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Canaryseed for human consumption – who knew?

By admin, December 16, 2011

By Wendy Ell - 

CanaryseedOn December 6-7 in Lethbridge, Alberta farmers, researchers, consultants and ag specialists came together at the Farming Smarter Conference to discuss new market opportunities, branding, industry trends, research findings, innovative practices and on-farm management.

Farming Smarter is the newly formed association and amalgamation of efforts between the Southern Alberta Conservation Association (SACA) and the Southern Applied Research Association (SARA). The new association has committed to continuing on with fall ag conferences in the Alberta areas of Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. The organization plans to soon launch a new website, rich with resource materials and industry information. Their current website outlines their key directives and projects. Look for their new site, set to launch in January of 2012.

This year’s conference discussions included such things as: 2012 grain opportunities and challenges, new commodity markets to watch, recycling on the farm, how best to manage community diseases like the wheat streak mosaic virus and stripe rust (expected to hit Alberta in the spring), good stewardship practices and neighborly actions, the hydrologic response that is showing up from wetlands drainage in Canada, whether the abolition of the Canadian Wheat Board structure will truly bring marketing freedom, and how to use the various social media platforms to your advantage to better build your business. A lot of great discussion!!

Kevin Hursh, writer and ag consultant extraordinaire from Saskatchewan provided a nice statistical look at Canadian Agriculture and did a great job of identifying future opportunities for Alberta area farmers in the audience. He asked guests to take a close look at lentils, biodiesel grains like mustard and to start following along in the R&D process of canaryseed. Programs are currently in process to work with the canaryseed so that it can be made available for human consumption – and moreover, offer a healthy profile to consumers. Those looking for another gluten-free option might want to keep this on their radar. Possible canaryseed uses are sesame seed replacement, specialty starch, and vermicelli noodles.

Tom Droog, a passionate story-teller, gave guests a glimpse into the hurdles and hoops he encountered through the years as he developed his Spitz business into an empire worthy of purchase by one of North America’s most admired snack-food companies, PepsiCo.

Shaun Haney and Gary Chambers, social media participants with media/blog sites http://www.realagriculture.com/ and http://www.tractorview.com/ did a stand-up job of introducing and outlining the primary tools of social media to conference guests. I liked how they started off their presentation outlining the key differences between social media use/adoption (among the ag community) in Canada and the U.S. They explained how the platforms are being used for both animal and environmental activism as well as less intense information sharing about “what is happening on the farm” (marketing, issues, management practices, story sharing). It is successful social media users like Shaun and Gary (and AdFarm, for that matter) that help to shape the online ag discussion in a constructive, rewarding fashion. For those of you on Twitter, you may want to check out hashtag #Agchat, a weekly conversation for folks involved in the business of growing food, fuel, feed and fiber. Discussions take place every Tuesday, 8-10pm ET.

Thanks to Ken Coles and his team at Farming Smarter for a great conference. I look forward to the opportunity of listening in on the discussions again next year!

 

Wendy is the Director of Public Relations with AdFarm. You can reach Wendy via email at wendy.ell@adfarmonline.com or follow her on Twitter at @wendy_PRLady.

Posted in Ag Events, Agronomics, Food Production, Marketing, Social media | 1 Comment »

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Rust Never Sleeps

By admin, April 6, 2011

As a new stem rust pathogen spreads across Africa, world wheat production is threatened

In the mid ‘50s, 40 per cent of western Canada’s wheat crop was wiped out by stem rust, then known as the polio of agriculture. Thanks to Norman Borlaug and the Green Revolution wheat breeders have developed varieties with genes that are resistant to the stem rust with no incidence reported in almost 50 years.

However, a new strain of stem rust – P. graminis – was discovered in Uganda in 1999. Ug99 is able to attack approximately 80 per cent of wheat varieties world-wide, is spread by the wind so it travels very easily.

The pathogen has been found in Ethiopia, Iran, Zimbabwe and South Africa, soon to be knocking on India and China’s doors, the world’s biggest wheat consumers. That’s more than a billion people threatened.  Just a single spore – as tiny as red blood cell – could easily makes it way to North America, latched on to the shirt of an  unsuspecting tourist.

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Unless stopped, the pathogen could wreak havoc on the world’s wheat supply which provides a third of our calories. According to an article in the March 2010 issue of Wired, “a single hectare of infected wheat releases upwards of 10 billion spores, any one of which can cause the epidemic to spread. The circumstances have to be just right, though – the prevailing winds must blow toward an area of wheat cultivation, and the P.graminis spores must survive the airborne journey.”

The race is on to build varieties with resistant genes but it could take as long as 10 years to develop a breeding line. Leading the charge is Cornell University, which recently received a five-year grant of $40 million from the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development (DFID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to combat the disease.

The grant was made to the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat (DRRW)  project at Cornell which is working to identify new stem rust resistant genes in wheat, improve surveillance, and multiply and distribute wheat seed that is rust resistant to farmers.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of the DRRW researchers have distributed new resistant wheat varieties for testing and evaluation in 40 countries. According to Cornell University, they have “have strengthened nurseries in Kenya and Ethiopia for screening wheat for vulnerability to rusts and distributed nearly five tons of Ug99-resistant seed for planting in the at-risk nations of Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.”

Interested in learning more about what’s being done to combat rust? The best place to go is the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative.

Founded by the late Dr. Borlaug in 2005, the initiative is a resource for international research and policy makers about the rusts in wheat.

Ron Wall is constantly on the quest for insights to fuel his relentless creativity. He can be contacted directly at Ron.Wall@adfarmonline.com

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GMO wheat still years away from farmers’ fields

By Haleigh Packer, March 29, 2011

“The train is out of the station,” as Monsanto brings the idea of genetically modified wheat technology to the world market for a second time. Now focusing on DNA traits such as resistance to drought, disease and nitrogen deficiency, Monsanto hopes for more of a welcoming reception than the first time around.

However, Monsanto is not alone in developing new wheat varieties – all the major plant breeding companies have launched wheat breeding programs in the last two years.

Sean Gardner, Monsanto Global Wheat Lead, explained the advantages of biotechnology and what’s in store for wheat in the future to attendees at the FarmTech 2011 conference held in Edmonton earlier this year.

With about 500 million dedicated acres across the globe, wheat is the world’s largest crop.  However, the income from wheat is lower than the crops benefiting from genetically modified technology such as corn, soybeans and cotton.  Based on the acceptance of GM technology in those crops, there is good reason to believe that the same will apply to wheat.

“We can take what we have learned in corn breeding and apply it to wheat,” says Gardner.

However, Monsanto does not intend to bring Roundup Ready wheat as a standalone product; instead the crop DNA will have a mixture of traits such as drought resistance that will result in higher yields. As a result, the genetically modified wheat will increase crop yields up to 10 to 15 per cent.

Because Monsanto is in the early stages of development, field trials aren’t expected to begin for the next couple of years.  It will be at least 13 to 15 years until genetically modified wheat will be on the market.

For the short-term, Monsanto’s focus will be on breeding technology, which has power to drive for higher yield production. The development of combining biotechnology traits such as drought, disease and herbicide resistance is Monsanto’s long-term goal.

Growers in the United States have expressed more interest in this idea compared to Canadian growers but Gardner hopes to that with more cooperation from the Canadian Wheat Board, that attitude will change.

What do you think about genetically modified wheat?

Haleigh Packer is a practicum student in AdFarm’s Calgary office. You can follow her on Twitter @HHKPacker.

Posted in Ag Events, Agronomics, Food Production | 2 Comments »

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Waiting for optimum weather to seed? Don’t hold your breath

By Haleigh Packer, March 25, 2011

This spring, farmers across the province need to be prepared to expect more precipitation coupled with lower-than-average temperatures until the middle of April, says Drew Lerner, senior agriculture meteorologist and president of World Weather Inc.

Speaking at FarmTech 2011 in Edmonton, AB, Lerner reviewed 2010 weather conditions and looked ahead at what’s in store for farmers this year.

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Lerner’s concern for 2011 is that the ground is saturated with high snow cover, which results in flooding. According to Environment Canada the snow blanket across the prairies contains more than 90 millimeters of water, double the average amount of moisture.

According to Lerner, record moisture levels – the highest in 15 years – across the Prairies in 2010 are making 2011 a year of extremes. In Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, forecasted rainy conditions and melting snow are creating flooding worries. In Alberta and western Saskatchewan, farmers will likely see drier conditions.

Why all the moisture? Lerner points out that the planet  is in a La Nina weather pattern, where the sub surface ocean temperatures are decreasing and the planet cools, which produces a greater than average snowfall. Just look at Alberta where the average snow depth in is 30 centimeters, but this winter it was over double that, up to 65 centimeters.

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Global Outlook

The western region of the United States is dry, hindering crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat. Planting delays are affecting eastern areas, because the weather remains cold and wet.

About two-thirds of China’s wheat crop is under irrigation, due to 40 to 60 year drought.

Brazil is receiving a sufficient amount of moisture allowing for a prosperous growing season.

Low crop yields are predicted for Russia, as 25 per cent of the land has not been replenished with moisture from the drought last year.

Argentina is dry, hampering corn crops, but soybean production is still above average.

Haleigh Packer is a practicum student in AdFarm’s Calgary office. You can follow her on Twitter @HHKPacker.

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How farm dust could affect food prices.

By Colin N. Clarke, March 15, 2011

Tractor fieldFarming can be a dusty profession. It’s part of working with the soil and working with the animals. But yours is an honorable profession. Feeding the world, right? So you’re not worrying about government regulation of the dust on your farm, miles from town. But what happens to the farm if governments DO increase regulation on dust? Just ask farmers in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Gary H. Baise wrote an interesting blog post recently, Arizona Loses to EPA on Farm Dust. He outlines how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is monitoring dust conditions and making determinations on how to treat area farms based on their readings. What we learn though, is that the EPA has total control over where they set their monitors. And to the folks in Arizona, they don’t seem to be getting a fair shake with their one monitor located near a dry river bed, a landfill, a sand and gravel operation and empty industrial lots. Regardless, EPA says measurements have exceeded the current PM-10 standard of 150 µg/m3 four times in the last three years and they have authority to start imposing limits and fines. Never mind the 99.73% compliance over three years, or the fact that the four violations were “Exceptional Events” due to high winds, etc.

So here’s the more concerning part of the story. According to National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Bill Donald, the EPA is considering moving forward with a proposed rule to regulate coarse particulate matter (dust) at levels as low as 65-85 µg/m3, TWICE as stringent as the current PM-10 standard. What’s striking, according to Donald, is If EPA moves forward with this, ranchers could be fined for everyday activities like driving down the road, moving cattle or tilling a field.

Do you still think government won’t bother you about dust on your farm?

I visited with Brad Thykeson, Vice President of the North Dakota Grain Growers Association at Commodity Classic. He spoke about emissions standards affecting farmers and the rural versus urban environment:

“I can understand emission standards in heavy traffic areas around cities where thousands of trucks are churning out diesel exhaust and even more automobiles are on the highways. But if you’ve been to a field in North Dakota it’s entirely different. We have some of the cleanest air you’ll ever breathe, and we’re often miles away from population centers. I just don’t see how one diesel tractor or a pickup kicking up dust down the road has the same kind of impact.”

Many in agriculture are watching this closely. As demand for food and commodity prices continues to rise, production efficiency is becoming more and more important. In his blog post Gary H. Baise lists additional practices which may be required in the future, such as dust shrouds around tillage implements and harvesters, spray bars that emit a mist to knock down dust, modifying existing tillage equipment to prevent dust from becoming airborne during tillage and harvesting operations, reducing harvest activity by reducing the number of harvest passes, timing a tillage operation to a time that will minimize soil movement, and reduce the number of trips in to and out of a farm field.

How will all this impact productivity? In turn, how will this impact demand and food prices?

If the EPA gets its way, fines may be frequent and production growth may stall. In the end, it will be both the farmer and the consumer who gets dusted.

Dr. Colin N. Clarke is a senior strategist for AdFarm. Follow him on Twitter @ClarkeAgWorld or on Facebook at Facebook.com/cnclarke

Photo credit to charminbayurr on flickr

Posted in Agronomics, Farm Insights, Food Production | 2 Comments »

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