Coles Ag, Author at Manitoba Crop Alliance

Joanne Thiessen Martens, assistant professor, University of Manitoba

Coles Ag on August 21, 2024

Now an assistant professor of soil chemistry and fertility in the department of soil science at the University of Manitoba (U of M), Joanne Thiessen Martens previously completed her undergraduate studies at the U of M in agriculture and food sciences. She completed her bachelor of science in agroecology before she began working, and later returned to complete her PhD in soil science. She lives in Winnipeg with her husband and their two young-adult children.

Where did you work before U of M?

Before my current position, I worked in the U of M’s department of plant science in the Natural Systems Agriculture Lab under Dr. Martin Entz. I worked there as a technician and research associate for quite a few years.

What is the best part about your job?

There are a lot of great things about my job, but it comes down to working with ideas – whether those ideas are from students in class, farmers we are working with, colleagues in the department or across the country, discussions at conferences or reading literature. I love thinking about all the ideas people produce and the ways they test those hypotheses. It is the creativity that is interesting.

Tell us a bit about what you are working on at U of M.

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is co-funding a cover crop study my master’s student Jessica Frey and I are working on. Jessica is a technician at the Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation and was interested in seeing how we could create a cover crop system that would be easy for farmers to implement and still provide benefits in our short season growing area.

At sites at Roblin and Carberry, we are trialing seeding an overwintering legume cover crop like alfalfa, red clover or white clover with wheat or another cereal in the first year, and then allowing that to continue to grow as a living mulch in the crop in the second year, with the second crop being canola.

This project is now into the second year. The idea is that the cover crop is seeded at the same time as the wheat in one pass while considering the herbicide packages that will hopefully suppress the weeds without killing the cover crop. We hope to see some nitrogen benefits from it, as well as all the other benefits you get from cover crops, such as soil cover in the fall and early spring and living roots in the soil supporting soil health.

Another project partially funded by MCA is focused on organic farmers and addressing phosphorus deficiencies, as well as a high-level interest in recycling different materials in a circular bioeconomy. We would like to create a phosphorus-enriched compost with a much higher concentration of phosphorus than a normal compost. We would do that by composting some sort of organic waste (yard waste, food waste or manure) together with a mineral phosphorus input – either struvite, which is recovered from municipal wastewater, or rock phosphate. Hopefully, we can create this phosphorus-enriched compost using recycled products.

We are beginning the composting process with our partner Enviroclean Landfill Solutions Ltd. in Morden, which does in-vessel (very rapid) composting. Next, we will be evaluating those compost products for their nutrient profile, as well as their degradation of any contaminants that would be in any of those feedstocks before we go into field testing in 2025.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

It is incredibly important. Funding from farmers keeps us, as researchers, grounded. Research has a couple important roles to play. One is addressing the challenges farmers are currently facing. That is where support from farmers through MCA is crucial. But also, funding from farmers through MCA shows their willingness to support a broad range of research, understanding that we are tackling problems they see right now, as well as new issues that may be coming down the pipe.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

We aim to keep our research practical so it can benefit farmers in the challenges that they see every day and in the future. Researchers can take on some of the risk in thinking about the questions that may become important in our future and investigate them before they impact farmers. Thank you, farmers, for your support and to the commodity groups for your collaborative support of research.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

My hobbies are remarkably like my work. I like reading, gardening and being outdoors. When I have time, I like to fit in a bit of music. I play piano and I have started learning to play bass guitar.

How do you celebrate agriculture?

There is a part of me that celebrates agriculture every time I eat something. I have spent most of my life here in Canada, but I lived in Brazil for a few years and saw mangoes and coconuts on trees, and I visited Malawi in Africa and saw products quite different to home like peanut plants. Now when I eat my granola bar with peanuts, I think about those peanut fields and the people growing them. That connection of food to agriculture every day is a little celebration.

What are you excited about for the future of your sector/agriculture?

What I am most excited about is seeing how our understanding of ecological processes and technology come together, and how we can harness both those types of knowledge to enhance each other. I also see exciting opportunities for the agricultural systems that come out of bringing together different types of knowledge.

Maryse Bourgault, assistant professor, University of Saskatchewan

Coles Ag on July 15, 2024

WEB_Maryse-Bourgault---CREDIT-Christina-Weese

Maryse Bourgault lives in Saskatoon, where she is an assistant professor and the Western Grains Research Foundation Integrated Agronomy Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan. She completed her bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences at McGill University in Montreal then started a master’s degree that she later upgraded to a PhD. She then completed her first postdoc with CSIRO, Australia’s national science organization in Brisbane, followed by her second postdoc at the University of Melbourne.

Where did you work before the University of Saskatchewan?

I was working at Montana State University as an assistant professor based at the Northern Agricultural Research Center in Havre, Montana. Before that, I was working as an extension agronomist with the Queensland State Department of Primary Industries and Forestry. Altogether, I spent nine years in Australia. I was only supposed to be there for seven months to finish my PhD and I ended up getting my citizenship, so I can retire on a beach someday!

What got you interested in this area of work?

Being an environment student, I had an obvious passion to make sure our existence on earth is not destroying the environment for everybody else. I was doing a minor in international development and when you go into a community to try and help people, the first thing you address is their basic needs. People need to eat before they will be convinced to the protect the environment.

Basic needs are fundamental and unless you address these, you can push as much as you want on environmental measures, but it is not going to have much impact. That is how I became interested in agriculture. I did a master’s where we were lucky to be sent to Uzbekistan, where they deal a lot with irrigation. Unfortunately, the expansion of irrigation led to the disappearance of the Aral Sea, so they are actively looking to reduce irrigation water use while maintaining agricultural productivity.

I started with irrigation and looking at the environmental impact it had compared to environments like Australia where there is next to no irrigation, yet they are still able to grow plenty of wheat and different crops. I became really interested in dryland agriculture and investigating how we can improve it. A lot of our current irrigation systems depend on water that comes from glaciers, and we know that a lot of glaciers are disappearing. You and I may not see this, but our grandchildren will probably see a world where irrigation water isn’t there, unless we do something to change and reverse that situation.

Tell us a bit about what you are working on at the university.

In a current project, Making cover crops work with grain cropping systems in the Canadian Prairies, partially funded by Manitoba Crop Alliance, I am collaborating with Yvonne Lawley (University of Manitoba) and Linda Gorim (University of Alberta) to investigate how to include cover crops into no-till conventional farming.

In this experiment we are trying different cover crop establishment timings and different cover crop species in canola and wheat. The idea is to enable farmers to incorporate cover crops and their benefits into current cropping systems. The concern is always that we have limited moisture in the Prairies, and if you are growing a plant then presumably that plant is using some of that water. So, can we have enough of those benefits, with nitrogen inputs for example, to compensate? Or can we improve rainfall infiltration to compensate for the water use those plants are using? That is where we are trying to make it work in current systems.

With the chair position, I am trying to have a systems approach to research. Instead of testing one product or one solution to deal with a problem, we are looking at how to design the entire cropping systems in time and space. This means crop rotations, but also testing systems like intercropping, cover crops, and reintegrating forage and livestock into grain production systems. I tend to say that we try things that might fail for farmers, because my salary isn’t linked to our results, so we can afford to try things and try again, until we make it work.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

Farmer participation and financial contributions to our research are quite important. In our research we are looking at practices, so we do not have a patentable product to sell afterwards or another revenue source that can fund continuing research. Most of the funding we receive comes from farmers, and I think it is useful for scientists to know the questions that we are investigating and the funding we have are because farmers are also interested.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

Well, sometimes failures are just as useful for farmers as practices that are successful. There are financial risks involved with some of these practices that we can evaluate and take those risks on to learn collectively and share the results with farmers. In our research we hope we can provide better solutions or possibilities to farmers.

Compared to other places in the world, Canadian farmers are quite involved and supportive of our research, so thank you! It makes a significant difference to our research, our knowledge and research careers because there are many interesting opportunities.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

I garden, which is a bit stereotypical for a plant scientist, but I don’t water my plants a lot! I often joke that is why I decided to investigate drought, because I am too lazy at watering my plants. I am also a big reader.

Who or what inspires you?

Students inspire me. It sounds cliché when teachers say it, but it is true. We get into these conversations in class, and I am amazed because as scientists, sometimes we become a little cynical with all the admin and “boring stuff” in the background that can get a bit too much at times, but students have such fresh ideas and optimism about the future. That inspires me.

What is the best piece of advice you have received?

Perhaps this person didn’t think that this would be so important in my life, but someone told me once it is important to think about what you really want in life. I know it sounds a little generic, but often we go through life one step after the other and keep running that hamster wheel. It is important to stop, think and figure out exactly what makes you happy and what you want to do with your life because it goes faster than you think.

After 30 years of farming, becoming a delegate with Manitoba Crop Alliance showed how much I had left to learn

Coles Ag on July 12, 2024

By Jonothan Hodson

When you’ve been farming your whole life, it’s easy to think you’ve seen and done it all – that there’s nothing else for you to learn about the job or the industry. Thanks to my decision six years ago to put my name forward to become a director for the Manitoba Corn Growers Association, I’m happy to report that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Like many farmers, my introduction to agriculture happened when I was young, growing up on the family farm. I spent some time away to go to university, and then to live and work in New Zealand for a growing season to learn about agriculture there, before returning to the family farm, where I’ve been for the last three plus decades. Through it all, I was extremely curious about the industry and thought about getting more involved, but it still took a bit of a coincidence for me to take the leap.

Six years ago, I was at the CropConnect Conference when I heard that the Manitoba Corn Growers Association was looking for new farmers to join its ranks. I said I might be interested, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was in. When Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) was formed in 2020 from the amalgamation of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association and four other crop commodity organizations, I stayed on to become a delegate of MCA’s corn crop committee, and then had the privilege to be nominated to serve as one of the inaugural directors for the organization.

I understand there are a lot of reasons people are reluctant to put their name forward. You might be nervous you’re not going to be able to offer much or feel like your opinion might not be needed, but that isn’t at all the case. In fact, it was completely the opposite. The committee and the organization were very welcoming from day one and showed me there was nothing to worry about. My input and perspectives were valued, and it quickly became clear each member of the organization had something unique to offer.

MCA staff are there to support you every step of the way and answer any questions you might have. They are passionate about finding innovative ways to help producers in the province now and into the future, and it feels meaningful to be a part of that important work.

One reason I encourage all farmers to get involved is to help determine where your check-off dollars are invested. Ensuring those investments align with the priorities of farmer members across the province is a major responsibility and one I don’t take lightly. The second reason is just as valuable: becoming a delegate is an incredible opportunity for personal growth.

My time as an MCA delegate has been an amazing learning experience. Manitoba is a diverse province, with many different climates, soils and types of crops being grown. As a result, I leave every crop committee and board meeting having learned something I didn’t know before from one of my fellow delegates or directors. Since 2018, my personal development has been dramatic, taking me from a delegate on the corn crop committee to an MCA director and now to an additional role as a director with the Grain Growers of Canada. During that time, everything I learned about agriculture in Manitoba and across Canada has made me a better farmer and a better advocate for our industry.

None of this would have been possible without taking the first step. As my dad always said, “You can’t finish until you start.” Looking back with those wise words in mind, my only regret is that I didn’t get involved sooner.

So, don’t make the same mistake I did – regardless of where in the province you call home, how long you’ve been farming or how much you think you know, the time to “start” is now.

Jonothan Hodson is a director and corn crop committee delegate with Manitoba Crop Alliance, as well as a director with the Grain Growers of Canada. He and his family farm near Lenore, MB.

Prairie FHB Risk Map Info Update July 2024

Coles Ag on July 12, 2024

The Prairie Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) Risk Map interactive tool provides information on the risk of FHB, Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) and deoxynivalenol (DON) for spring wheat, durum, winter wheat and barley across the agricultural region of the Canadian Prairies.

The new FHB risk maps indicate varying risk levels between crop types, which is expected. For example, the durum and barley maps have been showing a low risk for FHB while spring wheat maps have been showing a higher risk level. These risk levels are contrary to what producers expect, especially for durum, as it is more susceptible to FHB than spring wheat.

The risk model algorithms were developed independently of each other and were selected based on their individual statistical accuracy. Significant efforts have been and continue to be made to ensure the risk maps represent risk accurately for different cereal crops and regions of the prairies. The risk maps are based on air temperature, humidity, and precipitation levels reported at weather stations. Each algorithm uses different weather parameters, including air temperature, humidity, and precipitation levels reported at weather stations. As a result, the risk level determined at a given location and a given day can vary between the different models for each crop and risk type.

For instance, FHBi risk was best predicted in durum when humidity is above 80 per cent and temperature is between 15-30°C. For barley, the selected parameters are rainfall and temperature between 25-28°C. While spring wheat risk is based on maximum relative humidity and temperature. The algorithms selected for each crop best represented the risk to that crop over the past five years.

It is important to note that if your field is irrigated, the risk level displayed on this map may not be representative for your field. The FHB risk level on irrigated fields is normally higher than that shown on this map because the weather data input does not account for irrigation practices that have an influence on parameters that influence fusarium.

Until the start of July 2024, we did not have many hours that meet both conditions to hit the high-risk thresholds for the maps for durum and barley. This reinforces that the FHB risk maps are a tool that should be used in conjunction with daily field scouting, field history, crop rotation, crop stage, economics and the producers’ own individual risk tolerance.

If you want to discuss the maps further, please contact your provincial cereal crop commissions or pathologists.

Meet Manitoba Crop Alliance’s inaugural high school bursary recipients

Coles Ag on July 10, 2024

MCA_2023-24 High School Bursary Recipients Graphic_Twitter

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is proud to support agriculture’s next generation. MCA’s bursary program is designed to assist with the financial needs of students pursuing education in a field that will benefit the agriculture sector.

Six graduating high school students from Manitoba have been awarded with bursaries valued at $1,000 each. The six bursary recipients are Alara Krahn from Mather, Laura Delichte from St. Alphonse, Riley Jorgensen from Cromer, Madisyn Robertson from Neepawa, Zenith Vanstone from Miami, and Evan Whetter from Alexander.

“I’d like to offer my sincere congratulations to our inaugural high school bursary recipients and wish them well in their continued studies,” says MCA Chair Robert Misko. “MCA is committed to supporting agriculture’s next generation and expanding our bursary program is one way we have demonstrated that commitment.”

To qualify for these bursaries, applicants did not need to be continuing into an agriculture-specific program. However, they did need to clearly articulate how their continued studies would help them benefit the agriculture industry.

An independent selection committee was contracted to evaluate the applicants based on their connection to or interest in agriculture, how they hope to use their education to benefit the agriculture industry, and their academics and writing skills.

This year, the selection committee included Adelle Gervin, program manager with Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba; Sonia Wilson, oilseeds specialist with Manitoba Agriculture; and Santosh Kumar, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Brandon Research and Development Centre.

Gervin graduated with a bachelor of science in agriculture (animal systems) from the University of Manitoba in 2019. She strives to educate today’s youth on our agricultural story and show them her perspective as a cattle rancher and “agvocate.”

Wilson recently started her role with Manitoba Agriculture, which includes focusing on special crops such as flax and sunflower. She has a background in agriculture focused on plant genetics and research.

Kumar completed his master’s degree at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, India, before moving to Canada for his PhD. As a PhD student at the University of Manitoba, he worked on barley physiology and genetics. His current area of research includes wheat variety development, climate resilience and clean environment trait introgression, and targeted trait manipulation.

Thank you to the selection committee for evaluating the bursary applications and congratulations to the recipients!

Learn more about this year’s recipients

Manitoba Crop Alliance awards inaugural high school bursaries

Coles Ag on July 10, 2024

July 10, 2024 (Carman, MB) – Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) has awarded six graduating high school students from Manitoba with bursaries valued at $1,000 each. The six bursary recipients are Alara Krahn from Mather, Laura Delichte from St. Alphonse, Riley Jorgensen from Cromer, Madisyn Robertson from Neepawa, Zenith Vanstone from Miami, and Evan Whetter from Alexander.

MCA established these bursaries to assist graduating high school students within the province of Manitoba who are planning on continuing their education at a Canadian college or university in a field that will benefit the agriculture sector. MCA also awards annual bursaries valued at $2,000 each to post-secondary students enrolled in agricultural programs within the province of Manitoba

For more information about the MCA bursary program and to read biographies of the recipients, visit mbcropalliance.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
Manitoba Crop Alliance
403-589-3529
cole@mbcropalliance.ca

^{About Manitoba Crop Alliance:}^{Manitoba Crop Alliance is a non-profit organization established Aug. 1, 2020, representing more than 7,700 farmer members. Manitoba Crop Alliance puts their farmer members first and strives to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of all crops represented by the organization by focusing on four main areas: research, agronomy, market access and development, and communications. It is through investment in these key areas that Manitoba Crop Alliance can ensure wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax are sustainable production choices for Manitoba farmers. For more information, visit mbcropalliance.ca.}

Identifying heading and flowering growth stages in wheat and barley for FHB spray timing

Coles Ag on July 8, 2024

Identifying wheat and barley growth stages is integral for proper application timing of crop protection products. Application timing of crop protection agents can strongly influence product effectiveness. This is no different for fungicide application timing for Fusarium head blight (FHB) suppression. Below are pictures that can help guide scouting efforts to determine crop stages, which can help you make informed fungicide application decisions.

Figure 1. Spring wheat at different growth stages (head emergence to flowering). Photo used with permission from Dr. Andrew Friskop of North Dakota State University.

In Figure 1 (above), growth stages range from late head emergence to multiple stages of flowering in spring wheat. Wheat is self-pollinating and begins to flower shortly after head emergence. Wheat head #3 (red box) is at the early flowering stage (GS 61). This is identified by anthers (yellow filaments) extruding from the middle to upper-middle portion of the wheat head only. Flowering moves both upwards and downwards along the wheat head until completion (spike #4 and #5). Flowering progression can move quickly depending on temperature. The degree of flowering will vary within a field; therefore, it is important to check 7-10 spots across a field when determining a crop’s growth stage. Click here for more information on spray timing and fungicide management for FHB.

Figure 2. Barley head emergence growth stages. Photo used with permission from Dr. Andrew Friskop of North Dakota State University.

In Figure 2 (above), the barley head outlined with the red box is at full head emergence, while barley heads #1 – #3 are still emerging. Barley flowers at a different growth stage compared to wheat. Barley flowers while in the boot and as the head emerges. This makes barley flowering difficult to identify. However, the optimal spray timing for FHB suppression differs between wheat and barley. Waiting until the majority of barley heads (70 – 100 per cent) on the main stem have fully emerged to three days post head emergence is the recommended spray timing for most fungicides approved for use on barley. (Always read and follow product labels and label directions. Refer to the Manitoba Guide to Field Crop Protection 2024 for more information.) Good coverage of the barley head is necessary for FHB suppression. Click here for more information on spray timing and fungicide management for FHB.

Information from Table 1 (below) was acquired from Table 3. Foliar Fungicides for Disease Control in Wheat and Barley in Manitoba’s Guide to Field Crop Protection 2024. Always refer to Manitoba’s Guide to Field Crop Protection and the product label before in-field application. As well, before fungicide application, review Keep it Clean to understand potential market access risk.

Table 1. Summary of products listed in Manitoba’s Guide to Field Crop Protection 2024 with suppression of FHB.

Product	Crop	Active Ingredient (Group)	Page
Advantage Prothioconazole 480 SC	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3)	602
Advantage Prothio +Teb 250 EC	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3) + Tebuconazole (3)	600
Advantage Tebuconazole 250	Wheat	Tebuconazole (3)	630
Bravo ZN / Bravo ZNC	Wheat	Chlorothalonil (M5)	545
Caramba	Wheat/Barley	Metconazole (3)	541
Echo NP/Echo 90WSP	Wheat	Chlorothalonil (M5)	545
Folicur	Wheat	Tebuconazole (3)	630
Holdfast	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3)	602
Hornet 432 F	Wheat	Tebuconazole (3)	630
Joust	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3)	602
MIRAVIS Ace	Wheat/Barley	Pydiflumetofen (7) + propiconazole (3)	578
Miravis Era	Wheat/Barley	Pydiflumetofen (7) + prothioconazole (3)	581
Orius 430 SC	Wheat	Tebuconazole (3)	630
Palliser	Wheat	Tebuconazole (3)	630
Pavise 480SC	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3)	602
Proline 480SC	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3)	602
Prosaro PRO	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3) + Fluopyram (7)	598
Prosaro XTR	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3) + Tebuconazole (3)	600
Roxar	Barley	Tetraconazole (3) + Metconazole (3)	622
Shalimar	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3) + Tebuconazole (3)	600
Soraduo	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3) + Tebuconazole (3)	600
Soratel	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3)	602
Sphaerex	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3) + Metconazole (3)	627
StarPro	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3) + Tebuconazole (3)	600
Tebbie	Wheat	Tebuconazole (3)	630
TILMOR 240 EC	Wheat	Prothioconazole (3) + Tebuconazole (3)	633
Toledo 250EW	Wheat	Tebuconazole (3)	630
Twinline*	Wheat/Barley	Pyraclostrobin (11) + Metconazole (3)	637
VIKING Tebuconazole	Wheat	Tebuconazole (3)	630
VIKING Tromso	Wheat/Barley	Prothioconazole (3) + Tebuconazole (3)	600

Refer to product pages and labels for application information as well as expectations for control vs. suppression.

MCA-commissioned study highlights research capacity challenges in Manitoba

Coles Ag on July 8, 2024

Agricultural research is fundamental to the continued productivity and sustainability of Manitoba farmers and supporting high-quality research is foundational to the mission and vision of Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA).

The research needs of farmers are unique, accounting for diverse geographic regions and crop types, and constantly evolving in response to consumer demand, climate and other factors. As a result, Manitoba’s research community must be well positioned to meet the current needs of farmers, while also anticipating the challenges they will face in the future.

We recently engaged Backswath Management to execute a study evaluating the existing crop research capacity in Manitoba. Most public and private research institutes contacted in the Backswath survey were interested in collaborating with MCA to meet farmer research objectives, but many cited barriers to initiating or expanding collaboration.

The study identified four main challenges facing research capacity in Manitoba:

Equipment was frequently cited as a limitation to meeting the research needs of Manitoba farmers. Increased demand on existing equipment and the need for new or specialized research equipment were emphasized in several survey responses. Barriers to addressing equipment challenges were often related to funding programs and reduction in funding at research institutions.

Infrastructure and access to land has created challenges for numerous private and public researchers in Manitoba. At public institutions, existing infrastructure is aging and not keeping pace with current demand or technological advancements. Meanwhile, the creation of new infrastructure has been slow, or non-existent. Demand for currently owned land at research stations is high and renting land from farmers can be challenging.

Program funding was strongly correlated to existing limitations of equipment, infrastructure and land access. Many funding programs limit the ability to offset the cost of capital expenses and do not allow expenditures related to ongoing maintenance and repair. Current funding structures were also noted as limiting the capacity to address certain research questions. Many funding programs are limited to a three- to five-year research project. As research questions become more complex, the need to fund longer-term studies is critical to adequately address these challenges. Funding programs have also become increasingly time consuming, placing strain on researchers and their staff to undertake administrative responsibilities, which take up time that could otherwise be spent conducting research.

Human resources are a significant challenge to research capacity. Recruitment and retention, as well as identifying skilled workers, were noted as limitations for both private and public research institutions. Competition from private industry outside the research field and adequate compensation were noted as barriers to addressing human resource related challenges in research.

We will carry out additional in-depth discussions with both private and public partners to determine the next steps to increase research capacity in Manitoba. We recognize the importance of fostering strong relationships between industry and research. By pursuing direct engagement with the Manitoba research community, we hope to improve communication, provide context for Manitoba farmers’ research objectives and identify opportunities to collaborate with new and existing members of Manitoba’s research landscape.

From Prairie to pint: Canada-China Barley Seminar strengthens trade relationship

Coles Ag on July 8, 2024

As member of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) participated in the 2024 Canada-China Barley Seminar in Qingdao, China, from June 19-20. This CMBTC-hosted seminar aimed to strengthen relationships with a key market for Canadian barley by connecting the Canadian barley value chain with Chinese maltsters and brewers.

“The seminar provided a unique platform for the Canadian barley value chain to engage directly with Chinese maltsters and brewers to cover critical aspects of Canadian barley supply and quality, production practices and sustainability,” says CMBTC chair Jon White. “China is a key market for Canadian barley. This event was pivotal in showcasing our superior quality to our end users.”

Farmers, as well as representatives from Canada’s world class barley breeding programs and grain suppliers, represented the Canadian barley value chain at the seminar.

Meetings were held at Tsingtao Brewery and Hyaline Malting Co., with a concurrent conference. Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 and is ranked in the top five global brewers. Hyaline Malting, a former naval air base turned into a malt processing plant, has supplied Tsingtao Brewery with malt since 2005.

MCA director and wheat and barley crop committee delegate Sheila Elder travelled to Qingdao to represent MCA. She joined two other farmers and a representative from Richardson on a panel discussing the sustainability of Canadian grain production.

Elder was asked about Manitoba’s “much wetter” climate compared to the other two Prairie provinces. “Although the last couple of years have not felt so wet, this year is a different story,” she says.

“This led me to talk about how yield is not our only objective when choosing a variety; we need a variety that has resistance to Fusarium and is not as prone to lodging as earlier varieties were. Fortunately, thanks to our world-class breeders, we have great options to choose from.”

On the theme of collaboration, Elder also highlighted some of the resources farmers have access to in Canada to help them make the best management decisions throughout the growing season. These include access to highly trained experts, such as crop pathologists, entomologists, weed specialists, crop specialists and agronomists, as well as commodity organizations like MCA who have agronomists on staff.

The importance of farmer participation in the seminar was evident. Farmers like Elder could address Chinese maltsters and brewers’ specific questions and concerns about barley production, fostering trust and strengthening the relationship between our two countries.

Sheila also talked about how much pride farmers take in growing the best crops possible, as well as the importance of collaboration within the industry.

At one meeting with brewers, glyphosate came up as a concern. White, who in addition to being chair of CMBTC is also a merchandiser with Viterra, addressed this by explaining how malt barley samples are probed and tested at many different stages, reinforcing how well malt barley is tested for glyphosate.

It was evident to Elder that having many parts of the barley value chain represented at the seminar was important for the Chinese maltsters and brewers. “It was quite clear they value building relationships through face-to-face meetings and would like to see those from the value chain more often.”

With China’s doors open to trade with Australia, the seminar arrived at an important moment. Canada’s barley is well known for its high quality, but that quality comes at a premium, partly due to longer shipping distances and related costs when compared with Australia, for example.

“In today’s competitive global market, seizing opportunities to foster trusted and mutually beneficial relationships at home and around the world is crucial” says CMBTC managing director Peter Watts.

“End users are keenly interested in the systems and standards that distinguish Canada’s barley supply, quality and performance. This seminar was tailored to address the evolving needs and interests of international end users, who seek products that will meet their current and future needs, as well as insights into the Canadian system.”

From left to right: Jon White (Viterra), Sheila Elder (farmer, MCA), Roy (Leroy) Newman (farmer, Alberta Grain), Peter Schutz (Richardson), Peter Watts (CMBTC), Aaron Beattie (University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre), Hayley Stacey (CMBTC), Yueshu Li (CMBTC), Cody Glenn (farmer, SaskBarley), Jackie Oakes (Cargill), Al Morris (independent grain buyer) and Matt Enns (farmer, SaskBarley).

Qingdao (home to Tsingtao Brewery) is where the sailing events were held for the 2008 Olympics. This large, red sculpture symbolizes the Olympic flame.

Japanese delegation visits Manitoba to gain better understanding of Canadian crop production

Coles Ag on July 8, 2024

On June 27, a delegation from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) toured Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) director Doug Martin’s farm near East Selkirk, MB. In addition to Martin, MCA was represented during the farm tour by agronomy extension specialist for cereal crops Andrew Hector.

The tour was an excellent learning experience for the Japanese delegation and a great opportunity for MCA to interact directly with representatives from an important market for Manitoba agricultural products.

Members of the Japanese delegation typically communicate with grain buyers or suppliers, who provide them with information about grain quality and production practices, but they don’t often have the chance to interact with farmers. This led them to reach out to Cereals Canada, who then worked with MCA to help facilitate the event. The delegation had a desire to better understand the practices farmers are using firsthand, which is why they valued participating in the farm tour.

During the tour, members of the MAFF group asked specific and pointed questions regarding crop production practices used on the farm. They were also interested in how specific pieces of equipment work, what fungicides are used and at what frequency, and types and timings of fertilizer application. Additionally, there was a strong interest in on-farm grain storage and how the grain is transported to ports.

The MAFF is important in the Japanese market in that they set the contracts and associated terms for wheat importers that the importers then execute. They also control import regulatory tolerances for cereals.

Japan is a longstanding, quality-conscious purchaser of Canadian wheat. According to Cereals Canada, Japan imported an average of 1.62 million tonnes annually from 2018 to 2022, valued at $631 million. Meanwhile, Manitoba-specific data shows Japan is the province’s third-largest wheat export market, with an annual export average of 325,759 tonnes from 2018 to 2022, valued at $127 million.

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