The Irrigator June 2004 Page 1 Published by the Irrigation Crop Diversification Corporation www .irrigationsaskatchewan.com June 2004 (Continued on page 2) ICDC Board R epor t STRONG DEVELOPMENT MESSAGE RECEIVED AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE By Carl Siemens, ICDC Chair Last December’s Annual Conference delegates spoke very strongly in support of irrigation development in Saskatchewan. This message echoes the recommendations of Action Committee on the Rural Economy (ACRE) that the government of Saskatchewan develop a plan for infrastructure built around key irrigation sites such as, but not limited to, Lake Diefenbaker, the Rafferty and Alameda Reservoirs and the South Saskatchewan River, that includes synchronized public and private investment. ICDC Chair, Carl Siemens, is quoted in ACRE’s Final Report: “The Lake Diefenbaker Development Area is attracting interest from water-short, high-priced- land Alberta cattlemen and from as far away as Prince Edward Island, Idaho and Washington for our “Northern Vigor” top quality seed potatoes. This conference was the first meeting of all the prairie provinces’ Irrigation Associations. Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan had infrastructure development high on their shopping list. The Central Saskatchewan Irrigation Development group and the Riverhurst Irrigation District outlined their infrastructure development agenda. The audience included farmers from several areas of the province interested in developing Irrigation Districts. Irrigation in the south west was described for the benefit of irrigators around Lake Diefenbaker. The future of irrigation districts in the South West is a topic likely to receive more attention from both federal and provincial governments. Is conversion of some of the flood to sprinkler irrigation possible? Irrigation 2020 Pan-Prairie Panel at the Annual Irrigation Conference in Outlook. L to R: Doug Berry, Pres., Association of Irrigators in Manitoba; Dave Hill, Executive Director of Alberta Irrigation Projects Association; Carl Neggers, Director General of PFRA; Scott Wright, Director of Crop Development Branch, SAFRR; Roger Pederson, Chair of SIPA.
Transcript
The Irrigator June 2004 Page 1
Published by the Irrigation Crop Diversification Corporation www.irrigationsaskatchewan.com June 2004
(Continued on page 2)
ICDCBoardReport
STRONG DEVELOPMENT MESSAGERECEIVED AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE
By Carl Siemens,
ICDC Chair
Last December’s Annual Conference delegatesspoke very strongly in support of irrigationdevelopment in Saskatchewan.
This message echoes therecommendations of ActionCommittee on the RuralEconomy (ACRE) that thegovernment ofSaskatchewan develop aplan for infrastructure builtaround key irrigation sitessuch as, but not limited to,Lake Diefenbaker, theRafferty and AlamedaReservoirs and the SouthSaskatchewan River, thatincludes synchronizedpublic and privateinvestment. ICDC Chair,Carl Siemens, is quoted inACRE’s Final Report: “The
Lake Diefenbaker Development Area isattracting interest from water-short, high-priced-land Alberta cattlemen and from as far away asPrince Edward Island, Idaho and Washington forour “Northern Vigor” top quality seed potatoes.
This conference was the first meeting of all theprairie provinces’ Irrigation Associations. BothManitoba and Saskatchewan had infrastructuredevelopment high on their shopping list.
The Central Saskatchewan IrrigationDevelopment group and the Riverhurst Irrigation
District outlined their infrastructure developmentagenda. The audience included farmers fromseveral areas of the province interested indeveloping Irrigation Districts.
Irrigation in the south west was described for thebenefit of irrigators around Lake Diefenbaker.The future of irrigation districts in the SouthWest is a topic likely to receive more attentionfrom both federal and provincial governments. Isconversion of some of the flood to sprinklerirrigation possible?
Irrigation 2020 Pan-Prairie Panel at the AnnualIrrigation Conference in Outlook. L to R: Doug Berry,Pres., Association of Irrigators in Manitoba; DaveHill, Executive Director of Alberta Irrigation ProjectsAssociation; Carl Neggers, Director General ofPFRA; Scott Wright, Director of Crop DevelopmentBranch, SAFRR; Roger Pederson, Chair of SIPA.
Page 2 The Irrigator June 2004
(Continued from page 1)ICDC Board Report
BJ Boot (Boot Hay Producers), originally fromFort McLeod, Alberta, provided a very positivespin for Saskatchewan by describing “Why inthe heck would I move from Alberta toSaskatchewan?”
50 YEAR WATER DEVELOPMENTSTRATEGYAs a direct result of ICDC and SIPA’sinvolvement in the 2003 Conference “Water:The Economic Driver of the Future,”Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation Inc. isworking with Clifton Associates Ltd. to preparea long term water development plan forSaskatchewan. The plan will offer a positivedirection for rural economic development basedon the sustainable and environmentally sounduse of the province’s water resources. Irrigationfarmers are a foundation to any economic waterdevelopment strategy for the province. It istherefore critical that their views on thedevelopment of water in the province are heard.
A paper entitled “Planning Ahead:Saskatchewan’s Water Future, DiscussingOptions in Workshops” was presented anddiscussed at three March workshops in Outlook,Swift Current and Moose Jaw.
TRANSPORTATIONAs a direct result of Saskatchewan Highwaysand Transportation’s participation in our 2003Irrigation Conference, SIPA and ICDC wereinvited to participate in Saskatchewan Highways
and Transportation’s Primary WeightConsultations, March 24th in Regina.
Here’s a summary of what was presented underthe title of Transportation and IrrigatedAgriculture:
“Transportation in and out of the LakeDiefenbaker Development Area (LDDA) is achallenge. An improved highway infrastructureis becoming a necessity, with the increase inirrigated acres, the irrigation based business thatexists today, and the potential irrigation basedbusiness that may operate here in the future. Aswe will show in this paper, the LDDA hasimmense potential. With the increase inagricultural production and value-addedprocessing that benefits the provincial economy,improvements to the existing infrastructure arewarranted. As water and water resourcesbecome more valuable in the future economy,the potential that exists in the LDDA istremendous.”
A map of a proposed regional infrastructure planwas presented.
LOOKING BACK…ICDC is changing: new projects, new directors,new partners. The ICDC charge of $0.35/acreisn’t changing.
ICDC has managed to run a “value for money”R&D program based upon the priorities wecollected from all Irrigation Districts in 1999.
Irrigated forages were a high priority for you,and consequently ICDC has demonstrated:
• the benefit of phosphorus fertilization on floodirrigated alfalfa
• six ton/acre top quality irrigated alfalfaproduction by converting from flood tosprinkler irrigation in the southwest
• irrigated corn for grain, grazing or silage• effective pocket gopher control (two private
practitioners now)• an easy way to read alfalfa quality right in the
field (the HAYWATCH stick)• annual cereal varieties and annual ryegrass for
Irrigated cropping work by ICDC and itspartners has:
• shown the feasibility of irrigated bean andbean seed production
• worked on the agronomic package for irrigatedtimothy-for-export
• published an irrigated crop variety guide andirrigated crop budgets
• supported the irrigated potato industry
ICDC has lobbied on behalf of irrigators:• met with a succession of ministers regarding
irrigation strategy• helped organize the Annual Irrigation
Conferences• helped organize the Saskatchewan Agrivision
Corporation conference “Water: Economic
Driver of the Future” and subsequently helpeddevelop a 50 year water development strategy
• co-chairs the Irrigation Centre at Outlook,bringing irrigators to the table alongside seniorbureaucrats from the federal and provincialgovernments
• included irrigation information in “Water isLife” curriculum for Ag in the Classroom;worked with the U of S, SIAST and the GreenCertificate program to ensure irrigationeducation and training is available
• met with Saskatchewan Highways andTransportation regarding primary highways
• began a Web site:www.irrigationsaskatchewan.com
…LOOKING FORWARDNow ICDC is planning a new round of “valuefor money” R&D projects to start in 2005. ICDCwelcomes new directors as the “foundingmembers” terms expire. Welcome to KevinPlummer, Rick Swenson, Francis Kinzie(representing non-District irrigators), Larry Lee(a SIPA appointee) and Scott Wright (SAFRR).Our thanks go out to Gordon Kent and KenPlummer who stepped down after dedicatingtheir time to the work of ICDC andSaskatchewan irrigators.
Check out the Coming Events and the CSIDCField Day for your chance to interact with ICDCand see for yourself the “value for money”research and development in action. Please feelfree to call any of the ICDC directors who workon your behalf.
2004 ICDC Program “Valuefor Money” R & D
by Les Bohrson, Agrologist, SAFRR
ICDC will again feature Forage Centre projectsin 2004. The Dairy Quality Forage Centreincludes 28 perennial forages at Peter J. Fehr,Osler and the 21 SeCan Cereal performance andsilage trial at Henry P. Friesen, Osler. Acomparable SeCan Cereal trial is planned atCypress Hutterite Colony, Maple Creek.
Larger irrigated Forage Centres are also locatedat CSIDC, Outlook and SPARC, Swift Current.
ICDC Corn Field Day attracted 130 people last yearto look at grain, silage and grazing options for thecrop.
continued on page 15
Irrigators listening to “West Side Story,” thepresentation on the Central Saskatchewan IrrigationDevelopment.
Page 4 The Irrigator June 2004
Irrigation Economics andAgronomics Saskatchewan
2004
Thirty irrigated crop budget guidelines andagronomic highlights have been published byICDC. You will find them onwww.irrigationsaskatchewan.com under “crops.”
The work was done for ICDC by Grant PedersonPAg last winter. Grant is an irrigator in the SouthSaskatchewan River Irrigation District, and heworked with other irrigators to “ground truth”the numbers.
For anyone looking at irrigation and needingsome guidelines on its costs and returns, this is agood resource for Saskatchewan.
You might be interested to know that under“average” management, the “top crop” list forirrigation - returning over $100/acre to labourand management - includes potatoes, dry bean,timothy, corn silage and alfalfa.
The table on page five is taken from thepublication and is about timothy.
Tag team this book with Demonstration ofImproved Vegetable Production Techniquesfor Saskatchewan from the Irrigation Centre atOutlook for a more complete set of economicguidelines for irrigation in Saskatchewan.
This publication provides information on botheconomics and agronomics of irrigated vegetableproduction in Saskatchewan.
For copies of these publications, call John at867-5527.
Demonstration of Improved VegetableProduction Techniques for Saskatchewan
Use early maturing varieties on irrigation in order to maximize the second cut yield. Discuss with your local dealer and other producers.
Seed (only in establishment yr) $10.00 SEEDING: Seed treatment/inoc $0.00 Plant population 500 plants/sq m.
Fertilizer: N 170 lb $61.65 TKW 1,232,000 seeds/lb. P 70 lb $16.80 Seeding Rate 4 Lb./ac.
K 60 lb $10.43 Herbicide $20.49 Insecticide $0.00 Fungicide $0.00
Seed in the fall (late Aug-early Sept) after a burn off with Glyphosate. Perrenial weed control is critical. Seed into a firm seedbed with on-row packing or seed directly into stubble. Irrigate to ensure good stand establishment.
Equipment fuel $15.00 FERTILIZATION: Equipment repair $18.00 Custom work $25.00 Irrigation power 16 inches $14.77 Irrigation repair $9.23 Irrigation service/water charge $17.50 Crop insure 0 tons $0.00 Hail insure $0.00 Hired labour 3 hr/ac $36.00 Other $6.00
Every tonne of timothy uses 35 lb. N; 10 lb. Phosphate; 40 lb. K. Max of 15 lb./ac. phosphate with the seed in good moisture conditions. Apply 50-100 lb./ac. phosphate prior to seeding. Apply at least 50 lb./ac. N per cut. Export Considerations: Japan has a list of toxic items that are banned for import. It includes 2,4-D and the insecticides Lorsban and Pyronex. Rejection of shipment can be a result of presence of quackgrass or other wheat grasses which are host to the Hessian fly.
Farm overhead $9.20 IRRIGATION: Operating interest 5.3 % $7.16 TOTAL CASH COSTS $277.22 Farm Equipment and Buildings $23.19 Irrigation System $22.49 Specialized Equipment $59.87 Land $19.68 TOTAL NON CASH COSTS $125.24 TOTAL COSTS $402.46 RETURNS LO AV HI
Maintain good soil moisture throughout the growing season. Irrigate immediately after hauling bales from any cut. Use a soil probe to check moisture status. Established timothy will use 1.5"-2"/week of moisture. Ensure adequate soil moisture for germination and establishment and after second cut for fall grazing.
YIELD t/ac. 3.0 4.0 5.5 HARVEST:
PRICE $/t $150 GROSS $450 $600 $825 RETURN TO LABOUR and $48 $198 $423 MGT SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT $/ac/yr Mower/condition $4.15 Big square baler $15.04
Cut when the Timothy has reached its full height with long, coarse stems and heads. Cut before bloom when the plant dries down and cures quickly reducing the risk of weathering. Complete the first cut by mid-July; 2nd cut mid Aug will have smaller heads and finer stems. Cut the outside rounds separately and cut out weedy areas first. Avoid any contamination with straw residue and dirt. Cut with a haybine or discbine, crimp and turn for rapid swath drying. Grazing is not recommended.
Export timothy must be 12% moisture or lower so bale at 14% or lower. Timothy for export should be shedded on 6 ml poly sheeting.
0 $0.00 ROTATIONS AND CROP PROTECTION:
TOTAL $59.87
MORE INFORMATION:
Achieve, MCPA, Lontrel, Banvel and Target may be used. Timothy is susceptible to residue damage from Edge, Trifluralins, sulphonyl ureas, Tordon, Atrazine and Princep.
Call an ICDC Agro: Outlook (306) 867-5407; Swift Current (306) 778-5043. Refer to the list of publications on the back page. Check the Web site: www.irrigationsaskatchewan.com. Use The Timothy Production Handbook from The Canadian Hay Assoc.
Page 6 The Irrigator June 2004
Pocket Gopher control toocostly for some crops
Reprinted with permission from the WesternProducer. By Karen Morrison, Saskatoon
Farmers have mixed feelings about the value ofbaiting pocket gophers, finding the money betterspent on irrigated acres than dryland.
These findings come from a three-year pocketgopher control project initiated by the IrrigationCrop Diversification Corp. on 2,750 acres in theLake Diefenbaker area.
Les Bohrson, senior agrologist with irrigationresources at Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food andRural Revitalization, said the study foundfarmers more willing to pay for mole baiting toprotect higher value crops such as alfalfa usedfor seed or dairy feed.
“They do it to protect irrigated land but not ondryland and lower value forages,” he said.
Bohrson said pocket gophers, commonly referredto as moles, are spreading out of the black soilzones into brown and dark brown soils. Theanimals also favour moist irrigated land that iseasier to dig.
Bohrson thought most farmers would want topush the rodents back at the source in tree rows,ditches, fence lines and road allowances, but thefarmers preferred to deal with them in theirfields where the mounds plug and wear downmachinery.
Farmers found trapping as a control method tootime-consuming, unfeasible, inconvenient andmore suited to preventing mole populations thanreducing an established group.
Most felt hiring a pest control officer was moreeconomical than trying to do it themselvesduring their busy season.
Bait is better
Bohrson said the solitary nature of the seldomseen rodent makes it difficult to control withtrapping, so, in the study, baiting with a zincphosphide product was offered to lure them to acentral area in the study.
Richardson’s ground squirrels, more commonly
known as gophers, are another concern in farmfields, he said, but are more visible and easier totrap.
Half the control costs in the study were paid bythe corporation, with the producer responsiblefor the remainder and for levelling their fields inspring.
The research found control possible for about$3.50 an acre, not including the cost of baiting.
That’s an affordable price to alfalfa grower andhay processor Greg Sommerfeld of Broderick,Sask., who participated in the project.
“The cost is minimal,” he said.
He has gone from levelling the field to doingtwice-annual preventive maintenance on his dryand irrigated acres, poisoning the rodents at theperimeters of his fields.
On a 160-acre field, that meant baiting about 10-15 acres, he said.
This preventive maintenance has resulted in acleaner, more productive stand of hay and lesswear on the machines.
“When you get mounds of dirt all over, there’snothing growing there, that’s for sure,” saidSommerfeld.
Added Bohrson: “We don’t expect to get rid ofthe pocket gopher, but are trying to control theireffects.
“We’ve been able to make the cutting situationbetter, but we can never walk away and saywe’re done.”
Baiting gopher holes.
The Irrigator June 2004 Page 7
Growing Vegetables andTurning a Profit for the First
Time in YearsFarm and Food Report, May 2004.
By Margaret HryniukAfter six years of growing grain on 1,500 acresnear Saskatoon and only breaking even, KenPlummer and his son Kevin downsized to 250acres and started growing vegetables on a few ofthe 50 acres that were irrigated. It was the firstyear they showed a profit. Needless to say, theyare growing a lot more vegetables now.
Although 2000 was their first year for growingvegetables, Ken was no horticulture neophyte.Born on the land his father bought in 1919, heand his family grew potatoes and carrots anddelivered them by horse and dray to Saskatoonstores andrestaurantsduring the yearswhen thesevegetables wereworth morethan grain. Butthe long hoursof manuallabourdissuaded Kenfrom continuingto grow vegetables and, when it was time forhim to make his way in the world, he not onlygrain-farmed and raised cattle from the homequarter, he established a kitchen cabinet store inSaskatoon.
“After 25 years, I sold the kitchen cabinet storeand, because I enjoyed farming and I wasn’tready to retire, Kevin and I decided to make thefarm bigger and do it right. We owned 80 acres,rented 1,250 acres, and bought all the equipmentnecessary to carry out farming in a big way. Butsome of the rented land was as far away as 25kilometres, so seeding and harvesting was a realchore. And we weren’t making much money.So, four years ago, we downsized by letting goof most of the rented land.”
It was the right move at the right time: not onlydid they have more hours with which to try
something new, the potato industry wasbeginning to expand again. They started with 10acres of potatoes, supplemented by one acre ofother vegetables for selling at a roadside stand.Today they have 15 acres of potatoes, two and ahalf acres of vegetables, and a 1,000-square-footgreenhouse with supplemental heat to start theirtomatoes, bell peppers and English cucumbers.Production has improved every year.
“We started with a quarter acre of corn, but nowwe have an entire acre with staggered plantingsso we can offer fresh corn over an extendedperiod. This has worked out well for us. Lastyear was our first year for cantaloupe, and theyreally produced. We let them ripen on the vineso they’re much sweeter: last year, for example,a couple driving through to Calgary bought twoor three cantaloupe and, after driving on about35 kilometres, turned around and came back for
six more.They taste thatgood.
“Picklingcucumberswere bigproducers forus last yeartoo. In fact,we were sosick of pickingthem, we
finally ripped out the vines. We made $2,000from our half acre of pumpkins last year,” saysPlummer.
Not only does mechanization make vegetablefarming more appealing today, he says, there’sno need for the root cellar of his childhood. Allthe potatoes are contracted before seeding, andall the vegetables are sold at the roadside stand.Of the latter, Plummer credits “Location,location, location,” which is on the busy ValleyRoad and includes neighbours such as The BerryBarn and the Moon Lake Golf Course.
The Plummer family’s success is due to qualityas well as location, however. Moon Lake Farmentered its Dark Red Norland potato in the 2003Canadian Western Agribition potato competition,and took first prize in the red potato category, aswell as Reserve Grand Champion for Western
“We made $2,000 from our half acre of pumpkins last year.”
Page 8 The Irrigator June 2004
Canada. The Grand Champion for WesternCanada was a white potato from Courtenay,British Columbia.
Plummer says their successes are also due toresearch, publications and the “Demonstration ofImproved Vegetable Production Techniques forSaskatchewan” at the Canada-SaskatchewanIrrigation Diversification Centre at Outlook.Ken and Kevin Plummer have been active inseveral different irrigation organizations as well:Ken, for example, has been on the IrrigationCrop Diversification Corporation (ICDC) boardof directors for six years, was a foundingmember (1983) of the Moon Lake Irrigation
Report from the TimothyProducer Workshop in
LethbridgeBy Korvin Olfert PAg
The 2004 Alberta publication “CroppingAlternatives for Irrigation in Alberta” shows thattimothy has fallen to fourth place in the rankingof crops potentially making the most money.Potatoes and sugar beets are always near the top,but with the drought last year, cereal silage hastaken over third spot.
The drought also affected timothy yields, withlower overall production last year. Processorsare still optimistic, however, about record cropsthis coming year.
Even with a record crop, demand for timothy isstill increasing due to the potential of untappedmarkets in India (India produces almost as muchmilk as the entire European Union), and with thehorse population of the U.S. soon expected toexceed the number of cows.
The Japanese market is stable or declining,although some market share may be attractedaway from other countries.
Dr. Dave Christensen from the University ofSaskatchewan spoke about the benefits of secondcut timothy in dairy rations. Cut early enough,timothy quality approaches alfalfa or barley. The
quality is probably not high enough to make afirst trimester ration, but certainly could makelater rations depending on the price.
Dr. Ross McKenzie spoke about nitrates intimothy and said there was a new fertilizer beingdeveloped for approval (a polymer coated ureathat minimizes volatilization losses). Herecommended applying urea fertilizers early inthe spring (six weeks before cutting), or non-urea based fertilizers later on.
For more information on irrigated timothy,contact Korvin at 778-5041, the Canadian HayAssociation at 1-888-541-0911 or visitwww.canadianhay.com.
Swathing irrigated timothy.
District, and served as its chairman for manyyears. Kevin is now the chairman of the MoonLake Irrigation District.
“We’ve been heavily involved in irrigationorganizations because, without irrigation, wecertainly wouldn’t be growing potatoes. Wehave no regrets about downsizing and growingirrigated vegetables either. The returns are surebetter than just breaking even,” says Plummer.Ken PlummerMoon Lake FarmBox 97, RR # 3, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 3J6Telephone: 306-382-1284
The Irrigator June 2004 Page 9
Using Irrigation to Feed aLarge Dairy
By Korvin Olfert PAg
How many dairy cows can one pivot feed? Atthe highest production, a dairy cow can produce40 kg of milk a day. The ration of a firsttrimester dairy cow is probably the mostcomplicated ration to balance for a couple ofreasons. First, you hope to keep the cow four tofive years of production, so you don’t want toburn out her rumen with acidosis. Also, withmilk production that high, she has incrediblyhigh energy demands. Dairy nutritionists actuallydon’t know how to get enough feed into her tokeep her from losing weight during this period.To keep it simple, we will just look at TotalDigestible Nutrients (TDN) and Crude Protein(CP). A 600 kg dairy cow’s requirements areabout four kg of Crude Protein (CP), and 17 kgof TDN a day in the first trimester.
That works out to a typical first trimester rationof about 18% CP, and 73% TDN, with an intakeof about 25 kg DM (Dry Matter)/day. The
question beccmes, “what crops can I grow toproduce the ingredients to fulfill that ration?”You have to also remember that a dairy ration isabout 50% forage and 50% concentrate. Theconcentrate will provide most of the TDN, andanything lacking in the forage. Whatever cropyou grow will minimize what you need to add inthe concentrate.
Let’s make some assumptions and do some mathto figure out how many dairy cows a pivot canfeed.
In order to do that, we need to know how mucha cow eats. If half of the cow’s 25 kg DM/dayration comes from the forage, she would eatabout 13 kg DM of forage per day. In 90 days,that 300 cow herd would eat about 337 tonnes ofthose. The new large dairies have a milking herdof about 300 cows. For the second trimester,intake is cut back a bit to about 22 kg DM/day,or about 11 kg DM from the forage. In the next90 days, a 300 cow herd would eat about 304tonnes DM. For the last trimester, intakedecreases even more to about 19 kg DM/day, orabout 10 kg DM/day from the forage. So in these90 days, the 300 cow herd would eat 257 tonnesDM. During the dry period, intake is restrictedto only 12 kg DM/day. This is to prevent thecows from getting fat just before calving.Although there is no energy requirement forlactation, there is a smaller but increasing energydemand for pregnancy. Most of this ration wouldbe forage, with only a small amount ofconcentrate. So, a 300 cow herd would eat about324 tonnes during these 60 days. Altogether, a300 cow dairy herd eats about (337 + 304 + 257+ 304) 1,222 tonnes of DM per year.
Which crops do you grow to provide that? Thereare a number of different crop choices. Table 1shows averages of some of our plots from overthe years. As the table shows, the best crop togrow for TDN is corn, and the best
continued on page 12Table 1. Average Yields and Qualities of Feed Crops under Irrigation
Corn, centre pivot and silo: a dynamite combinationfor the milk producer.
Page 10 The Irrigator June 2004
Irrigation: Produce to ProcessSpend a day with other farmers, researchers and industry representatives viewing
and discussing alternative high value crops, cropping systems and theirprocessing opportunities.
EVERYONE WELCOME
FIELD DAY ACTIVITIES:9:30 - 10:00 Trade Show opens
Coffee and donuts
10:00 - 12:00 Tour
12:00 - 1:30 Concession and Trade Show
1:30 - 3:30 Tour
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
Special CropsPotato:• New improved varieties• Seed, table and processing potato researchVegetables:• Higher value veggies• Season extension technologyMedicinal plants:• Commercial scale practices for medicinal plants• Labour-saving agronomic practicesFruit:• Improved practices for native fruit• Irrigated strawberry crown production
Trickle Irrigation:• Water savings and yield increases
Field CropsDry bean:• New cultivars/market classes• Nitrogen management for different bean
plant types• Timing of nitrogen applicationField peas:• Improved peas for irrigated productionIndustry Sponsored Variety Evaluation:• New improved canola, pea, flax, and
wheat germplasm for irrigated production
CONCESSION
OPEN
featuring
Saskatchewan-
grown
irrigated produce
IRRIGATION FIELD DAY AND TRADE SHOWTHURSDAY, JULY 8, 2004
CSIDC OUTLOOK
The Irrigator June 2004 Page 11
FIELD DAY LOCATION:Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification
Centre (CSIDC)901 McKenzie St. S.
Outlook, Sask. S0L 2N0(1/4 mile south of Outlook on Highway 15)
irrigated production• Herbicide evaluationSoft wheat:• Irrigated soft wheat production in
SaskatchewanForages:• Timothy crop improvement and
management practices• Evaluation of forage species under
irrigated production• Performance of forage combinationsSunflower:• Cultivars for irrigated productionIrrigation Systems:• State of the art irrigation systems,
including solar
OTHER ATTRACTIONS:• Small plot equipment• Buildings and grounds• Herb garden• Xeriscape landscape
CSIDC - OUR MANDATEThe Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation DiversificationCentre’s mandate is to help maintain a viableagricultural industry, to support a sound ruraleconomy, and to preserve a healthy environment.
To achieve these goals, CSIDC conducts, funds, andfacilitates irrigated research and demonstration tosupport industry needs.
Page 12 The Irrigator June 2004
Using Irrigation to Feeda Large Dairycontinued from page 9
protein crop is three cuts of alfalfa. If you growalfalfa, you will need less protein in theconcentrate; if you grow corn you’ll need lessenergy in it.
Using the table, corn produces about 16 tonnes/acre of silage; for a 135 acre quarter sectionpivot, that is about 685 tonnes of DM. With 15%harvest and storage waste, just over two pivotsof corn should provide the forage DM requiredto feed a 300 cow dairy herd for a year. Usingjust corn silage in the diet would decrease theamount of grain required in the concentrate,although it would significantly increase theprotein supplement. There are other nutritionalreasons why you might want corn silage in thediet as well.
Barley silage has more protein than corn does,although a bit lower yield. With barley yieldingabout 12 tonnes/acre, a pivot would produce 437tonnes of DM. So it would take about 2.8 pivotsof barley silage to provide all the forage require-ments. You would also save some proteinsupplement, but require slightly more grain tomake up the TDN. Barley is also quite easy togrow and will grow on some poorer land thancorn will.
Oats yield approximately the same as barley,although it has less TDN. Barley or corn silagecan have a bit too much TDN for a dry cowration, which would be the only reason youwould grow oats instead. Triticale yields less,with similar quality to barley.
Alfalfa produces 11 tonnes/acre of silage andcan be cut in either two cuts or three cuts. Wehave found you get approximately the same yieldwith either two or three cuts, although a three
cut system with alfalfa will decrease itspersistence. If you cut it three times you can geta TDN approximately that of barley but withquite a bit more protein. You also have toinclude a year of lower production forestablishment. A pivot of alfalfa would produceabout 471 tonnes DM, and it would take aboutthree pivots to provide the forage for a 300 cowdairy herd for a year.
The amount of grain required depends a lot onthe forage you grew. Since protein supplementsare currently quite expensive, let’s assume yougrew alfalfa and cut it three times. A typical firsttrimester ration would include about eight kgDM of barley grain, and three kg DM of wheat.Using these numbers, this would require 732tonnes DM of barley, and 275 tonnes DM ofwheat over the 305 day lactating period. (Thiswould be an overestimation, since the amount ofgrain would decrease in the second and thirdtrimester rations.) A quarter section pivot ofbarley produces about 90 bu./ac. or about 264tonnes DM, and a quarter section pivot of wheatproduces about 70 bu./ac. or about 240 tonnesDM. For this ration, you would need another2.75 pivots of barley for grain, and 1.1 pivots ofwheat for grain.
You could feed a 300 cow dairy herd for a yearon three pivots of alfalfa, 2.75 pivots of barleygrain, and just over one pivot of wheat. Twosections of irrigation should provide the landbase to support a 300 cow dairy herd.
In the end, there are many other factors that haveto be looked at when formulating a ration. Whenyou have the feed in the silo, the best advice isto send samples for analysis and consult anutritionist for the optimum dairy ration.
Dairy cows feeding on irrigated forage north ofSaskatoon.
The Irrigator June 2004 Page 13
Moisture Testing Feeds –Why is it Important?
By Amanda Walker, ICDC 2003 Coop Student
Most producers are well aware of the value ofrunning feed tests. They provide us withinformation about the level of calcium,phosphorus, crude protein, fiber, nitrates, andtotal digestible nutrients (TDN), for example. Afeed test also reports the moisture level of thefeed. With all of the other sophisticated testsand analyses that can be run on a feed sample,why worry about moisture? In fact, knowing themoisture content of feeds is important forseveral reasons, such as proper rationformulation, safe storage, and adjusting the priceof feeds based on the moisture content.
Those involved in the growing, purchasing orselling of hay or silage should be familiar withcommon terms used when discussing foragemoisture.
Per cent moisture: as reported in a feed testindicates the proportion of water in the sample,and is calculated by weighing the sample beforeand after complete drying.
% Moisture = Dry sample weight X 100Wet sample weight
Per cent dry matter: is simply everything thatis not moisture, therefore:
% Dry Matter = 100 - % Moisture
As-Fed basis: refers to feed as it is fed tolivestock. That is, it will include the naturalmoisture of the feed. This moisture level willvary depending on the type of feed. Forexample, silage on an As-Fed basis may be 60-65% moisture, while barley grain will likely be10-12% moisture As-Fed.
Dry Matter (DM) basis: refers to the nutrientcontent of a feed, assuming it is 100% drymatter (i.e. without moisture). Feeds do notexist at 100% DM in their natural state, but thiscan be determined by artificially drying withheat or forced air. DM basis allows differentfeeds to be compared on an equal, moisture-freebasis.
Converting from As-Fed to DM can be done byusing the following equations:
% Nutrient (As Fed) = % Nutrient (DM) x (%DM of feed / 100)
Example: A feed test reports that a sample ofcorn silage contains 8% crude protein on a DMbasis. What is the per cent crude protein on anAs-Fed basis, assuming that the silage contains65% moisture (35% DM)?
% Nutrient As Fed basis
= % Nutrient DM * (% DM of feed / 100)
= 8% protein * (35% DM / 100)
= 2.8% protein (As Fed basis)
Figure 2. Composition of silage on Dry Matter (DM)basis.
1%3%
1%
Moisture65%
Protein4%
26%
Micronutrients
Macronutrients
Carbohydrate
Fat
Figure 1. Composition of silage on As-Fed basis.
continued on next page
2%
75%
3% 11% 9%
Protein
Macronutrients
Micronutrients
Carbohydrate (sugars, starch, fibre)
Fat
Page 14 The Irrigator June 2004
Moisture Testing Feeds - con’tStorage
Proper storage of feedstuffs requires knowledgeof the moisture content. For example, alfalfahay baled at 20-25% moisture will likely heatand spoil. Silage at 75% moisture is too wet andcan seep, while 50% moisture silage is too dry,will be difficult to pack, and is prone to heatdamage and molds. Knowing the moisturecontent of forage at the time of harvest isessential for making high quality hay and silage.
Ration FormulationLivestock rations are formulated on a DM basis.However, they must be converted from the DMbasis to an As Fed basis for on farm use.Different feeds have different moisture content;therefore, the ratio of feeds will change betweenthe DM and As Fed ration. For example, thepercentage of corn silage required in a feedration may change from 80% in the dry ration to90% in the As Fed formulation. It is importantto note that these two formulas will containexactly the same amount of nutrients – the onlydifference is the moisture content. Yourlivestock nutritionist can assist you with theseformulations and conversions.
Correct ration formulation is important botheconomically and nutritionally, allowingproducers to reduce feed wastage and savemoney, while at the same time providing theirlivestock with a ration that meets nutritionalneeds for maintenance, growth, or lactation.
Pricing Feeds
Since feeds are most often bought and sold byweight, the moisture content must be consideredin order to avoid over or under pricing of feeds.Being able to adjust the price of feeds according
to moisture content allows producers and buyersto get the best value for their money and avoidpaying for water. The following formula can beused to adjust the price of feeds in order toevaluate them on a standard moisture basis.Value of Feed ($) = Actual DM % of Feed x Price
Desired DM %
Example 1: The market value for alfalfa hay is$75/tonne at 15% moisture. If you have hay at10% moisture, what is the value per ton?Value of Hay = (100 – 10% moisture) x $75/tonne
(100 - 15% moisture) = 90% DM x $75/tonne
85% DM = $79.41/tonne
Example 2: A feedlot in your area is buyingcorn silage for $25/tonne on a 65% moisture(35% DM) basis. What is the appropriate priceper ton for silage at 60% moisture (40% DM)and 68% moisture (32% DM)?
Value of silage @ 70% moisture:Value = Actual DM % of silage x quoted price
Desired DM%= 32% DM x $25/tonne
35% DM= $22.86/tonne @ 68% moisture
Value of silage @ 60% moisture:Value = Actual DM% of silage x quoted price
Desired DM%= 40% DM x $25/tonne
35% DM= $28.57/tonne @ 60% moisture
As this example illustrates, the value of a feedvaries according to the moisture content.Without price adjustment, the producer would beunderpaid by $2.85/ton if he was deliveringsilage at only 60% moisture. On the other hand,if the producer was delivering 68% moisturesilage, the feedlot would be paying for extrawater. For this reason, there is and should be apremium for feeds at a lower moisture content inorder to avoid buying water.
Knowing the moisture, or DM, content of feedsand being able to adjust for variations inmoisture content is a valuable tool for everyproducer. Being familiar with how and when touse these calculations can help producers tomake informed and economical decisions abouttheir forage purchases and sales.
Willie Watson, Maple Creek, silaging irrigated wintercereals.
The Irrigator June 2004 Page 15
Coming events: Irrigation2004 Summer Program
• Friday, June 25th, Saskatchewan VegetableGrowers’ Assoc. Annual Field Day at CSIDCand the South Saskatchewan River IrrigationDistrict. Members meet at CSIDC about 8:00a.m. and Oliver Green guides the tour leavingat 10:30 a.m. Register with Elaine Waldner,ph. 934-1458, fax 975-2009.
• Saturday, June 26th, Saskatchewan FruitGrowers Association Summer Tour at CSIDC,includes Bill and Jean King’s JWD MarketGarden. Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. with guidesClarence Peters and Dr. Bob Bors. Register byphone 306-645-4447 or E-mail:[email protected]
• Thursday, July 8th, Annual CSIDC Field Dayand Trade Show at Outlook. See pages 10 and11 for details.
• Tuesday, July 13th, Treasure Valley Market’sIrrigated Market Garden and Fruit CropEvening Field Day, eight miles North ofCadillac. Clarence Peters, Andrew Sullivanand Dr. Bob Bors will tour and discusshorticultural business opportunities. ContactLes Bohrson, ph. 778-5043.
• Monday, July 19th, ICDC Dairy Quality Silageand Forage Evening Tour, four miles east ofOsler, in cooperation SeCan, the U of S.College of Agriculture, and SAFRR. ContactKorvin Olfert, ph. 778-5041.
• Monday, July 26th, SPARC Irrigated Forageand Grazing Tour at Swift Current incooperation with SAFRR, SeCan, Wiebe HaySales, and the Southwest Forage Association.Contact Korvin Olfert, ph.778-5041.
• Watch for an Irrigated Crop Performance FieldDay at Maple Creek in cooperation with PFRA,SeCan and Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. ContactLes Bohrson, ph. 778-5043.
continued on next page
2004 ICDC Programcontinued from page 3
CSIDC hosts variety trials for perennial andannual forage purposes. Terry Hogg hasextended the 2004 barley, oats and triticalecereal forage testing to CSIDC and the ICDCsite at SPARC. Dr. Grant McLeod is againstudying ryegrass and winter cerealsestablishment using cereal silage cover crops onthe ICDC site at SPARC. Dr. Bruce Coulman’stimothy research on seeding rate and timing willbe managed by Sarah Sommerfeld. ICDC isharvesting timothy for three years at CSIDC todetermine optimum annual phosphorusplacement. At Swift Current, Jeff Wiebedemonstrates the field scale irrigationperformance of seven new alfalfas.CSIDC hosts the Alberta Corn Committee’sresearch, including a 40 silage and eight graincorn variety trial and a Plant Science 15 sweetcorn selection. Minor use registration tests forLiberty Link corn are hosted at CSIDC and theICDC site at SPARC. Field testing incooperation with the corn industry is planned inother Irrigation Districts.ICDC is again participating in a cross-Canadaresearch trial evaluating new bean varieties withresistance to common bacterial blight. CSIDC
hosts this project that is supported by pulsegrowers from Ontario to Alberta. ICDC isstudying the local experience of irrigators incommercial dry bean and seed production fornew technology and processing. Crop protectionfrom disease and pests will again emphasizefusarium and pocket gopher management.ICDC has committed $44,000 to the field workand production of the 2005 Crop Varieties forIrrigation, and in April 2004 released the newIrrigation Economics and Agronomics forSaskatchewan. The ICDC/SIPA Web sitewww.irrigationsaskatchewan.com continues toreceive numerous updates. The March 6thirrigation seminar series renewed contact withover 120 irrigators. A list of this summer’splanned events appears in this newsletter.
Producers check out irrigated grass plots at lastyear’s CSIDC Field Day.
Page 16 The Irrigator June 2004
Published twice a year by theIrrigation Crop Diversification Corporation (ICDC),
SIPA Board of DirectorsLDDA Roger Pederson (Chair) SSRID 867-8460
BJ Boot SSRID 867-9529Kelvin Bagshaw Luck Lake ID 573-2123Larry Lee Macrorie ID 867-8808
SWDA Ron Tittle Consul/Nashlyn ID 299-4446Bill Karwandy Miry Creek ID 626-3606Howard Steinley Rush Lake ID 773-7114
SEDA Don Fox Baildon ID 693-2635NDA Jason Wildeboer Warman 249-4358SIPA StaffSec/Treas Sandra Bathgate, Central Butte, 796-4420SIPA, Box 391, Central Butte SK, S0H 0T0. 796-4420.
• Watch for a Saskatchewan timothy event incooperation with the Canadian Hay Associationand ICDC. Contact Korvin Olfert, ph.778-5041.
• Thursday, August 5th, ICDC Bean andSoybean Performance, and Pulse Pedigree SeedField Day will offer both research anddemonstration in cooperation with CSIDC,SAFRR and the Crop Development Centre, Uof S. Contact Clint Ringdal, ph. 867-5411.
• Thursday, August 12th, Saskatchewan SeedPotato Growers Association Field day starts atCSIDC. Register with Connie Achtymichuk,ph. 306-867-2078, fax 306-867-2102, or E-mail: [email protected]
• Tuesday, September 14th, ICDC SaskatchewanCorn Performance, Nutrition, and Super SweetCorn Field Day at Outlook in cooperation withCSIDC, SAFRR and the Alberta CornCommittee. In cooperation with the cornindustry and irrigated corn growers, additionalCorn Silage and Grazing Field Days will bescheduled in late summer and fall. Contact LesBohrson, ph. 778-5043.
