Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
If the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board and its partners succeed in a new project, funded in part by Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food’s (SAF) Agriculture Development Fund (#20050709), consumers will end up with better cuts of lamb on their plate, and producers with more money in their pockets.
“We have joined forces with the Alberta Sheep and Wool Commission, SAF, Lakeland College and Sunterra Meats to try to work on building better lambs, using the Lakeland College ewe flock," explains Gordon Schroeder, General Manager of the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board. “We are taking six sire breeds to those ewes, and we are tracking their rates of gain and their cutability right through to the plant. We are trying to determine what is required to build that top quality carcass that can get us really good cutability at the plant.”
This matters, explains Schroeder, because the slaughter plant pays a premium for carcasses that index over 100 per cent.
“So we are trying to get some data and figure out a way for lamb producers to get that premium pricing all the time," he says. "You see, a carcass of average quality is called 100 per cent index. If you can produce a carcass that has more cutability, meaning better traits, they will pay a premium on those—a percentage over the average price.”
This project involves a multilevel partnership. Staff at Lakeland College —including veterinarians—are working with the students at Lakeland to provide the labour.
“They are handling the flock, doing the weighing, the breeding and caring for the flock. Once these animals reach slaughter weight, they will be transported to Sunterra meats for further tests around cutability." Sunterra Meats in Innisfail, Alberta is the only federally licensed lamb cutting plant in Western Canada.
The project will be conducted over three years. Schroeder looks forward to obtaining the results. He says this is the only project of this type going on in Canada.
“This is why we have partnered with other jurisdictions. Our industry has to build a quality carcass and we have to have consistent quality. So we must acquire the knowledge and provide that data to producers.”
For more information, contact:
Gordon Schroeder
General Manager
Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board
(306) 933-5582
gordsheepdb@sasktel.net
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/agrifood/boards/SKSheep.htm
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Watch For Crown Rust On Oats in the Southeast
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Researchers are warning oat producers to watch for crown rust this season. The level of crown rust has been increasing in recent years in Manitoba and south-eastern Saskatchewan, says Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Plant Disease Specialist Penny Pearse.
“The crown rust outbreak in 2005 was one of the most severe we've witnessed in many years," she says. "The 2005 season was characterized by late planting of oat, and humid and warm weather conditions that were favourable for crown rust infection. Furthermore, oat cultivars bred for resistance to crown rust are no longer effective at warding off infection, because the rust population has developed new races that have overcome the resistance. Because current oat cultivars are no longer effective at resisting crown rust, growers will need to incorporate other management practices to reduce disease risk.”
Crown rust—also known as leaf rust—is caused by the fungus Puccinia coronata f.sp. avenae. The crown rust fungus is specific to cultivated oat, wild oat and a few other wild grasses, and will not infect wheat, barley or rye. “Crown rust reduces oat yield, and causes thin kernels with low test weight. This greatly reduces milling quality. Losses due to the disease can approach 100 per cent if infection is early, if it is a susceptible cultivar, and if weather conditions are favourable for the development and spread of fungal spores,” says Pearse. So far, losses have been most severe in Manitoba. The problem area in Saskatchewan will be the southeast, where oat is a preferred crop and is more likely to be exposed to the rust fungus moving in from the south.
Symptoms of crown rust include orange pustules developing on oat leaves. Each pustule contains thousands of spores that can spread to neighbouring plants and produce new pustules in only seven to 10 days under ideal conditions.
This raises the question: why are our current oat cultivars no longer resistant? “Within the rust fungal population," Pearse explains, "there are a number of different races that have evolved to overcome the rust resistance genes in our current oat varieties. Almost all oat cultivars currently grown on the eastern prairies rely on a single gene for resistance: Pc68. The outbreak of oat rust in 2005 proves this gene is no longer effective.
“Dr. James Chong, a pathologist with the Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg, has determined the frequency of the various rust races collected from infected plants. In 2005, 73 per cent of isolates from cultivated oat were virulent against the Pc68 gene, compared to 39 per cent of isolates from 2004, and only 12 per cent in 2003. This is evidence that the rust race that can overcome the Pc68 gene has increased rapidly in the rust population in only a few years.”
The primary means of infection is rust spores floating up from the southern United States on air currents. The onset and severity of any rust infection in the eastern prairies is dependent on what happens to southern crops.
“If there is a high proportion of the race virulent against the Pc68 gene in the rust population developing in the U.S., oat crops on the eastern prairies are likely to suffer," she explains. "The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) produces a cereal rust bulletin that monitors rust development in the U.S., and we can use it to predict the risk to Canadian crops. To date, rust levels have been reported as low in the southern states; however, this is not a guarantee that some spores won’t find their way to Canada later this season. Provincial specialists will continue to keep producers and agronomists updated on the risk in 2006 as the season progresses.”
Developing crown rust resistant cultivars is an ongoing battle for cereal breeders. As soon as new cultivars are developed with specific genes for resistance, the rust population begins to develop new races to overcome this resistance. The goal of cereal breeders is to “pyramid” genes for resistance, meaning that several genes are incorporated into one cultivar to extend the breakdown of resistance or to find less specific, moderate genes for resistance that will delay the breakdown.
Two new cultivars, Leggett from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Winnipeg, and Hi-Fi from North Dakota State University , have been registered in Canada , but certified seed is not yet available, explains Dr. Brian Rossnagel, an oat breeder at the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan . New sources of resistance have been identified in wild oats collected in Europe , the Middle East and North Africa, and are being incorporated into the breeding programs. Several advanced lines with resistance that have been developed at the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are in co-op tests in 2006.
One of the key ways to avoid severe infection is to plant oat crops early.
“By planting early, the crop should be advanced enough by the time the rust spores arrive in the eastern prairies that it will not suffer significant yield or quality loss," Pearse explains. "A second option is for growers to be more selective in the cultivars they choose to plant. Although most of the cultivars depend solely on gene Pc68 and won’t be effective, a few other cultivars have other genes. Until Leggett and Hi-Fi are available, the best choices would be slow-rusting cultivars such as CDC Boyer or CDC Dancer.
“Another tool that growers have to manage rust is foliar fungicides. There are a number of fungicides available that contain the active ingredients propiconazole and/or trifloxystrobin. Ideally, you should spray at flag leaf emergence to protect the flag leaf. Rust can develop very quickly, so once the flag leaf is covered with spots, it is too late to apply fungicide.”
Oat producers need to be aware that crown rust may be a problem in oats in 2006. Management practices as well as crop scouting should be implemented to reduce risk.
For more information, contact:
Penny Pearse
Provincial Plant Disease Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-4671
or
Dr. Brian Rossnagel
Oat Breeder, Crop Development Centre
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4976
Researchers are warning oat producers to watch for crown rust this season. The level of crown rust has been increasing in recent years in Manitoba and south-eastern Saskatchewan, says Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Plant Disease Specialist Penny Pearse.
“The crown rust outbreak in 2005 was one of the most severe we've witnessed in many years," she says. "The 2005 season was characterized by late planting of oat, and humid and warm weather conditions that were favourable for crown rust infection. Furthermore, oat cultivars bred for resistance to crown rust are no longer effective at warding off infection, because the rust population has developed new races that have overcome the resistance. Because current oat cultivars are no longer effective at resisting crown rust, growers will need to incorporate other management practices to reduce disease risk.”
Crown rust—also known as leaf rust—is caused by the fungus Puccinia coronata f.sp. avenae. The crown rust fungus is specific to cultivated oat, wild oat and a few other wild grasses, and will not infect wheat, barley or rye. “Crown rust reduces oat yield, and causes thin kernels with low test weight. This greatly reduces milling quality. Losses due to the disease can approach 100 per cent if infection is early, if it is a susceptible cultivar, and if weather conditions are favourable for the development and spread of fungal spores,” says Pearse. So far, losses have been most severe in Manitoba. The problem area in Saskatchewan will be the southeast, where oat is a preferred crop and is more likely to be exposed to the rust fungus moving in from the south.
Symptoms of crown rust include orange pustules developing on oat leaves. Each pustule contains thousands of spores that can spread to neighbouring plants and produce new pustules in only seven to 10 days under ideal conditions.
This raises the question: why are our current oat cultivars no longer resistant? “Within the rust fungal population," Pearse explains, "there are a number of different races that have evolved to overcome the rust resistance genes in our current oat varieties. Almost all oat cultivars currently grown on the eastern prairies rely on a single gene for resistance: Pc68. The outbreak of oat rust in 2005 proves this gene is no longer effective.
“Dr. James Chong, a pathologist with the Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg, has determined the frequency of the various rust races collected from infected plants. In 2005, 73 per cent of isolates from cultivated oat were virulent against the Pc68 gene, compared to 39 per cent of isolates from 2004, and only 12 per cent in 2003. This is evidence that the rust race that can overcome the Pc68 gene has increased rapidly in the rust population in only a few years.”
The primary means of infection is rust spores floating up from the southern United States on air currents. The onset and severity of any rust infection in the eastern prairies is dependent on what happens to southern crops.
“If there is a high proportion of the race virulent against the Pc68 gene in the rust population developing in the U.S., oat crops on the eastern prairies are likely to suffer," she explains. "The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) produces a cereal rust bulletin that monitors rust development in the U.S., and we can use it to predict the risk to Canadian crops. To date, rust levels have been reported as low in the southern states; however, this is not a guarantee that some spores won’t find their way to Canada later this season. Provincial specialists will continue to keep producers and agronomists updated on the risk in 2006 as the season progresses.”
Developing crown rust resistant cultivars is an ongoing battle for cereal breeders. As soon as new cultivars are developed with specific genes for resistance, the rust population begins to develop new races to overcome this resistance. The goal of cereal breeders is to “pyramid” genes for resistance, meaning that several genes are incorporated into one cultivar to extend the breakdown of resistance or to find less specific, moderate genes for resistance that will delay the breakdown.
Two new cultivars, Leggett from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Winnipeg, and Hi-Fi from North Dakota State University , have been registered in Canada , but certified seed is not yet available, explains Dr. Brian Rossnagel, an oat breeder at the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan . New sources of resistance have been identified in wild oats collected in Europe , the Middle East and North Africa, and are being incorporated into the breeding programs. Several advanced lines with resistance that have been developed at the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are in co-op tests in 2006.
One of the key ways to avoid severe infection is to plant oat crops early.
“By planting early, the crop should be advanced enough by the time the rust spores arrive in the eastern prairies that it will not suffer significant yield or quality loss," Pearse explains. "A second option is for growers to be more selective in the cultivars they choose to plant. Although most of the cultivars depend solely on gene Pc68 and won’t be effective, a few other cultivars have other genes. Until Leggett and Hi-Fi are available, the best choices would be slow-rusting cultivars such as CDC Boyer or CDC Dancer.
“Another tool that growers have to manage rust is foliar fungicides. There are a number of fungicides available that contain the active ingredients propiconazole and/or trifloxystrobin. Ideally, you should spray at flag leaf emergence to protect the flag leaf. Rust can develop very quickly, so once the flag leaf is covered with spots, it is too late to apply fungicide.”
Oat producers need to be aware that crown rust may be a problem in oats in 2006. Management practices as well as crop scouting should be implemented to reduce risk.
For more information, contact:
Penny Pearse
Provincial Plant Disease Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-4671
or
Dr. Brian Rossnagel
Oat Breeder, Crop Development Centre
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4976
Is Supplemental Feeding Feasible
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Large numbers of steers are being placed on grass this spring and summer before they are moved to feedlots for finishing. Some of the questions that usually get asked are: what rate of gain can be expected from such cattle? Will providing supplemental feed result in greater gains than grazing the forages alone?
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Livestock Development Specialist Bill Kowalenko has these answers:
“Two factors come into play when considering the rate of gain in cattle. First, livestock producers should be aware of the nutrient requirements for any given class of cattle at their stage of growth and development. The other important factor is to know the nutritional value of the forage at any given stage of growth. The rate of gain of the cattle can be predicted pretty accurately if one knows the nutritional content of the forage and the cattle’s requirements.”
Forage quality is highest in the plants’ early growth stage when energy, protein, and digestibility will be higher, and the fibre content will be lower.
“As plants mature, the protein and energy drop off and the digestibility also decreases, due to the increased fibre content. For example, crested wheatgrass at the early vegetative stage will have energy of 75 per cent total digestible nutrients (TDN) and a crude protein content of 21.5 per cent. At full bloom, the same grass will have an energy value of 61 per cent TDN and crude protein of 9.8 per cent. As the grass continues to mature, both the energy and protein will continue to drop. Smooth brome at the early vegetative stage has an energy of 73 per cent TDN and crude protein of 21.3 per cent, while at the mature stage of growth the energy will be 53 per cent TDN and crude protein of 6.0 per cent.”
Similarly, cattle require higher energy and protein levels in their daily diet when they are younger—and at lighter weights—than when they are older and at heavier weights.
“For example, steers weighing 400 lb. consuming forage with crude protein in the range of 13 per cent would be expected to gain 2.0 lb./day. If the crude protein in the forage being grazed was in the 8.0 per cent range, the expected gain by the same steer would be only 0.5 lb./day.”
Proper nutrition dictates that an animal’s growth or production can be no greater than that allowed by the most limiting of the essential nutrients, explains Kowalenko.
“If a nutrient is included in an animal’s diet at a level that does not meet its requirements, the ability of the animal to use the other nutrients is governed by the level of that limiting nutrient. The two most important nutrients required by growing cattle are energy and protein.
“To expect cattle in the 400 to 600 lb weight range to grow at 2.0 to 2.5 lb./day on a grass-based forage, one would need to maintain the forage in the early vegetative phase to provide the energy and protein that would support that level of performance. If a legume was included as part of the forage supply, gains of 2.5 lb./day or greater may be expected.”
Supplementing standing forage is advantageous where it can correct a nutritional deficiency that interferes with forage utilization by the animal.
“Protein supplementation is effective where forages contain less protein than the animals require. Even though there may be adequate amounts of energy in a forage supply, if the protein is deficient for the grazing animal’s diet, there will be a reduction in forage intake.
Correcting for low protein content in the diet will result in an increase in forage intake, digestibility and animal gain.
“A report by the Oklahoma Co-operative Extension Service, titled How to Estimate the Value of Supplementing Grazing Stocker Cattle, shows that ‘when forage is slightly deficient in protein, you can expect about 0.4 pounds of added weight gain from the first pound of high protein supplement fed. When protein is adequate, you can expect about 0.09 pound of added weight gain from each pound of supplemental energy feed added.”
“In their example, they indicate if you correct a minor protein deficiency, one pound of a protein supplement such as cottonseed meal (38 per cent crude protein) should increase gain about 0.4 pound per day,” explains Kowalenko. “If the protein level in the diet (forage or forage plus supplement) is adequate, the addition of one pound of corn will likely increase gain by 0.09 pound per day. Adding energy to the daily diet of grazing cattle will result in their substituting the supplement for the forage they consume.
“The nutritional quality of the forage, and the size and age of the cattle grazing it, will determine the level of performance that one can expect to achieve in grazing the forage resource,” Kowalenko concludes.
For more information, contact:
W. S. (Bill) Kowalenko
Livestock Development Specialist
SaskatchewanAgriculture and Food
(306) 867-5559
Large numbers of steers are being placed on grass this spring and summer before they are moved to feedlots for finishing. Some of the questions that usually get asked are: what rate of gain can be expected from such cattle? Will providing supplemental feed result in greater gains than grazing the forages alone?
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Livestock Development Specialist Bill Kowalenko has these answers:
“Two factors come into play when considering the rate of gain in cattle. First, livestock producers should be aware of the nutrient requirements for any given class of cattle at their stage of growth and development. The other important factor is to know the nutritional value of the forage at any given stage of growth. The rate of gain of the cattle can be predicted pretty accurately if one knows the nutritional content of the forage and the cattle’s requirements.”
Forage quality is highest in the plants’ early growth stage when energy, protein, and digestibility will be higher, and the fibre content will be lower.
“As plants mature, the protein and energy drop off and the digestibility also decreases, due to the increased fibre content. For example, crested wheatgrass at the early vegetative stage will have energy of 75 per cent total digestible nutrients (TDN) and a crude protein content of 21.5 per cent. At full bloom, the same grass will have an energy value of 61 per cent TDN and crude protein of 9.8 per cent. As the grass continues to mature, both the energy and protein will continue to drop. Smooth brome at the early vegetative stage has an energy of 73 per cent TDN and crude protein of 21.3 per cent, while at the mature stage of growth the energy will be 53 per cent TDN and crude protein of 6.0 per cent.”
Similarly, cattle require higher energy and protein levels in their daily diet when they are younger—and at lighter weights—than when they are older and at heavier weights.
“For example, steers weighing 400 lb. consuming forage with crude protein in the range of 13 per cent would be expected to gain 2.0 lb./day. If the crude protein in the forage being grazed was in the 8.0 per cent range, the expected gain by the same steer would be only 0.5 lb./day.”
Proper nutrition dictates that an animal’s growth or production can be no greater than that allowed by the most limiting of the essential nutrients, explains Kowalenko.
“If a nutrient is included in an animal’s diet at a level that does not meet its requirements, the ability of the animal to use the other nutrients is governed by the level of that limiting nutrient. The two most important nutrients required by growing cattle are energy and protein.
“To expect cattle in the 400 to 600 lb weight range to grow at 2.0 to 2.5 lb./day on a grass-based forage, one would need to maintain the forage in the early vegetative phase to provide the energy and protein that would support that level of performance. If a legume was included as part of the forage supply, gains of 2.5 lb./day or greater may be expected.”
Supplementing standing forage is advantageous where it can correct a nutritional deficiency that interferes with forage utilization by the animal.
“Protein supplementation is effective where forages contain less protein than the animals require. Even though there may be adequate amounts of energy in a forage supply, if the protein is deficient for the grazing animal’s diet, there will be a reduction in forage intake.
Correcting for low protein content in the diet will result in an increase in forage intake, digestibility and animal gain.
“A report by the Oklahoma Co-operative Extension Service, titled How to Estimate the Value of Supplementing Grazing Stocker Cattle, shows that ‘when forage is slightly deficient in protein, you can expect about 0.4 pounds of added weight gain from the first pound of high protein supplement fed. When protein is adequate, you can expect about 0.09 pound of added weight gain from each pound of supplemental energy feed added.”
“In their example, they indicate if you correct a minor protein deficiency, one pound of a protein supplement such as cottonseed meal (38 per cent crude protein) should increase gain about 0.4 pound per day,” explains Kowalenko. “If the protein level in the diet (forage or forage plus supplement) is adequate, the addition of one pound of corn will likely increase gain by 0.09 pound per day. Adding energy to the daily diet of grazing cattle will result in their substituting the supplement for the forage they consume.
“The nutritional quality of the forage, and the size and age of the cattle grazing it, will determine the level of performance that one can expect to achieve in grazing the forage resource,” Kowalenko concludes.
For more information, contact:
W. S. (Bill) Kowalenko
Livestock Development Specialist
SaskatchewanAgriculture and Food
(306) 867-5559
Progress in the Quest for More Effective Control of Gopher Populations
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Gophers present a significant problem to agriculture in Saskatchewan and in other North American jurisdictions. Wherever they live, gophers tend to create problems, says Andrew Olkowski, a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan who has been looking for solutions to the gopher problem.
“We proposed to undertake a research project inspired by information that I read in the press several years ago," he says. "People were complaining that the gopher population was growing. I read comments to the effect that poison is not working, or is difficult to get."
As a toxicological researcher, this was a challenge Olkowski could not resist. He and his research team decided to investigate the problem. Why is the gopher population growing despite the efforts to control it?
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food’s (SAF) Agriculture Development Fund helped finance the project (ADF #20020076). Olkowski assigned his team to some basic investigative work.
“When any toxin enters the body, the gopher's first line of defence is to get rid of the toxin as fast as possible. This happens when the toxin is being metabolized. How fast it is metabolized? That is what pre-determines the effectiveness of the toxin. So essentially, if the toxins that are currently being used on gophers are less effective in some cases, there must be some biological explanation."
Olkowski’s project was designed to test all the major pathways that are responsible for breaking down toxic compounds.
"We captured a number of gophers for the study and harvested the liver tissue, then extracted the enzymes that are responsible for detoxification. This gave us a very good idea of how, at what speed, and at what rate those compounds are metabolized. We essentially learned which ones are the compounds that metabolize faster and which are slower; what the gender differences are, and quite a few other things.”
Part of this study also compared two different groups in an attempt to determine why the toxins do not work in some situations.
“We wanted to test a group of gophers that were not exposed to toxins in the past, and compare them to another group that was captured from a field where attempts to control them for a number of years had been made. Essentially, one group had been exposed to toxins and the other had not.
“What we found out was quite intriguing. It turned out that animals that were captured from the field, the ones that had been previously exposed, had actually built up quite a bit of resistance—the metabolic pathways in this group of animals were much better equipped to deal with the toxins. They acquired a certain immunity to them.”
Olkowski admits that this in itself is not something new, but it is revealing.
“You can actually stimulate a lot of these metabolic pathways in an artificial way. In experiments done on rats, the subjects were given low doses of a drug designed to make them sleep. They acquired such immunity to this drug that other rats that hadn't been exposed to the drug fell asleep rapidly, while the exposed rats were not even losing consciousness. Even humans develop mechanisms to deal with sleeping pills. If used for a long period of time, they become ineffective. It is the same type of mechanism.
"We tested generic pathways that are organised in certain patterns of metabolisms, so some groups can be added to the original chemical to basically facilitate excretion of this chemical. This is a kind of reaction that we call a biotransformation. Usually the aim of this organism is to make the compound less available to the body and more excretable, therefore less toxic.” Usually, this would happen because the metabolism would add some function to make it more soluble, more excretable, or it would immobilize some toxic paths of the chemical, explains Olkowski.
“We didn’t come up with miracle solutions, but on the basis of this study, we now have enough information to think about designing a new generation of drugs. We know which structures are metabolized faster, and what the gender differences are. We found quite a significant difference between males and females. This can be used as a target.”
For more information, contact:
Andrew Olkowski
Researcher
Department of Animal and Poultry Science
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-5848
Gophers present a significant problem to agriculture in Saskatchewan and in other North American jurisdictions. Wherever they live, gophers tend to create problems, says Andrew Olkowski, a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan who has been looking for solutions to the gopher problem.
“We proposed to undertake a research project inspired by information that I read in the press several years ago," he says. "People were complaining that the gopher population was growing. I read comments to the effect that poison is not working, or is difficult to get."
As a toxicological researcher, this was a challenge Olkowski could not resist. He and his research team decided to investigate the problem. Why is the gopher population growing despite the efforts to control it?
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food’s (SAF) Agriculture Development Fund helped finance the project (ADF #20020076). Olkowski assigned his team to some basic investigative work.
“When any toxin enters the body, the gopher's first line of defence is to get rid of the toxin as fast as possible. This happens when the toxin is being metabolized. How fast it is metabolized? That is what pre-determines the effectiveness of the toxin. So essentially, if the toxins that are currently being used on gophers are less effective in some cases, there must be some biological explanation."
Olkowski’s project was designed to test all the major pathways that are responsible for breaking down toxic compounds.
"We captured a number of gophers for the study and harvested the liver tissue, then extracted the enzymes that are responsible for detoxification. This gave us a very good idea of how, at what speed, and at what rate those compounds are metabolized. We essentially learned which ones are the compounds that metabolize faster and which are slower; what the gender differences are, and quite a few other things.”
Part of this study also compared two different groups in an attempt to determine why the toxins do not work in some situations.
“We wanted to test a group of gophers that were not exposed to toxins in the past, and compare them to another group that was captured from a field where attempts to control them for a number of years had been made. Essentially, one group had been exposed to toxins and the other had not.
“What we found out was quite intriguing. It turned out that animals that were captured from the field, the ones that had been previously exposed, had actually built up quite a bit of resistance—the metabolic pathways in this group of animals were much better equipped to deal with the toxins. They acquired a certain immunity to them.”
Olkowski admits that this in itself is not something new, but it is revealing.
“You can actually stimulate a lot of these metabolic pathways in an artificial way. In experiments done on rats, the subjects were given low doses of a drug designed to make them sleep. They acquired such immunity to this drug that other rats that hadn't been exposed to the drug fell asleep rapidly, while the exposed rats were not even losing consciousness. Even humans develop mechanisms to deal with sleeping pills. If used for a long period of time, they become ineffective. It is the same type of mechanism.
"We tested generic pathways that are organised in certain patterns of metabolisms, so some groups can be added to the original chemical to basically facilitate excretion of this chemical. This is a kind of reaction that we call a biotransformation. Usually the aim of this organism is to make the compound less available to the body and more excretable, therefore less toxic.” Usually, this would happen because the metabolism would add some function to make it more soluble, more excretable, or it would immobilize some toxic paths of the chemical, explains Olkowski.
“We didn’t come up with miracle solutions, but on the basis of this study, we now have enough information to think about designing a new generation of drugs. We know which structures are metabolized faster, and what the gender differences are. We found quite a significant difference between males and females. This can be used as a target.”
For more information, contact:
Andrew Olkowski
Researcher
Department of Animal and Poultry Science
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-5848
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
New Generation Elk Products Co-Operative Gets $25,000 Grant
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Norelkco, the North American Natural Health Products Co-operative Ltd., is getting some business plan and market development activities support in the form of a $25,000 grant from the Province of Saskatchewan.
The announcement was made recently by Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Minister Mark Wartman at Norelkco's first annual general meeting in Saskatoon.
"We are grateful for the operational help this grant will provide," says David Altrogge, Marketing Manager for Norelkco Neutraceuticals. "It is always hard to generate that first revenue stream for a new company."
Norelkco Neutraceuticals was incorporated as a new generation co-operative in December to market human and pet health care products containing elk velvet antler and a variety of other natural ingredients. The majority of Norelkco's members are also members of the Saskatchewan Elk Breeders Association.
Norelkco is targeting a number of different markets, but its primary division is the VetPro Naturals line, which produces seven products that are sold exclusively to veterinary clinics across Canada.
What pleases Altrogge the most about the new company is that it is a homegrown solution to the challenges facing the elk industry.
“I like it when producers get together and form a company that doesn't just sell raw materials, but is also involved in producing, processing, distributing and marketing the product," he says. "Retailing is where the profits are made, and with the new generation co-op, we hope that all revenue from all the different stages will be returned to the producers. That is what is so exciting about our VetPro line.”
Saskatchewan elk producers had built a lucrative industry supplying velvet antler to the Asian traditional medicine market, but this came to an end in December 2000, when the Republic of Korea banned imports of all North American velvet antler after the discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the North American farmed elk herd. Since then, the price of antler velvet has dropped from $45 per pound in 2000 to $8 per pound in 2005. Elk farms in Saskatchewan now follow a mandatory CWD surveillance program and have done extensive testing, but the Asian markets have not yet returned. Norelkco's goal is to develop new North American markets, first in pet care and then in human health supplements.
“Our product line is very unique in the sense that we had a veterinary consultant formulate our product line," says Altrogge. "All our products contain elk velvet but they also contain a variety of natural ingredients to remedy specific pet ailments. Our star product is VetPro Naturals Joint Plus, and we have high hopes for its sales potential. In addition to the velvet antler, it contains collagen 2, nettle leaf and horsetail, all of which are known to help in joint regeneration for arthritic dogs. It will be available only at veterinary clinics across Canada.”
Altroggi now plans to focus on developing the brand name and the company's image.
“We will be providing the clinics with lots of valuable information about our products. We want to convey the idea that we are a reliable company that can supply the product at a good price, and provide lots of support for vets who have questions.”
For more information, contact:
David Altrogge, Marketing Manager
Norelkco Nutraceuticals
Innovation Place
102 - 116 Research Drive
Saskatoon, Sask.
(306) 384-1888
www.norelkco.com
Norelkco, the North American Natural Health Products Co-operative Ltd., is getting some business plan and market development activities support in the form of a $25,000 grant from the Province of Saskatchewan.
The announcement was made recently by Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Minister Mark Wartman at Norelkco's first annual general meeting in Saskatoon.
"We are grateful for the operational help this grant will provide," says David Altrogge, Marketing Manager for Norelkco Neutraceuticals. "It is always hard to generate that first revenue stream for a new company."
Norelkco Neutraceuticals was incorporated as a new generation co-operative in December to market human and pet health care products containing elk velvet antler and a variety of other natural ingredients. The majority of Norelkco's members are also members of the Saskatchewan Elk Breeders Association.
Norelkco is targeting a number of different markets, but its primary division is the VetPro Naturals line, which produces seven products that are sold exclusively to veterinary clinics across Canada.
What pleases Altrogge the most about the new company is that it is a homegrown solution to the challenges facing the elk industry.
“I like it when producers get together and form a company that doesn't just sell raw materials, but is also involved in producing, processing, distributing and marketing the product," he says. "Retailing is where the profits are made, and with the new generation co-op, we hope that all revenue from all the different stages will be returned to the producers. That is what is so exciting about our VetPro line.”
Saskatchewan elk producers had built a lucrative industry supplying velvet antler to the Asian traditional medicine market, but this came to an end in December 2000, when the Republic of Korea banned imports of all North American velvet antler after the discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the North American farmed elk herd. Since then, the price of antler velvet has dropped from $45 per pound in 2000 to $8 per pound in 2005. Elk farms in Saskatchewan now follow a mandatory CWD surveillance program and have done extensive testing, but the Asian markets have not yet returned. Norelkco's goal is to develop new North American markets, first in pet care and then in human health supplements.
“Our product line is very unique in the sense that we had a veterinary consultant formulate our product line," says Altrogge. "All our products contain elk velvet but they also contain a variety of natural ingredients to remedy specific pet ailments. Our star product is VetPro Naturals Joint Plus, and we have high hopes for its sales potential. In addition to the velvet antler, it contains collagen 2, nettle leaf and horsetail, all of which are known to help in joint regeneration for arthritic dogs. It will be available only at veterinary clinics across Canada.”
Altroggi now plans to focus on developing the brand name and the company's image.
“We will be providing the clinics with lots of valuable information about our products. We want to convey the idea that we are a reliable company that can supply the product at a good price, and provide lots of support for vets who have questions.”
For more information, contact:
David Altrogge, Marketing Manager
Norelkco Nutraceuticals
Innovation Place
102 - 116 Research Drive
Saskatoon, Sask.
(306) 384-1888
www.norelkco.com
Researcher Looks For Way to Improve Efficiency of Starter Fertilizer
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
How much is too much, or not enough?
That is just one of the questions Jeff Schoenau of the Department of Crop Science at the University of Saskatchewan will attempt to answer as part of a Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) project (#20050725) over the next few months.
“With the move toward low-disturbance seeding systems, there is a limit to how much phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer can be safely put down in the seed row as a starter," he says. "If you want to disturb the soil less during the seeding operation, you have to use narrow openers, and that, coupled with the wide row spacing, means that the seed and fertilizer get crammed together, which increases the likelihood of fertilizer burn.”
Given the move to fertilizing in a single pass using low-disturbance openers, Schoenau says there is a need to re-evaluate safe rates of starter fertilizer, which are placed in or near the seed row so that the seedlings get easy access to nutrients like phosphorus and potassium that are immobile in the soil. Because phosphorous and potassium cannot move very far through the soil, they have to be placed very near the seeds for the seedlings to derive any nutrient benefits. This lack of mobility also increases the potential for damage from an over-application of fertilizer, because the nutrients cannot dissipate in the soil.
“So what we are doing," he says, "is to look at safe rates of combined, seed-placed phosphorus and potassium applications using these low-disturbance seeding-fertilizing configurations. We are also looking at the effectiveness of a new controlled-release phosphorus (CRP) fertilizer product, which has a special coating that controls the release of the nutrients into the soil water.”
One of the potential advantages of CRP, explains Schoenau, is that farmers might be able to safely place higher rates of fertilizer phosphorus in the seed row.
“If you have a recommendation for a high rate of phosphorus, and you have a sensitive crop and a seeding unit that has low seed-bed utilization, you may damage the crop if you try to place all the phosphorus with the seed in the seed row. CRP may overcome this limitation by allowing all the recommended P fertilizer to be safely placed in the seed row. As a secondary benefit, the slow release nature of CRP could improve the crop utilization and efficiency of uptake."
So far, research is showing that CRP allows higher rates of fertilizer application in the seed row. Further research is planned into the actual affect of CRP on crop uptake, as well as on P and K combinations.
This is a one-year project. Schoenau hopes that, by late-December, he will have a good idea of how the starter fertilizers affect the safety of crops when placed in the seed row, and also, how they affect the availability and crop utilization of phosphorus.
For more information, contact:
Jeff Schoenau, Ph.D
Department of Soil Science
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-6844
How much is too much, or not enough?
That is just one of the questions Jeff Schoenau of the Department of Crop Science at the University of Saskatchewan will attempt to answer as part of a Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) project (#20050725) over the next few months.
“With the move toward low-disturbance seeding systems, there is a limit to how much phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer can be safely put down in the seed row as a starter," he says. "If you want to disturb the soil less during the seeding operation, you have to use narrow openers, and that, coupled with the wide row spacing, means that the seed and fertilizer get crammed together, which increases the likelihood of fertilizer burn.”
Given the move to fertilizing in a single pass using low-disturbance openers, Schoenau says there is a need to re-evaluate safe rates of starter fertilizer, which are placed in or near the seed row so that the seedlings get easy access to nutrients like phosphorus and potassium that are immobile in the soil. Because phosphorous and potassium cannot move very far through the soil, they have to be placed very near the seeds for the seedlings to derive any nutrient benefits. This lack of mobility also increases the potential for damage from an over-application of fertilizer, because the nutrients cannot dissipate in the soil.
“So what we are doing," he says, "is to look at safe rates of combined, seed-placed phosphorus and potassium applications using these low-disturbance seeding-fertilizing configurations. We are also looking at the effectiveness of a new controlled-release phosphorus (CRP) fertilizer product, which has a special coating that controls the release of the nutrients into the soil water.”
One of the potential advantages of CRP, explains Schoenau, is that farmers might be able to safely place higher rates of fertilizer phosphorus in the seed row.
“If you have a recommendation for a high rate of phosphorus, and you have a sensitive crop and a seeding unit that has low seed-bed utilization, you may damage the crop if you try to place all the phosphorus with the seed in the seed row. CRP may overcome this limitation by allowing all the recommended P fertilizer to be safely placed in the seed row. As a secondary benefit, the slow release nature of CRP could improve the crop utilization and efficiency of uptake."
So far, research is showing that CRP allows higher rates of fertilizer application in the seed row. Further research is planned into the actual affect of CRP on crop uptake, as well as on P and K combinations.
This is a one-year project. Schoenau hopes that, by late-December, he will have a good idea of how the starter fertilizers affect the safety of crops when placed in the seed row, and also, how they affect the availability and crop utilization of phosphorus.
For more information, contact:
Jeff Schoenau, Ph.D
Department of Soil Science
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-6844
Trace Mineral Supplementation for Summer Grazing
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
As cattle producers look ahead to placing their cows on to summer pasture, ensuring that these cows receive a proper supply of minerals throughout the summer grazing period is important, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Livestock Development Specialist Bryan Doig.
“A large number of pastures in the province are commonly deficient in trace minerals," he says. "In addition to iodine and cobalt, copper, zinc and manganese are three of the trace minerals of which cattle are often deficient."
Selenium deficiency problems are also common, especially in the black, thin-black, brown and grey-wooded soil zones, Doig says.
“Copper deficiency due to low copper levels in the forage is compounded when there are high levels of the mineral molybdenum in the feed and/or high levels of sulfates and iron in the water source or feed. The molybdenum, sulfates and iron act like a magnet in the cow's rumen, attracting most of the available copper in the feed and causing it to pass through the animal rather then being absorbed by the body. This can cause a number of problems, including low rates of conception."
The easiest method of providing adequate amounts of trace minerals to cattle on summer pasture is to feed the minerals as a supplement. Salt, minerals or a combination of salt and minerals, which contains a balance of trace minerals, can provide proper supplementation to grazing animals. Supplying a trace mineralized fortified salt (TM fortified salt) is a convenient method of providing trace minerals. Cattle tend to seek out salt and will almost always eat it every day, he explains. Blue salt blocks contain salt, cobalt and iodine. TM fortified salt blocks (brown blocks) contain salt, cobalt and iodine, as well as copper, zinc, manganese and sometimes selenium.
“Providing a range mineral—a mix of calcium and phosphorus—which often contains salt, encourages intake by cattle on pasture," says Doig. Another option is to mix loose, TM fortified salt with a salt-free cattle mineral supplement to encourage intake. A common mixture is one part TM fortified salt to two parts salt-free mineral.”
Doig warns that all salt blocks must be removed from the pasture for this method to work. Ensure that both the salt and mineral contain adequate levels of the trace minerals. Look for products containing at least 2,500 mg/kg of copper. The levels of zinc and manganese are usually balanced with the copper.
“If selenium deficiencies are common in your area, select a TM fortified salt with added selenium. Mineral supplements may also contain selenium. Be careful, though. Product labels caution to supply selenium from one source only. Selenium is extremely toxic, and the effects of over-supplementation are as bad—if not worse—than a selenium deficiency.”
Additional information on trace minerals is available in the publication Trace Minerals for Beef Cattle on the Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food website at www.agr.gov.sk.ca under the sub-headings Beef, Feeds and Nutrition.
To find out more, contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at: 1-800-457-2377.
Bryan Doig
Livestock Development Specialist
Saskachewan Agriculture and Food
North Battleford
(306) 446-7477
As cattle producers look ahead to placing their cows on to summer pasture, ensuring that these cows receive a proper supply of minerals throughout the summer grazing period is important, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Livestock Development Specialist Bryan Doig.
“A large number of pastures in the province are commonly deficient in trace minerals," he says. "In addition to iodine and cobalt, copper, zinc and manganese are three of the trace minerals of which cattle are often deficient."
Selenium deficiency problems are also common, especially in the black, thin-black, brown and grey-wooded soil zones, Doig says.
“Copper deficiency due to low copper levels in the forage is compounded when there are high levels of the mineral molybdenum in the feed and/or high levels of sulfates and iron in the water source or feed. The molybdenum, sulfates and iron act like a magnet in the cow's rumen, attracting most of the available copper in the feed and causing it to pass through the animal rather then being absorbed by the body. This can cause a number of problems, including low rates of conception."
The easiest method of providing adequate amounts of trace minerals to cattle on summer pasture is to feed the minerals as a supplement. Salt, minerals or a combination of salt and minerals, which contains a balance of trace minerals, can provide proper supplementation to grazing animals. Supplying a trace mineralized fortified salt (TM fortified salt) is a convenient method of providing trace minerals. Cattle tend to seek out salt and will almost always eat it every day, he explains. Blue salt blocks contain salt, cobalt and iodine. TM fortified salt blocks (brown blocks) contain salt, cobalt and iodine, as well as copper, zinc, manganese and sometimes selenium.
“Providing a range mineral—a mix of calcium and phosphorus—which often contains salt, encourages intake by cattle on pasture," says Doig. Another option is to mix loose, TM fortified salt with a salt-free cattle mineral supplement to encourage intake. A common mixture is one part TM fortified salt to two parts salt-free mineral.”
Doig warns that all salt blocks must be removed from the pasture for this method to work. Ensure that both the salt and mineral contain adequate levels of the trace minerals. Look for products containing at least 2,500 mg/kg of copper. The levels of zinc and manganese are usually balanced with the copper.
“If selenium deficiencies are common in your area, select a TM fortified salt with added selenium. Mineral supplements may also contain selenium. Be careful, though. Product labels caution to supply selenium from one source only. Selenium is extremely toxic, and the effects of over-supplementation are as bad—if not worse—than a selenium deficiency.”
Additional information on trace minerals is available in the publication Trace Minerals for Beef Cattle on the Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food website at www.agr.gov.sk.ca under the sub-headings Beef, Feeds and Nutrition.
To find out more, contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at: 1-800-457-2377.
Bryan Doig
Livestock Development Specialist
Saskachewan Agriculture and Food
North Battleford
(306) 446-7477
Reminders and Tips for Successful Forage Crop Establishment
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
The precautions you take to foster the establishment of your forage crop can go a long way to ensuring you reap the rewards of your investment of time and money, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) Forage Conversion Specialist André Bonneau. It is often a matter of dosage.
“For instance, cover crops are not necessary for good forage crop establishment, but are often used because they provide a cash return, hay or pasture and weed suppression. During establishment, some forage crops can compete better than others with cover crops. Wheat grasses, brome grasses, alfalfa and sweet clover are reasonably competitive under normal conditions. Russian wild rye, bird's foot trefoil and sainfoin are less competitive, and should be seeded only on clean land without a cover crop.”
If you use a cover crop, Bonneau advises reducing the normal seeding rate by 50 per cent to reduce competition.
“Quite often, seeding the cover crop at 50 per cent of normal will not drastically reduce the yield of the cover crop for greenfeed," he explains. "Seed both crops at right angles, if possible. This takes two operations, which many producers do not like, but it does ensure the forage crop can be seeded shallowly, and avoids direct competition with the cover crop within the rows."
Seed the cover crop first. If you are seeding fluffy grasses that do not flow well through your seeder, consider adding up to 20 lb. of actual high phosphate fertilizer per acre in a six-inch row spacing. However, avoid contact between nitrogen and potassium fertilizers and the seed. In a grass/alfalfa mixture, mix the alfalfa seed and the fertilizer immediately before seeding. Increase the recommended alfalfa inoculant rate before seeding and use a sticker solution. Consider re-inoculating pre-inoculated seed before mixing it with fertilizer.
Herbicide residues are another factor to consider.
“Most herbicides—if applied properly—do not affect the development of the crops that follow," he says. "There are a few herbicides that leave residues in the soil and which carry recropping restrictions.”
More information on herbicide re-cropping restrictions is available in the 2006 Guide to Crop Protection published by SAF, which may be downloaded from the SAF website at: http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/crops/cropguide00.asp
For more information, contact:
André Bonneau
Forage Conversion Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
1-866-457-2377 (toll free)
The precautions you take to foster the establishment of your forage crop can go a long way to ensuring you reap the rewards of your investment of time and money, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) Forage Conversion Specialist André Bonneau. It is often a matter of dosage.
“For instance, cover crops are not necessary for good forage crop establishment, but are often used because they provide a cash return, hay or pasture and weed suppression. During establishment, some forage crops can compete better than others with cover crops. Wheat grasses, brome grasses, alfalfa and sweet clover are reasonably competitive under normal conditions. Russian wild rye, bird's foot trefoil and sainfoin are less competitive, and should be seeded only on clean land without a cover crop.”
If you use a cover crop, Bonneau advises reducing the normal seeding rate by 50 per cent to reduce competition.
“Quite often, seeding the cover crop at 50 per cent of normal will not drastically reduce the yield of the cover crop for greenfeed," he explains. "Seed both crops at right angles, if possible. This takes two operations, which many producers do not like, but it does ensure the forage crop can be seeded shallowly, and avoids direct competition with the cover crop within the rows."
Seed the cover crop first. If you are seeding fluffy grasses that do not flow well through your seeder, consider adding up to 20 lb. of actual high phosphate fertilizer per acre in a six-inch row spacing. However, avoid contact between nitrogen and potassium fertilizers and the seed. In a grass/alfalfa mixture, mix the alfalfa seed and the fertilizer immediately before seeding. Increase the recommended alfalfa inoculant rate before seeding and use a sticker solution. Consider re-inoculating pre-inoculated seed before mixing it with fertilizer.
Herbicide residues are another factor to consider.
“Most herbicides—if applied properly—do not affect the development of the crops that follow," he says. "There are a few herbicides that leave residues in the soil and which carry recropping restrictions.”
More information on herbicide re-cropping restrictions is available in the 2006 Guide to Crop Protection published by SAF, which may be downloaded from the SAF website at: http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/docs/crops/cropguide00.asp
For more information, contact:
André Bonneau
Forage Conversion Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
1-866-457-2377 (toll free)
SAF Forage Specialist Wins Range Management Award
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
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
Thursday, May 04, 2006
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
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
New York Stick Claims Choice Spot in the World of Dashboard Dining
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
When consumers think of the New York steak, immediately the image of a choice cut of meat comes to mind. This is one of the things that convinced Lester Lodoen of Classic Meats in Fox Valley it was the right name for his new product.
“When we did the market research at the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre, there was a group of us together, and we had to come up with a name that was no more than three words long," he explains. "We tried Meat Treats, but that was like dog food. We tried Trimmers, but that implied cuts of poor quality meat. One guy came up with New York Stick—we said OK. The New York steak is a very good cut of meat. We trademarked it. It is good to go.”
The product in question is a pre-cooked, hand-held meat snack. It is an 85-gram beef steakette on a popsicle-type stick. It is vacuum-packed, should be refrigerated at 4ºC or frozen, and is made with secondary cuts of meat.
“I have been working with meat quality and beef for a number of years," says Lodoen. "One of the people working with me came up with the concept that we somehow had to increase the value of the secondary cuts of meat, because you can always sell the primary cuts. We wanted to go beyond just making hamburgers. We took this idea to the Food Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, and worked with them to develop the process and the product.”
Lodoen is also a beef producer, who long ago realized that the farm economy runs in a constantly evolving world.
The Lodoen family farm has been a value-added operation from the time of Lester's father, but, he explains, marketing a new product today is a totally different ball game then it was 20 years ago. Market research has led Lodoen to the convenience sector, but right now the company's biggest push is toward food services: getting into hockey arenas, curling rinks, gas stations and convenience stores—wherever convenience food services are required.
“We are in the value chain program," he says, "and in our value chain we have a food broker working with us. Ten or 15 years ago, anyone could market their product themselves, but now, if you don’t know the people, it is difficult. We are working with a group that has a lot of connections to different sources. What you need today is a distributor who will take you on.”
Lodoen says he making good and steady progress in his endeavours.
“Beside beef, we have BBQ pork on a stick as well. We are talking about the New York Stick family of products, really. It consists of Spiced Beef, BBQ Pork, Southwest Chicken and Mediterranean Chicken. Now we have a couple of distribution companies that are very interested in helping us distribute it.
“I would say to anyone getting into this type of business today: it's not enough to just have an idea. You better research it, and know where you want to go with it, and take advantage of the expertise and the resources that are out there.”
Lodoen wouldn’t trade what he is doing for the world.
“I like the marketing, although sometimes it can be frustrating. When you are developing a product, you always want to move faster and faster, but that doesn’t happen in this world any more."
Lodoen's company is still working with the Food Centre. He hopes eventually to be working with a co-packer, or a co-processor. They are currently selling the product in all the Saskatchewan Made stores, and have placed it in a couple of schools in Regina and a couple of stores in rural Saskatchewan. It is also being sold in Alberta and Ontario.
Lodoen hopes his New York Stick will make it big in the realm of hand-held food, which some experts have already identified as the food of the future.
For more information, contact:
Lester Lodoen
Classic Meats and Double L Farms
Fox Valley
(306) 666-4447 (tel)
(306) 666-4448 (fax)
doublelfarms@sasktel.net
When consumers think of the New York steak, immediately the image of a choice cut of meat comes to mind. This is one of the things that convinced Lester Lodoen of Classic Meats in Fox Valley it was the right name for his new product.
“When we did the market research at the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre, there was a group of us together, and we had to come up with a name that was no more than three words long," he explains. "We tried Meat Treats, but that was like dog food. We tried Trimmers, but that implied cuts of poor quality meat. One guy came up with New York Stick—we said OK. The New York steak is a very good cut of meat. We trademarked it. It is good to go.”
The product in question is a pre-cooked, hand-held meat snack. It is an 85-gram beef steakette on a popsicle-type stick. It is vacuum-packed, should be refrigerated at 4ºC or frozen, and is made with secondary cuts of meat.
“I have been working with meat quality and beef for a number of years," says Lodoen. "One of the people working with me came up with the concept that we somehow had to increase the value of the secondary cuts of meat, because you can always sell the primary cuts. We wanted to go beyond just making hamburgers. We took this idea to the Food Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, and worked with them to develop the process and the product.”
Lodoen is also a beef producer, who long ago realized that the farm economy runs in a constantly evolving world.
The Lodoen family farm has been a value-added operation from the time of Lester's father, but, he explains, marketing a new product today is a totally different ball game then it was 20 years ago. Market research has led Lodoen to the convenience sector, but right now the company's biggest push is toward food services: getting into hockey arenas, curling rinks, gas stations and convenience stores—wherever convenience food services are required.
“We are in the value chain program," he says, "and in our value chain we have a food broker working with us. Ten or 15 years ago, anyone could market their product themselves, but now, if you don’t know the people, it is difficult. We are working with a group that has a lot of connections to different sources. What you need today is a distributor who will take you on.”
Lodoen says he making good and steady progress in his endeavours.
“Beside beef, we have BBQ pork on a stick as well. We are talking about the New York Stick family of products, really. It consists of Spiced Beef, BBQ Pork, Southwest Chicken and Mediterranean Chicken. Now we have a couple of distribution companies that are very interested in helping us distribute it.
“I would say to anyone getting into this type of business today: it's not enough to just have an idea. You better research it, and know where you want to go with it, and take advantage of the expertise and the resources that are out there.”
Lodoen wouldn’t trade what he is doing for the world.
“I like the marketing, although sometimes it can be frustrating. When you are developing a product, you always want to move faster and faster, but that doesn’t happen in this world any more."
Lodoen's company is still working with the Food Centre. He hopes eventually to be working with a co-packer, or a co-processor. They are currently selling the product in all the Saskatchewan Made stores, and have placed it in a couple of schools in Regina and a couple of stores in rural Saskatchewan. It is also being sold in Alberta and Ontario.
Lodoen hopes his New York Stick will make it big in the realm of hand-held food, which some experts have already identified as the food of the future.
For more information, contact:
Lester Lodoen
Classic Meats and Double L Farms
Fox Valley
(306) 666-4447 (tel)
(306) 666-4448 (fax)
doublelfarms@sasktel.net
Locally Produced Food-- A Way to Healthier Eating
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Have you ever tasted a Saskatchewan-grown cantaloupe? What about a locally grown tomato? The flavour is exceptional. There are a number of ways in which consumers can experience the flavour of Saskatchewan, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Provincial Vegetable Crops Specialist Connie Achtymichuk, even if they don’t have a garden.
“Many communities have farmers’ markets," she says, "but another initiative that has just been started is a web-based local food directory. The project is in its early stages, but the idea is to connect local producers with local consumers. There are a number of groups involved, but the lead is Dr. Daryl Hepting, a professor at the University of Regina's computer sciences department. Dr. Hepting has already started a discussion group to find out who is interested, and to collect ideas. Provided funding can be accessed, the project will go ahead this year.”
This project, along with other forms of direct marketing, will enable the Saskatchewan vegetable industry to expand, says Achtymichuk.
“The industry is small, and the growing season is short. This makes it difficult for Saskatchewan’s vegetable producers to break into traditional markets, but the quality and flavour of the vegetables being grown is exceptional. Because of Saskatchewan’s climate, there are very few pests that damage vegetable crops.”
Most vegetables, therefore, are grown with little or no pesticides. Organically grown produce is also available.
“The Canada Food Guide encourages eating five to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, so why not try produce from a local garden?" she asks. "Not only are there health benefits in doing so, but consider picking up vegetables from a local garden: what a good way to expose children to where their food comes from. Develop a relationship with the person who grows your food, and they’ll be willing to fill requests if you want something that they don’t have.”
By buying locally, everybody wins. The producer has a market that commands a fair price, and the consumer gets to enjoy vegetables at their peak freshness.
“You’ll also be doing your part to protect the environment, considering the fact that most of the produce you buy has been trucked great distances.”
For more information, contact:
Connie Achtymichuk
Provincial Specialist, Vegetable Crops
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-2755
Have you ever tasted a Saskatchewan-grown cantaloupe? What about a locally grown tomato? The flavour is exceptional. There are a number of ways in which consumers can experience the flavour of Saskatchewan, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Provincial Vegetable Crops Specialist Connie Achtymichuk, even if they don’t have a garden.
“Many communities have farmers’ markets," she says, "but another initiative that has just been started is a web-based local food directory. The project is in its early stages, but the idea is to connect local producers with local consumers. There are a number of groups involved, but the lead is Dr. Daryl Hepting, a professor at the University of Regina's computer sciences department. Dr. Hepting has already started a discussion group to find out who is interested, and to collect ideas. Provided funding can be accessed, the project will go ahead this year.”
This project, along with other forms of direct marketing, will enable the Saskatchewan vegetable industry to expand, says Achtymichuk.
“The industry is small, and the growing season is short. This makes it difficult for Saskatchewan’s vegetable producers to break into traditional markets, but the quality and flavour of the vegetables being grown is exceptional. Because of Saskatchewan’s climate, there are very few pests that damage vegetable crops.”
Most vegetables, therefore, are grown with little or no pesticides. Organically grown produce is also available.
“The Canada Food Guide encourages eating five to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, so why not try produce from a local garden?" she asks. "Not only are there health benefits in doing so, but consider picking up vegetables from a local garden: what a good way to expose children to where their food comes from. Develop a relationship with the person who grows your food, and they’ll be willing to fill requests if you want something that they don’t have.”
By buying locally, everybody wins. The producer has a market that commands a fair price, and the consumer gets to enjoy vegetables at their peak freshness.
“You’ll also be doing your part to protect the environment, considering the fact that most of the produce you buy has been trucked great distances.”
For more information, contact:
Connie Achtymichuk
Provincial Specialist, Vegetable Crops
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-2755
The Quest For Superior Spice Crops Gains Ground in Saskatchewan
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Saskatoon’s Plant Biotechnology Institute (PBI) has been in the forefront of the development of new varieties of spices such as dill, fennel, anise and caraway. Now that cumin has been identified as an opportunity crop for Saskatchewan, an Agriculture Development Fund research project (#20050711) will help replicate some of the PBI's success with this new crop, according to Alison Ferrie, a research officer at the National Research Council (NRC).
“We have been doing this work for a number of years now, and we just want to formalize it," she says. "We are producing more and more lines, which is why we needed the extra funding. Dr. Doug Waterer, a plant scientist at the University of Saskatchewan, is looking after the field aspect of this project, and I am looking after the laboratory aspect at PBI."
The PBI's scientists can do the research, but they cannot grow the new lines out in the field, so they have turned to Dr. Waterer, who will collaborate with the PBI to evaluate the new lines. Ferrie says the PBI is now going to move on to cumin, which is an important species for the Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association. Scientists have begun the lab work to develop a microspore culture double haploid protocol for cumin. Double haploid technology was developed in the 1960s, and is still very useful today.
“Double haploid technology involves taking immature pollen grains—which are microspores—giving them the right conditions and, if everything is right in terms of genotypes, the right donor plant conditions, the right media and the right culture conditions, we can get embryos developing from these pollen grains.
“This is not a normal developmental process," Ferrie explains, "because, under normal development, you would get the immature pollen grains maturing into the mature pollen grain and fertilizing the egg cell. Then you get seed. We are changing the developmental path to get this immature pollen grain to convert into an embryo. Once you get that embryo grown into a plant, you have a homozygous pure line, so if you grow out these double haploids in the field, they all will be uniform. The next generation will look exactly the same.”
In a normal breeding program, explains Ferrie, you would make a cross between two parents that look good and you would have to keep backcrossing and backcrossing to get a uniform line.
“But here, we can develop a uniform line in one generation. This means it can save time and breeding, and that is very important, especially for these herbs, spices and nutraceutical plants, because there is so much variation in them. This results in problems for some of the medical plants, if you are trying to make clinical trials. You may collect samples from this group of plants over here and you get this level of compound that is beneficial in the fight against a disease, and you go into another group of plants and you get this level of active compound and it doesn’t show any beneficial effect. So what we are doing is producing a uniform line.”
Double haploid technology has proven extremely useful for crop development over and over again.
“This technology has been used by most canola breeding companies," she says. "A number of years ago, when I started at the PBI, we did a lot of canola work, and a lot of that technology is being used by canola breeders to this day. For those species, much breeding has been done, so there are many uniform lines out there. But for these herbs and spices, since the active ingredient is so important, this technology is particularly valuable as well."
The ADF funds are going to be used in the lab to develop the lines of cumin, while Dr. Waterer will test all the lines that have been developed so far.
For more information, contact:
Alison Ferrie, PhD
Plant Biotechnology Institute
National Research Council
Alison.ferrie@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
(306) 975-5993
Saskatoon’s Plant Biotechnology Institute (PBI) has been in the forefront of the development of new varieties of spices such as dill, fennel, anise and caraway. Now that cumin has been identified as an opportunity crop for Saskatchewan, an Agriculture Development Fund research project (#20050711) will help replicate some of the PBI's success with this new crop, according to Alison Ferrie, a research officer at the National Research Council (NRC).
“We have been doing this work for a number of years now, and we just want to formalize it," she says. "We are producing more and more lines, which is why we needed the extra funding. Dr. Doug Waterer, a plant scientist at the University of Saskatchewan, is looking after the field aspect of this project, and I am looking after the laboratory aspect at PBI."
The PBI's scientists can do the research, but they cannot grow the new lines out in the field, so they have turned to Dr. Waterer, who will collaborate with the PBI to evaluate the new lines. Ferrie says the PBI is now going to move on to cumin, which is an important species for the Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association. Scientists have begun the lab work to develop a microspore culture double haploid protocol for cumin. Double haploid technology was developed in the 1960s, and is still very useful today.
“Double haploid technology involves taking immature pollen grains—which are microspores—giving them the right conditions and, if everything is right in terms of genotypes, the right donor plant conditions, the right media and the right culture conditions, we can get embryos developing from these pollen grains.
“This is not a normal developmental process," Ferrie explains, "because, under normal development, you would get the immature pollen grains maturing into the mature pollen grain and fertilizing the egg cell. Then you get seed. We are changing the developmental path to get this immature pollen grain to convert into an embryo. Once you get that embryo grown into a plant, you have a homozygous pure line, so if you grow out these double haploids in the field, they all will be uniform. The next generation will look exactly the same.”
In a normal breeding program, explains Ferrie, you would make a cross between two parents that look good and you would have to keep backcrossing and backcrossing to get a uniform line.
“But here, we can develop a uniform line in one generation. This means it can save time and breeding, and that is very important, especially for these herbs, spices and nutraceutical plants, because there is so much variation in them. This results in problems for some of the medical plants, if you are trying to make clinical trials. You may collect samples from this group of plants over here and you get this level of compound that is beneficial in the fight against a disease, and you go into another group of plants and you get this level of active compound and it doesn’t show any beneficial effect. So what we are doing is producing a uniform line.”
Double haploid technology has proven extremely useful for crop development over and over again.
“This technology has been used by most canola breeding companies," she says. "A number of years ago, when I started at the PBI, we did a lot of canola work, and a lot of that technology is being used by canola breeders to this day. For those species, much breeding has been done, so there are many uniform lines out there. But for these herbs and spices, since the active ingredient is so important, this technology is particularly valuable as well."
The ADF funds are going to be used in the lab to develop the lines of cumin, while Dr. Waterer will test all the lines that have been developed so far.
For more information, contact:
Alison Ferrie, PhD
Plant Biotechnology Institute
National Research Council
Alison.ferrie@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
(306) 975-5993
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Korean 4-H Club Study Trip to Canada Focuses on Saskatchewan
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
When Brenda Clemens was contacted by an Asian tour operator to host 20 Korean visitors in March at the Beaver Creek Ranch and Horse Centre in Lumsden, she and her husband Barry figured this would be a golden opportunity to showcase their operation and the province.
The tour was to be part of a Korean 4-H study trip to Canada. It would focus almost exclusively on Saskatchewan, where these visitors would spend nearly a week.
The 4-H movement was established in Korea in 1947. It serves not only rural but also urban communities; it is open to both boys and girls, and men and women, between the ages of nine and 29. Like here, 4-H focuses on developing well-rounded, responsible and independent citizens. The 4-H movement in Korea involves more than 61,000 youth, of which 44,400 are students and nearly 16,000 are young farmers. The total 4-H alumni in South Korea numbers 4.5 million people.
The Clemens called upon their friends, neighbours and partners to help them put together the perfect program for the Koreans' stay at the ranch.
One of the challenges of organizing an agricultural tour in late March is the weather and the absence of crops in the field. To make up for the lack of agriculture, the Koreans spent a couple of days in Saskatoon visiting the Western Development Museum, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, the Wanuskewin Heritage Park, the Kelsey Campus of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, the College of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan and an agricultural implement dealership.
Meanwhile, the Clemens and their family and friends had been working on a ranch program that would sustain the Koreans’ interests.
“Everything was planned with precision. We had a ranch supper waiting for them when they returned. The living room had been turned into a dining room for 20, with candlelit tables. The evening meal was followed by an informal discussion on the nature of livestock production in Saskatchewan,” explains Barry Clemens.
The next morning started with a ranch visit right in the midst of calving season and a spring melt, which proved a little challenging for Asian footwear... but not for the spirit of the Korean guests.
“They were fascinated by the costs of forage in Saskatchewan compared to much higher costs in Korea,” says Barry. “Similarly, we were surprised to learn that the cost of a bred heifer is around $8,000 over there. Shortly after the ranch tour, we headed to Griffith's petting farm across the road. The petting farm was definitely a hit."
Afterwards, the group headed back to the ranch for a hamburger and hot dog lunch cooked on the BBQ and a warm campfire. This would be followed by a visit at the Arm River Hutterite Colony, and then a late-afternoon wagon ride on the ranch.
The main event for the day turned out to be the ranch work demonstration using young bison to train the cutting horses in the heated indoor arena.
“Our guests got to see how cows are roped with a lasso and gently immobilized for treatment out in the pasture, using our mounts to reduce the labour. Then, our new friends got a chance to ride themselves. Eventually, these budding cowboys and cowgirls also got to try their hands at roping from the ground. Learning how to rope a dummy cow is part of the basic training,” Barry says with a smile.
The Koreans headed back to Seoul the next morning. For Brenda and Barry, this was well worth the effort. It provided much-appreciated extra income for the ranch operation. They hope to welcome more such guests from Korea in the future.
When Brenda Clemens was contacted by an Asian tour operator to host 20 Korean visitors in March at the Beaver Creek Ranch and Horse Centre in Lumsden, she and her husband Barry figured this would be a golden opportunity to showcase their operation and the province.
The tour was to be part of a Korean 4-H study trip to Canada. It would focus almost exclusively on Saskatchewan, where these visitors would spend nearly a week.
The 4-H movement was established in Korea in 1947. It serves not only rural but also urban communities; it is open to both boys and girls, and men and women, between the ages of nine and 29. Like here, 4-H focuses on developing well-rounded, responsible and independent citizens. The 4-H movement in Korea involves more than 61,000 youth, of which 44,400 are students and nearly 16,000 are young farmers. The total 4-H alumni in South Korea numbers 4.5 million people.
The Clemens called upon their friends, neighbours and partners to help them put together the perfect program for the Koreans' stay at the ranch.
One of the challenges of organizing an agricultural tour in late March is the weather and the absence of crops in the field. To make up for the lack of agriculture, the Koreans spent a couple of days in Saskatoon visiting the Western Development Museum, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, the Wanuskewin Heritage Park, the Kelsey Campus of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, the College of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan and an agricultural implement dealership.
Meanwhile, the Clemens and their family and friends had been working on a ranch program that would sustain the Koreans’ interests.
“Everything was planned with precision. We had a ranch supper waiting for them when they returned. The living room had been turned into a dining room for 20, with candlelit tables. The evening meal was followed by an informal discussion on the nature of livestock production in Saskatchewan,” explains Barry Clemens.
The next morning started with a ranch visit right in the midst of calving season and a spring melt, which proved a little challenging for Asian footwear... but not for the spirit of the Korean guests.
“They were fascinated by the costs of forage in Saskatchewan compared to much higher costs in Korea,” says Barry. “Similarly, we were surprised to learn that the cost of a bred heifer is around $8,000 over there. Shortly after the ranch tour, we headed to Griffith's petting farm across the road. The petting farm was definitely a hit."
Afterwards, the group headed back to the ranch for a hamburger and hot dog lunch cooked on the BBQ and a warm campfire. This would be followed by a visit at the Arm River Hutterite Colony, and then a late-afternoon wagon ride on the ranch.
The main event for the day turned out to be the ranch work demonstration using young bison to train the cutting horses in the heated indoor arena.
“Our guests got to see how cows are roped with a lasso and gently immobilized for treatment out in the pasture, using our mounts to reduce the labour. Then, our new friends got a chance to ride themselves. Eventually, these budding cowboys and cowgirls also got to try their hands at roping from the ground. Learning how to rope a dummy cow is part of the basic training,” Barry says with a smile.
The Koreans headed back to Seoul the next morning. For Brenda and Barry, this was well worth the effort. It provided much-appreciated extra income for the ranch operation. They hope to welcome more such guests from Korea in the future.
Verified Beef Production is Gaining Ground in Saskatchewan
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
The level of sophistication that today’s beef production requires is gaining acceptance in the industry, as the Verified Beef Production program is increasingly taken on by both producers and processors in the province, according to Janice Sopatyk, Program Administrator for the Quality Starts Here/Verified Beef Production (QSHVBP) program in Saskatchewan.
QSHVBP is a national program, launched under the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, with roots going back to 1994. The Saskatchewan Quality Starts Here Working Group administers the Verified Beef Program in the province. The idea is to encourage producers to adopt good production practices, such as giving injections in the neck instead of in the rump where the high-quality cuts of meat are. The program requires that producers keep records of treatments and vaccinations to ensure the appropriate use of medications.
"The Verified Beef Program is, in essence, the combination of good production practices with the documentation to prove this is what you are actually doing," explains Sopatyk. "It is a voluntary program. If producers wish, they can attend the workshop and implement the program in their operations, and then go on to be audited and fully registered with the VBP program."
The initial registration audit involves an on-farm visit. The auditor goes through the facilities, looks at how producers store and mix medicated feed, and how they store farm chemicals. The auditor reviews the treatment and vaccination program, as well as the documentation, and ensures that producers have a prohibited feed affidavit from their feed company swearing that there are no prohibited materials in their protein supplements.
“We have a couple of small meat processors in Saskatchewan and Alberta now who support the program and are requiring their cattle producer/suppliers go through the program," she explains. "Natural Valley Farms in Wolseley and Western Prime Meats out of Weyburn are having their producers attend the workshop and implement the program as a requirement of shipping animals to their processing plants. Prairie Heritage Beef in Alberta also has producers in Saskatchewan, and they are in the process of making it mandatory for their producers to attend the workshop, implement the program, pass the audit and be registered with the VBP program as well."
Sopatyk believes these processors are the first to have actually requested that their suppliers participate in the VBP program, which represents significant progress in her view.
So far in Saskatchewan, over 750 production units have attended the workshop in the last three-and-a-half years, notes Sopatyk. Twenty operations have been audited and registered, and another four are in the process of completing the audit.
"The acceptance rate may seem a bit low in comparison with the Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program for the hog industry, but we have approximately 20,000 beef producers in the province, as opposed to 400 pork producers, and the beef industry is far less integrated," she explains. "Also, there are no major beef processors in Saskatchewan that require VBP registration, unlike the hog industry, where all major pork processors require CQA certification."
Sopatyk feels it is going to take longer to get people in the beef sector to come on board—especially getting processors and packers to require the audit—but she is happy with the progress made thus far.
“We are starting to see a growth in interest with niche processors, and we expect the overall commitment to keep growing.”
If you are interested in attending a VBP producer workshop in your area, contact Dave Long, Provincial Co-ordinator, at 306-762-2033 or dlong@qualitystartshere.sk.ca.
More information can be obtained at www.qualitystartshere.sk.ca or www.qualitystartshere.org.
For more information, contact:
Janice Sopatyk, DVM
Program Administrator
Quality Starts Here Verified Beef Production (QSHVBP)
(306) 376-4422
jsopatyk@qualitystartshere.sk.ca
The level of sophistication that today’s beef production requires is gaining acceptance in the industry, as the Verified Beef Production program is increasingly taken on by both producers and processors in the province, according to Janice Sopatyk, Program Administrator for the Quality Starts Here/Verified Beef Production (QSHVBP) program in Saskatchewan.
QSHVBP is a national program, launched under the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, with roots going back to 1994. The Saskatchewan Quality Starts Here Working Group administers the Verified Beef Program in the province. The idea is to encourage producers to adopt good production practices, such as giving injections in the neck instead of in the rump where the high-quality cuts of meat are. The program requires that producers keep records of treatments and vaccinations to ensure the appropriate use of medications.
"The Verified Beef Program is, in essence, the combination of good production practices with the documentation to prove this is what you are actually doing," explains Sopatyk. "It is a voluntary program. If producers wish, they can attend the workshop and implement the program in their operations, and then go on to be audited and fully registered with the VBP program."
The initial registration audit involves an on-farm visit. The auditor goes through the facilities, looks at how producers store and mix medicated feed, and how they store farm chemicals. The auditor reviews the treatment and vaccination program, as well as the documentation, and ensures that producers have a prohibited feed affidavit from their feed company swearing that there are no prohibited materials in their protein supplements.
“We have a couple of small meat processors in Saskatchewan and Alberta now who support the program and are requiring their cattle producer/suppliers go through the program," she explains. "Natural Valley Farms in Wolseley and Western Prime Meats out of Weyburn are having their producers attend the workshop and implement the program as a requirement of shipping animals to their processing plants. Prairie Heritage Beef in Alberta also has producers in Saskatchewan, and they are in the process of making it mandatory for their producers to attend the workshop, implement the program, pass the audit and be registered with the VBP program as well."
Sopatyk believes these processors are the first to have actually requested that their suppliers participate in the VBP program, which represents significant progress in her view.
So far in Saskatchewan, over 750 production units have attended the workshop in the last three-and-a-half years, notes Sopatyk. Twenty operations have been audited and registered, and another four are in the process of completing the audit.
"The acceptance rate may seem a bit low in comparison with the Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program for the hog industry, but we have approximately 20,000 beef producers in the province, as opposed to 400 pork producers, and the beef industry is far less integrated," she explains. "Also, there are no major beef processors in Saskatchewan that require VBP registration, unlike the hog industry, where all major pork processors require CQA certification."
Sopatyk feels it is going to take longer to get people in the beef sector to come on board—especially getting processors and packers to require the audit—but she is happy with the progress made thus far.
“We are starting to see a growth in interest with niche processors, and we expect the overall commitment to keep growing.”
If you are interested in attending a VBP producer workshop in your area, contact Dave Long, Provincial Co-ordinator, at 306-762-2033 or dlong@qualitystartshere.sk.ca.
More information can be obtained at www.qualitystartshere.sk.ca or www.qualitystartshere.org.
For more information, contact:
Janice Sopatyk, DVM
Program Administrator
Quality Starts Here Verified Beef Production (QSHVBP)
(306) 376-4422
jsopatyk@qualitystartshere.sk.ca
Taking a Group Approach to Watershed-Based Environmental Farm Plans
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
The new Saskatchewan Agri-Environmental Planning Group (AEGP) for the Lower Assiniboine and Lake of the Prairie Sub-Watersheds is working to implement conservation initiatives for their portion of the east-central region of the province.“Under the Agricultural Policy Framework to which Saskatchewan committed a few years ago, there is funding available under the environmental section to carry out individual environmental farm plans (EFPs) as well as area-level watershed-based environmental farm plans," explains Todd Jorgenson, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) Forage Development Specialist and a member of the technical support contingent of the AEGP.
Because of the size of the Assiniboine River watershed, a smaller area was selected to be able to logistically implement an EFP. Partners include SAF, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Yellowhead Regional Economic Development Authority, and the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority with help from local producers. The significance of the Lower Assiniboine/Lake of the Prairies Environmental Group Plan, explains Jorgenson, is that it will strategically focus attention on issues specific to that watershed. Two public meetings—in Langenburg and Wroxton—have just been held for producers within the watershed.
"We will be sending a report on these meetings to the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), which will review it within their group and determine which beneficial management practices (BMPs) are best-suited to this particular area," says Jorgenson. "We want to make sure that producers have the opportunity to implement these practices in the upcoming year."
At the two public meetings, producers were told about the EFP process, and their input was solicited. A biophysical inventory of the area was displayed, which formed the basis for identifying land use issues. The issues were prioritized and discussed in the context of how an EFP and BMPs would address them.
"Most of the concerns that emerged dealt with forage and riparian area management, which relates to BMPs such as establishing buffer strips, seeding forages, cross-fencing, alternative water development, or simply improved range-forage management practices," says Jorgenson.
“The benefit of the area plan is that, if you are a producer in that watershed, you won’t have to go through an individual farm plan to access cost-shared funding administered by the PFRA to help implement BMPs. Producers in the area can just contact the Yellowhead REDA in Langenburg (306-743-5177) to discuss the area EFP and the BMPs that would be applicable to the individual farm. As part of this project, we will be hiring a full-time technician. He or she will be based in Langenburg, and will be the main contact for the project."
The EFP's steering committee is comprised of Jorgenson, representatives from Ducks Unlimited and the local REDA, as well as a Saskatchewan Watershed Authority specialist, and will provide overall direction for the project. The Lake of the Prairies Conservation District in Manitoba is also involved as a partner in this project.
It is expected that, by the end of the process, there will be nine such projects in the province.
For more information, contact:
Todd Jorgenson
Forage Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 786-5859
Consider Integrating Short-Term Forage Stands in Your Mixed Farm
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
For most producers, the main objective of their pasture management plan is to keep a tame forage stand productive for as long as possible. This reduces the frequency of reseeding/rejuvenation, and keeps costs down. Many producers also tend to keep cropland in perpetual crop production, and pasture land in perpetual pasture.
However, Al Foster, Forage Development Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, wants producers to consider incorporating a short-term forage rotation onto their cropland.
“Including perennial forage crops, such as alfalfa or alfalfa/grass mixtures, in rotation with annual grain crops provides many agronomic and environmental benefits,” he says. Also, given low grain prices, the ability to raise a few more cattle should put more money into mixed farmers' pockets.
This is where the integration of short-term forage stands becomes attractive, Foster points out.
“A number of the benefits are unique to deep-rooted, perennial hay crops like alfalfa," he says. "These are well-documented and are especially noticeable on dark grey and grey soils. For example, alfalfa fixes much of the nitrogen it needs for growth. After an alfalfa crop is terminated, nitrogen in the decaying roots and nodules becomes available for subsequent crops.”
Alfalfa roots perform “biological tillage,” thereby improving the soil environment for root growth of subsequent crops.
“On heavy clay soil, including alfalfa in a rotation increases soil/water infiltration by creating ‘channels’ in the soil through which water can move,” he explains. As well, the tap roots of perennial legumes extract nitrogen and phosphorus from deeper in the soil than shallow-rooted annual crops.
In addition, forage in rotation reduces weed pressure on the annual crops that follow. Two or three years of forage in a six-year rotation virtually eliminated wild oats in cereal crops in a long-term study at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Brandon. In fact, a survey of commercial fields in Manitoba indicated significantly fewer wild oats, green foxtail and Canada thistle in wheat following forage crops, when compared to wheat following annual crops.
“The average lifespan of an alfalfa stand in the northeast is probably six or seven years,” Foster explains. “The main advantage of shortening the lifespan to two or three years is that the benefits associated with forages can be spread across more land without the need to increase the farm's total forage acreage.
Also, forages in rotation can slow the development of herbicide resistant weeds, which, in some areas, is becoming a problem.”
In areas where land is marginal for crop production, rotating two to three years of alfalfa hay—in lieu of crop production—can both improve the soil and save on crop input costs. In addition, land currently producing hay can be converted to pasture, thereby increasing the grazing capacity of the farm.
Foster encourages producers to give serious consideration to the advantages of short-term hay stands: lower input costs and increased cattle production.
For more information, contact:
Al Foster
Forage Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 878-8890
For most producers, the main objective of their pasture management plan is to keep a tame forage stand productive for as long as possible. This reduces the frequency of reseeding/rejuvenation, and keeps costs down. Many producers also tend to keep cropland in perpetual crop production, and pasture land in perpetual pasture.
However, Al Foster, Forage Development Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, wants producers to consider incorporating a short-term forage rotation onto their cropland.
“Including perennial forage crops, such as alfalfa or alfalfa/grass mixtures, in rotation with annual grain crops provides many agronomic and environmental benefits,” he says. Also, given low grain prices, the ability to raise a few more cattle should put more money into mixed farmers' pockets.
This is where the integration of short-term forage stands becomes attractive, Foster points out.
“A number of the benefits are unique to deep-rooted, perennial hay crops like alfalfa," he says. "These are well-documented and are especially noticeable on dark grey and grey soils. For example, alfalfa fixes much of the nitrogen it needs for growth. After an alfalfa crop is terminated, nitrogen in the decaying roots and nodules becomes available for subsequent crops.”
Alfalfa roots perform “biological tillage,” thereby improving the soil environment for root growth of subsequent crops.
“On heavy clay soil, including alfalfa in a rotation increases soil/water infiltration by creating ‘channels’ in the soil through which water can move,” he explains. As well, the tap roots of perennial legumes extract nitrogen and phosphorus from deeper in the soil than shallow-rooted annual crops.
In addition, forage in rotation reduces weed pressure on the annual crops that follow. Two or three years of forage in a six-year rotation virtually eliminated wild oats in cereal crops in a long-term study at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station in Brandon. In fact, a survey of commercial fields in Manitoba indicated significantly fewer wild oats, green foxtail and Canada thistle in wheat following forage crops, when compared to wheat following annual crops.
“The average lifespan of an alfalfa stand in the northeast is probably six or seven years,” Foster explains. “The main advantage of shortening the lifespan to two or three years is that the benefits associated with forages can be spread across more land without the need to increase the farm's total forage acreage.
Also, forages in rotation can slow the development of herbicide resistant weeds, which, in some areas, is becoming a problem.”
In areas where land is marginal for crop production, rotating two to three years of alfalfa hay—in lieu of crop production—can both improve the soil and save on crop input costs. In addition, land currently producing hay can be converted to pasture, thereby increasing the grazing capacity of the farm.
Foster encourages producers to give serious consideration to the advantages of short-term hay stands: lower input costs and increased cattle production.
For more information, contact:
Al Foster
Forage Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 878-8890
Saskatchewan Agribusinesses Take Advantage of Nextrade's Financing Solutions
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Here is a home-grown solution for agribusiness export needs: Nextrade Finance has been providing Saskatchewan exporters with customized financial solutions since November 2004. It is an initiative of the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP), and Glen Millard is its director.
One of the greatest challenges faced by service providers, and the companies they work with, was a real lack of financing for small-market export transactions—short-term 90-day receivables, valued at $150,000 U.S. or less, he explains.
“There is a multitude of reasons for that, one of them being their one-off nature. You sell to a buyer in Germany, and you might not be able to sell to him again for 18 months, or three months.”
One of the Saskatchewan companies that has been taking advantage of Nextrade’s services is Regina’s Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd. They export organic durum, flax, hemp and barley, among other commodities.
“We have clients around the world," says Jason Freeman, the co-operative's sales and marketing manager, "and Nextrade Finance provides us with the kind of critical account receivable financing that allows us to get paid immediately after we ship our product, instead of having to wait 30 to 90 days. As you can imagine, this gives us a considerable advantage in carrying out our day-to-day business. I can’t praise it enough.”
Nextrade’s services are certainly popular. Since December 2005, Nextrade has financed $1.5 million in exports, according to Millard.
“We did $3.7 million in our first year, so that’s $5.3 million since the inception of the program. Our strength is the fact that we can customize our lending to meet the needs of our clients. With Farmer Direct, if they are purchasing products from one of their suppliers to meet an export order, they may have to purchase that 40 days in advance to fill in that order and ship it.
“What we do for them is make available the capital they need to purchase that product so they can pay their suppliers immediately. They do what they have to do to that product— whether they have to clean it, sort it or get it ready for shipment, and the day they ship, we would then pay them the total amount, depending on what the export receivables were.”
It is a kind of bridge financing for exporters. Nextrade allows them to conclude these small transactions without having to overextend themselves and use traditional credit facilities.
“We are a non-asset-based lender, so exporters don’t have to put up their assets for collateral," says Millard. "We actually lend against the paper of the transaction, so we spend a lot of time doing our due diligence process, analysing the actual export sale documentation. We have uncovered a lot of variances on behalf of our clients, and have really helped them tighten those things up, which of course results in payments being made more quickly by their buyers. It shortens accounts receivable times, and really improves a lot of our clients’ payment history.”
Essentially, Nextrade Finance accelerates the business cycle for these enterprises.
“We are getting them their cash more quickly. There are two reasons why we do it: to make available the financing so that companies have the financial capability to fill export orders, and to eliminate or reduce their risk as much as possible.
“We pay the Saskatchewan exporter in Canadian dollars, yet we allow the foreign buyer to pay us in whatever currency they choose, as long as it is a tradeable currency. It is a definite advantage for companies because, if you have been following the U.S. dollar for the last four years, you know that the Canadian dollar has appreciated quite a bit, and a lot of companies have lost money by not hedging. The fact that we pay in home currency eliminates that currency risk for them. We use export credit insurance products, so we take away the risk of buyer non-payment.”
Nearly half of Nextrade's business is in the agricultural sector, says Millard. Their most recent figures, compiled on March 17, show that $2.3 million has been generated through agricultural commodities. The biggest users of Nextrade's agricultural services have been exporters of organic crops.
“Since the inception of the program,” Millard explains, “we have supported 58 agricultural export transactions, each worth an average of $38,800. Export companies usually use our support for 47 days. Agricultural commodities are the fastest growing sector among our clients. To date, 56 per cent of our clients are located in rural Saskatchewan.”
Nextrade Finance's services can be accessed by any company in the province. Visit www.nextrade.ca to find out more.
For more information, contact:
Glen Millard
General Manager
Nextrade Finance
(306) 787-7936
Jason Freeman
Sales and Marketing Manager
Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd.
(306) 352-2496 ext. 222
Here is a home-grown solution for agribusiness export needs: Nextrade Finance has been providing Saskatchewan exporters with customized financial solutions since November 2004. It is an initiative of the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP), and Glen Millard is its director.
One of the greatest challenges faced by service providers, and the companies they work with, was a real lack of financing for small-market export transactions—short-term 90-day receivables, valued at $150,000 U.S. or less, he explains.
“There is a multitude of reasons for that, one of them being their one-off nature. You sell to a buyer in Germany, and you might not be able to sell to him again for 18 months, or three months.”
One of the Saskatchewan companies that has been taking advantage of Nextrade’s services is Regina’s Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd. They export organic durum, flax, hemp and barley, among other commodities.
“We have clients around the world," says Jason Freeman, the co-operative's sales and marketing manager, "and Nextrade Finance provides us with the kind of critical account receivable financing that allows us to get paid immediately after we ship our product, instead of having to wait 30 to 90 days. As you can imagine, this gives us a considerable advantage in carrying out our day-to-day business. I can’t praise it enough.”
Nextrade’s services are certainly popular. Since December 2005, Nextrade has financed $1.5 million in exports, according to Millard.
“We did $3.7 million in our first year, so that’s $5.3 million since the inception of the program. Our strength is the fact that we can customize our lending to meet the needs of our clients. With Farmer Direct, if they are purchasing products from one of their suppliers to meet an export order, they may have to purchase that 40 days in advance to fill in that order and ship it.
“What we do for them is make available the capital they need to purchase that product so they can pay their suppliers immediately. They do what they have to do to that product— whether they have to clean it, sort it or get it ready for shipment, and the day they ship, we would then pay them the total amount, depending on what the export receivables were.”
It is a kind of bridge financing for exporters. Nextrade allows them to conclude these small transactions without having to overextend themselves and use traditional credit facilities.
“We are a non-asset-based lender, so exporters don’t have to put up their assets for collateral," says Millard. "We actually lend against the paper of the transaction, so we spend a lot of time doing our due diligence process, analysing the actual export sale documentation. We have uncovered a lot of variances on behalf of our clients, and have really helped them tighten those things up, which of course results in payments being made more quickly by their buyers. It shortens accounts receivable times, and really improves a lot of our clients’ payment history.”
Essentially, Nextrade Finance accelerates the business cycle for these enterprises.
“We are getting them their cash more quickly. There are two reasons why we do it: to make available the financing so that companies have the financial capability to fill export orders, and to eliminate or reduce their risk as much as possible.
“We pay the Saskatchewan exporter in Canadian dollars, yet we allow the foreign buyer to pay us in whatever currency they choose, as long as it is a tradeable currency. It is a definite advantage for companies because, if you have been following the U.S. dollar for the last four years, you know that the Canadian dollar has appreciated quite a bit, and a lot of companies have lost money by not hedging. The fact that we pay in home currency eliminates that currency risk for them. We use export credit insurance products, so we take away the risk of buyer non-payment.”
Nearly half of Nextrade's business is in the agricultural sector, says Millard. Their most recent figures, compiled on March 17, show that $2.3 million has been generated through agricultural commodities. The biggest users of Nextrade's agricultural services have been exporters of organic crops.
“Since the inception of the program,” Millard explains, “we have supported 58 agricultural export transactions, each worth an average of $38,800. Export companies usually use our support for 47 days. Agricultural commodities are the fastest growing sector among our clients. To date, 56 per cent of our clients are located in rural Saskatchewan.”
Nextrade Finance's services can be accessed by any company in the province. Visit www.nextrade.ca to find out more.
For more information, contact:
Glen Millard
General Manager
Nextrade Finance
(306) 787-7936
Jason Freeman
Sales and Marketing Manager
Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd.
(306) 352-2496 ext. 222
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Livestock Producers Harvest Efficiency During Grazing
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Making the best use of one’s grazing resources is always top-of-mind in the livestock production world. As a result, a few producers have started to intensively manage their pastures during summer grazing, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Forage Development Specialist Lorne Klein.
They’re doing that by moving their electric fences at intervals of two days or less.
“This level of management tends to happen in the higher rainfall areas of the province where forage production is relatively high," say Klein. "It also tends to be done by producers grazing large numbers of livestock in a single group: for example, where there are between 300 to 600 steers, or 250 cow/calf pairs. In these cases, the time and cost of intensive management can be economically feasible.”
Klein explains that not all of the grass or forage produced on a pasture is actually consumed by the grazing animals. As grazing periods become longer, more forage is wasted due to manure-fouling, trampling and camping. The percentage of a pasture's production that is consumed by livestock is called the utilization rate.
Research shows that, in a continuous season-long grazing system, only 35 to 50 per cent of the forage grown in a season is actually consumed by grazing livestock. During three- to four-day grazing periods, however, utilization can be increased to 65 to 70 per cent, and grazing periods of two days or less can achieve utilization rates of 85 to 90 per cent.
“These utilization rates represent a significant difference in harvest efficiency,” Klein points out. “For example, suppose a perennial forage grass/legume stand produces 3,000 pounds per acre through the growing season. A utilization rate of 45 per cent would result in 1,350 pounds per acre being grazed. A utilization rate of 70 per cent would result in 2,100 pounds per acre being grazed.”
For comparison purposes, a group of animals could be grazed on 103 acres rather than 160, he adds.
“This represents a significant difference in land requirements, and is one of the reasons why producers are adopting management-intensive grazing systems more and more,” Klein concludes.
For more information, contact:
Lorne Klein
Forage Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 848-2382
Making the best use of one’s grazing resources is always top-of-mind in the livestock production world. As a result, a few producers have started to intensively manage their pastures during summer grazing, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Forage Development Specialist Lorne Klein.
They’re doing that by moving their electric fences at intervals of two days or less.
“This level of management tends to happen in the higher rainfall areas of the province where forage production is relatively high," say Klein. "It also tends to be done by producers grazing large numbers of livestock in a single group: for example, where there are between 300 to 600 steers, or 250 cow/calf pairs. In these cases, the time and cost of intensive management can be economically feasible.”
Klein explains that not all of the grass or forage produced on a pasture is actually consumed by the grazing animals. As grazing periods become longer, more forage is wasted due to manure-fouling, trampling and camping. The percentage of a pasture's production that is consumed by livestock is called the utilization rate.
Research shows that, in a continuous season-long grazing system, only 35 to 50 per cent of the forage grown in a season is actually consumed by grazing livestock. During three- to four-day grazing periods, however, utilization can be increased to 65 to 70 per cent, and grazing periods of two days or less can achieve utilization rates of 85 to 90 per cent.
“These utilization rates represent a significant difference in harvest efficiency,” Klein points out. “For example, suppose a perennial forage grass/legume stand produces 3,000 pounds per acre through the growing season. A utilization rate of 45 per cent would result in 1,350 pounds per acre being grazed. A utilization rate of 70 per cent would result in 2,100 pounds per acre being grazed.”
For comparison purposes, a group of animals could be grazed on 103 acres rather than 160, he adds.
“This represents a significant difference in land requirements, and is one of the reasons why producers are adopting management-intensive grazing systems more and more,” Klein concludes.
For more information, contact:
Lorne Klein
Forage Development Specialist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 848-2382
Saskatchewan Attracts Alberta's Aspiring Livestock Producers
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
The current wave of Alberta residents moving to Saskatchewan, where agricultural land is more affordable, does not show any sign of waning, if one judges by the rewards the Last Cattle Frontier initiative is reaping in east-central Saskatchewan.
Gord Bulmer is the General Manager of the Good Spirit Regional Economic Development Authority (REDA) in Yorkton. His organization has joined forces with the Yellowhead REDA in Langenburg and the South Parkland REDA to lure Albertans to Saskatchewan's “Next Best West,” by visiting them and extolling the virtues of buying land in Saskatchewan.
“Each of the three REDAs had to chip in $3,000, and the province matched that with another $9,000," explains Bulmer, and to have a good lure piece on hand, he and his colleagues solicited advertising for a supplement produced by the Yorkton This Week and Enterprise.
Individuals who lived in the area and who wanted to list their property could place a free advertisement in supplements put out by Yorkton This Week or The Melville Advance. The cost of the ad was picked up by the three REDAs.
“We had over 100 listings from private individuals from the Yorkton area alone. We took the Yorkton This Week supplement with us and we dropped it on the table when we were out doing our presentations. We are talking about well over 100,000 acres. Every listing was for at least one quarter; most were for five or six. In addition to that, several of the realtors took advantage of the opportunity and paid for their own advertising in the same section.”
Does it bother Bulmer to have so much land for sale in this area?
“Not at all. Would it bother Esso to make a discovery and find out they have another billion barrels hidden in the ground? I don’t think so. I think they would be quite happy. What we have here is just a lot of opportunity.”
Asked about the results of the campaign so far, Bulmer answers: “One realtor in our area closed seven deals that originated from the trip we made a year ago last January. Seven ranch families are moving to our area. It has been a success, and it is snowballing. Two weeks ago, I received another unsolicited call from an Alberta realtor who couldn't keep up with the local demand for ranch properties and so was directing them to our region. It is now getting a momentum of its own."
The Last Cattle Frontier project specifically targets young farm families who are just starting off in livestock production. The influx of young children helps out the local school.
This year, it was the turn of Michelle Andrews, the Yellowhead REDA's Agri-Business Project Manager in Langenburg, to be Alberta bound.
“In late January, we hosted seminars in Fort McLeod, Olds and Vermillion," she says. "We spoke to over 250 people. I was amazed at the number of people who were looking into coming to Saskatchewan. The first seminar was mostly first-time lookers, taking up the idea to see what we had to offer. At the other two meetings, people had investigated the possibility already. They were looking at confirmation of what was out here. Some of them were looking at southwestern Saskatchewan, and with us coming, they wanted to see what the east-central area could offer. It was amazing that people were already thinking of coming over.”
Andrews says the initiative has generated a lot of media coverage in Alberta communities, which also contributed to raising the profile of Saskatchewan livestock production opportunities.
It seems it pays to go boldly and to show Albertans the way to the Last Cattle Frontier.
To find out more about the initiative, visit: http://lastcattlefrontier.com/
For more information, contact:
Gord Bulmer
General Manager
Good Spirit REDA
(306) 783-7332
Michelle Andrews
Agri-Business Project Manager
Yellowhead REDA
(306) 745-5176
The current wave of Alberta residents moving to Saskatchewan, where agricultural land is more affordable, does not show any sign of waning, if one judges by the rewards the Last Cattle Frontier initiative is reaping in east-central Saskatchewan.
Gord Bulmer is the General Manager of the Good Spirit Regional Economic Development Authority (REDA) in Yorkton. His organization has joined forces with the Yellowhead REDA in Langenburg and the South Parkland REDA to lure Albertans to Saskatchewan's “Next Best West,” by visiting them and extolling the virtues of buying land in Saskatchewan.
“Each of the three REDAs had to chip in $3,000, and the province matched that with another $9,000," explains Bulmer, and to have a good lure piece on hand, he and his colleagues solicited advertising for a supplement produced by the Yorkton This Week and Enterprise.
Individuals who lived in the area and who wanted to list their property could place a free advertisement in supplements put out by Yorkton This Week or The Melville Advance. The cost of the ad was picked up by the three REDAs.
“We had over 100 listings from private individuals from the Yorkton area alone. We took the Yorkton This Week supplement with us and we dropped it on the table when we were out doing our presentations. We are talking about well over 100,000 acres. Every listing was for at least one quarter; most were for five or six. In addition to that, several of the realtors took advantage of the opportunity and paid for their own advertising in the same section.”
Does it bother Bulmer to have so much land for sale in this area?
“Not at all. Would it bother Esso to make a discovery and find out they have another billion barrels hidden in the ground? I don’t think so. I think they would be quite happy. What we have here is just a lot of opportunity.”
Asked about the results of the campaign so far, Bulmer answers: “One realtor in our area closed seven deals that originated from the trip we made a year ago last January. Seven ranch families are moving to our area. It has been a success, and it is snowballing. Two weeks ago, I received another unsolicited call from an Alberta realtor who couldn't keep up with the local demand for ranch properties and so was directing them to our region. It is now getting a momentum of its own."
The Last Cattle Frontier project specifically targets young farm families who are just starting off in livestock production. The influx of young children helps out the local school.
This year, it was the turn of Michelle Andrews, the Yellowhead REDA's Agri-Business Project Manager in Langenburg, to be Alberta bound.
“In late January, we hosted seminars in Fort McLeod, Olds and Vermillion," she says. "We spoke to over 250 people. I was amazed at the number of people who were looking into coming to Saskatchewan. The first seminar was mostly first-time lookers, taking up the idea to see what we had to offer. At the other two meetings, people had investigated the possibility already. They were looking at confirmation of what was out here. Some of them were looking at southwestern Saskatchewan, and with us coming, they wanted to see what the east-central area could offer. It was amazing that people were already thinking of coming over.”
Andrews says the initiative has generated a lot of media coverage in Alberta communities, which also contributed to raising the profile of Saskatchewan livestock production opportunities.
It seems it pays to go boldly and to show Albertans the way to the Last Cattle Frontier.
To find out more about the initiative, visit: http://lastcattlefrontier.com/
For more information, contact:
Gord Bulmer
General Manager
Good Spirit REDA
(306) 783-7332
Michelle Andrews
Agri-Business Project Manager
Yellowhead REDA
(306) 745-5176
Crop Insurance Coverage Information For Chickpeas
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
More Saskatchewan producers may be considering large Kabuli chickpeas as part of their 2006 seeding plans, given the attractive current market prices. Experienced producers have had success growing this management-intensive crop, but it is anticipated that additional acres will be seeded this year by less experienced growers.
If you do not have experience growing chickpeas, starting with a small number of acres is advised, with a thorough review of Saskatchewan Crop Insurance’s terms and conditions applied to chickpea insurance. Crop Insurance has consulted with industry experts to develop these terms and conditions, which will be mailed to all customers who endorsed chickpeas in 2006.
“I encourage any first-time growers, or growers who feel they are not familiar with the terms and conditions, to consult them online or contact their customer service office for a copy,” said Saskatchewan Crop Insurance agrologist Chris Stewart. “Staff can address any coverage questions you may have.”
Some important considerations that could affect your liability include the use of high quality seed, required to produce a good crop. Some relatively high quality seed was produced in 2005, but there are also significant amounts with problematic germination and disease levels. Customers must provide a sample of their seed for verification prior to the processing of any claims.
Ascochyta levels on the seed must not exceed 0.3 per cent as it is ready to go in the ground (after cleaning and application of any seed treatment).
“If requested, the lab will test your seed using a fungicide treatment to reduce disease. However, you must ensure you can achieve the same level of seed coverage and disease control with your equipment, or any custom application equipment. Keep in mind that Kabuli chickpea seed must be treated to control Pythium,” Stewart points out.
“Because of the rapid and devastating nature of Ascochyta, you must monitor the crop closely from the time of emergence. Adequate control measures must be implemented at the earliest possible detection of the disease. Multiple fungicide applications may be required.”
Chickpeas seeded more than once in four years on the same land will not be eligible for insurance.
May 21 is the final seeding date that liability that will be accepted in areas with the latest possible first fall frost. Coverage may be reduced or denied in areas where chickpeas are seeded too late to reasonably expect to mature.
Customers who are considering or have decided to stop crop monitoring or taking control measures are asked to contact their Crop Insurance customer service office to discuss the crop’s condition and all insurance implications.
To find out more about chickpea production, please visit the following links:
Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Chickpea Terms and Conditions
Chickpea in Saskatchewan (SAF)
Guidelines for Seed-Borne Diseases of Pulse Crops - 2006 (SAF)
Guidelines for Disease Scouting and Foliar Fungicide Applications for Ascochyta Blight in Chickpea in Saskatchewan (SAF)
For more information on chickpea production in Saskatchewan, call the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377. For details on chickpea coverage, contact Saskatchewan Crop Insurance at 1-888- 935-0000.
For more information, contact:
Chris Stewart, Agrologist
Saskatchewan Crop Insurance
(306) 728-7216
More Saskatchewan producers may be considering large Kabuli chickpeas as part of their 2006 seeding plans, given the attractive current market prices. Experienced producers have had success growing this management-intensive crop, but it is anticipated that additional acres will be seeded this year by less experienced growers.
If you do not have experience growing chickpeas, starting with a small number of acres is advised, with a thorough review of Saskatchewan Crop Insurance’s terms and conditions applied to chickpea insurance. Crop Insurance has consulted with industry experts to develop these terms and conditions, which will be mailed to all customers who endorsed chickpeas in 2006.
“I encourage any first-time growers, or growers who feel they are not familiar with the terms and conditions, to consult them online or contact their customer service office for a copy,” said Saskatchewan Crop Insurance agrologist Chris Stewart. “Staff can address any coverage questions you may have.”
Some important considerations that could affect your liability include the use of high quality seed, required to produce a good crop. Some relatively high quality seed was produced in 2005, but there are also significant amounts with problematic germination and disease levels. Customers must provide a sample of their seed for verification prior to the processing of any claims.
Ascochyta levels on the seed must not exceed 0.3 per cent as it is ready to go in the ground (after cleaning and application of any seed treatment).
“If requested, the lab will test your seed using a fungicide treatment to reduce disease. However, you must ensure you can achieve the same level of seed coverage and disease control with your equipment, or any custom application equipment. Keep in mind that Kabuli chickpea seed must be treated to control Pythium,” Stewart points out.
“Because of the rapid and devastating nature of Ascochyta, you must monitor the crop closely from the time of emergence. Adequate control measures must be implemented at the earliest possible detection of the disease. Multiple fungicide applications may be required.”
Chickpeas seeded more than once in four years on the same land will not be eligible for insurance.
May 21 is the final seeding date that liability that will be accepted in areas with the latest possible first fall frost. Coverage may be reduced or denied in areas where chickpeas are seeded too late to reasonably expect to mature.
Customers who are considering or have decided to stop crop monitoring or taking control measures are asked to contact their Crop Insurance customer service office to discuss the crop’s condition and all insurance implications.
To find out more about chickpea production, please visit the following links:
Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Chickpea Terms and Conditions
Chickpea in Saskatchewan (SAF)
Guidelines for Seed-Borne Diseases of Pulse Crops - 2006 (SAF)
Guidelines for Disease Scouting and Foliar Fungicide Applications for Ascochyta Blight in Chickpea in Saskatchewan (SAF)
For more information on chickpea production in Saskatchewan, call the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377. For details on chickpea coverage, contact Saskatchewan Crop Insurance at 1-888- 935-0000.
For more information, contact:
Chris Stewart, Agrologist
Saskatchewan Crop Insurance
(306) 728-7216
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)