TRACKING RAINFALL BIOSECURITY BASICS CROP ISSUES EXPLORING DRONES A FAMILY IN TRANSITION Visiting Funk Farms BENEFICIAL BIOLOGICALS Next-Level Yields CHECK IT OR WRECK IT Routine Maintenance AUGUST 2024 $9.50 DOUG, DEREK, RANDY, & DOUG FUNK, SR. Communicate & Collaborate on the Farm 28 20 24 14
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4 The Business of Ontario Agriculture Better Farming | August 2024 INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE INSIGHT FROM THE INSIDE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR UPDATE ON DRONES; BURSARIES DEADLINE Writer Emily Croft did some extensive research before bringing you our “Drones” update in this edition. “Things are improving but are not there yet,” says Jason Deveau in the article. Jason is an application technology specialist at OMAFA, and he emphasizes that improvements are still needed to ensure the efficacy and safety of spray drones. “There are definitely opportunities. These things fly – they can go where traditional equipment can’t. Spot spraying, places that are unsuited or dangerous for spraying, or perennial horticulture crops are where the big opportunities are in agriculture for drones.” Deadline is Aug. 31 to apply for the OFA’s 2024 post-secondary bursary program. The OFA will be awarding five post-secondary bursaries this year: Three $2,000 bursaries to students in an undergrad program, one $2,000 bursary to a person completing an apprenticeship, and one $2,000 bursary for an individual completing a post-graduate, veterinary or leadership program. Applicants should be able to demonstrate industry-related achievements, a genuine passion for agriculture and rural issues, and community involvement. Visit ofa.on.ca to apply. According to a new study led by Penn State researchers, the availability and adoption of high-speed broadband appears to boost the number of farms offering agritourism activities. Their findings, the researchers said, bolster the argument for expanding broadband availability in support of farm operators who want to benefit from the growing consumer interest in on-farm experiences. “Agritourism operations need to attract visitors, and most of their visitors find them online,” says Claudia Schmidt, assistant professor of marketing and local/regional food systems in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “Ours is the first study to examine high-speed internet and agritourism specifically, and demonstrates a clear relationship.” 1-888-248-4893 90 Woodlawn Road West Guelph, ON N1H 1B2 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 JOURNALISTS EMILY CROFT MARY LOGGAN CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS EDITION MOE AGOSTINO CAMPBELL CORK DALE COWAN ABHINESH GOPAL PAUL HERMANS PATRICK LYNCH RON SETTLER RALPH WINFIELD ADVERTISING TEAM GLENN RUEGG JEFF McKEE JENNY LONGSTREET SCOTT FARHOOD SAMANTHA RENAUD JOAN SPIEGELBERG DESIGN & PRODUCTION TEAM TANYA MYERS GREG MARLOW SHAUN CLARK ANDREA WILLIAMS www.BetterFarming.com Better Farming magazine is mailed as a member-benefit to all farmer members of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. If you are not an OFA member, subscribe at: 1-888-248-4893 ext 281 Subscriptions@BetterFarming.com ISSN 1498-9344 (Printed) Canadian one-year subscriptions: $41 (11 issues; includes $4.72 HST). Two-year: $74 ($8.51 HST). U.S. subscriptions: $72 annually. International: $121. Single-copy back issues are $12. GST Registration #868959347RT0001 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AgMedia Inc., 90 Woodlawn Road West, Guelph, ON N1H 1B2. Publications Mail Registration #1156. Publications Mail Agreement #40037298. 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. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. Follow us on @BetterFarmingON “Teaching kids farm safety is at the top of the list of things to do because they get too comfortable around cows and equipment and forget the rules. You need eyes in the back of your head to know where they are at all times.” Leeds County producer, Page 10 “If you say and do the wrong things, you won’t have a successful succession. You have to be able to let things go, and that’s a challenge for all farmers. I heard a saying years ago that it’s easier to pass a farm from grandfather to grandson than from father to son for those reasons.” Doug Funk, Sr., Page 29 “Review this year’s herbicide program to make changes for next year. Record weed escapes and problem weeds by field/farm. I know it may be wishful thinking, but you should start recording what group of herbicides you used on each field/farm. Consider using scouting software that keeps track of your herbicide group used each year on the field/farm.” Patrick Lynch, Page 40 Cover: Sarah Richert photo; Pavlobaliukh - stock.adobe.com photo
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6 It’s Farming. And It’s Better. Better Farming | August 2024 Beyond the Barn HORTICULTURE RESEARCH FACILITY RECEIVES FUNDING A crop research facility in Northern Ontario will receive funding for enhancements to improve their labs. The Superior Plant Upgrading and Distribution (SPUD) Unit in New Liskeard will receive $330,000 in funding from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) program offered by the Canadian and Ontario governments. “Commercial growers across Ontario are on the cutting edge of innovation, bringing greater crop diversity to the province’s agriculture sector,” said Lawrence MacAulay, federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, in a recent release from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “This investment will help growers access top-quality crops and crop research so they can reach current markets and create new opportunities.” The SPUD Unit, which is operated by the University of Guelph, specializes in testing for plant diseases and the provision of healthy stock plants to commercial horticulture farmers across Ontario. The upgrades to the facility will improve irrigation, air filtration, heating systems, environmental controls, and the sterilization capacity of the unit. Its research on plant diseases and pests has implications for potato, berry, garlic, sweet potato and hazelnut growers. The unit produces 10 per cent of the mini-tubers needed for seed potato production in Ontario and is a primary source of garlic seed for Ontario growers. “The SPUD Unit is a critical piece of infrastructure, supporting the clean seed and propagation needs of several significant edible horticulture crops in Ontario,” said Shawn Brenn, chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association. “This investment is crucial to the continuity of the SPUD Unit as we collaborate with government on its future success.” BF A recent study has found that people who are more educated about gene editing are more likely to feel it is safe to use in agriculture and medicine. Gene editing has been used in agriculture to develop new varieties and improve crop resilience to drought and disease. The research involved a survey of 4,500 people across the U.S. and was led by Brandon McFadden, Tyson endowed chair in Food Policy Economics for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, along with Kathryn Stofer and Kevin Folta from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and Joy Rumble, from The Ohio State University. “People who have heard or read a lot about gene editing generally have a favourable opinion about using it for agricultural or medical purposes,” McFadden said in a recent release from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “So, people who are less familiar with gene editing are likelier to think it is unsafe.” The study also found that people with less knowledge of gene editing need more information, up to 100 studies or 20 years, to view it as safe. The survey found that 10 per cent of respondents would not improve their opinion on gene editing even if provided with research. The researchers believe that proactive public conversation may have avoided the damaging image surrounding genetically modified organisms and gene editing. “The study sets us up to test explicit messages about the number of studies or years of research on this technology that might help alleviate concerns about safety and support the benefits,” said Stofer. Folta added, “We used to think that providing more evidence didn’t change opinions, but this work shows maybe we can change public perception if we effectively share the good things we can do with gene editing.” The results of the study are published in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. BF - Emily Croft EDUCATION IMPROVES GMO OPINIONS Leslie Stewart photo CROP
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8 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | August 2024 Beyond the Barn Keeping everything locked and secured protects against rural crime, such as trespassing, mischief, theft, and destruction of property. That advice comes from Sarah Bowers-Peter, who recently spoke with OFA farmers about reducing the odds of being victims of rural crime. “Farming communities have unique challenges when it comes to crime prevention – such as reporting distance, lack of visibility from roadways and irregular schedules,” says the program coordinator with Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington. Bowers-Peter was featured in a Zoom call in late June, hosted by the OFA as rural crime has become an increasing concern for many rural residents across Ontario. According to a 2021 report by Statistics Canada, crime in rural areas has spiked, even when compared to crime rates in urban centres. The report explained that “the higher crime rate in rural areas was mainly because of the high number of assaults, mischief and incidents related to disturbing the peace. These common offenses were reported approximately two to three times more often by police services serving a predominantly rural population.” How do we avoid becoming victims of rural crime? Bowers-Peter offered Better Farming readers some recommendations. “Prevention is as simple as increased lighting, installing security systems and locking buildings, fuel tanks, vehicles, and keeping keys secure. If it’s handy for you to have the keys in the vehicle, imagine how helpful it is to criminals.” Bowers-Peter also points out that crime in rural areas is evolving. “There is a new spin on old crimes: Trespassing, where strangers want a glowing field of canola blooms for social media posts. And illegal dumping, where materials transported from urban developments are dumped on agricultural properties.” As OFA members were advised, “with evolving crimes, farmers must also evolve. “Being vigilant about security and communication are simple ways we can do this.” BF - Mary Loggan Emily Croft photo ‘EVOLVING’TO PREVENT RURAL CRIME A FARMING LIFE: LOIS HUNTER Farmer, wife, mother, grandmother, fair volunteer and homecrafts judge. Born Nov. 20, 1924; died April 27, 2024. Lois Hunter (née Poole) of Smiths Falls grew up on a purebred Holstein farm outside of Perth and had a lifelong love of raising cattle. She met her future husband Donald Hunter at the Lombardy Fair where he was showing his 4-H calf and the two were married in 1944. The Hunters took over the Hunter Family farm in the mid-1950s. “People would call her ‘the traditional farm wife,’ but she was a farmer,” grandson Hugh Hunter tells Better Farming. “She milked cows, drove tractors … she did everything, but she wouldn’t be seen without makeup!” Over the years, she won three Holstein Canada Master Breeder Awards. Last year, she was presented with a Century of Holstein award at a ceremony in Montreal, which she attended with her family. “It was special for all of us to take her and get that award together,” says Hugh. “Granny was a cow person. She was interested in the breeding and genetics, and when the cows would get classified, she’d want to be called with the results.” Lois loved her family. She had two children, six grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. “She was born to be a grandmother. She loved to feed us and bake, take us on picnics, gave great big hugs, and she was always at school concerts, 4-H, and cow shows. “Even last summer at 98 years of age, she never missed anything.” BF - Leslie Stewart Lois Hunter
10 Better Farming | August 2024 Follow us on @BetterFarmingON There are many hazards that exist on farms. Equipment, vehicles, and livestock are all potentially dangerous to farmers and their families, visitors and employees. Earlier this year, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services released an issue of Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting that detailed agriculture-related injuries and fatalities in Ontario from 1990 to 2020. In those 30 years, the number of agricultural fatalities decreased from an average of 30 per year between 1990 and 2005 to an average of 19 between 2006 and 2020. The report also noted that 62 per cent of fatalities occurred between May and October. From 2011 to 2020, 63 per cent of fatal farm injuries were equipment-related, largely due to rollovers and runovers. During the busy summer months, with equipment and people moving quickly to manage crops, it’s important to slow down and remember to pay attention to the people, animals, and objects in the same space. Discussing and prioritizing safety with all members of the farm can help prevent injuries. We recently asked Better Farming readers which farm safety tips they use to stay safe. Jason, Middlesex County: “Eyes and mind on your task. Pay attention.” Christine, Bruce County: “Know your surroundings. Know where the people, animals, and equipment are when you are working.” Tom, Prince Edward County: “Don’t stand behind me when any machinery is running. I can’t see much back there.” Jessica, Elgin County: “Always try to have someone with you. When that’s not possible, let others know where you are at all times and share expectations for when you will return.” Doug, Middlesex County: “Communicate! Whether it be talking about safety before starting a task or communicating where you are and what you are doing. Keep everyone informed.” Steve, Oxford County: “Take your time. Slow and steady gets the job done safely.” Joan, Grey County: “Check, check, and recheck.” Eleanor, Leeds County: “Always know where the children are before you start up any equipment, and never leave them alone in a running tractor. Teaching kids farm safety is at the top of the list of things to do because they get too comfortable around cows and equipment and forget the rules. You need eyes in the back of your head to know where they are at all times. For us older folks, it is to stop working when you get tired. That is when you make mistakes and get hurt or you break something.” Derek, Niagara Region: “Pay attention to what you are doing, and observe and think before you act.” Tom, Peel Region: “Know the equipment and take your time.” Wayne, Perth County: “Pay attention to what you’re doing! Think about what could happen.” Allan, Peel Region: “Be aware of your surroundings, don’t take anything for granted, and double-check when operating equipment.” Jon, Niagara Region: “Pay attention!” Lloyd, Bruce County: “Be careful and think before you act.” Michel, Russell County: “All the safety shields should be maintained on equipment.” Norm, Peterborough County: “Don’t attempt any activity you haven’t received training on.” Marina, Bruce County: “Always let somebody know where you will be.” Ken, Niagara Region: “Focus on machinery safety.” Barclay, Wellington County: “Shut off the tractor before adjusting anything.” Veronique, Wellington County: “Look and listen!” BF Digging Deeper HOW ARE ONTARIO FARMERS STAYING SAFE? ‘Slow & steady gets the job done safely.’ By Emily Croft Pay attention to your surroundings while you’re working. katrinaelena - stock.adobe.com photo
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12 Like Us on Facebook: BetterFarmingON Better Farming | August 2024 Researchers at the University of Bonn have developed software that can simulate the growth of field crops. To do this, they fed thousands of photos from field experiments into a learning algorithm. This enabled the algorithm to learn how to visualize the future development of cultivated plants based on a single initial image. Using the images created during this process, parameters such as leaf area or yield can be estimated accurately. The results have been published in the journal Plant Methods. Which plants should I combine in what ratio to achieve the greatest possible yield? And how will my crop develop if I use manure instead of artificial fertilizers? In the future, farmers should increasingly be able to count on computer support when answering such questions. Researchers at the University of Bonn have now taken a crucial step forward on the path towards this goal: “We have developed software that uses drone photos to visualize the future development of the plants shown,” explains Lukas Drees from the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation at the university. The early career researcher is an employee in the Cluster of Excellence PhenoRob. The large-scale project based at the University of Bonn intends to drive forward the intelligent digitalization of agriculture to help farming become more environmentally friendly without causing harvest yields to suffer. A virtual decision-making aid The computer program now presented by Drees and his colleagues in Plant Methods is an important building block. It should eventually make it possible to simulate certain decisions virtually to assess how the use of pesticides or fertilizers will affect crop yield. For this to work, the program must be fed with drone photos from field experiments. “We took thousands of images over one growth period,” explains Drees. “In this way, for example, we documented the development of cauliflower crops under certain conditions.” The researchers then trained a learning algorithm using these images. Afterwards, based on a single aerial image of an early stage of growth, this algorithm was able to generate images showing the future development of the crop in a new, artificially created image. The whole process is very accurate as long as the crop conditions are similar to those present when the training photos were taken. Consequently, the software does not take into account the effect of a sudden cold snap or steady rain lasting several days. However, it should learn in the future how growth is affected by influences such as these, as well as an increased use of fertilizers, for example. This should enable it to predict the outcome of certain interventions by the farmer. “In addition, we used a second AI software that can estimate various parameters from plant photos, such as crop yield,” says Drees. “This also works with the generated images. It is thus possible to estimate Research MODELLING CROP GROWTH WITH AI The software uses drone photos to visualize future plant development. Based on a release from University of Bonn Researchers have been supplying the program with drone photos from field experiments. Jana - stock.adobe.com photo
13 Like Us on Facebook: BetterFarmingON Better Farming | August 2024 quite precisely the subsequent size of the cauliflower heads at a very early stage in the growth period.” Focus on polycultures One area the researchers are focusing on is the use of polycultures. This refers to the sowing of different species in one field, such as beans and wheat. As plants have different requirements, they compete less with each other in a polyculture of this kind compared to a monoculture, where just one species is grown. This boosts yield. In addition, some species – beans are a good example of this – can bind nitrogen from the air and use it as a natural fertilizer. The other species, in this case wheat, also benefits from this. “Polycultures are also less susceptible to pests and other environmental influences,” explains Drees. “However, how well the whole thing works very much depends on the combined species and their mixing ratio.” When results from many different mixing experiments are fed into learning algorithms, it is possible to derive recommendations as to which plants are particularly compatible and in what ratio. Plant growth simulations on the basis of learning algorithms are a relatively new development. Process-based models have mostly been used for this purpose up to now. Metaphorically speaking, these models have a fundamental understanding of what nutrients and environmental conditions certain plants need during their growth in order to thrive. “Our software, however, makes its statements solely based on the experience they have collected using the training images,” says Drees. Both approaches complement each other. If they were to be combined in an appropriate manner, it could significantly improve the quality of the forecasts. “This is also a point that we are investigating in our study,” says the researcher. “How can we use process- and image-based methods so they benefit from each other in the best possible way?” The University of Bonn and Forschungszentrum Jülich took part in the study. The work was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of the German Excellence Strategy. BF The work is published as Lukas Drees, Dereje T. Demie, Madhuri R. Paul, Johannes Leonhardt, Sabine J. Seidel, Thomas F. Döring, Ribana Roscher: Data-driven Crop Growth Simulation on Time-varying Generated Images using Multi-conditional Generative Adversarial Networks; Plant Methods; https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-02401205-3, URL: https://plantmethods. biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ s13007-024-01205-3 Research 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
14 Ate Today? Thank a Farmer. Better Farming | August 2024 DRONES: A NEW PERSPECTIVE Drones have been creating a lot of buzz in agriculture for over a decade now. Most of the machines were initially purchased for entertainment, but their uses have evolved over time, earning them a reputation for making farming easier. “There’s been an interesting transformation of drones being used in ag,” says Andres Hurtado, co- founder of TerraNova UAV. “I would say eight to 10 years ago, drones had just started to appear. Everyone wanted to have a drone back then, but then we saw it starting to die down. Farmers who are spending most of the day planting or spraying don’t have as much time to fly drones, and what we saw was, after two or three flights, they were gathering dust in a closet. “Now we are seeing opportunity in spraying. Drones are gaining popularity, but we are still waiting to see market uptake to know if farmers are willing to buy this brand-new piece of equipment that works different than a ground sprayer and requires additional training.” While technology has advanced, at this stage drones are unlikely to replace field-scale equipment on the ground. Instead, these machines are filling in the gaps where large equipment can’t or shouldn’t access. “Things are improving but are not there yet,” says Jason Deveau, application technology specialist at OMAFA and co-administrator of Sprayers 101. He emphasizes that improvements and research are still needed to ensure efficacy and safety with spray drones. “There are definitely opportunities. These things fly – they can go where traditional equipment can’t and go where some poor person in a backpack sprayer and Tyvek suit would be exposed. When push comes to shove, spot spraying, places that are unsuited or dangerous for spraying, or perennial horticulture crops are where the big opportunities are in agriculture for drones.” With refinement, drones can allow farmers to manage some of their acres better. “I see it as a very specialized cusFILLING IN THE GAPS & ‘OPENING NEW AVENUES.’ DRONES: HOW CAN THEY MAKE FARMING EASIER? By EMILY CROFT TerraNova UAV photo
15 Ate Today? Thank a Farmer. Better Farming | August 2024 tom application model,” says Adam Pfeffer, a crop farmer near St. Thomas and market development manager at Bayer CropScience. “Dedicating a few full days to cover 100 acres when you can do it in a few hours with traditional equipment doesn’t make sense, but in Eastern Canada we have smaller fields. When you drive through and trample all that crop – that’s where I really see drones having an advantage.” Pfeffer also sees drones as useful in wet years, noting that drone operators were busy in 2023 when fields were too damp, and corn needed to be side- dressed with urea. How else are drones making farming easier? Scouting and mapping Drones give producers the ability to view and manage areas of their farms that are hard to access. Imaging was one of the first uses for drones and is often the primary introduction to drones for producers due to its affordability and ease of use. Hurtado says that drones are commonly used for scouting. “Drones give a perspective you can’t see from the ground, at a resolution you can’t get from manned aircraft or satellites,” explains Hurtado, who says that for producers who want a little more from these images there are also mapping options. This is a service that Hurtado provides at TerraNova UAV. “It’s not necessarily just a map, but it could also be analyzing the map and creating prescriptions and diagnosing what is happening with fields. We have other sensors that can provide even more info about plants. This helps farmers understand their fields much faster and take action more efficiently.” Mapping drones use extra programs to analyze the images collected by the technology. Some of these programs will assess crop health, crop emergence, and weed pressure. It can also be used by livestock farmers to find their herds on pasture or even look for specific animals by imaging ear tags. Application Farmers can take their drone maps one step further by using them to create prescriptions and following that up with precision application. Pfeffer has been working with Adrian Rivard of Drone Spray Canada to apply fertilizer to his corn crop for the previous two growing seasons and plans to do it again in 2024. “We specialize more in fertilizer application and seeding,” says Rivard. “Last year we did about 200,000 pounds of fertilizer on mostly corn, and this year we’ve already done about 100,000 pounds and haven’t touched corn yet. It’s not that drones are ever going to compete in acres per hour with conventional machines, but we are seeing a lot of headway when it’s too wet to get into the field. It opens new avenues.” Pfeffer says on his farm, drones have created new options for fertility timing on his corn. “Last spring I had Adrian spread AMIDAS, a nitrogen sulphate granule, in corn after tassel at the brown silk or R2/R3 Stage. He put 50 pounds an acre out and that provided a pretty nice yield punch,” says Pfeffer. “It’s a window in the corn crop that we haven’t been able to apply fertilizer in. High-clearance sprayers or Y-drops are good until the crop is about six to seven feet tall, but that’s still a few weeks away from when the crop needs it most. “I left some comparisons out in one field and they all came in positive, so I will be implementing this strategy again this year.” The technology has been improving rapidly for this application. Pfeffer says that when he first tried drone application of fertilizer in 2022, it was a smaller drone and the field required 276 refills to complete. Newer models with higher capacities have increased the efficiency, but still require a dedicated operator that has time to work with the technology. Rivard explains, “The T40 was last year’s big spray drone from DJI. The T50 is new this year. It’s adapted to handle higher spray volume. Before you could expect to apply two to three gallons per acre tops, but now more nozzles make the drones more conducive to spraying up to five gallons an acre.” He says that drone manufacturers have been responding well to feedback from farmers and applicators. Drone Spray Canada has also broadcasted seed from drones, which can allow producers to get a cover crop in after wheat or canola if the fields are too wet. Rivard says that they have also seeded rye into standing corn. DRONES: A NEW PERSPECTIVE Andres Hurtado and Alexandra Acosta of TerraNova UAV. Sandra Cardenas Photography
16 The Business of Ontario Agriculture Better Farming | August 2024 One more niche product that can be applied by drone is greenhouse covering, which decreases the intensity of the sun during the summer months. “Spray drones are really well suited to these special projects, and it makes it easier to get in and get the job done,” says Rivard. Spraying and crop protection The future of spray drones is the source of much of the excitement surrounding drones. Currently, no products covered under the Pest Control Products Act are approved for application by drone in Canada. Farmers are eager for these regulations to catch up. “Registrations are coming but it’s not for agricultural products,” says Deveau. Currently the only approved products are larvicides for mosquitos, and the next products to become legal to spray by drone will likely be for industrial vegetative management. “As registrants get more comfortable and as products slowly get registered, that becomes precedence and as info comes in about agricultural products, things will snowball.” Deveau explains that to have more products available for drone spraying, registrants need to ask Health Canada what information they need, and a variety of research will need to take place to generate that data. This research should also help refine and improve the ability of drones to spray crops. Currently there are concerns about spray swath and application consistency that come from the many variables associated with drone application. “With drones, so many things interfere with how the crop is sprayed – how the rotors turn, drone speed, the amount of fluid being carried, wind, and the direction of the drone,” says Deveau, who explains that rates across the swath are currently inconsistent, with the majority of the product distributed directly under the drone. “We don’t have a good idea of how big the swath is, and with spraying, there is nothing more important than knowing the rate of application.” He also explains that he has concerns about coverage. With drones carrying lower volumes of liquid than large-scale machines, the product is less diluted. Products sprayed by drones are more concentrated and often result in significantly fewer droplets per square foot than conventional methods. While more information is necessary to ensure drones can safely and efficiently apply crop protection products, Pfeffer says it’s also in the registrants’ best interest to generate this info. “As registrants, we want things to come through the right channels and get approved and provide parameters on when and how to apply, and how to get the best outcome,” says Pfeffer. “As with any technology, things do improve. I’m excited for the equipment that is available today and the capacity now is workable. It’s much better than two to three years ago. What does 10 years from now look like?” He says he sees a lot of opportunity for developments in automation of the reloading and charging process. Pfeffer emphasizes that drones likely won’t replace ground sprayers. “I think where drones come in is filling in the cracks. They won’t replace anything large-scale, but the corners, tough-to-get-at places, and small fields, is where they can excel. “And I’m also thinking about disease development – like tar spot. It’s getting difficult to manage and stretching our current application abilities, but any extra tools will be needed especially for diseases like that.” Barriers Besides the previously discussed limitations in spray drones, including regulations and data supporting coverage, there are a few other barriers that may make farmers hesitant to make a major drone purchase. TerraNova UAV’s Hurtado says that the training and attention required may make drones unsuited to the workflows of some operations. “How do you implement this technology in the middle of spraying, seeding, or scouting? How do you implement buying the drone, flying it, maintaining it, and potentially analyzing and getting information from it?” asks Hurtado. “With spraying you also need a certain level of knowledge for programming the machine, an understanding of how the drone works, and the time to learn the equipment.” Hurtado says that producers who are looking at implementing drones should ask questions like, ‘Will I have time to go through everything to make sure it operates safely? Is it doing the task properly? Am I planning ahead for maintenance? Am I trained to fly a drone?’ If workflow is a challenge, using custom operators may be a solution to ensure that the job is done well, without tying up farm labour. Another limitation is flight regulations. For the safety of airspace and those around the drone operator, FCC ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING Join us for a review of our 2023-24 financial results, highlighting the achievements of the past year and looking forward to the opportunities ahead. Wednesday, August 21, 2024 2 p.m. Eastern REGISTER AT fcc.ca/AnnualPublicMeeting DRONES: A NEW PERSPECTIVE
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18 It’s Farming. And It’s Better. Better Farming | August 2024 Transport Canada requires operators with drones between 250 g and 25 kg to test for a drone pilot licence. This test can be written online and is relatively attainable with some training and studying. Drones over 25 kg will also require a Special Flight Operations Certificate, with details of operator experience and flight plans. Some of these barriers are already being addressed by the industry. Rivard believes that drone interest will rapidly increase once fungicides can be legally sprayed, and Hurtado says that the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council is working at developing standards for agricultural drone operators, which can address training concerns. As research and advances in technology refine swath width and spray consistency, and ensure safety, the buzz around drones might continue to grow. As smaller machines, drones are able to fill in the gaps where larger equipment could trample crops or damage fields. They provide perspectives and access to new parts of the farm and new opportunities for application timing. BF 22_0470_FM_GMSupplies_HalfHoriz_US Mod: May 16, 2024 8:24 AM Print: 06/24/24 page 1 v2.5 COMPLETE CATALOG 1-800-295-5510 uline.ca πGROUNDS MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES IN STOCK ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING PLASTIC PAILS CORRUGATED TRAYS EMILY CROFT Emily lives on a beef farm, raising Red Angus and Simmental cattle. She holds a Master of Science in Animal Biosciences from University of Guelph, with a focus on ruminant nutrition. DRONES: A NEW PERSPECTIVE Ava Moller, a precision agriculture intern for LandView Drones from Lakeland College, flies a Matrice 350 drone. Bianca Weber photo
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is proudly offering five post-secondary bursaries this year: OFA encourages all students who are OFA members, a child of, or employee of an OFA member and are residents of Ontario, to apply for the 2024 bursary program. Eligible applicants must demonstrate industry-related accomplishments, a passion for agriculture and rural issues, and active community involvement. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2024. Apply today for OFA’s 2024 bursary program One $2,000 bursary for a recipient completing a post-graduate, veterinary or leadership development program. One $2,000 bursary to a recipient completing an apprenticeship. Three bursaries in the amount of $2,000 per recipient to students in an undergraduate program. BURSARY PROGRAM 2023 Bursary PrOgram winners BURSARY PROGRAM BURSARY PROGRAM BURSARY PROGRAM OFA: Supporting the next generation of your farm business. Visit ofa.on.ca/bursary2024 to learn more.
20 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | August 2024 BENEFICIAL BIOLOGICALS One thing that is always constant in agriculture is change. That’s what I love about this industry. Agriculture is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the producer. In this article, I will review the fascinating world of biologicals and explore where some opportunities lie. With biologicals – or naturals, as some people call them – there is the opportunity to take yields to the next level. It is reported that over 400 companies are acting in this space, with over 1,000 products that growers can look at for their farm operations. Biologicals are non-synthetic crop production inputs. They can include things like beneficial insects, microorganisms, and plant extracts. Biologicals can further be categorized into specific types, including bio-stimulants, biopesticides, biofertilizers and pheromones. Within the bio-stimulants category are products that help control plant hormones. Peter Davies, former professor of plant physiology at Cornell University, has defined plant hormones as “a group of naturally occurring, organic substances which influence physiological processes at low concentrations.” Key hormones include auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, ethylene, and abscisic acid. Each play a specific role within the plant. In simple terms, they help control shoot and root growth when ratios within the plant are ideal. Growers need to realize that biologicals are not a silver bullet to fix every problem from a crop management standpoint. They work in conjunction with sound agronomy practices to take yields to the next level. In past articles, I have talked about the yield pyramid. The Pioneer Yield KEEPING THE YIELD NEEDLE MOVING ONWARD & UPWARD. BIOLOGICALS: THE NEXT FRONTIER By PAUL HERMANS Paul Hermans photo
21 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | August 2024 Pyramid is designed to help farmers manage the complexity of crop management decisions by identifying and prioritizing those practices that will increase yield potential. Starting at the bottom are the basics of agronomy that must be managed, working from left to right, before you can advance to the next level. These include things like drainage, managing soil pH and basic fertility. With biologicals, all the “simple agronomy” practices must be implemented before you can gain the benefits of biologicals on the farm. Corteva recently acquired Stoller. A giant in the biological market. I recently had the chance to listen to agronomy talks about Stoller and what their vision is for stimulants. When we look at plant hormones, hormones control a lot of activity within the plant. During stressful times, different hormones regulate distinct functions within the plant. For example, during the critical pollination phase for corn, when ambient air temperatures are above 28 C for extended periods of time, hormones can change, which can lead to degradation in kernel set. The two weeks before and after pollination are the most critical. Most losses occur due to drought/reduced moisture available to the plant. Studies have shown yield losses can be as much as three to five per cent – or even seven per cent – per day. Understanding how hormones regulate certain plant functions allows us to supplement the hormones at the right rate and the right time to supercharge the plant to ensure the hormones are kept in balance. An example of this is a product called X-Cyte. X-Cyte contains cytokinins, which are active hormones that enhance fruit formation/seed production. During hot periods, cytokinin production is reduced in the plant, which leads to higher rates of seed abortion. In-crop application to increase cytokinin levels within the plant will help reduce seed abortion. The wonderful thing about using bio-stimulants is that depending on what Mother Nature throws at us, we can react by applying a specific stimulant to help reduce plant stress and keep the plant functioning in top gear to make a bigger factory or ensure seed-set is not disrupted. Back to the X-Cyte example. If the two-week forecast around pollination time is for air temperature to be above 30 C with hot and humid conditions, then we could prescribe an application to help reduce stress, keeping hormones in check for this period. These products could be tankBENEFICIAL BIOLOGICALS ABA ETH GA CYT IBA, IAA Abscisic Acid • Stomatal regulation • Seed dormancy • Promotes ripening Ethylene (the stress hormone) • Promotes ripening • Promotes Abscission • Stimulates aging • Gaseous form Auxin • Lateral root development • Flower and fruit development • Activates and directs sugar movement Cytokinin • Cell division • Controls apical dominance • Above ground branching/growth • Flower di erentiation • Sugar transport • Promotes chlorophyll synthesis • Promotes stomata opening Gibberellin • Cell elongation • Induces germination • Fruit sizing • Decrease chlorophyll degradation • Increase the pollen grain fertility Foliar Feed/Micros Fungicide B/Mn Hybrid/ Variety/ Planter Pass Nitrogen Sulfur/Zinc Drainage Soil pH Potassium Phosphorus ARE YOUR SOIL TEST RESULTS AT OR ABOVE OPTIMUM? Optimum Ranges* pH 6.5-68 P Bicarb 20 ppm K 120 ppm OMAFRA Req’s Complete each layer from left to right then move up one! Courtesy of Pioneer Courtesy of Pioneer PLANT HORMONES AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
DEMAND NEW HOLLAND https://agriculture.newholland.com/nar/en-us Bob Mark New Holland Sales Ltd. Campbellford • 705-653-3700 Bob Mark New Holland Sales Ltd. Lindsay • 705-324-2221 Bob Mark New Holland Sales Ltd. Napanee • 613-354-9244 Bob Mark New Holland Sales Ltd. Sunderland • 705-357-3121 Delta Power Equipment Mitchell • 519-348-8467 Delta Power Equipment St. Marys • 519-349-2180 Delta Power Equipment Tilbury • 519-682-9090 Delta Power Equipment Waterford • 519-443-8622 Delta Power Equipment Watford • 519-849-2744 Delta Power Equipment Winchester • 613-774-2887 Ebert Welding Ltd. New Liskeard • 705-647-6896 ESM Farm Equipment Ltd. Wallenstein • 519-669-5176 Maxville Farm Machinery Ltd. Maxville • 613-527-2834 McCauley Equipment Sales Orillia • 705-325-4424 Oneida New Holland Caledonia • 905-765-5011 Oneida New Holland St Catharines • 905-688-5160 Regional Tractor Sales Ltd. Freelton • 905-659-1094 Richards Equipment Inc. Barrie • 705-721-5530 Robert’s Farm Equipment Sales, Inc. Chesley • 519-363-3192 Robert’s Farm Equipment Sales, Inc. Mount Forest • 519-323-2755 Robert’s Farm Equipment Sales, Inc. Walton • 519-887-6365 Smiths Farm Equipment (Jasper) Ltd. Jasper • 613-283-1758 Stewart’s Equipment Erin • 519-833-9616 PAUL HERMANS Paul Hermans, CCA-ON is an area agronomist in Eastern Ontario with Corteva Agriscience. mixed with other products like fungicides to reduce the number of trips over a field, keeping application costs in check. In Ontario (and across North America), Pioneer agronomists will be evaluating biologicals to first understand where the value lies with these products, and second, to learn what the ROI is – which will allow us to reduce stress in field crops. Stay tuned later this fall, as we will have more research data for the 2025 growing season. The frontier in agriculture looks promising! It is up to all of us to understand these advances and where the fit is to keep the yield needle moving onward and upward. BF BENEFICIAL BIOLOGICALS Corn 87˚ F Soybean 87˚ F Wheat 68˚ F Cotton 95˚ F Barley 80˚ F Canola 80˚ F • High temperatures degrade cytokinin X-Cyte™ HORMONAL DYNAMICS Cytokinin concentration in owers (pmoles) Days after rst ower Flower abortion Seed/Flower/Fruit Abortion Carlson et al, adapted 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 0,7 0,5 0,3 0,1 -0,1 -1 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 Cytokinin Courtesy of Pioneer
24 Like Us on Facebook: BetterFarmingON Better Farming | August 2024 ROUTINE MAINTENANCE I’m sure we have all had breakdowns that were preventable if only we had looked a bit closer and taken more time on our maintenance. Here are a few forgotten items we should always check but are often neglected. Hoist hinge pins In the old days, a truck hoist was only a dream, and you would empty the truck with a shovel. Now, we take hoists on trucks for granted. What about the hinge pins on the hoist? Years ago, my father-in-law told us about a tandem truck that went into the grain elevator to unload. Unfortunately, one of the hoist hinge pins had fallen out. As the box was lifted, it slid sideways and the box with 500 bushels of grain in it destroyed the scale and several other items. Luckily no one was hurt. Make sure to check those pins. Some of them have grease fittings. Make sure the cotter pins or bolts that hold the pins in place are in good condition. Check the hinges for signs of cracking. While you’re at it, check the other parts under there and service as needed. Lube up the control cables, too, so they keep working well. Air cleaner ducting One of our 4690 Case tractors was really getting a bit wimpy. Everything was in good shape and it was only 35 years old. It should run fine! The air filter was clean, and the air filter indicator showed no problems. Our son Dan was checking things one morning and found that the air cleaner duct was three-quarters full of straw and miscellaneous debris. Once it was cleaned out, it started running as it should. Make sure your air cleaner ducts are clean. Our other 4690 has a screen over the intake for the duct so it didn’t have that problem, but you still have to check that screen. Differential and gearbox levels We bought an SUV (new to us) and as I was reading about the issues this particular model had (after we bought it, of course), I learned that the transfer case was problematic. In my mind, part of the reason was the design. It only held three-quarters of a litre of automatic transmission fluid (ATF) and it sat right next to the exhaust system. The big problem, though, was that nowhere in the owner’s manual did it mention a transfer case or the fact that at some point it might be a good idea to see if it had any oil in it. Luckily, our guys in the shop managed to suck out the old ATF (there is no drain plug) and fill it with fresh oil. And it is working well … so far. Make sure to check all the differenA SUMMERTIME CHECKLIST TO KEEP THINGS ROLLING ON YOUR FARM. I SHOULD HAVE FIXED THAT! By RON SETTLER Ron Settler photo An ABC fire extinguisher filled with dry powder.
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