www.ontariograinfarmer.ca Publ ished by CROP MANAGEMENT MARCH 2022 Improved stress tolerance ACHIEVING OAT KERNEL FILL
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6 ON THE COVER Improved stress tolerance Jeanine Moyer ACHIEVING OAT KERNEL FILL From the CEO’s desk CHANGES 4 The value of soil health Rebecca Hannam 10 Mental health plan Lilian Kim 12 Business side Conversations with business experts 9 GrainTALK newsletter An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events 16 Crop side Agronomic information from crop specialists 13 Disruptive technologies Lois Harris 14 The SCN crisis Matt McIntosh 26 Seed development: barley Laura Ferrier 28 Leadership and legacy Rachel Telford 22 Good in Every Grain Updates on our campaign 30 MARCH 2022 volume 13, number 06 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMERis published 9 times a year (December/January, February, March, April/May, June/July, August, September, October, and November) through Grain Farmers of Ontario. Distribution is to all Ontario barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmer-members. Associate Membership Subscription available upon request. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Seek professional advice before undertaking any recommendations or suggestions presented in this magazine. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065283. Return undeliverable items to Grain Farmers of Ontario, 679 Southgate Drive, Guelph, ON N1G 4S2. © Grain Farmers of Ontario all rights reserved. Publisher: Grain Farmers of Ontario, Phone: 1-800-265-0550, Website: www.gfo.ca; Managing Editor: Rachel Telford; Production Co-ordinator: Kim Ratz; Advertising Sales: Joanne Tichborne Look for these symbols for bonus content in our digital edition.
of the Ontario Grain Farmer is her last as the managing editor. For nearly 100 issues of the magazine, Rachel has done a great job of ensuring the content reflected the activities and priorities of our organization, stayed current with industry news and events, and highlighted issues that mattered to you. The magazine is highly rated amongst our farmer-members and is an industry award-winning publication. Rachel has always worked quietly in the background to make it happen. I want to wish her well in her new role, which she is already settling into. And one last final note — I hope to see everyone in person at the 2022 March Classic. It has been a long two years of COVID-19 restrictions and we are glad the lifting of public health restrictions is allowing us to once again come together. Of course, that is subject to change if the pandemic takes a different turn than anticipated, but we are hopeful everything will go according to plan. l Changes OVER THE PAST two years we have become used to change — changing work environments, changing public health protocols, changing markets and supply chains. We have learned to adapt and as a result we have continued to prosper. Change is not always a bad thing for an organization like Grain Farmers of Ontario. It creates the opportunity for fresh perspectives and new ideas. The farmers who helped build the foundation of our organization during the initial merger of corn, soybeans, and wheat in 2010 recognized this. That’s why a 12-year term limit was put into place for the Board of Directors. This is the first year that limit has been reached, and as a result, the Board has seen a significant change in leadership with three directors completing their final term. Markus Haerle, Mark Huston, and Henry Van Ankum have been on the Grain Farmers of Ontario board since the very beginning, guiding the merger and shaping the strong organization we have become. Markus, Mark, and Henry have dedicated a remarkable amount of time and effort to Grain Farmers of Ontario. The work they have accomplished can not easily be summed up in just a few words. Each in their own way played a key role in building our reputation, leading through a crisis, and navigating regulations and political priorities. Directors represent our farmer-members beyond our provincial borders. They become the face of our organization and a trusted point of contact at the national and international levels as they advocate for open trade and market access, fight against regulatory issues that could negatively affect us, and share our story of sustainability and quality. We are only a year into our new Strategic Plan. The direction it provides will ensure consistency in our values and goals as three new directors join the Board. I want to welcome Scott Fife, Steve Lake, and Gus Ternoey and congratulate them on their new roles. The delegates in their districts have selected them to be their voice at the provincial board table and I look forward to their contributions and insights. The rest of our Board remains unchanged — with those in even numbered districts being re-elected to their positions and those in odd-numbered districts continuing their two-year term. This continuity provides a support network for the new directors as they get acclimated to their new roles. While we are on the topic of change, I also want to acknowledge a significant change to this publication. As you may be aware, Rachel Telford has taken on a new role within Grain Farmers of Ontario as the manager of Member Relations. This March edition Crosby Devitt, CEO, Grain Farmers of Ontario From the CEO’s desk 4
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Cover story 6 IT IS COMMONknowledge that stressed plants will not achieve optimum performance or yield. But what does stress actually do to a plant? New oat research results have found a direct link between how plant stress limits kernel fill and reduces yield. And the results could lead to the development of more efficient and effective oat varieties for Ontario farmers. Art McElroy, research coordinator with PhytoGene Resources Inc., recently wrapped up a two-year study evaluating how oat kernels fill and determining how plant stressors — disease pressures and environmental effects — impact the kernels, and ultimately yield. He started his research with the results from earlier oat studies where he noticed a strong correlation in yield to kernel weight in a well-filled kernel. McElroy believes changes in the kernel patterns suggest stress effects, and as expected, some kernels will not develop fully. “It all comes down to grain development and kernel fill,” explains McElroy who, working with his son and fellow planter breeder, Michel McElroy, set out to develop a more refined, and less costly approach to oat breeding by selecting individual traits linked to yield, in an effort to combine the desirable traits in superior cultivars. “Grain development is intricately linked to yield, kernel size, and test weight, that’s why grain development and kernel fill have been our focus for this plant breeding research.” EVALUATING OAT KERNELS Several parameters were used to evaluate grain development, and by extension, stress tolerance and susceptibility — including the number of kernels set, frequency of unfilled kernels and grain fill. “There were three main ingredients necessary for this study — a large number of elite lines to provide a range of genetic backgrounds, several sites to offer different stresses, and the ability to evaluate all the oat kernels from the representative samples,” says McElroy. It has been difficult to measure oat losses in the past because many oat kernels that are small or unfilled are often lost during combine harvest or at sample cleaning when they simply blow away. Traditionally, these kernel losses are not consistent across test sites, making it harder to collect accurate data. McElroy had his work cut out for him to find a way to collect and evaluate kernel losses because, he says, “these need to be retained because there is so much more to be learned about stress from poorly filled or unfilled kernels.” The greatest challenge was to develop a device to measure kernel ‘size’. It is difficult to accurately measure kernel fill (which is directly linked to yield) because well- and poorly-filled oat kernels are almost the same width. However, thickness is related to kernel mass, so McElroy developed a device to measure kernel thickness rapidly and precisely. “Grain fill, or the kernel thickness, is an excellent indication of plant stress,” he explains. “The number of kernel sets, unfilled kernels, and placement along the panicle can tell us at what point in the plant’s development it was stressed. This information can also help us understand grain development and genetic selection.” Initial study results found that the number of kernel sets and the frequency of filled kernels are the two major factors affecting yield. McElroy says that both are determined very early in the growth cycle, at about the 4-leaf stage, and there was genetic variability for both. The biggest surprise came from previous oat research that determined unfilled kernels were not ‘aborted kernels’ (a common understanding), since there was no flower development or pollination to begin with. This new finding means that existing kernels don’t benefit from any unused resources, like carbohydrates, from the unfilled kernels because each kernel has its own ‘pipeline’ of nutrient requirements right to the main stem of the plant. “Unfilled kernels represent a direct loss of yield potential,” says McElroy, explaining that, if a plant has 30 per cent unfilled kernels, a farmer’s yield is directly reduced by 30 per cent. Improved stress tolerance ACHIEVING OAT KERNEL FILL Jeanine Moyer continued on page 8 • This study’s novel approach to determining how oat stressors impact yield will go a long way to help plant breeders develop more effective selection techniques. • Each kernel has its own ‘pipeline’ of nutrient requirements right to the main stem of the plant. • If a plant has 30 per cent unfilled kernels, a farmer’s yield is directly reduced by 30 per cent. • By deconstructing the panicle and measuring the kernels, McElroy was able to determine when the plant was stressed. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 7 MARCH 2022
8 and position of each kernel. “This provided some very fundamental insights into grain development,” notes McElroy. Through the research process, the question of how to determine if plant stress has affected the development of kernels with so much variation in weight and mass of each panicle was investigated. The answer was to look for differences in kernel thickness patterns. By deconstructing the panicle and measuring the kernels, McElroy was able to determine when the plant was stressed. “If it was stressed later in the season, we saw solid top fill and poorly filled kernels at the bottom,” he explains. This information was compared to rainfall data for each test site to confirm the timing of environmental stressors with the kernel fill results. NEXT STEPS This study’s novel approach to determining how oat stressors impact yield will go a long way to help plant breeders develop more effective selection techniques. McElroy’s novel approach to measuring plant stress response by determining kernel size distribution patterns and measuring kernel thickness is part of an ongoing effort to understand the genetic basis of factors affecting oat yield and quality. “The results of this project will provide a more effective tool for plant breeders to select for specific stress tolerances, particularly those stresses that occur during the grain fill period,” says McElroy. “Ultimately, this information will create more stable, higheryielding oat varieties for Ontario growers.” Funding for this research was provided by Grain Farmers of Ontario, Cribit Seeds, and the Crop Development Centre (University of Saskatchewan). l continued from page 6 This research project received funding from Grain Farmers of Ontario. IN-FIELD TRIALS The in-field studies took place in New Liskeard, Ontario and Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Quebec in 2019, and in New Liskeard and West Montrose, Ontario in 2020. Two tests of 36 entries (six check varieties and 30 advanced lines) were grown in standard plots, with three replications at each site. Prior to harvest, 20 panicles were removed from each plot for detailed analysis. McElroy explains that measuring grain fill can be challenging because kernel size, even under good growing conditions, vary considerably within a panicle. “There can be a 10-day difference in flowering time from kernels at the top to the bottom of the panicle, and secondary kernels are always about 30 per cent smaller. So, if wellfilled secondary kernels from the lower part of the panicle weigh less than a poorly filled primary from an upper node, how do we determine ‘who did their best and who didn’t’?” he says. That’s why the research required deconstructing individual panicles — more than 150 in total — to record the mass PGR OAT GRAIN FILL. DISTRIBUTION OF KERNEL SIZE CLASSES OF FOUR LINES AT TWO LOCATIONS. LINES WITH A HIGH PROPORTION OF THICK, HEAVY SEEDS (GROUPS 4 AND 5) ARE DESIRABLE. LINES A AND C SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN LIGHT KERNELS AT WEST MONTROSE LOCATION, COMPARED TO NEW LISKEARD LOCATION, SUGGESTING SUSCEPTIBILITY TO STRESS DURING GRAIN FILL. LINES B AND D SHOWED SOME STRESS EFFECTS AT WEST MONTROSE, BUT WERE GENERALLY MORE STABLE AND HAD THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF WELL-FILLED KERNELS. IMAGE COURTESY ART MCELROY.
9 (J.M.) HOW CAN I BUILD AND RETAIN THE RIGHT TEAM OF EMPLOYEES FOR MY FARM BUSINESS? (I.M.) It’s tough to be an employer in today’s tight labour market. Especially as people adjust to so many changes and options in employment as a result of COVID-19. There is plenty of information to support employers as they look to hire the right employees for their farms. Based on research, the drivers that attract, keep and engage talent are not all the same. That’s why it’s important to focus on every part of an employee’s experience, from attracting and retaining, to engaging employees. It’s also important to view and treat your current and future employees as the foundation for your ongoing success. WHAT CAN I DO TO ATTRACT FARM EMPLOYEES? Candidates may or may not be looking for a job on your farm, but they are seeking meaningful employment that offers work-life balance, stability, job security and compensation. When attracting candidates, ask yourself if your farm and employment opportunity offer an employee a secure work opportunity with some balance? Does the employee believe your business is stable, provide a positive future and will it be around for a while? Is the compensation offered clear, fair, competitive, and aligned to their skills and experiences? Potential employees may want to know if they have an opportunity to be part of something bigger than their role, like engaging in sustainable or environmental practices. They want to be fully appreciated for their contributions and know that their farmemployers support them. When it comes to work-life balance, employees are often looking for some degree of flexibility when possible. Most people don’t mind putting in the extra effort if it is productive, necessary and they have tools and support to do the work. HOWCAN I RETAINANDENGAGECURRENTEMPLOYEES? Retention drivers still require the compensation element, but also require career opportunities, a positive employer, or relationship with the boss and continued work-life balance. Career opportunities can include learning new skills, mentorship, completing projects, or even a path to a new role or change in scope. Your role in the boss relationship is critical in retention. The old expression that ‘people quit their bosses’ is true. Employees want their bosses to provide frequent, focused, and future oriented feedback. Theywant support, encouragement, coaching, and direction when necessary. As a boss, you don’t need to know everything, but you need to be the person who will find answers for your employees. And don’t forget work-life balance is still key. When it comes to employee engagement, the drivers are leadership (you), the opportunity to learn and develop, their relationship with you as their boss and work-life balance (again). As a leader, you are responsible for setting the direction, demonstrating, andmodeling positive behaviours and values. Employees will be looking to you and your senior leadership team for help assessing their stability and job security, and to gain a sense of the viability and future of the farm. Employees are also looking to see if you genuinely care about them. ANY ADVICE FOR EMPLOYING FAMILY MEMBERS? Most farms are made up of family members working together, and while it is a unique and wonderful tradition in agriculture, it may cause issues when family members work with other non-family employees. If family are working in peer roles with employees, it’s critical that they contribute and participate at the same level, or more than non-family members. Non-family employees will understandably anticipate a perceived bias toward family members, and can include preferred work elements, pay and working conditions. While this may not be the case at all, non-family will have a critical eye to the possibility. So, to get ahead of any unnecessary communications, negative productivity, and teamwork issues, I advise farm employers to coach family members to, at a minimum, be an equally contributing part of the team, and ideally, be a positive role model. If a family member is leading non-family employees, it is critical they be trained in leading people. Unfortunately, simply because it is a family member acting in a leadership position, they will be subject to an even higher standard compared to other non-family employees. In some cases, it may be assumed that they were given a leadership appointment because of their family connection. That’s why effective leadership training and coaching are important and can help address and change this perception. l Jeanine Moyer Ian McGinty, owner, Ian McGinty and Associates Employee retention BUSINESS SIDE WITH... Business side ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 9 MARCH 2022
lysimeters compared to the silt loam. The overall data indicates that a diverse rotation with cover crops does not significantly impact yields over a period of five years, in comparison to the conventional rotation. In the third year, however, Wagner-Riddle notes that soybean yield in the diverse rotation was higher due to increased water availability. “We don’t know exactly why there is more water availability under the diverse rotation,” she explains. “But we think the presence of cover crops the year before allowed for more water capture through their root channels.” The study also determined that the use of cover crops reduced nitrate leaching by 70 per cent over one growing season when the cover crops established very well. ECONOMIC FINDINGS Dr. Alfons Weersink and former graduate student Daniel Schuurman, Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, collaborated with Wagner-Riddle for the economics portion of this study. Schuurman used a dynamic programming model to measure the economic value of the ecosystem services provided by diverse rotations. He utilized yield, soil carbon and nitrous oxide data from the long-term rotation trials in Elora and calculated the profitability of each rotation. The model suggests the optimal rotation plan for a farm, given the initial soil conditions and crop history. He found that the value of adding winter wheat and cover crops to a conventional rotation depends on the value a farmer places on long-term productivity, their risk preferences and the initial level of soil health. The research indicated that corn-soy rotations are optimal for fields with moderate 10 ESTABLISHING A DIVERSEcrop rotation is thought to be a strategy that farmers can use to improve soil health. But what are the environmental and economic benefits of the ecosystem services provided by diverse systems? It’s a question University of Guelph researchers set out to answer in a comprehensive five-year study. Professor and research leadership chair Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle, School of Environmental Sciences, used state-of-theart field weighing lysimeters at the Soil Health Interpretative Centre at the Elora Research Station to compare soil health in simple and diverse rotations. “We applied treatments that are recommended for improved soil health, such as crop rotation, diversification, and use of cover crops, and closely followed what happened in the soil cores over time,” she says. HIGH-TECH MONITORING Funded by Grain Farmers of Ontario, the five-year study commenced in the spring of 2016 after the soil research facility was built. It involves 18 lysimeters, or large cores of undisturbed soil, weighing two to three tonnes each. The underground steel cylinders sit on three load cells so they are able to be weighed and have sensors at various levels to measure soil water content, soil temperature and greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions. Half of the units contain silt loam from Elora and the other nine contain loamy sand from a farm in Cambridge. After baseline data was collected in 2016, a soy-soy-corn rotation was continued in a subset of lysimeters and a diverse rotation of soy-wheat with cover crop-corn with cover crop was started in another subset. The cover crop mixes included oats, cereal rye, crimson clover and radish. This experimental set-up meant that two different crop rotations in two different soil types could be compared side-by-side in the exact same environment. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS As expected, the researchers observed consistently lower yields in the loamy sand The value of soil health MEASURING THE BENEFITS OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Rebecca Hannam Research
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 11 MARCH 2022 This research project received funding from Grain Farmers of Ontario. See our conveyors in action at convey-all.com We took the most DURABLE, FUNCTIONAL, & RELIABLE conveyor and made it better. Upgraded Hopper Improved flashing design keeps product on the belt without sacrificing performance Extended-Reach Mover Simple to use, easy to maneuver, Convey-All’s redesigned mover makes reaching under hard-toaccess areas a breeze. Tight-Clearance Chevron Belt Convey-All’s smooth edge-belt design offers better contact and wear. (855) 346-3712 | conveyors@convey-all.com to high levels of soil carbon and adding wheat to the rotation is optimal for fields with low soil carbon. The inclusion of red clover was only found to be optimal if the field has low soil carbon and is managed by a farmer who is interested in value beyond a two-year horizon. “The benefits from soil carbon and healthier soil take some time to be felt, so in the very short term, planting red clover or diversifying the rotation can impact the bottom line,” explains Shuurman, noting that farmers may have a shorter planning horizon for rented land. Diverse rotations are financially optimal in long-term planning, or for farmers who manage their own land. The impact of cost-share programs and ecosystem service markets were also added to the model. “Carbon credits or cost-share programs are best served focusing on cover cropping to diversify rotations instead of winter wheat,” says Schuurman. This is primarily due to the increase in nitrous oxide emissions in wheat offsetting the benefits of carbon sequestration. NEXT STEPS While the initial five-year study is now complete, Wagner-Riddle stresses the importance of continuing soil monitoring to obtain a longer data set. She is now continuing this research under new funding and expects to find improvements in soil condition in the lysimeters with the diverse rotation. “It is important to understand the soil processes and determine how long we have to wait to see benefits,” she says. “It’s about quantifying the benefits for farmers in terms of yield, but also for society in terms of improvement in ecosystem services that can be gained from improved cropping management.” We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). This project was funded in part by the government of Ontario. l
12 BUSINESS PLANS ARE a smart move on the part of any individual who decides to take the leap into entrepreneurship. However, one plan that is not as common in regular business management books is a mental health plan. The Do More Agriculture Foundation has introduced a mental health plan strategy with the hope of reaching out to farmers and the agricultural community in a recognizable way to tackle an issue that is often considered an uncomfortable topic. “We as farmers have a marketing plan or an agronomy plan that shows how to grow our crops or plans to help us take care of our herd of cattle. We are our farm’s greatest asset, so we also need to have a routine, ritual, help, and support to take care of our ourselves because we know that in farming, most of the time, we go through hard times,” says Lesley Kelly, one of the founders of Do More Agriculture Foundation who also runs her own farm. “So having an upfront plan, commitment and priority for yourself, just really helps with your overall wellness.” The Do More Agriculture mental health plan helps individuals create a personalized routine by focusing on key core strategies. These could include identifying how you are doing, developing a daily routine of activities that can help with destressing (such as light physical activity, journaling, or hobbies), and listing people around you who you can reach out to when you need some help. For Kelly, that was an important part of her experience as her husband struggled with challenging feelings that he was not familiar with. “It takes so much courage, so much bravery for someone to raise their hand and say, ‘I'm not feeling myself’. And for me, as a support person, it was important to create an environment where he felt it was okay to share.” STRUGGLES In a 2021 study from the University of Guelph that spanned across Canada, it was identified that mental health struggles within the farming industry were reaching alarming levels. Public education and advocacy around the growing concern for those in agriculture highlighted the significant finding that there was an 80 per cent increase in poor mental health among farmers. This includes the devastating rates of male suicide in rural and farming communities resulting from pre-existing mental health conditions that were only intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Generally speaking, farmers, men in particular, haven’t been socialized and trained to talk about emotions, talk about feelings, talk about what they need,” says Kim Moffatt, a farm stress counsellor based out of Strathclair, Manitoba. “Farmers are solution focused. If something is broken, they need to fix it. They are going to strategize around it,” Moffatt continues. “When it comes to mental health and getting Mental health plan DEVELOPING PRIORITIES Lilian Kim through this pandemic, they are doing all those things and if they’re not getting the relief they need that can be really frustrating to a farmer because they are so used to seeing a problem, identifying strategies, and then fixing it.” SUPPORT The stigma around mental health is a universal theme across all communities and the challenges to overcome it are still being looked at by mental health professionals and advocates to find better ways to make support more accessible. Recently the provincial and federal governments announced funding towards mental health initiatives, and they are working alongside partners within the agricultural community to create programs that include a recently launched support line specific to farmers to access free and anonymous counselling 24 hours a day (1-866-267-6255). Do More Agriculture’s mental health plan initiative is another avenue for farmers to start somewhere on their wellness journey. Moffat says these resources are critical, but also recognizes the ask to receive help may need to start with baby steps. “Start small, put it out there, and talk to someone you trust first,” says Moffat. It is a sentiment Kelly echoes, “We have to start with the basics, with a foundation. The common thread is us individuals and how do we take care of each other and ourselves and that will be how we determine the success of the farm.” Visit Do More Agriculture Foundation’s website to find a copy of the mental health plan and other resources tailored to farmermembers at www.domore.ag/wellness-tips. Lilian Kim is a communications coordinator with Grain Farmers of Ontario.l Industry News
SOME THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER: Single applications • Convenient, low application costs • Can produce high yields if lodging risk and Nitrogen (N) losses are minimal However, split nitrogen applications • Enables an early N and Sulphur (S) application to stimulate or maintain tillers in late-planted wheat, while minimizing loss of N • Potential to increase N use efficiency, especially with high fertilizer prices • Reduce lodging risk while using higher rates of N to maximize yield potential • Potential to increase protein in hard red wheat varieties In some years, split N applications may provide little or no benefit to yield compared toa singleapplication (Figure 1). Various factors including crop development stage, variety and field-specific characteristics need to be considered to maximize returns. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE Fields with minimal tillering early in the spring tend to benefit from an application of nitrogen and sulphur at green-up (Figure 2). This early application helps to maintain and encourage additional tillering. A second application in these fields can be made between GS 32-39. A single application strategy with all N applied upfront at green-up may not be advisable because of N loss potential. In contrast, fields with early planting dates, high seeding rates, a variety susceptible to lodging or toomany tillers, have a greater risk of lodging (Figure 3). In these fields, delaying an N application until GS 30, and applying only a portion of total N, may reduce the risk for lodging. The second application can be made between GS 32-39. FIELD SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS Soil type is also an important factor to consider. N losses through leaching and/or denitrification are more likely to occur with earlyapplied N on wheat before the onset of rapid N uptake (GS30). The potential of these losses tends to be the highest on sand and clay soils. However, N losses are insignificant if rainfall after application is not excessive. Early N applications also enables an early application of S which is particularly important on sandy soils or soils with low organic matter levels and no history of manure. l Split apply nitrogen? CROP SIDE WITH... Crop side ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 13 MARCH 2022 FIGURE 3: EARLY PLANTED WINTER WHEAT FIELD WITH 8+ TILLERS AND HISTORY OF MANURE WOULD BENEFIT FROM A DELAY IN N APPLICATION UNTIL CLOSER TO GS 30 TO REDUCE LODGING RISK. A GOOD SPLIT-N STRATEGY IN THIS SCENARIO IS 40% OF N + 10 LBS OF S IN THE FIRST APPLICATION AND 60% OF N IN THE SECOND APPLICATION. FIGURE 2: LATE PLANTED WINTER WHEAT BENEFITS FROM AN EARLY N APPLICATION TO ENCOURAGE TILLERING AS THE CROP BEGINS TO GREENUP. A GOOD SPLIT-N STRATEGY IN THIS SCENARIO IS 60% OF N + 10 LBS OF S IN THE FIRST APPLICATION AND 40% OF N IN THE SECOND APPLICATION. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOANNA FOLLINGS. FIGURE 1: YIELD RESPONSE TO SPLIT N APPLICATIONS VARIES YEAR OVER YEAR. TRIALS CONDUCTED BY DR. DAVE HOOKER, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, RIDGETOWN CAMPUS. Joanna Follings, Cereals Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
14 IN THE NEXT five to 10 years, smaller, automated machinery will take over from huge, soil compacting equipment and farming as a service will be a new business model for agriculture, according to Professor Scott Shearer. Shearer is Chair of the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Ohio State University. His presentation during Crops Day at GreyBruce Farmers’ Week focused on the future of farmmachinery. He specifically touched on the adoption and limiting factors in automation, changes coming in equipment ownership and business models, what disruptive technologies are on the horizon, and whether farmers will control all aspects of their operations. Using data from the University of Nebraska’s tractor testing lab, he showed how the size of John Deere tractors really took off after the 1960s, mostly due to the increased use of the diesel engine. He pointed out that tractor weights continue to increase at a rate of 870 pounds per year. “Think about what that means in terms of soil compaction,” he said. “The ideal soil is 50 per cent particles by volume, 25 per cent void space for air and 25 per cent void space for water — when those portions become imbalanced, that’s when we see crop productivity suffer.” He also pointed out that soil compaction — especially around the Great Lakes — means more nutrient runoff into waterways. Shearer showed a comparison of equipment in which larger tires (36 inches wide) and equipment (360 inches wide) with a weight of nearly 100,000 pounds compacted the soil to four times the depth compared to smaller tires (16.9 inches), equipment (120 inches), and weight (10,000 pounds). “We’re in this cycle in the U.S. of increasingly using larger equipment, which means farmers have to till deeper into the soil, which creates problems,” he said. He said that the solution to the compaction problem is autonomous equipment. He showed a photo of the small Xaver single-row seeder. The idea is to have a ‘swarm’ of these seeders which are energy efficient, can run 24/7 and are cloud controlled. FARMING AS A SERVICE Shearer also said that an emerging business model is ‘farming as a service’ (FaaS). “If you’re a profitable producer, there are probably 10 to 12 things you can do well — the thing is, as technology progresses, can you continue to be in control of all those actions and activities?” he said. “I think this [farming as a service] is how farmers in the future will access technology,” he said, pointing out that farmers currently assume the risk of technical obsolescence when they buy machinery. “If we take a modern technological tractor, it has a life of about 20,000 hours and it’s Disruptive technologies FUTURE FARM EQUIPMENT Lois Harris JOHN DEERE FULLY AUTONOMOUS TRACTOR. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN DEERE used about 500 hours a year, so themechanical life would be 40 years, but what about the technology life?” He says that, by custom hiring, renting and leasing equipment, the liability for technical obsolescence is on someone else. He said that when he visited SwarmFarm in Australia, he asked what sales were like for the 20 autonomous units they had just built. “They said they’re not selling them, they were going to lease them” he said, explaining that the company will send a technician out to the farm to set it up and trouble-shoot any initial technical problems. PRECISION AND COST SAVINGS “There’s a true advantage to automation,” he said, pointing out that Craig Rupp, who owns Sabanto Agriculture, has noted that using his autonomous technology means that machinery costs for planting can be slashed from an average of twenty-five cents per horsepower per hour to seven cents per horsepower per hour. The advantage of robotic irrigation, he said, is that it’s not a capital asset tied to a specific field, as in current centre-pivot irrigation systems, so it can be moved around. The robotic irrigator can also target the base of the plant and navigate through the crop at any stage of growth. He also mused about potentially using the robotic irrigator to spread livestock nutrients during the crop’s growing season, rather than only at the beginning or end of it. “It expands the window for applying nutrients to nine months of the year, as opposed to a couple of months in the spring and a couple of months in the fall,” he said. Infield sensor networks are coming on strong and can be used to determinewhat’s happening Industry News
below the soil surface. Sensors are also used to detect nutrients in the soil, soil moisture content and weather stations. “As these sensor networks are built out, it increases our knowledge about what’s going on with our crops,” he said. In order for the new technologies that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to be useful, Shearer said internet connection is going to be key. He said that the rollout of the next generation 5G wireless technology has been primarily in urban centres where there are sufficient numbers of subscriptions to justify the service — not rural areas. Shearer’s take-home messages included the fact that digital automation and technology in agriculture is here to stay, and that it will likely be delivered through the farming as a service business model. It will probably increase equipment use and provide shorter capital recovery times. It will also increase the efficiency of how crop production inputs are used and address the problem of soil compaction. “Technology that was introduced in the 1990s have become part and parcel of our farming equipment today,” he said. “But limited access to broadband will inhibit the adoption of newer technology in rural areas – hopefully between the government and the private sector, we can find solutions.” l ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 15 MARCH 2022 In order for the new technologies that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to be useful, internet connection is going to be key. Proven Biostimulant Tank Mix Program CropBooster® 2.0 / RR SoyBooster® 2.0 in corn, soybeans and wheat Add Agro-100 biostimulants to your post herbicide programs. When tank mixed with your herbicide, CropBooster® 2.0 and RR SoyBooster® 2.0 are field proven to increase yields without reducing weed control. Talk to your Agro-100 representative or Ag retailer. 1 866 770.8887 • www.agro-100.com download the Agro100 application for free today! YEARS ®
16 An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events The 2022 March Classic is celebrating the future, by sowing the seeds of opportunity, innovation, and tomorrow. Farming is about tomorrow — feeding the people of tomorrow and ensuring our farms are sustainable for future geneations. From new opportunities to new innovations that keep our food system secure, we sow the seeds that prepare the world, and our farms, for the future. Join us again for our annual conference held in London, Ontario at RBC Place as we hear from speakers about the latest in market trends, international relations, and leadership lessons and experiences. This year, Grain Farmers of Ontario plans to host an in-person event with live streaming of speakers for farmer-members and others who wish to attend online. Although the event is being planned as an in-person event, Grain Farmers of Ontario will adhere to public health guidelines and mandates on attendance limits and safety protocols. COVID-19 Reminder: Grain Farmers of Ontario places the health and safety of all participants and staff as a priority. The current COVID-19 environment means that Grain Farmers of Ontario will have to be very flexible and may need to adhere to changing requirements with little notice. We will be constantly monitoring requirements and restrictions for changes and act accordingly. Those attending in-person must be fully vaccinated and will be required to show proof of full vaccination before entering the event premise. Safe physical distancing and masks indoors may be required for those who attend. Please visit our website for up-to-date information. Conference details: Pre-register today for a guaranteed attendee bag, name tag, and to pre-order meal tickets! Register online at www.gfo.ca/MarchClassic or contact Grain Farmers of Ontario at 1 800 265 0550 X308. Pick up your name tag early on Monday, March 21 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. in the Grand BallroomWest, at the DoubleTree by the Hilton at our March Classic Welcome Reception sponsored by SGS Canada Inc. Join us for an evening of hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and networking opportunities with exhibitors, sponsors, and farmers across Ontario. Avoid parking fees! Park for free at our March Classic parking lot at the Western Fairgrounds in Downtown London and take our free bus shuttle to and fromthe conference centre. Exact location and bus shuttle times can be found at www.gfo.ca/MarchClassic. Sponsored by The Commonwealth Mutual Insurance Group Ltd. Book your conference hotel room at the DoubleTree by Hilton before March 14. Call 519 439 1661 and use code “GFO” or visit our website to book online. 7 a.m. Complimentary breakfast for March Classic attendees, sponsored by John Deere Canada 8 a.m. Registration and Exhibit Hall opens 9 a.m. Opening Remarks Grain Farmers of Ontario 9:30 a.m. U.S. Farm Report hosted by Tyne Morgan Watch the first Canadian live taping of the U.S. FarmReport, with host Tyne Morgan, as they explore the latest in marketing trends 10:30 a.m. Break, sponsored by Syngenta 11 a.m. Sonny Perdue, Former 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture 2017 - 2021 Explore Canada and international relations with U.S Former Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Noon Lunch*($20, tickets required) sponsored by Syngenta 1 p.m. Coach Orlondo Steinauer, President of Football Operations and Head Coach of Hamilton Tiger-Cats Coach Orlondo presents Leadership, Coaching & Culture: Lessons learned from 20 years in professional football 2:30 p.m. Break, sponsored by Syngenta 3 p.m. The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould Delve intowhat it takes to be a leader in the federal government as Jody shares her experiences as an Indigenous woman in Canada's parliament. 4 p.m. Reception in Exhibit Hall sponsored by Bayer CropScience 6 p.m. Banquet*($50, tickets required) Featuring Canadian comedian, and “the Internet’s favourite Dad” Brittlestar sponsored by SeCan 9 p.m. End of Conference * Lunch and banquet tickets can be purchased on-site at registration. Cash, cheque, or credit card accepted. Conference Details Agenda 2022 March Classic March 22, 2022 Grain Farmers of Ontario Sowing the Seeds OPPORTUNITY • INNOVATION • TOMORROW
17 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER MARCH 2022 Sponsors Platinum Gold Note: Sponsors and Exhibitors are accurate as of publication. Check official show program at the March Classic for a final version. List of Exhibitors A&L Canada Laboratories Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Agro-100 Alpine The Andersons Ardent Mills BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada Bayer Cropscience Belchim Crop Protection Canada Broadgrain C&M Seeds Canadian Grain Commission Cangrow Crop Solutions Cargill Sarnia CASA CASE IH Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario Corteva/Brevant Discovery Farm/Canada's Outdoor Farm Show Farm Credit Canada Farm Life FMC FS System G3 Canada Limited Gowan Canada Grain Discovery Great Ontario Yield Tour Green Lea Ag Center Harco Ag/Harkness Equipment Heartland Farm Mutual Hensall Co-op Horst Systems Ingredion Canada John Deere Canada Lignition London Agriculture Commodities Maizex Seeds Montag Nutri-Pel OFA Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association Pioneer Pride Seeds RBC Agriculture Roberts Farm Equipment Sales Inc. Scotiabank SeCan Sevita International SGS Canada TD Canada Trust Agriculture Services Timac Agro Canada Towneplace + Courtyard + Raddison. Wilcocks Brothers Early Bird Draw Winner Grain Farmers of Ontario offered two chances to win an early bird prize for the 2022 March Classic. The winner of the first early bird draw held January 31, is Dianne Reesor. She won a $150 tool prize pack. Silver
18 An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events 2022 ELECTED DELEGATES DISTRICT 1 (Essex) Armstrong, Clayton, Belle River, ca.farm@yahoo.ca, 519-996-2727 Chauvin, Maurice, Point aux-Roches, moe@fermeschauvinfarms.com, 519-919-5875 Guilbeault, Marguerite, Belle River, mg.farms87@gmail.com, 519-996-4062 Mailloux, Josh, Amherstburg, josh.mailloux@plantpioneer.com, 519-791-1805 McLean, Charles, Maidstone, mclean.charlesw@gmail.com, 519-567-1276 Mullen, Grace, Comber, grace.mullen0@gmail.com, 519-980-6321 Papineau, Julien, Woodslee, jvpapineaufarms@gmail.com, 519-816-2638 DISTRICT 2 (Kent) Brien, Stan, Ridgetown, stanbrien59@gmail.com, 519-674-2408 Chapple, Matt, Chatham, mchapple.mc@gmail.com, 519-359-3856 Charbonneau, Emily, Blenheim, e.m.charbonneau@gmail.com, 519-365-4480 Cunningham, Jay, Thamesville, jay.cunningham2@gmail.com, 519-784-2084 Dawson, Ken, Wheatley, dawsonken46@gmail.com, 519-825-3187 Denys, Stephen, Chatham, sdenys2016@hotmail.com, 519-358-3370 Glasier, Greg, Tilbury, gglasierfarm@gmail.com, 519-784-3159 Huston, Mark, Thamesville, hustonfarmsinc@gmail.com, 519-358-5248 Johnstone, Bruce, Chatham, johnstonefarms1@gmail.com, 519-351-1406 McFadden, Brent, Dresden, brentandcindym@gmail.com, 519-683-1452 Prelaz, Eric, Chatham, ericprelaz24@hotmail.com, 519-436-7110 Renwick, Chris, Wheatley, ridgeview@wavedirect.net, 519-825-9859 Ross, Bill, Pain Court, bill_brf@outlook.com, 519-809-3461 Vanek, Joseph, Chatham, jmvanekfarms@ciaccess.com, 519-683-2929 Vannieuwenhuyze, Mike, Thamesville, mikevann60@gmail.com, 519-359-3092 DISTRICT 3 (Lambton) Annett, Craig, Bothwell, cannett01@gmail.com, 519-350-8980 Elliott, Jim, Sarnia, jello7320@gmail.com, 519-332-2358 Hall, Ryan, Petrolia, hallfarms45@outlook.com, 519-331-5777 Langstaff, Brad, Wilkesport, bradly_l@hotmail.com, 519-330-9493 Lassaline, Jeff, Alvinston, jtlassaline@yahoo.ca, 519-332-9610 Maw, Julie, Courtright, julie@juliemaw.com, 519-384-2281 McRae, Jonathan, Alvinston, j_mcrae10@hotmail.com, 519-464-2887 Podolinsky, Brad, Alvinston, podolinskyfarms@gmail.com, 519-383-4860 Vanek, Dan, Florence, dvanek@pandh.ca, 519-488-6879 Wilson, Tom, Corunna, wilsonfarms@hotmail.com, 519-383-3065 DISTRICT 4 (Middlesex) Aerts, Evan, Ailsa Craig, evanaerts@hotmail.ca, 519-697-2295 Dietrich, Eric, Granton, ed_dietrich@hotmail.com, 519-871-4830 Dietrich, Paul, Lucan, paulvdietrich@gmail.com, 519-281-7130 Foster, Rob, Ilderton, fosterfarms@isp.ca, 519-666-3780 Kaumanns, Hilmar, Lucan, hkaumanns@quadro.net, 519-494-4966 McClary, Luke, Ilderton, mcclary_luke4@hotmail.com, 519-870-8179 Nixon, Kevin, Ilderton, alfi.kevin@gmail.com, 519-521-8063 Robson, Adam, Ilderton, a_robson33@hotmail.com, 519-280-2351 Vanhie, Matt, Ailsa Craig, matt.vanhie@gmail.com, 519-614-3478 DISTRICT 5 (Elgin, Norfolk) Court, Bruce, Courtland, courtfarms@hotmail.com, 519-521-5929 Gignac, Brock, Langton bgignac25@gmail.com, 519-983-3641 Pasztor, Andy, Tillsonburg, apasztor82@yahoo.com, 519-403-8680 Pasztor, Michael, Langton, hemlocklakeviewfarms@hotmail.com, 226-972-2730 Paton, Richard, Iona Station, patonrc@gmail.com, 519-762-5004 Taylor, Allen, St. Thomas allentaylor1842@gmail.com, 519-631-9047 Vermeersch, Ann, Tillsonburg, ann@tillvalleyfarms.com, 519-550-4175 DISTRICT 6 (Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Niagara) Beischlag, Matt, Jarvis, beischlagfarms@gmail.com, 289-439-7746 Gowan, Susan, Jarvis, briansusangowan@gmail.com, 226-567-1067 McLellan, Jay, Brantford, mcjaysar@aol.com, 519-770-6155 Nimijohn, Brad, Millgrove, bncnimijohn@live.ca, 905-961-9301 Turnbull, Ian, Canfield, catburton22@gmail.com, 289-339-7303 Vanderspek, Kevin, Cayuga, vdspeks@hotmail.com, 289-440-7680 Veldhuizen, Gerry, Lowbanks, gbveld@gmail.com, 905-658-3788 DISTRICT 7 (Waterloo, Oxford) Crawford, Ed, Bright rathview@golden.net, 519-536-1567 Hunsberger, Jeff, Baden, jjhuns.donel@gmail.com, 519-577-2849 2022 ELECTED DIRECTORS Throughout January, elections were held in each district and all farmer-members were invited to vote for their representatives. Each district voted in their delegates and from the delegates, a director was elected. These lists are accurate at time of printing, please visit www.gfo.ca for the most current listings. Dist Name Contact 1 Brendan Byrne Essex 519 991-4027 GFObrendan@gmail.com 2 Gus Ternoey Tilbury 519 682-0091 gus@dashwheelfarms.ca 3 Emery Huszka Florence 226 373-6244 GFODist3Emery@gmail.com 4 Steve Twynstra Ailsa Craig 519 878-4205 steve@twilightacrefarms.ca 5 Scott Persall Waterford 519 410-1781 spersall.sp@gmail.com 6 Jeff Barlow Hannon 905 520-7486 jeff@barlowfarms.ca 7 Kevin Armstrong Woodstock 519 532-9660 armstrongacres@execulink.com 8 Keith Black Belgrave 519 531-0063 bkblack@hurontel.on.ca 9 Josh Boersen Sebringville 519 274-4076 jboersen@gmail.com 10 Steve Lake Elora 519 993-7568 lake.steve@gmail.com 11 Leo Blydorp Amaranth 519 939-1113 leo.blydorp@gmail.com 12 Jeff Harrison Quinte West 613 847-1232 jeffh.gfo@gmail.com 13 Lloyd Crowe Picton 613 813-0842 gfolloyd@gmail.com 14 Scott Fife Finch 613 330-1142 scott.fife@outlook.com 15 Chuck Amyot New Liskeard 705 647-4722 charlesamyot@gmail.com
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