Grainswest - Spring 2022

Spring 2022 grainswest.com 43 PMRA needs. If we have non-detects for 60 pesticides, they want to know which five or six pesticides may have been used on that field. Farmers provide that pesticide use history and we can then say, ‘yes, this pesticide was applied and it did not show up in the wetland.’” The scope of the study required the participating lab to develop detection methods for 27 commonly used pesticides. The results of its analyses will be fed into an online data portal where the information will be available to the PMRA. In fact, users will be able to view all of the collected data pertaining to these wetlands. The PMRA will be presented with all of the collected data pertaining to these wetlands. This will include the date and type of products sprayed and the accompanying wind conditions. The species and characteristics of the plants that inhabit the filter strips, as well as insects, birds and other wildlife associated with these areas will also be noted. Konschuh was keen to volunteer the use of her farm’s wetland acres for the project. Farmers contribute to environmental stewardship with the ecosystem services they provide, such as no-till practices and the addition of carbon to the soil, she said. “But when it comes to the inputs we’re spraying on our fields, there may be changes in practice we can employ to benefit and protect wetlands so they also continue to provide ecosystem services. If we have the information to do that, we can make better decisions.” Her main reason for participation is the preservation of chemistry options. In the past, when the PMRA has released a proposed decision on usage, it has been based on modelling that did not necessarily take Prairie conditions and farm practices into account. Stakeholders had 90 days to collect their own risk assessment data and respond. The collection of this data in advance puts the entire regulation process on better footing. “If you’re making decisions off an incomplete data set, that’s not accurate or not applicable to the western Canadian environment; there can be terrible impacts for farmers in terms of the products they have access to,” said Konschuh. As proof the process works, she cited a two-year wetland study conducted by the Canadian Canola Growers Association and the Canola Council of Canada to assess the impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment. It indicated very low levels of chemistry are present in wetland waters when seeding is carried out right up to the buffer strip. “That data allowed us to retain the use of seed treatments as farmers,” she said. While the collection of this data is certainly valuable to farmers, Webster said wetlands themselves play a role in carbon sequestration and climate change adaptation that is likewise useful. “No-till is recognized as a way to sequester carbon in farming. If managed properly, wetlands are able to sequester a lot more carbon at a much faster rate.” They also help mitigate flooding by soaking up water and hold onto it in times of drought, she added. “It’s important to understand the good they can do for everyone.” As part of the ongoing stewardship study, Hayley Webster assesses the plant species found in the buffer area of the target wetlands. Due to drought conditions, some of the wetlands studied dried up completely over the summer of 2021 but yielded plenty of data. Aerial photos: Courtesy of Nevin Rosaasen.