Grainswest - Tech 2024

Tech 2024 Grains West 40 clear regulatory requirements and processes incentivize biological manufacturers to set up shop in Canada. The major players have, in recent years, invested heavily in the development of new biological products, which signals they’re here to stay. “In my experience, these are very savvy companies which are very good at reading market drivers,” said Petelle. “The fact so many of them have made very significant expenditures in this area tells me this isn’t just a passing fad.” Their presence in the marketplace should further reassure farmers of the efficacy of these products, he added. “Companies like Bayer, Syngenta, Corteva and our other members can’t afford to be putting products that just don’t work in the hands of farmers.” CREDIBILITY AND TRUST For 15 years prior to entering the agricultural biologicals business in 2016, Joshua Day Chief, CEO of AdvancedAG, conducted post-secondary research on the use of microbes in wastewater management. Through his experience at parent company AdvancedWater, he knew microbes could be used to cycle nutrients in wastewater and wondered if the same function could be performed in crop production. He also learned farmers in developing nations have used microbial mixtures in banana and pineapple production to enhance yield and quality and boost disease resistance. He imported this biotechnology via a U.S. supplier to assess its potential use in broadacre farming. “We started doing research on these particular bacteria to see how we could use them to make nutrients more available to plants,” said Day Chief, whose company is in Raymond. In 2016, a 50-acre field trial with peas just outside Medicine Hat produced an obvious positive response, unfortunately the crop was hailed out before data could be collected. “But there was something there, and the farmer saw that,” said Day Chief. The next year, AdvancedAG conducted more replicated trials to determine how best to apply the product, at what rate and to which crops. Though initial results were positive, more research was needed to allow the company to determine how the bacteria interact with plants to Inspired by his work in wastewater management where microbes are used to cycle nutrients, AdvancedAG CEO Joshua Day Chief suspected they could perform the same function in crop production. Photo: Courtesy of AdvancedAG. FEATURE