Ag producers managing climate change effects may be eligible for assistance

Dec 26, 2023

A program initiated by the Government of Saskatchewan aims to help reduce the impact of climate change in the province. Titled the Resilient Agricultural Landscapes Program (RALP), the program will provide funding to eligible producers who improve the environmental resiliency of agricultural land using a beneficial management practice (BMP).

A BMP is any agricultural management practice ensuring the long-term health and sustainably of agricultural land that positively impacts economic viability and minimizes environmental risks.

The short- and long-term consequences of climate change remain speculative, but effects are likely to include drought, soil erosion, water quality issues, and a decline in biodiversity.

To mitigate these risks, producers can take actions such as strategically planting trees in agricultural zones. To provide financial assistance, the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) has launched RALP along with other programs as part of a five-year, $485 million investment launched April 1, 2023, by the provincial and federal government.

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.