News

RDAR and Industry Partners Invest In Collaborative Soil Health Project to Improve Pasture Yields for Beef Cattle Producers

April 22, 2022 – Edmonton, AB

“Industry has come together to invest in furthering producer knowledge translation pasture and hay productivity including a cost-benefit analysis aimed at producers – we are excited for the launch of this project and the recommendations that will be generated from the research for Alberta producers.”

The Pasture Rejuvenation Project (PRP) collaborative team is very excited to have been awarded $601,413 in total funding that will provide producers with low-cost methods to improve hay and pasture longevity, as well as improve overall soil health.

This collaborative project brings together industry investment from Results Driven Agriculture Research ($304,865), Beef Cattle Research Council ($235,492), Alberta Beef Producers ($61,050), and additional in-kind research funding support from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC), Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE), the Saskatchewan and British Columbia Forage Councils will total over $1 million dollars.

The PRP is a four-year project (2022 to 2026) led by forage researcher Dr. Vern Baron at AAFC in Lacombe. It will investigate potential low-cost and sustainable approaches for improving yields on old low-yielding perennial grass stands. This project will include evaluating the impacts of sod-seeding, grass-legume mixtures, and grazing on forage productivity, as well as physical, chemical and biological health indicators for soil. The research site will be at the AAFC Lacombe Research Centre in Alberta, and demonstration sites will be set up in other parts of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.

PRP team members include Dr. Emmanuel Mapfumo (associate professor, environmental science, CUE), Darren Bruhjell (range and forage specialist, AAFC, Edmonton), Campbell Dick (purebred livestock breeder, North Slope Inc., Bawlf, AB), and Serena Black (manager, BC Forage Council, Prince George, BC).

“I am really excited to work on this collaborative Pasture Rejuvenation Project between CUE, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, British Columbia Forage Council, and Saskatchewan Forage Council – the outcome of this research could reduce economic pressure on the livestock-pasture industry if low-cost approaches, such as sod-seeding and inclusion of legumes in grass stands, improve hay and pasture yields.”
Dr. Emmanuel Mapfumo, Associate Professor, Environmental Science, Concordia University, Edmonton

“Industry has come together to invest in furthering producer knowledge translation pasture and hay productivity including a cost-benefit analysis aimed at producers – we are excited for the launch of this project and the recommendations that will be generated from the research for Alberta producers.”
Clinton Dobson, Research Director for Results Driven Agriculture Research

This exciting research aligns with the recently introduced Bill C-203 on the National Soil Health Strategy for Canada, which focuses on best practices for improving and sustaining soil health.

This funding will provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students interested in conducting research on forage productivity, soil physical, chemical and/or biological health.

About RDAR
RDAR’s mandate is to target strategic investments in producer-led, results-driven agriculture research to power the competitiveness, profitability, productivity, and sustainability of agriculture in Alberta. As a not-for-profit corporation, RDAR’s funding comes from the Government of Alberta, the Government of Canada, and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership program. More details can be found at rdar.ca <https://rdar.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9d4a50220c43a42c9bf9bc32a&id=5f7279ed77&e=194af667d4>

About the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) The BCRC is Canada’s industry-led funding agency for beef, cattle and forage research. It is funded through a portion of the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off, as well as government and industry funding, and is directed by a committee of beef producers from across the country. More details can be found at www.beefresearch.ca <https://rdar.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9d4a50220c43a42c9bf9bc32a&id=209e0d9620&e=194af667d4>

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP)
More than 18,000 beef cattle producers who are stewards of the industry in this province have one organization that represents their collective interests: Alberta Beef Producers. ABP’s mission is to strengthen the sustainability and competitiveness of the beef industry for the benefit of beef producers in Alberta. More details can be found at www.albertabeef.org <https://rdar.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9d4a50220c43a42c9bf9bc32a&id=4f068ae7e9&e=194af667d4>

RDAR Media Inquiries:
Janada Hawthorne
Communications Lead
Results Driven Agriculture Research
780-903-2734
janada.hawthorne@rdar.ca

When an unprecedented atmospheric river sent floodwaters rushing across Travis Forstbauer’s fields earlier this month, the Chilliwack, B.C., farmer was worried he’d lose the precious fertile soil his livelihood depends on. He was pleasantly surprised when the water receded to see that his land had suffered minimal damage.

Read More…. As the floodwaters rose, this simple solution kept a B.C. farmer’s fields intact

USDA market overview on forages in China.

Market Overview – Alfalfa Hay and Other Forages _Beijing ATO_China – People’s Republic of_11-28-2021

October 20, 2021 

Survey finds on-farm cover crop innovation occurring across the Canadian Prairies 

Researchers at the University of Manitoba (UM) have shared the results from the 2020 Prairie Cover Crop Survey which capture a snapshot of the use and grower observations of this new practice. The report suggests that cover crops are becoming established in the Prairies and can be grown in a wide range of locations and environments across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.  

Accessing local information about cover crops has been a hurdle for Prairie farmers interested in adopting this production method which holds the potential to build soil health and store carbon in soils.  

To help fill these knowledge gaps the 2020 Prairie Cover Crop Survey was developed to provide information to farmers, agronomists, researchers, policy makers, and government organizations that will play an important role in the future of cover crops in the region.   

Between October 2020 and April 2021, Dr. Yvonne Lawley and graduate student Callum Morrison from the Department of Plant Science at UM asked farmers questions about how their farm utilized cover crops in 2020, such as how cover crops were grown, their agronomy, the benefits and the problems farmers have experienced. Respondents were also asked about what could be done to support those using cover crops as well as questions to characterize farm types and size. 

“It is an important time to hear from farmers about their needs for research and knowledge transfer,” said Callum Morrison. “Farmers want to know how to use cover crops to meet their goals. Policy makers and extension providers want information to best assist farmers and design policy to reach environmental targets.” 

In total, the survey collected responses from 281 early adopters who grew a cover crop in 2020. These farms, which were from every major agricultural region of the Prairies, grew 102,539 acres of cover crops. Of the respondents, 31% were from Alberta, 32% from Saskatchewan and 37% from Manitoba. 

“As early adopters of cover cropping on the Prairies, we’ve found it to be a bit of a lonely pursuit,” said Kevin Nickle, survey respondent and grain farmer in the Red River Valley of Manitoba.  “This survey demonstrates that there is widespread participation and a general desire to continue. There is so much to learn in this realm and this survey may help inform researchers and practitioners on the specific questions to ask.” 

“Although I had not yet used cover crops at the time of this study, I am encouraged by the uptake of the practice, and have now planted fall rye as a trial on some of our acres and may be used for spring grazing. We are also able to purchase a no-till drill this fall and look forward to the possibilities,” said a survey respondent.  

The research team partnered with a number of farm organizations and individuals in sharing the survey widely. 

“We must thank all those who took the time to call their neighbour, send an email, add the survey notice a newsletter, published a story, or retweeted a post,” said Yvonne Lawley. “It was exciting to experience the strength of networks in the agricultural community throughout this project.” 

Funding for this project was provided by General Mills and Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development through the Manitoba Ag Action Program.  

The report can be accessed at the University of Manitoba Agriculture & Food Knowledge Exchange website: https://umanitoba.ca/agricultural-food-sciences/make/make-ag-food-resources#crops.    

For more information, see Backgrounder below or contact: 

Callum Morrison
morris51@myumanitoba.ca
+1 431 733 3335 

BACKGROUNDER 

What are Cover Crops? 

A cover crop is grown to cover the soil, at times when the soil would otherwise be left bare. This mimics natural ecosystems that which have plants continuously growing when the ground is not frozen. For this research focused on the Canadian Prairies, we defined a cover crop as a crop that is planted primarily to provide soil health and other agronomic benefits that is not harvested as a major cash crop. Cover crops that are grazed as annual forage were counted as a cover crop in our definition. 

Cover crops take two main forms in the Canadian Prairies. The first being grown to provide cover during the shoulder season between cash crop harvest and the planting of the next cash crop. These cover crops are commonly seeded after cash crop harvest in the fall. However, they may also be established as an intercrop at any time during the lifecycle of the cash crop. Cover crops can also take the form of a full season cover crop, where a cover crop is grown to provide soil cover over a full growing season, either in the place of a cash crop, or in between rows of perennial crops. Farmers may grow a full season cover crop after an extreme weather event has destroyed a cash crop, to manage problem soils (such as salinity), to replace summer fallow, for green manure, or as an annual forage source in a grazing system. 

Why Are Cover Crops Important? 

Maintaining groundcover year-round provides greater protection from soil and wind erosion and provides food for soil microbes during periods when they may otherwise have been left ‘hungry’. Plants capture solar energy and fix carbon from the atmosphere that can be returned to the soil, building soil organic matter. This increase in soil organic matter alongside the presence of cover crop roots can assist in the building of stable soil aggregates and increase soil structure and water infiltration.  

It is hypothesized that cover crops could play a role in increasing the profitability and resiliency of Prairie farms by increasing yield, nutrient cycling, and water use efficiency. Cover crops may also play a role in nutrient management by reducing fertilizer costs when using legumes that fix nitrogen, or by growing cover crops that can scavenge excess nitrogen left in the soil after cash crop harvest that may otherwise be lost. Cover crops may also provide another ‘tool’ for tackling weed, pest, and disease pressures, especially at a time of increasing resistance to crop control products. 

Who Responded and Where Were They From? 

In total, 281 early adopters took part that grew a cover crop in 2020. These farms grew 102,539 acres of cover crops. Farms were from every major agricultural region of the prairies. This highlights that cover crops are becoming established in the Prairies and it is possible to grow cover crops in a wide range of locations and environments across the three Prairie Provinces. 31% of respondents were from Alberta, 32% from Saskatchewan and 37% from Manitoba.  

Benefits and Challenges 

The survey revealed that 81% of farms that responded have observed at least one benefit from growing cover crops, with the most common benefit, improved soil health, being experienced by 54% of farms. Most farms (71%) identified that they had observed benefits within three years of growing cover crops.  

Despite these benefits, the survey also identified common challenges that farms faced when adopting cover crops. The most commonly observed problems were related to the prairie climate, with 30% experiencing problems with the short growing season, and 27% having problems with cover crop establishment due to the lack of moisture in the fall.  

Influence on Farmer Income 

Despite these problems, only 4% of farms that responded reported that cover crops resulted in a drop in their farm net profit. A much higher 24% identified that cover crops resulted in no change to their net profit, and a further 24% identified that they saw an increase in farm net profit. A significant proportion of respondents (47%) were not able to identify the influence that cover crops had on farm net profit. For this reason, it may be too early in the adoption process to determine how cover crops are influencing farm net profit across the Prairies. 

What would enable cover crop use 

Survey responses indicate that financial incentives may be the most effective method for enabling farms that responded to continue using cover crops or even to increase their acres. These incentives could include payments for storing carbon (59%) and tax credits for planting cover crops (55%). Similarly, 38% of farms that responded indicated that payments from conservation or watershed groups would enable increased cover crop use. Greater access to information, more scientific research, and technical assistance was also identified as a need to increasing cover crop adoption on the Prairies.  

How to reference this report 

Morrison, C.L., and Y. Lawley. 2021. 2020 Prairie Cover Crop Survey Report. Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba. https://umanitoba.ca/agricultural-food-sciences/make/make-ag-food-resources#crops   

Upcoming Webinar 

All interested in cover cropping on the prairies are invited to attend a Webinar hosted by Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives (MBFI) at 7pm CST, 8pm MST on Wednesday the 3^rd of November. Participation is free and registration for the event takes place at: https://www.mbfi.ca/registration/cover-cropping-on-the-canadian-prairies-webinar 

About the Researchers 

Callum Morrison is a graduate student at the University of Manitoba specializing in cover cropping on The Canadian Prairies. Originally from Scotland, Callum is now living in the Red River Valley of Manitoba. Callum has thoroughly enjoyed the 2020 Prairie Cover Crop Survey journey, especially working alongside organizations, and most importantly, connecting with the farmers themselves.  

Dr Yvonne Lawley is a professor at the University of Manitoba. Her area of research is agronomy and cropping systems. Dr. Lawley’s research has focused on several crops including soybeans, corn, and wheat and a range of management practices from residue management, strip tillage, to cover crops. Her research involves both small plot and on-farm field scale agronomy research. Dr. Lawley enjoys communicating the results of her research to a wide range of audiences including farmers, agronomists, scientist in a range of disciplines, and especially in the classrooms where she teaches at the University of Manitoba. 

RDAR Makes Major Investment in CBIN Genetics Data Platform to Improve Efficiency and Profitability of Cattle Producers. RDAR has invested $640,000 in a collaborative research project with the Canadian Beef Improvement Network (CBIN) to springboard the development of a unified, standardized, and producer-accessible beef cattle genetics data platform. 

“Genetic data is essential to ensuring Alberta beef continues to be known worldwide for being the best. This project is a prime example of the innovation Alberta is known for, with industry groups working together to find new opportunities and new markets for their producers. I’m interested in seeing how this project benefits our ranchers and the province as a whole.”
Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry

 “Data-driven genetic decisions and adoption of innovative genetic technologies will benefit all segments of the Canadian beef production chain from conception right through to consumption. Genetics has the potential to create benefits across the board, in the areas including, but not limited to, production efficiencies, environmental sustainability, animal health and welfare, food security and food product outcomes.” 
David Sibbald, President, Canadian Beef Breeds Council & Chair, Canadian Beef Improvement Network

 “Alberta produces some of the best beef in the world. To help our industry expand markets and compete globally, there needs to be an improvement in producers’ genetic literacy and the use of genomics within our beef industry. By understanding and sharing the linkages of beef genetic data, along with other production metrics, we will see increased profitability and competitiveness in our industry.”
Clinton Dobson, RDAR Director of Research

 Learn more about this research project here: Translating the Value of Genetic Resources and Technology Within the Canadian Beef Industry

Dr. Surya Acharya Receives 2021 Canadian Beef Industry Award For Outstanding Research And Innovation

An innovative and industry-engaged forage breeder has been granted the 2021 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. Dr. Surya Acharya received this award today at the 2021 virtual Canadian Beef Industry Conference to recognize the positive impacts of his research on beef industry advancement.  

“Dr. Acharya is respected and appreciated by academics and producers alike,” said Matt Bowman, chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council and a producer from Thornloe, Ontario. “His work addresses real industry obstacles with solutions that consider producers’ needs through direct communication with stakeholders.”   

Dr. Acharya is a research scientist and forage breeder at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Lethbridge, Alberta, where he specializes in breeding legumes. His current research focuses on developing new cultivars of legume species with improvements in yield, nutritional quality and persistence, among other traits. His unique approach to plant breeding incorporates a consideration of multiple factors to best serve the needs of end-users, including beef producers. Indeed, many of Dr. Acharya’s past cultivars are appreciated for their practical use in solving industry challenges, such as his AC Oxley II and AC Veldt cicer milkvetch varieties, both of which are much quicker to establish than predecessors. Similarly, he assisted in the development of the online Forage U-Pick tool, which aids western Canadian producers in choosing appropriate forage species for their operations.  

Dr. Acharya’s most recent project aims to enhance the lipid content of legume vegetative tissues to improve their energy content for grazing livestock. Using conventional and genomic breeding techniques, his team has been able to select for plants with approximately five percent lipid content, compared to virtually none in the original plants. His project will have environmental benefits by using conventional breeding to reduce methane production through increased digestibility, which will allow western Canadian alfalfa producers to export to nations that avoid the GMO designation.  

“This project is another example of Dr. Acharya’s commitment to offering practical benefits to industry through consideration of a variety of important factors, making him an exemplary recipient of the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation,” Bowman added. 

To best address industry needs, Dr. Acharya has actively sought out producer input through attendance at a variety of industry events and by directly asking for feedback through agricultural media. He is actively involved in industry and academic conferences and regularly publishes producer-targeted articles detailing his recent work. He also has offered his time to multiple journals, as president of the International College of Nutrition from 2005 to 2007 and as the current chair of the Alberta Forage Industry Network. As the author of more than 180 scientific manuscripts, five books, eight book chapters, 16 review articles, and contributions to more than 285 other publications, he is an expert at communicating with both producer and scientific communities. 

While Dr. Acharya has received much recognition for innovations in forage breeding, perhaps his greatest accomplishment has been developing more than 25 commercially released perennial forage and native grass species. His native grass cultivars are still used in reclamation projects, while his legume varieties have helped producers mitigate bloat risk and solve challenges with salinity and hardiness.  

Dr. Acharya is an adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba, University of Saskatchewan, China Agricultural University and the University of Lethbridge, as well as a guest professor at Inner Mongolia Agriculture University. He holds a Master of Science in Agriculture focusing on Agricultural Botany from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology and received a Ph.D. in 1979 from the University of Saskatchewan in Crop Science.  

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The Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation is presented annually by the BCRC on behalf of Canada’s beef industry stakeholders. The award recognizes scientists and academics who are actively involved in strong research programs aligned with industry priorities, continually engage with industry stakeholders and demonstrate their passion and long-term commitment through leadership, teamwork and mentorship. Nominations are accepted by the BCRC from industry stakeholders and must be accompanied by letters of support from industry stakeholders and scientific colleagues. The recipient is selected by a committee comprised of beef producers, industry experts and retired beef-related researchers located across the country. The award was established in 2015. See past recipients at http://www.beefresearch.ca/about/award.cfm. 

Nominations for the 2022 award must be submitted to the BCRC by May 1, 2022.  Eligible nominations from previous years will be considered for the 2021 award, which will be presented at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in August 2022. 

For further information, contact: 

Tracy Herbert
Extension and Communications Director
Beef Cattle Research Council
306-850-5026 | herbertt@beefresearch.ca 

RDAR makes $630,060 Investment in Antimicrobial Research to Support Livestock Producers

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) is investing $630,060 to support the collection of antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data from Alberta and Canadian cattle feedlots. This study will improve animal health and antimicrobial stewardship by understanding AMU trends and guiding management practices in feedlots.

“This research will have practical value for Alberta’s feedlots, supporting sound management and increasing the competitiveness and profitability of our industry globally. It will also go a long way to assure our consumers and create confidence that beef cattle producers are not only producing high-quality beef but are doing it in a sustainable manner that places human and environmental health on a high priority.”

Clinton Dobson, RDAR Director of Research

Please view the attached file or visit our News Room to read our announcement and be sure to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.