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Volume 41, Number 16 | OCTOBER 20, 2015

$4.25

PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER

www.grainews.ca By Leeann Minogue

NEW CANOLA VARIETIES FOR 2016

et out your pencils. (Or iPads. It’s going to be 2016.) There are 16 new canola varieties available for next spring. Add these new choices to the strong varieties that have come out in the past few years, and western Canadian farmers have some tough decisions to make. This list is a quick roundup of the new canola varieties on the market for the first time in 2016. It doesn’t include other recently released varieties or old favourites. With this many products to choose from, there will likely be some heavy traffic on the Canola Council of Canada’s website once 2015 trial data is available (www.canolaperformancetrials.ca).

With 16 new varieties ready for ordering, farmers have a lot of choices to make

Bayer CropScience InVigor L241C InVigor L241C is the newest clubroot -resistant hybrid with outstanding yield potential, strong standabilty and a mid maturity suited for all clubroot-affected regions of Western Canada. InVigor L241C yielded two per cent higher then InVigor L135C. InVigor L157H InVigor L157H is the newest Evolution hybrid in the InVigor Health hybrid offering. It matures a day earlier than InVigor L156H and offers growers higher yield potential plus the security of a contract premium.

Brett Young 6074 RR 6074 RR is the first of the next wave of highyielding canola hybrids from BrettYoung. 6074 RR was the highest yielding Genuity Roundup Ready variety in the 2014 Canola Performance Trials at 109 per cent of the check. This is a hybrid with excellent lodging resistance. It’s resistant to blackleg and ideally suited to the mid- and longseason canola zones. 6080 RR 6080 RR combines great yield with earlier maturity for adaptation to all canola zones of Western Canada. 6080 RR is resistant to blackleg, has excellent harvestability and yielded 108 per cent of the checks in 2014 trials. A great hybrid for all canola production regions. 6076 CR 6076 CR is a high-yielding clubroot-resistant (pathotypes 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8) hybrid that also has Intermediate resistance to the 5x pathotype. 6076 CR is a large plant with excellent harvestability and top yields. 6076 CR is resistant to blackleg. Its matuphoto: leeann minogue

» continued on page 4

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240

Kent Gulash, district sales manager for Dow AgroSciences, shows off a plot of a new experimental Nexera variety at the Ag In Motion farm show near Saskatchewan in July. “We’ve always got experimentals,” Gulash said. “We want to continue to make those advancements.”

In This Issue

Wheat & Chaff .................. 2 Features . ........................... 5 Crop Advisor’s Casebook . 6 Columns ............................ 25 Machinery & Shop............. 39 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 49

New cereal varieties

Leeann minogue page 10

Build a water table well les henry page 34

FarmLife ............................ 55

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Wheat & Chaff STAMPEDE

BY JERRY PALEN

Leeann Minogue

n September 30, we called a wrap on harvest for another season and put the combine back in the shed. I know many western Canadian farmers did not have a great harvest this year. Many farm families fought drought, flooding and not getting finished before that rain. Even where the weather was great, I’m sure lots of farm families struggled with machinery breakdowns, hired-help drama and other mini catastrophes that only fellow farmers could believe would actually happen. So I’m not going to use this space to gloat, but after many seasons of hail, floods, many breakdowns and disappointing yields, we’ve finally had our first normal harvest in years.

“I think it’s time we called ‘pot lickers’ anonymous.”

Write, Email or Fax SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CST) 1-800-665-0502

U.S. subscribers call 1-204-944-5568 or email: subscription@fbcpublishing.com If you have story ideas, call us. You can write the article and we’d pay you, or we can write it. Phone Leeann Minogue at 306-861-2678 Fax to 204-944-5416 Email leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com

ing for urgent parts at the counter at the local dealership. For us, at least, this was the kind of harvest that makes us remember what we like about this job. I hope that you, too, found something about this year’s harvest to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. † Leeann

Lisa Guenther, on tour

ur very own Grainews field editor, Lisa Guenther, is now also a published novelist! Lisa has been touring Western Canada this fall, promoting her new book, Friendly Fire. In this photo, taken by her friend Angela Csiki, Lisa is reading from Friendly Fire. The book is a mystery novel, set in Saskatchewan. I haven’t had a chance to read my copy yet, so I’ll quote from the cover of Friendly Fire: “As a long, hot Saskatchewan summer dawns, Darby Swank’s life is forever changed when she finds her beloved aunt floating dead in the lake.” The photo was taken on October 3, Lisa said, “at our last show at Dexter Hall, which is on Turtle Lake. This was a really cool night because I actually have a scene in the book about a dance at Dexter Hall.” All of us at Grainews could not be more proud of Lisa. We are looking forward to running an article about Lisa and her writing career in the next issue, and, once we get this issue in the mail, having time to read Lisa’s new book! †

Leeann Minogue

hearts

Ask for hearts

When you renew your subscription to Grainews, be sure to ask for six Please Be Careful, We Love You hearts. Then stick them onto equipment that you, your loved ones and your employees operate. That important message could save an arm, a leg or a life.

Like us on Facebook! Grainews has a Facebook page. Find, read and comment on blog posts easily and with a thumbs up!

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

Grainews contest

WIN THIS BOOK

Lee Klancher is the author and chief photo editor of Red Combines 1915-2015: The Authoritative Guide To International Harvester And Case IH Combines And Harvesting Equipment. It’s a beautiful, eight pound coffee table book. Lee Klancher was on hand at the U.S. Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois in August, to talk about this book and his other publications, which include a similar book about red tractors and machinery-filled calendars. Win this book! Send us a photo of your combine (not necessarily red!) in the field in 2015. Include your name, the name of the combine driver, a sentence or two about your harvest and your mailing address. In late November, we’ll select six winners randomly. We’ll send this book out to the winner, and Grainews caps out to five runners-up. We may use any entered photos in future issues of Grainews. To learn more about these publications or buy a copy for yourself, visit www.octanepress.com. † Leeann Minogue photo: leeann minogue

photo: angrla csiki

Write to Grainews, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1

photo: leeann minogue

We didn’t have a bumper crop, or record yields, but everything came off smoothly, and the yields were a little better than we’d hoped. Our farm help put in long hours, but everything went well, and we’re all still speaking to each other. For the first time in a few years, I spent more time in the field than wait-

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Wheat & Chaff Farm safety

Always read those product labels

abels, labels everywhere. Labels are on almost everything you buy. You see labels on things like milk jugs and chocolate bar wrappers to household cleaners, veterinary medicines and pesticides. Often ignored, these labels are full of information. Labels tell you how to use the product safely and effectively, saving you time, money and a potential injury or illness. We use chemicals in our daily lives often without thinking about the potential hazards. When is the last time you read the label on a simple household cleaner? It’s not something that we often think of doing when we are cleaning a window or mopping a floor, but it’s an important step in understanding how the product works, how it should be stored, what precautions we

should take and in the case of accidental exposure, what to do. How often have you seen the words “new” or “improved?” What does it mean? Products are continually being evaluated. Labels are reevaluated based on research. Even if you’ve bought the same product for years, things change. Laundry detergent is a great example of this kind of adjustments. Sometimes you’ll see that a jug of laundry detergent can do 110 loads, but if you count, you may have only washed 80 loads before running out of soap. Why is that? It’s because often, people don’t read the label and continue to add as much detergent as they always have even if the soap has become more concentrated. Along with the dirt and oil, you’ve just washed away hardearned money down the drain.

The same can be said for ag chemicals — reading and following the label will give you the best bang for your buck. Remember, when purchasing and prior to using a pesticide product, it is essential that you read and understand all portions of the pesticide product label. Just like with household cleaners, even if you’re very familiar with a product, remember that pesticide product labels undergo scheduled reevaluations, and can be changed at any time due to new research or regulatory requirements. Product labelling is governed through strict regulations, in fact, the label is the law. You are legally obligated to follow the instructions and requirements on the label. Remember to take the time to carefully review the signal word (danger and warn-

Agronomy tips… from the field

You might be from the Prairies if...

The low-down on new canola hybrids

hen making your seed buying decision for 2016, do your homework and check out the latest canola performance data and look at a variety’s entire agronomic package on top of the yield numbers. For my money, your best source is going to be the CPT (Canola Performance Trials), available online and through provincial seed guides, and the public co-op trials. They will offer good comparison numbers in areas such as yield, days to maturity and standability. The other benefit to the CPT trials is that many hybrids have been tested under actual production practices in large and small plot settings. One drawback is that

ing), precautionary statements, personal protective equipment requirements, entry restriction statements, emergency first aid measures, and directions for use. Something else to keep in mind is that not only is information regarding the product revised, so are the personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements. Review these requirements each time you purchase an agricultural chemical. Also, remember to review the instructions that accompany the PPE. Read the instructions carefully every time you purchase the PPE, even if you’ve purchased the same brand and model before. Veterinary medicines are also frequently found on the farm. These products are expensive and essential to many farm operations to keep livestock healthy.

By Carson Demmans and Jason

not all of the major seed companies are represented. You would need to check out the company websites to find that data. Wherever you go for your performance info, remember that local performance data is great, but data that’s been replicated within a site and in a high number of sites or over multiple years will give you a better picture of a variety’s performance and yield stability. Keep in mind, 2014 was a very different season than 2015 across much of the Prairies. If you only look at non-replicated strip trial results from one site in one season, performance might not be what you expect next year. † This agronomy tip was brought to you by Michael Hutton, product evaluation scientist, oilseeds, with Syngenta Canada.

Photo contest

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT The winning photo for this issue was sent in by Joanne Swenson. Joanne wrote, “After all the apples were picked (or so we thought) we noticed a furry friend enjoying one last taste of the crop! We always have a good supply of apples that last us well into the winter season.” Joanne and her husband Rick farm near Baildon, southeast of Moose Jaw. Thanks for sharing this, Joanne! We’re sending 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

You have formal and casual baseball caps.

The labels on these products are just as important as any labels found on pesticides. Labels on these medicines will tell the user how to achieve the optimum benefit by following the instructions. Inserts are also printed by the manufacturer that give more information than can be found on the product’s label. Ask for these inserts and read them carefully. Reading labels is a good investment of time. These few words provide the information needed to handle agricultural products safely. These labels can save you time and money when read, understood and followed. Most importantly, a properly followed label protects the health and safety of those using and exposed to the product. † Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, www.casa-acsa.ca.

Correction:

n the Sept. 29, 2015 issue of Grainews we ran an article about the excellent (and free) publication produced by the Canadian Canola Growers Association, “A Practical Guide to Navigating Grain Contracts.” Unfortunately, we incorrectly said the CCGA’s policy director worked for the Canadian Canola Council. There is a difference: The CCGA is a farmer group, funded by levies. It’s also the group that administers your cash advances. The Canadian Canola COUNCIL is an industrywide organization that includes crushers, seed companies, chemical companies and exporters as well as farmers. We titled that page “The Devil may be in the contract details.” Turns out, the Devil was actually in the details of our article. † Leeann Minogue

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Cover Stories Seed varieties » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

NEW CANOLA VARIETIES FOR 2016 rity is similar to 6060 RR, making it most adapted to the mid- and long-season zones.

Canterra Seeds CS2000 CS2000 offers excellent yield potential, broad adaptability and the best clubroot-resistance package available. It is resistant to the conventional clubroot pathotypes 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8, and it is the only canola hybrid that offers additional protection to the new 5x pathotype. Suitable for all zones, CS2000 is medium-tall, has very good lodging resistance and is rated resistant to blackleg. See Canterra’s 2015 yield results online at www.canterra.com. CS2100 This hybrid has high yields and multigenic blackleg resistance for the long-season zone, yielding 115 per cent of 74-44 BL in its first trial of 2015 at Etzikom, Alta. CS2100 has broad-spectrum resistance to blackleg pathotypes groups 2, 3, 4 and T, and has more reliable defence against blackleg anywhere it is grown, delivering higher yields in fields with higher disease pressure. CS2100 has been observed to have a high degree of pod shatter tolerance, and could prove to be a good straight cut option. CS2200 CL CS2200 CL is a new high-yielding Clearfield hybrid with fullseason maturity, great standability and a solid R to blackleg. As a Clearfield, it could also qualify for non-GMO crush programs. CS2200 CL is available at Canterra Seeds shareholders businesses, independent crop input dealers and through UFA.

Dow Nexera 1020 RR New generation of Nexera

canola RR hybrid offering improved disease resistance. 1020 RR is the first Nexera hybrid to offer clubroot resistance with a very strong R rating in recent public co-op trials. Maturity is one day earlier than 1012 RR and has demonstrated strong yield in performance trials. This hybrid is suitable to the mid- and long-season growing zones in Western Canada. Nexera 1022 RR New generation of Nexera canola RR hybrid offering improved disease resistance. 1022 RR offers improved, multigene blackleg resistance with a very strong R rating in recent public co-op trials. 1022 RR is one day earlier than 1012 RR and has demonstrated strong yield performance in trials. This hybrid fits well in the mid- and long-season growing zones in Western Canada. Nexera 2022 CL New generation of Nexera canola CL hybrid offering improved disease resistance. 2022 CL offers improved, multi gene blackleg resistance with a very strong R rating in recent public co-op trials. 2022 CL has similar maturity to 2012 CL and has demonstrated very strong yield in performance trials. This hybrid fits well in the mid- and long-season growing zones in Western Canada.

DuPont Pioneer 46M34 The First Genuity Roundup Ready canola hybrid with the built-in Pioneer Protector HarvestMax trait for resistance to pod shatter and pod drop. This canola hybrid gives growers the option to swath layer or straight cut their canola. It has excellent early growth and yield potential along with very good standability. Protector Plus (Number TBD) The First and only Genuity Roundup Ready canola hybrid with both Pioneer Protector sclerotinia and clubroot resistance traits built right into the

seed. This canola hybrid also has excellent early growth, improved standability and excellent yield potential. It is also rated R for blackleg.

Monsanto / DEKALB 75-65 RR 75-65 is a hybrid with solid agronomics and improved pod integrity that offers the option for straight cutting. It’s R-rated for blackleg, with a dark seed coat. A mid-maturity option with a broad acre fit. 75-57 CR 75-57 CR offers clubroot protection with a resistance to pathotypes 3, 2, 5, 6 and 8. It is R-rated for blackleg, and has good standability, 75-45 RR 75-45 RR is a unique combination of early maturity with strong yield potential. It is R-rated for blackleg and has good standability.

Syngenta SY4105 SY4105 is the first Genuity Roundup Ready canola hybrid from Syngenta to incorporate clubroot resistance. SY4015 fits well across mid-season growing zones in and delivers excellent early season vigour with strong yield performance. For more information visit SyngentaFarm.ca. SY4166 SY4166 is the latest Genuity Roundup Ready canola hybrid from Syngenta. This hybrid is best suited for the mid-to-long season growing zones, and includes an excellent agronomic package with multi-genic blackleg resistance, good early season vigour and high-end yield potential. SY4166 also boasts excellent standability, which will save time at swathing and harvest. In a series of 2014 small plot trials, SY4166 reached full maturity, on average, 1.5 days later than SY4135, and 1 to 1.5 days earlier than SY4157. † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

photo: courtesy of dupont pioneer

This photo of Dupont’s new Roundup Ready canola 46M34 was taken last summer. Find more information on all of Dupont Pioneer’s Roundup Ready and Clearfield canola varieties at www.pioneer.com.

Bayer’s bringing balance Bayer is working on bringing new stacked-trait soybeans to the western Canadian market, but it’s not going to happen overnight. “The Balance GT beans are still going through regulatory approvals,” said David Kikkert Bayer’s business operations manager, soybean seeds & traits. “They are approved in Canada and the U.S., but we’re still waiting for more global clearances.” These approvals won’t come in 2016, Kikkert said it will be “closer to the later teens.” Bayer’s Balance GT beans will be tolerant to both glyphosate (Group 9) and isoxaflutole (Group 27), the active ingredient in a new Bayer herbicide, Balance Bean. “It’s similar to Converge in corn, as they have the same actives,” Kikkert said. “Stacking” herbicide tolerance, or building tolerance to more than one herbicide into the same plant, is one step in a plan to fight herbicide-tolerant weeds. The Balance GT beans with tolerance to two herbicides are a step on the way to Bayer’s next product: triple-stacked beans. “The third step is adding Liberty Link,” said Kikkert. Triple-stacked genetics, Kikkert said, will give grower more flexibility in terms of crop rotation. “It’s definitely going to become more difficult for growers in the future where, instead of dealing with a few herbicides they’re going to be dealing with many more different options, where some are maybe not working.” “But,” he said, “today we still have Liberty and that’s a nice clean option for growers, and it’s still, right now, the only selective herbicide that’s working on all accounts.” While Balance GT soybeans may soon be in the ground in the U.S. Midwest, it will take longer before we see them in Western Canada. The main focus right now, Kikkert said, is a seed “between Maturity of 2 and 4. Definitely we are working on expanding that to between 0 and 2. That’s kind of the next wave. Getting that out to Western Canada will be something that we continue to work on.” (Soybean maturity is rated according to the number of heat units the beans need. Saskatchewan generally needs beans with a maturity rating of less than zero: 00.) The Balance Bean herbicide that will work with the Balance GT beans is not yet registered in Western Canada, Kikkert said, “so there’s two challenges there. One with the herbicide, and the other with, again, getting to that maturity group required for Western Canada. It will be some more time, through the breeding process. More of a long-term thing than a short-term at this point.” † Leeann Minogue

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The editors and journalists who write, contribute and provide opinions to Grainews and Farm Business Communications attempt to provide accurate and useful opinions, information and analysis. However, the editors, journalists and Grainews and Farm Business Communications, cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the editors as well as Grainews and Farm Business Communications assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any reader for this publication based on any and all information provided.

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Seed varieties

Dow enlists a new stacked trait Dow is registering Enlist seeds, corn and soybeans tolerant to glyphosate and 2,4-D By Leeann Minogue

he biggest new development on the horizon for Dow Seeds corn and soybeans is the Enlist weed control system. Enlist corn and soybean seeds will be tolerant to both glyphosate (Group 9) and 2,4-D (Group 2). “We’ll be adding the additional tolerance of 2,4-D to the glyphosate trait that’s already in corn and soybeans,” says Jeff Loessin, Dow Seeds Canada general manager. The herbicide will be called Enlist Duo. “It will add additional broadleaf weed control to corn and soybeans over what is currently delivered by glyphosate.” The Enlist system will also allow farmers to control glyphosate-tolerant volunteer canola in soyeans. “Wild buckwheat is another weed that tends to be a challenge for glyphosate to

control,” says Loessin. “Our herbicide solution Enlist Duo will perform extremely well on wild buckwheat.” It will also control dandelion and Canada thistle. “All those tough broadleaf weeds that farmers tend to have in corn and soybeans.” The products are registered in Canada; Dow is still waiting for some overseas approvals. “We continue to work our way through the regulatory approvals in import countries,” says Loessin. “We’re in the queue in the near term for our corn traits, and we’re continuing to work away on the soybean traits, but they’re probably going to lag a year behind the corn.” “Our plan is to market new corn hybrids that will fit Western Canada’s growing area with this Enlist weed control trait included in them, to give people that extra weed control.”

Dow seeds rebrands

Leeann Minogue

herbicide options available as out in Eastern Canada, for example, or down in the U.S. But there still is some good viable options that can add that mode of action into the weed control regime.” Herbicide resistance is an expensive risk. “Once you rely too heavily on a single molecule or even a couple of molecules, you can develop resistance. “So we want to make sure that we’re introducing the weed control system with the stewardship component to ensure that people are aware up front of some of the things that they can do to help provide some longevity to the system to that it maintains its usefulness on the farm.” “It’s a risk for us, but it’s also a risk for agriculture if we lose these tools,” says Loessin. † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

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Dow Seeds is rebranding its corn and soybean seed business. Mycogen and Hyland seeds will come together under the Dow Seeds logo. Where will you go to buy Dow varieties? Dow Seeds Canada general manager Jeff Loessin says it depends on where you live. “For the most part you’re working with your crop protection companies, so CPS, Richardson will have access to it.” In some areas we also have farmer dealers set up as well. The corn and soybean model has always been a little bit different, in Western Canada and in Eastern Canada.” Many companies have a combined system of both traditional retailers and farmer retailers for corn and soybeans. Loessin says this is just the way the business has evolved over time. “Corn and soybeans were more of a specialty crop, less common than they are today. It was recognized early on that a number of the farmer dealers who were working in local areas had local followings. They tested the crops, tried them out. They were advocates for the crops in their areas and they were able to sell seed. As the crops matured, as we’ve gone along through time, and corn and soybeans have become accepted, now you’ve seen more and more crop protection retails get involved as well.” Nexera contracts will not be affected by the rebrand. “Our Nexera canola business is all run through your normal crop protection retails.” If you want to grow this value-added canola, “You make the contract with one of the contracting companies like Viterra or Richardson or Bungee, or ADM in some areas. And then the seed is procured from your local crop protection retailer.” †

Along with releasing the new products, Dow is planning a stewardship program to help preserve the new technology. “One of the things that Western Canada has going for us is our crop rotation. If utilized right, the Enlist weed control system will be a critical part of that,” says Loessin. But, as with any herbicide, if Enlist Duo is overused or used improperly, resistance to 2,4-D could result. “If farmers rely too heavily on the glyphosate tolerant cropping system, then our recommendation is that you include not just the Enlist Weed Control system… but you also look at your options to include an additional mode of action in the burn-off application, or through the use of a soil-applied residual herbicide that can also provide that additional mode of action that extends into the season.” “The challenge with Western Canada,” says Loessin, “is that there is not as many

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Features

Crop Advisor’s casebook

Weed-ridden, sodden canola field By Steve Leavitt

ack in the spring of 2014, I got a call from John, a grain farmer near Stirling, Alta., who had just rented an 80-acre field from a neighbour. John was hoping to get his crop off to a better start on this particular field than in previous years, when the land had been sown with bin-run seed that hadn’t been cleaned and with few crop inputs, resulting in crops full of weeds and with very low yields. After John and I discussed what he should seed there, we opted for Roundup Ready canola to try to reduce the substantial weed pressure in the field. John did a good preburn on the field with glyphosate, then banded in his high rate of nitrogen fertilizer with 100 pounds of actual nitrogen and put on 40 pounds of phosphate with micronutrients with the seed. The seedbed had good moisture in it so it appeared the crop would likely get off to a great start. However, about two weeks after seeding, the field received around five inches of rain over two days. About a week afterwards, I went out to check on John’s canola and I was aghast at what I saw.

The field could only be described as a big mess. Very few plants had emerged, with only two plants per square foot on average. Of those plants that had emerged, many of them had turned yellow or purple on account of the saturated soils. The crop was also full of weeds with Canada thistle taking over the field. We were now into the latter half of June and the field was still sopping wet, meaning it was too late the try seeding another crop. So now the big question was: what could we do to not only salvage John’s canola field but also make the crop profitable? If you think you know the answer, send it in to Grainews, Box 9800, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 3K7; email leeann.minogue@fbcpublishing.com or fax 204-944-5416 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. † Steve Leavitt is an area marketing representative with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Stirling, Alta.

Casebook winner T h i s i s s u e ’s C a s e b o o k winner is Dustin Kuntz, who farms near White City, Saskatchewan. Dustin, we’re renewing your Grainews subscription for a year and sending you a Grainews cap. Thanks for reading and thanks for entering! † Leeann Minogue

The canola field could only be described as a big mess. Few plants emerged, many of the plants that did emerge were yellow or purple, and the field was full of weeds.

Crop advisor’s solution

Blame carryover for yellowing peas By Naomi Darragh

cottie grows 2,500 acres of canola, wheat and peas at his farm north of Provost, Alta. About a week after spraying his pea crop, he called me to say there was a problem in the field. There were numerous patches containing thin stands of stunted, yellowing plants, and Scottie thought the Odyssey herbicide he’d just applied might be behind it. Scottie asked me to come out to the farm to see for myself. The patches of yellowing plants in the problem pea field were clearly evident but I couldn’t detect any discernable pattern. The patches were on hilltops as well as the sides of hills and in low spots. When I came back a few days later to have a second look, the symptoms were even more obvious, with the yellowing pea plants much smaller than those in the unaffected areas.

It didn’t appear be to a fertility problem since I could see some of the granular fertilizer left in the seed rows, which indicated there was sufficient nutrient still being released for the plants and nodulation indicated that nitrogen deficiency likely wasn’t an issue. An examination of some plant roots showed that nodulation was occurring even on affected plants. Scottie told me he had cleaned the tank out properly before applying the Odyssey herbicide on his pea field, but just to be sure I checked the sprayer tracks and outside rounds to see if there was possibly some residue from previous products used in the sprayer that may have caused the problem. While doing this I noticed there was one area that appeared to be a sprayer miss where plants were unaffected, but it didn’t correspond with any of the sprayer tracks in the field. This led to me suspect the sprayer

miss pattern could be related to a herbicide application from the previous year. I thought the residual effects from applying a product such as Everest, which under certain conditions can be detrimental to peas seeded the following season, could be responsible for the Scottie’s ailing pea plants. I asked Scottie about this, and sure enough he had applied Everest to the field the previous year, confirming herbicide carryover as the culprit. The area had experienced some drier than normal conditions recently and this field was known to have lower organic matter content. I had determined that the soil in the problem patches contained more clay than that in the unaffected areas, which amplified the problem in those parts of the field. In looking closer it was apparent that the pH of the soil in the affected areas was higher than in the rest of the field.

For all the reasons listed above we are careful when advising our customers regarding residual products such as Everest. It is necessary to be cognizant of the recropping restrictions listed on the product label and follow recommended guidelines. Accurate record keeping can eliminate the risk of these situations in the initial plan stage. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to be done to salvage the peas in the affected areas, which didn’t produce much and resulted in a lower yield overall for the field. For Scottie, the lesson going forward was to always check what was sprayed the previous year when preparing crop plans and to mark fields that were sprayed with products with the potential for residual on the current year’s crop. † Naomi Darragh is a sales agronomist with Richardson Pioneer Ltd. at Provost, Alta.

T:11” S:10.25”

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OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Seed varieties

Xtend soybeans nearing market release Growers can order these now, and keep their discounts if Monsanto’s plans fall through By Julienne Isaacs

onsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans will be available to order in Canada this fall, though approval for the dicamba and glyphosate tolerance trait is still pending from the European Union and China. The product will be released in the United States and Canada only after full approval is achieved from key soybean importing nations. “We received positive scientific approval from the European Food Safety Authority, so we expect that will happen before the end of the year,” says Bill Sherk, crop protection business lead for Monsanto Canada. “We’ve been working with those regulatory bodies and answering questions and things are moving through the processes.” A Monsanto spokesperson said in September that RR2Y Xtend Soybean seed will be available for pre-order this fall. If commercialization is not yet in place by 2016, growers can purchase a replacement RR2Y variety at their original discounts. China’s regulator y system presents a challenge for approval, says Sherk. “China is unique because the crop has to be first planted and grown in China (before approval is granted). Their regulatory bodies do the planting at specific geographies approved for that crop. So that will always present a delay after Canadian registration.” Sherk says there are 10 or 12 events from various countries and companies that are currently awaiting regulatory approval from China. “It’s really part of the regulatory process. They’ve had a new government come into play and they’re just revising how they operate,” he says.

tilize when it combines with free hydrogen ions. Roundup Xtend with VaporGrip Technology, which is awaiting regulatory approval under Canada’s Pest Control Products Act, is a glyphosate (Group 9) and dicamba (Group 4) pre-mix product with low volatility properties that is intended to provide growers with an additional broad-spectrum weed control option. The Xtend cropping system combines tolerance to dicamba (which controls broad-leafed weeds) and glyphosate. The dual modes of action are designed to slow the development of resistance in invasive weeds. “When you combine two modes of action you get a fairly robust

herbicide package that should be durable and last for a number of years,” says Sherk.

Dicamba has a residual action However, Monsanto is encouraging farmers to use an additional mode of action when possible. “Where you have a glyphosate tolerant weed, you’re down to the dicamba. In the west, that’s kochia, and it’s fleabane in the east,” Sherk says.

“We’d recommend another herbicide in addition to the dicamba to stop the spread of glyphosate resistant weeds. There are a number of products we would recommend — BASF Canada’s Heat, Authority from FMC. It really depends on the geography and the weeds.” Sherk says field trials have shown the new cropping system to be highly effective in Western Canada. “On average, we’ve seen a two-bushel yield increase due to killing weeds earlier,” he says. “And dicamba has a residual action — two weeks after the day you spray.” Sherk has a word of advice for growers looking to use the RR2 Soybean Xtend cropping system

near other fields. “If farmers are growing Xtend on one field and RR2Y on the adjacent field, the Xtend could damage the RR2Y soybeans. So farmers will have to be careful they don’t hang their boom over neighbouring fields,” he says. “Make sure the spray application goes where you intend it to go.” Monsanto is recommending specific nozzle sizes to eliminate small droplets that could drift, and recommending certain boom heights and boom speeds to make sure the product goes where it is intended to go. “Follow the label,” says Sherk. † Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and editor. Contact her at julienne. isaacs@gmail.com.

Want a positive reaction from your peas and lentils? it’s all in the delivery.

Combined modes of action RR2Y Xtend Soybeans are being marketed as part of a complete “cropping system” that is intended to offer increased yields and improved weed control. Monsanto’s XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology is a dicamba straight-goods with low volatility properties. VaporGrip Technology, according to Monsanto’s Xtend product specifications, is a component of Monsanto’s dicamba formulations, and is designed to prevent the formation of dicamba acid in solution, which can volaBy jonny hawkins

Country Chuckles Nothing gets peas and lentils off to a better start than Nodulator® XL solid core granule inoculant. Thanks to an advanced, more uniformly sized clay granule that’s exclusive to BASF, it delivers higher application accuracy for precision placement in furrow. The result is better nodulation. And with a more active strain of nitrogen-fixing rhizobium, you can look forward to a great finish too – up to 8% more yield*. For details, visit agsolutions.ca/nodulatorxl or contact agsolutions® Customer Care at 1-877-371-BASF (2273).

*Source: Independently generated field data from 87 station years (peas) and 84 station years (lentils). (n sites x n years).

always read and follow label directions. agsolutions, and NODULATOR are registered trade-marks of BASF Corporation; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. © 2015 BASF Canada Inc. “Craving cream cheese.”

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Publication: Grain News

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Features

Seed varieties

New soybean varieties for 2016 There will be nine new Roundup Ready soybean varieties on the market next spring By Leeann Minogue

Pride Seeds

ll but one of the nine new soybean varieties hitting the market for the first time in 2016 have one thing in common: their genes. Eight of the new varieties use the Roundup Ready 2 gene.

PS 0088 R2 New introductory high-yielding Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield variety ideally suited for 2100 to 2500 CHU. Excellent standability and disease tolerance. Features very good plant height and branching aspect. Features Rps 1c phytopthora root rot tolerance. Very bushy plant type with aggressive early season vigor. Good IDC tolerance. Registration is pending.

Brett Young Notus R2 Notus R2 is a new early-maturing soybean from Elite. At 2300 CHU it fits well into the earlier maturity soybean production areas. It is a semi-bushy plant, adapted to solid and row seeding. Notus R2 is a solid yielder, tolerant to IDC, white mould and phytophtora. Akras R2 Akras R2 is an outstanding new soybean variety with an exceptional combination of yield, maturity and pod height. At 2375 CHU it is early enough for all current soybean production areas. The high podding height makes it the choice for anyone with harvest concerns. It has had superior yield performance in the last three years of trialing, often outperforming later maturing varieties. Akras R2 is tolerant to IDC, white mold and phytophtora.

Top: Like the soybeans in this photo, most of the new varieties hitting the market for 2015 have the RR2 gene. Left: Rod Gendzelevich, president of Quarry Seed demonstrated their new for 2016 variety, TH 35002R2Y. This plot was grown in southeast Saskatchewan, by Brad Eggum.

Monsanto / DEKALB 24-12RY 24-12RY is well suited to all row widths and soil types. This is a Genuity Roundup Ready 2 variety. Registration is pending.

photos: leeann minogue

25-11RY 25-11RY is best suited for heavier soils, fits well in no-till systems. This is a Genuity Roundup Ready 2 variety. Registration is pending.

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P006T78 This new RR1 soybean is rated at 2,425 CHU with relative maturity 006. It has very good emergence, excellent harvest standability, good white mould tolerance, and built in phytophthora resistance.

Quarry Seeds TH 35002R2Y Maturity: RM 0.02, 2375 CHU. Medium height, semi-bush. Excellent spring vigor, great standability and the earliest Thunder Soybean variety on the market. This variety is extremely adaptable for all of Western Canada but we focus on northern and western Man. and all of Sask. TH 36007R2Y Maturity: RM 0.07, 2500 CHU. Tall, semi-bush. The TH 36007R2Y is a full season soybean variety meant for southern Man. It has a superior disease package especially for white mold tolerance and phytophthora root rot tolerance. It is a very aggressive semi bush plant with the capability to fill a 30-inch row with ease. One of the highest yielding varieties available for Manitoba.

Syngenta S0009-M2 S0009-M2 is the first triple zero (000) maturity group soybean variety from Syngenta. S0009-M2 is a high-yielding, Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield variety with a 2275 CHU rating. S0009-M2 offers a very good disease package that includes the Rps6 gene for Phytophthora root rot field tolerance, as well as very good white mould and iron deficiency chlorosis tolerance. For more information visit SyngentaFarm.ca. † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

Soybeans on display Dave Kloppenburg, row manager with DuPont Crop Protection explained the basics of growing soybeans in Western Canada to visitors at Ag In Motion, the outdoor farm show near Saskatoon last July. While soybeans are a staple in Manitoba and becoming common in southeast Saskatchewan, there are still not a lot of varietal options for growers in regions with fewer Corn Heat Units. photo: leeann minogue

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Tip of the issue

Four ways to get ready for corn Get prepared now if you’re thinking of growing corn for the first time next spring By Debbie Stiles

units are calculated based on a formula of max and min temps over time. When do you receive your first killing frost? How much rainfall does your area typically receive? Most producers track these patterns, and they’ll need to consult typical dates to determine opportunities for grain corn in the area.

hile it’s true some earlyadopters have been growing corn in Western Canada for upwards of 25 years, it’s a new crop for many. And with new corn hybrids now available to suit Western Canada’s unique short-season needs, many more growers are expected to jump on the corn bandwagon in the coming years. Corn has much to offer producers as a profitable, high-value crop. But before you plant next spring, here are some key factors to work into your business plan.

2. Know the crop and its end use Growers need to determine whether they’ll grow silage, grazing or grain corn. It is recommended to choose a hybrid that is best suited to your specific needs. If you would like to produce both silage and grain corn, you will need different hybrids that are adapted to these uses. Silage corn is best known to Western Canada because it provides a valuable source of feed for beef and dairy producers.

1. Know your farm When are you generally able to get into the field? How much heat or “corn heat units” is normal for your area? Corn heat

Harvesting silage corn is reasonably easy too because most producers only require a different header on forage harvesters they already own. Grain corn requires investment up front, for planters and harvesting equipment. Corn dryers or access to corn dryers is also recommended. Given the new ultra-early maturity hybrids now available in Western Canada, grain corn is a profitable choice.

3. Research your tools before you start First-time corn growers should be aware that corn is best planted with a corn planter — not an air seeder. And, they’ll need to learn about what weed control products are available to them. Weed control varies by province, soil type and land type. Corn does not like early weed competition.

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Growers who enter the corn marketplace with a good awareness of what weeds they typically expect from their fields, and what products they have access to for treating them will undoubtedly fare better in this new, exciting market for Western Canada.

4. Lastly, land prep Growers will want to have their soil tested to ensure optimal corn fertility conditions. Corn also prefers warmer soils so tillage of some sort is ideal to allow the soil to warm faster. It is best to plant corn when the soil is at least 10 C. For answers to questions about growing corn in your area, contact your local seed representative. † Debbie Stiles is DuPont Pioneer’s marketing manager for Western Canada.

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JumpStart® delivers enhanced phosphate availability for increased root growth and a larger leaf area. For a canola crop you can be proud of, order your seed pre-treated with JumpStart inoculant. In 163 farmer-conducted trials, canola treated with JumpStart showed an average 6% increased yield over untreated canola**. Quicker start, stronger finish. Don’t wait, order your seed pre-treated with JumpStart today. Nature. It’s powerful technology.

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*For pre-treated seed only. Based on the 2016 published SRP of $49.50 for JumpStart inoculant in a pre-treated bag of canola. 1 bag canola = 10 acres. **163 independent large-plot trials in Canada between 1994 and 2013. Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible. JumpStart ® and Monsanto BioAg and Design™ are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Monsanto Canada Inc, licensee. © 2015 Monsanto Canada Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. 1403-1 09.15

For more information, visit useJumpStart.ca

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Features

Seed varieties

New cereal varieties ready for 2016 Put these seven new cereal varieties into your list of possibilities for next spring’s planting By Leeann Minogue

here are seven new cereal varieties on the market for 2016, in addition to all the high-performing varieties that we’ve seen in the past few years. Farmers in durum growing areas may be interested in Secan’s new AAC Marchwell VB, the first midge tolerant durum.

FP Genetics Elgin ND Elgin ND was developed by North Dakota State University and will be eligible for the new milling class of wheat. Elgin ND is a high-yielding wheat that yields similar to Faller and yielded 102 to 105 per cent of the CPS checks in registration trials. Elgin also has excellent gluten strength and, on average, protein content about one per cent higher than other varieties. Final ratings for diseases will be available after evaluation, in March 2016. Elgin ND is best adapted for Zone 1 and 2 (Manitoba and Eastern Saskatchewan).

Mastin Seeds Go Early Go Early is a Hard Red Spring wheat initially introduced as PT769. Go Early is bred from CDC Go and has similar large kernel size, but five per cent higher yield, better disease resistance and matures two days earlier.

Secan AAC Penhold AAC Penhold is a CPS Red with exceptionally short, strong straw and an MR rating to FHB. Wheat producers in Alberta have been waiting for a replacement for AC Foremost for many years — this looks like the one. The straw strength allows it to be grown under very high production conditions; in the heavy growing conditions of southern Manitoba it was literally the only wheat standing in some areas. The MR rating to FHB and straw strength will allow CPS Red to be grown in areas where CPS has not traditionally been grown. AAC Foray VB AAC Foray VB, a CPS Red, offers midge tolerance and very high yield. It was the No. 1 yielding CPS wheat after three years in the co-op trials. It has an intermediate rating to FHB which gives it a bit of protection; the refuge variety is AAC Penhold that gives it extra straw strength. AAC Marchwell VB AAC Marchwell VB is the first midget-tolerant durum. It has agronomics and quality similar to AC Strongfield but with the added benefit of midge tolerance. The refuge variety will be AAC Raymore that could provide some sawfly protection because of a solid stem.

photo: courtesy mastin seeds

Go Early is a new hard red spring wheat bred from CDC Go.

A new way to the fields For 2016, Syngenta Canada has changed the way it takes its cereal genetics to farmers. A number of western Canadian seed growers and other channel and retail partners will become Syngenta Seed Associates — producing, marketing and selling Syngenta varieties to farm customers. “The goal of this new model is to allow our grower customers to have better access to Syngenta cereal genetics,” explains Shaun Vey, cereals seed product lead. “Our focused breeding efforts in Canada have allowed our pipeline to continue to expand

which will allow us to launch a number of new lines with our seed associates in the next few years. Syngenta remains committed to advancing technology in cereals well into the future with a focus on disease control, standability, harvestablity and increasing yields.” The 2016 Syngenta cereal seed portfolio includes: two CWRS varieties, WR859 CL and SY433, one CPSR variety, SY985, one CWAD variety in CDC Desire durum and one two-Row Malt Barley variety, AAC Synergy. † Leeann Minogue

SeedNet Inc. AAC Chiffon Soft Wheat New high-yielding, soft wheat (outyielding AC Andrew and AC Sadash on irrigation and dryland in Co-op Registration Trials). Medium-tall stature with good straw strength, good shattering resistance, and a high kernel weight. It is well adapted to soft wheat growing areas of the western Prairies. Available through SeedNet members and dealers. Guttino Hybrid Rye Extremely high yielding, winter hardy, fall hybrid rye variety that is widely adapted to Western Canada. It’s expected end use will be for baking and distilling, feed grain, conserved forage, grazing and potentially for ethanol and fibre production. Guttino had the highest falling number of all the lines in Co-op Trials. † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

photo: leeann minogue

There are five new cereal varieties on the market for 2016, in addition to all the high-performing varieties that have come to market in the past few years.

Brasetto and Bono FP Genetics had a successful test market for its new hybrid rye product, Brasetto, in 2015. FP Genetics reported that yields in the 80 to 90 bushel per acre range were quite common, and that yields across Canada were 20 to 30 per cent higher than conventional rye in a wide range of growing conditions. Rod Merryweather of FP Genetics also says that Brasetto consistently delivered superior milling yield and higher falling numbers. For 2015, demand for this hybrid rye exceeded supply. FP Genetic’s partners Paterson Global Foods, Scoular Grain and NAFI contracted all the available seed. FP Genetics expects significant growth in the future. This year, FP Genetics is doing trials with a new rye hybrid, Bono. To date, PF Genetics reports that Bono yields 9.5 per cent higher than Brasetto, and expects that Bono “will make 100+ bushel yields with a cereal crop a common occurrence for our farm customers.” FP Genetics has started research to determine the best agronomic practices for commercial hybrid rye growers. †

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Coming soon from Canterra This list of new Canterra varieties will be available to pedigreed seed growers in 2016. Watch for commercial availability in the years to come. Canmore is a new two-row general purpose barley developed by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Canmore yields 117 per cent of AC Metcalfe and 102 per cent of Xena. It has improved lodging scores, heavier test weight and higher percentage plump seeds than the check varieties. Canmore has an I-rating to fusarium head blight. Canmore will be useful in the feed

market, as well as the developing Shochu (distilled beverage) market in Asia. AAC Connery is a new awnless, semidwarf CWRS wheat from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current that combines short stature, early maturity and high yield. It yielded 107 per cent of check varieties in co-op registration trials and has very large seed with heavier TKW. AAC Connery has an MR-rating to fusarium head blight and leaf rust. It also has an R-rating to stem rust and stripe rust. AAC W1876 CWRS wheat has similar

yield to the check varieties but shows higher protein and improved gluten functionality, making this variety very desirable for production of high-quality baked goods. AAC W1876 has an I-rating to fusarium head blight and stripe rust, an MR-rating to stem rust and an R-rating to leaf rust. AAC W1876 will only be available through the Warburton contracting program. Thorsby is a new CWRS wheat developed by the University of Alberta. Thorsby yields 106 per cent of Carberry or Harvest with slightly higher protein. The breeder has introduced genes from an international germplasm collection to provide improved resistance to stripe rust and leaf

rust. Thorsby has an I-rating to fusarium head blight. CS Camden is a new milling oat from Lantmannen SW Seed. This variety is very high yielding (five per cent higher than Summit), with shorter height and earlier maturity than most other varieties. It has higher percentage plump seed and higher levels of beta-glucan soluble fibre. CS Camden has an MS-rating to crown rust. CDC Calvi is a new canaryseed variety from the Crop Development Centre. It is a glabrous (itchless) variety that has significant yield improvement over previous varieties. Yield in registration trials was 127 per cent of CDC Maria. † Leeann Minogue

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

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Features

Farm management

McDonald’s touts profitable sustainability A chain restaurant rep says McDonald’s is committed to Canadian ag’s long-term success By Julienne Isaacs

“

ustainable agriculture must be pre-competitive.” This phrase was repeated several times by Jeffrey FitzpatrickStilwell, McDonald’s Canada’s senior manager for sustainability, during a seminar at the University of Manitoba on September 28. F i t z p a t r i c k - S t i l w e l l ’s l e c ture, “McDonald’s Perspective on Sustainable Food Systems,” was put on by the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, and sponsored by the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment (NCLE). Canadian McDonald’s restaurants see three million customers per day at 1,400 restaurants nationally. “That’s a lot of people we can talk to about sustainability,” said Fitzpatrick-Stilwell. “One of the things we’re trying to talk to people about is our sourcing practices. All of our products are sourced from Canadian producers. That’s 67 million pounds of beef, 52 million pounds of chicken, and 143 million pounds of potatoes,” he claimed, later correcting his statement to acknowledge that McDonald’s Canada’s pork comes from the U.S. via a bulk purchasing agreement. He cited experts that say in 40 years the world will need 100 per cent more food than populations currently consume. “How are we going to sell 100 per cent more stuff than we do today, and do it sustainably? It will happen through innovation, tech, education, investment, entrepreneurship and partnership,” he said. McDonald’s and other quickservice restaurant chains have come under the microscope in recent years for their environmental policies, including issues related to animal welfare. This fall, the company announced a commitment to revert to cagefree eggs in the United States and Canada by 2025. The announcement follows a pledge from McDonald’s USA this March to eliminate use of human antibiotics in chickens by 2017. The company has begun a verified sustainable beef pilot project in Canada, committing to begin purchasing a portion of its Canadian beef supply from verified sustainable beef sources by 2016. Fitzpatrick-Stilwell says the pilot is a collaborative effort aligned with Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) principles, and includes the whole beef value chain in Canada. The goal is to establish third party verification and transition a working program to the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). “We’re not creating a standard, but helping to inform ourselves,” he said. McDonald’s website claims that the pilot’s first wave of on-site verifications began in May 2015 and verifications will carry on till March 2016. Fitzpatrick-Stilwell says being “pre-competitive” means sharing sustainability best practices with competitors. “We can’t be competing against each other on sustainability attributes. That’s not helping

anyone in the end — McDonald’s as a brand, producers or the whole value chain,” he said.

Sustainability and Millenials Sustainability requires profitability, and companies that ignore consumer demands for increased transparency and environmental best practices will lose out in the end, argued Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, highlighting what he called the “Millenial risk/opportunity.” “The dominant users of today are not the dominant spenders of tomorrow’s market,” he said, pointing out that 18- to 34-yearolds born between 1980 and 1994 will outnumber baby boomers by

22 million by 2030. This group, more than any other, is concerned with corporate social responsibility and places little trust in multinational corporations. Fitzpatrick-Stilwell pointed to Cone Communications’ 2013 Social Impact Study, which claims that “when companies support social and environmental issues.” Millennials, like the general population, respond with increased trust (91 per cent) and loyalty (89 per cent), as well as a stronger likelihood to buy those companies’ products and services (89 per cent).” But many Milennials are just as likely to take to social media channels to challenge companies they believe “aren’t living up to their promises.”

45385-2_Nexera_DPS_Profit Grows_17_125x10_GN_a1.indd 1

“The social license of agricultural producers to operate is intrinsically linked with consumer perceptions,” argued Fitzpatrick-Stilwell. “If consumers start to decide that what you do is not good, that’s when you’re at risk of losing your social license to operate. “The reality is that most Canadians do not have a direct relationship with farming or a direct experience with farming, yet they have lots of thoughts about how farming is done, with no context about how it’s done.” The only avenue to changing these perceptions is transparency, he said. McDonald’s has launched several campaigns that seek to improve transparency, including

its “Our Food. Your Questions” campaign. Even this campaign has drawn critique, however, as an attempt to make McDonald’s appear a farm-to-table company versus a factory farm-to-table multinational corporation. But for McDonald’s, “the triple bottom line is economic, environmental and ethical/social,” said Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, emphasizing producers’ profitability as a key ingredient for long-term sustainability strategies. “At McDonald’s we get very focused on this for producers — you have to be in business for us to get to the good stuff after that.” † Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and editor. Contact her at julienne. isaacs@gmail.com.

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Land management

Irrigation key to Alberta’s economy Study shows that irrigated agriculture contributes $3.6B to Alberta’s GDP By Julienne Isaacs

new study claims that irrigation agriculture is increasingly vital to Alberta’s economy, and irrigation farmers are key contributors. “The Economic Value of Irrigation in Alberta,” a study commissioned by the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association (AIPA) and funded through Growing Forward 2, claims that combined annual sales of irrigation crop and livestock products generated about $1.7 billion to the Alberta GDP annually and associated food processing another $1.7 billion. In addition, the study claims that sales of irrigation crop and

livestock products on 4.7 per cent of Alberta’s cultivated land base generated 19 per cent of the province’s total primary agricultural sales, seven times that of dryland production. The study comes at a critical moment. This August, the Alberta government declared a province-wide agricultural disaster as a result of extreme weather. The Alberta Crown Corporation has paid out more than $240 million in crop insurance claims, with that figure expected to increase into the fall. According to Ron McMullin, executive director of AIPA, the study was commissioned in 2013 in a bid to strengthen support for the province’s irrigation industry

The study, which was commissioned in 2013, analyzed 11 years of data from 2000 to 2011 within Alberta’s 13 irrigation districts, as well as private irrigation projects in the province. The study analyzed the economic effects of irrigated production, including backward and forward linkages related to that production. “When you convert all of that value, irrigation agriculture generates about $2,500 per acre per year,” says McMullin. “Each acre in an irrigated region is stimulating the economy to that degree. When you look at what the farmer puts in their pocket it is 10 per cent of that. The rest goes into the community and the province.”

and justify provincial funds used for irrigation. Alberta’s irrigation industry is funded through a cost-sharing program whereby the province contributes 75 per cent to the irrigation rehabilitation program, with district (or farmer) funds supplying the remaining 25 per cent. This fiscal year, the total amount is $19 million. Moneys are used for maintenance and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure, as well as implementation of efficiency measures. “The result is that we have much more efficient water use. We don’t divert as much but we irrigate more land. So it’s vital for us to maintain that funding,” says McMullin.

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Drought years will increase Dr. Suren Kulshreshtha, professor in the department of bioresource policy, business and economics at the University of Saskatchewan, and a co-author of the report, says studies are showing that over the next 100 years Alberta will see periods of heavy precipitation interspersed with periods of extended drought. “The future will provide opportunities and challenges for Alberta’s irrigation industry. Increased frequency, duration, and intensity of droughts may occur as a result of climate change,” the study concludes. “Longterm water and drought management strategies will allow irrigation districts to better optimize water supply and irrigation production during prolonged droughts.” Kulshreshtha says a key question is how to allocate water each year without compromising water availability over the coming years. “How do you allocate water for the year without concern for the next year’s conditions — what might be happening in future years — so we don’t suffer under drought conditions?” According to Kulshreshtha, the solution involves increasing existing capacity through efficiency measures, and potentially adding capacity with additional reservoirs. “For drought planning (a new reservoir) would be very desirable,” he says. “Fighting a one- or two-year drought is doable with the existing irrigation system, but some of the irrigation systems couldn’t manage a three-year drought,” he says. McMullin says storage is complex in Alberta and the possibility of a new reservoir should be kept on the table. But he says more investment is needed in existing irrigation rehabilitation. “We would like to see the dollar value of that irrigation rehab go up — it was 24 million for many years, with one year of 31 or 32 million. Now it is at 19 million. If that figure were increased we could be even more efficient.” There is room for investment in irrigation agriculture in other areas. Private investment in genetics makes a major difference in building the province’s economy, he says. “Food processing is a significant part of the value of irrigation. Are there other food processors who can come into the area to provide jobs and expand the industry? “Because of our irrigation technology and growers, we have a high quality product that makes a high quality processing product.” Kulshreshtha emphasizes that Alberta’s irrigating producers are making a major difference to Alberta’s economy and should be celebrated. “They should be proud of being irrigators,” he says. “They’re in a better situation to fight climate change than dryland farmers. And they are providing diversification in agriculture, which is not possible in dryland. Irrigated agriculture is contributing much more than people realize.” † Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and editor. Contact her at julienne. isaacs@gmail.com.

9/29/15 10:27 AM

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Features

New crops

See if fababeans fit on your farm Greg Stamp shares his per acre costs to help you decide if fabas might work for you By Greg Stamp

s you crunch the numbers on the net returns on each of your crops brought to your farm this season take a look at the benefits of growing fababeans on your farm. For the past 10 years we have been growing fababeans on irrigation in Southern Alberta and have found them to be an asset to our rotation and crop diversity. We have also grown fababeans on dry land but they are more of a medium to high rainfall crop or suitable for an area with soils that have good water holding capacity. The main fababean variety we grow is called FB 9-4. The buyer is AGT Foods, who exports them. FB 9-4 are a large seeded tannin variety with excellent yield potential and good disease package. Yields can range between the 70 to100 bushels per acre on irrigation which is similar to spring wheat yields in our area. No nitrogen is required, but inoculant and 11-52 fertilizer is used in the seed row. Fababeans can be seeded early, as they are frost tolerant early in the season — we have planted as early as April 5. Weed control for fababeans is similar to peas. Fababeans can follow cereals in rotation, and sometimes canola. After fababeans we have grown cereals, canola, and flax crops. Grey mold (Botrytis) can be a disease issue for fababeans but fungicides can be used to control it.

Pea Leaf Weevils are a problem in some areas as they eat the leaves of young plants and their larvae eat the nitrogen nodules. We can use a seed treatment to control/limit this problem. Lygus bugs can be a problem mid to late in the season. They bite through the pods and leave a black spot on the seed. An insecticide may be used to control lygus bugs in fababeans.

The numbers I have put together some crop comparisons showing actual costs and returns of fababeans, on irrigated land, compared to other crops in the fall of 2015. When you include the value of the residual N left in the soil after a year of growing fababeans, the estimated net return shown in the chart is $542.43 for fababeans. This is 169 per cent of the estimated return for wheat ($321.81). The chart below shows southern Alberta costs with an insecticide seed treatment for Pea Leaf Weevil. Keep in mind, the insecticide seed treatment may not be needed. Without the treatment, the per acre seed treatment costs for fababeans would fall from $39.38 per acre to $21.78 per acre, increasing net returns to $560.03. The seed treatment costs for peas would also fall, in my case from $31.33 as shown in the table to $17.33 per acre. †

photos: courtesy of stamp seeds

For the past 10 years we have been growing fababeans on irrigation in southern Alberta and have found them to be an asset to our rotation and crop diversity.

Greg Stamp is a Southern Alberta farmer, seed grower, and CCA. Follow him on Twitter at @stampgreg or read more at www.stampseeds.com.

THESE ARE THE COSTS WE PENCIL IN ON OUR FARM, STAMP SEEDS Sept. 5, 2015

NITROGEN

PHOS

INOCULANT

FERTILIZER

SEED

SEED TREAT

FUNGICIDE

$540

$740

per acre

bu.

per acre

in crop

FB 9-4 Fababeans

$13.42

$5.70

$13.42

4.4

$60.50

$39.38

$18

Peas

$13.42

$7.20

$13.42

3.5

$42.00

$31.33

Winter wheat

$85.71

$28.53

$114.24

2.5

$31.88

Wheat

$73.47

$26.85

$100.32

2.5

$31.88

Barley

$61.22

$26.85

$88.07

2.5

Canola

$78.37

$26.85

$105.22

Flax

$55.10

$13.42

$68.53

VALUE

IRRIGATED YIELD

GROSS

FB 9-4 Fababeans

$8.50

$680

$505.70

157%

Peas

$9.50

$665

$510.75

105

$630

$410.13

Winter wheat

INSECTICIDE

*may not be needed

TRUCKING

per acre

per acre $0

$174.30

$15

$35

$17.25

$154.25

$7.50

$15

$25

$26.25

$219.87

$7.50

$15

$25

$21.25

$200.94

$19.38

$6.25

$15

$25

$17.25

$170.95

$65

$20

$15

$16.25

$229.47

$25

$14

$30

$146.53

TOTAL RETURNS

% ON WHEAT’S NET

$36.73

$542.43

169%

159%

$24.49

$535.24

166%

100%

$410.13

127%

NET RETURNS % OF WHEAT’S NET RESIDUAL N

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TOTAL COSTS

$35

HERBICIDE

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Seed varieties

Plant breeder’s rights info online The new CSTA database will create transparency for new variety information By Julienne Isaacs

n August, the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) launched a new web database to help everyone in the seed sector easily access information about plant breeders’ rights protection for new crop varieties. The database is a joint initiative of CSTA, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Variety Registration Office (VRO) and the Plant Breeders Rights Office (PBRO). It will combine data from the Database of Varieties Registered in Canada (accessed from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website) and the PBRO in one location. The database will include information on agricultural varieties, versus horticultural or ornamental varieties.

the Agricultural Growth Act, which became law on February 27. This Act included a significant update to Canada’s Plant Breeders Rights Act (PBRA). As part of the new PBRA, Canada subscribes to the newest convention of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, UPOV 91. Since the Act became law, the number of new applications for agricultural crops has significantly increased, says Crosby Devitt, executive director of CSTA. “Just prior to the introduction of the Bill, the PBRO received approximately 80 new agricultural varieties per year,” says Devitt. “This past year, as the leg-

islation moved through the last stages of Parliament and came into force, the PBRO received applications for 148 new agriculture varieties. This trend is only expected to continue.”

“It came together out of necessity” Devitt says the new PBR legislation has brought opportunities for investment and new varieties for producers. “However, with opportunity

comes obligation,” he says. “We wanted to make sure that timely and important information is available to CSTA members, farmers, and everyone across the value chain.” CSTA has been leading an outreach campaign to update stakeholders on the changes to Plant Breeders’ Rights in Canada. “We have been working with the Partners in Innovation, a group of 20 diverse farm organizations and value chain groups from across Canada, our members, and other partners to get the word out as widely as possible,” says Devitt. Parker says Canada’s adoption of UPOV ’91 makes it especially key for stakeholders to have

Brought in by demand The new database was developed this spring as a response to requests from seed sector stakeholders — seed growers, producers, grain handlers and retailers, seed treaters and cleaners — for easier access to variety registration and plant breeders’ rights information on crop varieties. “It came together out of necessity,” says Anthony Parker, commissioner of the PBRO. “Those in the value chain wanted information about the status of varieties. CSTA offered to take a monthly data dump from the PBRO. They synthesized that information and created an easy tool for those interested in varieties that have variety registration and also those that have PBR protection.” Previously, users had to separately search the PBRO and VRO websites for relevant information about varieties. Now, users will be able to search the new database by crop kind, variety name, and the type of PBR protection. “All the information that we provide is publically available on both websites — the PBRO and the VRO — but CSTA has packed it into an easier format,” says Parker.

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easy access to information about their rights and obligations. “Varieties that were granted protection until UPOV ’78 continue to live out that law until they have expired or been surrendered. Everything that was pending in the system will be under UPOV ’91.” In the database, the type of PBR protection for each variety is indicated by the certification marks “UPOV 1978” or “UPOV 1991.” Devitt urges anyone interested in the system to visit the database at http:// cdnseed.org/library/crop-kindsdatabase/. Julienne Isaacs is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer and editor. Contact her at julienne. isaacs@gmail.com.

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Features

Farm management

Six tips for hiring and keeping employees Thinking of hiring more staff to make next season run more smoothly? Try these hiring tips By Michael Flood

ne of the advantages of family farming (and family-owned businesses in general) is working with people who naturally love and trust each other. While there are common frictions and unique difficulties in working with family, it is usually more fulfilling than working with the relative strangers. Unfortunately, as farms get larger and tasks get more specialized, many farmers have found that their family members don’t have the skills needed to get important jobs done effectively. Worse, not every child wants to stay on the farm as they grow up, and this can

lead to a manpower shortage just when an operation may be becoming quite profitable. Eventually, a farmer realizes that they need a combine operator, accountant, manager, or some other specialized position, and that they have to fill it from outside the family. The very closeness of family and lack of formal management structures can make this difficult. For some farmers the first nonfamily member hired is the first time they’ve ever had to think just as a manager. We’re not talking about hiring unskilled field hands to help gather fodder or other basic tasks — we’re talking about hiring someone with skills to fill an important, business critical posi-

tion. With that in mind, we have assembled some tips to make the hiring process easier.

1. Define the position Every farmer is used to being a jack-of-all-trades: being their own mechanic, botanist, salesman, and vet. They’re used to developing a range of skills and expect it from their children who work with them as well. Employing an outsider, however, requires carefully defining the roles, skills, and responsibilities of a position. These are how both you and your employee will judge their performance. For example, say you needed a manager to handle selling your

jams, jellies, and other preserves to supermarkets. You’d need someone with previous experience in sales, knowledge of the retail food industry, and skills working with canning and bottling machinery.

2. Set a reasonable salary and benefits To attract an employee you’ll need to offer a salary that makes it worth their while to work for you. Statistics Canada’s website can give you a range of average salaries for a wide range of jobs which will help you set a price that will work for you economically and still be attractive. Be sure to compare to wages in your local area for similar jobs because you’ll need to be a bit

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competitive to attract good people who have other options.

3. Advertise the position As with many things these days the internet is your best and lowest priced option. Sites like Craigslist and Kijiji offer free job posting boards. If you want to shorten the search you can also post jobs with headhunting agencies that find employees. They’ll ask for a premium when you hire one of their candidates but they can be worth it because they’ll handle most of the job search for you and bring you qualified people.

4. Establish performance reviews Once you’ve hired your new employee you’ll need to set up some measures to judge their performance. You don’t want to be dismissing someone after six months just because you “think they aren’t working out.” You’ll want a business case to justify letting them go and hiring someone else. For a salesman you would set sales targets and check whether they were achieving them; for a combine harvester driver you’d want to check that they’re keeping the combine in good repair and that they are an efficient operator who gets the job done in a reasonable amount of time.

5. Don’t expect them to do everything One of the keys to keeping employees is not just salary, it’s respect. As noted in No. 1, while you may be used to doing everything on your farm a salaried employee expects to be judged by their performance in one set of tasks. If you hire a combine driver and then start asking them to handle sales, they’re going to start asking for more money or leave. If you’re a small operation where everyone needs to pitch in outside of their specific job role every now and then, be honest when you hire them and let them know a portion of their total hours will be free for “odd jobs” — perhaps 10 to 15 per cent.

6. Don’t play favourites Tensions between employees in a workplace are common and a headache for all managers. The headaches are even greater when one of the employees is your son or daughter and the other is a (comparative) stranger. To retain good workers you’ll need to learn to be fair, rather than automatically siding with your blood relations. This may cause tensions but you should be clear with your children that this is a business and that you all need to get along to make it succeed. While hiring employees can be difficult, the needed skills they bring to your operation can be invaluable. With patience and forethought, hiring and employing can be made that much easier, and become a regular part of your expanding operation. † Michael Flood (www.michael-flood.com) is a business writer and columnist. You can reach him at michael@michael-flood.com.

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Crop disease

Verticillium wilt found in Manitoba Be on the lookout for this canola yield-stealer at the end of the season, when the plant begins to ripen Melanie Epp

erticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium longisporum, was detected in canola in Manitoba last summer. While verticillium wilt is common in northern Europe — it’s the number one disease in oilseed crops in Sweden — this was the first case of the disease in an oilseed crop in North America.

What is verticillium wilt? Verticillium longisporum is a disease in canola that overwinters in the soil as microsclerotia. Microsclerotia are small masses of fungal cells that are hard and compact. They can survive in the soil for 10 to 15 years, but will decline over time. Once they’re stimulated by the roots of host plants, microsclerotia will germinate. The fungus then infects the plant via its root system. As the plant matures, the fungus spreads upwards through the xylem tissue.

What are the symptoms? Symptoms of verticillium wilt in canola usually appear at the end of the season just when the plant begins to ripen. Although it will still appear green, once infected, the stem of the plant will have a vertical yellow or brown band extending up its side. As the plant continues to mature, it will be possible to peel back the stem’s epidermis, revealing black microsclerotia below the surface. The microsclerotia appear as black pepper-like spots, visible with the naked eye. When examined under a microscope, the same microsclerotia will also be visible in the inner pith tissue.

Should canola growers be worried? Michael Harding, plant pathologist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development says verticillium wilt presents a significant threat to canola production on the Prairies. “The disease is very difficult to manage because there are no resistant varieties,” Harding says, “and it survives in soil for long periods of time.” Because infected soil can travel, it’s difficult to predict how far or fast the disease will move. “From what we know so far, it’s very localized in distribution,” says Harding. “If it is contained at its current location, it may never make its way west. However, we just don’t know how far or how fast it will move.” “However,” adds Ralph Lange of Alberta Innovates, “dispersal should be slower than an air or seed-borne disease, say more like clubroot than fusarium.”

What can growers do? Scouting is important when it comes to managing for verticillium wilt. The best time to scout in canola is at swathing, although the disease can be identified in the field where it will continue to develop after harvest as well. There are no foliar or seed treatment fungicides available to growers to control verticillium wilt. This

makes management all the more important. Harding recommends that growers avoid long rotations of susceptible crops, no more than three years. This will allow the pathogen to naturally decline in the field. Strict sanitization of tools and equipment is also recommended, as are enhanced biosecurity measures, including controlling offfarm traffic, monitoring seed, farm and fertilizer sources and developing an on-farm biosecurity plan. To learn more about verticillium wilt, check out Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development’s fact sheet on the subject. At www.gov.mb,ca, search for verticillium wilt. † Melanie Epp is a freelance farm writer based in Guelph, Ont.

photos: courtesy of holly derksen, manitoba agriculture, food and rural development

Left: Although it will still appear green, once infected, the stem of the plant will have a vertical yellow or brown band extending up its side. Top Right: As the plant continues to mature, it will be possible to peel back the stem’s epidermis, revealing black microsclerotia below the surface.

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Features

Weed management

Resistance rampant in Australian In Australia, herbicide resistance is an industry-wide problem that needs local solutions By Lisa Guenther

estern Australia’s farmers are fighting herbicide resistant weeds by doing everything from burning windrows to using chaff carts. But what works in one state doesn’t necessarily translate to another. In the state of Victoria, the longer growing season means much of the annual ryegrass has fallen into the base of the crop by harvest, says Jon Midwood, CEO of Southern Farming Systems. “So it doesn’t really matter what you have behind the header (combine). If you can’t capture it up the front, you get no control.” Southern Farming Systems is a non-profit research group in Australia’s high rainfall zone. Its researchers are looking at how harvest weed seed destruction might work in Victoria. They’ll study variables such as cutting height and crop type — for example, looking at whether weed seed destruction works better in barley because it ripens earlier, Midwood explains. Southern Farming Systems, it turns out, is one spoke in a national research hub that’s tracking the spread of resistant weeds and finding ways to manage them.

Weed surveys Right now, the University of Western Australia surveys resistant weeds annually. And the

photos: lisa guenther

Research plots at Southern Farming System’s Inverleigh location. University of Adelaide also surveys herbicide resistant weeds. “You can go online any hour of the day and find out how many paddocks (have) resistance around Australia,” says Lloyd O’Connell, who edits several farm magazines in Australia, including Australian Grain. Those weed surveys have “enormous value,” says Brad Collis, editor of Ground Cover, a magazine published by Australia’s Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). The surveys show herbicide resistance is an industry-wide problem, rather than singling out any one farmer, he adds. And the surveys allow

farmers to draw on each other’s experiences, he says, as they can see when other regions have dealt with resistance to a specific herbicide years ago. Ultimately, the surveys’ value can be summed up in that old saying: “You’ve got to know the problem before you can solve it,” says O’Connell.

Big picture, local solutions The GRDC collects a compulsory levy from every tonne of grain sold, Collis explains. That levy, along with government money, make up the bulk of

Jon Midwood, CEO of Southern Farming Systems, talks herbicide resistance and research. GRDC’s funding. The organization also collaborates with multinationals, Collis adds. The GRDC then invests in ag research projects. This gives Australia an overarching national research structure, with very strong regional hubs, such as Southern Farming Systems, O’Connell says. It’s within the regional hubs that they’re able to identify emerging issues or research needs, he adds. A few years ago, farmers were very worried about herbicide resistance, as there were no new chemical options in the pipeline, Collis says. “But once people realized that there were options, and once the research began to articulate those options and slightly more sophisticated management practices, people picked them up fairly quickly,” he says. Back at Southern Farming System’s Inverleigh site, Midwood lists some of the options Victoria’s farmers have to manage resistance. Mixed farms can rotate really bad paddocks back into pasture, he says. They’re encouraging farmers to keep seeding rates high and to seed based on seed weight, he adds. Narrow rows encourage crop competition. Burning is a fantastic tool, he says. Farmers still have some herbicides, said Midwood. “It’s all about stacking everything up at the front end of the season because we’ve got no armory left post-emergent.” Southern Farming Systems also finds some practices that are counterproductive to herbicide resistance. For example, they’ve also done a lot of work showing improved yield and margins with earlier sowing dates, says Midwood. “But actually that’s creating issues also with the ryegrass.”

Getting the word out Researchers have also played a key role in communicating information about herbicide resistance. “I think once that information started coming through, there was acceptance that there was a pretty serious issue and it wasn’t just one particular weed developing it — that it was a range

and management practices have certainly contributed to that,” says Ben White, editor of Farming Ahead. Midwood says they focus on educating advisers and retailers because they’re the conduit to growers. GRDC’s work tends to be project-based, and there aren’t instant answers, Midwood says. But once they “get wings on stuff and stories to tell, that gets put back to growers and advisers,” he adds. Ground Cover, GRDC’s magazine, is one means of doing that. Science and on-farm practices differ significantly from one side of the country to the other, says Collis. Ground Cover provides a forum for farmers to share those experiences, he adds. Ian Paterson, editor of Rural Business, says there’s been a lot of effort to educate people about herbicide resistance over the last 10 years. Each year Rural Business runs six to eight stories on herbicide resistance, plus a special feature every September. “We get more editorial and advertising for that particular feature in September than we do in any of the other special features that we run,” he says. Troy Missen, who farms in Western Victoria, says he keeps informed through farmer groups and his agronomist. But lately he’s found Twitter useful, especially since he’s short on time. “I’ll have a quick flick and I read a lot of the GRDC stuff,” says Missen. No one seems too down-in-themouth about herbicide resistance. White says farmers are optimists by nature and will find ways to adapt different technologies or practices wherever required. Even weedy properties can be cleaned up by a good operator in two or three years, he said. Midwood moved from the United Kingdom to Australia 11 years ago. In that time, he’s seen Australian farmers pick up different cultural controls and use herbicides more effectively. Managing herbicide resistance is “an ongoing battle,” he says. “We get a few wins and we get a few losses,” he says. † Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@ fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Features

Weed management

Australians resilient to resistance After the Millennium Drought, Australian farmers handle herbicide resistance with confidence By Lisa Guenther

o understand how Australian farmers handle herbicide resistance, it’s useful to know about the Millennium Drought. The drought stretched over a decade and tested farmers’ mettle. But they emerged from those dry years with heightened confidence, says Brad Collis, editor of Ground Cover. “The industry’s come through it in very resilient frame.” Collis credits agriculture’s survival to research, and the adoption and adaptation of that research to farms. People stopped looking for silver bullets and started making incremental changes that would maximize every rain drop, he says. And there was more acknowledgment that growing a crop was now more complex. Farmers now have “a raft of expert advisors,” Collis says. The Australian ag industry has also made extraordinary gains in plant water-use efficiency, Collis adds. “It’s a revolution, really, what’s taken place.” That trial by fire has solidified farmers’ respect for science and for the grower groups that share knowledge and practices. It turns out people’s mindsets are as important as anything else when it comes to tackling herbicide resistance.

more responsive when it’s cast in those terms, he adds. Stuart McLaverty, who manages Bayer CropScience’s Broadacre, rice and seed treatment portfolio, agrees that herbicide resistance on the farm is not the mark of a bad farmer. In practice, he says it probably means a farmer has been doing many of the right things, such as minimum tillage and stubble retention. “But perhaps between you and your adviser, you’ve not been thinking about rotation of mode of action and other things,” McLaverty says. How Australian ag publications frame herbicide resistance is important, too. Ian Paterson, editor of Rural Business, says he’s used

many positive testimonials from farmers who are successfully managing resistance on their farms. But he balances positive stories with warnings from well-known researchers and farm organizations, he says. “I think if it just comes across as the government telling them, ‘This is a disaster heading your way and it’s your fault’ then I think they’ll just get their backs up and get pissed off with us,” says Paterson. The key is to show economically-viable solutions, he adds.

Herbicide resistance top of mind Farmers in western Australia went into total cropping and

total reliance on herbicides earlier than the rest of the country, Collis says. Herbicide resistance emerged there quickly. People didn’t realize what was going on immediately. But then the science explained what was happening, and farmers’ experiences verified it, he says. Other farmers had the advantage of observing the severity and cost of herbicide resistance in the west, Collis adds. The reality is that the ag industry still faces some big challenges in the herbicide resistance battle. There aren’t new modes of action in the pipeline, Paterson says. It’s difficult to bring in new products for crops that don’t have huge production, he adds. And while

everyone is looking for different ways to control weeds, they can’t do anything that would destroy the soil profile or lose subsoil moisture, he says. But keeping farmers’ attention focused on herbicide resistance isn’t an issue, says Lloyd O’Connell, editor of Australian Grain. They need to survive on small margins over big acres, he says. If they don’t do things efficiently they’re out the back door, he adds. “Financial survival is a wonderful means of keeping your focus,” says O’Connell. †

NEW

Lisa Guenther is a field editor with Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

People report it immediately No stigma Researchers have created a situation where “there is no stigma attached in having herbicide resistance in weed populations on your property,” says Collis. “So people report it immediately. And that’s really important if you’re going to get on top of this.” Collis says they’ve done this through good communication and extension work. “You might have a national research project, but when you localize the extension, it becomes more of a local community issue to address,” he says. People are By jonny hawkins

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Features

Plant management

New research shows plants talking Plant researchers are finding a surprising amount of unseen communication among plants By Dilia Narduzzi

armers know well the issues that can arise with their crops. One of the biggies is insects eating plants. What’s interesting, though, is that recently more studies are being done on how plants communicate with and to the environment around them. While research on plants has been happening for thousands of years, says Dr. James Cahill, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, it’s only in the last five to 10 years that the ways in which plants are viewed and understood have started changing. “We used to just see plants as things in the environment that we could manipulate and that stuff happened to, they were essentially fixed features. But what we realize now is that they’re active participants in what’s going on. They don’t do it with a brain, or with muscles, but they have diverse behaviours and interactions that are really fascinating. We’re still just discovering what they’re able to do.”

What do we know? So what’s currently known about how plants communicate?

photo: leeann minoque

Researchers are still learning about how plants communicate. One day, research looking at modifying plant behaviour could be used to increase crop yields or combat weed growth. Plants can communicate with several different kinds of organisms, says Cahill. “They talk to other plants, they can talk to parts of themselves, and they can talk to insects, and fungi and bacteria.” The way plant communication

looks, though, is much different than how humans communicate. While humans use body language, words, and visual cues to communicate, Cahill says plants communicate largely through chemicals they contain and sometimes emit.

Some of these chemicals stay inside the plant — and if an insect eats that plant the chemical is transferred to the insect and acts “as a deterrent” against further assault. Other chemicals, which are called volatile chemicals, are

emitted by the plant into the environment around it as a form of communication, says Cahill. A classic volatile chemical that humans smell all the time is gasoline — we smell it so we know it is there. When a plant emits a chemical signal, other organisms respond to it. A classic example, says Cahill, is when an insect attacks a plant. When this happens, sometimes a plant can “change its chemistry and send out a signal that is not necessarily sent out when an insect isn’t attacking.” What’s really interesting here is that nearby plants — if they’re able to detect the new smell — realize that “there are enemies in the area” and they can up their own defense mechanisms. Cahill says this type of plantto-plant communication is very common. Another common way that a plant can increase its defenses against whatever is eating it is to send out a chemical signal that attracts the “predators of the herbivores,” Dr. Cahill. For example, predators of the insects eating the plants can become attracted to the plants via the chemical signal, “not because they’re eat-

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Features ing the plants themselves, but because that’s where their own food is eating.” Here, then, other organisms in the environment are using the same chemical signal in different ways. The pollination process is just another form of a volatile chemical signal being emitted into the environment around it. Flowers are built to attract pollinators, says Cahill, and what’s really interesting about this process is that “once the flower gets pollinated, the smell of the flower actually changes, while other flowers will still smell the same way.” It’s a way that the plant preserves energy once it’s

already “gotten the sex benefit it needs from that insect.” In effect, “plants are able to hide the flowers that have already been pollinated, so pollinators avoid them.”

At the farm level All of these relatively recent findings about plant communication could have impacts on farmers and farming practices down the road. New research published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology found that, in communication going the other way, from insect to plant, a caterpillar that eats corn leaves has

figured out a way to get the corn to lower its defenses against its attack. Further probing along these lines, researchers think, could result in the creation of an organically-based pesticide that would help plants resist these types of attacks, as just one example of the lines along which plant research is moving. Cahill thinks the question to ask right now in terms of farming is, “What might this all mean in the agricultural system over time?” Historically, breeding programs haven’t focused on chemical signals that plants emit or use; instead, they’ve focused on

things like plant height, as just one example. But there are studies underway these days that seek to use the chemical signals of plants to increase or even just sustain yields, says Cahill. One example is researchers working with crop species to try to get them to emit the signal to attract the predators that are eating the plants. That way, rather than using more pesticides, “it could be a natural way to decrease the insect outbreaks because of the increase of good insect on those crops,” says Cahill. Other research could look at how plant signals might be used to help to decrease weeds in the field.

Overall this kind of research looks at modifying the behaviours of the plants in order to “increase yield or gain,” and that’s very possibly good news for the farm system, especially as resistance to herbicides increases, says Cahill. It’s important that farmers have a variety of choices so that every farmer can choose what would work best to manage weeds and pests in their own fields. “It’s an exciting time in plant research and it will mean change for agriculture in a positive way.” † Dilia Narduzzi is a freelance writer in Dundas, Ont.

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Features

Wheat varieties

General purpose and soft wheat

WHEAT PROFITS ON IRRIGATED LAND, DECEMBER 5, 2014 STAMP SEEDS

NITROGEN

PHOS

FERTILIZER

SEED

SEED TREAT

FUNGICIDE

HERBICIDE

TRUCKING

TOTAL COSTS

$540/ tonne

$710/tonne

per acre

bu.

per acre

GP wheat

$85.71

$28.98

$114.69

2.5

$28.75

$7.50

$16

$25

$28.75

$220.69

Discounted wheat

$73.47

$25.76

$99.23

2.5

$31.88

$7.50

$16

$25

$21.25

$220.85

#1 13.5 pro wheat

$73.47

$25.76

$99.23

2.5

$31.88

$7.50

$16

$25

$21.25

$220.85

VALUE

IRRIGATED YLD

GROSS

COSTS

NET

% RETURN

104%

GP wheat

$5.50

115

$632.50

$220.69

$411.81

Discounted wheat

$510

$200.85

$309.15

78%

#1 13.5 pro wheat

$595

$200.85

$394.15

100%

WHEAT PROFITS ON IRRIGATED LAND, AUGUST 2, 2015 STAMP SEEDS

By Greg Stamp

NITROGEN

PHOS

FERTILIZER

SEED

SEED TREAT

FUNGICIDE

HERBICIDE

TRUCKING

TOTAL COSTS

$540/ tonne

$710/tonne

per acre

bu.

per acre

Aug 2, 2015

ith price spreads between feed wheat and Hard Red Spring wheat often very narrow, it may pay to grow higher yielding wheat varieties and target the feed market. General purpose and soft wheat can yield 25 to 30 per cent more than an HRSW. We have been growing Pasteur GP wheat on both irrigation and dryland with exceptional results in both cases. Pasteur is a variety from Europe with very good quality, visually similar to a HRSW. It can be difficult to get high protein on irrigation but on dryland the protein can be high enough to ship into the U.S. spring wheat market. Soft wheat is becoming more popular for silage and feed in our area with Sadash being the main variety. A new variety called Chiffon soft wheat is now available. It would be a good fit for those looking to replace their current soft wheat variety with a higher yielding one. Chiffon would be a great fit for silage or for grain with wide leaves and large heads. The tables show my numbers for irrigated land, comparing December 2014 with August 2015 (when there was harvest selling pressure on feed wheat). Notice that the costs are higher on GP/ Soft wheat due to higher fertility and increased freight costs per acre. Discounted wheat assumes a downgrading factor. When all costs, including trucking, are included, our net return on GP wheat was 104 per cent of No. 1 wheat in early December, and 124 per cent in early August. On non-irrigated land, GP wheat sold in Canada yielded 86 per cent of No. 1 wheat in December and 107 per cent in August. † Greg Stamp is a Southern Alberta farmer. Follow him on Twitter at @stampgreg, or visit stampseeds.com.

GP wheat

$85.71

$28.98

$114.69

2.5

$28.75

$7.50

$16

$25

$28.75

$220.69

Discounted wheat

$73.47

$25.76

$99.23

2.5

$31.88

$7.50

$16

$25

$21.25

$220.85

#1 13.5 pro Wheat

$73.47

$25.76

$99.23

2.5

$31.88

$7.50

$16

$25

$21.25

$220.85

VALUE

IRRIGATED YLD

GROSS

COSTS

NET

% RETURN

GP wheat

$5.25

115

$603.75

$220.69

$383.06

124%

Discounted wheat

$5.50

$467.50

$200.85

$266.65

86%

#1 13.5 pro Wheat

$510

$200.85

$309.15

100%

WHEAT PROFITS ON DRY LAND, DECEMBER 5, 2014 STAMP SEEDS

NITROGEN

PHOS

FERTILIZER

SEED

SEED TREAT

Dec 5, 2014

$540

$710

peracre

bu.

per acre

GP wheat

$48.98

$28.98

$77.96

2.5

$28.75

$7.50

$25

$12.50

$151.71

GP wheat USA 13.5

$48.98

$28.98

$77.96

2.5

$28.75

$7.50

$25

$12.50

$151.71

Discounted wheat 13.5 wheat

$36.73

$25.76

$62.49

2.5

$31.88

$7.50

$25

$10

$136.87

#1 13.5 pro wheat

$36.73

$25.76

$62.49

2.5

$31.88

$7.50

$25

$10

$136.87

VALUE

DRYLAND YLD

GROSS

COSTS

NET

% RETURN

$5.50

$275

$151.71

$123.29

86%

$350

$151.71

$198.29

139%

Discounted wheat 13.5 wheat

$6.50

$260

$136.87

$123.13

86%

#1 13.5 pro wheat

$280

$136.87

$143.13

100%

GP wheat GP wheat USA 13.5

FUNGICIDE

HERBICIDE

TRUCKING

TOTAL COSTS

per acre

WHEAT PROFITS ON DRY LAND, AUGUST 2, 2015 STAMP SEEDS

Crop

NITROGEN

PHOS

$0.24

$0.32

FERTILIZER

SEED

SEED TREAT

FUNGICIDE

HERBICIDE

TRUCKING

TOTAL COSTS

GP wheat

$48.98

$28.98

$77.96

2.5

$28.75

$7.50

$25

$12.50

$151.71

GP wheat USA 13.5

$48.98

$28.98

$77.96

2.5

$28.75

$7.50

$25

$37.50

$176.71

Discounted wheat 13.5 wheat

$36.73

$25.76

$62.49

2.5

$31.88

$7.50

$25

$10

$136.87

#1 13.5 pro wheat

$36.73

$25.76

$62.49

2.5

$31.88

$7.50

$25

$10

$136.87

VALUE

DRYLAND YLD

GROSS

COSTS

NET

% RETURN

$5.25

$262.50

$151.71

$110.79

107%

$300

$176.71

$123.29

120%

Discounted wheat 13.5 wheat

$5.50

$220

$136.87

$83.13

81%

#1 13.5 pro wheat

$240

$136.87

$103.13

100%

GP wheat GP wheat USA 13.5

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Features

Soil management

Rethinking the natural water cycle The natural systems we rely on and think of as simple are actually very complicated By Dilia Narduzzi

roundbreaking water research out of the University of Saskatchewan has just been published in the international science journal Nature. Researchers Jaivime Evaristo and Dr. Jeffrey McDonnell of from the U. of S. and Scott Jasechko of the University of Calgary have taken a new look at the hydrological cycle, something that’s been pretty well established in science for some time. “We all learn in Grade 10 about the hydrological cycle,” McDonnell said in a telephone interview. “The idea that water evaporates from the earth’s surface, it forms clouds, the water stays in the atmosphere on average a week or so globally, and then that comes back to earth as rain or snowfall, and water then goes into the ground, or runs off into streams, and the cycle keeps going around and around.” How swiftly and intensely that cycle circulates depends on the location in the world. “If you’re in the tropics, it’s usually a very fast, intensive cycle, and then in a place like Saskatchewan, it’s a less intense cycle. Water gets locked up in snow and frozen soil, and it’s released slowly. But everywhere on earth that cycle, we thought, is one that’s ‘what goes up comes down, and what comes down ultimately leaves the system in the same way.’”

Research could rethink irrigation In that framework “when the precipitation went into the ground, we thought of it going into one big tank, reservoir or bucket.” That soil water would be water for agriculture and plants, and then what didn’t plants use would go into groundwater — streams, lakes, and the oceans.

A new view The new research, though, suggests something a little bit different happens when the water is in the soil, underground. It looks as though there is a compartmentalization of part of the hydrological cycle, where water is being split up into a couple of different pools, says McDonnell. “What we found is that some water that goes into the ground goes into one pool — that bucket of water — and that water is almost stuck in the system. “That’s the water the plants seem to be interested in using. The water that’s more mobile, and goes down and recharges groundwater gets into the stream flow, that water doesn’t seem to be connected to the water that our plants are extracting.” The findings are the first on a global scale that support the “two water world hypothesis” — the idea that there is “a plant water world and a more mobile water world for groundwater and stream flow.”

This all seems a bit mind-boggling considering that all water is H2O. But as McDonnell says, “it’s all H2O, but I can say something about what type of H and what type of O using isotope fingerprinting techniques (the chemical fingerprint of the water).” This work also seems tied to the characteristics of the soil underground, considering that the two water worlds are both under the earth in similar ways. It’s not that the water plants use is closer to the earth’s surface and that groundwater is further underground, rather the different chemical compositions of the water interact with the soil — which has particular qualities too. Some soil is “really tightly bound” and that soil seems to

be carrying the water that plants use, while soil that has “bigger pores — which might be, at the extreme, decayed root channels or an animal burrow” that’s the water that feeds into streams and the like. That water doesn’t seem interesting to plants. All of this adds up to a major rethinking of how water cycles.

Research in practice This new study could affect farmers’ watering practices down the road. “One thing that we’ve found is that crops also seem to partition their water, like we’re seeing in forests and the like,” says McDonnell. McDonnell says Chinese

researchers who have looked at the “two water world” idea in corn fields had similar findings: the corn fields were “using water tightly bound in the soil, while the water that was in the streams and in groundwater looked very different from the water the corn was using.” Because agricultural crops seem to be following the same new rules, further research could help rethink irrigation practices on farmers’ fields. “How we irrigate, the intensity, the magnitude, and how we think about irrigation water — which is kind of like rainfall” are all questions that could come up later on in research, ultimately allowing farmers to maximize irrigation.

Setting New Standards

Earth’s system is complicated. McDonnell says, “there are just so many things we don’t understand. This is a very small example of something we thought we understood, but with new techniques we’ve realized that we need to write a new chapter on the hydrological cycle.” With droughts making the news all summer long, and water crisises around the world, this new finding could really have positive implications on “the precious resource we call water,” says McDonnell. “Knowledge is power and it’s pretty tough to manage a resource if you don’t know how it works.” † Dilia Narduzzi is a freelance writer in Dundas, Ont.

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Features

Grain marketing

Your wheat, loaded up and ready Your local elevator is not the last stop on your grains’ journey to end markets

Leeann Minogue

photos: dana omland

hese photos were taken by Dana Omland, grain merchandising manager for Ceres Global Ag Corp. Omland has been part of Ceres’ trading and risk management team since May 2015, when the company opened a grain merchandising office in Guelph, Ont. Omland took these photos in September. He said, “It really was a bit of history today for this terminal. It was designed to bring western spring wheat into mill and did so for decades, but the mill is closed and we converted it into a terminal. The ability to load out wheat is new, and therefore a bit exciting and fresh.” Ceres is a Toronto-based company focused on grain storage and merchandising. Its Port Colborne terminal (owned by Ceres-owned Riverland Ag) has a capacity of 2.3 million tonnes. Here on the Prairies, Ceres has a 25 per cent interest in Stewart Southern Railway Inc., a 132 km shortline in southeast Saskatchewan, and is developing the Northgate, Sask. Commodity Logistics Centre, a $96 million grain, oil and oilfield supplies transloading site which will connect to BNSF Railway. Dana Omland grew up on a Saskatchewan farm, and is especially excited about this part of his job. “There are a couple of things I like doing more than this, and by a couple I mean roughly two. It is hard to get a sense of scale, but the boat is about a couple of football fields long (620’), and that is just a baby laker.” †

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns Off-farm income

Slowdowns predicted for the future This summer, cash was king. Now experts predict shrinking economies for the future ANDY SIRSKI

converted my portfolio to cash about August 25, mostly because I was going to be away at a wedding on the West Coast. It was easy for me to be calm when the market dropped 1,000 points on August 31. Sure, it recovered somewhat, but many stocks did not. By late September, the only stock that was above my selling price was Couche Tard (ATD.TO). I have not bought those shares back yet. I did buy 1,000 shares of

Taser (TASR) at something under $24 and sold a weekly call for September 25 for 45 cents per share. As I write, shares are around $23.35 while my paper cost is $23.45. I will let that option expire and sell another one for the next Friday and pick up another $350 to $450 for the week. If the shares did drop to say $23 per share, I might just buy another 1,000 shares. That would drop my average cost to something under $23.50 and should position me to make good money on the weekly calls.

Economists predict slowdowns Many forecasters are telling us

that economies will slow down in the months ahead. For example, for China, growth is expected to slow from 11 per cent, down to seven to three per cent. And many do not believe the statistic regardless of what it is. At this slower growth the world will use a lot less copper, coal and so on. One oil expert said that when the price of oil dropped in the fall of 2014, the price dropped through a 14-year bull market, and the price will take a long time to recover. Add in the idea that the oil industry has learned how to find oil at a lower cost and move oil for less, and there’s a good chance that, in the future, oil will be produced at lower prices. Add that to large oil inventories and it will be difficult

for prices to go up unless conditions change. I have my own growth/no growth formula. In my circle of friends six people have died in the past year and a half and there have been no babies born. Who will be buying homes and cars in 25 years? I have heard experts say that we should not expect the market to grow the next 6.5 years like we have had the past 6.5 years. Another statistic is that 75 per cent of the working public does not have enough money to retire on. This has implications. One is that some people will try to save more, which slows growth. The other is that many will have to work well into their aging years. There’s nothing wrong with that but it will keep many

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Mining stocks As with oil stocks, it’s hard to find good mining stocks. The only resource stock I own at this time is Sandstorm (SSL.TO). I sold naked puts on them to collect about 25 cents a share, got put the shares so my paper cost is around $3.75. Then I sell calls on those share a few months out to collect 30 to 40 cents several times a year. This should bring in about 60 to 80 cents a year, which is over 15 per cent annually. This is a silver streamer. If the price of silver starts going up I will sell more naked puts and collect a premium and let the shares with covered calls go. Not everyone is approved to sell naked puts and I do not sell naked puts on stocks unless I like to own them.

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younger people out of work, and restrict their ability to buy houses and newer cars. My conclusion is that people will need to develop five-legged stools, and learn how to make money with stocks. If stocks are not likely to go up or if fewer and fewer stocks will go up, this is going to be a stock picker’s market. Selling covered calls on a select group of stocks will be one way to goose returns in a portfolio.

H S TA R G E N E

During the federal election campaign, all parties tried to entice votes by saying they would invest more money in infrastructure. These investments will take some engineering expertise; two firms might qualify for bidding on contracts. One is AERON (ARE.TO). The other is WSP Global (WSP.TO), but its charts are not quite as bullish as the charts for ARE. I am planning to buy shares in ARE. It’s trading near the top of the right hand side of its cup so it might pull back a little but I think it will turn out okay. It has only monthly options and trades at $13 and change. WSP has monthly options and trades at around $46 per share. Again if the stock market is going to be flat and or volatile and sideways, picking good stocks will be more important than when a general bull market pulls or pushes up most stock. † Andy is mostly retired. He gardens, plays with grandchildren, runs a small tax business and publishes an electronic newsletter called StocksTalk where he explains what he does with his families investments. You can read it free for a month by sending and email to sirski@ mymts.net.

By jonny hawkins

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“De calf.”

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Columns hart attacks

Southern Alberta pheasants can rest easy Lee Hart is leaving his gun in the cabinet this season, but he still has all those memories By Lee Hart

his is the first October in about 40 years my phone hasn’t been ringing daily to see if I am

ready to go bird hunting. Got your gun ready? Got your shells? Got your licence? When are you coming down? (That referred to me leaving Calgary and travelling to southern Alberta).

This is upland game bird and more specifically pheasant season in Alberta. Pheasant season usually opens in mid-October and runs through until mid-November. And my long-time best friend Mike

Lamb was an avid hunter and fisherman. He wasn’t always a successful hunter, but for him it was the excitement of getting ready and just heading out to the bush or the wheat fields that seemed

to matter most. Some years we didn’t do much more than scare the birds, burn some gas, or nap in a stubble field on a warm, sunny B:17.9583”afternoon, but they were October memorable T:17.4583” days. Mike died in late S:17.0833”

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

FS:9.7125” F:10.25”

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns Mike Lamb, left, giving the author some last minute advice on the next well-planned pheasant hunting trip. photo: laura lamb

FS:6.6708” F:7.2083”

T:11.9286”

O-66-08/15-10406655-E

B:12.4286”

S:11.4286”

January so the phone has been quiet and there have been no emails to harass me to prepare for the approaching season. We started the pheasant season routine in the late 1970s. We were both working for the Lethbridge Herald newspaper in those days. Opening day we’d take at least part of the morning off work for early morning hunts along the irrigation canals around Barons and Picture Butte, just north of Lethbridge. Most of the canals had trees and shrubs growing along the banks in those days. It was excellent pheasant habitat — the canals were flanked by grain fields, there was water in the canal, and the grass and shrubs along the edge provided excellent cover for the birds. You needed a dog for pheasant hunting and Mike had Brittany spaniels for the decades that I knew him. First dog was a bright, bird-smart Brittany named Willow. Later there was Lark, then Cutter and in the last couple years Mojo and Moxie. I don’t know if it was lack of training or weaker genetics but Mojo and Moxie just didn’t seem to have the inbred pointer passion as some of their predecessors. When habitat and birds became scarce around the Lethbridge area, in later years we headed further south. We travelled as far as Manyberries in the southeast corner of the province. A couple years we just camped out in a farmer’s field and slept in the bed of my old pickup truck so we would be ready just at sun up to wade through acres of knee high rosehips in search of birds. Sometimes we’d lose the dog in the dense brush and grass. She’d find a bird, be holding it on point and we couldn’t find her. If we didn’t show, eventually she would yelp and flush the bird way ahead of us or way behind us, sometimes right in front of us. Often as not we weren’t quite ready with the guns and the bird would flutter off into the horizon, to live another day. For several years we returned to Schneyder Farms near Magrath, south of Lethbridge to hunt birds. They were big grain farmers with seemingly miles of a grassy, shrubby, meandering creek bottom that always had pockets of birds. We would wander through this shrubby grassland for two or three early morning hours, fall a lot, and shoot at a few birds before we got tired out. Later in the day we’d check the grassy coulees along the nearby Jensen Reservoir for any cocks who sought refuge in this less travelled area. Depending on the year, there were generally plenty of birds around, but in years of hard winters or a very wet spring bird populations would be down. One time near Magrath we weren’t finding many birds, so mid afternoon we took a nap in the truck before looking again in the evening. When we woke up and started moving around, wouldn’t you know it there was a cock pheasant right under the truck that spooked us as it made a hasty exit. Of course we weren’t ready with our guns, so he was another who lived another day. A few years we also hunted

in the Foremost area, then Purple Springs, and other points around Taber. The Taber-area trips were always productive one way or another. Mike was never one to pass up a deal. And there are lots of vegetable operations around Taber. At least a couple years we came across pumpkin fields still dotted with cull pumpkins. That was certainly something we couldn’t pass up — a person can never have too many misshapen pumpkins, so we picked up a few of those. On at least one trip we came across frosted but still standing sweet corn — well wouldn’t a few stalks of those add to a decorative Halloween arrangement at the front door? And a few miles down the road, who knew that so many potatoes were left behind at harvest or fell off the trucks on the way to the processing plant. We couldn’t leave potatoes to go to waste. So along with our hunting gear, one or two dogs, and food coolers we managed to jam in an assortment of abandon vegetables which to Mike was as good if not better than finding birds. One year he was excited about finding a field recently harvested of navy beans, so we spent an hour or so filling our pockets with beans that had shelled out on the ground. It was an amazing find. Too bad they didn’t sell them in neat two-pound plastic bags at the grocery store. We hunted around Patricia, Millicent and Brooks some years. One time we managed to follow the government bird truck out to a field as it was about to release hatchery birds to the wild. We gave them half an hour to take cover, but then managed to bag two or three of the dumb ones who thought hiding beside a fence post made them invisible. It didn’t. Maybe it wasn’t as exciting as flushing a bird out of rosehips or cattails, but hey, Mike and I were getting older. Why do all that tromping around when the birds were right there? They were always interesting trips and most years we got some pheasants, a few Huns, and if we bought migratory bird license we’d jump-shoot unsuspecting ducks we found on waterholes or irrigation canals. In the early years we camped quite a bit on these trips, and also stayed in colorful local lodgings such as the Southern Ranchman’s Inn in Manyberries, the Foremost Hotel before it burned, and the Patricia Hotel, with it’s cookyour-own steak pit. My 12-gauge shotgun hasn’t move this year and I doubt it will. Mike loved to hunt and more than the hunting I just loved being out there with him for the experience. Much like I feel about fishing, it’s just nice to be out, and feel the anticipation and it’s a bonus if you actually catch or shoot something. Neither Mike nor I were really fussy about cleaning fish or birds. I doubt I will be out looking for birds much more, but I will take some time to hunt through photo albums and shoeboxes to find pictures from those hunting trips over the years. Those memories will taste pretty good. † Lee Hart is a field editor for Grainews in Calgary, Contact him at 403-592-1964 or by email at lee@fbcpublishing.com.

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Columns Can’t take the farm from the boy

Pastureland gets prepped for crops With the help of a kind couple, Toban Dyck is investing in 120 acres of new-to-him land Toban Dyck

hat was at first a distant possibility, a fragile idea, discussed over scotch and left to simmer has become something much more. It’s now real. It is as real as a custom applicator killing the pasture grass. It is as real as me looking for a disk to break the ground before it freezes. It is as real as an agronomist’s report detailing soil types and potential drainage concerns. It’s happening, folks. I’m prep-

ping 120 acres of pastureland for crop production. And, right now, I have more questions than answers. I’m an introvert. I’m quick to judge, and I am often skeptical. But that all dissolved and turned to mush when he told me that after a conversation they had as a couple, they have decided to rent me the land for a few years, giving me time and the opportunity to save the money needed to purchase it. They want to help me out. They want to see me, a “young” farmer, get off the ground. I can come to this meeting armed with cost of production documents and an informal offer to purchase. I would talk about

high input costs, mediocre commodity prices, and how on an average-yielding year, I’d still have to find a few thousand dollars elsewhere to make the semiannual loan payment. It was to be a sob story for the ages. There would be tears, and hugs, and everyone would feel sorry for poor ol’ Toban. But it didn’t happen that way. It didn’t need to. Instead, two wonderful human beings decided they wanted to help me succeed as a farmer. It’s the kind of gesture anyone who receives doesn’t feel they deserve. It forces you to retreat into yourself and catalogue all the things you’ve done in life that make you unworthy of such unnecessary kindness.

If this is a sign I should be farming, I’ll suspend disbelief in such things as signs, accept it as that, and get to work. I started with the Internet, typing something like “how to break pastureland” into the search bar. The Combine Forum was a few results down and seemed the best fit for the basic information I was after. It was a good read. Others have done this. Others have wrestled with these questions. It may have only muddied the waters but it’s always nice to know you’re not alone. Looking at the field, it takes a working imagination to see it as cropland. You have to imagine it without the fence posts, without the grass, without the weeds,

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without the pallet and broken-up sidewalk block, without, without, without. Then, once you’ve stripped the area of most of what it currently has, a field of soybeans grown on smooth, fertile black soil starts to take shape. They (they, being everyone providing ag-related services) always ask, “What’s your legal?” I wish I could remember. I rarely do. I have two now, you see. I scramble to find it in an archived email. If not there, then a thousand finger scrolls into an old text thread with the landowner. Eureka. I send it, and commit the number to memory, and make my way eight miles west where I’m to meet the custom applicator. He parked by the approach, and I gave him a tour of the land. It would’ve been hard to make sense where to spray without a walk-through. “Watch out for that fence post, those trees, and that pallet,” I said. “This is the neighbour’s property, so don’t spray there, and over there is one small tree.” He chuckled a bit, told me that land is land, and that he knew of a few farmers who had tilled pasture land and had a great crop the next year. I thanked him for that story, and left him to spray. I stayed to watch for a bit, thinking about how nice it would be to own that sprayer, and how bizarre it is that this is actually happening. I’m spending real dollars on this land. To break it, I’ve read a spectrum of options: deep till, disk, deep till twice then disk, don’t do either and direct-seed canola. I have time to decide. The chemical will take a while to do its work. If I can work it this fall, it’ll only be later, just before frost, I’m guessing. Otherwise, it’ll have to wait until spring. I don’t know when I’ll get on it to till, this year or next. I don’t know which implement will work the best. I don’t know what’s underneath the surface and how fertile it is. I don’t know what I’ll grow next year. I’m excited, about the land, about the unknowns, about working together with some very nice people, and about the meeting with an agronomist I’m currently running late for. † Toban Dyck is a freelance writer and a new farmer on an old farm. Follow him on Twitter @tobandyck or email tobandyck@gmail.com.

By jonny hawkins

Country Chuckles

“It’s a soil bank,”

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns Reporter’s Notebook

The story of the Riskan Hope barn Finally, the story behind the iconic farm on Highway 11 between Regina and Saskatoon

photo: courtesy dave luther

Dave and his son Vern raise Simmental cattle at Riskan Hope Farm.

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It was Dave’s mother, Myrna Luther, who named the farm. Myrna taught at a country school in the Avonlea district. A nearby farm had a sign that read “Risk and Hope Farm.” Myrna decided that if she ever had a barn, she’d write “Riskan Hope Farm” on it. As fate would have it, she met and married Martin Luther. The Luthers put the name on the barn in about 1946. Since then, the barn has attracted plenty of attention. Drivers stop to take pictures and chat, Dave said. Riskan Hope Farm is featured in a children’s book about the Saskatchewan Roughriders. A Regina couple even named their daughter after the farm, although they changed the spelling, he said. Back in 1919, Dave’s grandparents built the barn for $600, and the house for $1,750, he said. They also sold their flax for $7 per bushel. I was intrigued by that price, and Dave explained flax had been in demand because of the First World War. It was used in paint, he explained. A Wellington Advertiser article states that linen was also used for airplanes’ wings during the First World War. Things have changed a little since 1919. Construction costs are higher. Airplane wings are a little sturdier than the early linen appendages. Farming itself has changed, too. Farms are bigger than they used to be. Machinery is bigger too, and has more computers, and carries a hefty price tag. Most farmers have switched to minimum tillage. And while the cattle industry may appear more traditional to an outsider, everything from vaccinations to traceability have shifted ranch practices.

Lisa Guenther is field editor for Grainews based at Livelong, Sask. Contact her at Lisa.Guenther@ fbcpublishing.com or on Twitter @LtoG.

The family will always be at the core of the farm

Why do producers do it? Is there something in them that draws them back to the land and makes any other way of making a living unsatisfactory? Something that allows them to see the potential in a seed or a newborn calf? And something that carries them through the bad years? Last fall, Dave reshingled the Riskan Hope barn and gave it a fresh coat of paint. Cattle prices were high, and he wanted the barn to look good for its 100year anniversary, he told a reporter with the Davidson Leader. That’s the hope side of farming. †

f you’ve driven north on Highway 11, from Regina to Saskatoon, you’ve seen Riskan Hope Farm. The farm name is spelled out on a big red barn between Craik and Aylesbury. I see it at least twice a year, on my drives home from Canada’s Farm Progress Show and Canadian Western Agribition. It’s a milestone for me, marking the halfway point between Saskatoon and Regina. Often the highway conditions are dicey during Agribition, and when I see that barn, I think it describes my drive a little too well. But, as Dave Luther told me via email, Riskan Hope Farm really tells the story of farming. Farmers take a risk planting their crops, then hope for the best, he explained. Today, Dave and his son Vern raise Simmental cattle at Riskan Hope Farm. The actual barn was built in 1919 by his grandparents, Robert and Alice Luther, who emigrated from the United States.

Yet most farms are still family farms. Today, Vern and his wife, Barb, are raising their three kids at Riskan Hope. The family will always be at the core of the farm, I think. Why do family farms persist on the Prairies? Why haven’t we seen a wave of farms owned by shareholders in Toronto or some other distant urban centre? It goes back to that whole risk and hope thing, I think. How can shareholders, most of whom expect profits every year — or every quarter — stand the risk inherent in farming and ranching? How can they be expected to wait out years of drought, flooding, disease, insects, low prices, trade action that slams shut borders, or all the other things that producers face?

Lisa Guenther

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Columns Agronomy management

The broad basics of your soil’s pH Soil pH is complex, and has different impacts on the availability of different nutrients Ross McKenzie

armers frequently ask “What does soil pH really mean?” and “What effect does pH have on availability of nutrients in the soil?” Both are excellent questions! The effects of pH are complex and vary with different nutrients. However, some broad generalizations are useful to keep in mind when understanding soil pH and making nutrient management decisions.

What is soil pH? Soil pH comes from a French term meaning the “Power of Hydrogen.” It is a measure of hydrogen ion (H+) and hydroxyl ion (OH-) concentration in soil. It refers to the acidity (low pH) or alkalinity (high pH) of soil and is measured in pH units. The pH scale goes from zero to 14. A pH of seven is neutral. As the amount of H+ ions in the soil increases, the soil pH decreases, and the soil becomes more acidic. As the amount of OH- ions in the soil increases, the soil pH increases, and the soil becomes more alkaline. From pH seven to zero, the soil is increasingly more acidic,

and from pH seven to 14, the soil is increasingly more alkaline or basic. Using a strict definition, pH is the negative log of H+ ion activity in a solution. This means the pH values are reported on a negative log scale. So, a one-unit change in soil pH value signifies a 10-fold change in the actual activity or concentration of H+, and the H+ activity increases as the pH level decreases. To put this into perspective, a soil pH six has 10 times more H+ions than a soil pH seven, and a soil pH five has 100 times more H+ ions than a soil pH seven. Soil testing labs usually determine soil pH in a 2:1 distilled water-to-soil mixture or in a weak

solution of calcium chloride, and results are expressed as pH. The pH test using calcium chloride is considered by some as more accurate as it reflects what the plant root experiences in the soil. In a soil test report, pH is often reported with a descriptive modifier (see the table). Soil pH can easily vary by half a unit over a growing season depending on environmental conditions. Soil acidity comes from H+ in soil but also from aluminum (Al3+) ions in the soil solution and held on soil colloids. Soil Al3+ is important in acid soils because below a pH of six, Al3+ reacts with water (H2O) to form aluminum hydroxide compounds that release H+

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ions into soil solution. Various processes can contribute to the development of acid soils including rainfall, fertilizer use and natural weathering of soil minerals. In Western Canada, nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) tend to be the most acidifying fertilizers. For example, anhydrous ammonia (NH3), urea [CO(NH2)2] and other ammonium (NH4+) fertilizers react in the soil in a process called nitrification to form nitrate (NO3-), and in the process release H+ ions. So, as we continue to use significant amounts of N fertilizer, pH of many of our agricultural soils will gradually become more acidic. Higher pH soils or alkaline soils have a high saturation of base cations potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium (K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+). (I will discuss this in more detail in the next issue).

Nitrogen Plants take up N in the ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (N03-) form. Most annual crops tend to take up most N as nitrate. At a soil pH range of six to eight, the microbial conversion of NH4+ to N03- (nitrification process) is rapid. In acidic soils (pH less than six), microbial activity is reduced, the nitrification process is slower and plants with the ability to take up NH4+ such as canola, may have a slight advantage. Soil pH can play a role in N volatilization losses. Ammonium in the soil solution exists in equilibrium with ammonia gas (NH3). The equilibrium is strongly pH dependent. The difference between NH3 and NH4+ is one H+ ion. For example, if NH4+ were applied to a soil at pH seven, the equilibrium condition would be 99 per cent NH4+ and one per cent NH3. At pH eight, approximately 10 per cent would exist as NH3 gas. This means that a fertilizer like urea (46-0-0) is generally subject to slightly higher volatilization losses at a higher soil pH. But it does not mean that losses at pH seven will be one per cent or less. The equilibrium is dynamic. When one molecule of NH3 escapes from the soil, a molecule of NH4+ converts to NH3 to maintain the equilibrium. The pH effect is only part of the full story of volatilization. Other factors such as soil moisture, temperature, texture and cation exchange capacity can By jonny hawkins

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Country Chuckles

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns SURFACE SOIL PH RANGE AND INTERPRETATION pH Range Rating

4.5 to 5.0

5.1 to 5.4

5.5 to 6.0

6.1 to 6.5

6.6 to 7.4

7.5 to 7.8

7.9 to 8.4

>8.4

Very Strongly Acidic

Strongly Acidic

Moderately Acidic

Slightly Acidic

Neutral

Slightly Alkaline

Moderately Alkaline

Strongly Alkaline

Too acidic for many crops also affect volatilization. The important point to remember is that under conditions of low soil moisture or poor urea incorporation, volatilization loss can be considerable even at pH values as low as 5.5. Legume crop roots live in association with Rhizobium bacteria which in turn provide N for crop growth. Soil pH is a critically important factor in N fixation by legume crops. The survival and activity of Rhizobium bacteria declines as soil acidity increases. This is the concern when attempting to grow alfalfa on soils with a pH less than six. It is a serious concern for pulse crops when soil pH is less than 5.5.

Too alkaline for many crops

Best Range for Most Crops

Sulphur Sulphate sulphur (S042-), the plant available form of S, is relatively unaffected by soil pH.

Micronutrients The availability of the metal micronutrients manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu),and zinc (Zn) tend to be very slightly decreased as soil pH increases up to pH eight but for the majority of soils and crops this decrease is not a concern until soil pH is greater than eight. Boron (B)

availability is reduced when soil pH increases above 7.5 but is really only a concern if soil test B is very low (less than 0.4) and boron sensitive crops such as alfalfa or canola are grown. The mechanisms responsible for reducing nutrient availability differ for each nutrient, but can include formation of low solubility compounds, greater retention by soil colloids (clays and organic matter) and conversion of soluble forms to ions that plants cannot absorb. Molybdenum (Mo) behaves opposite to the other micronu-

trients. Plant availability is lower under acid conditions.

Be aware Soil pH can play a role in soil nutrient and fertilizer availability. Should you be concerned on your farm? Be more aware than concerned. Keep the pH factor in mind when planning nutrient management programs. Over the past 20 years, declining soil pH seems to be occurring more noticeably in continuously cropped, direct-seeded land than conventionally tilled land.

A soil with an optimum pH now may very gradually become more acidic over the next 20 years depending on fertilizer use and land management. What is most important is to keep historical records of soil pH of your fields. Soils tend to acidify very gradually over time when higher rates of N and S based fertilizers are used. † Ross McKenzie, PhD, P. Ag., is a former agronomy research scientist. He conducted soil and crop research with Alberta Agriculture for 38 years. He has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Lethbridge since 1993, teaching four-year soil management and irrigation science courses.

Phosphorus Soil phosphate (PO4) is quite pH dependent. Plants take up soluble PO4 from the soil solution, but this soluble PO4 pool tends to be extremely low, often less than one lb./ac. The limited solubility of soil P relates to its tendency to form a wide range of stable P compounds in soil. Under alkaline soil conditions, P fertilizers such as monoammonium phosphate (11-55-0) generally form more stable (less soluble) minerals through reactions with calcium (Ca). Some agronomists will recommend higher rates of fertilizer P for crops growing on slight to moderately alkaline soils. However, contrary to popular belief, the P in these Ca-P compounds will still contribute to soluble soil PO4 for crop P uptake. As plants remove PO4 from the soil solution, more Ca-P compounds will dissolve, and soil solution P levels are replenished for crop uptake. Alberta field research trials have clearly shown that over 90 per cent of the fertilizer P tied up after application will still become available to crops in subsequent years. Therefore, I normally do not recommend higher rates of P fertilizer just because soil pH is slightly to moderately alkaline. The fate of added P fertilizer in acidic soils is different. When phosphate fertilizer reacts with aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe),which are more soluble in acid soils, formation of Al-P and Fe-P compounds will occur. The P tie-up with Al or Fe is much more permanent than with Ca-P compounds. I am far more concerned with P tie-up in acid soils than alkaline soils.

Potassium Generally, soil potassium (K) is relatively unaffected by soil pH. Some agronomists become concerned when soil pH is increased by liming and feel soil K availability is reduced and that additional K fertilizer is needed after liming. However, this is not the case. Liming increases K availability, through the displacement of exchangeable K by Ca in the lime.

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Columns Soils and crops

DIY: Installing water table wells With water in the soil, we can survive on little rain. Learn how to measure what you have 1

les henry

015 will go into the books as a very different kind of growing season. In central Saskatchewan we started off with soil completely full of water after a big dump of snow on April 26. My rain gauges showed 2.5 inches of water when it all melted. And then Mother Nature turned of the tap completely. It was dry, dry, dry. May total: 0.3 inches. June total: 1.6 inches. All in dribs and drabs of 0.2 or 0.3 inches. July: same thing until July 28 when the drought broke and gave us 3.6 inches. The cold May with frost events was more responsible for poor early crop growth and poor hay crops than was the drought. (Note: central Alberta was different — they had no subsoil reserve). My canola crop looked terrible until it warmed up in June and then it took off like a rocket. In annual crops most serious water use happens somewhere between mid June and late July. In July, I had canola with flowers up to my chin and on high ground the soil was drying down as the crop sucked the water. In the end the crop sucked the top two feet bone dry, the third foot wasn’t far behind and the roots finished off in the fourth foot. But, in lower land there were places with canola flowers up to my chin and the soil was still full of water. On July 18 I installed water table wells at two locations in the crop. A diagram on page 107 of Henry’s Handbook of Soils and Crops shows how soil moisture, crop water use and the water table interact. Since the book was published I have estab-

photos: les henry

1. You’ll need an auger. The auger on the left is a two inch diameter Dutch auger. With two extensions it will put an 11 foot hole in the ground. The auger will set you back a few bucks but lasts almost forever. On the right is a light walled two inch PVC pipe, the type used in central vac installations. This pipe comes in 10 foot lengths and will set you back $6.99 + tax. You will need a bottom and top cap — you can buy them both with a bit of loose change. Glue (solvent weld) a cap on bottom and drill a small hole in cap. Then use a hacksaw to make slots about one-third to half way up the pipe. 2. Dig the well. This is the auger, filled. Remember, just 1.5 turns. At this stage it is evident that we are well below the water table. I use a rubber glove and left hand only for cleaning to keep auger handle clean — mostly! 3. I took this photo of the auger in the hole and drilling in progress on July 18. 4. Install the well. This photo shows a well installed with a cap on top — just loose of course. This was a very clean 11 foot hole so I had to set the top with natural clay from auger leavings. 5. Measure the water level. I use a Solinst water well sounder. lished another “Rule of Thumb:” When a soil is at field capacity moisture to the water table and more rain comes, each additional inch of rain brings the water table up six inches on sandy soils, eight inches on medium soils and 12 inches on clay soils.

Installing water table wells in three easy steps 1. Gather the appropriate equipment and supplies. 2. Dig the well. Start with the four-foot foot auger and add extensions as required. But, only do 1.5 turns and then pull out the auger and empty. Do not screw it in too far — you will kill your back reefing on it. In glacial till you will hit rocks. If the soil is moist you

Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola contains the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil and thiamethoxam. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for canola plus Vibrance® is a combination of two separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients difenoconazole, metalaxyl (M and S isomers), fludioxonil, thiamethoxam, and sedaxane. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, and clothianidin. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin and ipconazole. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for corn with Poncho®/ VoTivo™ (fungicides, insecticide and nematicide) is a combination of five separate individually-registered products, which together contain the active ingredients metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, ipconazole, clothianidin and Bacillus firmus strain I-1582. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides and insecticide) is a combination of four separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, metalaxyl and imidacloprid. Acceleron® seed treatment technology for soybeans (fungicides only) is a combination of three separate individually registered products, which together contain the active ingredients fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin and metalaxyl. Acceleron and Design®, Acceleron®, DEKALB and Design®, DEKALB®, Genuity and Design®, Genuity®, JumpStart®, RIB Complete and Design®, RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Transorb®, Roundup WeatherMAX®, Roundup®, SmartStax and Design®, SmartStax®, Transorb®, VT Double PRO®, and VT Triple PRO® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Used under license. Vibrance® and Fortenza® are registered trademarks of a Syngenta group company. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. Herculex® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Used under license. Poncho® and Votivo™ are trademarks of Bayer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

can wiggle around small rocks. If you hit a big one, start over. I have seldom had to start over. In clay soil you can auger quite a way below the water table and no water will be visible. When you are well into water table you will know. 3. Install the well. Set the top of the pipe to correspond to the natural ground level so no correction for “stickup” will be required. Mark with a flagpole and GPS for permanent record. At age 75, I can install such a well in less than half an hour, so you kids should have no trouble installing many in a day. This is not something a farmer with 10,000 acres is going to do but most have consultants that could easily do it.

Measure water level and maintain a record I use a Solinst water well sounder to get data to the nearest cm. This item set me back $700 — I use it in my consulting business. But young smart techies can come

up with much cheaper ways to measure the water level. Leave the well for a couple of days before measuring so equilibrium can be established after the “trauma” of installation. When the well was installed the crop was doing just fine, thank you, on very little rain (see the photo of the auger in the hole, taken on July 18.) And, the soil probe went into the moist soil like butter, even at the soil surface. Clearly the water table was involved. The water table was at 1.82 m and capillary action would suck water up to where the plant roots could access.

Subirrigation: complements of Mother Nature Weather forecasts have improved tremendously. These days, when a forecast for significant rain comes along it usually happens. I was careful to do a measurement of water level the day before a rain forecast. July 18

DATA FROM MY SOUTH WELL THIS WELL WAS INSTALLED ON JULY 18, 2015 Date

Water level, metres

July 20

1.82

July 23

1.88

July 27

1.96

July 30

1.38

August 4

1.50

August 10

1.08

August 12

1.20

August 13

1.25

August 17

1.28

August 25

1.22

September 2

1.30

September 4

1.34

September 10

0.91

September 14

0.94

Rain, Inches

July 28: 3.6 August 6: 2

September 5-7: 1.4

was our first real rain of the season. It was nice gentle rain with little runoff. If you closely examine the water level and rain record shown in the table, you will see that the theory works out quite well in practice. By the September 5 to 7 rain the crop was off, so the 1.4 inches of rain brought the water table up 17 inches. All of this is very low tech, but it works. How can you plan your 2016 crop if you do not know the details of the gifts Mother Nature is providing? In our area we know that most of next year’s moisture is in the ground and we can plan accordingly. When it did not rain in June and July 2015 the Global Warmers were all screaming drought and disaster. Who had checked Grainews March 13, 2015 for the Stubble Soil Moisture map as of November 1, 2014? In west-central Saskatchewan and much of central Alberta the map showed that early and regular rains would be needed. Elsewhere, not so much. We survived nicely on what was in the ground. The Feds and others are excited about SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive), a new project that is going to use satellite data to map soil moisture. But, guess what? It measures to a great depth of five to 10 cm on bare ground. If a crop is on the land the depth of measurement is even less. Surface moisture is here today and gone tomorrow. Water in the subsoil is like money in the bank. The only complete Prairie Provinces map of subsoil moisture is that produced each year right here in Grainews. † J.L.(Les) Henry is a former professor and extension specialist at the University of Saskatchewan. He farms at Dundurn, Sask. He recently finished a third printing of “Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water,” a book that mixes the basics and practical aspects of soil, fertilizer and farming. Les will cover the shipping and GST for “Grainews” readers. Simply send a cheque for $50 to Henry Perspectives, 143 Tucker Cres, Saskatoon, SK, S7H 3H7, and he will dispatch a signed book.

It’s the

kind of canola

The Cargill logo, ®VICTORY and ®VICTORY Hybrid Canola logo are registered trademarks of Cargill Incorporated, used under license. Genuity,® Genuity and Design,® Genuity Icons, Roundup Ready,® and Roundup® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, used under license. Always follow grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. Details of these requirements can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in this publication. ©2015 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

182-225 AD 11 x 16_5 trim v100.indd 1

www.victorycanola.com www.cargillag.ca

8/6/15 11:10 AM

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Columns Farm financial planner

Finding a comfortable retirement Farmers can turn marketing board quota and a modest income into a comfortable retirement By Andrew Allentuck

n southern Manitoba, a couple we’ll call Herb, 63, and Martha, 60, have a mixed farm with most of their effort and capital invested in producing poultry products for a group of grocery stores in Winnipeg. They operate 310 acres of land surrounding their 10-acre yard with an aging farm house, their 35-year old son’s mobile home, the chicken sheds and various outbuildings. Most of their capital is invested in the farm and its real estate with an estimated value of $2.4 million. Their problem: how to retire from the business. Their off-farm assets are just $100,000 of non-registered term deposits. To leave the farm, they would need to buy or rent a home in town. That would take, they estimate, $400,000. Their current combined income, $62,000 before tax, and their relatively small cash holdings make it imperative that they work out a way to sell the farm to their son. Aware of the need to work out a way to quit and pass the farm on to their son, they approached Don and Erik Forbes of Don Forbes Associates in Carberry, Manitoba. Their prescription is a workout plan for the farm.

The plan The farm has intrinsic value apart from the aging buildings. They have a production quota from their marketing board with an estimated value of $1.1 million. What is essential is to free up cash embedded in the land and buildings. First move: approach the bank to reamortize farm loans for machinery from the current eight-year repayment period to 20 years. The present four per cent loan for $150,000 costs $1,800 a month to service. If they shift to 20 years, the cost at the same rate would decline by half and they would liberate about $908 a month. Next: they have to work out a sale agreement with their son. The question, of course, is what he should pay. Assuming that the son has made an investment of his own via sweat equity that amounts to a third of the value of the operation, that interest, with an estimated value of $900,000 needs to be recognized, Erik Forbes suggests. That implies that their value in the farm and quota is $1.5 million. That is the amount to be financed in the buyout. The plan has to be to convert the couple’s 200 common shares in the farming corporation into fixed value preferred shares. These 200 shares will be retracted by the corporation and the accumulated capital gain is switched to the preferred shares on a tax-

PLANNED PRE-TAX RETIREMENT INCOME CPP Herb

$421

CPP Martha

$370

OAS Herb

$565

OAS Martha

$565

Shareholder loan

$3,500

Preferred shares

$2,180

Investment income

$100

Farmland rental

$400

Total income

$8,101

deferred basis. The deferred gain would then be taxable as dividends on redemption or death. The son will continue to run the farm and benefit from any future increase in its value. In this plan, Herb and Martha’s interest in the farm will decline each year, giving the son a growing share of the business.

Tax implications The workout plan has tax implications. The land qualifies for the Farmland Super Credit by the couple but the family farm corporation has different and stricter criteria to meet. The two key elements in qualification are: 1) the farm corporation has to have 90 per cent or more of farm assets in active production, as it will be, and 2) the purchaser of the assets has to be a qualified share purchaser, as the son will be. The transactions required to value shares and to transfer them at agreed upon value to the son need to be vetted by an accountant or tax lawyer to ensure compliance. The Alternative Minimum Tax will remain a liability. The property transfer may then be done over several years to reduce the AMT cost. Some of the AMT that may be paid can be used as a credit against future tax, Don Forbes suggests. To ensure that, in a financial sense, the succession plan works, the farming corporation should buy a key person lie insurance policy for the son. He is 37, does not smoke, and could probably be insured for $2 million at a cost of $106 per month for a 10-year level term. That would ensure that the corporation is protected in the unlikely event of the son’s death and would cover most of his debt. The policy would

eliminate the need for costly mortgage life insurance and would have a tax advantage if the proceeds were received directly by the corporation, Erik Forbes adds. Herb already receives Canada Pension Plan benefits of $421 a month. Martha can apply this year for benefits at age 60, which, with a 7.2 per cent per year reduction of each year before age 65 at which benefits begin, would be $370 per month. Each will receive Old Age Security benefits at $565 a month at age 65. A proposed shareholder loan for purchase of the farm by the son would pay the parents $3,500 a month. Redemption of preferred shares would add $2,180 to income on top of $100 of investment income from the couple’s existing financial assets and $400 for farmland rental to third parties. The total, $8,101 a month or $97,212 a year after 20 per cent average income tax, would leave the couple with $6,480 a month. After age 65, age credits for income, provincial seniors’ school tax paid and pension income deductions would reduce tax to about 14 per cent and leave their income for spending at $6,970. This income and various buyout plans will provide the couple with $300,000 for purchase of a home in town. The son can move out of his mobile home into the farm house. There will be another $100,000 available for investment or for use as a down payment for the town home. Beyond the farm transition workout is the problem of what the couple can do to enhance their way of life in retirement. If they use the $100,000 cash payment from the workout for a home down payment, they will have no new investment problems. If they choose to rent, which is a

viable choice if they can find a rental home which suits their needs, their income would support as much as $2,000 monthly rent. If they therefore retain their workout capital and add it to their existing $100,000 of non-registered assets, they should discuss with their accountant a potential move of existing their assets, currently just term deposits, to a Tax-Free Savings Account. At present, they do not have a TFSA. The $82,000 available shelter would provide future tax relief. They might also seek investment advice to assist them in investing in stocks or exchange traded funds with yields higher than what their term deposits provide. Many financial advisors like capital gains, which not only have lower taxes than income or, in most cases, dividends, but can be reaped at the asset owner’s will. If the couple’s financial assets do migrate to TFSAs, the tax issue will be irrelevant. But timing gains would be relevant. Thus it would be wise to choose stocks or exchange traded funds for stocks or bonds which have very low management fees, under one per cent in the case of mutual funds, under 0.50 per cent in the case of ETFs. The assets chosen should produce steady and rising dividends. These tend to be no decision assets in which dividends patch over times when capital markets slump. “Herb and Martha can retire with more income, more income security, and less effort to earn a living than they have now,” Erik Forbes says. “All that is needed is to act with advice and prudence. They have earned a secure retirement.” † Andrew Allentuck is author of “When Can I Retire? Planning Your Financial Life After Work,” published by Penguin Canada in January, 2011.

Righ Show. Right Time. Right Location.

NOVEMBER 11 - 14, 2015 For more information visit Agri-Trade.com

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2015-09-11 10:35 AM

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Columns Understanding market bulls and bears

Keep your eyes on the dollar Prairies farmers should care about the current state of currencies in the world market Brian wittal

he past two years have seen some major political and economic shifts around the world. The Russia/Ukraine standoff in the Crimean region resulted in economic embargoes and sanctions against Russia. This threw a major kink into trade in that region, causing serious economic hardships. It caused internal inflationary pressures to build, devaluing the Russian ruble dramatically. The Chinese economy slowed after years of accelerated and unsustainable growth, sending a ripple across the global economy. As Chinese stock markets faltered, the government tried to fix it by devaluing the Chinese currency (the yuan). This caused a ripple effect as other countries that compete with China in exporting consumable goods were forced to do the same to remain competitive. The U.S. economy has struggled for the past several years but has been showing signs of a

Publication

modest recovery in the past 18 months. The American dollar has strengthened over the past year as world investors have moved away from risky foreign investments and back to the U.S. dollar, still considered the world currency of trade and a safe haven. World oil prices collapsed over the past 15 months, which has had a major impact on countries that rely on oil as a main export commodity. In Canada we are struggling through a recession due to lower oil prices and a Canadian dollar trading at $0.75 to the U.S. dollar. Two years ago the Canadian dollar was trading at $0.95/U.S. dollar. A year ago it was trading at $0.90. How will these factors influence world trade? How might that affect your farm?

World grain sales and supply Let’s focus on world grain sales. The most obvious factor is a reduction in Chinese demand. Some will argue that the Chinese need food so they won’t reduce the amount they purchase. But now that they are paying with a devalued currency, the Chinese

MacDon: Josh Heidt Source: Grainews, 1/2 page, 10.25x7.75", CMYK, October 20

may be forced to reduce either the amount or quality of food they can buy. Russia is being hit with inflation and currency devaluation and trying to keep its economy afloat during the sanctions and embargos that have been imposed. Russia can sell grain to China at reasonable prices because the devalued ruble is attractive to the Chinese with their devalued yuan. This forces other countries trying to sell to China to reduce their prices. In North America the spring planting and summer growing seasons have been very dramatic, weather-wise — either too dry or too wet. This pushed domestic prices above world market prices for most of the summer. Now that production looks better than earlier estimated, domestic prices are falling and will continue to fall until they reach levels that will make us competitive to sell into world markets against cheap grains out of places like Russia. The saving grace for us in Canada is our devalued dollar. It’s helping us to be a little more competitive in the world grain export markets compared to the U.S. But we are pricing

our wheat off of the U.S. futures, which are above world values, so you know those futures prices are going to have to fall lower to be competitive. Where farmers will notice the currency difference between the U.S. and the Canadian dollar is in the record high basis levels being offered for wheat classes across the Prairies. Wheat prices are traded and quoted in U.S. dollars per bushel, so when prices at Canadian elevators are calculated the currency conversion is reflected in the basis. Our low dollar is why basis levels are at historically high levels.

Canadian competitiveness If either wheat futures or the Canadian dollar start to climb higher, basis levels will fall lower. Watch for these things to happen and react before they do to lock in some basis or pricing contracts — if that fits your marketing plan. Another factor helping to keep Canadian grain competitive in world markets is the cost of ocean freight. In years when freight costs are high we are at a market disadvantage when we sell

our grain into places like China because of the distance we must ship grain, compared to countries like Russia who are a lot closer. Right now a lot of vessels are sitting doing nothing and world oil prices are at historically low values. Ocean freight bids are cheap which helps keep Canadian grain more competitive. When the Canadian dollar starts to climb it will improve your ability to purchase equipment and fertilizer produced and imported from the U.S. or other countries. But will that gain be enough to offset the loss of income from lower grain prices due to the rising dollar? That will depend on the supply and demand of the products you’re buying or selling. World currencies are just one more factor in today’s global market economy that can adversely affect your input and commodity prices. Being aware of how currencies can impact your business and being prepared to mitigate that risk is just one more job to add to your farm manager responsibilities. † Brian Wittal has 30 years of grain industry experience, and currently offers market planning and marketing advice to farmers through his company Pro Com Marketing Ltd. (www.procommarketingltd.com).

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Machinery & Shop

John Deere launch

New John Deere 6E Series tractors John Deere has upgraded the specs on its 6 Series tractors, and added a new member to the family By Leeann Minogue

ohn Deere has revamped its 6 Series tractor family by upgrading the specifications of its 6D line and renaming them the 6E. That means the midsized 6 Series family now includes the 6E, 6M and 6R tractor lines

The new 6E When John Deere set out to upgrade its 6D line of tractors, the company felt they’d added so much value that the line deserved a new name: the 6E Series. The letter designation after the model number in Deere’s tractor numbering system is an indicator of the features the line offers. So by making the 6D tractors more capable, they get a higher letter designation. There are three tractors in this new line, offering 105, 120 and 135 horsepower. 6E models come with either of two transmission options. The 24/12 hi/lo gearbox provides 11 working speeds in the five to 13 m.p.h. haying range. The standard 12/12 transmission gives operators six working speed in this range. In transport, the 6E has a top speed of up to 25 m.p.h. (40 km/h.). The company says the automatic regeneration feature used by the PowerTech engine emissions control system in the 6E Series offers reduced fluid consumption. Radial tires from the factory will “greatly increase the sense of comfort,” said Ross. And they’ll also provide better traction. 6E operators might appreciate the 15 degrees of right hand seat swivel. “It might not sound like much,” Ross said, “but it’s really going to help out your neck and back.” The new Electrohydraulic MFWD switch in the cab, Ross said, “is going to make it a lot easier to reach over on the fly as opposed to our old system where you had to pull out a mechanical lever.” “We know from talking to our customers that the 6E is a loader tractor. To make that operation easier we’ve added in a loader view roof.” It also comes with a sunshade, to “keep the operator a little cooler on those hot days.” John Deere’s base list prices for the three models of the 6E are US$72,964 for the 6015, US$79,014 for the 6120E and US$85,084 for the 6135E.

The 6M & 6R The number of models in the 6M Series was expanded back in February. “Now they’re ready, starting to get in the field,” said Ross. The 6M tractors have now moved to Tier 4 Final engines. There are seven tractor models available, ranging from 110 to 195 horsepower. They have mechanical cab suspension, on-the-go auto mechanical front wheel drive front hitch and front PTO options and Power Fill brakes. There are multiple tire options for different uses. In the 6R Series, there are eight models, ranging in horsepower from 110 to 213. Other features include 30 degrees of right-

JOHN DEERE’S 6 SERIES Kory Ross, product manager for 6 Series tractors, explained three models in the series. 6E

“This is our value spec tractor,” Ross said. “It’s got a mechanical transmission, it’s got good hydraulic flow, it’s easy to operate and it’s very cost effective to operate. It’s used for those hay and livestock producers, and it’s a great little tractor.”

“This is our mid-spec tractor. It’s got greater capabilities and comfort than the 6E,” Ross said. “It has more transmission offerings, greater hydraulic flow for quicker loader cycle times.” It also has more versatility for more applications, due to the wider horsepower range. A 6M tractor would have the hydraulic capability to run a planter. It’s also well suited for haying and field work and running a loader.

The 6R: “That’s our premium tractor. It’s the top of the line. It’s got lot of integrated technology and comfort for some of those larger producer and customers that expect a lot out of their tractors.”

hand seat swivel, straight-line draw pin visibility, Efficient IVT, Direct Drive and AutoQuad + ECO transmissions that allow the engine to deliver power at lower r.p.m., improving fuel economy. Oil change intervals in both the 6M and 6R Series that were once required at 500 hours can be put off until 750 hours when John Deere filters are used.

New loader John Deere’s R-Series front loaders which the company first debuted last February are an upgrade to the company’s H-Series loaders, and are designed to match the R-Series tractors. These tractors have an automatic mast latch system that makes attaching and detaching the loader much easier. Rather than making two trips out of the cab to attach or detach the loader, John Deere product manager, Jason Thomas says, “now you’ll take it on and off with just one trip out of the cab.” How long does it take? “If it’s something you do a lot, you’re going to do it really quick,” Thomas says. With the H Series loaders, the process would take about 10 minutes. But, Thomas said, “with the R Series, we’ve cut that in at least half. In three to five minutes you could have it off, and ready to keep going.” While many farmers leave the loader on the tractor most of the time, Thomas said, “There’s a lot of advantages to having your loader off.” These include fuel efficiency and better visibility. “We’ve taken what we had, it was a good product, and we’ve built on it, and made it just a little bit better.” † Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

With John Deere’s new R-Series front loaders, rather than making two trips out of the cab to attach or detach the loader, John Deere product manager Jason Thomas says, “now you’ll take it on and off with just one trip out of the cab.”

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

John Deere launch

S Series combines get tuned up More capacity for John Deere’s 2016 lineup of S Series combines By Leeann Minogue

Greater shoe capacity Active Terrain Adjustment is an optional feature for the 2016 S-Series combines, designed to help operators optimize performance on hilly ground. “On uphill slopes,” Verheecke said, “it opens the chaffer and sieves and slows the fan speed. This prevents grain from going out the back, allowing for increased productivity throughout the day.” If you’re going up a slope of 12 to 16 degrees, the chaffer and sieve will open, and fan speed will decrease. John Deere estimates this can lower tailings by 35 per cent, saving you, they calculate, $32 to $64 per acre at today’s prices. “On downhill slopes, the chaffer and sieve close, and the fan speed increases,” Verheecke said. “This helps to increase grain quality.” Also, watch for on-board air compressors on all the new S

Up front and in the cab For corn growers, there’s a new 12-row folding corn head for 2016. Deere said, where transport is an issue, the ability to fold up and move from field to field without having to unhook the header can increase productivity by six acres per day (as compared to a traditional 12-row header). For operators not looking for a corn header, Deere has updated its 600 HydraFlex Draper headers. These 30-, 35- and 40-foot models come with redesigned, streamlined end dividers and a wider centre-feed section that should increase material feeding by 15 per cent. The reel fingers have been “redesigned to help with greater crop lifting in those downed crops,” said Verheecke. In the cab, the main changes are digital. With the 2016 models, operators can use an iPad in the cab with the John Deere Harvest Mobile app. This will free up the GreenStar display to put more screen-based information in front of the operator. Interactive Combine Adjustment is a relatively new application designed to make it easier for new operators to adjust the combine from the cab. The operator inputs information about what’s happening in the field, and the computer suggests settings to enhance performance. Now, if there is more than one green combine in the field, operators can easily share coverage maps and guidance lines. This allows multiple operators to know what areas are left to be picked up and to easily share the same A-B line. With these upgrades, said product manager Kevin Ripple, “Harvest is too short to run anything but a green combine.” †

photo: john deere

ohn Deere first introduced its S Series combine for model year 2012. “Since then,” said Kevin Ripple, product manager, “we’ve continued to provide additional innovations.” The 2016 models don’t offer major changes, but there are several updates. One of those is greater shoe capacity and a new shoe drive system. Making the sieve longer (a 12 per cent increase), said senior marketing representative Todd Verheecke, will give users more day-to-day capacity. “For those in corn, the capacity will increase up to 10 per cent, and for those in wheat or canola you’ll see an increase of about 13 per cent.” Verheecke also said farmers will see a reduction of up to 20 per cent in tailings. “This will increase your acres harvested per hour 1.5 acres.”

Series combines. Verheecke said this will add “flexbility for those customers with special or seed crops to clean their combines right there in the field.”

1. For 2016 the S Series combines will have a greater shoe capacity and a new shoe drive system.

2. The operator can fold up the new 12-row corn header directly from the cab, saving transport time. 3. 2016 HydrFlex Draper headers come with streamlined end dividers and stronger reel fingers.

Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

photo: leeann minogue

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Product launch

NH introduces the L228 skid steer New 74 horsepower model pushes the L Series range to seven models By Scott Garvey

photos: scott garvey

New Holland has added a new skid steer model, the L228, to its L Series line, which bumps the number of wheeled models to seven.

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nlike the policies at some other major brands, New Holland dealers have been allowed to retail the company’s line of light construction equipment right alongside ag machines for a while now. Marketing of both the company’s ag and construction lines are now integrated in North America. That integration means construction products like NH’s line of skid steers are available from many rural dealers — a strategy former North American NH vice president Abe Hughes said a year or two ago he believed would boost sales of things like backhoes and skid steers to rural governments and farmers, giving the brand a chance to gain some market share for its light construction equipment. The idea seems to have worked. “Actually, last year for us about 59 percent of our (skid steers) went into agriculture,” said Todd DeBock, segment leader for pro work tools at New Holland, during a media event at the company’s North American head office in July. “The same guys that are buying our RollBelt round balers are buying our skid steer loaders.” When faced with the need to update its lower-horsepower equipment to meet Tier 4 Final engine emissions regulations, the company used the opportunity to add another model to its L Series line. This summer it introduced the L228, a 74 horsepower machine with 2,800 pounds (1,272 kilograms) of lift capacity. “This is a new machine for us,” said Paul Wade, construction equipment marketing manger. “Basically we took our 2,500 pound lift machine when we went to Tier 4 Final, we added a little bit of weight to it, a little bit bigger cylinders and went up to a 2,800 pound machine.” That brings the number of skid steers in the L Series line to seven. So, NH now offers models that span the range from 49 horsepower with 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms) of lift to 90 horsepower with 3,000 pounds (1,363 kilograms) of lift. The company claims these models offer “best-in-class forward dump height and reach”, according to a recent press release. “That’s what we’re known for, our Super Boom vertical lift con-

figuration,” added Wade. “That will give you the highest and furthest lift, so it’s easy to dump right into the middle (of a truck).” But to provide enough stability for extra reach calls for spreading out the axles a little. “Another thing we’re noted for is stability,” added Wade. “We have the longest wheelbase in the industry. The front to rear weight ratio is 65-35.”

In the cab The industry-wide efforts to make new cabs on equipment increasingly comfortable hasn’t bypassed skid steers. NH uses a wide design for L Series cabs along with a wide front door. “We also offer one of the widest cabs in the industry and very wide entry into the cab,” explained Wade. “The cab is standard from our smallest machines all the way up to the top. It’s important to be able to walk into the cab safely. It’s a fully pressurized cab so you can take a phone call in there, and it’s not going to get dirty in there.” And buyers get a choice of three different control configurations. First, there’s the stand forwardback levers and foot pedals to control the boom and bucket. Alternatively, loader controls can be included on the hand levers with side-to-side movements. Or you can opt for a two-joystick configuration, with the forward-back control on one and lift and dump controls on the other. Wade claims making daily maintenance or even major repairs easier was one of the considerations built into the L Series design. “When we go to daily maintenance, everything is done from ground level,” he said. “If you do have a major thing happen, it’s very easy to flip the cab. Undo two bolts. It can be done in about two minutes.” If you buy an L Series this year and anything major does go wrong with it within the next three years, you’ll be covered. “One of the things we’re doing to celebrate the introduction of our Tier 4 B models, through the end of the year, is we’re offering what we call our Super Guard warranty, three year, 3,000 hour, full warranty on skid steer loaders and CTLs (compact track loaders),” said DeBock. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

New equipment

Deere utility tractors get more updates The green brand tweaks its 5 Series tractors again By Scott Garvey

ith utility tractor sales in North America being one of the bright spots in the current new equipment market, John Deere’s 5 Series tractors are poised to become even more competitive. The brand rejigged its 5085E and 5100E tractors — with 85 and 100 engine horsepower, respectively — making them a little more operator friendly. And their four-cylinder diesels are now Tier 4 Final emissions compliant. “Our engineers designed the 5E Series utility tractors with the operator in mind,” said Brad Aldridge, Deere’s 5 Series product marketing manager in a recent press release. “This innovative series provides the economy and convenience of a utility tractor, along with the power, versatility and operator comfort they would expect to find only on a larger model. Although performance is the bottom line, we also made a number of ergonomic improvements.” Up front, the tractor hood gets a more aggressive rake, lowering the front to improve vision for front-end loader work. And the operator platform gets raised up. The end result, according to Deere, is 3.6 feet of improved forward vision. The factory-fitted H240 loaders are rated for about 3,500 pounds (1,590 kg) of lift at full loader height. And at the rear, three-point hitch lift capacity is more than 3,200 pounds (1,454 kg). So these tractors can carry a couple of round bales out to the herd without a problem. The 24/12 PowrReverser transmission increases top transport speed by one-third. Operators can shift from low to high by pushing a button, without needing to clutch. The economy PTO — standard on transmissions in all four-cylinder 5E tractors — lets operators reduce engine r.p.m. To 1,700 and maintain shaft speed, which can lower fuel consumption by as much as 20 per cent, according to Deere. Inside the cab is a rearranged control and instrument layout. The new instrument cluster centralizes all information and provides more of it to help the operator monitor tractor functions. Included are additional warning lights, ground speed readout, PTO speed, PTO target bar, PowrReverser position, hour meter, hi-lo indicator and diagnostic codes. Performing service and maintenance on these tractors now gets a little easier as well with a new slide-out condenser, radiator screen, tilting charge air cooler and slide-out oil cooler. “Other design features make the 5E easier to maintain, which maximizes uptime,” Aldridge adds. “Our engineers designed the 5E Series Utility Tractors with the operator in mind — from the standard telescoping draft links to the convenient new cup holder.” †

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

John Deere’s 5085E and 5100E four-cylinder tractors get more improvements to make them better suited to loader operations. photo: john deere

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Classic machines

Father and son restore a classic Versatile An on-farm restoration brings a D-118 tractor back to nearly-new condition 1

photos: rigaux family

By Scott Garvey

arren Rigaux, who farms near Swan River, Manitoba, and his father, Eddy, have a long-term loyalty to the Versatile brand name. They’ve been using the red tractors on their farm for decades. A couple of years ago,

they were inspired to find and restore an old Versatile tractor. Darren emailed to tell us about it. “Over the years we have become sort of enthusiasts, I guess you could say,” Darren wrote. “We have been running Manitoba-built Versatiles almost exclusively on our farm since 1982 and have never had any major problems with any of them.

“A few years ago we attended the Thresherman’s Reunion in Austin, Manitoba, and that year’s featured manufacturer was Versatile. Seeing a few restored Versatiles kind of got our blood pumping, I guess, so we set out to find an old one to restore — easier said than done. Though there were many sold, they’re still hard to find.”

1: After sandblasting, new primer and paint and a lot of man hours, the D-118 looks like new again. 2: When it arrived, the tractor was in reasonably good mechanical condition but needed a facelift. 3: Together, Darren Rigaux (right) and his father Eddy (left) from Swan River, Manitoba, decided to find and restore this classic Versatile. 4: Replacement decals were created by a specialty firm in Brandon, because original replacements are no longer available.

But eventually the two did find a suitable candidate for a restoration. “One day my father got a call from an old friend in Pangman, Saskatchewan, telling him of an auction near Regina with a D-118,” he explains. He went to the sale, found out the tractor was in running condition and bought it for $2,400. We spent

about $1,000 to have it trucked to our yard and slowly started work on it. First we took off the cab and duals because we wanted the tractor to look original, these were add-ons, you could order a Versatile with a cab but they were not their own.” Mechanically, the tractor was in pretty good condition, but it did need a few repairs. A seal kit was installed in the steering cylinder, the starter solenoid was replaced and the rear brakes were rebuilt. “We noticed two leaking wheel seals so we just replaced all four as the other two probably were not far behind,” he adds. “This took some time because these old Versatiles have huge outboard planetaries. Mostly just heavy and awkward but you have to line everything up just right to get them back on.” From there, the pair turned their attention to cosmetics. The tractor needed to have some rust removed before getting a coat of paint. “We did the bulk of the work on it over the winter of 2014. There weren’t too many things wrong with it,” he continues. “Sandblasting was done by East Side Sandblasting out of Winkler. I took them what I could and they came to do the bulk of the work on farm. Total bill was only around $900 — not bad for that hard of work. I would never attempt another restoration without sandblasting all I could. As soon as that was done we rolled it into our shop for some primer. I did all the painting myself using the red and yellow from Versatile, and I found a place in Brandon that sold me high heat paint to colour-match the old Cummins beige. Since I’m not a mechanic, we didn’t want to remove the engine for paint. It wasn’t leaking so instead I used a tonne of degreaser and decided to paint it still on the tractor. It actually worked out really well, the paint is of very good quality.” The hood decals are no longer available, so Darren took photos and measurements of the existing ones and had a specialty shop create replacements for about $150. Then the tractor was also given a new set of 18.4 x 30 tires. “As for right now we have no plans to ever put the cab back on but might consider duals, it would look pretty mean I think, says Darren. “We have a great deal of pride in this tractor and are considering taking it to Austin this fall if the timing works out.” Editor’s note: If you’ve restored a classic machine, get in touch and tell me about it. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpubishing.com.

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

Product launch

New C Series loaders from NH 50 and 80 horsepower compact wheel loaders offer a step up in capability over skid steers 1

photos: scott garvey

1. The two compact C Series wheel loaders from NH are designed to offer a little more reach and lift and replace skid steers where close confinement or low doorways isn’t a problem. 2. Even though the C Series loaders were re-engineered to be more compact, they still offer a relatively spacious cab. 3. The position of the control armrest is adjustable to match an operator’s reach. By Scott Garvey

f you need a machine that does most of what a skid steer can do but you don’t need to get into confined quarters, moving up to something like one of New Holland’s new C Series compact wheel loaders may be a better investment. NH’s redesigned 50 and 80 horsepower C Series wheel loaders can lift a little bit bigger load a higher than skid steers can. “These are starting to replace (skid steers),” said Paul Wade construction equipment marketing manger, while pointing out the machine’s features during a media event at NH’s Pennsylvania head office in July. “If you have a little more room and space isn’t as big a deal, this is going to give you more lift; it’s going to be a much more comfortable ride than a skid steer, and it’s going to give you a little higher reach.” The new, more compact C Series, which debuted last fall, offers a choice of four different configurations, two versions of both models. One of them, the W80C HS is capable of 21 m.p.h. road travel. And the smaller W50C offers a choice in boom arm designs, if breakout force is important. “These are brand new, redesigned,” added Wade. “They started shipping earlier this year. This is a lower profile machine than what we had in the past.” But just like their NH skid steer cousins, the C Series wheel loaders also get a roomy cab to make life comfortable for operators. That includes an adjustable control arm to keep the joystick in just the right spot. And for producers who already use a skid steer and made the investment in attachments for it, the C Series machines can use them too. Their boom arms use the same standard skid steer coupling design to mount buckets or attachments. All of the service points on the C Series are easily accessible without climbing up onto the machine. “Everything (is accessed) from the ground level,” said Wade. “We want to make sure they (owners) are doing daily maintenance. If we make it easier for them, they’re more likely to do it.” †

IT’S INNOVATION. NOT IMITATION. Meet the New John Deere 9RX Series Tractor The New 9RX Series Tractor is no copycat. We kept innovation at the forefront, using your feedback to make it right. The result is a gamechanging 4-Track tractor that’s anything but ordinary. Just how unique and innovative? The upswept axle component is the largest cast our foundry pours and allows the 9RX to have a larger drive wheel, putting more power to the ground and increasing reliability. The e18™ Transmission with Effciency Manager helps keep productivity levels high and inputs low. It responds quickly and automatically in intense feld conditions to actively improve the tractor’s performance and your drive experience, while reducing fuel consumption. Under the hood, you’ve got a horsepower range of 470 to 620. Pair that with increased hydraulic fow and the 9RX is ready to cover large acres and pull big implements in less time. Bring on the sloped, wet, and loose feld conditions too, because the 9RX’s unique track design adds to its superior and agile performance in the feld and on the road. The larger articulated footprint allows for more fotation and better grip resulting in less berming and reduced soil disturbance, improving yield potential. The 9RX also comes JDLink™ Connect and AutoTrac™ ready to boost performance and effciency even more. We could go on, but we’ve run out of room. Visit your John Deere Dealer today, and test drive our most anticipated tractor yet, the New John Deere 9RX Series Tractor. Nothing Runs Like a Deere™.

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

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Product launch

NH debuts new Prairie combines New small-grains rotary and conventional combines are built for the Western Canadian market By Scott Garvey

ajor-brand manufacturers don’t often debut new machines at Canadian farm shows. But New Holland has chosen to introduce new combines at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina a couple of times now, which, according to executives, is an indication of how much attention they are paying to the smallgrains harvesting market unique to Western Canada and the Northern Plains. This year the brand pulled the wraps off its range of CX8 conventional combines in Regina, showing off the new flagship CX8.90 class 8 model. Not only are the two CX8 models designed specifically for harvesting small grains, but as straw walker machines they are gentler on the straw, making them attractive to mixed farmers who want to follow behind the combine with a baler. “This is a small but significant market for customers who are looking to harvest straw as well as grain,” said Nigel MacKenzie, New Holland’s marketing manager for combines and headers, during an event at the company’s corporate headquarters in Pennsylvania in July. “They tend to be in mixed farming areas or, alternatively, where a farmer can sell that straw. It’s a little gentler on the straw but not quite as efficient in terms of capacity as a rotary combine.” The two CX8 models (class 7 and 8 machines) offer similar grain tank capacities — around the 350 bushel mark. But the

bigger brother gets 89 more horsepower, hitting a rating of 490. The biggest header available is 41 feet. Down deep in the chassis, the CX8 models use the brand’s Opti-Clean cleaning shoe system, which was originally introduced on the large rotary. The company claims it offers a 20 per cent cleaning improvement over previous designs because of the longer sieve stroke and steeper throwing angle, keeping material airborne for longer to enhance cleaning. To minimize the risk of blowing kernels out the back, the Opti-Fan automatically adjusts its speed to compensate for inclines. It slows if the combine is moving uphill and accelerates on downhill tracks. The six Opti-Speed straw walkers do the same to keep material moving at an optimum rate to reduce losses regardless of the field terrain.

New Holland introduces its new CX8 Series straw walker combines to appeal specifically to the Western Canadian and Northern U.S. Plains small-grains growers. photos: new holland

A new rotary If you want to harvest small grains and still have your heart set on a rotary, NH has something new for you consider there too. It is introducing the CR8.90 Elevation, another class 8 model which is a little different from the existing CR8.90 that is built in Grand Island, Nebraska. “Many of you will recognize we already have a class 8 machine,” says MacKenzie. “What’s the difference with this class 8 and why is it focused on the small grains farmer? The ‘elevation’ is the clue. The CR8.90 Elevation is a small grain focused machine. It has exactly the same cleaning

shoe as in the 10.90. The Opti-Clean cleaning shoe, it’s optimized for small grains, that technology we’re bringing down into the class 8 segment to offer alongside our Grand Island machines.” “There are small changes relating to horsepower and grain tank, but primarily this is a combine focused on western Canadian and northern plains States of the U.S., small grains customers. They get the benefit of that high-capacity cleaning shoe.” Regardless of whether you choose a CX or CR version, NH is offering some updates to the cab it introduced a year ago. The same one gets installed on both ranges. The removable cooler that hides under the buddy seat is now a standard feature. “We saw very

high take rates (from customers), so we’ve made it standard,” explains MacKenzie. And to keep you entertained, you can get a satellite radio system right from the factory. To keep both CR and CX machines working late into the night, a new LED lighting package is available for 2016 that should help brighten things up. “LED technology gives us a real step forward from HID,” says MacKenzie. “We’re the first to offer a comprehensive work light package. 25 lights in that package become LED, including far-distance lights that shine out to 1,600 feet. And I mean 1,600 feet. They’re incredible.” † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

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OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Machinery & Shop

New machinery

Case IH upgrades its 140 Series combines 240 series combine features trickle down to the 140 line

photo: case ih

Case IH’s 140 Series combines have been upgraded with most of the features of the higher-powered 240 Series combines.

ase IH has made some major changes to its 140 Series combines for 2016. “Most of the innovative features that customers have come to love on the 240,” said Case’s North American combine marketing manager Cy Werda, “we’ve been able to bring them down to the 140 series, except for the CVT drives.” Tom Dean, director of marketing, told ag media members at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, that the new 140 combines “draw off some of the high tech features of our larger combines.” The 140s will now get a brand new two-speed electronic shift transmission. This feature will provide “more operator comfort and more productivity,” Dean said, and also, a “faster working harvesting speed.” New split concaves in the 140 Series “makes them a much lighter weight,” Dean said. Now, they are “less than half the weight of those old pull section combines.” Each of the six concaves in the 140 Series combines weigh in at 38 pounds. And, a repositioned tailings elevator makes the concaves easier to access. Unloading also gets an upgrade. “Our clean grain elevator is much greater capacity,” Dean said. “On the unloading auger we now have a pivot spout like what we have in the 240 series.” At the tail end, Dean said, there is a “brand new residue management system.” A new chevron pattern on the chopper will giver farmers better residue distribution. “That was almost enough change we probably could have put new model numbers on those,” Dean said. “That’s a lot of enhancements for a model year.” †

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Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews.

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Machinery & Shop

Farming in Australia

These Utes are real road warriors The tough left-drive trucks driven by Aussies bring to mind those crazy Mad Max vehicles By Scott Garvey

he most obvious difference between road travel in Canada and Australia, is those blokes down under insist on driving on the wrong side of the centre line. A feat that requires a little concentration the first time you try it — if you’re used to Canadian highways. Australian farmers who’ve learned to adeptly shift gears with their left hand have the same basic needs as Canadian farmers when it comes to getting around. They need a pickup to use on the farm and to get them to town, and they need heavy trucks to haul livestock and grain. But from there, things start to look different. First the farm pickup, which in Canada is likely to be an F-250 or a competitive brand’s equivalent. In Oz (the shortened name Australians use to refer to their country) the farm pickup is a “Ute.” That’s another shortened term meaning a Utility Vehicle. They’re all configured pretty much the same way. There are several brands running around, but the vast majority of them are the classic Toyotas. Every one has a short aluminum

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Machinery & Shop 4

photo: scott garvey

1. The Ute (short for utility vehicle) is the typical Australian farm truck. The classic Toyota is the most popular. 2. Some Utes are equipped with snorkel tubes to raise the engine intake higher, which prevent it taking in water during stream crossings and keep it up out of the dust. This one also has the more extensive front-end guard to protect the truck if it hits a kangaroo. 3. End-dump semi trailers are still common on Australian farms for grain hauling. 4. A typical double-deck livestock truck in a B train configuration. 5. Most heavy trucks are equipped with a mesh guard to protect the windshields from stone damage. deck, which is likely to be occupied by at least one stock dog. Four-wheel drive, of course, is an absoute must. Then there is the “Bull bar,” which in many cases is part of a more extensive protective structure around the front of the truck. They’re there to protect vehicles from damage if they hit a kangaroo on the highway. Those animals are widely considered to be a pest by many who believe the national herd should be culled. You’re likely to find a pair of antennae mounted to the Bull bar. One is to enhance cellular telephone reception in remote areas, the other is for a UHF radio. The radios are not only used for on-farm communication, but to talk to other farmers when necessary, such as when bush fires are threatening. That makes them the Australian version of the CB. Utes are often fitted with snorkels, which raise the engine intake higher to keep water out when crossing streams. When it comes to heavy trucks, double-trailer B trains are pretty common. Livestock trains look a lot different than a typical North American cattle liner. The double-deck configuration requires special loading and unloading chutes. Grain trailers are more likely to be of the end-dump variety than the hopper bottoms common to Canadian farms. “That’s just because we’re set up for end dumps,” explained one trailer marketing rep manning a display at the Commonwealth Bank AgQuip machinery expo in Gunnedah, New South Wales in August. Although, he added, hopper-bottom models are being imported from North America and are gradually becoming more popular due to their lighter tare weight. Heavy trucks and truck tractors are a real mix of North American and European brands, all converted to left-hand drive of course. Shorter, cab-over truck tractors are still popular here in order to comply with the maximum overall length regulations. Each state has its own separate laws regulating truck and farm machinery dimensions, which is an irritant to many truckers and farmers. † Scott Garvey is machinery editor for Grainews. Contact him at Scott.Garvey@fbcpublishing.com.

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Cattleman’s Corner forage production

Cover crop increases feed and profits Producing more pasture as well as winter feed supply BY ANGELA LOVELL

ne of the biggest questions Manitoba cattle producer Dan Shwaluk had about cover crops was, “where’s the money in it?” After two years of planting cover crops on his farm he’s seen exactly where the money is — in his pocket. He’s getting more than 10 tonnes of silage feed per acre off his cover crops — at least 30 per cent more than he gets from barley — and with reduced input costs compared to a grain or oilseed, it’s only costing him between $11 to $12 per acre to produce. Shwaluk was one of a group of producers in western Manitoba who hosted grazing club tours — funded by Ducks Unlimited Canada — at their farms earlier this year, which provided other producers the chance to learn about the benefits of cover crops. He seeded a mix of annual crops that include cereals, brassicas, grasses and legumes. “My ultimate goal was to have feed for my cattle,” says Shwaluk, whose cow-calf operation is close to Shoal Lake in western Manitoba. “I planned on wintering 100 head and the guy that did my silage says I’ve got enough there for 300 cows. I’m probably going to sell some of this silage or custom feed some cattle. It has certainly given me some more options.” Shwaluk had a lot of old tame hay fields he broke into cropland when he reduced his beef herd a few years ago. But now that he’s increasing the cowherd again he needed the land for feed. “I could have

gone with a monoculture crop for silage or put it back into hay, but I wanted to have more options of what I would grow. The cover crop seemed to be a good fit for a number of reasons,” he says. “One of the biggest reasons is that I didn’t have to put as much fertilizer on the land and I didn’t have to do any chemical weed control because everything that was growing there it goes to feed cows. So that was an easy choice for me to make.” Shwaluk grew his first complete cover crop in 2014. “I’ve been trying different combinations and trying to figure out how to make it work. Then I just jumped in and put in 10 to 11 different crops in a mix and let it go,” he says. “I turned my back and walked away and when I came back later to have a look, I was impressed.” Shwaluk plans to move the cover crop to different fields each year before returning the land to an annual crop like canola.

SAVING ON FERTILIZER While he’s reducing input costs by growing a cover crop for forage, at the same time Shwaluk’s benefitting from the nitrogen-fixing plants. And there was enough re-growth after taking off the silage for either a second cut or more grazing. “At seeding I applied the regular amount of phosphate and potash but only half of the nitrogen I’d put down for a cereal crop,” says Shwaluk.”I’ve got clovers and hairy vetch that fix nitrogen themselves. One

of the biggest reasons I decided to go with cover crops is that I didn’t have to apply as much fertilizer. As well, I didn’t have to do any chemical weed control because everything that was growing there goes to feed cows. That was an easy choice for me to make.” Shwaluk has also tried swath and bale grazing on the cover crop to extend his grazing season, which means he’s been spending less on feedlot cleaning. “The feedlot cleaner keeps complaining that my bills are getting smaller,” he says. “I used to have 20 hours of corral cleaning and this year it only took three and a half hours.” Shwaluk’s cover crop mix this year was Cowboy barley, tillage radish, hairy vetch, crimson clover, red clover, red proso millet, Italian ryegrass, and a brassica. The seed mix supplied by Elmer’s Friendly Acres Seed Farm near Saltcoats, Saskatchewan cost about $27 an acre. While the forage mix is more expensive than straight cereal seed, Shwaluk says his cost to produce each tonne is lower because of the increase in biomass of the cover crops which is producing more feed and the reduction in chemicals and fertilizers.

DIVERSITY HANDLES ALL CONDITIONS Shwaluk used a slightly different mix last year of oats, wheat, triticale, barley, fall rye, hairy vetch, crown millet, red clover, Italian ryegrass and daikon radish. He’s pleased with the results of both mixes. The diversity

photo: angela lovell

Manitoba farmers have a look at a cover crop at Dan Shwaluk’s farm near Shoal Lake. of crops is far better able to handle different soil and weather conditions. In 2016 Shwaluk says he plans to experiment with the mix, making sure he has a balance of warm and cool season crops, as well as a balance of drought-tolerant and water-tolerant crops in his pastures. As he relies heavily on grazing cattle on community pastures, he’d like to develop a plan to keep more at home and grow less cereal crops. “There’s not much money left in cereal crops and I’m worried that the value of the canola crop is not going to last very long either,” says Shwaluk. “If I go to this type of cover crop rotation where some of it made into feed and some for rotational grazing, I won’t have to be buying fertilizer or chemicals.” † Angela Lovell is a freelance writer based in Manitou, Man.

the Markets

Feedlots looking at negative margins this fall Jerry Klassen Market Update

ed and feeder cattle prices have come under pressure over the past couple weeks as the market anticipates growing beef, pork and poultry supplies. The cattle complex is in a transition stage from contraction to expansion while pork and poultry have experienced production increases throughout 2015. The demand picture has also turned softer. Canada is technically in a recession while U.S. economic growth has stagnated. The average consumer is experiencing lower disposable income while September and October are months when beef consumption tends to slowdown.

Feeder cattle markets across North America are feeling the effects of narrowing feedlot margins. U.S. feedlots are currently in red ink by nearly US$300 per head while Alberta margins are running $80 to $100 below profitable levels. Replacement cattle prices across the prairies are starting to grind lower with the deferred live cattle futures reflecting lower fed cattle prices in the winter and spring of 2016. The Western Canadian grain harvest is in the final stages and the barley fundamentals remain historically tight for the 2015-16 crop year. The potential risk of higher input costs is also weighing on feeder cattle markets.

U.S. NUMBERS U.S. cattle on feed inventories as of September 1 were three per cent above over year-ago levels, which was somewhat larger

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

2012

2013

2014

EST. 2015

EST. 2016

6,283

6,172

5,868

5,664

5,925

6,475

6,517

6,183

5,885

6,530

6,584

6,608

6,179

6,005

6,355

6,571

6,420

6,021

6,025

6,125

Total

25,913

25,717

24,251

23,549

24,935

Source USDA

than the industry anticipated. In addition to the larger on-feed number, carcass weights are running 22 lbs. above last year. Fed cattle marketings during August were down approximately six per cent compared to August of 2014. Cattle are being fed to heavier weights as feedlot operators hope for some recovery in prices. U.S. August placements were down five per cent from last year. The cattle on feed report has caused some minor adjustments in quarterly beef production estimates. U.S. beef production during the final quarter of 2015 will be similar to last year while sharp yearover-year increases are projected in subsequent quarters throughout 2016. Total beef production for 2016 is projected finish 1.4 billion pounds above 2015. Expanding supplies of competing meats are also weighing on the beef market. Quarterly pork production has experienced yearover-year increases during most of 2015 and marginal increases are projected for 2016. U.S. broiler production is expected to finish near 40 billion pounds, up from 38.5 billion pounds in 2014. Next year, broiler production is projected to experience another sharp year-over year increase.

CANADIAN NUMBERS Cattle on feed in Alberta and Saskatchewan as of September 1 totaled 633,426 head, up three per cent from September 1, 2014. Placements during August were also three per cent above year-ago levels while fed-cattle marketings were down a whopping 10 per

cent. Packers have been struggling to clean up market-ready supplies because exports to the U.S. of chilled and processed beef have slowed. At the same time, slaughter steer and heifer exports to the U.S from January 1 through September 5 were only 144,400 head, down 45 per cent in comparison to the same time of 2014. In late September, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $180 to $182 while bids from processors south of the border were in the mid $170s. U.S. wholesale choice product has been trading at US$230/cwt, which compares to US$246/cwt last year as U.S. beef consumption slows down. U.S. at-home food expenditures during August dropped below year-ago levels by 0.5 per cent. Away-from-home food spending continues to run above last year but has also eased over the past month. The main point is that demand is not growing but rather declining with retail beef prices near historical highs. Most consumers are facing a tighter budgets and lower disposable income that is having a negative effect on beef consumption.

FEEDER PRICES Feeder cattle prices continued to trade near historical highs until mid September. Prices on all weight categories dropped by $10 to $12 as the deferred live cattle futures dropped to levels not seen since the fall of 2013. It is important to realize that 850 lb. steers entering the feedlot in September have a breakeven near $200 for January delivery. Given

the current level of the February live cattle futures, Alberta feedlots can only expect a fed selling price of $180 in January and about $178 in April. Given the sharp year-over-year increase in first and second quarter beef production, it is difficult to justify a $20 rally between now and January so feeder cattle prices are expected to remain under pressure throughout the fall period. As noted earlier, feed grain prices also have potential to strengthen over the winter, which could further weigh on the feeder cattle market. I’m expecting fed cattle prices to trade in the range of $178 to $184 for the remainder of 2015, which will keep feeding margins in Western Canada in the range of -$75 to -$125 per head. This will cause feeder cattle prices to grind lower throughout the fall period. Cow-calf producers will want to sell earlier rather than later in fall. Backgrounding operators need to be extremely careful because yearling price next spring could be about $10 to $20 below current levels. A prudent risk management strategy will be needed. The contraction phase is over and the market is now adjusting to growing beef supplies. † Jerry Klassen is manager of the Canadian office for Swiss based grain trader GAP SA Grains and Products Ltd. He is also president and founder of Resilient Capital — a specialist in commodity futures trading and commodity market analysis. Aside from owning farmland in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, he’s a University of Alberta graduate who grew up on a mixed farm feedlot operation in Southern Alberta, which keeps him close to the grassroots of grain and cattle production. He can be reached at 204 504 8339.

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Cattleman’s Corner anyone can start farming

Learning a lesson in polled genetics Since horns aren’t needed it is simpler to produce polled cattle Debbie Chikousky

s most cattle producers are aware there is an updated Canada Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle coming into effect January 2016. Although these are recommendations and not laws, the guidelines bear studying. The impetus behind these guidelines is to ensure safe and humane livestock handling practices, which also seems to fit with consumer demand for humanely raised food animals. The one section that raised interest for our farm involves changes to on-farm horn removal practices. The old Code of Practice advised pain control under the direction of your veterinarian. As of January 1, 2016 the beef industry will be expected, not just advised, to use pain control, as directed by a veterinarian to mitigate pain associated with dehorning cattle. The motivation for using polled cattle will be much greater so we have started educating ourselves.

POLLED GENETICS So how does polled genetics work in cattle? Good question. We bred a homozygous polled Jersey to a horned Jersey and the result was a polled bull calf. From what I understand of genetics I had always been told

that the polled gene was recessive. Imagine my surprise to see a polled calf. Imagine also how excited I was. Research has now taught me that the polled gene in cattle appears to be dominant. Research has also shown that scurs — a small unattached growth of horn at the site of a normal horn in cattle — is a separate gene. It is very confusing to learn most horned cattle breeds were intentionally bred to be horned. Some believe horned cattle are meatier and the horns are supposed to be there. For our farm, horns are not needed. We do not tie our animals by the horns, which was one handling practice in past years and one reason they bred cows to have horns. Today, buyers discount the price of steers with horns so just breeding to not have them is our goal. An excellent tool for projecting breeding outcomes is the Punnett Square. Following are a few basic principles of genetics, which need to be considered when using one. • All animals have two copies of each gene and pass them to their progeny. • An individual animal with the same two alleles for a gene is homozygous. An individual with two different alleles for a gene is heterozygous. • An animal has an equal chance of passing on each one of their alleles. • In traits with complete dominance (from what I have learned an example is horns), an animal needs only one of the dominant alleles

to display the dominant phenotype (polled). An animal needs two recessive alleles to display the recessive phenotype (horned).

TRACK THE GENES Once a farmer has the pedigrees of the chosen cow and bull in place they can then use a Punnet Square to project polled or horned. For us, we use an Angus bull on our beef herd, so we will always have polled cattle. This is also important if we were to reintroduce a potentially horned breed again, such as Shorthorn, but don’t want the horns. To organize a Punnett Square, (see diagram) assign the top of the square for one parent’s genotype and use the left side of the square for the other parent. You will want one row or column per genotype option. The genotype options depend on the potential alleles passed from the parents to the offspring. For example, if a parent has a genotype of Aa, the parent will pass either an “A” or “a” to the next generation and these would be the genotype options. If looking at two genes, then all combinations of the alleles for each gene need to be included (an individual that is Aa for gene one and Bb for gene two could pass AB, Ab, aB, or ab to the next generation). Starting with the top parent, you can fill in the each column with the header genotype. Similarly, each row can be filled in with the genotype option listed to the left for that row. Each resulting cell will represent a potential

genotype for the offspring (half from the sire and half from the dam) and has an equal chance of occurring. If you mate two heterozygous parents for one trait and the trait is only controlled by one gene, you will have a Punnett Square with four blocks (two options per parent). If you have a trait controlled by two genes (or if you are looking at the frequency of offspring for two traits) and the parents are heterozygous, then you will have a Punnett square with 16 cells (two different genes and two alleles/ gene = four options per parent). Some of the cells in the Punnett Square will have duplicate genotypes and these can be added together to find predicted frequency of the offspring. Some of the cells within the Punnett Square will have different genotypes but the same phenotype. For instance, with a completely dominant trait, the heterozygotes will appear the same as the homozygote dominant animals. In the case of horns as long as you have one “P” the animal should be polled. The calf’s head will have only one swirl in the centre. To illustrate, if you bred a polled bull to a horned cow your Punnett square would look like Diagram 1, showing a 100 per cent chance the offspring will be heterozygous polled. If you bred that offspring back to a homozygous horned animal you would get a Punnett square like Diagram 2, showing a 50 per cent chance of a heterozygous polled offspring and a 50 per cent chance of a homozygous

PUNNETT SQUARE 1.

photo: debbie chikousky

This Jersey calf was born polled. horned offspring. These squares explain my polled calf and if he is used for breeding what would result. Genetics are fun. We have never enjoyed dehorning calves and are also looking into different ideas for our goats. That is a whole different genetic trail though because they are entirely different from cattle. For now we will just keep track of our genetics and phase out horns. † Debbie Chikousky farms with her family at Narcisse, Manitoba. Visitors are always welcome. Contact Debbie at debbie@ chikouskyfarms.com.

Animal Health

Risk of tetanus in cattle increasing Best approach is to prevent it through vaccination Roy Lewis animal health

n the last several years tetanus has most definitely been increasing in incidence across Canada so it is important that producers know what to look for and understand measures to prevent this deadly disease. Tetanus is caused by the bacterium Clostridium Tetani that is the same family of organisms which causes blackleg. This spore-producing bacteria causes fairly sudden death and treatment is often not successful. There are differences in susceptibility to tetanus among the different species with horses being the most sensitive and cattle being more resistant. However, it is in cattle where producers and veterinarians have seen the increase in cases. The cases are always associated with a puncture wound or cut. These wounds can be internal such as a deep scrape to the genital tract of cattle during calving or banding large bulls.

COMMON SYMPTOMS Once susceptible animals have been exposed it takes one to three weeks for

disease to occur. Clinical signs include an animal displaying a sawhorse stance, often prolapse of the third eyelid and lockjaw. The lockjaw caused by the contraction of the masseter muscles also causes tremendous salivation. The veterinarian will most likely have you treat with very high doses of penicillin and give large amounts of tetanus antitoxin especially around the wound. As indicated earlier, treatment is usually futile, recovery is very rare but has been reported in cattle.

PREVENTION IS BEST APPROACH The best solution is prevention. One must be careful as very few of the blackleg (clostridial) vaccines contain tetanus. It is generally only in the eight-way or nine-way vaccines and you must check the label to make sure it is present. Your veterinarian can best advise as to which vaccine carries tetanus. In horses the yearly three- or four-way vaccines will often carry tetanus or you can get tetanus as an individual vaccine. Veterinarians will often ask when castrating your horse or when suturing a cut if the tetanus vaccinations are up to date. If not the horse will be given a booster shot. Often penicillin is given for a few days or if a long-acting shot is given this generally will protect your horse until immunity is established. Giving the animal a yearly

tetanus shot in the combination vaccines is the best approach in horses. Banding larger bulls with the elastrators really increases the risk and incidence of the disease if proper vaccination is not administered. We have also seen develop in cattle in cases where a dirty needle was used during vaccination and tail docking or shearing in sheep. A dog attack on a lamb also has caused the disease in the open wound created.

MAINTAIN VACCINATION Some producers have stopped vaccinating for tetanus. The reason I think is simple: as the combination vaccines have been developed often histophilus is combined with the clostridials, producers may think it is covered, but the combination does not include tetanus. Our clinic stresses the tetanus especially if banding calves in the feedlot. When banding it is best to vaccinate two weeks prior to banding. Proper disinfection at needling or castrating will also go a long way toward prevention. The risk increases with banding as open wound is exposed for quite a long time. Retained placentas especially in horses have been known to cause tetanus so boostering at the time of treatment would also be a great idea. The good news is the tetanus vaccine in combination with the other clostridials is one of the oldest and cheapest vaccines on the market. Boostering is imperative especially in situations such as banding or open castration. Treatment is unrewarding in

clinical cases. Talk to your veterinarian as to the specific vaccination they recommend for your cattle, horses, bison, elk, camelids, or sheep and goats. All species should be current in their vaccination for tetanus.

HUMAN RISK This is a disease which can also affect humans. Every time you see the doctor about a cut or abrasion they will ask when you last received a tetanus shot. People are usually boostered about every 10 years. As with the other clostridial diseases another booster will give long immunity. Most producers will booster the cowherd yearly to also pass protection off in the colostrum. With proper administration of the clostridial vaccines close to 99 per cent protection is achieved for tetanus. Some of the other clostridial diseases protection wont be as good or last as long. Calves when born to protected cows receive protection in the colostrum, which will last two months. I hope by keeping your herd current with vaccinations means you will never see a case of tetanus or any other clostridial disease for that matter. They are not a pretty sight and prognosis once clinical signs start is very very poor. If you want protection against tetanus read the label closely to make doubly sure Clostridium Tetani is one of the organisms listed as many do not contain this disease and infection is almost always fatal. † Roy Lewis is an Alberta-based veterinarian specializing in large-animal practice. He is also a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

BUILDING TRUST IN CANADIAN BEEF

Respect required for feed ingredients Why paying attention is important One problem with one cattle operation. That’s all it could take for a feed ingredient error to become an industry issue. Not surprisingly, given their significance in the production chain, feedlots have been leaders in information development and managing feed issues. As cattle move from ranches and farms into feedlots, the industry is tested on its ability to manage feed ingredients properly. Feedlots are front and centre. One of the most important Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with the Verified Beef Production (VBP) Program is “Feed and water: Medicated and non-ruminant feed.” It covers standards for receiving and storing medications, mixing in feed or water and ways to avoid cross-contamination. It also includes information on what to do if something goes wrong. The SOP for feed ingredient management in the VBP Program backs the feedlot industry in a number of key ways. Support for individual programs. Canada’s feedlot industry is among the most developed and sophisticated in the world. Many have record-keeping and staff-training programs specific to their operation. VBP provides an important industry backup support for individual programs. Averting regulatory overload. One of the simple principles the beef industry has operated by is to be proactive in meeting customer needs. Operating at a high level voluntarily helps prevent regulatory programs being forced on the production level of the cattle industry. Complementing packer affidavits. VBP standards fit hand in glove with the food industry chain requirements. For example, complementing affidavits required by packers. VBP

VBP is designed to support existing feed management practices at the farm or feedlot.

provides supporting evidence that label requirements or veterinary prescriptions are followed. Training employees. Some feedlots use VBP as a basis to train new employees. This training is particularly important in feedlots during the busy fall run when new employees join the team, or people are tackling new positions. Cross-reference check. The standards in VBP are a simple double-check to confirm correct procedures have been followed, and early detection for possible errors. Furthering understanding. The SOP for medicated feed and water ingredients helps all those involved to have a common understanding of the effect these standards have downstream in the marketplace. When something goes wrong. Outcomes out-

lined by VBP are an important support for individual producers and their industry if something does go wrong. Get market ready

Beef producers know each issue that affects customer confidence is a lesson from the marketplace. The secret is simple: Be prepared. Those who feed medicated ingredients can check the VBP website www.verifiedbeef.org under the Producer Manual for SOP 2, to ensure they are current in their knowledge of feed ingredient management. Better yet, they can participate in VBP and become registered under the program. That means third-party proof they are doing the right things before someone comes asking.

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Cattleman’s Corner Rancher’s Diary

Sudden feed change claims life of a heifer Another book about farm critters in the works heather smith thomas

SEPTEMBER 1 e’ve had a lot of hot weather, and smoke from nearby fires. Andrea and I have been riding most days, training Willow (the three-yearold Morgan filly), and today was Willow’s 28th ride. Andrea has been doing most of the irrigating, and sometimes the kids go with her. When they were changing water in the back field where the cows were, Emily and Dani enjoyed letting the cows and calves come up to them. I’ve been working on my third book of ranch stories. It follows Cow Tales — More True Stories from an Idaho Ranch, which came out this summer. Horse Tales — True Stories from an Idaho Ranch came out last year. The book I’m writing now is a collection of dog stories, cat tales, pig tales and other crazy critters. Michael reshod Dottie for me. Later that day Andrea and I rode Dottie and Willow to the 320-acre pasture to make sure no range cows had gotten in, and rode on up into the high range. It was

Willow’s longest ride and her first time up in the timber, but she did very well. Her feet are amazingly tough; she still doesn’t need shoes. Young Heather brought Shiloh down her to the new pen. Shiloh is the Arab-Morgan that Heather trained for her college professor five years ago, and later was given to us. We had a bad windstorm Saturday night that shredded the tarp on my haystack next to the hay shed. Andrea and Robbie helped me put a new tarp over it, which was a challenge because there was still a wind blowing. The billowing tarp spooked Rishiam (Andrea’s Arab gelding) in the pen next to the stack, and he ran around the pen and leaped over the gate. Michael used the backhoe later that day to smooth the deep ruts in our stackyard (created when the ground was wet last fall) so we can maneuver to unload the alfalfa hay we’re buying. Andrea and I hurriedly cleaned house. Ray and Jeannie Bullock (from Rhode Island) stopped here mid-morning for a visit (and lunch). We met Ray at the World Burn Congress in North Carolina in 2008. Ray’s son is a burn survivor and we’ve kept in touch. Michael and Carolyn brought home our other bull that they’d borrowed, and we put him in the corral with Thunderbull. We put

the two bred heifers (that were keeping our bull company in the corral so he wouldn’t try to jump out) back to the field with the other cows and heifers.

SEPTEMBER 15 Michael and Carolyn rode up to the 320 last week and turned loose some beetles that eat knapweed. That noxious weed has spread from the county road into our upper pastures and we’re trying to control it before it takes over those pastures. Two weeks ago a we moved the cows to another pasture we noticed that one bred heifer was breathing hard, and we thought she had pneumonia. We took her slowly down to the corral and gave her antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication. It started raining that night so we put her in a shed, out of the rain. We treated the heifer again that evening and gave her fluid by stomach tube since she wasn’t eating and drinking and had a high fever. The next morning we had our vet come look at her because she wasn’t responding to treatment, though she seemed bright and not very dull. He suspected she was suffering from emphysema (triggered by the change of feed — going from

photo: heather smith thomas

Granddaughter Emily was the star attraction for young calves out on pasture.

the corral on hay, out to the lush green pasture). This problem is unusual in a yearling; it’s more common in older cows. She was running out of air because her lungs were so compromised. Indeed, she didn’t last much longer; she died that afternoon. Tuesday Andy and his son hauled hay for us from their ranch at Lone Pine — two trips with the big truck and one smaller trailer. Saturday and Sunday Michael helped us haul some grass hay we bought locally. Since we no longer use the

range, we pasture more of our fields and have to buy more hay. Andrea has been diligently irrigating with what little water we have (shared between the first and second water rights). She and her five dogs go trekking through the fields; they love to go with her four-wheeler to irrigate. She’s kept our pastures green and growing (so they will support our cow-calf herd all summer), greener than they’ve been for several years.

» continued on page 53

animal health

A prolapse is not just a prolapse

There are many factors that can contribute to a vaginal prolapse Roy Lewis

he act of replacing a vaginal prolapse is really just the visible part. There are many other aspects veterinarians consider when they are working on these. The cause, method of replacement, long-term care and expected force of straining afterwards must all be considered when they are corrected. As an experienced veterinarian, there are times when I must use my complete bag of tricks to help the producer arrive at a favorable outcome. The instances of a classic vaginal prolapse, which occurs before calving with a soccer-ball size or bigger mass protruded from the vagina, have been greatly reduced in subsequent years by culling these cows. Once recognized as highly heritable weakness in the animal, producers eliminated them from the gene pool and didn’t keep any of their heifer offspring as replacements — the occurrences declined remarkably.

DIFFERENT CAUSES Now we see many different causes for vaginal prolapses and these must be differentiated in order to provide service to our clients. In my view, it isn’t enough to simply freeze with an epidural, reduce the prolapse, suture and leave. A further physical exam may identify the cause of the straining. The prolapse is simply the end result of the animal straining. Kidney and/or bladder infection, low-grade peritonitis, a uterus full of infection, or a large full-term calf or twins are some of the reasons cows start straining.

Really, there are many causes too numerous to mention — I have even seen prolapses in overweight, out of shape show cows. Once the vagina protrudes through the vaginal lips it can dry out and get covered with manure. This in itself is irritating and results in further straining plus the prolapse gets bigger from edema or a fuller bladder kinked off underneath it. To me it’s absolutely critical for the veterinarian to treat any of the medical reasons that may have contributed to the prolapse. With heavily pregnant cows, after the prolapse is reduced, it’s again important for your veterinarian to give some idea of what stage of pregnancy the cow is at, when to watch for imminent calving, and in some cases induce calving if the cow is close enough. In cases where sutures need to be removed, if the producer has a good idea of when to observe calving there is a good chance of survival. Inducing labour is only advisable if the cow is within 10 days of her calving date. Otherwise the producer and veterinarian may need to closely watch for imminent calving clues such as the size of the fetus, udder fill with colostrum, looseness of the vulval lips and even when she calved last year. You want to maximize the chances of delivering a viable calf anytime a cow is induced. I have found if the colostrum looks very normal thick and creamy the cow may be close enough to induce. This is a decision to be made by the producer and veterinarian. Inducing too early can result in retained placentas and potentially premature calves. It is not uncommon if cows are palpated

close to calving to find either a large calf or twins. This pressure from the calves along with a full rumen can push her vagina out the back end hence the problem. If the prolapse goes back in when the cow moves around I don’t panic as these are better left hoping she calves and the problem is over. If they stay out they must be repaired, as the cow cannot have a calf with this large mass in the way. Older cows may have the condition worsen each year starting with a small bubble, which just protrudes a little bit when lying down.

THREE PROCEDURES There are three main ways to reduce prolapses, depending on the circumstances. 1. Using the standard purse string suture, which acts as drawstring to pull the vaginal lips together. I only use this technique in cows severely straining or non-pregnant cows. 2. Your vet may tie rubber tubing across the suture ends. Large knot balls, pulled tight, are left at the loose ends of the suture ends. The rubber tubing is knotted over the ends. The advantage of this technique is if you are not present to cut the sutures as the cow begins to calve, the calf’s legs will break or separate the tubing allowing the vaginal lips to fall out of the way so the calf is delivered naturally. Most times after calving the prolapse will not reoccur until of course next year with the hereditary ones. Always be careful, if the suture is left in on prolapsed vagina after calving, that

enough room is left in case a bull breeds the cow. The last thing we want is an injured bull from a vaginal suture catching his penis at breeding. If at all possible keep the cow separate, don’t breed her, and ship her when the calf is weaned. My rule is most prolapsed vaginas will recur. Shipping cows prone to prolapse related to hereditary factors is recommended, however, other causes of prolapsing such as a kidney infection or peritonitis are cured with medication. Close to calving, kidneys are strained from filtering the calf’s blood as well as the cow’s, so low grade infections tend to reappear then. Your veterinarian can give guidance if and when the suture is to be removed. Sometimes they can be left in until the cow is shipped. 3. The last technique involves administering a good epidural and reducing the prolapse with a device that holds the vagina in and pins it through the musculature in the pelvis. Once the pin is in place, a plastic washer is placed over this pin. I only use this if cows are close to calving and not overly straining. Cows will calve with the device in place, but the whole apparatus must be removed a week or so after calving. Some veterinarians will use this on both sides of the pelvis — a double repair so to speak. The cow should calve normally with little risk of any complications, but again make sure to remove the apparatus. Work with your veterinarian to reduce the incidence of these in the future and remember the initial cause is what we also need to know. It’s not enough to simply reduce and suture in all cases. Often an explanation can be found if one looks for it. Remember a prolapse is not just a prolapse. † Roy Lewis is an Alberta-based veterinarian specializing in large-animal practice. He is also a part-time technical services vet for Merck Animal Health.

OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

The Dairy Corner

Soybeans have excellent fit in dairy diets Sometimes more expensive, but they can put more milk in the tank BY PETER VITTI

am fortunate to travel across wide stretches of Manitoba and have observed the explosive growth of soybean acres over the last decade. From 2005, only about 100,000 acres were planted and this acreage has steadily increased to about 1.3 million acres, today. Recently, I asked many dairy/soybean producers, why they grew this crop. Most tell me that shorter season varieties that became available in the last few years, less expensive inputs than other oilseeds, strong soybean prices and favorable onthe-farm crop rotations made soybeans attractive to grow. In the light of this soy revolution, I have always been a big fan of adding soybean-derived ingredients into dairy lactation diets. Soybeans are a good source of dietary protein, and few people realize it is a high energy feed. Its ruminal degradable and un-degradable protein fractions compliment much of the total protein requirements of high milk producing dairy cows.

HIGH IN PROTEIN Whole soybeans are about 42 per cent crude protein and about 19 to 20 per cent fat. The rumen un-degradable portion of its protein (RUP) is about 26 per cent. When soybeans are crushed and the oil is removed, the resulting meal has a protein content of either 44 or 48 per cent crude protein depending on the level of fibrous hull allowed to remain after processing. Then its RUP feature also rises to 35 per cent bypass protein. Although, soybean processing removes most of its fat, soybean meal (one per cent crude fat) still yields a high Nel value measured at 1.90 Mcal/kg compared to 2.0 Mcal/kg for barley or corn. I believe this energy partially comes from a

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52

Sudden feed change claims life of a heifer Last week we moved the cows from heifer hill to the field by Andrea’s house. The easiest way to get them through the hot wire was to lift it up and let them go under it. They respect that electric wire so much that some of them didn’t want to go under it, even though it was several feet above them. The last young cow reluctantly ducked under it and hunkered way down in the process.

SEPTEMBER 30 The rain earlier this month resulted in green regrowth in the old, dry grass. Alfonzo and Millers rounded up their cows off the range but missed some — and also had to leave one skinny old cow lame that was weak. The next day Lynn helped Alfonzo put another crippled old cow and her calf into his field. Andrea’s kids had elk tags for the depredation hunt (for culling

photo: peter vitti

With 1.3 million acres of soybeans in Manitoba it has not only become an important cash crop, but it can also be processed as an excellent protein source helping dairy cattle produce more milk. modest amount of starch (six per cent) retained after processing. On a personal note, sometimes, this energy comes in handy when I make 1:1 ingredient substitutions in dairy diets such as replacing one kilo of barley with one kilo of soybean meal in order to increase protein of the diet without tampering dietary energy value. Other oilseed meals such as canola and sunflower meals don’t have this advantage. Despite this unique energy feature, many dairy nutritionists and I still like soybeans/soymeal in dairy rations as a primary protein supplement. The initial ruminal degradable protein (RDP) in soybean meal can supply some energy, necessary ammonia, amino acids and protein peptides for maximum microbial growth. Soybean meal’s RUP has the best amino acid profile of any oilseed, which can supply essential lysine in the small intestine. What

amino acids that it may lack can be supplied by other complimentary protein ingredients. Another reason that I like soybeans for dairy cows is that it lends itself to industrial processes such as roasting of raw whole soybeans, which causes favorable changes to its internal protein structure. As a result, this makes cooked soybean protein more unavailable to the microorganisms in the rumen, but allows more of it to travel to the small intestine where it can supply more essential amino acids required for greater milk production. Digestibility trials with cannulated dairy steers (re: experimental cows with surgically placed holes in their sides) have demonstrated that raw soybeans and regular soybean meal have a RUP of 25 and 35 per cent, compared to roasted soybeans valued at 55 to 60 per cent RUP.

cow elk within a mile of private land) and went hunting several mornings and evenings without success. Then a week ago Dani shot her first elk. Lynn took our old jeep to retrieve it, and Dani helped hang it in our barn and skin it. Thursday Carolyn helped us round up our cows and run the calves through the chute for their vaccinations, and put nose flaps in all our heifer calves, for easy weaning. These work great; the calves get to stay with their mothers for companionship while the cows dry up their milk, and none of them are stressed. Michael and Carolyn put nose flaps in their heifers (and the two bull calves they are keeping) on Friday. Andrea and Robbie took Sam and Charlie out early that morning to hunt elk; they saw a nice group but didn’t get a shot. That evening those kids played in the band for the Homecoming game. Sam is doing well with her trumpet and Charlie is the only trombone player in the band. Today we brought our cows in from the field, put the calves through the chute and took out

their nose flaps. Our vet Bangsvaccinated the heifers, and pregchecked the cows. Then we put the steers and their mothers in good pasture until we sell the steers in a few days, put the weaned heifers in a little pasture below the barn, and the two bull calves in the orchard pasture. It’s nice to have them already weaned with the nose flaps; they went right to grazing, not missing their mamas at all. Michael hauled the heifers’ mothers (two trailer loads) to the upper place, and I rode up there on Dottie. Carolyn, young Heather and I moved them (along with their heifers’ mothers and bred heifers) to the 320-acre mountain pasture, where they can spend the rest of the fall until it snows under. Michael and Carolyn took salt up on four-wheelers, and got the upper water trough working (cleaned the mud and fir needles out of the springbox, and dead leaves). There’s lots of grass, and the cows will do fine up there for the rest of the fall. † Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband Lynn near Salmon, Idaho. Contact her at 208-756-2841.

MEANS MORE MILK There is no shortage of American and international dairy studies that frequently report up to a 1.5 kg milk yield increase when roasted beans replace either raw soybeans or soybean meal (energy adjusted) in early lactation diets, where protein and energy demands are the greatest. Typical positive milk responses tend to be more visible in these early diets where alfalfa-based diets are fed. Such field evidence demonstrates soybeans and its derivatives can be a good protein source for good milk production, but actual roasted soybeans and soybean meal usage in dairy diets compared to other protein sources such as canola meal and corn dried distillers’ grains is still determined by inherent economic advantage. Sometime

soybeans are not the cheapest protein sources in dairy diets. A practical comparison for these common feedstuffs upon a protein and by-pass protein basis is as follows (commodity prices quoted are for demonstration purposes only): • Soybean ml protein (48 per cent CP) = $580 mt/.48 = $ 1,208 mt vs Canola ml (36 per cent CP) = $370/.36 = $ 1028 mt • Soybean ml protein (48 per cent CP) = $580 mt/.48 = $ 1,208 mt vs Distiller’s grain (28 per cent CP) = $260/.28 = $928 mt • Roasted Soybeans RUP (41 per cent of CP) = $650 mt/.41/.50 = $ 3,170/mt vs Distiller’s grain RUP (60 per cent of CP) = $260/.28/ .60 = $ 1,548/mt Just because their competitive economics for soybean meal and roasted beans doesn’t seem to work out in this example, doesn’t mean that I would pull them out or not add them to existing dairy diets. With no explanation, I have seen well managed high milking dairy herds could not achieve substantial milk peaks due to supplemental canola meal, which was alleviated with a simple and equal substitution of soybean meal. On other farms, I have also seen combinations of canola meal and dried distillers grains fail in the milk tank, only to have milk production boosted by roasted soybeans. I believe soybeans, whether used as soybean meal or processed roasted bean can form a solid winning foundation in dairy diets. They offer a lot of good essential nutrients to support optimum milk production in dairy cattle. With the growth of soybean acres in Manitoba, and I hear another 300,000 acres were planted this year in Saskatchewan, the advocacy of using soybeans in dairy diets will most likely continue to grow. † Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Cattleman’s Corner Better bunks and Pastures

Mineral deficiency can affect weaned calves Even preconditioned and vaccinated calves can get sick in a feedlot PETER VITTI

ecently, I drove some back roads and took a picture of a herd of Black Angus cattle with a few of the cows and calves with a rough red hair coat or a red sheen to them. I was always taught in school that a red coat colour was a classic sign of a copper deficiency. Whether, any of these cattle suffer from poor copper status or something else like a sunburn is hard to say, yet an actual copper deficiency might explain several incidences of poor health and inadequate vaccination in many spring calves some producers have expressed to me since the calving season, ending months ago. It is important to make sure spring calves (and cows) are fed a good beef mineral (and vitamins) program in order to build a good mineral status for better immunity against disease. A good mineral status primarily underlies all weaning and preconditioning programs coming up this fall and winter. A deficiency of

one or more essential trace minerals in pre-weaned calves derails otherwise good immune function. This phenomenon occurs even before calf growth is affected and well before any visible signs such as a red coats on black calves appear. Furthermore, much of this impending damage to their immunity is often hidden, where calves may not reveal anything is wrong with their health and/or performance at the moment. For example, a Colorado study showed about one-third of preconditioned calves receiving vaccinations as part of their prime saleability were still getting sick immediately after they were shipped to feedlots. The researchers speculated such morbidity was due to poor mineral supplementation starting with their originating cow-calf herds. I draw my own similar conclusions — these calves had poor “vaccination take” (antibody titers) against disease, because under normal mineral supplementation; essential minerals work “behind the scenes” where normal immune function/response is triggered either by an invading disease or by vaccination. One scientific theory suggest such essential trace minerals act as “on/off

switches” in metabolic enzymes driving biochemical reactions working within the immune system. Specifically, a good balanced pre-weaned or pre-conditioned diet should contain adequate levels of biologically available copper, zinc and selenium, which leads to good health. Oddly enough, copper, zinc or selenium deficiencies are the only major evidence scientists have to verify that dietary levels of these trace minerals play a critical role in the immune function of cattle. Examples include: • Copper deficiency — Decrease in the number of white blood cells: mature phagocytic cells; neutrophils and macrophages. Reduction of T-lymphocytes and T-helper cells. Pronounced negative effect upon internal organs involved in immunity such as enlarged spleen and small thymus. • Zinc deficiency — Atrophy of the thymus, reduction of T-cells production in antibody production and reduced immune cell maturity. Reduction in the production of immunoglobulins. Poor vaccination “take” in cattle. • Selenium (and Vitamin E) deficiency — reduction in the number and reduce activity of white blood cells stimulated by

disease. Reduced antibody titres in vaccinated cattle. Poor white blood cell integrity. Luckily, there still is time to build up spring calves’ mineral status off copper, zinc, and selenium (and vitamin E), before they are weaned and some of these animals are moved onto further pre-conditioning and vaccination programs. I recommend feeding a commercial cattle mineral at the rate of 70 to 112 g per head per day (three to four ounces), either fed loose (accessible also to the cows) or mixed into an available calf creep diet. The actual formulation of such a well-balanced cattle mineral should first contain complimentary levels (to forages, grains and other feedstuffs) of macro-minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, salt (sodium chloride), magnesium and potassium. Then, it should contain adequate levels of copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, iodine and selenium based upon NRC cattle requirements (2001), which prevents basic or “primary trace mineral deficiencies.” Some of these trace mineral levels should be fortified even further, such as copper to correct possible “secondary” mineral deficiencies caused by a host of

antagonistic dietary factors. Case in point: high levels of molybdenum and/or sulphur bind copper in forages and grains, which makes it metabolically unavailable to beef calves. Aside from the above trace minerals put into the above feeding programs; Vitamin A, D and E are often included to meet the calves’ own respective requirements. In particular, Vitamin A is involved in the immune response against pathogens, where it is required for the production of white blood cells to fight disease. Vitamin E (along with selenium) plays an anti-oxidant role in animal cells, which again is associated with a strong immune system. Whether inorganic or organic zinc, copper, and selenium (along with vitamin E) are routinely fed, the current immunological proof points out that no immune function in beef calves exists or no vaccine works if their trace mineral nutrition is poor. It is a fundamental and repetitive rule of all successful beef calf feeding and management programs that help keep cow-calf revenues out of the red and into the black. † Peter Vitti is an independent livestock nutritionist and consultant based in Winnipeg. To reach him call 204-254-7497 or by email at vitti@mts.net.

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OCTOBER 20, 2015 grainews.ca /

Home Quarter Farm Life PRAIRIE PALATE

Getting tired of zucchini yet? Make some cakes with them — perfect for the freezer or eating warm from the oven sliced them into pasta primavera or a pot of minestrone soup. When they were as wide as my wrist, I chopped them into ratatouille or grilled them sliced with olive oil and rosemary. When they reached the girth of my grandmother’s rolling pin, I grated them for vegetable lasagna and zucchini chocolate cake. When I couldn’t keep up, I stacked the most plump and matronly zucchini like cordwood waiting for winter. And that’s when John came into the picture. “What’s with all the zucchini?” he asked. “Do you have something against zucchini?” “No.” “Good,” I said. “You’re having it for supper.” Cooking for two had the positive effect of doubling my zucchini consumption, but it seemed to make no dent whatsoever in the quantity of the raw material. The zucchini kept pace, as if sensing the drain on resources required a corresponding increase in supply. There’s a saying in rural parts that the only time you really need to lock your car is during zucchini season. John, however, had a slightly different take on this old adage. He suggested I box the zucchini, add a big red bow and put them in my car, unlocked.

Amy Jo Ehman

hen my husband and I got married 20 years ago, we had one prenuptial agreement, at his insistence: that I would never plant more than six zucchini at a time. Talk about tough love. Zucchini is my favourite summer vegetable, for a number of reasons. It grows quickly, it’s lush and attractive, the flowers are big and sunny, and it produces a ton of edible food. (Well, perhaps not literally a ton, though it may seem so at times.) Zucchini is incredibly versatile in the kitchen, whether the size of a baby finger or the size of a small canoe, whether in a soup, salad, main course or dessert. Best of all, zucchini flowers are edible, too, and what better way to curb this highly prolific plant than to nip it in the bud. In my first garden, I planted 12 zucchini. I had grand plans. I filled the flowers with a mix of herbs, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, rolled them gently in batter and fried them until crispy and gold. When the zucchini were small, I

As winter settled in, the last of the zucchini began to shrivel and turn yellow in my basement. I had to concede that, perhaps, too much of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing. “I’ve decided to take your zucchini pledge,” I announced, “and to prove my commitment, I’m going to toss the last of these zucchini into the compost pile.” He glanced at the bucket of yellow zucchini. “They’re rotting,” he said. “No,” I insisted, “just a bit soft.” I poked one to prove the flesh was still firm enough for the side of the grater. I made one final zucchini chocolate cake and, in a soft December snow, committed the last of the zucchini to the compost pile. True to my word, I reduced my zucchini patch to six and then to three, and miraculously, I’ve always had enough for one last zucchini chocolate cake as the snow flies. I often make this cake in two smaller pans and freeze one for another day. In fact, it’s often better on the second day, if you can resist it warm from the oven! You’ll find a recipe for chocolate zucchini muffins on my food blog, HomeForDinner.blogspot.com. † Amy Jo Ehman is the author of Prairie Feast: A Writer’s Journey Home for Dinner, and, Out of Old Saskatchewan Kitchens. She hails from Craik, Saskatchewan.

photo: amy jo ehman

ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CAKE 2-1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. cardamom 1-1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. soft butter

1/2 c. canola oil 1 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs 1 c. buttermilk 3 c. grated zucchini Handful of mini chocolate chips

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom into bowl. In another bowl, beat sugar, butter, oil and vanilla until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir in the grated zucchini. Pour batter into pan that has been greased and floured. Sprinkle on chocolate chips. Bake at 325 F for 40 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK FOR THE PRAIRIES Weather Forecast for the period of October 4 to October 31, 2015

Southern Alberta

Peace River Region

Saskatchewan

October 4 - 10 Variable temperatures. A few frosty nights. Fair, aside from scattered rain and gusty winds on a couple of occasions.

October 4 - 10 Variable temperatures. A few frosty nights. Fair, aside from a chance of snow on a couple of occasions. Gusty winds.

October 4 - 10 Fair with seasonal temperatures, but cooler, windy outbreaks on 2 or 3 occasions result in some rain. Chance of snow in the north.

October 11 - 17 Fair and milder days will alternate with cooler, wet days. Chance of snow in a few areas. Windy at times.

October 11 - 17 Fair and milder days will alternate with cooler, wet days. Chance of snow. Windy at times. October 18 - 24 Fair overall with seasonable temperatures, but cooler outbreaks on a couple of days bring some snow. Gusty winds.

October 11 - 17 Temperatures fluctuate from mild to cool under windy conditions. Changeable weather, as fair skies interchange with rain. Intermittent snow in the north.

October 18 - 24 Fair overall with seasonable temperatures, but cooler outbreaks on a couple of days bring scattered rain. Gusty winds from time to time.

October 25 - 31 Fair skies dominate although snow falls on a couple of occasions. Chance of heavier snow. Temperatures vary, but lean to the mild side. Blustery.

October 18 - 24 Temperatures will swing from mild to cool. Fair and dry days are interspersed with some snow north and rain south. Windy at times.

October 25 - 31 Fair skies dominate although rain and possibly snow falls on a couple of days. Temperatures vary, but lean to the mild side. Blustery.

-1 / 10 Grande Prairie 21.7 mms

October 4 - 10 Cooler air on a few windy days brings scattered rain. Risk of heavy rain south, and wet snow north. October 11 - 17 Fair, seasonal weather alternates with windy, cooler and wet weather in the south, and snow in the north. October 18 - 24 Fair skies interchange with scattered rain and blustery winds. Mostly mild, but a couple of cooler, wet days. Some snow in the north. October 25 - 31 Blustery winds send temperatures from mild to cool. Fair, but rain in the south on 2 or 3 occasions changes to periodic snow in central regions and the north.

Precipitation Forecast -2 / 11 Edmonton 17.3 mms

-1 / 10 Jasper

BELOW NORMAL

30.9 mms

-1 / 10

30.3 mms

Banff

-1 / 13 Calgary

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

October 25 - 31 Fair, apart from scattered rain in south, and snow in central regions and north on a couple of days. Seasonal to mild. Gusty winds.

Manitoba

15.5 mms

-3 / 12 Red Deer 20.2 mms

0 / 14 Medicine Hat cms Lethbridge 15.519mms 15.9 mms 26 cms1 / 14

-1 / 11 North Battleford

-3 / 10 Prince Albert 21.6 mms

1/8 The Pas

33.2 mms

NEAR NORMAL

13.6 mms

-1 / 11 Saskatoon 16.9 mms

-1 / 11 Yorkton

-1 / 11 Dauphin

1 / 11 -2 / 12 24.5 mms 31.2 mms Gimli 0 / 13 Regina -1 / 12 Moose Jaw 20.3 mms 39.8 mms Swift 18.3 mms 1 / 12 -2 / 12 Current Portage 0 / 11 -1 / 12 Brandon 32.7 mms Winnipeg 17.5 mms Weyburn BELOW 22.2 mms 29.5 mms NORMAL 19.7 mms 0 / 13 Estevan Melita -2 / 13 21.3 mms

28.2 mms

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

/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Home Quarter Farm Life

From garden to gallery Artist transforms gourds into works of art BY EDNA MANNING

hat transforms an object from the plant world into an exquisite work of art? Gourd artist Julie-Anne Wallewein will tell you it requires a great deal of time, hard work, and attention to detail. She takes great pride and satisfaction in the entire process that begins with a seed package and ends with a piece fit for a gallery. Wallewein and her husband Ken and their two sons, Riley and Reagan farm in the Estevan, Saskatchewan area, and she began growing ornamental gourds in her garden over 10 years ago. “It was always fun to pick them in the fall to see the different colours, shapes and sizes. “I tried drying them and did some research on the Internet. I found out how to clean them and bought my first wood-burning tool at a garage sale, and from there it was trial and error. Today my designs keep getting more detailed and elaborate,” she says. Gourds have been grown for centuries and used as storage containers, eating utensils, musical instruments and ornaments. More recently, gourd artists such as Wallewein have taken them to new levels. Wallewein’s artworks begin with starting the seeds early indoors. “I soak the seeds for a couple of days and nick the end before putting them in the soil. I cover the pots with plastic wrap to keep the moisture in, and a sunny warm windowsill is all they need. Once it is warm out, I move the pots onto the deck to harden off, and when all danger of frost is over the seedlings go in the garden. The longer and hotter the summer, the harder the gourds become,” she says. According to Wallewein, gourds should never be picked until after the first killing frost. A long growing season will ensure a thicker-

walled gourd, and they will keep their shape during the winter maturing process. “Once cut off the vine, I place the gourds on a pallet for better air circulation and leave them in the garden over the winter. Their outer skin will mould and peel and the inside will dry out. They are left buried in snow all winter, frozen hard as a rock,” Wallewein says. In the spring the gourds are placed in a container of hot soapy water with a little bleach and scrubbed with a pot scrubber to remove the outside layer. “It takes a lot of elbow grease, but the results are amazing. Underneath lies a beautiful wood-like finish. Now the creative work begins. “Just holding a gourd, looking at its shape and exterior markings helps me decide what and how I want the finished piece to look. Some just evolve as I work. “I love nature, so I work with a lot of leaves. I use real leaves and trace the outline onto the gourd and add my own detailing. Others I draw freehand.” Wallewein uses a variety of tools for engraving, carving and burning designs (known as pyrography) on the gourds. She’s taken a pyrography class at a Canadian Gourd Society Show, but is primarily self-taught, saying the Internet is great for checking out new techniques. Wallewein became a juried member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council (SCC) in 2011, and has had pieces displayed in galleries and in a touring exhibit. As a busy stay-at-home mom, Wallewein finds working on gourds relaxing and rewarding. “Seeing people’s reactions to my work is a great morale booster,” she says. For more information visit www. burntleafgourds.wordpress.com, www. facebook.com/burntleafgourds or email jkwallewein@sasktel.net. †

photos: edna manning

Top: Julie-Anne Wallewein working on one of the gourds. Bottom: A finished piece.

Edna Manning writes from Saskatoon, Sask.

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Home Quarter Farm Life FROM THE FARM

Storing food for the winter — here’s what works for us Our preferred methods are dehydrating the tomatoes and freezing the spaghetti squash Debbie Chikousky

his past summer was definitely busy. We had the pleasure of hosting a seven-year-old and a nineyear-old boy from Alberta, and they helped watch our year-old grandson while his mom ran the post office. As I don’t like to use the water canner with young children underfoot, I used our dehydrator for the tomatoes. Really tasty dehydrated tomatoes start out as really tasty juicy tomatoes, so take the time to wash them well and trim off all blemishes. The ones with bad spots are better trimmed and thrown in the sauce pot than in the dehydrator. There are two ways to store dehydrated tomatoes. They will not need to be rehydrated if they are stored in oil, as this will keep them flexible and chewable. If they are stored dry they will need to be rehydrated before using, by covering with warm water and soaking for two hours at room temperature. When using them in a salad or an unbaked dish, try soaking them in warm water with a little vinegar for about an hour. Then drain, mix with olive oil, garlic and fresh basil, and marinate overnight. Dehydrators can be purchased and used according to manufacturer’s directions but for a large amount of tomatoes, oven drying is an option. Seven to eight pounds of Roma tomatoes will make approximately one pint of dried.

OVEN DRYING TOMATOES This will take about 12 hours depending on the thickness of the slices and moisture content. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on non-stick cookie sheets (glass or porcelain dishes are OK, but metal must be covered with parchment paper). Bake in 170 F oven for about three hours. Leave the oven door propped open about three inches to allow moisture to escape. After three hours, turn the tomatoes over and press flat with your hand or a spatula. Continue to dry, turning every few hours, and gently pressing flatter and flatter, until tomatoes are dry. Another idea for using them is to powder in a food processor (for large amounts) or a coffee grinder (for small amounts). This powder can be used for soups, stews, sauces and even a quick cup of soup. The best thing about dehydrated tomatoes is the flavour, and we find it much closer to that fresh garden taste than the canned variety.

TOMATO PASTE FROM POWDERED DEHYDRATED TOMATOES 1 tbsp. powdered tomatoes 2 tbsp. water To reconstitute tomato powder, add the powder to a small bowl. Mix with the water. The finished product will resemble tomato paste. Depending on the intended usage the water can be adjusted. The other garden item we have in abundance is spaghetti squash. Freezing is my preferred method for storing as past experience

taught us that it can taste like flowers when dehydrated.

FREEZING SPAGHETTI SQUASH You will need: Spaghetti squash Baking sheet Knife Colander Large mixing bowl Freezer bags Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. (These can be kept for next year, roasted like pumpkin seeds or thrown in the compost.) Place the squash on a baking sheet (cut side up), and bake for 30 to 40 minutes (or until tender) at 375 F. Let cool then run a fork lengthwise through

the flesh to separate it into strands which will resemble pasta. Put the cooked squash in a colander placed on top of a large mixing bowl. Cover and store it in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the excess water to drain from the squash, so it isn’t soggy. Scoop all the squash strands into a freezer bag and freeze. Use in recipes from frozen — no need to thaw. These two foods go so well together that having them put away in storage means never being out of a supper idea. We are already looking forward to the next growing season. Hope everyone else had a successful one with lots put away for the winter. †

photo: debbie chikousky

We find the taste of dehydrated tomatoes better than canned ones.

Debbie Chikousky farms at Narcisse, Man.

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/ grainews.ca OCTOBER 20, 2015

Home Quarter Farm Life SINGING GARDENER

Painted Serpent cucumber — this one’s a whopper Plus, more on carrot and sugar cough syrup ted meseyton

elebrating Thanksgiving Day now past, is an annual noble event that we Canadians enjoy each October with family and friends. For many folks it encompasses the entire weekend. Next, a lot of households anticipate preparing for Halloween, especially where young children are involved. Europeans of earlier times observed an autumn festival that included feasting on all kinds of food that had been grown during summer. It later sprang into Halloween; using leaves, pumpkins and cornstalks as decorations. A black cat crossing one’s path convinced some superstitious folks to reverse and go in the opposite direction, whether they were walking, running, riding in a horse-drawn wagon, travelling by vehicle or other means. You’ve probably heard slang words such as: so and so is a cheapskate, a cheapjack or cheapjohn. It means tightwad or miserly, especially when it comes to opening the purse strings. Such old expressions are supposedly attributed to long-ago street salespeople who sold all sorts of home elixirs for whatever the ailment. Prices began high and then supposedly fell to near rock bottom; suggesting a real bargain was had. I’ll expand on a made-at-home brown sugar and carrot recipe for “cheap Ted cough and cold syrup” (hey that’s me) that appeared in one of my earlier Grainews columns with input from a reader. We’ll also meet Kelowna Dan who grew the longest cucumber I’m aware of. My preamble is longer than intended, so next may I suggest we all get comfortable while I, Ted, let loose with words that hopefully grab your attention like honking geese in flight. I’m waving hello to all of you out there with a tip of my hat. Imagination is a great thing, so I anticipate readers are waving back to me.

SPEAKING OF GEESE It’s that time of year when we’re more aware of their movement, although locally where I am geese won’t abandon Crescent Lake for a trip south until the tiniest pool of water is finally frozen over and remains covered in ice. I’m certain most everyone has watched migrating geese in flight. It’s especially thrilling to view those streams and streams of airborne wild and free honkers during evening and nighttime against a backdrop of moonlight. Mother Nature enchants us to look skyward between now and next full moon on October 27. That visible full moon then moves into the third quarter as light begins receding

more and more until finally reaching the fourth quarter on November 3. That period is commonly referred to as dark of the moon. The cycle of waxing light returns again with the next new moon during the evening of Remembrance Day, on November 11, 2015. Most everyone knows that geese usually fly in an uneven V formation. It’s my understanding (call it a given) that the leader is almost always a wise and prudent senior female goose. She doesn’t necessarily lead the formation continuously, but drops back when she requires a break and another female goose is always prepared to assume the lead position. With all that goose talk via honking, who’s to know what communication they exchange? Share your knowledge if you have something to express in this connection.

RAW CARROT AND BROWN SUGAR COUGH SYRUP There was a time not that far back in our history when there were no pharmacies or drugstores. The closest thing might have been a local-area herbalist or perhaps mom’s or grandmother’s home apothecary; a place where ingredients were stored to make home medicines for common ailments. Remedy formulas were mostly passed on from neighbour to neighbour and between friends and families for generations. Much of this knowledge has been sidestepped in favour of prescriptions. The good news is a lot of these traditional remedies are still effective with few side-effects or none at all. Here’s a made-at-home cough and cold remedy. Keep in mind it’s not meant to displace a visit to the doctor when necessary. With a vegetable brush, gently scrub a good-size raw carrot and then slice it as thinly as possible. (No need to peel it.) Place carrot slices in a bowl and generously sprinkle dark-brown sugar on top and let sit overnight. (Do not refrigerate.) By morning, brown syrup will have formed. Take a tablespoonful of the liquid as often as required to diffuse tickling in the throat and ease a cough. Make a fresh batch daily until symptoms subside. It won’t create drowsiness and you cannot overdose on it. Note: Not recommended for those on a sugar-restricted diet without medical supervision. Almost a year ago Clarence Worona from Beausejour, Man., wrote to say: “Hi Ted: I enjoy reading your articles every time. I tried the cough cure for sore throat with carrots and brown sugar. I added honey, cayenne pepper and a strong cough candy to dissolve in it. It works better than Buckley’s. P.S. I eat the carrot slices. I’m 66 years young and plant an acre of garden for myself and everyone who comes over. Only one problem — they only come during harvest when it’s ready.” Note from Ted: Clarence turned 67 August 17, 2015. During our phone discussion he further explained his method for preparing the syrup from carrot slices and brown sugar. Clarence adds no

photo: courtesy dan tomelin

Daniel Tomelin, 54, holds a Painted Serpent cucumber grown on a trellised vine in his Kelowna, B.C. garden. From tip to tip this monster of a cuke measured an astonishing 112 cm (44-1/2 inches) in length. Read what else the Singing Gardener has to say in this connection. more than 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (it’s strong stuff) and some honey to taste for each batch, then slowly sips 1/2 to a teaspoonful of the mixture at a time whenever required. Don’t forget the strong cough drop. Clarence also passed along this remedy learned from his parents to treat a tickling, raw or sore throat. “Place a small amount such as 1/4 teaspoonful of dry Epsom salts into the mouth (not too much now, it has laxative properties) then slowly dissolve it in your salvia and let it seep down into the throat area before swallowing. It sure has healing properties.” I, Ted, then thought this: For a really sore throat you might also consider gargling with Epsom salts in warm water for a minute or two then spit it out. Also according to Clarence: “Epsom salts can be sprinkled in the garden trench before planting onion seeds or setting out onion transplants to prevent maggots.” He also sprinkles dry Epsom salts on soil surface and waters it in around plants. “The onions just kept on growing so nice and no maggots.”

PAINTED SERPENT CUCUMBER We’ve all heard of whopper tomatoes, humongous cabbage heads, giant pumpkins and world-heavyweight squash. Dan Tomelin from Kelowna, B.C. can now lay claim to fame for growing the longest cuke in Canada in 2015, perhaps internationally. His Painted Serpent cucumber eventually reached a whopping 112 cm (44-1/2 inches) in length. Dan’s submission for growing the world’s longest cucumber to Guinness World Records is still in process at time of this writing. What’s become of said cuke now? It’s been fermented whole

(that is, uncut) in a fashion Dan devised. He claims it “as the longest pickled cuke in the world in a category that doesn’t yet exist.” Dan now calls it “Big Larry, the swimming submerged pickle inside a specially made glass container that contains an eight per cent salt brine. The process is known as lacto fermentation.” In Dan’s email to me, you may detect touches of humour. “Hi Ted: I bought seeds from a booth at our spring seed swap. Can’t remember the fellow’s name. He’s a hippie grower dude from the Oliver area about 60 miles south down the Okanagan Valley. Had a taste from another Painted Serpent cuke. Skin was softish, definitely sweet and falling into the melon flavour a bit, rather than the tartness of some overripe cukes. I collected around 100 very viable seeds and will probably sell most in lots of three. Not sure about price. Already got paid unlimited dances with a girlfriend for one batch. A second batch of three seeds is going to a nice girl in Vancouver to grow with her gramma. They are paying me two handfuls of joy. The rest I may break down to highest bidders for that yucky money stuff. I still use it for things I cannot trade. Funny your name. Our Okanagan Symphony Orchestra choir just started up last week. We are singing ‘Carmina Burano’ in spring. I love German Latin. Easy peasy! Something to do when not dancing or gardening. If someone wants to contact me they can find my landline 1-250-860-3693 works great. Happy Harvesting!”

ROSEMARY HAND SANITIZER PREPARATION You see the other kind of sanitizers everywhere… in hospitals, at schools, food-service venues and

near washrooms in malls to name a few places. The following easy made-at-home antibacterial infusion can be sprayed on kitchen and bathroom counters, tables, chairs, on doorknobs, telephone surface, TV remote, computer mouse and of course the hands, plus dozens of other surfaces you want to sanitize. Just spray on a light coating and wipe clean. Put 1/4 cup fresh or dried rosemary short needle-like leaves in a fireproof glass or stainless steel pot. Pour 2 cups of filtered or steam distilled water over them. Gradually bring the heat up until the water is just shy of boiling point but not there yet. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the leaves steep for 20 minutes to a half-hour. If desired you can add 2 drops of rosemary essential oil to the cooled infusion, but that’s optional. Next, pour rosemary water into a reusable spray misting bottle for household use and into a smaller reusable spray bottle to place in the car or carry with you whenever a sanitizer is needed. †

This is Ted Meseyton the Singing Gardener and Grow-It Poet from Portage la Prairie, Man. Gardening is medicine that does not need a prescription. Learn to write your own and practise what works for you, as it has no limit on dosage either. Each individual should be made to understand that he/she must take charge of his/her own health. Don’t take your body to the doctor as if he/she were a repair shop. My email address is singinggardener@mts.net.

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