Agronomist Notes
I’ve finally finished soil sampling and 140 fields later I continue to see soil nitrate levels of 15 to 30 lbs an acre in the top 24 inches. I am also seeing a small portion of fields with higher than normal sulphur levels in the 6-24 inch zone after years of high water tables. As water is drawn to the surface through plant uptake and evaporation, it deposits salts such as sulphate near the surface. I don’t recommend cutting back on your sulphur next year based on these results; it’s just an observation.
This issue, we’ll look at the Bioagtive Emissions Exhaust technology, a new technology that people have been talking about for a while. Some of you may know it as the exhaust machine. Thanks to a fellow Nuffield Scholar, I was able to track down some information on the cost and benefits of the technology. Next, we’ll look at some local trial results found in peas using the P3 calcium foliar fertilizer treatment by Omex. We’ll also see how Farmers in Progress is fairing with their attempt to bring in urea from overseas. Finally, we’ll look at the benefits of inter-row seeding and show you what it’s all about and then conclude with international crop weather news.
Agronomy
The scoop on Bioagtive Emissions Technology
I had a fellow Nuffield Scholar, Nick Ward, visit last week and one of the technologies he was investigating while in Canada was the Bioagtive Emissions Technology system. This system captures tractor exhaust to pressurize the air tank and subsequently forces exhaust into the ground through the openers. The developer, N/C Quest, claims that using the system reduces fossil fuel inputs such as fertilizer. The right to use the system is $15,000 up front. The unit cost runs about $50,000 installed plus the user pays an annual $1,500 technology fee.
Nick had a chance to speak with four distributors of this technology in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Unfortunately, nobody really understood what the technology was doing to help reduce fertilizer. In fact, it says on the website that they still don’t fully understand what interactions are going on between the exhaust and soil nutrients. The one distributor mentioned that he really wished he’d used fertilizer because his yields were poor. A Saskatchewan distributor mentioned that his yields were 10 to 15 bushels less than the area average for both wheat and canola. The strange part was that he was happy with the results because he didn’t use any fertilizer. I suspect his crops survived on residual fertilizer and he may be in for a surprise next year. He also just spent $65,000 up front to lose $150 acre in revenue so he could save $50 acre in fertilizer.
N/C Quest now has 300 units sold worldwide and the number grows every month. They even have PhD’s like Dr. Loraine Bailey and Dr. Jill Clapperton researching the effects of this technology and suggest that it may have some benefits. I find it strange that there are no side by side trials or 3rd party research trials to back up their claims. I’m quite impressed by the company’s success in marketing a system that is unproven and provides little to no yield benefit!
I’m excited by new technologies that reduce production costs. However, in this case, I recommend we wait for the Bioagtive Emissions Technology system to prove itself before investing $65,000 in a shiny unit that does something but we’re not sure what and may someday reduce fertilizer inputs somehow. SL
Bioagtive Website: http://www.bioagtive.com/?s=1&p=138
P3 foliar fertilizer trials consistently improved pea yields in 2008
There are a lot of products out there claiming great things when it comes to boosting yield. One of the products is called P3, a calcium-based foliar fertilizer aimed at reducing the yellow flash (phytotoxicity) caused by Odyssey applications. The product claims improved phosphorus uptake, increased plant vigour and reduced environmental stresses. As the trials show, the claims are proving up.
Randomized replicated plots of P3 + Odyssesy + Merge versus Odyssey + Merge alone were carried out near Three Hills on SW Midas peas. The trials found no increase in weed control and mixed results on the level of reduction in yellow flash or phytotoxicity. What they did find was a net yield increase in every plot containing P3 + Odyssey + Merge versus Odyssey + Merge alone. Yield increases upwards of 20% were found in some plots. Also, early application (2nd node) of both treatments resulted in higher yields compared to late applications at the six leaf stage.
The cost of P3 is $5.00 an acre and can be applied at 250ml/acre (615ml/ha) with Odyssey and Merge or as a seed treatment with 250ml/100lb of seed (250ml/45kg). SL
Product info: http://www.howtogotoagsi.com/files/P3%20fact%20sheet.pdf
Update on Farmers In Progress urea imports
I had a conversation with Bill Sanger from FIP yesterday to discuss the rumours that have been circulating about the fertilizer deal falling apart. So far, several Hutterite Colonies have backed out of the deal but many private producers and colonies are still on board. Currently, a contract is being drawn up between CP rail and FIP to store and transfer the urea from port in Montreal. The negotiated price of urea is $180 a tonne plus $130 a tonne in transportation costs. The landed price is expected to be around $310 a tonne to Calgary and Edmonton. I was told that it’s all systems go. I am not a member of FIP; if you have any questions you can forward them to Bill Sanger at 877-364-0888. SL
Inter-row seeding improves yield, seedling vigour, dockage and protein
Research by GRDC in Australia found that despite all the improvements made through long term zero-tillage practices, wheat crops consistently had less early season vigour than conventionally tilled fields. Sound familiar? This effect was found to be widespread and the usual suspects such as cool soil temperature, nutrients, water and increased soil strength were all ruled out!
The answer became clearer when soil fumigation overcame growth problems, which pointed to a biological constraint. They found that close contact between new roots and dead roots (each of which can harbour many different organisms, beneficial or harmful) can influence nutrient transfer, disease infection, symbiotic interactions and other unknown effects on plant growth. Studies revealed that new root growth was slowed due to harmful bacteria surrounding the root tips. The majority of potentially active soil organisms at seeding time are stuck to dead roots from previous crops, and the new crop roots release carbon and biological signals that feed and stimulate these harmful organisms.
The solution! Research revealed that the use of inter-row seeding was the most likely solution to improving early season crop vigour and yield in direct seeded fields. Inter-row seeding uses GPS technology to keep openers centered between the stubble so seed is placed between last year’s crop rows. Results from AAFC in Indian Head Saskatchewan shows this technology gives you a cleaner seed bed, better seed to soil contact and more consistent seed depth, leading to a more uniform crop that competes better against weeds. The GRDC performed similar studies taken to yield and found inter-row seeding produced a 9% higher yield in wheat on wheat with improvements in protein and dockage.
Robert Ruwoldt from Victoria, Australia whom I mentioned last week has been using inter-row seeding for a number of years and sees tremendous benefits. The photos above are ones that Robert took of his inter-row seeding operation. I definitely see a future with this technology. SL
Market News
International Crop Weather News
United States: In the Northwest, however, dryness remains a concern with respect to a portion of the winter wheat crop. On the Plains, chilly conditions across southern areas contrast with unusually warm weather in Montana. During the last month, a marked drying trend has increased stress on winter wheat from central Oklahoma southward into central Texas. In the Corn Belt, widespread snow showers linger across the Great Lakes States. Snow depths of 4 inches or greater exist in many areas from central Iowa into Michigan. Meanwhile in the upper Midwest, some late-season corn harvesting continues as field conditions permit. In the Southeast, recent rainfall has provided local drought relief but has slowed late-season soybean harvesting.
Europe: A hard freeze ends the growing season across the eastern half of Europe. Widespread rain and late-week snow boost moisture reserves for winter crops, although dry weather in Spain favors late cotton harvesting.
Former Soviet Union: Widespread, light precipitation and above-normal temperatures favor winter wheat entering dormancy in Ukraine and southern Russia. Above-normal temperatures along with a mixture of rain and snow favor dormant winter grains across northern Russia.
Southeast Asia: Flooding in the northeastern Philippines causes minor damage to corn.
South Asia: Late-season showers over central and southern India slow summer crop harvesting.
Middle East: Showers return to Turkey, Syria, and northwestern Iran, providing additional topsoil moisture for vegetative winter wheat and barley.
Northwest Africa: Showers in Algeria and Tunisia slow winter grain planting but maintain favorable moisture for crop emergence and establishment. Dry weather in Morocco promotes a rapid pace of fieldwork following heavy early-season rain.
Australia: Widespread, locally heavy rain in eastern Australia aids summer crop establishment but halts winter wheat harvesting and causes local flooding. Elsewhere in the Australia wheat belt, pockets of wet weather disrupt winter grain harvesting.
South America: Dry weather helps to alleviate excessive wetness in winter wheat areas of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In central Brazil, lingering showers favor emerging soybeans. Drought intensifies in central Argentina, worsening summer grain and oilseed prospects. Isolated frost damage to corn was reported in Buenos Aires.
South Africa: Rain continues across the Corn Belt, increasing topsoil moisture for summer crop germination.
Market News
Locust’s plague New South Whales farmers
Reports of locusts have been received across an area up to 18.4 million ha, or approximately 22.5% of the State. Swarm areas now cover 2.5 million ha, or approximately 3.1% of the State. Some producers are half way through harvest but wet weather has hampered harvest progress. This is the first harvestable crop some have grown in three years throughout the drought. It brings to mind the grasshopper outbreak we had in our area back in 2002 after two years of drought. Insult to injury it is and I hope that producers will get there crop off before the nymphs become adults and get really hungry. SL
