2010 annual report - north peace applied research...

2010

ANNUAL

REPORT

Box 750

Manning, AB T0H 2M0

PH: 780-836-3354

NPARA FARM: NW 32 - 90 - 23 - W5M

North Peace Applied Research Association—2010 Annual Report 3

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents

2010 NPARA Staff....................................................................................... Page 4 ARECA Report ............................................................................................ Page 5 2010 Board of Directors ............................................................................. Page 7 Acknowledgements .................................................................................... Page 7 2010 Extension Activities .......................................................................... Page 9 2010 Weather Information ......................................................................... Page 16

Crops Program

Alberta Pest Survey...................................................................................... Page 17 Wheat Variety Demonstration ...................................................................... Page 18 Oat Variety Demonstration ........................................................................... Page 21 Pea Variety Demonstration .......................................................................... Page 22 Heat - Herbicide Demonstration ................................................................... Page 24 Sub-soiling Demonstration ........................................................................... Page 25 Camelina Project .......................................................................................... Page 26 Comparison of Soybeans & Fababeans to Peas .......................................... Page 27 Green Manure Demo - Year 2 ...................................................................... 0 Annual Legumes & Pulses for Green Manure .............................................. Page 32 Pre-seed Burn-Off Trial on Volunteer RR Canola ........................................ Page 33 Lentil/Pulse Variety Demonstration .............................................................. Page 34

Forage & Livestock Program Water Quality Dugout Testing Project .......................................................... Page 36 Shelterbelt Tree Project ................................................................................ Page 40 Swath Grazing Demonstration ..................................................................... Page 44 Perennial Forage Demonstration.................................................................. Page 46 Sources of Nitrogen (Fall vs Spring) Fertilization on Brome ......................... Page 50 Tolerance of Established Smooth Brome to Herbicides ............................... Page 51 Murdoch Lake Agro Forestry Demonstration ................................................ Page 52 Sod Seeding Energy Project ........................................................................ Page 55

4 North Peace Applied Research Association—2010 Annual Report

North Peace Applied Research AssociationNorth Peace Applied Research AssociationNorth Peace Applied Research AssociationNorth Peace Applied Research Association

The North Peace Applied Research Association is a non-profit, producer driven

organization that conducts applied agricultural research,

demonstration trials, research plots and extension in the County of Northern Lights.

Mission StatementMission StatementMission StatementMission Statement

The North Peace Applied Research Association’s mission is to serve

farmers within County of Northern Lights to meet the special needs that

result from our unique climatic, geographic and soil conditions. To meet these needs,

NPARA conducts applied research as determined by our

producer Board of Directors. Our goal is to promote soil and water

conservation, agricultural production, marketing and technology transfer in the

County.

2010 Staff2010 Staff2010 Staff2010 Staff

Nora Paulovich Research

Coordinator/ Manager

Email:

[email protected]

Jana Ungarian Assistant Research Coordinator

Email:

[email protected]

Jolene Noble Summer Student

Email:

[email protected]

Coree Reinders Summer Student

Email:

[email protected]


MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGERMESSAGE FROM THE MANAGERMESSAGE FROM THE MANAGERMESSAGE FROM THE MANAGER

Another year has flown by and although it certainly presented some challenges, we were able to Another year has flown by and although it certainly presented some challenges, we were able to Another year has flown by and although it certainly presented some challenges, we were able to Another year has flown by and although it certainly presented some challenges, we were able to bring most of our projects to completion. We tried a few new things this year bring most of our projects to completion. We tried a few new things this year bring most of our projects to completion. We tried a few new things this year bring most of our projects to completion. We tried a few new things this year ---- we collaborated with we collaborated with we collaborated with we collaborated with Calvin Yoder, Forage Specialist with Alberta Agriculture on 3 different projects and will continue Calvin Yoder, Forage Specialist with Alberta Agriculture on 3 different projects and will continue Calvin Yoder, Forage Specialist with Alberta Agriculture on 3 different projects and will continue Calvin Yoder, Forage Specialist with Alberta Agriculture on 3 different projects and will continue working with Calvin in the future. Garry Ropchan with Central Peace Conservation Society con-working with Calvin in the future. Garry Ropchan with Central Peace Conservation Society con-working with Calvin in the future. Garry Ropchan with Central Peace Conservation Society con-working with Calvin in the future. Garry Ropchan with Central Peace Conservation Society con-ducted a lentil/pulse project for us in the Grimshaw area, plus harvested some of our plots last fall. ducted a lentil/pulse project for us in the Grimshaw area, plus harvested some of our plots last fall. ducted a lentil/pulse project for us in the Grimshaw area, plus harvested some of our plots last fall. ducted a lentil/pulse project for us in the Grimshaw area, plus harvested some of our plots last fall. In December we purchased SARDA’s (Smoky Applied Research & Demonstration Association) plot In December we purchased SARDA’s (Smoky Applied Research & Demonstration Association) plot In December we purchased SARDA’s (Smoky Applied Research & Demonstration Association) plot In December we purchased SARDA’s (Smoky Applied Research & Demonstration Association) plot combine combine combine combine ---- so now we can do replicated small plot research. We also purchased a weather station in so now we can do replicated small plot research. We also purchased a weather station in so now we can do replicated small plot research. We also purchased a weather station in so now we can do replicated small plot research. We also purchased a weather station in the spring and with the glitches worked out the spring and with the glitches worked out the spring and with the glitches worked out the spring and with the glitches worked out ---- will have reliable weather data. We collaborated with will have reliable weather data. We collaborated with will have reliable weather data. We collaborated with will have reliable weather data. We collaborated with the Peace River Forage Association with a tour down to Central Alberta in June and are planning the Peace River Forage Association with a tour down to Central Alberta in June and are planning the Peace River Forage Association with a tour down to Central Alberta in June and are planning the Peace River Forage Association with a tour down to Central Alberta in June and are planning another tour with them into the BC Peace for June 2011. Last spring we held our first annual Farmer another tour with them into the BC Peace for June 2011. Last spring we held our first annual Farmer another tour with them into the BC Peace for June 2011. Last spring we held our first annual Farmer another tour with them into the BC Peace for June 2011. Last spring we held our first annual Farmer Appreciation Evening, where folks enjoyed an excellent meal, were entertained by a guest speaker Appreciation Evening, where folks enjoyed an excellent meal, were entertained by a guest speaker Appreciation Evening, where folks enjoyed an excellent meal, were entertained by a guest speaker Appreciation Evening, where folks enjoyed an excellent meal, were entertained by a guest speaker and had a chance to socialize. We would like to acknowledge the County of Northern Lights for and had a chance to socialize. We would like to acknowledge the County of Northern Lights for and had a chance to socialize. We would like to acknowledge the County of Northern Lights for and had a chance to socialize. We would like to acknowledge the County of Northern Lights for their continued financial support, which they have increased to $50,000 for the last 2 years. Also their continued financial support, which they have increased to $50,000 for the last 2 years. Also their continued financial support, which they have increased to $50,000 for the last 2 years. Also their continued financial support, which they have increased to $50,000 for the last 2 years. Also the MD of Peace has given financial support of $2000/year and we have worked together on some the MD of Peace has given financial support of $2000/year and we have worked together on some the MD of Peace has given financial support of $2000/year and we have worked together on some the MD of Peace has given financial support of $2000/year and we have worked together on some extension projects. Our funding from the Agricultural Opportunity Fund (AOF) has been in-extension projects. Our funding from the Agricultural Opportunity Fund (AOF) has been in-extension projects. Our funding from the Agricultural Opportunity Fund (AOF) has been in-extension projects. Our funding from the Agricultural Opportunity Fund (AOF) has been in-creased. The Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture (AESA) Program has undergone creased. The Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture (AESA) Program has undergone creased. The Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture (AESA) Program has undergone creased. The Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture (AESA) Program has undergone some changes and will be administered under the AOF program. Our umbrella organization, AR-some changes and will be administered under the AOF program. Our umbrella organization, AR-some changes and will be administered under the AOF program. Our umbrella organization, AR-some changes and will be administered under the AOF program. Our umbrella organization, AR-ECA, has also continued its support, see report below. With this funding we have been able to offer ECA, has also continued its support, see report below. With this funding we have been able to offer ECA, has also continued its support, see report below. With this funding we have been able to offer ECA, has also continued its support, see report below. With this funding we have been able to offer more extension programs and conduct more research projects. Our door is always open and we wel-more extension programs and conduct more research projects. Our door is always open and we wel-more extension programs and conduct more research projects. Our door is always open and we wel-more extension programs and conduct more research projects. Our door is always open and we wel-come suggestions for extension and research projects. I would like to thank the NPARA board for come suggestions for extension and research projects. I would like to thank the NPARA board for come suggestions for extension and research projects. I would like to thank the NPARA board for come suggestions for extension and research projects. I would like to thank the NPARA board for their continued support and to everyone who participated in our research and extension activities. their continued support and to everyone who participated in our research and extension activities. their continued support and to everyone who participated in our research and extension activities. their continued support and to everyone who participated in our research and extension activities. Let’s hope 2011 brings warm weather and timely rains for our growing season. Let’s hope 2011 brings warm weather and timely rains for our growing season. Let’s hope 2011 brings warm weather and timely rains for our growing season. Let’s hope 2011 brings warm weather and timely rains for our growing season. ----Nora Paulovich, ManagerNora Paulovich, ManagerNora Paulovich, ManagerNora Paulovich, Manager

A year in review... Message from the Executive Director 2010 was a weather event for Alberta producers and particularly those in the Peace River area with a severe drought. That posed a significant challenge for our Associations serving farm clients in the Peace. Early fall moisture provided additional stress with getting the crop harvested. The ARECA Board of Directors was restructured at the AGM in March, 2010 to a seven mem-ber Board with two non-voting representatives from the Associations and a non-voting Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development representative. The Governance structure, bylaws and policy manual were ratified by the Board as well as the vision, mission and mandate. Our Board is now seven directors with 2 representatives from the Managers and an ex-offico Al-berta Agriculture representative.

The ARECA website was revamped and launched this past sum-mer. Our readership has continued to grow especially since it in-cludes important announcements from Associations about emerging agricultural issues in Alberta. You are now able to easily access each Association’s web site by typing “npara.areca.ab.ca”. Close to 300 participants from across western Canada gathered in Vermilion Regional Centre December 1 and 2, 2010, to participate in

the Western Canadian Grazing Conference and Trade Show. Keynote presentations, select-


a-sessions, and a tradeshow and hands-on lab sessions across the road from Lakeland Col-lege were featured. Advanced Agronomy Conference attracted Crop Advisers, farmers and industry partners for the latest crop production ideas and techniques in the agriculture industry today. Participants learned what it takes to be the Guinness World Record holder for wheat yield, find out how Australian farmers are getting the most out of their challenging soils, and the latest research from our Associations (presentations and posters) in Western Canada and on Alberta farms. Cattle producers grow ever increasing amounts of annual crops for feed (silage, greenfeed and swath grazing). The Regional Silage Variety Trials are in their second year and the results will be posted in the Alberta Seed Guide and the ARECA web site. Six nutritional categories were reported including Crude Protein and Total Digestible Nutrients which is an estimation of energy. The trial is sponsored by the Alberta Beef Producers. The Sustainable Grazing Mentorship Program assists producers in improving their forage operations through training. Experienced grazing mentors work directly with producers to de-velop a grazing plan tailored to the needs of the producer. Funding provided by the Growing Forward initiative with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Alberta Forage Industry Network (AFIN), a unified voice for Alberta’s forage industry, is now embarking on a member-ship drive. Current membership fees range from $50 to $250. The first Annual Meeting of AFIN will be held at the Lacombe Research Centre on March 15, 2011. For more information, con-tact Doug Wray, AFIN This past winter ARECA and its Associations offered Variable

Rate Technology (VRT) training workshops to Alberta farmers at Lethbridge, Coronation and the Peace plus a VRT Resource Manual were made possible by funding provided by Growing Forward through Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Precision Tools for On Farm Research is a study being collaborated with six Associations who work with producers to do field scale research to assess the influence of topography on phosphorus and nitrogen nutrients. On farm research needs to understood and documented so producers can implement field scale research and data collection with modest training.

Farmers in Alberta used 70 million litres less diesel fuel in 2006 than in 2001. That means a reduction in CO2 emissions equivalent to taking 35,000 cars off the road. Alberta farmeGovernment of Al-berta and ARECA are committed to improving fuel efficiency and re-ducing CO2 emissions through the adoption of direct seeding on all acres of Alberta; improved management of precision farming and VRT; improved equipment design; and improved match between trac-tor and equipment. Sod and interrow seeding demonstrations and fuel meter recordings were initiated by BRRG, CARA, GRO, LARA, PCBFA, PARDA, SARDA, SARA and NPARA.

With the dedication of the ARECA Board and Associations, we are able to bring sound science and sustainability to Alberta farms. As we go forward in 2011, I wish to thank everyone for their enthusiasm and hard work in 2010.

Ty Faechner, Executive Director, ARECA


AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

NPARA would like to acknowledge the contribution of our membership, municipal, provincial and fed-

eral governments, industry plus local and regional businesses. The success of our research program

depends upon the dedication of numerous individuals who contribute their expertise, time, land and

equipment to assist our association in achieving its goals.

THANK-YOU-

PEST MONITORING COOPERATORS: Jarvis Asmussen and Doug Jaeger

HARVESTERS: Garry Ropchan, Garry and Ethan Gurtler and Rodney Rhoades

MECHANICAL SUPPORT: Kasper Bakkelund

MAJOR FUNDING AGENCIES

Agricultural Opportunity Fund (AOF)

Agricultural Research & Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA)

Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development (AARD)

Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture (AESA)

County of Northern Lights

M.D. of Peace #135

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

2010 North Peace Applied Research Association

Executive Committee

PRESIDENT:

Bill Gaugler

Hawk Hills

780-836-3652

VICE PRESIDENT:

Arie Loogman

Chinook Valley

780-971-2103

SECRETARY-TREASURER:

Michael Scott

Warrensville

780-332-2848

DIRECTORS:

Mark Ressler

Manning

780-836-2789

Ed Schmidt

Hawk Hills

780-836-2107

Esben Johansen

Hawk Hills

780-836-2809

Trevor Paulovich

Deadwood

780-836-2591

Judy Bowcott

Grimshaw

780-332-1086

Representatives

AGRIBUSINESS:

(Jan-Nov)

Teresa Tupper

Keg River

780-981-3928

(Nov-Dec)

Terry Ungarian

Hotchkiss

780-836-2141

COUNTY OF NORTHERN LIGHTS:

Tim Burdick, UFA

Manning

780-836-3079


PRODUCER GROUPS

Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACPC)

Alberta Pulse Growers (APG)

Battle River Research Group (BRRG)

Chinook Applied Research Association (CARA)

Foothills Forage And Grazing Association (FFA)

Gateway Research Organization (GRO)

Grey Wooded Forage Association (GWFA)

Lakeland Agricultural Research Association (LARA)

Mackenzie Applied Research Association (MARA)

Peace Country Beef & Forage Association (PCBFA)

Peace Agriculture Research and Demonstration Association (PARDA)

Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association (SARDA)

Southern Applied Research Association (SARA)

West Central Forage Association (WCFA)

AFSC

Agritrend

Agrowplow

Allflex

Arie Loogman

ATB Financial

BASF

Battle River Agricultural Society

Bayer Crop Science

Becker Underwood

Bill Gaugler

Brad Nicklason

Brett Young

Bruce Nichiporik

Calvin Yoder, AARD

Cargill AgHorizons, Manning

Chris Lindberg

Corns Brothers Farm Ltd, Grassy Lake

Daishowa Marubeni International

Dave Kamieniecki

DOW AgroSciences

Dynamic Seeds, Fairview

Dupont Canada

Ed Schmidt

EFD Ventures

EMD Crop BioScience Inc.

Farm Credit Canada

Gene and Augusta Kuhn

Gordon Downey

Haney Farms, Picture Butte

Homesteader Building Supplies

Houlder Farm Supplies

Huvenaars Seed Farms, Hays

Janet Vandemark Accounting

Jim White

Joe Webber

John Russnak

Johnson Seeds, Arborg, MB

Kevin Elmy, Friendly Acres, SK

Kris Nicklason

Lanny Soroka

Leading Edge, Manning

Linus Becher

Manning Diversified Forest Products Ltd.

Markert Seeds Ltd, Vulcan

Monsanto

North Peace Agro Service Inc.

Outback - Jerry Frank

Patricia Ford Sales Ltd.

Pioneer Seeds

Peace Farm Power Peace Regional Economic Development Association

Pick Seeds

Reduced Tillage Linkages

Robert Frey

Sam King

Sendziak Seed Farms, Calmar

Solick Seeds Ltd, Halkirk

Stone Insurance

Toerper Tech & Precision

Trevor Paulovich

UFA, Grimshaw & Manning

Venture Parts & Supplies, Manning

Viterra, Manning

Wayne Schamehorn

Woodlot Extension Program-Doug Macaulay

AGRI-BUSINESSES, CORPORATE SPONSORS, LOCAL INDUSTRY & PRODUCERS


2010 extension activities2010 extension activities2010 extension activities2010 extension activities

DIRECT SEEDING WORKSHOP

With Reduced Tillage Linkages folding, NPARA took over

hosting this one-day workshop. On January 12 in Fairview, AB

at the Dunvegan Motor Inn 125 producers took in

presentations on: Baker Cross Slot Openers; Direct Seeding in

Canada and Australia – Differences and Similarities; Looking

Ahead Without Getting Behind – potential problems and using

crop inputs wisely; Pre-harvest Dessicants; Grasshoppers – Life

cycle and forecasts; Market Update.

CARBON CREDIT WORKSHOP

A Carbon Credit Workshop was held in Manning on February 9 in cooperation with Alberta Agriculture

and Rural Development (AARD). The workshop looked at different opportunities to obtain and sell

carbon credits and how producers can get actively involved in the process.

DIRECT MARKETING WORKSHOP

On February 16 AARD and NPARA hosted a Local Foods, Local Markets seminar in Manning to explore

local industry trends & market venues, real life producer experiences plus regulations, insurance and

food safety

VARIABLE RATE TECHNOLOGY TRAINING SEMINAR

ARECA and its member associations hosted several VRT Seminars across the province. A seminar was

held in Peace River on March 3, facilitated by NPARA, SARDA and PARDA.

VERIFIED BEEF PRODUCTION & BEEF MARKETING WORKSHOP

On March 4, a workshop was hosted with Amber Havens, CCIA discussing the Verified Beef Production

& Age Verification Programs; Katherine Altman, AARD introduced the Age Verification Incentive

Program; Bill Wilson, True North Beef, Dawson Creek speaking on “Joint Marketing Ventures” and

Miles Crandall, Boehringer Ingelheim describing “Value Added Health Programs”. Approximately 40

producers attended this evening workshop in Manning.

RANCHING FOR PROFIT

A Ranching for Profit session with Dave Pratt presenting was held on March 8 in Grimshaw in

cooperation with the Peace Country Beef and Forage Association.

GRAZING SEMINAR WITH STEVE KENYON

On March 25 in Dixonville, Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures, Ranching, Ltd presented information on

Sustainable Grazing and the Grazing Mentorship Program to 10 producers.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & SPRING AGRICULTURAL SHOWCASE

On March 31 at the Ag Hall in Manning, the day started off with a presentation of the 2009 NPARA

Research and Demonstration activities and results, followed by the NPARA AGM. Murray Greer,

Oilseed Specialist, Alberta Agriculture gave a presentation with tips on canola production and varieties

plus a clubroot update. Roger Andreiuk, Soils Specialist spoke on soil organic matter/quality and

variable rate technology. Doug Macaulay, Alberta Agriculture gave an entertaining presentation on


Agriculture in Africa. And to wrap up the day, Dave Wong, Market Specialist, Alberta Agriculture gave a

market outlook. There were 50 people in attendance as well as several industry tradeshow booths.

SOILS SEMINAR WITH JILL CLAPPERTON HOSTED BY B.C. FORAGE ASSOCIATION

Jill Clapperton, world renowned soil biologist, gave a presentation on April 7 at Tower Lake Hall , BC on

Soil Microbiology. NPARA organized a bus load of producers to travel over and attend this very

informative seminar.

FARMER APPRECIATION BANQUET

On April 9 NPARA hosted its first Annual Farmer Appreciation Evening in Manning. Producers sat down

to a delicious meal and then were entertained with guest speaker Mark Watson, from Rosemary,

Alberta addressing the stress agricultural producers face, with humour being the best antidote. The

event was very successful with approximately 125 people attending.

WATER QUALITY WORKSHOP

On April 13 a Water Quality Workshop was held in Manning. Presentations included Water Health and

Water Testing from Alberta Health Services, Growing Forward from Alberta Agriculture and Rural

Development, Water Quality and Treatments from Randy Ehman, the Dugout Dude, plus information

on Solar Livestock Watering Systems.

JIM GERRISH & POWERFLEX FENCING

Jim Gerrish and Powerflex Fencing toured Alberta in

the spring including a stop in Manning on April 23. Jim

Gerrish gave a presentation on Management Intensive

Grazing, followed by industry presentations on

fencing products including posts, wire, poly products,

and energizers plus a presentation on solar watering

systems.

CLASSROOM AGRICULTURE PROGRAM

In June NPARA took agriculture to the classrooms in

Manning Elementary and Rosary schools! NPARA staff

discussed with grade four students the basics of agriculture

and what it means to them.


CENTRAL ALBERTA FORAGE & LIVESTOCK BUS TOUR

In collaboration with the staff at the Peace River

Forage Association of British Columbia (PRFA),

NPARA organized a tour down to the Olds area

and points in between. Producers from both

associations boarded a bus early the morning of

June 28 and our 3 day fun-filled tour began. The

following is a summary done by Talon Johnson,

summer student with PFRA and Nora Paulovich,

Manager, NPARA. Day 1 - June 28

Our first stop was near Rimbey, AB. Here we met the owner of Blacketlees Farm and Medicine River

Luings, Iain Aitken, a Scottish farmer, who is an eighth generation grazier. Iain uses an extended

grazing season to market grass fattened Luing X Angus cattle to his customers (about 50). He rents

most of his land and rotationally grazes for about 10 months of the year. For winter grazing he either

banks grass in bush pastures or swath grazes. Ian’s pastures have a lot of bluegrass and fescues. He

does not concern himself with getting over all of his pastures once in the spring - some may not get

grazed at all until fall. The longest Iain had to manually feed his cattle was 75 days. Blair Burton of Olds took us on an evening crop tour. He helps Barry Schmitt of Barr Ag organize the

crop rotations for the large dry land and irrigated timothy farm.

They direct seed with a Great Plains seed drill. Their rotation is:

fall spray timothy and again in the spring with a glyphosate

product, direct seed canola, the following year seed oats and in

the 3rd year under seed back into timothy. Blair has sown some

fields north to south and when the oats are at the 1-2 leaf stage,

angle seeded timothy from southwest to northeast. He is hoping

this will allow the timothy to cure faster as their prevailing winds

are from the SW. His oat variety of choice is Morgan because it is

a higher yielder and won’t lodge.

Day 2 – June 29

The next morning we headed to Barr Ag, a timothy compression plant. Barry Schmitt, the owner, has

been in the timothy compression business for 17 years and started his own plant approximately five

years ago. Barry prefers to grow his own hay vs working with growers. They compress timothy bales

and ship the best quality to the UK and Ireland for horse hay, a large amount to Japan and a small

amount to Taiwan. These compressed bales are put into a compression chamber to create flakes and

the bales cannot be more than 12% moisture. They also have strict regulations on the amount of

weeds or other crops in the bales and the containers can be sent back if they don’t pass inspection.

Barry also runs 500 mother cows to which he feeds his screenings & reject hay.

Our next stop was at Jorsvick Farms Inc to look at their Veda Hay

Dryer. This piece of equipment uses fans to push warm air into the top

and bottom of large bales, pick up moisture which exits out the sides

of the bales. The concept originated from Italy, when fermenting

forage disrupted the cheese making process and hay bale dryers were

invented to resolve this problem. The Jorsvicks’ dryer holds 24 bales


weighing 1400-1500 lbs @ 20% moisture. It takes an hour to get loaded and running. The hay is dried

down to 8-10% moisture, taking 6-10 hours. This is their 4th season with the dryer and they dry 1/3 -

2/3 of their own hay. Since a majority of their hay is sold to the export market and goes through Barr

Ag’s compression plant, they produce strictly timothy bales that measure 3x4 feet. In 2009, the

Jorsvicks converted the dryer from electric to individual natural gas powered fans allowing for reusable

energy and does not leave residue in the bales. Since converting, the costs of running the dryer has

decreased from $30-$35 a metric tonne to $20 a metric tonne, including time spent loading, unloading

and stacking. There is only one other bale dryer in Canada located in Ontario.

Our next tour stop was Thorlaksons’ Feedyards and Nature’s Call composting facility. Barry Cretin,

our tour guide, created Nature’s Call in 1997. They compost about 1/2

of the manure from the feedlot and produce 30-35,000 tonnes of

finished compost which is sold to retail stores. The manure is gathered

from the feedlot in March and August and it takes approximately 3

months to turn it into compost. The manure is placed into long

windrows, with straw and wood shavings added to create the ideal

environment for the microbes. The windrows are turned weekly to add

more oxygen and to release carbon dioxide with temperatures checked

daily. We then had a quick tour of the 20,000 head feedlot.

Next we headed down the road to Dan and Todd McKinnon’s. Dan has many ties with the Peace River

Region including connections with True North Beef. The McKinnon's have been involved with Beef

Booster cattle for many years and had a 4000 head feedlot. They were the only test station for Beef

Booster cattle for the first 23 years. Presently they have 250 beef booster cows custom fed in the BC

Peace. Dan travels up to bring replacements and take calves back. The McKinnon's have set up many

wells and interesting water systems on their land for their extended grazing season. They swath graze

barley and Dan figures “we have been able to get 30-76 grazing days per acre, with an average herd of

300 head”.

The last stop of the day was at the pastures of Graeme Finn

with Agrowplow Canada. Graeme toured us through some

of the land that he had used Agrowplow equipment on.

One pasture was direct seeded with sanfoin, alfalfa, fescue,

and smooth and meadow bromegrass. Half of the field had

been subsoiled with the Agrowplow and the other had not.

Plant population and height were higher in the subsoiled area. Graeme was grazing four x 40 acre

paddocks with approximately 400 head of cattle. Each paddock had been reseeded in a different year

and is a mixture of legumes and grasses. Also at this stop Dave Lehman from Gallagher brought a

variety of electric fencing supplies to show our group and discuss troubleshooting problems in fencing.

Our group was then treated to wonderful central Albertan hospitality with a Beef BBQ and Tailgate

Party. During the day we had been joined by members from the Foothills Forage & Grazing Association

and the Grey Wooded Forage Association so this was a great opportunity for everyone to share

experiences and exchange ideas -despite the hailstorm! Day 3 – June 30

Wednesday morning we boarded the bus to tour Olds College grounds and the Wood Seed Farm where

we met Marshall Wood and Brent Burton. They grow, process and sell their own pedigreed seed.


There are five processes to their seed cleaning: Indent – separates by

length; Debearder; Wind and Screen – separates by width; Grader –

separates by height; Gravity Table – separates by weight. This process allows

them to clean 1.5-2 times more than other seed cleaning companies. They

work to have all their seed cleaned by the beginning to middle of March. To

prevent contamination every truck is equipped with an air compressor and

bins are cleaned continuously. As pedigreed seed growers they have to think

7 or 8 years ahead for their crop rotation. To introduce a new oat variety they grow barley for 3 years,

canola 1 year, pedigree oats 1 year and then the oat variety for 3 years. They base their seeding rate on

1000 kernel weight, germination and vigor and aim for 25 plants/ft². Their main customers are

livestock producers for silage mixes. They like Legacy barley (because it can go malt), Baler oats and

4010 forage peas for the silage mixes. And our last tour stop was at the Lacombe Research Station. We were given a tour of the meat

research lab from the kill floor, to the cutting floor and then the grinding room where the meat is

packaged and tested. Only research animals go through this plant, mainly

beef and pork but they have done sheep and bison. There are also meat

quality tests done that require people to come in everyday and sample

meat. We were then joined by John Basarab who took us to the Beef

Research Center. Here they are using the Grow Safe system to measure

residual feed intake by individual animals. Basarab explained, “In the

GrowSafe system, every animal in the pen has its own unique electronic

identification [EID], a radio frequency transponder in its ear tag. That

transponder is ISO approved and is the kind that CCIA [Canadian Cattle

Identification Agency] uses for its national identification program.” When an animal with an EID gets

close to a GrowSafe sensor on a feed bunk, the system records which animal is present, how long it

stays there, how much it eats and how aggressively it eats. Residual Feed Intake (RFI) or net feed

efficiency is defined as the difference between an animal’s actual feed intake and its expected feed

requirements for maintenance and growth. An animal with a lower net intake requires less energy to

maintain its body, so more of the feed it eats goes to weight gain and could lead to a decrease in

number of days to slaughter. Presently researchers are identifying genetic markers for RFI that will

have commercial application and aid in future selection programs.

We wish to acknowledge all of our sponsors which made this tour possible: PRAD (Peace River

Agriculture Development Fund), Ritchie Bros, Agrowplow, Gallagher, Stoller Enterprises, Peace River

Seed Coop, Foothills Forage & Grazing Association. A very sincere thank-you to all of our gracious hosts

and to the folks who helped us put this tour together - Blair Burton, Graeme Finn, Brent Burton,

Jennifer Aalhus.

ANNUAL FIELD TOUR

On July 28 NPARA hosted the Annual Summer Field Tour. The 20

participants toured the research and demonstration plots at the NPARA farm

then boarded a bus after lunch to tour on-farm projects which included pea-

canola intercrop, sod-seeding, and a canola variety trial.

COMBINE CLINICS

(1) On August 5 Les Hill with PAMI spoke at the Legion Hall in Manning about combine functions,

harvest losses, combine adjustments and safety


(2) Martin Reichelt from Germany was in Hawk Hills on August 24th delivering a day long Intensive

Combine Clinic, teaching his 4 step system of how to optimize a combine for maximum capacity

and efficiency.

PASTURE WALK

Arnold Mattson, Grassland Stewardship Coordinator with Ag Canada, was in Chinook Valley on August

10 for a pasture walk and a classroom session on the Wealthy Rancher Calculator.

AGROWPLOW DEMONSTRATION

On October 6 in cooperation with Ken and Bryan Kover and AGROWPLOW a field-scale sub-soiling

demonstration was conducted.

FARM SAFETY DAY CAMP

On October 16, the North Peace Applied Research

Association and Battle River Ag Society assisted

Manning Community Health Centre to facilitate a

Farm Safety Day Camp. It was very well attended

with 50 children rotating through the various

stations on ATV Safety, Grain Safety, Safety

around Water, First Aid and Chemical Safety.

CORN PRODUCTION & GRAZING SEMINAR

This seminar was held in Fairview in cooperation with the

Peace Country Forage & Beef Association on October 20.

Pioneer representatives gave presentations on agronomic

guidelines for corn production in the Peace, winter grazing,

and the economics of corn production. This was followed by

a tour of the PCBFA/Pioneer corn variety trial.

BEEF CATTLE UPDATE

This workshop was held on October 26 with Barry Yarmecio, Ruminant Nutritionist with Alberta

Agriculture, giving tips how to make it through the winter on limited feed supplies. Amber Havens with

CCIA gave an update on the Verified Beef Program and Katherine Altman of Alberta Agriculture

discussed the Age Verification Incentive Program. The evening concluded with John Stephens of

Intervet giving a presentation on new products on the market, the use of antibiotics, vaccination

programs and strategies to treat and prevent bovine respiratory disease. Approximately 35 producers

attended this update.


ALTERNATIVE ENERGY WORKSHOP

Two workshops for the Peace were organized in cooperation with SARDA, PARDA, and PCBFA. They

were held on November 16 and 17 in Valleyview and Manning

respectively. In total approximately 45 producers attended these

workshops. Kelly Lund, Alberta Agriculture discussed energy basics and

Jason Price, Alberta Agriculture explained the energy program under

Growing Forward. Following lunch there were presentations on

alternative forms of energy:

• Wind Energy by Darrell Morley, Cervus Green Energy

• Bio-combustion with Don Harfield, Ag Innovations

• Geo-thermal with Wayne Danielson, Danielson’s Refrigeration,Ltd

• Solar Energy with Marvin Jackson, Sun Dog Solar

LIVESTOCK HANDLING & BEHAVIOUR SEMINAR WITH JENNIFER WOODS

Together with the Battle River and Hawk Hills Agricultural Societies, NPARA invited Jennifer Woods,

Livestock Handling Specialist to Manning on November 21 to present to 4-H clubs and local livestock

producers on:

• Animal behaviour and handling

• Facility design

• Recognizing and preventing stress

• Treatment of sick and injured

animals

• Transportation of animals

• On farm safety

• Euthanasia

WESTERN CANADIAN GRAZING CONFERENCE (WCGC)

NPARA staff were on the organizing committee of the WCGC where close to 300 participants from

across western Canada, gathered in Vermilion from December 1 to 2, 2010, to participate in the

Western Canadian Grazing Conference and Tradeshow.

In addition to the location change, the organizing committee decided to introduce an afternoon of

hands-on lab sessions for conference attendees. Holding the conference at the Vermilion Regional

Centre, with the keynote presentations, select-a-sessions, and tradeshow right across the road from

Lakeland College, made this possible.

The conference opened Wednesday, December 1, with a discussion on the variable climate found in

western Canada over the past 120 years and the impact it has on future conditions by renowned

scientist Dr. David Sauchyn. Other keynote speakers included Wendy Holm, an award-winning resource

economist, agrologist and journalist, who spoke on the changing view Canadians have of agriculture;

Kevin Hursh, a well-known agricultural journalist from Saskatchewan, who discussed whether the cattle

industry was a business or lifestyle for most producers; and Don Campbell, a Holistic Management

educator who examined increasing production on your current land-base while remaining sustainable.

Other topics addressed during the conference included: Multispecies Grazing; The Use of New

Technology in Your Beef Operation; Management Practices for Extending the Grazing Season;

Stockpiled Grazing; Understanding Land Quality and Capability; Beef Cow Nutrition in the Grazing

Season; Mob Grazing for Pasture Rejuvenation; and Grazing 101.


WeatherWeatherWeatherWeather

A Vantage Pro2 Weather Envoy weather station was purchased and installed

at the research and demonstration farm on April 21, 2010. Unfortunately,

the weather station did not record data from May 17 to June 22 due to

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

April May June July August September October

Te

mp

era

ture

(°C

)

Temperature

min max mean

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5


(in

che

s)

Precipitation

total Total growing season precipitation

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50


(mp

h)

Wind Speed

Average High

technical issues. The

weather station was taken

down on October 29, 2010

and will be put up again in

the spring of 2011 to

collect data for the growing

season.

The weather station was

purchased in the fall of

2009 using capital funds

received from Agricultural

Opportunities Fund (AOF).

These charts represent

monthly averages.


Alberta Pest Monitoring networkAlberta Pest Monitoring networkAlberta Pest Monitoring networkAlberta Pest Monitoring network Funded by Agricultural Opportunities Fund and Alberta Agriculture

Through the network surveys and mapping - insect outbreaks across Alberta are identified and

provide an early warning for the prevention and control of insect pests. Transfer of

information on pests and control measures allows producers to implement effective

integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to reduce crop damage and costs to producers.

Pest monitoring is a cornerstone for an effective Integrated Pest Management system,

enabling us to predict pest outbreaks and historically track their progress. This system results

in a well prepared industry that is able to manage risk and reduce crop losses. It also enables

us to work toward a more integrated approach to pest management, reducing the impact on

the environment.

Eight insects were monitored across Alberta in 2010, all of which have the potential to cause

significant economic impact. NPARA participated in the provincial pest surveys of

diamondback moths and bertha army worms. Traps were erected on canola fields in North

Star and Notikewin on Jarvis Asmussen and Doug Jaeger’s fields respectively.

Diamondback moth: this is primarily a pest of canola in western Canada. Diamondback moth

rarely overwinters in western Canada so major outbreaks are often the result of migrations

from the United States and warm dry conditions that allow multiple generations to

develop. Moth catches from 2010 have no predictive value for 2011. In order to assess

the population, a network of approximately 25 monitoring sites have been established

across Alberta. This network is meant to act as part of an early warning system for

diamondback moth and should be used in conjunction with crop scouting.

Bertha armyworm: was monitored in 2010 using a network of 125 pheromone-baited traps

place throughout Alberta. Pheromone traps are used to determine density and

distribution of moths. For the most part bertha armyworm populations remain in the low

end of their cycle. Only three locations in 2010 exceeded the limit that defines Low Risk:

two sites in Two Hills county and one in Provost county. Of these three locations one site

exceeded the High Risk threshold. None of these locations resulted in canola crop loss or

the need for control measures. These elevated moth catches may be an early warning for

higher populations in 2011. Cumulative moth counts in traps during June and July of 2011

will give us a much better evaluation of the population and therefore the risk in August.

Producers are encouraged to visit Alberta Agriculture's website for full information on in-

sect forecasts and to continue to monitor the website for updates to information and maps

as the 2011 growing season progresses. The maps are easy to use and, during the growing

season, are updated in real time, giving Alberta producers access to the most current infor-

mation possible. Forecast maps have been posted to the website and can be viewed and

downloaded by visiting: www.rtw.ca/621


Wheat Variety Demonstration Wheat Variety Demonstration Wheat Variety Demonstration Wheat Variety Demonstration

Funded by Agriculture Opportunity Fund and ARECA

Seed donations from: Ed Schmidt, Trevor Paulovich, John Russnak, Gordon Downey, Chris Lindberg,

Sendziak Seeds, Lanny Soroka, Markert Seeds

Objectives:

• To establish a side-by-side demonstration of 12 wheat varieties

• To obtain harvest data to compare yield, protein and grade

Materials and Methods:

The varieties of wheat used in the demonstration: Canada Prairie Spring (CPS)

• AC Crystal

• 5700 PR

Hard White Spring (HWSW)

• AC Snowbird

Soft White Spring (SWSW)

• AC Andrew

Hard Red Spring (HRSW)

• Prodigy

• Journey

• Harvest

• Superb

• Alikat

• AC Splendor

• CDC Go

• AC Intrepid

The varieties were seed on May 12, 2010 in

0.1 acre plots with a Seed Hawk drill. Seeding

rates were calculated using 1000 kernel

weights. Fertilizer was applied as per soil

tests at 50 lb/ac of 11-51-0-0 and 60 lb/ac of

46-0-0. Herbicide application included a pre-

seed burn-off with Cleanstart on May 17 and

an in-crop application of Prestige on June 10.

The wheat varieties were harvested on

September 14, 2010 using a plot combine.

Only a single pass was harvested with the plot

combine.

Figure 1. Wheat varieties in mid-July.

Figure 2. Combining wheat in September with the plot

combine.


Varietal Descriptions:

HARD RED

PRODIGY- has high yield potential (9% over Neepawa), high protein (1% over Katepwa and McKenzie),

high test weight, awned, strong straw, and resistant to leaf and stem rust and bunt. It is 2 days later

maturing than Neepawa, slightly taller than Neepawa, and moderately susceptible to loose smut.

JOURNEY- has high grain yield, test weight, and protein +0.6%. Journey has strong straw and reduced

height. It is resistant to rust and bunt. Moderate resistance to Fusarium head blight, loose smut,

common root rot and leaf spot with improved pre-harvest sprouting resistance. It matures 1 day earlier

than AC Barrie.

HARVEST - Hard red spring wheat registered in 2004. It is higher yielding than AC Barrie by 5% but

lower than Superb. Matures earlier than Superb and similar to AC Barrie. Moderately resistant to leaf

rust and bunt. Resistant to stem rust and loose smut. Susceptible to Fusarium head blight. Fair lodging

resistance, similar to Katepwa.

SUPERB - Registered in 2000, this awned hard red spring wheat has large kernel weight, high test

weight, high grain yield (20% over Neepawa and 1-2% over McKenzie), shorter straw with better

lodging resistance. It is resistant to leaf stem rust, moderately resistant to bunt, loose smut and root

rot. However, it is late maturing.

ALIKAT - This variety is suited to acidic soil conditions where aluminum tolerance is required. Similar to

Neepawa for most agronomic traits, but slightly shorter with an improved test weight. Susceptible to

bunt. More susceptible to stem and leaf rust than Roblin and AC Splendor.

AC SPLENDOR - matures 3 days earlier than Neepawa and Katepwa. It is shorter than Neepawa and

Katepwa and taller than Roblin. It has a test weight similar to Neepawa and slightly lower than

Katepwa and AC Majestic. It has good resistance to stem and leaf rust, and bunt, and has fair resistant

to loose smut.

CDC GO – strong straw, semi-dwarf that yields 3% higher than AC Barrie. The test weight is similar to

checks but kernel weight is higher. Resistant to bunt, moderate resistance to leaf rust and resistant-

moderate for stem rust but is susceptible to leaf spots.

AC INTREPID - matures 2 days earlier than Neepawa and Katepwa and has similar maturity as Roblin. It

is shorter than Neepawa, Katepwa and AC Majestic with lodging resistance similar to AC Majestic. It had

a higher test weight than Neepawa, Katepwa and AC Majestic. It has good resistance to stem and leaf

rust and bunt, and has fair resistance to loose smut.

CANADA PRAIRIE SPRING (CPS)

AC CRYSTAL - matures 1 day later than AC Foremost and similar to AC Taber, and yields similarly to AC

Taber. It has short straw which is slightly stronger than AC Taber and has very good lodging resistance.

It has a heavier test weight than AC Foremost and a similar weight as AC Karma. AC Crystal has

improved Fusarium head blight tolerance, but is susceptible to the new loose smut race T9.

5700 PR - yields 3% above AC Crystal, has high test weight, very good lodging resistance and matures


one day earlier than AC Crystal. Moderate resistance to stem rust, intermediate resistance to leaf rust

and very good resistance to common bunt.

HARD WHITE

AC SNOWBIRD - 3% yield over AC Barrie, better lodging resistance than McKenzie, resistant to leaf

rust, with moderate resistance to stem rust, loose smut and root rot. Maturity is similar to AC Barrie (1

day later than McKenzie), small kernel size and medium test weight.

SOFT WHITE

AC ANDREW - yields about 35% more than AC Barrie. AC Andrew is a lower quality of high protein

wheat, which is much higher yielding (15-19%) than regular low protein SWS wheat. It is resistant to

stem rust, powdery mildew, with moderate resistance to leaf rust and black point. Good lodging and

shattering ratings. It is susceptible to loose smut.

Results and Discussion:

Harvest and AC Splendor yielded the highest of all the hard red spring wheats. Overall the hard red

spring wheat (HRS) varieties yielded better than the Canada Prairie spring (CPS), hard white and soft

white varieties. The poor yields were likely caused by dry conditions.

PLEASE NOTE – THIS WAS A DEMONSTRATION ONLY, NOT A REPLICATED TRIAL (REFER TO THE 2011

ALBERTA SEED GUIDE FOR REGIONAL VARIETY TRIAL RESULTS).

Figure 1. Wheat variety yields in 2010.


Oat Variety DemonstrationOat Variety DemonstrationOat Variety DemonstrationOat Variety Demonstration Seed donations from: Gordon Bussey, Garry Gurtler, Bruce Nichiporik, Kris Nicklason, Arie Loogman

Objectives:

• To establish a side-by-side demonstration of seven oat varieties


The oat varieties were seeded on May 28, 2010 using a zero-till Seed Hawk drill at a depth of one inch.

Fertility included 50 lb/ac of 11-51-0-0 and 38 lb/ac of 46-0-0 as per soil test recommendations.


FORAGE

EVERLEAF - a forage oat with delayed heading characteristic and broad leaves, offering improved

leaf to stem ratios over the traditional forage oat varieties. BALER - another forage oat with wide leaves. Is high yielding with good lodging resistance. MILLING

DERBY – low hull content, high test weight, good plumpness and good yield. Relatively late matur-

ity, susceptible to rust and smut, with long straw. CDC BOYER – combines Derby with the earlier maturity of Cascade and greater plumpness but has

test weight less than Derby, equal to Cascade but still high groat yield. Susceptible to smuts like

Derby and Cascade. 7600M – This milling oat is well suited to the growing regions of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Protein

is a full percent higher than check varieties and has very good kernel characteristics. Medium

maturity and medium lodging resistance. Resistant to smut, moderately resistant to stem rust;

moderately susceptible to crown rust FEED

MUSTANG – dual purpose oat, good silage/forage yield and grain yield is 5-7% more than Cascade.

Good lodging resistance, high test weight with high percent plump kernels and low percent thin

kernels. High hull content not suitable for milling and is susceptible to crown and stem rust.


Yields were affected by drought

conditions. Mustang was the

only Feed oat included in the

demonstration and it was the

highest yielding overall. The

second highest yielding variety

was 7600 M; a milling type oat.

The yield of the Derby oats was

affected by poor stand establish-

ment due to poor seed stock.

Please note that this was a demonstration only, not a replicated trial – please refer to the 2011 Al-

berta Seed Guide for the Regional Variety Trial results.

Figure 1. Oat variety yields.


Field Pea Variety DemonstrationField Pea Variety DemonstrationField Pea Variety DemonstrationField Pea Variety Demonstration Seed donations from: Jim White, Linus Becher, Trevor Paulovich, Ed Schmidt, Chris Lindberg, Wayne

Schamehorn, Sendziak Seed Farms

Objectives:

• To compare different varieties of field peas

• To promote the use of field peas for crop rotations and increase awareness about variety

options


The demonstration was seeded on May 11 & 12 using the zero-till Seed Hawk drill. The demonstration

plots measure 17.8’ x 200’. Seeding depth was 2” and the seeding rates were determined using 1000

kernel weight (refer to Table 1).

Fertility applied was 50 lb/ac of 11-51-0-0 plus Nodulator inoculant. The plot was sprayed with

CleanStart on May 17 as a pre-burn and in-crop with Viper on June 10.

Table 1. Seeding rates


COOPER - a semi-leafless green field pea with a large seed size. Yields 2% lower than Nitouche. Medium

maturing cultivar. Good lodging resistance. Very good resistance to powdery mildew and fair resistance

to Mycosphaerella and Fusarium blight diseases. Good resistance to seed coat breakage and green

color bleaching.

NITOUCHE - a semi-leafless green field pea with a medium seed size. Medium maturing cultivar with

slightly less resistance to lodging compared to Cooper. Good resistance to seed coat breakage and

green color bleaching. Is susceptible to powdery mildew, Mycosphaerella and Fusarium blight diseases.

AGASSIZ - a yellow field pea with very good resistance to seed coat dimpling and powdery mildew. Fair

resistance to Mycosphaerella blight and Fusarium wilt diseases. Good lodging resistance.

CUTLASS - an early maturing, semi-leafless yellow field pea with a medium seed size. Good resistance

to seed coat breakage and fair resistance to lodging. Very good resistance to powdery mildew and fair

Variety Seeding Rate (lb/ac)

Cooper 330

Nitouche 205

Agassiz 216

Cutlass 216

Eclipse 216

Thunderbird 164

Midas 170

Meadow 184

Figure 1. Field pea variety demo.


resistance to Mycosphaerella blight and Fusarium wilt.

ECLIPSE – semi-leafless field pea with yellow cotyledons and large seed size. Average pre-harvest

lodging score over 59 station yrs is 3.0 (1 = erect, 9 = flat). Resistance to seed coat breakage for Eclipse

is good. Is adapted to all field pea-growing regions in Western Canada. Very good resistance to

powdery mildew and fair resistance to Fusarium wilt and Mycosphaerella blight. Yields 7% higher than

Cutlass.

THUNDERBIRD - a medium maturing, semi-leafless yellow field pea with a medium seed size. Excellent

resistance to lodging. Yields 1% lower than Cutlass. Resistant to powdery mildew. Moderately

susceptible to Mycosphaerella blight and Fusarium wilt. Very good resistance to seed coat dimpling.

MIDAS - a yellow field pea with good lodging resistance. Good resistance to seed coat breakage and

dimpling. Very good resistance to powdery mildew. Susceptible to Mycosphaerella blight.

CDC MEADOW - semi-leafless yellow field pea with a medium seed size. Is taller than Cutlass. Good

resistance to seed coat breakage and lodging. Yields 13% higher than Cutlass. Early maturing. Very good

resistance to powdery mildew and fair resistance to Mycosphaerella blight and Fusarium wilt diseases.


All of the yellow varieties out yielded the green varieties, with Eclipse being the highest yielding overall.

However, due to drought conditions in the Peace Region, yields were low. The pea variety plots also

had a wild oat infestation and experienced some wildlife damage prior to harvesting, which all had an

effect on production.

Please note that this was a demonstration only, not a replicated trail – please refer to the 2011

Alberta Seed Guide for the Regional Variety Trial results.

Figure 2. Field pea variety demonstration yields for 2010.


Background:

HEAT contains the active ingredient KIXOR, a new chemistry – pyrimdinedione – with contact and sys-

temic properties. It is mobile within the plant, complementing glyphosate and potentially giving supe-

rior control of large, tough-to-control broadleaf weeds. HEAT control glyphosate resistant and Group 2

resistant weeds. When tank mixed with glyphosate it can be applied to fields before a cereal or pulse

crop either pre-seed or pre-emergence. HEAT can be applied when broadleaf weeds are at or between

the cotyledon and 8 leaf stages. It is intended to be tank mixed with glyphosate and is compatible with

all formulations and rates of glyphosate. Objectives:

• To demonstrate the use of HEAT


To optimize broadleaf activity the following guidelines should be followed:

• Always add an adjuvant (MERGE or AMIGO)

• Use a minimum water volume of 5-10 gallons/acre to maximize coverage and use a minimum

of 10 gallons/acre if weeds are large or densities are high

• HEAT is extremely rainfast with the rainfast period only limited by the type of glyphosate used The plot area was maintained weed-free with applications of CleanStart on May 17 and again on June

10, 2010 at a rate of 15 mL/ac of Aim and 0.67 L/ac of Credit plus some mowing. After June 10 the

weeds were allowed to grow. The plot was sprayed on July 21 with HEAT at 10.5 grams/ac, Roundup Transorb at 0.5 L/ac, Merge at

200 mL/ac in 10 gallons/acre of water. Results and Discussion:

The HEAT had an effect on the Canada thistle and Roundup Ready volunteer Canola that were in

flower, however it didn’t completely kill the weeds as they were very mature. It is recommended to

apply HEAT when broadleaf weeds are at or between the cotyledon and 8-leaf stages.

HEAT HEAT HEAT HEAT ---- Herbicide DemonstrationHerbicide DemonstrationHerbicide DemonstrationHerbicide Demonstration Product donation from BASF

Before After

Figure 1. Canada thistle before HEAT application (left) and Canada thistle after

HEAT application (right).


Objectives:

• To evaluate the effect of sub-soiling at different depths on crop yields.


On May 26, 2009 Graeme Finn with Agrowplow sub-soiled a plot sized area on annual crop land at

three different depths. The sub-soiling left the area very rough so it had to be cultivated and harrowed

prior to seeding (ideally sub-soiling should be done after harvest).

In 2009 Cowboy barley was seeded to the area at 135 lb/ac on June 3.

In 2010 Sundre barley was seeded to the area at 98 lb/ac based on 1000 kernel weight with 110 lb/ac

of 46-0-0 and 50 lb/ac of 11-51-0-0. The demonstration was sprayed in crop on June 10 with Prestige.


The sub-soiling did not show any

benefit in terms of yield response

in the first year of the project.

The yields in 2010, were lower due

to the drought conditions but there

was some response to the 12” sub-

soiling depth.

This was a demo only, not a

replicated trial. A field scale demo

was sub-soiled in the fall of 2010

that we will be obtaining yield data

from this fall.

SubSubSubSub----Soiling Demonstration: Year TwoSoiling Demonstration: Year TwoSoiling Demonstration: Year TwoSoiling Demonstration: Year Two

Funded by: Agricultural Opportunities Fund and Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture

Partner: AGROWPLOW

Seed donation from: Gene Kuhn

0

10

20

30

40

50

24" 12" 15" no sub-

soiling

34

42

2933

Yie

ld (

bu

/ac

)

Sub-Soiling Depths

2010 Barley Yields


Background:

Camelina, also known as false flax, is a cool-climate oilseed crop that can be used to make biodiesel, an

environmentally friendly alternative to diesel fuel. It also has potential in the feed and nutraceutical

markets with oil that is rich in healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils. Camelina grows well on marginal

land and uses little water and fertilizer. It is an annual (or winter annual) and is better able to

compensate for early water deficits with its taproot and it potential for having the lowest input costs

and lowest environmental impact of all oilseeds. With its early start, Camelina can out compete

weeds, but it also has an extra advantage; Camelina roots secrete a substance that suppresses weeds;

therefore as long as perennial weeds are controlled, often no herbicide is needed (alleleopathic effect). Camelina is very frost tolerant; it can be seeded in late winter or early spring into cold ground. It is also

drought tolerant and more salt tolerant than barley. Camelina has a short growing season; it takes only

12 weeks from germination to maturity, so early-seeded crops are generally ready for harvest by mid-

July, before the heat of midsummer. The crop stands upright at 20-40 inches tall with the pods located

in the top quarter of the plant. Average yields are reported to be between 1300 and 2000 lbs per acre.

Objectives:

• To compare seeding dates - fall vs. spring

• To provide relevant agronomic information


• A pre-burn of Roundup Transorb and MCPA was conducted on September 3, 2010. Camelina

was seeded on September 15 and October 15, 2010 at 10-12 lb/ac.

• In the spring of 2011 another plot of Camelina will be seeded

Plots will be harvested in 2011 and yield data recorded.

Camelina Camelina Camelina Camelina ---- Interim Report Co-operator: The Camelina Company

Seed donation from: Bill Gaugler

Figure 1. The Camelina was seeded on September

15 and emerged approximately one week later. Figure 2. Growth habit very similar to flax.


Pulse Agronomy: A Comparison of Fababeans Pulse Agronomy: A Comparison of Fababeans Pulse Agronomy: A Comparison of Fababeans Pulse Agronomy: A Comparison of Fababeans & Soybeans to Field Peas& Soybeans to Field Peas& Soybeans to Field Peas& Soybeans to Field Peas

Funded by: Alberta Pulse Growers

Seed donations from: Ed Schmidt, Friendly Acres & Sendziak Seed Farm

Background: With increasingly high fertilizer prices, the desire to improve soil quality and recommendation

to extend crop rotations, interest in utilizing different pulse crops has been expressed by many

producers. Fababeans have the best nitrogen fixing potential of Alberta pulse crops as well Soybeans are

gaining popularity in the eastern prairies and producers in Alberta are expressing interest in early maturing

varieties and their performance in different regions of the province.

Objectives:

• To evaluate the adaptation of Fababeans in

different regions across Alberta

• To evaluate maturity of soybeans in northern

Alberta

• To provide relevant pulse agronomy information Materials and Methods:

This project was located on the North Peace Applied

Research Association Demonstration Farm south of

Manning, AB. Fertilizer applied:

• 50 lbs/ac of 11-51-0-0

• The canola check strip was also fertilized with 46 lb/ac of 46-0-0 as per soil test results

Herbicide:

• Pre-seed burn-off with CleanStart on May 17

• Peas were sprayed in-crop with Viper on June 10

Appropriate inoculants were applied at recommended rates. A buffer of late seeded barley was seeded

around the whole demonstration.


Agassiz- a yellow field pea with very good resistance to seed coat dimpling and powdery mildew. Fair

resistance to Mycosphaerella blight and Fusarium wilt diseases. Good lodging resistance.

Cooper – a semi-leafless, medium maturing green field peas with large seed size. Yields 2% lower than

Nitouche. Good lodging resistance. Very good resistance to powdery mildew, and fair resistance to

Mycosphaerella and Fusarium blight diseases. Good resistance to seed coat breakage and green color

bleaching.

Figure 1. Soybeans.

Variety Seeding Date Seeding Rate Depth

Snowbird Fababeans May 11 266 lb/ac 2.5”

Agassiz peas May 11 216 lb/ac 2”

Cooper peas May 11 330 lb/ac 2”

LS 0036 RR Soybeans May 28 53 lb/ac 1”

LS 0028 RR soybeans May 28 53 lb/ac 1”

45H26 RR canola (check strip) May 28 7lb/ac ½”

Table 1. Seeding information


LS 0028 RR soybeans – 2400 heat units, early maturing variety; has very good standability rating and very

good shattering rating. Height is medium-tall.

LS 0036 RR soybeans –2425 heat units, early maturing variety; have excellent standability rating and very

good shattering rating. Height is medium.

Snowbird Fababeans - zero tannin type, with medium height, and medium maturity. Fababeans are a very

high N fixing annual legume but needs rain in August to fill to its potential. Top potential 80+ bu/ac. Results and Discussion:

The plots performed poorly this year due

to dry conditions plus the soybeans did

not reach maturity before the frost , so

were not harvested. The Fababeans

reached maturity and were harvested in

early September, however yields were

very low. The peas matured and were

harvested in mid-August. Both varieties of

peas had below average yields with the

green peas out yielding the yellow peas. From this demonstration it can be realized that growing field peas carries the lowest risk, however, please

note this was a demonstration only and not a replicated trial. Provincial Results By Alvin Eyolfson, Battle River Research Group (BRRG)

A demonstration similar to the one NPARA conducted was also conducted at Castor, Settler, and Viking

(Battle River Research Group), Fort Vermillion (Mackenzie Applied Research Association), and Fairview

(Peace Agricultural Research and Demonstration Association). Results and Discussion:

There was good stand establishment at all sites, except for Ft. Vermillion where germination was poorer for

lentils, which may have been due to soil crusting. No

herbicide injury symptoms were observed at any of the

sites. These demonstrations illustrate the relative risk of

production in the challenging 2010 year. The PARDA

site at Fairview was suffering from 3 years of dry

weather. The NPARA site near Manning and the MARA

site near Fort Vermillion were also drier than normal.

In much of the rest of the province, wetter and cooler

than normal weather conditions, also resulted in

variable production. It was noted in the region that the

Battle River Research Group covers in East Central

Alberta that crops were delayed due to higher than

normal amounts of rainfall and the lack of heat units in the late summer. Due to these conditions, field peas

were attempting to flower into late July. Lentils did set seed but were later in maturity than in past years.

They were especially late in the Stettler and Castor regions. At these locations the lentils froze in mid

September before seed set was complete. The result was less than 500 lbs of lentils harvested at these

locations. Field peas yielded 32 to 44 bushels per acre under these same conditions. This area has soil with

solonetzic properties. Many of these soils become saturated with heavy precipitation due to poor drainage.

Results were better at the Viking location with similar precipitation to Castor with Red Lentil yields were

Figure 3. Soybeans after a killing frost

Note: the pods did not fill.

No data.

Figure 2. Pulse crop yields.


around 1400 lbs/acre. Field peas yielded less than expected at 45 bushels per acre. At the MARA location

near Fort Vermilion, field peas yielded 32 to 36 bushels per acre under drier than normal conditions. Lentils

had poor yields of around 800 lbs per acre. At the PARDA location near Fairview yields of all of the pulse

crops were extremely low due to dry conditions. The combining of very short lentils proved to be

challenging and a significant percentage of yield was lost. Field peas yielded less than 5 bushels per acre,

showing the effect of drought like weather. At Manning, LS 0028 and LS 0036 RR soybeans were evaluated

by NPARA. The plots here also performed poorly here due to the dry weather. Field peas carried the least

risk of production with yields of 24 bushels of Cooper peas realized. There was no yield realized from the

soybean plots, these cultivars require 2400 heat units however this area of Alberta had about 1820 heat

units from May to September.

With good yields, Lentils can be more profitable than field peas. A 40 bu/acre crop of field peas on dryland

at $4.50/bu has a gross return of $180/acre. In comparison a good lentil crop of 2000 lbs/acre at 12 cents

per pound would return $240/acre. Lentil prices have ranged much higher than this. Prices were ranging

around 18 to 25 cents/lb in December of 2010. For a 1400 lb/acre crop (as at Viking) this price could return

$252-336/acre, depending on quality. But, yellow peas at 45 bushels/acre at $6.00/bu could return $270 at

considerably less risk. In considering which pulse crop to grow, producers have to balance production risks,

expected yields and prices and many other factors. It should be noted that some varieties of soybean are

more sensitive to day length and will mature more quickly than is indicated by heat units alone, based on

experience in Manitoba. So it may be good to note that though soybeans were not successful this year,

there could be different results in a warmer and drier year. Producers should not grow large acreages of this

crop until more positive results are achieved.

•Conditions were extremely wet and cool in 2010 at the BRRG sites

•The lentils at the Castor and Stettler site did not set seed until August. Some of the seed was immature

when a killing frost occurred in mid September. Fababean yield was very poor at Castor, and comparable to

peas at Stettler.

•The Viking site was located on better drained land. Here the lentils reached maturity by September.

•The MARA site at Fort Vermillion had fair yields of peas in the 30 bushels/acre range and poorer yields of

lentils at 760 to 800 lbs/acre.

•At the PARDA site at Fairview there was considerably less precipitation than the 30 year average. Total

rainfall was only 111 mm from May to August at the site. The plots here performed very poorly.

•The yellow peas at the NPARA site at Manning suffered some wildlife damage.

•** The soybeans froze before reaching maturity at the NPARA site. The yellow peas yielded poorer at this

site due to some wildlife damage and some shattering before harvest.

BRRG

Castor

BRRG

Stettler

BRRG

Viking

MARA

Fort Vermillion

PARDA

Fairview*

1. Yellow Field Peas (bu/ac) 42 XX 44 36 4.3

2. Green Field Peas (bu/ac) 40 32 45 32 3.4

3. Red Lentils (lbs/ac) 490 470 1400 805 101

4. Green Lentils (lbs/ac) 640 320 1140 768 115

5. Fababeans (bu/ac) <5 29.5 XX 29 6.3

6. Soybeans

LS 2800RR & LS 3600 RR XX XX XX XX XX

NPARA

Manning

XX*

24

XX

XX

<5

0**

Table 2. Yields by crop, cultivar and site 2010

2010 annual report - north peace applied research...

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