On the Prairies, leaf spot complex is a significant yield robber in wheat and barley. A group of stubble-borne diseases, leaf spot complex is practically ubiquitous in Alberta cereals. Its presence can lead to downgrading, especially in bread wheats and durum. Ongoing studies aim to better understand causes and develop treatments.
For many years now, malting barley research has primarily focused on how to provide small and large brewers alike with the next great variety for their beers. An afterthought, however, is distillers, who often source their barley from other countries with a more established system of malting barley suitable for spirits.
Most farmers don’t conduct regular new variety trials on their own farms. Typically, farmers take a longterm approach. When the performance of a trusted variety sags, they may consult the Alberta Seed Guide and plant a few dozen acres, or even an entire field, of a newer variety listed within its pages.
The Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI) and Alberta Grains are collaborating with several central Alberta farmers to assess the viability of a new research method. Alberta Grains will contribute $40,000 of in-kind support and provide advice on its applicability and value to farmers.
Five new wheat varieties developed by LimaGrain Cereals Research Canada (LCRC) have been licensed to distributors this year following recommendation by the Prairie Grain Development Committee. Established in 2015, the private wheat breeder is a partnership between two farmer-owned co-operatives, France’s Limagrain and Canada’s Canterra Seeds. The variety recommendations represent a major success for the organization, which has marketed just four wheat varieties since its formation, including CS Accelerate and CS Daybreak.
Marginal acres unsuitable or less suitable for crop production are common on cultivated farmland. To conduct conventional farming practices on such unproductive acres reduces profitability and increases deterioration of land.
The annual growth rate of Canadian agricultural productivity stood at or near two per cent from 1991 to 2010, according to a Farm Credit Canada (FCC) report released in December 2023. Since 2011, productivity growth has slowed and stands at just one per cent where it is projected to remain for the rest of this decade.
Team Alberta Crops conducted a three-year, $1.5-million project to measure pesticide concentrations on farm wetlands. The organization’s commission members, product manufacturers and Results Driven Agriculture Research provided funding.
It’s been 40 years since the Government of Canada released its first soil health report, which called for the nation to address a then-dire future of its soils. On June 6, the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry tabled a new report that followed 17 months of consultation, input from expert witnesses, international conferences and cross-country, fact-finding missions. It is entitled Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada’s Economic, Environmental, Human, and Social Health.
Canterra Seeds partnered with Maker’s Malt of Rosthern, SK, and Rafter R Brewing of Maple Creek, SK, to test the performance of a new barley variety in the field, malthouse and brewery. Registered in 2022, AAC Prairie is touted as a successor to AC Metcalfe as it boasts an even more robust enzyme package. This is desirable for multinational breweries as the adjuncts they use, such as corn and rice, lack the enzymes that break down carbohydrates into fermentable sugars. The malt component must oversupply enzymes to compensate.
