Crop rotation lesson
Many Alberta wheat fields suffered from a root rot called take-all last summer, highlighting the complexity of designing crop rotations, said Ron Hockridge, crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture.
For many, the disease level was low. However, there were places in the Wetaskiwin-Leduc-Ponoka area where wheat yields were reduced by more than half.
Following a hay crop with any of the cereals is usually considered good crop rotation. Few problems carry from a broadleaf crop such as alfalfa over to a grassy crop.
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But care must be taken when tilling under a hay field with little legume left in the stand. Most of the time, quack grass or brome take over the field and both species can carry root rot diseases that infect cereals.
“The usual recommendations for reducing root rots are to plant resistant varieties, purchase vigorous seed, use recommended seed treatment, make sure phosphorus levels are adequate and use crop rotations,” said Hockridge. “Even though farmers did all of these things, some still had severe losses. Wheat was probably the most susceptible under the conditions faced this year.”
Crop rotation is easy in theory. Look at the type of crops you want to grow and arrange them in an order that makes the most sense for weed and disease control and fertility management.
In practice, it isn’t quite that simple. Along with planning, producers should assess the plants left in the field, whether weeds or tame species, and make a decision based on all factors that can affect the outcome.
– Alberta Agriculture
Check storage bins now
The rusty grain beetle and red flour beetle could have a field day in this year’s stored grain if the problem is not addressed now.
Much of this year’s stored grain is still warm, said Lloyd Harris, pest management specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.
Some was harvested under hot conditions, some was stored damp and is heating and the grain that has been dried could be warm as well.
Heating promotes favorable conditions for insect development. Even in cold weather, grain piles can be warm enough to hatch insects.
The presence of insects can be checked by taking a coffee-can-size sample from the top centre portion of the bin or pile where the insects are most likely to be located.
Pour the sample over a screen placed on white paper. The insects, which are 1.5 to three millimeters in length, are reddish-brown and will show up on the white paper. If insects are discovered, they can be destroyed by cooling the grain to -6 C for at least six weeks. The colder it is, the less time needed to kill the insects.
On the other hand, the larger the grain volume, the longer it takes to cool. If a bin holds 3,000 bushels or more of grain, aeration with cold air is a good idea, said Harris.
It can also be cooled by auguring out one or two truck loads, which will remove the warmest grain in the centre of the bin, cooling it in another bin, and auguring it back into the original bin. Either method is cheaper than fumigating. Fumigation is not recommended when grain temperatures are below 10 degrees C, said Harris.
At these temperatures, fumigation is more hazardous, takes longer and may not be effective.
– Saskatchewan Agriculture
Balanced feed saves
The cost of winter feeding beef cattle is sometimes unnecessarily high, said Bryan Doig, livestock agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.
“Most producers err on the side of overfeeding in terms of protein and energy,” said Doig.
Overfeeding is costly and wastes feed. Yet underfeeding reduces gain and may cause poor performance in the breeding herd.
Last year, cold weather and expensive barley resulted in costly rations, he said. Some producers spent as much as $2.20 a day to feed a 1,200 pound cow at calving. This compared to $1.30 to $1.40 a day in an average year.
Doig recommended farmers have feed rations tested and consult beef nutritionists.
He also suggested farmers pay attention to vitamins and minerals in feed rations because both increase performance.
The right balance of calcium and phosphorus affects conception rates and bone development in calves.
Doig said producers with a lot of grain in July and August should pay attention to the quality of their hay because it could be poor in nutrients and may become mouldy during storage. This emphasizes the need for feed testing and underlines the precautions that accompany the use of mouldy hay.
Mouldy grain or hay must never be fed to pregnant cows, as it can cause abortions and calf defects. Slightly mouldy feed may be more suitable for feeder cattle, said Doig.
– Saskatchewan Agriculture
