Grainswest - Spring 2023

Spring 2023 Grains West 40 in 2021, just 34 per cent of Prairie wheat farmers said they sampled annually. “It has stayed at that level for about the past five years,” said Cotton. Adoption of variable rate practices also falls short. In 2021, for example, 20 per cent of Prairie farmers varied their rate by field. However, 15 per cent used advanced 4R best management practices in variable rate application. “Increasing that adoption would help ensure fertilizers are going down in the right place,” said Cotton. 4R CERTIFICATION Farmers adopt 4R management practices for several reasons. In Western Canada the top-three drivers are to improve soil quality and nutrient availability, to use the best environmental stewardship practices and to increase economic returns. Barriers to adoption include lack of proven benefit, lack of incentive and added expense. Farmer and Alberta Wheat Commission region 1 director Dean Hubbard is a firm believer in 4R nutrient stewardship. His farm was verified by a 4R-designated agronomist. Such certified professionals provide recommendations on nutrient management plans. Once the agronomist or Certified Crop Adviser has verified the farmer’s use of 4R principles, FEATURE those acres are counted and the number submitted to Fertilizer Canada. Hubbard would like to see more farmers utilize the verification process. “This is what we need to do to prove to the federal government we’re on the right track,” he said. Hubbard farms 3,000 acres of wheat, canola, peas and flax near Claresholm. Since 1995, he has taken soil samples every year but one. “What I’ve found valuable is watching growth in our organic matter and how it’s affecting pH and the stability of nutrients. As our organic matter builds, we’re finding we have a better pool of nitrogen and phosphorus.” Until recently, Hubbard utilized variable rate as well, but has backed off the practice. “Since about 2017 it has been so dry here,” he said. “For the cost of the extra analysis it was hard to see the benefit. Hopefully we get some rainfall returning. I would certainly go back to variable rate.” According to Cotton, such flexibility is the plan’s linchpin. “That’s the beauty of the program and why we really push for the 4Rs as a holistic framework. If we promote one singular practice over another it restricts farmers’ options. That’s not something we want to do.” Farmers can choose from a multitude of sustainable practices to deliver return on their fertilizer dollars, she added. RESEARCH AND POLICY Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada senior research scientist Brian Beres has conducted several studies to evaluate the efficacy of the 4Rs in wheat and canola. A current study examines the integration of nitrogen fertilizer technologies with superior genetics (AC Stettler and AAC Viewfield) to optimize protein in CWRS wheat without comprising yield, environmental health or the 4R principles. The goal is to determine the benefit of enhanced efficiency fertilizers [EEF] in CWRS wheat production and to calculate potential emissions reductions benefits, if any. Preliminary results of the five-year study, which wraps up later this year, were published in an interim report in 2022. The report indicated rate, form, placement and timing all impacted grain yield and protein at most of seven study locations. The plots represent the multiple growing environments in Alberta and Saskatchewan. In general, nitrogen applied with a nitrification inhibitor produced higher grain yield and protein in most growing environments and reduced nitrous oxide emissions by between 33 and 56 per cent. The results suggest nitrification inhibitors may improve nutrient uptake in wheat. Intriguingly, AC Stettler showed higher grain protein and lower yield in comparison to AAC Viewfield, while the response of these cultivars differed with application and nitrogen form. The results suggest there is potential to target nitrogen forms to optimize nitrogen management by CWRS cultivar type. The study also found both nitrogen placement and timing impacted yield and protein. However, optimum timing varied between site years. “What’s interesting is we’re not seeing the same benefits of GHG reductions with EEF in winter wheat,” said Beres. “Either we’re not collecting the greenhouse gases at the right time to observe similar levels of emissions or there’s just something about the winter wheat lifecycle in general where you don’t get the kind of emissions one “Because we won’t see positive returns on a 30 to 40 per cent premium for EEFs in every year and environment, widespread adoption requires some sort of incentive. You can’t ask a farmer to absorb the full cost of GHG mitigation.” — Brain Beres