For every acre of stubble that farmers burn in their fields, $9 go up in smoke, according to Manitoba Agriculture.
That’s enough money to pay for broadleaf weed control on that acre for one year.
Manitoba Agriculture hopes farmers will consider that before burning crop residue this fall. The department believes there’s a lot to be gained by tilling stubble back into the ground.
Crop residue improves organic matter in the soil, which makes fields easier to work and produces more grain per dollar of input, said Curtis Cavers, a soil management specialist for Manitoba Agriculture. Such soil improves drainage in the spring because the soil is more permeable.
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Soils suffer in fields where burning is done repeatedly over a period of years, Cavers said. Nutrients are lost, and the soil becomes more compacted, less permeable to rainwater and more vulnerable to erosion.
“Burning is hard on the organic matter in the soil,” said Cavers. “It’s like cooking your soil in an oven.”
The straw that goes up in smoke each fall can also be a valuable commodity. Flax and wheat straw can be sold for livestock bedding or to companies making products such as strawboard and paper.
Ed Gilbert counts himself among the prairie farmers who avoid burning their crop residue. He farms near Brandon, Man., where the soil texture is light. Straw helps prevent erosion in his fields, he said.
“As a rule, we never burn if we can help it.”
When interviewed recently, Gilbert was guiding his self-propelled combine through a field of barley. A chopper on the back spewed fragments of straw into the field.
Manitoba has rules to control crop residue burning. Decisions about when to allow burning are made daily based on conditions affecting smoke dispersal.
Farmers can call toll-free to learn if burning is allowed in their area. They can be fined for torching crop residue on days when burning is banned in their region.
Controls on burning crop residue are in effect in Manitoba this year until Nov. 15. Night burning is banned year-round.
Clay soils create a temptation
Concerns about stubble fires are greatest around Winnipeg. Fields in the area tend to have heavy clays, which are harder to work during wet years. When straw is abundant, there’s a greater temptation to burn it.
“It’s much easier to drag the crop into windrows and burn it,” said Cavers, “but that’s something (Manitoba Agriculture) is trying to discourage.”
Smoke from field fires can cause problems for people with medical conditions such as asthma, emphysema and allergies.
Saskatchewan Agriculture also wants to promote less burning of crop residue in that province. It published a brochure last year that cites alternatives to burning:
- Chopping and spreading straw evenly during combining.
- Harrowing to spread straw after harvest.
- Baling straw for livestock use or for sale.
- Growing crop varieties that produce less straw.
In Saskatchewan, complaints about smoke wafting can be directed to the province’s Agricultural Operations Review Board. Complaints are rare and no formal hearings have been held to resolve a dispute, said Don Brooks, the board’s secretary.
“In terms of major complaints, it hasn’t been a big issue at all,” Brooks said. “I think most farmers realize the importance of cutting up straw at harvest time and working it back into the soil.”
