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Forages

A new report has put a dollar value on the stewardship provided by Alberta's leaseholders.
Forages, News

Polycultures: A cocktail forage mix for semiarid prairies

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Producers rely on grazing native, tame perennial pastures or stockpiled forages to typically feed their cattle. Annual diverse forage mixtures give producers an opportunity to provide high quality feed while also gaining additional benefits for the soil and ecosystem. Polycultures could even be integrated into a crop rotation or used as green manure (working it […] Read more
Upcoming sainfoin varieties have improved persistence and yield when grown and grazed in mixed stands with alfalfa.
Forages, Research

Persistence pays when it comes to forage breeding

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

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Forage legumes provide high yields, protein and good animal performance while improving soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air. Alfalfa is the highest yielding and most widely used legume but can cause bloat. Legumes like cicer milkvetch, sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil do not cause bloat. As little as 25 per cent sainfoin in a […] Read more
Electric fencing can be an effective way to give pastures or cells a break between grazing.
Features, Forages

Management key when evaluating forage production

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What should you consider when evaluating the performance of grazing systems and forage production? According to Sean McGrath, management is the factor least often measured in the forage industry, but doing so can keep you accountable for your management decisions and positively impact performance. McGrath, who ranches with his family at Vermilion, Alta., discussed this […] Read more
Precipitation percentiles on the Prairies for the period of April 1 to May 23, 2019. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Drought Watch)
Crops, Pasture, Weather

Prairie dryness concerns to persist

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MarketsFarm — Large areas of Western Canada remain on the dry side, with little moisture in the immediate forecasts. And while it’s still early in the growing season, the interplay of conflicting patterns from the south and north will determine whether the dry areas receive timely precipitation during the growing season. “We are looking at […] Read more
Wild oats (yellow) invade the area the sprayer missed during the establishment year. The green is the nurse crops of oat.
Features, Forages

Seeding tips for perennial forages

Managing plant residue from the previous year is important

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Traditional annuals and cocktail cover crop mixtures can make great forage for cattle on a temporary basis, but over the long haul a good stand of perennial pasture may be the best choice, according to Lorne Klein, range management extension specialist, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture at Weyburn. As a resource for producers who want to […] Read more
Sommerfeld has modified an 855 New Holland round baler to lift hay swaths and speed drying.
Hay, News, News Roundup

Tips for baling in high-moisture situations

Forages: News Roundup from the May 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

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In the last issue, we outlined Ryan Sommerfeld’s methods for deciding when to cut hay to minimize rain damage. Sommerfeld is a cattle producer based near Medstead, Sask. Now we turn to Sommerfeld’s methods for cutting, raking and baling. Sommerfeld prefers cutting with a 13.5-foot discbine, which allows him to cut at about six miles […] Read more
Round bales can be stored under tarps to keep out moisture and reduce rot.
Features, Forages, Weather

Managing forage in a dry year

Planning for drought needs to occur before drought arrives

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Drought is normal in Western Canada and it is not going to go away. We just don’t know when the next drought will be, or how long it will last. “Drought affects two basic parts of the rancher’s business,” says Dr. Art Bailey, range science professor emeritus at the University of Alberta. “On the demand […] Read more
“Trying to produce crops that are not suited to your soils leads to low yields, high production costs and a higher land requirement to meet production goals." – Bill Thomas.
Features, Forages

Yield and quality pillars of forage production

Grow well-adapted varieties and match your forages to soil and climate conditions

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When it comes to cost of production and efficiency, Bill Thomas considers yield and quality to be the two pillars of forage production. In order to keep these pillars standing strong, careful planning is the key to creating an effective forage production program. Thomas, retired director of Perennia’s field services division, delivered his recommendations at […] Read more
By deferring grazing until later in the year, producers can use cattle to reseed sainfoin stands.

Crops, Features, Forages

Tips for managing sainfoin in your forage stand

Keeping sainfoin populations high beyond five years is a challenge

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Sometimes what’s old is new again. That certainly holds true for sainfoin as forage breeders release new varieties designed for today’s beef and forage operations. Sainfoin is a non-bloating legume native to Europe and western Asia. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) released varieties such as Melrose and Nova in the 1970s and ’80s. But these […] Read more

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