Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Michel Tremblay, Provincial Forage Crop Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food recently received the Society for Range Management (SRM) Outstanding Achievement Award. SRM is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management of rangelands for the benefit of current and future generations.
Also receiving the award were Ted and Olive Perrin of Beechy. The couple owns and operates the 12,775-acre Castleland Ranch in the northern mixed prairie region. The official citation mentions how Castleland Ranch is a leader in range management in the Canadian ranching industry.
“Forward thinking and conservative range management on Castleland Ranch ensures sustainable grazing resources through extremes in climatic conditions over the short- and long-term. Many of the long-standing management approaches of Castleland Ranch are new technology for many producers,” according to the SRM.
Tremblay and the Perrins accepted their awards at the SRM convention in Vancouver. SRM has about 4,000 members worldwide who deal with natural resource management and range ecology. SRM award recipients may or may not be SRM members, but they will have had a significant impact on the advancement of applied ecology on rangelands.
Tremblay is a native of the Saskatoon area. He developed an interest in rangelands as a result of his farm upbringing.
“We were concerned with the level of soil erosion occurring with the farming practices prevalent at the time," he says. "Seeding light land to forages was a bit of a conservation ethic for our family. We gained much appreciation for the landscape, and for the value of rangelands. Conservation of rangelands is good for the environment.”
Tremblay worked at the Saskatchewan Forage Council for a few years. He joined Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food as a Provincial Forage Specialist in December 1992.
Tremblay finds the Society for Range Management a useful resource for him.
“The society gives you a professional network. You become aware of what other people are working on, and you draw on that to solve problems in your own jurisdiction.”
There are between 10 and 12 million acres of rangeland in Saskatchewan. There is also a large acreage base of introduced forages that has grown steadily in recent years, Tremblay points out.
“That part of the industry expands, but rangeland is a finite resource because you can’t create rangeland. Restoration of broken rangeland is very difficult. This is why we should manage it with a little bit of wisdom,” he concludes.
For more information, contact:
Michel Tremblay
Forage Crops Provincial Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-7712
Successfully Seeding This Year's Forage Crop
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
If you are planning to seed forage this spring, the last thing you need is to have a seeding failure.
“Unfortunately, there is no way of guaranteeing that your forage stand will be a success,” says Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Forage Development Specialist Al Foster, “but there are steps that you can take to remove much of the risk."
It is important to select an adapted forage species or mixture. Use only varieties that are winter-hardy and adapted to your particular soil conditions.
“Ensure you start with a well-prepared seedbed," he says. "The seedbed should be firm below the surface, with a minimum cover of loose soil. The thin layer of loose soil will provide adequate cover for the seed.”
Foster recommends seeding into standing stubble only if the straw has been well spread. Be aware of the possible risks posed by herbicide residues in the soil.
“Another important step is to ensure you seed shallowly. There is probably more seed wasted because of seeding too deep than for any other reason. Keep in mind that an emerging seedling is totally dependent on the food reserves in the seed to get it to the surface and sprout leaves.” Since most forage seeds are relatively small, they won't have enough stored energy to reach the surface if they are planted deep in the soil, he adds.
“The smaller the seed, the shallower the seeding. For most forage crops, aim for less than a one-inch seeding depth. When a cereal cover crop is used, it may be best to seed the cover crop and the forage crop in two separate operations. This way, you can ensure that each crop is placed to its appropriate depth."
If mixing the forage seed with a cover crop, Foster suggests seeding shallowly, even though this may reduce the establishment of the cover crop. Cover crops are not necessary for good forage establishment, but if you use a cover crop, Foster advises reducing the seeding rate to 50 per cent of the normal rate to reduce competition.
Cut for greenfeed, bale and remove the crop as soon as possible. Cut the crop high. This ensures that new seedlings are not defoliated. They will be protected from the wind, and the stubble will catch snow to insulate new seedlings from low winter soil temperatures.
Finally, Foster recommends ensuring the seedbed is free of weeds, especially perennial weeds.
“Weeds will compete heavily with the small, slow-growing forage seedlings. Where weeds become a problem, mowing or chemical weed control measures may be necessary. If the forage is a grass/legume mixture, the number of registered herbicides for weed control is very limited.”
A good rain shortly after seeding is the easiest way to ensure a successful forage stand.
“Unfortunately, mother nature is not always that co-operative," he says. "By taking care to reduce all potential risks when seeding forages—just in case you don’t get the timely rains—you will effectively even out the odds of success.”
For more information, contact:
Allan Foster
Forage Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
If you are planning to seed forage this spring, the last thing you need is to have a seeding failure.
“Unfortunately, there is no way of guaranteeing that your forage stand will be a success,” says Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Forage Development Specialist Al Foster, “but there are steps that you can take to remove much of the risk."
It is important to select an adapted forage species or mixture. Use only varieties that are winter-hardy and adapted to your particular soil conditions.
“Ensure you start with a well-prepared seedbed," he says. "The seedbed should be firm below the surface, with a minimum cover of loose soil. The thin layer of loose soil will provide adequate cover for the seed.”
Foster recommends seeding into standing stubble only if the straw has been well spread. Be aware of the possible risks posed by herbicide residues in the soil.
“Another important step is to ensure you seed shallowly. There is probably more seed wasted because of seeding too deep than for any other reason. Keep in mind that an emerging seedling is totally dependent on the food reserves in the seed to get it to the surface and sprout leaves.” Since most forage seeds are relatively small, they won't have enough stored energy to reach the surface if they are planted deep in the soil, he adds.
“The smaller the seed, the shallower the seeding. For most forage crops, aim for less than a one-inch seeding depth. When a cereal cover crop is used, it may be best to seed the cover crop and the forage crop in two separate operations. This way, you can ensure that each crop is placed to its appropriate depth."
If mixing the forage seed with a cover crop, Foster suggests seeding shallowly, even though this may reduce the establishment of the cover crop. Cover crops are not necessary for good forage establishment, but if you use a cover crop, Foster advises reducing the seeding rate to 50 per cent of the normal rate to reduce competition.
Cut for greenfeed, bale and remove the crop as soon as possible. Cut the crop high. This ensures that new seedlings are not defoliated. They will be protected from the wind, and the stubble will catch snow to insulate new seedlings from low winter soil temperatures.
Finally, Foster recommends ensuring the seedbed is free of weeds, especially perennial weeds.
“Weeds will compete heavily with the small, slow-growing forage seedlings. Where weeds become a problem, mowing or chemical weed control measures may be necessary. If the forage is a grass/legume mixture, the number of registered herbicides for weed control is very limited.”
A good rain shortly after seeding is the easiest way to ensure a successful forage stand.
“Unfortunately, mother nature is not always that co-operative," he says. "By taking care to reduce all potential risks when seeding forages—just in case you don’t get the timely rains—you will effectively even out the odds of success.”
For more information, contact:
Allan Foster
Forage Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
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Effects of Grain Legumes in No-Till Crop Systems are Being Investigated
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Dr. Guy Lafond’s passion for no-till agriculture has been part of the Saskatchewan agricultural knowledge landscape for some time. Now, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist working at the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation can count on a Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Agriculture Development Fund (ADF #20050704) grant to further our knowledge on the contribution of grain legumes in no-till cropping systems. The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Association is also contributing to this project.
“When we started this study 11 years ago, I asked: 'Is starter nitrogen required with a grain legume like field pea?'" he says. "Secondly, what is an optimal frequency of field pea in the rotation? What I did is I set up the study so I could compare growing peas every year—which is the extreme practice—to growing peas every second year; and every three years. As time went on, this whole question of carbon sequestration and nitrous oxide emissions came into play.” This has now become an integrated component of Dr. Lafond’s research focus with this study.
Dr. Lafond was then in a position to investigate the effect of accelerated carbon sequestration on nitrous oxide emissions.
“Because this study has been developed and conducted over so many years, it has allowed us to answer two other important questions," he says. "One was: if you put legumes in the rotation, do you accelerate carbon sequestration? The thinking here is that legume residues have a higher nitrogen content than cereal. Any residue that has more nitrogen tends to decompose a little bit quicker and a little bit better, but there is also a feeling that more of it remains in a stable organic matter fraction than otherwise. So that was the second question we investigated.
“Because we have peas grown with and without nitrogen, we can compare against cereals grown with fertilizer, and we can compare to cereals grown with cereals and then to cereals grown with peas," he says.
Dr. Lafond conducted some in-depth soil sampling last spring, which showed some carbon sequestration, but because of the variability, he was unable to show conclusively that grain legumes accelerate carbon sequestration. Part of his current project involves sampling again in 2007.
“We wish to re-estimate it to see if there were sampling errors. But so far, in terms of nitrous oxide, there is no question that, if you are growing peas with just a little bit of phosphorus fertilizer, the nitrous oxide emissions are much less than for wheat grown with fertilizer."
Dr. Lafond is also finding that the spring wheat that is grown on a short rotation with peas every second year tends to emit a little more nitrous oxide than the spring wheat grown every three years. It may be that the presence of legume residue is priming the system and there could be a potential for a little more nitrous oxide emission during the spring wheat phase, but he stresses that this idea is very tentative. Dr. Lafond wishes to confirm the tendency by taking measurements to quantify it. This is why the funds were approved for 2005, 2006, 2007, he says.
The study also allows Dr. Lafond and his colleagues to address other agronomic issues, like the risks associated with the short rotations, and the impact of short rotations on diseases and populations.
Dr. Guy Lafond
Senior Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation
Dr. Guy Lafond’s passion for no-till agriculture has been part of the Saskatchewan agricultural knowledge landscape for some time. Now, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist working at the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation can count on a Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Agriculture Development Fund (ADF #20050704) grant to further our knowledge on the contribution of grain legumes in no-till cropping systems. The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Association is also contributing to this project.
“When we started this study 11 years ago, I asked: 'Is starter nitrogen required with a grain legume like field pea?'" he says. "Secondly, what is an optimal frequency of field pea in the rotation? What I did is I set up the study so I could compare growing peas every year—which is the extreme practice—to growing peas every second year; and every three years. As time went on, this whole question of carbon sequestration and nitrous oxide emissions came into play.” This has now become an integrated component of Dr. Lafond’s research focus with this study.
Dr. Lafond was then in a position to investigate the effect of accelerated carbon sequestration on nitrous oxide emissions.
“Because this study has been developed and conducted over so many years, it has allowed us to answer two other important questions," he says. "One was: if you put legumes in the rotation, do you accelerate carbon sequestration? The thinking here is that legume residues have a higher nitrogen content than cereal. Any residue that has more nitrogen tends to decompose a little bit quicker and a little bit better, but there is also a feeling that more of it remains in a stable organic matter fraction than otherwise. So that was the second question we investigated.
“Because we have peas grown with and without nitrogen, we can compare against cereals grown with fertilizer, and we can compare to cereals grown with cereals and then to cereals grown with peas," he says.
Dr. Lafond conducted some in-depth soil sampling last spring, which showed some carbon sequestration, but because of the variability, he was unable to show conclusively that grain legumes accelerate carbon sequestration. Part of his current project involves sampling again in 2007.
“We wish to re-estimate it to see if there were sampling errors. But so far, in terms of nitrous oxide, there is no question that, if you are growing peas with just a little bit of phosphorus fertilizer, the nitrous oxide emissions are much less than for wheat grown with fertilizer."
Dr. Lafond is also finding that the spring wheat that is grown on a short rotation with peas every second year tends to emit a little more nitrous oxide than the spring wheat grown every three years. It may be that the presence of legume residue is priming the system and there could be a potential for a little more nitrous oxide emission during the spring wheat phase, but he stresses that this idea is very tentative. Dr. Lafond wishes to confirm the tendency by taking measurements to quantify it. This is why the funds were approved for 2005, 2006, 2007, he says.
The study also allows Dr. Lafond and his colleagues to address other agronomic issues, like the risks associated with the short rotations, and the impact of short rotations on diseases and populations.
Dr. Guy Lafond
Senior Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation
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