Agriculture Roundup for Friday February 17, 2023

Feb 17, 2023

The Western Grains Research Foundation has created a series of twelve regional factsheets that show the benefits of diversifying crop rotations.

The Resilient Rotations project is part of the Integrated Crop Agronomy Cluster (ICAC) that is evaluating various crop rotations to help create more productive, sustainable, and resilient cropping systems on the prairies.

The project is led by Dr. Kui Liu, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

“We are approaching crop rotation by looking at a systems approach – all the elements that impact crop rotation from soil health, economics and yield to local growing conditions,” Liu said. “It’s a more holistic way to look at crop rotation and one we hope will provide new insights and options for farmers in Western Canada in a more customized, prescriptive type of approach.”

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?