GrainsWest Winter 2020

Winter 2020 grainswest.com 29 However, since the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) changed a set of regulations on April 1, 2013—no fooling— sifting through bogus and bona fide is ever-onerous. “Then we had the floodgate of companies coming in, then we see wild claims. It brought out that paintbrush,” he said. FREE MARKET ECONOMY Changes to the CFIA’s Fertilizers Regulations in 2013 were supposed to be a good thing. The series of changes was meant to streamline operations and create efficiencies. If every other industry is a river, then agriculture is a glacier. It moves slowly and change is most often gradual. But when the CFIA pipped its product quality and performance requirements to focus on regulatory oversight on product safety, the glacier began to thaw. Moreover, the CFIA’s removal of efficacy requirements, designed to let the industry and marketplace self-regulate product performance, has seen a large increase in products come to the public. This was a big mistake if you ask Rigas Karamanos, a PhD soil scientist with 40 years of expertise in Western Canada’s dirt. Like many farmers, he asks an obvious question. “The bottom line is where is the proof that these products are working?” he said. “Has proof been established? In many instances, no.” With more than 400 academic papers bearing his name as a principal or contributor, Karamanos has spoken to thousands of farmers about soil-based research findings over the years. He consistently points out the lack of systematic research that would legitimize many of these products. “There is no harm with any of them other than to the pocket,” he said of the pricy compounds. “At the rates they are being applied it doesn’t make any difference.” While he does believe certain products may show positive results in patches of Western Canada, to label something as a surefire winner no matter what soil type is simply nonsensical. Similarly, Larocque knows many elemental offerings are, at the very least, harmless, but that’s not helping farmers decide what might fit at the farm. “Every product has a yield increase attached to it,” he said. “If you apply X you get X returns. If that were the case, we’d yield 300 times more.” He believes seed priming and micronutrients are more art than science and said farm to farm and field to field there will be expected variance. Larocque said he has often been exposed to scrapbook sessions in which salespeople show him side-by-side comparisons of plants where one has a decidedly larger root system, which he’s then told means it’s a superior product. “There’s no economic data, no yield data, just photos, which are pretty, but don’t pay the bills and don’t help me make a decision,” he said. Of all the products he’s tried over the years, and there are plenty, less than 10 per cent pass his First Five inspection (see sidebar). Larocque does believe, however, something such as inoculants, especially on pulses, are vital and sees no reason why farmers shouldn’t try them out. FIRST FIVE HOW TO QUICKLY SEPARATE SEED PRIMING FACT FROM FICTION Independent agronomist Steve Larocque loves testing new products and giving farmers the straight goods on what’s hot and what’s not. A skeptic with a smile, Larocque is the first person to put up his hand to give something a try. He happily accepts tried-and-true field results that challenge his hypotheses. He offers farmers his First Five, a set of questions everyone should ask themselves about a seed dressing, micronutrient or biological product they’re considering to purchase and utilize. 1. What is the science behind the product? A product that’s sexy and flashy may seem impressive but won’t get you very far and harvest will be particularly disappointing. 2. What problem is it solving? Many times, people are given a solution to a problem they didn’t know they had. If the product falls into this category, it could be a sign you may not need it. 3. Does the product have third-party data to back up its claim(s)? It’s not a surprise that every single year, every seed company’s varieties all sweep to victory during trials. Similarly, when a product touts its own internal research and says it’s wonderful, this should raise a warning flag. Verified, third-party science is out there, ready to prove or disprove a product’s utility. 4. What does it cost? Further to this question, what are the projected returns? If you’re making an appreciable investment in a product, be sure the returns are there, too. 5. How is it applied? Is it very simple or extremely complex? Be prepared that certain products are quite hands-on and require extra care compared to others.