MATT & JOE HAMILL Malting Barley in Alberta MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS Alta.’s Hamill Family SUCCESS OR FAILURE? CATTLE IMPLANTS CO-OPERATIVES & POLITICS FIGHT THE BLIGHT FARMLAND IN DEMAND A Valued Resource ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Are You Ready? MAY/JUNE 2024 $9.50 26 14 22 18
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4 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | May/June 2024 1-888-248-4893 PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR PAUL NOLAN ext 202 Paul.Nolan@Farms.com ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR LESLIE STEWART ext 265 Leslie.Stewart@Farms.com AGRICULTURAL JOURNALIST EMILY CROFT PRAIRIE CONTRIBUTORS DALE RISULA RON SETTLER Regina, Sask. Lucky Lake, Sask. NATIONAL CONTRIBUTORS MOE AGOSTINO DALE COWAN DIEGO FLAMMINI ABHINESH GOPAL MARIANNE FIGGE STEIN ADVERTISING TEAM GLENN RUEGG JEFF McKEE JENNY LONGSTREET SCOTT FARHOOD SAMANTHA RENAUD JOAN SPIEGELBERG ANDREW BAWDEN DESIGN & PRODUCTION TEAM TANYA MYERS GREG MARLOW SHAUN CLARK ANDREA WILLIAMS www.BetterFarming.com Better Farming Magazine, Prairie Edition is mailed to producers in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Next issue: July 2024. 1-888-248-4893 ext 281 Subscriptions@BetterFarming.com ISSN 2563-9803 (Printed) Copyright ©2024 by AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any content without written permission of the publisher is forbidden. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute endorsement of the advertiser, its products or services, nor do Better Farming, AgMedia or Farms.com endorse any advertiser claims. The publisher shall have no liability for the omission of any scheduled advertising. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 90 Woodlawn Road West, Guelph, ON N1H 1B2 Mail agreement #0042518524 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. Cover: David Dinan, Hot Shoe Studio photo, Akchamczuk - GettyImages photo Follow us on @PrairieFarming INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE “The biggest factor that drives farmland values is the profitability of the farm. It’s a big gap ahead of the other reasons. It’s regional, for the most part. It’s weatherdriven, commodity-price-driven, interest-driven.” - Ted Cawkwell, Page 15 “I go to AgSmart at Olds College every year. It is really exciting to see the technology that’s on the horizon. As some technology improves and starts working together, the future of farming is pretty exciting.” - Matt Hamill, Page 30 “When using these implants, I tell farmers that they are the one thing guaranteed to provide financial return in the beef market. There is no question left that it is going to make them money. It’s going to increase feed efficiency, average daily gain (ADG), and pretty much as long as there is adequate nutrition, they will return a profit.” - Dr. Van Mitchell, Page 37 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR FARMLAND VALUES; BOVINE GENOMICS Saskatoon-based realtor Ted Cawkwell provides a summary of factors influencing farmland values in this edition (Page 14). “Commodity prices are down, and we had a lot less snowfall. These things aren’t looking great, but cattle prices are at an all-time-high,” Cawkwell says. “If you’re looking for the shining star, it’s going to be the cattle producers: Hay and pasture land. I think we’re going to see a rise on ranch land and a lower rise on grain land because the profitability is shifting. “Historically, it’s common when grain prices are high that cattle prices are low. Everybody gets their turn.” We heard lots of praise following the news that the Canadian Angus Association would receive $3.8 million to increase Canadian cattle producers' ability to make data-driven decisions based on genomics to economically benefit their commercial livestock operations. The investment will be used to develop a genetic selection tool to equip producers with breeding data to select the best replacement heifers to improve their herds. According to RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research), “using the selection tool, producers will have access to reliable genetic data to select for desired traits such as growth and fertility. “This will improve the overall genetic potential of Canadian cattle herds, which has the potential to translate into increased profits across the value chain and more exports.” RDAR facilitated a contribution of $978,000 through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership — funded by the governments of Alberta and Canada. The Canadian Angus and Hereford Associations, together with TELUS Agriculture, also contributed. Another industry funding update comes from Protein Industries Canada, which recently announced a $31 million investment along with Corteva Agriscience, Botaneco, Bunge, Rainfed Foods and Northeast Nutrition to increase the demand and market opportunities for high-protein canola, sunflower protein and novel oilbody products. Protein Industries Canada is investing $13.4 million, with the consortium partners investing the remainder.
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8 The Business of Prairie Agriculture Better Farming | May/June 2024 Agricultural occupations are hazardous with one of the highest rates of workplace injuries and fatalities. The manual and often strenuous nature of the work, combined with the use of machinery and exposure to environmental hazards create a challenging work environment. Understanding the nature and causes of injuries can help improve safety guidelines and policy measures. However, obtaining a comprehensive overview of injuries is hindered by the absence of a central reporting system. Two new papers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provide a systematic review of academic literature on agricultural injuries in the U.S. and globally. “When it comes to agriculture, there’s no single source for injury data. In other occupations, work injuries in the U.S. must be reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), but farm work is often exempt from these requirements because many farms are small and have less than 10 full-time employees,” says Salah Issa, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) and an Illinois Extension specialist at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at Illinois. ABE is also part of The Grainger College of Engineering at Illinois. “There have been a lot of grassroots efforts to track surveillance data, but they are based on different methods so it’s hard to get a complete look at agricultural injuries. Our work combines results into one large dataset, providing a comprehensive overview of previous research,” Issa explains. In the first study, the researchers conducted a systematic literature review of 48 academic papers published in the U.S. and Canada from 1985 to 2022. “We identified five different surveillance methods: Newspaper clippings, surveys, death certificates, hospital records and emergency medical services (EMS) data, and multiple sources,” says Sihan Li, a doctoral student in ABE and lead author on the first paper. The researchers also analyzed and categorized information such as the type and source of injury, the event leading up to it, and the gender of the victim. Overall, vehicles (including tractors and ATVs) were the most common source of injury, with over 55,000 incidents reported, as well as the leading source of fatalities. Other significant causes of injury included machinery, slips and trips, animals, chemicals, and tools. Men were more than twice as likely as women to be victims of injury. Age varied by surveillance method, with newspaper clippings skewed to younger victims (22 per cent of incidents) and death certificates skewed to older victims (30 per cent over 65). In the second study, the researchers REVIEWING INJURIES & IMPROVING SAFETY ‘Vehicles are the most common source of injury.’ By Marianne Figge Stein, University of Illinois Understanding the nature and source of injuries is important for developing educational programs and interventions. auremar - stock.adobe.com Research
9 The Business of Prairie Agriculture Better Farming | May/June 2024 reviewed 69 articles from 17 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia, including the U.S., Canada, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Austria, Italy, and others. The main data sources identified in these studies were hospital records, followed by surveys, government records (including death certificates), insurance claims, and multiple other sources. “For the global perspective, we narrowed our scope to focus primarily on machine-related injuries, which involves tractors and farm equipment,” says Mian Muhammad Sajid Raza, a doctoral student in ABE and lead author on the second paper. The researchers found that tractors stand out as the leading cause of fatal incidents, with tractor overturns accounting for 45 per cent of all machinery-related incidents in North America. Furthermore, injuries linked overall to agricultural machinery significantly contribute to both fatal and non-fatal incidents. “It is also interesting to look at other sources of injury. In North America and Europe, animals are the cause of less than three per cent of all injuries. But in Asia, animals represent seven per cent of the total injuries and 35 per cent of the fatalities. This is likely because farming is less automated and animals are still used extensively in some Asian countries,” Raza says. The research shows agriculture is a dangerous occupation globally, with injuries reported in at least three continents. Overall trends are as expected, with vehicles and machinery playing a large role in injuries and fatalities, Issa notes. “One of our most important findings is that the way you conduct injury surveillance will have an impact on your results,” he says. “For example, if you use newspaper clippings, your findings will skew towards a younger age group. The discrepancies are so large it’s clearly worth evaluating the type of surveillance methods employed, and it’s important to use multiple sources to get a good picture of what’s going on.” Understanding the nature and source of injuries is important for developing educational programs and interventions, Issa concludes. BF Research Significant causes of farm injury included machinery, slips and trips, animals, chemicals, and tools. Emily Croft photo Kochia is an annual broadleaf weed that reproduces by seed, producing from 15,000 to 25,000 seeds per plant. Also known as summer cypress, burning bush and goosefoot, kochia is difficult to control due to its ability to thrive in heat, drought and salinity. What to look for • The first leaves, which form a basal rosette, are elongated and club shaped, covered in soft, dense hairs. • Without proper weed control, the compact seedling will mature into a branchy bush, up to two metres in height. • The colour of the stem, and sometimes the entire plant, changes from green to crimson. Count the cost • Densities of 21 plants per m2 have caused yield losses in wheat of approximately 33%, while extreme infestations of 195 plants per m2 have reduced wheat yields by 73%. • Resistant to Group 2, 4, 9 and 14 herbicides. When to scout • Kochia emerges as early as March or April, weeks before the soil is warm enough to seed into. How to control • Spray early to take advantage of early emergency to control flushes before crop emergence. • Prevent plants from setting seed with a fall burnoff. • Use a registered pre-emergent option for crops such as flax or Clearfield canola. KOCHIA Sources: https://manageresistancenow.ca/weeds/managing-herbicide-resistant-kochia/ https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/weeds/glyphosate-resistant-kochia.html Always read and follow label instructions. Member of CropLife Canada. FMC and the FMC logo are trademarks of FMC Corporation or an affiliate. ©2024 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved. 8190 - 01/24 8190 Weed of the Month Series_Kochia.indd 1 2024-01-09 3:31 PM 2024-01-09 3:31 PM
10 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | May/June 2024 Beyond the Barn FARM GROUPS SUPPORTING LIMIT INCREASE Farm organizations continue to react positively to another increase in the interest-free portion of the Advanced Payments Program (APP). In March, federal ag minister Lawrence MacAulay confirmed that the 2024 interest-free limit to the APP would be $250,000. The program is available for over 500 crop and livestock products in Canada, allowing farmers to access cash advances up to $1,000,000. Advances are calculated as 50 per cent of the anticipated market value of the product. In recent years, exceptional circumstances saw the government increase the interest-free portion of the advance from $100,000 to $250,000 in 2022 and $350,000 in 2023. “In the face of so many challenges, our hardworking producers continue to show their resilience and produce top-quality products for Canadians, and the world. Increasing the interest-free portion of the APP means improved cash flow and savings for farmers as we head into the 2024 planting season,” said MacAulay. The interest-free portion was anticipated to return to $100,000 for the 2024 year and ag groups have been lobbying to maintain it at $350,000. “The APP is a useful tool for producers and the increased interest-free portion provides welcome relief to keep our sector economically competitive in an unsteady economic environment,” said Nathan Phinney, Canadian Cattle Association president. “This sustained increase comes at a time when producers need all economic levers at their disposal to increase food security and economic competitiveness.” Rick White, president and CEO at Canadian Canola Growers Association, said the "program enhancement is welcome news for farmers, saving them thousands in interest.” BF - Emily Croft An ag event popular in other parts of the country is coming to Saskatchewan. This Aug. 10 and 11, farmers in the province will host members of their local community in Saskatchewan’s inaugural Open Farm Days. Organized by Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan, this event sees participating producers engage with people from urban neighbourhoods about agriculture, how farms work and how food ends up on grocery store shelves. In addition, Open Farm Days provides an opportunity for on-farm sales. In Alberta, for example, more than 100 farms participated in 2023. In total, on-farm sales during the event in 2023 reached $299,000. That’s up from $224,000 in 2022. Since it started in 2012, Alberta Open Farm Days has generated more than $1.4 million in on-farm sales. With 2024 being the first year for Saskatchewan’s Open Farm Days event, organizers looked to farmers from other parts of Canada, like Tammara Maher, who have participated in similar events. Maher owns Collective Joy Farm, an indoor farm in Kingston, Ont., that produces microgreens, herbs and local food. She took part in the Kingston/ South Frontenac Open Farm Days for the first time in 2023 and found it to be a rewarding experience. “I did a free open house where I showed people how I grow microgreens,” she told Better Farming. “This kind of event connects people to their food in a very tangible way and it goes beyond just supporting a local business; it also helps them understand what local food means. I think that’s very powerful.” The deadline for Saskatchewan farmers to register for Open Farm Days is May 31. Maher encourages producers to get involved. “Farmers are busy and welcoming people to the farm can seem like an inconvenience, but it’s a great opportunity to get new customers and have an opportunity to impact the way someone thinks about local food.” BF - Diego Flammini OPEN FARM DAYS COMING TO SASK. Farm & Food Care photo Open Farm Days has producers engaging with non-farmers.
12 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | May/June 2024 Beyond the Barn WHEAT, BARLEY GROWERS GET NEW HERBICIDE Corteva Agriscience has launched a new herbicide for wheat and barley growers in the black and grey soil zones across the Prairies. Extinguish XL, which is available for the 2024 season, combines two systemic auxin-type herbicides (Group 4) and an ALS enzyme inhibitor-type herbicide (Group 2) in a pre-mix formulation. “This is a high-performing, broad spectrum broadleaf herbicide,” Jason Smith, portfolio marketing manager for cereal herbicides with Corteva Agriscience, recently told Better Farming. “It’s a nice marriage between high performance and ease of use that farmers are looking for when making decisions around herbicide.” Extinguish XL provides control of weeds like flixweed (up to 8-leaf and 8 cm in height), Canada fleabane (up to 15 cm in height) and velvetleaf (up to the 5-leaf stage). Other broadleaf weeds controlled include common ragweed, lamb’s quarters, and shepherd’s purse. It can also suppress weeds like white cockle and perennial sow-thistle, along with hemp-nettle, kochia, and Canada thistle. The herbicide can be tank-mixed with products like Axial, Everest 3.0 and Tandem. The recommended application rate is 337ml/ac. One jug will cover about 20 acres and one case will provide coverage on about 40 acres. And its wide application window provides farmers with flexibility when using this post-emerge product. “We’d be looking at the 2-leaf stage just before the flag leaf,” Smith said. “It’s always best to apply earlier-on, when weeds are smaller, but we do have the flexibility to go at the more advanced stages as well.” Livestock may be grazed on treated crops seven days following the application. BF - Diego Flammini Gary These remembers seeing the flames from the 2023 wildfire season from his ranch near Peace River. “You could look across our yard and see them,” he told Better Farming recently. “Luckily the fires didn’t jump the river in our area, but it was too close for comfort.” These’s herd was in the middle of calving when the fires got close. He had plans to move his cattle to a 100-acre plot of land where they would be safe if evacuations were necessary. But he knows it would have been a difficult undertaking. “There would’ve been almost no way to evacuate the cattle, and I don’t think there would’ve been enough trucks in the area to do that anyway,” he said. “And it’s not like you could chase them there. Our oldest calf at the time was three weeks old.” Oct. 31, 2023, marked the end of that year’s wildfire season in Alberta. A total of 1,092 wildfires burned about 2.2 million hectares (5.43 million acres), according to data from the provincial government. In February 2024, the Alberta government declared an early start to this wildfire season – 10 days earlier than last year. And current information from Alberta Wildfire indicated there were 57 active wildfires across the province at press time. In advance of any wildfires in his area, These has made sure his insurance policies are in line, and is preparing his equipment. “I’ve got an old 800-gallon sprayer, and I’m going to make sure that’s full of water in case we have to act quickly and fight a fire that’s close to the yard,” he said. As an Alberta resident, These is concerned about how this point has arrived. “I think we’ve been setting ourselves up for this by letting so much fuel build up in areas,” he said. “And when it gets very hot and very dry, it gets to be a very hot fire when they do start. It’s scary.” BF Don White/iStock photo PREPARING FOR ALTA. WILDFIRES
© 2024 Meridian Manufacturing Inc. Registered Trademarks used under License. (03/2024) When it comes to moving the commodities on your farm, you can count on Convey-All’s OilSeed Series. The Convey-All OilSeed Series takes all the features that makes a Convey-All the most reliable conveyor on the market, and adds the versatility of handling oilseeds such as canola or hemp. The addition of scrapers keeps the fine material on the belt and prevents build up. Unlike other ‘Canola Approved’ options where capacity is sacrificed, the OILSEED Series offers the same capacity as our standard series, keeping your operation running. FIND YOUR LOCAL DEALER (800) 665-7259 | www.convey-all.com MOVE IT ALL. SEEDS | PULSES | FERTILIZER | CEREALS | OILSEEDS © 2024 Meridian Manufacturing Inc. Registered Trademarks used under License. (03/2024) When it comes to moving the commodities on your farm, you can count on Convey-All’s OilSeed Series. The Convey-All OilSeed Series takes all the features that makes a Convey-All the most reliable conveyor on the market, and adds the versatility of handling oilseeds such as canola or hemp. The addition of scrapers keeps the fine material on the belt and prevents build up. Unlike other ‘Canola Approved’ options where capacity is sacrificed, the OILSEED Series offers the same capacity as our standard series, keeping your operation running. FIND YOUR LOCAL DEALER (800) 665-7259 | www.convey-all.com SEEDS | PULSES | FERTILIZER | CEREALS | OILSEEDS
Farmland Values PRAIRIE FARMLAND REMAINS VALUABLE DESPITE OTHER ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS. FARMLAND VALUES & MARKET RESILIENCY By LESLIE STEWART Tracy Miller photo Photo provided by Ted Cawkwell Photo provided by Ted Cawkwell Photo provided by Ted Cawkwell
15 Follow us on Twitter: @PrairieFarming Better Farming | May/June 2024 Farmland Values During 2023, many farmers encountered a variety of economic hardships: Drought in Western Canada created pressure on commodity prices, input costs were high, and so were interest rates. But through it all, farmland values remained resilient across Canada. A recent report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) indicates that farmland values continued to rise to an average increase of 11.5 per cent across the country in 2023. Saskatchewan had the highest reported increase, coming in at 15.7 per cent. Quebec followed at 13.3 per cent, and Manitoba had an 11.1 per cent increase. Ontario fell below the national average at 10.7 per cent, as did Nova Scotia at 7.8 per cent, P.E.I. at 7.4 per cent, Alberta at 6.5 per cent, and New Brunswick at 5.6 per cent. British Columbia was the only province to report a decrease (3.1 per cent), but they were the province with the highest per-acre land value. What keeps our farmland valuable despite economic pressures, and what can we expect in 2024? Better Farming spoke with some farm real estate experts to answer those questions. Lack of inventory Limited farmland inventory has kept the value of available farmland strong. With fewer properties hitting the market, what is available is valuable. “In 2023, we had extremely low inventory, a very low number of farms for sale on the MLS system,” says Ted Cawkwell, a realtor based in Saskatoon, Sask. “2022 and 2023 were record lows. About half of what’s average and a third of the peak. “There were more buyers than sellers, and that was a factor driving the increase: The competition. When I started, you had 10 buyers and 10 sellers. Now, you have two sellers and 10 buyers.” “I had and continue to have many ready buyers looking to buy, but there was not a great deal of inventory available to purchase, which of course, brings up the price for those few properties that did hit the open market,” says Adam DeGroote, a real estate broker from Brantford, Ont. Cawkwell also notes that some farms are being sold by exclusive listings and may not be factored in when we discuss farmland inventory. “The only way to track it is with MLS. Some realtors have started listing their properties exclusively and don’t advertise. We have record lows, but it’s probably not as low as it looks. Inventory is low, but we don’t really know how low.” Farmland quality “The biggest factor that drives farmland values is the profitability of the farm. It’s a big gap ahead of the other reasons,” Cawkwell explains. “It’s regional, for the most part. It’s weatherdriven, commodity-price-driven, interest-driven. “If farmers are profitable in a region, the farmland values go up.” As per the report from FCC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba were the only two provinces to report an increase in farm cash year-over-year in 2023. Saskatchewan reported a rise of 6.1 per cent, and Manitoba reported an increase of 4.4 per cent. They were also two of the three provinces with the highest farmland value increase. “In the regions where the drought was, it was harder to sell things. Profitability drives the liquidity of farmland. If nobody’s making money, nobody’s buying,” Cawkwell says. Farmland for farmers While fears of foreign investors have fed the rumour-mill, Cawkwell reports that the majority of the farmland he sells is being bought by farmers who will be actively working the land. Those buyers are sensitive to the quality of the land and are more likely to pay for it, and not be deterred by high interest rates. “Investors are the most sensitive to land values,” Cawkwell explains. “They’re not going to overbid for it. The farmer would if it was in a block, or on their home quarter, but investors are in and out of the market. They’re not attached to the land like the farmers are, and if the market turns against them, they just exit. “The investors were borrowing their money at three to four per cent a year ago, and now it’s around six to eight per cent. Land was appreciating so quickly, but now that they’re borrowing at eight per cent and getting a negative ROI, they don’t want to take the risk that it’s going to continue to appreciate. “When the interest rates went up, the rise took a lot of non-farmers out of the market. “An estimated 80 per cent of the ones I talk to are gone until the rates drop again.” Returning to ‘normal’ As we recover from the last few pandemic years, our economy is beginning to shift back to where it was before the global event hit. After a huge rush for land, Canada’s real estate market also appears to be returning to ‘normal.’ “We saw a huge lull coming off of COVID,” says Jackie Pepper, a broker with Farm Match in Chatham, Ont. “Those couple years were crazy. But before that, it sometimes took six months to a year to sell a large property, or a farm, and it looks like that’s where we’re going back to,” adds Rachel Powell, Pepper’s colleague at Farm Match. Adam DeGroote Ted Cawkwell Jackie Pepper
With the best-looking fields, it’s hard not to stare. RevyPro Delaro® 325 SC fungicide Elatus® fungicide Healthier* lentil fields with RevyPro fungicide Source: Grower Applied Strip Strip Trials, Outlook, SK, 2022 * Subject to sound agronomic practices and environmental conditions. AgSolutions, REVYSOL and REVYPRO are registered trademarks of BASF; all used under license by BASF Canada Inc. REVYPRO fungicide should be used in a preventative disease control program. © 2024 BASF Canada Inc. Always read and follow label directions. 1 Fungicide Action Resistance Committee (FRAC). 2 BASF Small Plot Trials, Saskatchewan, 2020. In addition to managing disease, it’s also a timely solution for managing anthracnose and mycosphaerella blight resistant to Group 11. RevyPro gives growers the option to avoid using Group 11 fungicides on resistant populations and to use Group 3 actives instead—a mode of action with a lower risk level for resistance than Group 11.1 Revysol is the latest technology from BASF that offers broader, stronger and longer management of disease. It’s broader because it’s effective across a variety of crops and diseases, offering broad-spectrum control with long-lasting residual activity that can be used across a wider application window. It’s stronger because the binding molecule of Revysol can assume different conformations to allow it to bind more strongly to the pathogen target site. As the rst and only isopropanol-azole within the demethylation inhibitors (DMIs or Group 3 active ingredients), Revysol As you know, Canadian pulse production is a key part of meeting the growing global demand for pulses—and proper crop management strategies are crucial to continue reaching that goal. Without them, diseases like anthracnose in lentils and mycosphaerella blight in eld peas, especially with the growing concern of fungicide resistance, can seriously rob quality and yield in pulses. In recent years, some of these yield-robbing diseases that were once controlled well by Group 11 fungicides have started to develop resistance to them. At BASF, the solution was to design a fungicide for Western Canadian growers, researched in Western Canadian elds, to provide ef cacy against key diseases regardless of a pathogen’s Group 11 resistance status. That’s where the proactive solution RevyPro® fungicide comes into play. RevyPro is powered by the longlasting, innovative active ingredient, Revysol®— a Group 3 mode of action—in addition to prothioconazole. Both Group 3 active ingredients work well on their own and function even stronger together. Whether growers have seen resistance to Group 11 in their elds or not, RevyPro is the right choice. It eliminates the guesswork. has a unique binding structure that maximizes its exibility to control diseases. This provides preventative protection with excellent rainfastness for exceptional disease activity, regardless of conditions—and it goes beyond that. It also provides curative activity for managing post-infection disease. Finally, Revysol offers longer disease management by forming reservoirs under the leaf surface to allow for a metered release that provides longlasting protection. Its low water solubility also allows for consistent translocation throughout the plant. Whichever pulses growers are producing, RevyPro fungicide is the obvious choice. It provides disease control that’s effective on early- and late-season diseases to help improve yield across crops.2 It offers the kind of management that turns heads, giving growers in all situations healthier*, betterlooking elds. Visit agsolutions.ca/RevyPro for more information. Delaro is a registered trademark of Bayer Intellectual Property GmbH. Elatus is a registered trademark of Syngenta Participations AG.
17 The Business of Prairie Agriculture Better Farming | May/June 2024 Rewards that’ll make your bottom line look even better. InVigor® hybrid canola growers save up to on RevyPro® fungicide. * 17% *Full terms and conditions available at agsolutions.ca/rewards. Always read and follow label directions. AgSolutions and REVYPRO are registered trademarks of BASF, used under license by BASF Canada Inc. REVYPRO fungicide should be used in a preventative disease control program. © 2024 BASF Canada Inc. 3191_RevyPro-AgRewards_Print Ad_BFW-3rdVert_Ad 3_v3.indd 1 2024-01-29 8:50 AM Farmland Values What’s in store for ’24 As things begin to return to normal post-pandemic, realtors are cautiously optimistic about the year ahead. “Commodity prices are down, and we had a lot less snowfall. These things aren’t looking great, but cattle prices are at an all-timehigh,” Cawkwell says. “If you’re looking for the shining star, it’s going to be the cattle producers: Hay and pasture land. I think we’re going to see a lot bigger rise on ranch land and a lower rise on grain land because the profitability is shifting. This is a common theme: Historically, it’s common when grain prices are high that cattle prices are low. Everybody gets their turn. “It’s too early to tell. We have to watch every day. If they drop interest rates, that will put farmland values up again.” “Land values are trending upwards again, and I am seeing multiple offers on quality properties,” DeGroote says. “I think this will continue and only get more common as 2024 continues. “The market is starting to pick up again. “I have buyers coming back into the market that have been sitting idle the past two years. There is a strong demand for quality farmland, and so far, there hasn’t been much hitting the market. “I expect that if interest rates lower and the financial forecast continues to improve, buyer confidence will only increase and the pressure for that land that is available will drive prices higher still.” BF Cawkwell is also a farmer in Saskatchewan. Ted Cawkwell photo Rachel Powell
18 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | May/June 2024 PREVENTING FHB INFECTION Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a fungal disease that affects cereal crops across the Prairies, risking crop damage, lower yields, and reduced quality. The Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team (MCVET) and Manitoba Crop Alliance are working to improve the data available to farmers for selection of FHB-resistant varieties through post-registration analysis. Anne Kirk, cereal specialist with Manitoba Agriculture and member of the Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team, says that there are a number of ways to prevent FHB infection, but selection of resistant varieties is becoming more popular. “Varieties get rated for resistance during the registration process,” says Kirk. “In this process they use inoculated nurseries and assess the reaction of the variety to Fusarium head blight. It’s a Priority 1 disease and there are certain standards varieties should meet to be registered. Farmers want more resistance.” She explains that post-registration analysis takes this measurement one step further. “We are looking at conditions under natural infections and under natural growing conditions, so no inoculation and no fungicide. The Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team looks at a number of newly registered varieties or those recommended to be registered in wheat, oats, barley, fall rye, winter wheat, peas, and flax. We observe them over a three-year period.” With funding from Manitoba Crop Alliance, MCVET has been conducting post-registration analysis for FHB resistance on spring wheat since 2009 and brought barley and winter wheat into the study more recently. There are a few indicators that MCVET uses to assess the resistance of the varieties they are testing. “For crop susceptibility in wheat and barley, we are looking at the level of FHB infection and watching for DON and Fusarium damaged kernels to see how the tested varieties react during natural infection.” Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by FHB which can be harmful to livestock in higher levels, reducing the value of the grain as a feed. Currently to detect DON, samAnne Kirk photo POST-REGISTRATION ASSESSMENT OF FHB IN CEREALS IMPROVES VARIETY SELECTION. USE DATA TO SELECT FOR FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT RESISTANCE By EMILY CROFT
19 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | May/June 2024 ples of the grain need to be tested in a lab. Fusarium damaged kernels are the other indicator analyzed by MCVET. They are also known as tombstone kernels, and can appear as small, shriveled, and lighter weight seeds. High percentages of Fusarium damaged kernels can impact grain grading and may cause economic losses for the producer. The MCVET study is currently using 14 locations to analyze resistance in spring wheat and barley, and there are six sites for winter wheat, due to the generally lower acreage for the crop. “We can look to see the level of Fusarium infection in different classes of resistance,” says Anne. “Farmers can also see how specific varieties they are considering performed over the three-year period.” With trials across different sites in Manitoba, the data generated from this study can also be used by farmers to see how varieties perform in their PREVENTING FHB INFECTION Farmers can use data from the study to see how varieties perform in their area. Akchamczuk/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo
20 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | May/June 2024 geographical area. This is important because FHB risk is environment dependent. “It allows farmers to compare FHB resistance in varieties at their specific location with the relevant environmental conditions and allows for comparison between other varieties at that site,” says Kirk. Warm and moist conditions during flowering or anthesis create the greatest risk for infection with FHB. Manitoba Agriculture also publishes FHB risk maps with a range of low to extreme based on relative humidity and temperature prior to anthesis to help grain farmers manage their crops. “They can also look at all moderately resistant varieties and farmers can compare the results within that classification because there will be some range of reaction to FHB within those varieties. The post-registration analysis provides more information to farmers when making variety selections.” Kirk says that in trials over the last PREVENTING FHB INFECTION Grain farmers looking to participate in the survey can reach out to AnneKirk@gov.mb.ca. Farm & Food Care photo
21 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | May/June 2024 three years, DON has been below the detection limit at some locations due to relatively dry environmental conditions around flowering. “It’s great to see that these varieties are below the detection limit for DON. That’s good news for farmers.” She says that this makes it important to evaluate resistance over the full three-year period, to hopefully catch different weather conditions. Kirk adds, “One other important factor to consider is that low levels of Fusarium make it hard to get a good assessment of how varieties will perform under different environmental conditions. “It’s not always a fair comparison when looking at variations grown under harder years, because everything looks pretty good in the years when Fusarium infection is quite low.” Due to this, when evaluating resistance in variety selection decisions, Kirk recommends that producers first review resistance ratings from the seed guide. The results of post-registration assessment can be used to supplement the seed guide ratings by looking at field performance and location. They hope to continue this project to help producers make better variety selections. “I think it’s a good idea to continue with the project. There’s always turnover in varieties and always new varieties being registered. If we are looking at varieties over three years, we want a good number of site years to look at yields across Manitoba for both an average and in specific locations.” They also want to continue looking at the relationship between DON and Fusarium damaged kernels to determine if damage is an appropriate indicator of DON levels without lab testing. If producers want to get involved and contribute to improved data for variety selection, Kirk says that they are looking for farmers to participate in a survey. “I would encourage farmers to reach out. “We are looking for more participation in the FHB survey. We are always happy to have more farmers that want their fields surveyed because it provides better assessment of FHB across the province.” The FHB survey is conducted in late July or early August. The samples are also analyzed by Dr. Maria Antonia Henriquez at AAFC Morden to determine level of infection and any changes to Fusarium across the province. Better surveillance can improve prevention in the future. Grain farmers in Manitoba looking to participate in the survey can reach out to Kirk at Anne.Kirk@gov.mb.ca. BF 22_0470_MH_BulkBags_HalfHoriz_US_MXsp Mod: January 26, 2024 10:24 AM Print: 02/07/24 page 1 v2.5 πSHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS FROM BIG TO BULK ALL SIZES IN STOCK AND READY TO SHIP ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING SHIPS TODAY COMPLETE CATALOG 1-800-295-5510 uline.ca BULK CONTAINERS REUSABLE BULK CONTAINERS EMILY CROFT Emily lives on a beef farm, raising Red Angus and Simmental cattle. She holds a Master of Science in Animal Biosciences, with a focus on ruminant nutrition. PREVENTING FHB INFECTION
22 Follow us on Twitter: @PrairieFarming Better Farming | May/June 2024 Jodie Aldred photo Ready for AI? It seems everywhere we turn someone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI) and all its various applications. In agriculture, huge investments are being made in AI platforms ranging from equipment companies to crop inputs. ChatGPT is probably the most used and accessible platform to most anyone with a computer or mobile device and couple of dollars of disposable income per month. Ask the platform a question and it will come up with an answer from the Internet on anything that is readily available, archived and can be found. ChatGPT at present lacks any reasoning; it only regurgitates what it has found and does a nice job of presenting its findings, but needs some critical thought before it should be acted upon. What might it actually mean for a farmer if we fast forward a few years? How would AI be used every day or at least weekly on the farm? Let’s ask Auricle AI a question. “Based on my current crop of soybeans (name variety) planted May 15, my present soil test information, tillage practice, ground cover, soil type, microclimate in the field, weather forecast, what is the likelihood of white mould developing? Give me a time frame and select the products required with rates, nozzles and volume to be applied and provide an ROI.” The programming that makes this happen is referred to as a large language model. This supports questions being asked of the data available to the model, which means anyone can ask the question without having to be a computer programmer. In a matter of a few seconds, an answer is returned. Wow, how great would that be? There are companies that believe this is all possible. The answer will come from many linked databases, ranging from your own farm data, fungicide manufacturer, nozzle company, sprayer company, weather station data services, your local input supplier, your agronomist (maybe). All Bits and Splits - tock.adobe.com photo EXPLORING AI USE ON-FARM. PREPARING FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE By DALE COWAN
23 Follow us on Twitter: @PrairieFarming Better Farming | May/June 2024 these sources of data need to be seamlessly connected to support a decision. The real question is, will any of them replace your trusted advisor? To make this a reality, we need to examine where we are today and look at the gaps in connected data. To start, the foundational piece is that businesses have customers. They have farms that have fields that need a georeferenced boundary. Without this fundamental piece, nothing gets connected. How many farms – with all of their fields with georeferenced boundaries – are sitting in one database connected to the cloud? Next is a background map of soil type and topography that can be linked to a field boundary seamlessly. After that is the recording of the following field activities: Tillage; fertility; applications of inputs with dates; rates; products and method (banded, broadcasted incorporated and to what depth); hybrid varieties; plant population dropped; plants emerged; growth models tracking crop growth stage; and observational data from possibly drones, satellites, sensors and manual entry, all linked to a specific field boundary. Having sophisticated AI interactions will take massive amounts of connected data collected in near real time from equipment and sensors feeding automatically into georeferenced databases. Where are we today and where are the gaps? Surprisingly, a lot of the connectivity is possible to build the field foundation information. Sensors on equipment are collecting data and can be fed into software systems. It’s possible to collect all field activities digitally if investments in technology on-farm have been made. Some of the softer skills may need more work. My colleagues in the United States who are working on data collection offered some interesting insights: The most popular hybrid planted in a certain county was either “1” or “A” – the first entry on a pick list that did not have the hybrids pre-entered. Sometimes the simplest things can limit the usefulness of the data. To have effective AI, it will take more than one connected database. A lot of different data sources need to be connected. Data privacy, ownership and the liability of the output will need a thorough discussion. In the spirit of AI, I asked ChatGPT the following question: What can a farmer do to prepare their farm for AI? Response from ChatGPT: Integrating AI into farming operations can enhance efficiency, productivity, and decision-making. Here are several steps a farmer can take to prepare their farm for AI: 1. Understand AI applications in agriculture Educate yourself about the various AI applications in agriculture, such as precision farming, crop monitoring, FILTRATION YOU CAN TRUST. WIX® heavy-duty filters are built to withstand the rigorous demands of the ag industry. By extending service intervals and reducing downtime, the right filters can increase your production and yield. WIX filters are tested and trusted—even in the harshest conditions. WIX-003083-04_2024 Trade Media HD_Agriculture_V4.indd 1 4/10/24 3:33 PM Ready for AI?
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