Grainswest - Spring 2022

LET’S MAKE IT TO Watch for details about new 2022 recycling collection sites for jugs in Alberta and Manitoba. Check with cleanfarms.ca and your local retailer. In 2022, recycle every jug Find a collection location near you at cleanfarms.ca info@cleanfarms.ca @cleanfarms Cleanfarms’ recycling programs help Canadian farmers take care of their land for present and future generations. By taking empty containers (jugs, drums and totes) to nearby collection sites, farmers proudly contribute to a sustainable community and environment. When recycling jugs, every one counts. Ask your ag retailer for an ag collection bag, fill it with rinsed, empty jugs and return to a collection site. And, go to cleanfarms.ca to find out about recycling empty seed, pesticide and inoculant bags in your province. Scan to learn more! ai164372830810_CFARMS_21-282_western-ad_E_Grainwest copy.pdf 1 2022-02-01 10:11 AM selves most obviously to fertigation, it may also prove possible to apply dried bacteria to farmland. Researchers will also need to ensure the safety of bacterial application. While the specific cyanobacteria used by the research team is non-toxic, similar strains can produce significant levels of cyanotox- in. “We need more evaluation about what triggers that production, the residence time [of the toxin] in soil and the impact it might have on crops,” said Alvarez. The production of cyanobacteria for fertilization could dovetail well with ad- ditional applications, said Sharon Weyers, a USDA soil research scientist involved in the study. The algae could harvest nutrients from wastewater. As well, its oil content could be removed for bio-fuel pro- duction with the remaining nitrogen-rich biomass being applied to farm fields. “You could consider it a way to close the loop,” said Weyers. “In terms of carbon sequestration, you’d not only be taking up biomass and applying it to the land, you’d be mitigating climate change by fixing CO2 because you have to grow the algae. And, just as it’s a way to mitigate climate change, it’s also a way to mitigate water pollution.” In the long-run, said Alvarez, farmers might even grow their own cyanobacteria to diversify land use and maximize farm productivity. “There is a lot of promise in the future, but much work lies ahead.” “Just as it’s a way to mitigate climate change, it’s also a way to mitigate water pollution.” —SharonWeyers