On-farm GettinG innOvatiOn bugged? A driverless tractor » PG 33 There’s an app for that » PG 38 january 28, 2016 SERVING MANITOBA FARMERS SINCE 1925 | Vol. 74, No. 4 | $1.75 manitobacooperator.ca province addresses Ag Days craze over for 2016 predation Manitoba livestock producers will see an increase to wildlife damage compensation beginning in April bY Jennifer PaiGe Co-operator staff/Brandon anitoba livestock pro- ducers will soon see M higher compensation rates for animals injured or killed by wildlife. Beginning April 1, the maxi- mum value for domestic ani- mals killed or injured by natu- ral predators will increase from $2,000 to $3,000. “Creating an environment for producers to succeed in Mani- toba is vital to building strong rural communities in our prov- More than 40,000 people swarmed the Keystone Centre in Brandon for the annual Manitoba Ag Days, which put on an impressive display of production expertise, ince. Financial stability, espe- technology and equipment. PHOTO: JENNIFER PAIGE cially during production short- falls, provides an important level of support to the people who contribute greatly to Mani- toba’s economy,” said Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Ron Kostyshyn during a presentation at Mani- More crop insurance toba Ag Days Jan. 19. The Wildlife Damage Com- pensation Program is cost shared between the federal and provincial governments and is coverage for less in 2016 administered by the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corpora- tion. Grade guarantees will be introduced for feed wheats, including Faller, Prosper and Elgin ND See PREDATION on page 6 » Prices for insured crops are up upon it in a co-operative way Over all, the dollar value of bY aLLAN DAWSOn five per cent on average. When with the federal government, insured crops is up. Red spring Co-operator staff/Brandon combined with an average provincial government and wheat is flat, oats are down 12 two per cent increase in prob- producers.” per cent, barley is up 23 per anitoba farmers will able yields, it results in a seven Crop insurance premi- cent, canola is up 14 per cent, get higher crop insur- per cent increase in insurance ums are based on a 25-year soybeans are down three per Mance coverage in 2016 coverage. rolling average of loss expe- cent and corn is up 27 per cent. and pay less for it, Agriculture Other changes include a new rience, Craig Thomson, There will be a grade guar- Minister Ron Kostyshyn told Ag grade guarantee for feed wheat, Manitoba Agricultural Services antee for some of the new Days attendees Jan. 19. the option to insure higher- Corporation’s vice-president of higher-yielding American “Premium rates will decrease generation pedigreed seed and insurance explained in an inter- Dark Northern Springs wheats, by an average of about 11 per test plots, the addition of some view later. as well as feed wheats in the cent compared to last year’s pre- vegetable crops, expansion of “If we have a good year, like Canada Western General mium rates and this is due to the the Pasture Days Insurance Pilot this year, it’s a positive loss Purpose (CWGP) class. removal of the high 1989 (crop Program and higher payouts for experience,” he said. insurance) losses from 25 years livestock destroyed by wildlife. “This year we dropped off a Grade guarantees ago…,” Kostyshyn said. “We all know business risk bad year (1989 when crops suf- As of April 1 varieties designated “When combined with the management programs are fered because of drought) and as Canada Western Interim average increase in coverage this an essential tool when we talk picked up a good one and that Wheat (CWIW) will have results in a four per cent average about agriculture,” Kostyshyn makes for a positive impact on decline in premium per acre.” said. “We continue to improve our premium rates.” See CROP INSURANCE on page 6 » CGC: Farmers pay but have no say » PAGe 3 Publication Mail Agreement 40069240 2 The Manitoba Co-operator | January 28, 2016 INSiDE DiD you know? LiVESToCk A gritty new tool in the A new cattle code war against weeds Dehorning and Weed and feed your crop with blasted soybean meal castrating older animals now require 12 pain control staff esearchers with the University of Illinois have CRoPS R come up with a new tac- tic in the war against weeds: blasting. “Abrasive weeding,” a strat- Soybeans tell egy that may prove most useful the salinity tale for small-scale organic growers, is proving to be “surprisingly The crop has effective,” university research- limited tolerance for ers say in a release. saline soils 17 In conjunction with plas- tic mulch, abrasive weeding Hand-held weed-blasting unit used to control weeds in organic plots. reduced final weed biomass by photo: SAMUEL WoRtMAN 69 to 97 per cent compared to non-weeded control plots, said agroecologist Samuel Wortman. really matter what the shape of weeds in a single pass is appeal- FEATuRE Abrasive weeding uses an air the particle is.” ing, but the researchers cau- compressor to blast weed seed- Researchers said it is impor- tioned that it is still unknown lings with organic grit. In the tant to use this type of treat- whether the fertilizer would Precision University of Illinois study, grit ment on transplanted crops be available for plant uptake was applied through a hand- that are substantially larger within critical windows. agriculture held siphon-fed sand-blasting than the weed seedlings. But Testing is continuing on dif- From robotic tractors unit connected to a gas-pow- despite some shredding dam- ferent horticultural crops, ered air compressor, the release age to the crops, yields were including broccoli and kale, to big data, it’s making said. It was hauled down crop 33 to 44 per cent greater yields with and without additional a difference on 33 rows with a walk-behind tractor. than in non-weeded control weed control methods. “Early your farm A number of grit sources were plots. results suggest that the pres- tried including walnut shells, An additional benefit of weed ence of polyethylene mulch or granulated maize cob, green- blasting is the potential for biodegradable plastic mulch sand, and soybean meal. growers to use organic fertiliz- strongly enhances the success CRoSSRoADS Wortman said he found no ers, such as soybean meal, as of weed blasting, as compared significant differences between blasting material. “We expect with straw mulch and bare the grit types in terms of effi- that abrasive weeding could soil,” the release said. cacy. “When it leaves the nozzle, contribute between 35 and 105 Because ricocheting particles Celebrating it’s at least Mach 1 (767 m.p.h.),” kg nitrogen per hectare to soil can pose a risk to the applicator, Wortman noted. “The stuff fertility.” The idea that a grower Wortman advises using protec- suffrage comes out so fast, it doesn’t could both fertilize and kill tive eyewear. 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R3H 0H1 The Manitoba Co-operator | January 28, 2016 3 Farmers pay but have no say One industry official says farmers cover most of the Canadian Grain Commission’s budget but the commission isn’t accountable to farmers BY ALLAN DAWSON Co-operator staff/Brandon “It’s (CGC) a Government armers pay for Canadian Grain of Canada agency and Commission (CGC) operations so farmers are paying full they should have a bigger say in F freight on it now (because how it operates, says Rick White, chief executive officer of the Canadian Canola of cost recovery).