In response to “Fusarium marches west to Alberta,”WP,Dec. 9, it was written in the best management practices for fusarium in cereals to turn up the fan speed on the combine to separate the lighter, fusarium damaged seed out for a cleaner commercial sample that might fall under the Canadian Grain Commission maximum infection levels.
I absolutely believe this is a ridiculous suggestion to ignore the problem. Farming this way will contaminate a farmer’s field further with the spread of fusarium, instead of actively managing this declared pest under the Alberta Pest Control Act.
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Fusarium damaged grain kernels blown out the back of your combine continues the cycle of contamination for another season, accelerating Alberta wide infection.
Alberta farmers must remain vigilant. Do not believe that since your seed is certified it must be good and fusarium free. Demand a test. …
Farmers in northeastern Alberta don’t want fusarium. However, (they) are not actively defending themselves, which must be promoted more in order to protect their livelihood.
Here in the northeast part of Alberta, we are not under irrigation. However, this pest has the ability to contaminate our area, obliterating malt barley access, ruining commercial seed premiums, and denying human consumption and livestock grain commodities movement.
Test bin run seed, keep rotations long, treat seed and spray in-season, know where your seed and straw bales (are) being purchased from.
Cheap barley and wheat is probably infested, which will have heavier cost in the long run.
Support your local seed cleaning plants that fusarium test every lot through their plant and don’t blow contamination out the back of your combine.
DISAPPEARING FARMS
To the Editor:
What has our dear government done to wipe out family farms today? You can be sure they’ve done something.
Is it more regulations? The kind that only corporations can handle and afford?
Or is it the kind of regulations to solve problems that only exist in the minds of desk bound bureaucrats?
It could be propaganda disguised with news and publicity designed to prevent young people from ever considering the lifestyle of a farmer.
In this kind of presentation, the problems are magnified while the satisfactions are rarely mentioned.
Or perhaps there are grants and subsidies designed to keep hidden agendas on track.
Wasn’t it Kissinger that said, “Control the oil, control the country. Control the food, control the people”?
It seems this is the direction corporations and our dear government (are) headed and it doesn’t matter what you, I or the neighbour’s dog thinks about the smell.
Allan J. Stewart,Hagensborg, B.C.
DEER CONTROL
To the Editor:
Re: Deer problem, (Open Forum, Dec. 2), I want to explain why allowing non-native outfitters on agricultural land with non-resident hunters is a win-win situation -less SGI claims.
The farmer gets paid a fee for access from the outfitter. The outfitter makes money and the Saskatchewan economy grows. Let’s talk to our MLAs about this.
Warren Iverson,Glaslyn, Sask.
