In early March, Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart announced changes to Saskatchewan Crop Insurance programs that will impact forage producers.  These changes include:

Fire Insurance: added as a coverage feature for pasture under the Forage Insurance Rainfall Program; 

Adjustments to Forage Insurance Rainfall Program to provide additional options; 

Restoration benefit for drowned out hay land; and
Modifications to the Corn Heat Unit Program.

Additionally, there have been increases in compensation rates for predation of calves,as well as other changes to existing programs.

For more information on forage coverage options from SCIC, please visit: http://www.saskcropinsurance.com/ci/forage/

Changes, renewals or new applications for Crop Insurance contracts are due by March 31, 2018 To see all deadlines, visit the SCIC website.

Click here to view Ryder Lee, CEO of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association describe highlights to the coverage offered by Saskatchewan Crop Insurance in 2018.

Forage utilization is a fundamental aspect of beef cattle production in western Canada. Although commonly grown on low fertility soils, forages have a huge potential to improve the soil quality. This results in improved forage yield and can improve the economic returns of beef cattle production.

In the southern of part of the Canadian Prairies, Brown and Dark Brown soils are generally deficient in nitrogen (N) and in phosphorus (P), but rarely deficient in potassium (K) or sulphur (S). Black, Grey Wooded and Grey-Black transition soils are commonly deficient in N and P and are occasionally deficient in K and/or S, particularly on sandy soils for grass production.

Assessing the conditions of the forage stand is a very important step to be taken before deciding to fertilize as the availability of soil nutrients can greatly vary from field to field and is dependent on management, climatic conditions, soil type, and forage species. Soil testing is a quick and helpful tool recommended to identify deficiencies and address the particular needs for nutrients of the specific forages that are growing. With adequate moisture, application of fertilizer for annual forages can improve yield and with N application, typically increases the crude protein concentration of the forage as well.

The ability to fix atmospheric N for nodulated legumes, when properly inoculated and under suitable soil and climatic conditions, make them an economical source of N. Thus, growing a combination of grasses and legumes is thought to be an efficient management strategy to improve the yield and quality of forage stands while reducing the need for additional N from fertilizers. In pure stands perennial legumes, such as alfalfa, sweet clover, and vetches may fix 250-500 lb of nitrogen per acre.

Dr. Grafstrom's research work includes a number of perennial forages done at their research farm near Roseau. His discussion centred on general crop economics, ryegrass economics, theoretical perennial ryegrass seed yields, management strategies for high ryegrass yields, fertility, growth regulators, and diseases.

Current perennial ryegrass seed yields in northern Minnesota average 800 lbs per acre, but much higher yields are attained by the top growers. With 2018 input costs estimated at $381 per acre and gross returns at $480 per acre, there is a good profit to be made, but if yields were increased to say 1,200 lbs per acre, profit levels would be much better. So, yields drive profit.

Dr. Grafstrom recommended that to attain these higher yields, growers need to: utilize technology (GPS, auto steer, GIS mapping, satellite); engage their entire management team; do regular crop scouting; understand grass seed plant growth and development, growing degree day models and pest patterns; and control the controllables.

	Terry Kowalchuk and Dave Grafstrom (right) at Forage Seed Information Session in Saskatoon, SK. January 11, 2018  Source: SFSDC

Controllables are: crop/variety selection; timing of crop inputs; nitrogen rates and timing; regular budget review; pay close attention to details; utilize all management resources; when to swath; and when to buy inputs.

Uncontrollables are: weather; commodity prices; input prices; government programs; interest rates; global economy; and agriculture policy.

In Minnesota, top growers are using growing degree day models to predict ryegrass growth, stages and pest outbreaks. This can determine herbicide timings, growth regulator schedules, fertilizer timings (fall, spring or split applications), and monitoring for pests (mildew, rust, grasshoppers).

Dr. Grafstrom went on to describe factors that affect perennial ryegrass yield: stand losses due to winterkill and not spreading heavy straw from previous crop; time of seeding (spring or fall); fertility; full straw load and controlling lodging; no rust control; weed control (including roguing areas with Group 1 resistant weeds); reducing cleaning losses; and harvest and storage.  

 

Read on for the latest information from the CRSB and the sustainable beef movement.

Certified Sustainable Beef
by: Debbie Furber, Canadian Cattlemen Magazine, January 2018 

Top of Page 

 

By: Dr. Peiqiang Yu, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Chair in Feed R&D Program  

At the Seventh Annual Dairy Information Day in 2018, our previous PhD student at U of S and current a PDF researcher at Lethbridge Research Centre, Nair J. together with Christensen, D., Yu, P., Beattie, A. D., McAllister, T., Damiran, D., Preston, N., Fuhr, L. and McKinnon, J. J.  gave two consecutive  interesting research talks on barley varieties for silage research in western Canada: Talk One: "A Nutritional Evaluation of Common Barley Varieties Grown for Silage by Beef and Dairy Producers in Western Canada" and Talk Two: "Effect of Barley Variety and Stage of Maturity at Harvest on Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility"

44% torque rise to get through the tough spots. Available with a choice of three crop processor roll configurations, the FR920 covers the needs of every professional chopping operation.   

Cedric MacLeod considers carbon sequestration through forages and grasslands and the soils they grow in as a long overdue, up-until-now-grossly-underplayed chit that Canada's grass and forage producers can finally throw down and claim proper ownership on.

Blain Hjertaas, of Redvers, Saskatchewan is a cattle producer and if you have seen him speak, you will know that he is passionate about the health of our grasslands and soils. Blain offers practical solutions to the carbon problem through better management of our grazing lands. The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Assocation YouTube Channel features two videos of Blain:

Blain Hjertaas Farm Tour and

Blain Hjertaas Cattle & Carbon

Be sure to check them out!

  

Presentations are now available from Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan (SK PCAP) Native Prairie Restoration/Reclamation Workshop 2018. View these presentations at:
http://www.pcap-sk.org/resources-literature/nprrw-2018-presentations

The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) 2017 Conference presentations are now available!  View the 2017 and past presentations here.
 
Watch for more winter conference presentations to be posted online soon.