Grainswest - Fall 2022

Fall 2022 Grains West 26 The alarming return of soil erosion BY MELANIE EPP LEAD PHOTO BY ROSS MCKENZIE FEATURE A DIRTY SHAME Though no-till and minimum-till practices have been widely adopted across the Prairies, arid conditions have recently created scenes reminiscent of the dust bowl era. O n a drive from Brooks to Lethbridge in mid-May, retired provincial agronomy researcher Ross McKenzie was literally stopped in his tracks by dust clouds. Carried by high winds across drought- stricken fields, the dirt was so thick it obscured the road ahead. Disappointed, he snapped a few photos and posted them on Twitter with a desperate plea for rain. McKenzie isn’t alone in his observations. Across the province, but especially in southern Alberta, farmers have noticed the return of this agricultural scourge once thought resolved.