聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The South East Research Farm (SERF) located southeast of Redvers is one of eight Agriculture Applied Research Management (Agri-ARM) sites in the province. Focused on keeping up with the ever changing agricultural industry, SERF has been hard at work this year. Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 6, was manager Lana Shaw a few interested individuals in a late-season crop plot tour.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Some of the main features this year included work with intercropping and cover crops. The late-season tour included walks through corn trials, a corn soybean mix forage demo, chickpea flax intercrop, sunflowers variety trials, tillage radishes, and mustard trials, as well as millet varieties.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This year we looked at grain crops and cover crops, so this time of year is good to get out there because the grain crop has been cut and the cover crops are growing,鈥� Shaw explained. 鈥淐over crops need moisture later in the year and sunshine. They鈥檙e intended to build soil and nutrients, either putting nitrogen back in the soil or helping relocate nitrogen; they can stop weeds from growing which just take nutrients and it can lessen the need for fertilizer and spraying. So, we鈥檙e very interested here on the implications of cover crops.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎s long as it鈥檚 not taking the yield away from the cash crop, then it might be worth a closer look. If we can maintain or even increase yields while using less chemical fertilizer then we鈥檙e happy to spend time pursuing that.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Shaw also explained that this type of research may be more important in coming years as the carbon tax could affect chemical fertilizer pricing. Natural gas stores hydrogen, which when combined with nitrogen creates ammonia, which is the foundation of nitrogen fertilizer.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at maintaining or increasing food production while using less urea or chemical fertilizer and less fungicide,鈥� Shaw said. 鈥淥ver time plants can develop a resistance to chemicals, so finding a different way to manage crops and reduce production risks is at the top of our list. It鈥檚 leading us down some innovative avenues here.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 One of the other focuses this year at the research farm was intercropping.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚ntercropping is not new, but it鈥檚 definitely not main stream,鈥� Shaw explained. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of interest particularly amongst commercial growers right now. Being able to seed and harvest two crops together, it鈥檚 a very exciting time for agronomy.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淟earning the best techniques in this is important. One of our trials for intercropping included chickpeas and flax. When people see two crops growing together though others assume it was a mistake, that it wasn鈥檛 intentionally done, so one of the biggest things to overcome is your neighbours thinking you鈥檙e a little crazy.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚f we can help you produce more and make money while doing it, then that鈥檚 what we want to do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Currently the research farm has 90 percent of its crops off and will, weather permitting, harvest the remainder.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For more information on SERF鈥檚 findings regarding cover crops and intercropping contact Lana Shaw at (306)452-3161 or email her at [email protected].
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n 2010 this particular research farm was on life support, there wasn鈥檛 much going on with the program, we were at a quarter of the research we鈥檙e doing now,鈥� Shaw explained. 鈥淲e鈥檙e bringing in different crops and attracting good research funding for proper scientific trials; we鈥檙e generating a database that could be published in a scientific journal, but what鈥檚 at the top of our list is how do we benefit farmers? We鈥檝e expanded the farm, so we鈥檙e not limited to this quarter; we鈥檝e had plots near Moosomin, Halbrite, and Langbank over the past few years which makes us relevant to farmers across the southeast.鈥�
