LACOMBE, Alta. – Agriculture Canada’s Lacombe research centre has evolved from a central Alberta experimental farm to a world class research centre that prefers to remain a practical grassroots laboratory rather than an ivory tower.
With researchers more comfortable working in boots and jeans in the field, the centre has released dozens of crop varieties and livestock breeds suited to prairie agriculture and improving farmers’ bottom lines.
Crop rotation studies started in 1910 and have come full circle, says plant pathologist Kelly Turkington, and researchers now employ the concept of integrated crop management using ideas dating back to ancient China, Greece and Rome.
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“The focus is really to encourage producers to use multiple tools to deal with multiple issues,” he said during the centre’s centenary celebrations July 21.
“Some of these tools are very inexpensive to use and as a consequence we can cut input costs for producers.”
Researchers at the centre used to test herbicide treatments but switched to integrated crop management in the mid-1990s. The concept saved farmers money on chemicals and had less impact on the environment. At the same time there were noticeable improvements in crop health, grain yield and the ability to fight weeds, diseases and insects.
Researchers have tried different crop rotations and higher seeding rates to out compete weeds and diseases. With these techniques they have found crops mature a week earlier and can stave off pests.
“The more seeds per metre square, the more competitive the stand is,” Turkington said.
Plant breeders at the centre have also produced about 12 varieties of oats as well as new barley and wheat varieties to withstand the challenges of the prairie climate.
And because Alberta is cattle country, forage research is a major component. Researchers study how annual forages can stretch the grazing season.
“One of the biggest expenses to the beef cow herd is the amount of money it takes to overwinter the cows,” said forage specialist Vern Baron.
Working through the Western Forage Beef Group based at Lacombe, scientists have worked to reduce costs with concepts such as stockpiled forages and swath grazing during the winter.
Over the years they have examined the benefits of Canadian bred barley, oats, triticale and mixes that yield well and do not break down over the summer.
“One of the reasons why the varieties from research on the Prairies have been so good is because these good old plant breeders have put together populations of materials that can withstand high temperatures, drought, all of the climatic problems that come along throughout the year,” Baron said.
Another area of research is examining new varieties of corn that can perform in cooler weather.
Corn typically needs temperatures higher than 30 C for extended periods. However, in this region that only happens for about five days during the summer.
If the new varieties of corn succeed they could be added to the choice of winter feed.
