Grainswest - Fall 2021

Fall 2021 Grains West 28 Nor thern farmers embrace data- dr i ven sc i ence Peace Country research facilities fuel local innovation A gricultural research facilities are critical to the forward momentum of Peace Country farming. Established in 1917, the Beaverlodge Research Farm is the most northerly Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research centre. The wide scope of its programming reflects the sheer size of the region. This encompasses research on forage production and integrated crop management as well as disease and pest management and honey bee pathology. Jacey Toerper is a master’s student in the facility’s agronomy program. She is at work on one of these many initiatives. The first year of a three-year, ultra-early seeding trial will measure the yield of 10 spring wheat varieties planted at various temperatures. This includes commonly grown varieties as well as early-maturing new and recently commercialized cultivars. “This may be really beneficial for farmers in northern Alberta because we do have the challenge of a shorter growing season,” said Toerper. She hopes farmers share the pride Research Farm staff have in the facility’s work and can employ the agronomic information it produces. The North Peace Applied Research Station (NPARA) is located in Manning and its companion Research Farm is a short drive away. A non-profit, farmer- driven facility launched in 1988, it serves the County of Northern Lights, Clear Hills County and the Municipal District of Peace No. 135. The relatively great distance to local elevators combined with an abundance of marginal land has seen mixed operations proliferate here. There are a few existing organic operations with a handful in transition, said NPARA manager Lance Ouellette. Similar to the rest of the Peace, farmers here have endured multiple very wet years followed by three very dry ones. “It is certainly very challenging when you have extreme weather conditions,” said Ouellette. He added the climate is essentially arid with a frost-free window between 90 and 110 days. Farmers in the Hawk Hills area are particularly aggressive with experimentation, trying biostimulants and humic acids in an attempt to stimulate early plant growth. Interest in soil health and regenerative agriculture is quite high in general, he added. No-till, crop diversification and input cost reduction have experienced a big push. As at Beaverlodge, NPARA researchers actively search for additional crops and cultivars suitable for the region. MARA manager and research co-ordinator Samuel Peprah said Mackenzie County farmers are open to the positive effects data-driven science can provide their operations. FEATURE