10 months to provide better efficiency and a low maintenance animal,” says Harper, noting it’s important once calves are weaned they receive high-quality forages.

THE IDEAL GRASS-FED COW

A SUPERIOR SIRE

“The ideal cow that will perform well on grass should have rump width wider than the rump length,” says Harper. “As well, wide shoulders equal to the rump length, and a deep chest or large heart girth, which is larger than the total topline, will provide optimal grass utilization.” Harper says every extra inch of girth that is greater than the topline equates to 37

An ideal bull will have a shoulder measurement wider than its rump length, says Harper. “A wide-shouldered bull produces more sperm cells and live semen, and his calves will be born on time, and within five per cent of his actual birth weight. His daughters will also have wider rumps indicative of high fertility. The aim of these selection and breeding practices

is to make the male offspring of the bull genetically superior to itself, so they can eventually replace him as the lead sires for the herd.”

“The ideal cow that will perform well on grass should have rump width wider than the rump length.” — Brian Harper Harper learned linear measuring from Gerlad Fry, an Arkansas cattleman who is an astute student of Dr. Jan Bonsma of Pretoria, South Africa. Bonsma, during many years of research as he developed the Bonsmara breed, evolved the linear measuring method, and Fry developed the software Harper uses. Bonsmara cattle are a cross of native South African and European cattle breeds which produce high-quality meat and thrive under drought and harsh conditions.

OTHER INDICATORS OF FORAGE EFFICIENCY There are other indicators besides just linear measurements which can tell a lot about the health of a cow or bull, and their potential to produce healthy offspring that will also do well on forage, says Harper. “The hair coat, and hair patterns, and even colouration of

the animal will tell you a lot about what is happening inside the animal’s body,” he says. “For example, a well-defined adrenal hair whirl that is located between or ahead of the shoulders, coupled with a slender, smooth, hourglass cannon bone, and a loose, supple hide indicates tender, gourmet meat. Yellow flakes on the tail reveal an animal that is high in butterfat production, which is also associated with tender meat. As well, an animal with a dark line that runs the full length of the top of its back, and a large thymus whirl, shows its glandular system is active. Animals showing these signs will not get sick and neither will their calves.” Harper continues to improve the genetics of his herd by using linear measuring, and says the bar is constantly rising. “When I first started I wouldn’t use a bull that scored less than a three on the linear measuring ranking, but now I won’t use one scoring under 3.5, which shows how the breeding program is making progress,” he says. “I also use other management techniques, such as holistic management and high stock density to improve soil health and the mineral cycle of my pastures. I haven’t had to vaccinate my herd for five years because my cows are healthier. I am producing nutrient dense beef that more health conscious consumers are demanding, and improving profitability by making the best return from the grass that grows on my farm.” For more information about linear measuring contact Brian Harper at 1-204-724-0936 or email harper4@goinet.ca. † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer based in Manitou, Manitoba.

Here are more details on how linear measurements are taken, and recommendations for ideal measurements to maximize productivity on forages. Rump length — measured from the rump to the hip. Should ideally be 38 to 40 per cent of body length. Rump width — should be a minimum of 2.5 inches wider than the rump length by 12 months of age to give higher fertility and fewer calving problems. Rump height — a frame score of four (around 48 inches) is recommended. Body length — a 2/3 measurement from a spot in between the shoulder blades to the rump. When the body is too long the loin becomes stretched and irregular and produces less meat. Neck length — from the body measurement point to the poll of the head. It should be half of the body length or one-third of the topline. Shoulder width — should be at least equal to rump length. Heart Girth — should be equal or greater than the topline for improved vigour, adaptability and forage efficiency. A narrow, pinched girth creates glandular dysfunction making the cow and its calves more susceptible to stress and disease. Flank — should be two inches to 10 inches larger than the heart girth.

BULL MEASUREMENT Linear Measuring and measurement recommendations for bulls are the same as for cows, with the exception of the following: Shoulder width — To be considered superior, a bull should be at least six to eight inches wider in the shoulder than the rump length, with a minimum allowance of 2.5 inches wider than the rump length. Rump width percentage — to determine the percentage, divide the rump width by the rump height. For the best sires the goal is to have a minimum rump width of 44 per cent, with 46 to 50 per cent of his rump height being ideal. Flank — should be equal to total topline. Heart girth — Should be two inches or greater than the topline for maximum meat production, adaptability, fertility and performance on grass. † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer based in Manitou, Manitoba.

BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF

The most powerful people in cattle transportation Decisions made on farm anchor cattle welfare in transit

It turns out the best decision-making tool in cattle transportation may be a mirror. It could be placed anywhere that choices are made about loading cattle for transport from the farm. A sign above it could help its effectiveness: “The most powerful person in cattle transportation.” “We all understand that a number of people can handle animals before they reach their final destination,” says Nathalie Côté, Verified Beef (VBP) co-ordinator for the province of Quebec. “But the decisions that producers make on farm about how and when animals leave the farm, anchor the industry transportation effort. “We are in a new world where expectations are high that animals will be cared for properly. Producers are responsible for thinking clearly and carefully about which animals are loaded.” Transport or not

There are a number of reasons that an animal may be transported from the farm and each one requires a decision, says Côté. Some may be moving to slaughter or to auction markets. Cattle may also move to another farm or to cattle shows. Each time an animal leaves the farm requires a decision to transport, she says. Where is it going? What are the regulations? What options do you have? Decisions to transport or not are guided by a whole set of regulations, but more than anything they are guided by common sense. There aren’t often officials present when animals are loaded, says Côté, so in many ways, at that point, the producer is in charge. If they make poor or inappropriate decisions they may face challenges down the road if animals fail during the trip. Small producer challenges

Producers in provinces with many smaller operations can face somewhat more challenging transport. Quebec is an example. Many small beef operations and few slaughter facilities mean animals may have to travel farther.

How each animal will fare all along the transport chain is a key consideration, says Quebec’s Nathalie Côté. Smaller numbers of animals mean more mixing which creates additional challenges over larger, more homogeneous groups which may have spent time together. And Quebec has a high dairy population and often those cull cows are more fragile. The decision tree

In regulatory terms in Quebec, as in other provinces, animals are categorized as “fit for transport, unfit or compromised,” says Côté. The on-farm decision starts with the animal. Is it healthy enough to be sold? Next is transport. Is it fit to bear the trip? Finally determine the most suitable action: • The animal can handle transport; or • Treat and wait for recovery before transport; or • Slaughter on the farm; or • Euthanize because the animal will not recover.

Regulations may allow compromised animals to be transported to a veterinarian. However, that is relatively short distances and requires special handling conditions that protect the animal. New expectations

Producers tend to think in terms of animal salvage value, but that is only part of the decision today, says Côté. “Producers must understand that it is a welfare thing, not just a producer thing. Their responsibility doesn’t end when an animal is loaded on the truck. Our industry depends on their making good decisions.” Transportation and animal care are a key part of the VBP program. More information including provincial contacts is available at www.verifiedbeef.org.

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/ grainews.ca MAY 19, 2015

Cattleman’s Corner cattle handling

Simple Bud Box adds ease to cattle handling Famed cattle handler Bud Williams left a legacy with a design that’s been copied across the world BY KIM NIELSEN

always marvel at farmer innovations and the fact some people continue the search for “a better mousetrap” even as you might say they are getting “long in the tooth.” The late Bud Williams was an exemplary lifelong learner, finetuning ways to handle livestock throughout his life and never passing up the opportunity to share his passion with others. Williams began teaching his Low Stress Livestock Handling courses at the age of 57, influencing the livestock handling practices of hundreds of farmers and ranchers over the years. I never took any of his courses but always enjoy reading how we as ranchers can so easily reduce the stress associated with handling cattle, with that being a mutual benefit for both man and beast. We are building some cattle yards here in Australia and this got me introduced to Bud Williams’s low-stress livestock handling concepts in an unusual way. I could apply his principles thousands of miles from our summertime ranch up in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. and from where Bud and his

wife Eunice headquartered in the 90s, at Vee Tee Feeders, Lloydminister, Alta.

LOOKED AT OUR OPTIONS We began considering options for cattle yards, looking at whether to build out of post and rail or use steel panels. One of the lines of steel equipment I came across here in Australia was the Arrow Farm Quip with its impressive layout of different cattle yard designs. After some research I found this equipment is also sold in North America with its Norton predecessor actually originating in Canada. While perusing the designs I came across their Beef Buddy, using a 12- to 14-foot laneway and gates that block the lane near an alley leading to a chute for processing or loading out. While they market it as a Beef Buddy it soon became obvious that it is what many of the homemade systems called a Bud Box, named in honour of Bud Williams, who came up with the design. Bud was just 76 when he got the idea of what could also be called a rectangular crowding tub and a revolutionary design! The Bud Box is not only extremely effective but it is also very cost effective compared to cir-

cular tubs, curved alleys or funnel alleys. Keeping it simple, which was Bud’s overall philosophy, it plays on the cattle’s psychology of wanting to circle when they are in a confined space and attempt to head back where they came from. This is where the lane width is important and also the length of the lane ahead of the gate closing the lane off. By designing the system so the lane ends in the Bud Box, the cattle will, soon after entering it, realize they can’t go on and then automatically circle. In the meantime the handler has closed the gate across the lane and opened the entrance leading up to the chute or the loading ramp.

PUTTING IT TO THE TEST While we didn’t go with Arrow Quip, we ended up doing it all in steel through another supplier. The portable panels here in Australia are built very tough and are by far a cheaper solution to treated posts and planks. The other big plus is that you can add and change the yard system with ease. We had two 14-foot frames custom made to fit the lane gates to give them full support and allow easy closing with quiet slam latches.

photos: kim nielsen

Cattle in this Bud Box in Australia begin the natural process of circling looking for a way out. Once one of the gates on the Bud Box is opened the cattle will be inclined to exit into a loading ramp, the processing alley or another pen.

A gate is opened on one end of the Bud Box allowing cattle in this case to head for the loading ramp. We put the Bud Box to its inaugural test recently as we shipped our heifers to market. Bud’s design suggests the alley gate must be solid and we did that with some dark shade cloth zip tied on the back side of the gate. By blocking the cattle’s view of the alley as they circle back and with the entrance to the chute or ramp immediately next to it they naturally go into it. There are numerous Bud Box

YouTube videos uploaded by people from across the world showcasing with pride what Bud Williams envisioned and left as a legacy for everyone’s enjoyment — man as well as beast. Such a simple concept working with the cattle not against them. Thanks Mr. Williams. † Kim Juul Nielsen, retired manager of agricultural service, Clearwater County, Alta is a summertime resident of Alcheringa, Dunkeld, Victoria, Australia and is Canadian summertime grazier of 4-Clover Ranch, Rocky Mountain House Alberta.

The Markets

Fed cattle market reaches historic highs Strong demand for beef continues and cattle herd isn’t expanding quickly Jerry Klassen Market Update

lberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $198 to $200 cwt in April, which was a historic high. Lower energy values and stronger economic growth continue to cause a yearover-year increase in food spending. Disposable income for the average consumer has been ratcheting higher and unemployment levels are improving moving into the summer grilling season. Retail beef prices have been percolating higher but this has done little to stem North American beef demand. U.S. consumer confidence continues to climb, which suggests beef demand will remain robust throughout the second quarter of 2015. Inflation expectations have diminished, which reflects consumers may consider beef affordable, which is a positive signal for the beef complex. First-quarter beef production came in lower than anticipated; however, subsequent quarterly

production is expected to exceed year-ago levels. Healthy feedlot margins have enhanced feeder cattle prices and cow-calf producers have been able to forwardcontract yearlings for fall delivery at favourable values. While the Canadian cattle herd remains in contraction phase, overall calf supplies south of the border are expected to be similar to last year. Canadian feeder cattle exports to the U.S. continue to exceed year-ago levels as the exchange rate remains near sixyear lows.

PRODUCTION INCREASING There were 10.66 million U.S. cattle on feed as of March 1, down one per cent from last year. Despite the lower on-feed number, beef production is expected to show modest yearover-year quarterly increases in subsequent quarters for 2015. This is largely due to heavier carcass weights which are running 25 pounds above last year. Weaker feed grain prices have caused producers to add more pounds on each animal. If adverse growing conditions materialize in the U.S. Midwest, this scenario will change and

could result in a major shift in production economics. This is something to watch over the summer because feedlot placements have been sharply below year-ago levels thus far in 2015.

NUMBERS DOWN IN CANADA Alberta and Saskatchewan cattle on-feed inventories as of March 1 were 866,000 head, down 12 per cent from last year. Lower on-feed numbers have resulted in a yearover-year decline in Canadian beef production. Canadian yearto-date beef production for the week ending April 11 was 269,000 mt, down five per cent from last year for the same period. It’s interesting to note that live cattle exports to the U.S. from January 1 to April 4 were only 68,000 head, down 44 per cent from last year while exports to the U.S. of fresh and chilled cuts were up 16 per cent. This suggests that the Canadian market is reflecting a premium over U.S. values for live cattle to stem the export tide. U.S. consumer away-fromhome (restaurant) food spending was up 9.5 per cent in January and up 6.8 per cent in February. However, March data showed a year-over-year reduction of 4.7

U.S. QUARTERLY BEEF PRODUCTION (MILLION POUNDS) Quarter

2011

2012

2013

2014

EST. 2015

6,411

6,172

6,411

5,868

5,660

6,559

6,475

6,517

6,183

6,240

6,737

6,584

6,608

6,178

6,210

6,492

6,571

6,420

6,023

6,100

Total

26,199

25,913

25,717

24,252

24,210

per cent. This is very counterseasonal consumer behaviour, which I believe shows the healthy financial prospects of the average U.S. household. Consumers were spending more on food (above inflationary rates) at a time when they generally preserve income. At-home food spending has been running very similar to last year during the first three months of the calendar year. The U.S. economy is realizing the effects of lower energy prices, which causes a rise in disposable incomes. Beef demand could experience a moderate growth pattern during the summer months, which will keep wholesale beef and fed-cattle prices relatively stable. Canadian and U.S. calf supplies will be similar to last year during the summer and fall period. The 2014 U.S. calf crop was up a mea-

gre 0.5 per cent from 2013. The industry has experienced a marginal increase in heifer retention, which is barely sufficient enough to offset cow culling rates. U.S. producers do not appear anxious to expand their herds with record high prices for breeding heifers. The 2014 Canadian calf crop was estimated at 4.6 million head, up four per cent from the 2013. Higher prices have not encouraged heifer retention in Canada but rather keeping the herds at similar size. Canadian feeder cattle supplies will likely remain constant in 2015 with a calf crop of 4.6 million head. Look for the feeder market to remain in an upward trend. † 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.

MAY 19, 2015 grainews.ca /

Cattleman’s Corner Anyone can start farming

Coping with wet condtions There appears to be no easy solution to manage mud Debbie Chikousky

lexander Pope must have been thinking of farmers in 1734 when he wrote “Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blessed.” There is a deep abiding faith that this year will be better than last which seems to drive us all forward to battle our farming enemies from year to year. This year will be better because we are starting to see proof some of my really unorthodox solutions in dealing with mud are starting to work.

BRING OUT THE FLAX The best method we have found for solidifying muck is flax straw. Flax was used in ancient times to make bricks. Growing up we learned the slaves in Egypt used straw and mud to make the bricks that built the pyramids so my logic was the cows should be able to pound the flax into the dirt and stop the muck. Before turning to flax straw we

spent $2,000 on limestone and just watched it disappear. Our thinking was that the limestone would settle and form a bottom. The area where we load cows for pasture is close to our heated water trough and in desperation, when the limestone didn’t work, we started throwing in flax bales. We unrolled many of them. A Grainews reader shared he had used flax straw extensively around his self-feeders and the steers no longer had to stand in a muck hole every spring. The limestone bottom was eventually found by the cows and now we have to add flax to it every spring, but it is much less costly than rock. A caution to this is that flax doesn’t rot. It will be there for years so we were told not to put it where we don’t want brick. This little mud-management project has expanded. Last summer we brought home used flax straw square bales from the dump. The square bale sections are perfect for breaking up around the water trough, filling in potholes, and lining gates. The ground around our water troughs was eroding badly. The cement pad was actually sitting about three inches above the mud.

Last summer we started packing slices of the square flax bales into the area every time it rained. This spring, it still looks like mud, but the ground level is back up to the cement and it is no longer washing away. The best part of this is that used flax bales cost us very little. This year we volunteered to pick up used flax bales from area people that use them for keeping their septic fields covered. This is a win/ win proposition. They don’t have to pay to have them hauled to the dump and we don’t have to pay for the bales. We are, with the larger supply, hoping to continue filling in the area that the tractor drives through in our south feeding area. The cows also walk through it to get to water so they will tramp in the flax.

SQUARES ARE BETTER The straw in large round flax bales don’t work so well in every situation. We unrolled them where the school bus used to park and unlike the leaves of the square bales the straw pushed around and was unruly. When using the round bales we found driving backwards through it with the tractor helped to tamp it in a bit better. Driving frontward, the straw just wanted

photo: debbie chikousky

In some of the high-traffic livestock areas on their Manitoba farm where mud is an issue, columnist Debbie Chikousky and husband Gary have found that an ongoing application of flax straw helps to firm up the ground base, but it remains a work in progress. to push in front of the tires instead of working into the mud. The other choice we have to manage these muddy areas is rocks. We have considered collecting rocks and dumping them across gates but straight rocks can be risky. My husband prefers we pour rock across the gates first, and then cover them with the flax straw. His reasoning is that, depending on the size and shape of the rocks, we can break tie rods by getting the tires

caught in-between rocks when the machinery sinks. The flax cushions this because it meshes with the muck that comes up between the rocks. This also helps humans and animals from twisting ankles as they cross the area. It feels productive to have a battle plan for our muck issues. † Debbie Chikousky farms with her family at Narcisse, Manitoba. Visitors are always welcome. Contact Debbie at debbie@ chikouskyfarms.com.

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Cattleman’s Corner better bunks and pastures

Magnesium deficiency can lead to grass tetany Lush pastures in May can be a perfect setting to setting for fatal conditions PETER VITTI

very time I drive past lush green May pastures I think of grass tetany in beef cows. That’s because it is essentially a magnesium deficiency in lush pasture that can have fatal effects upon a cow herd. Who wants to come across a dead pregnant or fresh cow in a field due to grass tetany? I recommend producers know some of symptoms of grass tetany as well as the pasture conditions that expose their cattle. They should also implement a good mineral program to ensure magnesium requirements of beef cows are met in order to prevent dangerous grass tetany.

NOT ALWAYS CLEAR CUT Last year about this time, I received a phone call from a producer who operates a 300-head cow-calf ranch across the border into the United States. He was concerned many of his pre- and just-fresh cows had grass tetany on sprouting pasture. Over the phone, he related many of his older cows collapsed on their front legs and had a hard time getting back up. Some animals collapsed on pastures, while others loss muscle control in front of the water trough. He said one or two cows died.

A day after the call, I drove out to his farm. I did not see any cows collapsing as he experienced, but one or two of his cows “appeared” walking with a stiff and staggering gait, “appeared” nervous and had muscular tremors; all possible signs of a magnesium (Mg) deficiency or grass tetany. Furthermore, this herd had a higher percentage of older cows and heavy milkers that are very susceptible to this metabolic springtime disease. This producer also informed me he was working with a local veterinarian, who drew some blood samples from several of the “afflicted” cows. The blood results showed deficient magnesium levels as well as marginal deficient levels of copper and zinc. Because this producer was feeding only trace mineral salt blocks on pasture, I recommended he feed a magnesium-enriched commercial loose cattle mineral (with organic selenium, and chelated copper and zinc). A few weeks later, I learned that his veterinarian took more blood samples, which confirmed the collapsing cows suffered from anaplasmosis (re: a protozoa induced anemia that tends to appear in older cows and make them very weak). Whether these cattle also had clinical grass tetany remained inconclusive due to the overshadowing of an apparent larger problem. Because this particular herd was on a questionable mineral program (re: tracemineral salt blocks), it is my belief this cow could have an underlying grass tetany issue as well as poor copper/zinc status, which has been proven in university and extension research to negatively affect cow herd

health, milk production and reproduction. In a challenging feeding situation such as this one, it is often difficult to separate several issues at hand. For example, grass tetany, and milk fever are two metabolic diseases that produce tetany-like symptoms. It takes an experienced person to determine which one of the two caused specific cases of pasture-death in cattle.

rumen-degraded protein that is digested into ammonia. If too much ammonia is present in the rumen, it can convert dietary magnesium into an insoluble hydroxide form, which is metabolically unavailable and fails to contribute to the animals’ Mg requirement.

PREVENTABLE MEASURES

Here are five things that can be done to help assure that magnesium requirements of beef cows grazing potentially dangerous grass tetany pastures are met: 1. Feed a commercial beef mineral formulated with eight to 12 per cent magnesium at three to four ounces per head per day from three to six weeks before the beef herd is allowed out on pasture. 2. Formulate the entire diet to insure the ratio of potassium/ (calcium + magnesium) is less than 2.2 in their total diet (estimate pasture intakes on a dm basis). The Ca/P ratio of this diet should also be around 2:1. 3. Feed salt blocks or in loose form on pasture; salt (NaCl) has been shown to reduce the incidence of grass tetany in beef cattle. 4. Continue to feed dry hay to the beef cowherd at the beginning of the pasture season. Wait to put the cattle on pasture until the grass is four to six inches tall. 5. Adjust calving season to avoid highrisk grass tetany periods (first two to three weeks of the grazing season). †

Regardless of another nutritional or other problem affecting the cow herd at the same time, preventing grass tetany on sprouting spring pastures should be straightforward: gestating beef cows require about 15 grams of Mg per day, while lactating beef cows need closer to 20 to 25 grams of Mg daily. A low magnesium status in beef cows that often leads to actual grass tetany can be traced back to low forage Mg levels found in rapidly growing pasture grasses during a typical spring of cool, cloudy, and rainy weather. Such conditions favourable to developing Mg deficiencies in cattle are often seen on orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, timothy, tall fescue, crested wheatgrass and bromegrass pastures. A lack of dietary Mg can also be seen on grazed cereal pastures; oat, barley and rye. Forages containing adequate levels of magnesium (0.2 per cent Mg) have also been shown to cause grass tetany in cattle because this dietary magnesium was rendered biologically unavailable. Lush pastures frequently contain high levels of

TIPS FOR PREVENTING GRASS TETANY

Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-2547497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

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