The seed is in the ground and we were waiting for rain. Fortunately, over 2.5 inches has fallen since June 8. The ever-present wind however has hampered spraying efforts but we finally succeeded in spraying the fall-seeded SMART canola field that is looking quite lush but unfortunately it's not canola!!
The fall-seeded canola (Arrow and 46A73) came up very spotty - or so we thought - until June 3 when we were scouting for weeds and saw it coming up like gangbusters. After digging up a few plants, it was deduced that the seeding depth on the drill had not been reset for canola and as a result, the canola was seeded at least one inch deep. But dumb luck was on our side again as this oversight meant later germination and that meant the crop missed the killing frosts. I tell you, we have a secret supply of horseshoes.
Another problem discovered that day was that many of the runs were plugged when the barley (AC Metcalfe 2-row malting) was seeded. So the non-seeded portions were seeded, three weeks after the initial seeding, a new version of strip farming. But with the onset of some warm weather, the later seeded crop should almost catch up to the earlier one. If it doesn't, there is a neighbour down the road who has a 12' swather . . .
Within the field of spring-seeded Arrow canola, there are six canola seed treatments demonstrated at the farm this year: Gaucho Platinum, Adjust + Foundation Lite, Counter 5G + Vitavax, Helix, Vitavax RS and Virosoft-BA3, a biological control for bertha armyworms. Each plot is about 2.5 acres large and should show some good comparisons.
Last fall problems continued with the pump on the liquid fertilizer tank (insufficient volume) while seeding the canola. This spring, to ensure the crop has access to the recommended levels of nutrients, the lacking fertilizer was coultered into the Arrow canola and will be dribbled onto the SMART canola sometime before bolt. Liquid sulphur will also be dribbled onto a plot in the canola.
Another demonstration is the application of Accord on the Arrow canola together with Roundup and Lontrel. Split applications of Ronilan will also be demonstrated later this summer. As well, there are plots of Liberty Link fall-seeded canola and bromoxynil-resistant Cartier canola (Navigator system). Other new products on the farm include DB-Green seed treatment and Everest herbicide (in combination with DyVel DS) in hard red spring wheat.
The field of 2573 Invigor canola was seeded, varying the rate of nitrogen. Two polygons of high and low residual nitrogen were identified based on the grid soil samples done last fall. Phosphate was applied as granular fertilizer; nitrogen and sulphur as liquid. The variable rate prescription was applied to the liquid fertilizer. Therefore, the sulphur rates also varied with the nitrogen. The nitrogen level varied between 80# N and 40# N while the sulphur varied between 13# S and 7# S. The variable rate prescription was applied to one-half of the field with the other half receiving the Enviro-Test recommended rates. It will be interesting to see any differences during harvest this fall.
Other demonstrations include:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will continue their research trials on disease, landscape and fertilizer rates. The University of Saskatchewan will be collecting data on their alfalfa inoculant plots.
Our school program continues to grow, by the end of June, 1,000 students will have visited the CLC - a 33% increase from last May and June!! We have also been approached by a variety of other groups for programs: 4-H, Boy Scouts, environment clubs, EnviroThon competitors (who won the soils component at the Western Canadian competition based on what they learned from Jason Fradette during their visit to the CLC), Saskatchewan Home School Association and an English Immersion group from Hong Kong. Again we thank the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission for their commitment to educating our youth.
As you can see, we have a number of interesting projects for 2000. We welcome all visitors and encourage groups to contact us if they would like a tour arranged.
We thank those who furnish us with suggestions for projects and sincerely appreciate the continued support of our partners and sponsors.