Learn Innovation from Agriculture Stories in Southern Alberta - April 1

Finding the sweet spot for rolling silage cereals
By Lee Hart 

After two years of Farming Smarter research trials with a third year to go in 2024, results show if you plan to roll wheat and barley silage crops the optimum time is when the crop is at the two to three leaf stage.  

Rolling fields earlier won't necessarily hurt the crop, but for farms exposed to strong spring winds it may leave the soil more vulnerable to wind erosion.  And if you leave field rolling until the three to five tiller stage and certainly into the two-node crop stage there is increased risk of yield reduction...  

Drought: A Southern Alberta Perspective
By Claudette Lacombe 

Drought is a regular occurrence in semi-arid southern Alberta. People that live in the Palliser Triangle expect droughts, recognize they can happen in any year, and research/study ways to survive them.  

“Farming Smarter is always looking at ways we can farm better with a large focus on moisture conservation,” says Ryan Mercer, owner of Mercer Seeds Ltd. in Lethbridge County.  

Even before people moved to the prairies, John Palliser foretold of the drought hardships people living here would experience. A more optimistic John Macoun convinced governments the land would produce and pioneers followed the railroad out across the prairie...   

PEI Cover Crops Boost Soil Health on Potato Farms
By Tim Parent 

Prince Edward Island is well-known for its potato production. The maritime province is home to more than 100 varieties of potatoes thanks to its iron-rich soil and optimal climate.   

Protecting the soil is a priority for the PEI Potato Board. In a rain-fed system with coarse-textured, erodible soils, ensuring optimal soil health and improving soil organic matter is vital to the province’s current and future potato production.

For the last five years, Ryan Barrett, Research and Agronomy Specialist with the PEI Board searched for ways to improve soil health through cover crop implementation. He worked on grower-directed and grower-involved trials around using fall-season and full-season cover crops in potato rotations and shared the data with growers across the country...

New Project Targets Farm Resiliency and Mentorship
By Tim Parent 

Southern Alberta farmers will want to meet Ashley Wagenaar, Farming Smarter conservation agronomist. She is passionate about three things: science, agriculture, and, most importantly, sustainable food production. She has some funding to work one-on-one with 10 farms. 

Wagenaar’s goal is to work closely with 10 farmers/producers to get the most out of the land and soil. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Lethbridge and spent the last decade working in the vegetable processing sector in Alberta and Ontario. She advocates for creating healthy and sustainable food production for all.

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