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Managing Our Soil Resource –Past, Present and Future

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Managing Our Soil Resource –Past, Present and Future Managing Our Soil Resource –Past, Present and Future Farming Smarter Conference Lethbridge, AB Dec. 3, 2013 Ross H. McKenzie Retired Agronomy Research Scientist Outline • Alberta Soils – History • Soil Survey in Alberta • Notable Soil Science Research • Impacts of Agriculture, Industries, Urban and Rural Development on Alberta Landscapes • Comment on Future Agronomy Research Needs Alberta – 10,000 years ago! After that last glacial period – the Prairie landscape was transformed leaving behind varying types of parent material and topography. Types of Soil Parent Material Glacial Melt Water Ice Sheet Hummocky Outwash Moraine Ground Fluvial Moraine LS-SL Fluvial Lacustrine Lacustrine (Clay) (Loam-CL) Major Zonal Soil or Agro-Ecological Areas of Alberta Black Soils in Central Alberta Dark Gray & Gray Luvisolic Soils in North Central & Northern AB Dark Brown Soils in Southern Brown Soils in Central Alberta SE Alberta Solonetzic Soils – Azonal -high in sodium -poor structure -poorly suited for cultivation Over 75 years - soils across Alberta have been surveyed and soils classified Soil Survey in Alberta • Initiated in the early 1920’s with the Report #1 published in 1925 of the Ft MacLeod Sheet by Wyatt and Newton • The last report, #56 was published in 1996 of the Gleichen Sheet by Walker and Pettapiece • 8 Exploratory reports were also published AGRASID Background Existing soil information compiled over the last 75 years used various mapping concepts and classification systems and mapped at different scales AGRASID Agricultural Region of Alberta Soil Inventory Database AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Conservation and Development Branch Alberta Land Resource Unit AGRASID: • Soil information for 26 million ha • It is available on-line: – access is free via the Alberta Agriculture Web site • Features: – Landform specific – Interpreted soil information – Land Suitability Rating (LSRS) http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/asic Comment #1 • Alberta is fortunate that forward thinking soil scientists ensured that soil survey’s were conducted across Alberta • Further – survey information is readily available via the internet using AGRASID! Sustainable Resource Development Green/White Zones in Alberta White Zone: About 60% -Agriculture of Alberta’s Green Zone: Land is -Forestry Public Land -Oil & Gas -Limited Grazing How much land does Alberta occupy? 158.7 million acres of land How much land is suitable for agricultural uses? Question? How Much Land is Suitable for Agricultural Use? • Alberta has 158.7 million ac of land • About 52 million ac is used for agriculture • Breakdown: –20 million ac is mostly used for grazing and is in native pasture or improved pasture –7 million ac is hay or tame pasture –25 million ac are cultivated •23 million ac are in annual crops •2 million ac are summerfallowed annually • Only 16% of Alberta’s total land is used for annual crop production! Comment #2: • Alberta has a relatively small percentage of land suitable for cultivated agriculture! About 16% !! Question: How much Class 1 land do we have in Alberta? Class 1 – None to slight limitations for agriculture Comment #3: • NONE!! • Alberta does not have any “Class 1 Land” for annual crop production! Alberta’s Class 2 Land Class 2: 478,000 ha First Nations People • Lived in harmony with the land for +10,000 years. • Fur traders began exploring the western prairies in the late 1700’s • By the 1870’s the native way of life changed dramatically – and the landscape of Alberta was about to also undergo major changes! Land Development in Alberta 1880 to 1900 1900 to 1920 Cattle ranching & Dramatic Shift - Land breaking Grazing dominated & Cultivated agriculture the landscape dominated the landscape Dominant Cropping System Wheat - Fallow • Advantages –Store soil moisture for the next crop year –Weed control –Crop-fallow-crop-fallow rotations • Disadvantages –No protective soil cover –Land prone to soil erosion –Decreased organic matter –Increased salinity Cultivation + summerfallow led to severe wind erosion in the 1920’s and 30’s Wind Erosion - Impacts • Wind erosion physically removed the most fertile part of the soil - the lighter, less dense soil constituents: – organic matter – clays – silts which lowered the soil productivity • Wind erosion: – Reduced soil productivity – Reduced crop yields – Reduced economic returns to farmers. Wind erosion: –Major topsoil losses in teens, 1930’s, 60’s and to a much lesser extent in 80’s Comment #4: Wheat-Fallow cropping system and cultivation resulted in serious soil degradation on millions of acres in Alberta! Dryland Agriculture • Wheat-Fallow system was not sustainable –Over 6 million acres of land were seriously eroded and had to be reclaimed –Fragile lands in drier regions were abandoned and returned to grassland • New ways of dryland farming had to be developed –Researchers and innovative farmers took on the challenge! Soil Management A. E. Palmer (1888-1984) “Trash Cover Palmer” • 1921–1953 at Lethbridge Experimental Station • Made great efforts to address the soil drifting crisis in the 1930’s • Collaborate with innovative farmers, such as Charles Noble, to develop new practices such as strip farming and sub-tillage • Undertook technology transfer to farmers – that was against Ottawa’s directives • Strong advocate for conservation tillage Soil Conservation Charles Noble (1873-1957) - Farmer • Concerned with dryland farming problems. • Developed the Noble Blade, a cultivator that cut off roots below ground, leaving the soil-holding "trash" intact on the surface. • He tested and began producing the cultivators in 1936 – by 1940 a manufacturing shop was set up in Nobleford. Comment #5 Forward thinking scientists and farmers led the way to strip farming and “trash cover” farming to conserve the soil in the 1940’s ! Effects of cropping practices in the past 100 yrs on the prairies. Rotation A-B-C AAFC Lethbridge • nnn Long-term dry land crop rotation established in 1911 CW-WWF-WF rotation – 102 years old! (Rotation A-B-C, Lethbridge - Janzen et al. 1986) Comment #6 - Long-term crop rotation studies are invaluable! • Early, forward thinking soil scientists established crop rotation studies! • Long term cropping studies have provided useful information to soil scientists and farmers to adopt more sustainable soil management practices. • Hopefully – long-term cropping system studies can be continued and even expanded in the future! Fertilizer Management • In the past 50 years, fertilizers have played a increasingly important role in crop production Jim Robertson and improving soil fertility: Elston Solbergi Gary Coy – Replacing nutrients removed from soil Dan Heaney Don Laverty – Increasing economic crop production – Improving soil organic matter and quality John Harapiak Doug Penney Len Kryzanowski Eric Bremer Marv Nyberg Rigas Karamanos Fertilizer Research • Conducted across all soil zones in Alberta • Crops studied included cereals, oilseed seed, pulse, forage and various special crops • Nutrients examined included N, P, K, S and various micronutrients. Alberta Farm Fertilizer Information Recommendation Manager Comment #7 • In 2011 - Alberta farmers spent $750 million on fertilizer • Fertilizer use has become essential for annual and perennial crop production! • Well managed fertilizer use has not only improved the profitability of Alberta farms but aided in improving soil quality! Variable Rate Fertilizer Technology • Is the application of different rates of fertilizer on uniquely different soil areas within a field • Purpose - To optimize fertilizer inputs and crop yield • Four R’s: Right Source – Time – Place – Rate • How - Fertilizer rates are changed according to a preset field map that is developed based on various types of information Concern: There is a CLASH between Scientific Knowledge and Promotion & Marketing! Examples: - In-crop N management - Variable Rate Fertilizer technology - Specialty fertilizers - Need for micronutrient and other fertilizers Comment #8 • Sadly – the need for specialty fertilizers and new technology has been over emphasized by some agronomists. • The use of VRT and micronutrient fertilizers are examples of products being promoted beyond their true significance – to Alberta farmers. There is a great need for much better coordinated fertilizer research in Alberta! Advanced Soil Conservation Efforts • Since the 1930’s agricultural scientists and leading farmers have strived to develop and adopt conservation tillage strategies! • Tracy Anderson – in the 1960’s was conducting direct seeding research at Lethbridge • Dr. Wayne Lindwall – took over and led no-till cropping research in the 1970’s into 1990’s Wayne Lindwall Direct Seeding Seedbed Thatch Layer Stubble Zero till – Direct Seeding • Early farmer adoption began in the 1980’s –Ike Lanier and Gordon Hilton • Widespread adoption began in the 1990’s as equipment manufacturers developed and improved seeding equipment. –Seeding equipment –Harvest – straw management –Weed control Ike Lanier Today: • >60% of Alberta’s annual crops are direct- seeded • Much of Alberta’s land is in reduced tillage • Benefits: –improved soil organic matter levels and soil quality –Increased nutrient supplying power of soil Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Sulphur (S) and other required plant nutrients Other Benefits of Conservation Tillage • Residue cover has greatly reduced soil erosion • More soil water is conserved for crop growth • Greater crop diversification –Due to moisture conservation • 70% decrease in summerfallow • 3-fold increase in canola acreage
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