That would be in addition to the planted area recently projected by Statistics Canada, as nitrogen-based fertilizers have seen price hikes of 30 per cent since the start of the current Middle East war. Vessels transiting the narrow Strait of Hormuz to and from the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf have come to a stop, which threatens global supplies.

On Feb. 27, nearby urea futures on the Chicago Board of Trade were nearly US$442 per tonne and then jumped to US$590 by March 3. Since then, urea has fluctuated with crude oil prices, closing on March 9 at US$585/tonne.

Pulses add nitrogen

Risula said in a March 10 interview that switching to pulses would make sense due to the nitrogen benefits they provide.

“But it may not be as much as one might think because there are other aspects that could influence farmers’ decisions,” he added.

He said farmers’ crop rotations would be a major consideration as well as concerns over root rot, which has been a problem for pulse crops in Saskatchewan.

Of the choices for additional pulse acres, Risula said the most likely would be lentils. Another selection he said farmers would consider is chickpeas.

“They’re growing it away from the area it was intended for, which was the drier part of southwest Saskatchewan,” he said, noting there are more chickpea varieties available.

StatCan recently forecast a 13.3 per cent increase of planted chickpea acres in Saskatchewan for 2026/27 at 559,100.

Phosphorus issues

As for lentils and peas, Risula cautioned these pulses require good phosphorus levels, which is currently a problem in the province.

“Generally, our soils have been running down in phosphorus levels,” which he said are cyclical.

That would also mean farmers would have to consider the costs to applying phosphorus where levels are lower than normal and its availability. While urea process have risen significantly, those for phosphorous are up only five per cent.

StatCan planted and forecast pulse acres in Saskatchewan

Pulse 2025/26 2026/27

Lentils 3,808,600 3,643,900

Dry Peas 1,773,000 1,479,300

Chickpeas 493,400 559,100

Faba Beans 15,300 29,800

Dry Beans 8,600 n/a

– With files from Sean Pratt, Glacier FarmMedia

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Shares fell more than two per cent in extended trading.

The Tampa, Florida-based fertilizer producer warned in January that an unusually sharp decline in North American fertilizer demand during the quarter would pressure sales and cash flow.

Demand for fertilizers has been under pressure as farmers cut nutrient use amid tight budgets, while an early onset of winter shortened the application window.

Sales volumes in the Phosphates segment fell to 1.3 million tonnes from 1.6 million tonnes a year earlier, the company said.

Global shipments could reach record levels

Phosphate markets have tightened as Chinese exports remain largely absent after Beijing extended its phosphate export restrictions, Mosaic said, adding that it expects restrictions to stay in place through at least the first half of the year.

“Like phosphate, potash prices have shifted higher, and current expectations suggest global shipments could reach record levels in 2026,” Mosaic added.

The company said it expects full-year phosphate production volumes to be at or above 7 million tonnes and potash production volumes to be about 9 million tonnes.

Mosaic forecast first-quarter phosphate sales volumes of 1.7 million to 1.9 million tonnes and potash sales volumes of 2.0 million to 2.2 million tonnes.

It also forecast capital spending of about $1.5 billion (C$2.06 billion) for the year.

The company reported adjusted earnings of 22 cents per share for the quarter ended December 31, compared with analysts’ average estimate of 47cents per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.

— Reporting by Katha Kalia and Sumit Saha in Bengaluru

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Though the winter nutrient ban has been lifted, the province cautioned producers to “assess current weather conditions and periodically check weather forecasts” if they’re applying anytime between now and April 11.

“Nutrients should not be applied in instances where the weather outlook is unfavourable,” the province said — for example, “a forecast of snow or an appreciable amount of rainfall that would result in runoff.”

All other manure management regulations are still in effect, the province added, such as the ban on applications on “sensitive lands along waterways” and on lands classified as Nutrient Management Zone N4.

Typically, the province’s ban on winter application of nitrogen and phosphorus, including manure, is in place between and including Nov. 10 of one year and April 10 the following year — with variances where conditions allow.

The regulation was put in place in 2008 as application of nutrients onto frozen or snow-covered soils “results in an increased risk of nutrient runoff” into Manitoba waterways, which in turn increases algal blooms in Lake Winnipeg and elsewhere. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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University of Guelph researchers reached the conclusions by analyzing multiple years of data collected by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority during in-person interviews with farmers in the Gully Creek Watershed, near Bayfield, about 80 km northwest of London.

Jennifer Leslie analyzed the data, which included 16 farms of various sizes over a six-year period, ending in 2011.

There is concern with phosphorus contributing to algae growth in Lake Erie. The International Joint Commission, which works on Great Lakes health issues, estimates agriculture is responsible for 44 per cent of phosphorus contribution.

Most of the phosphorus comes from the U.S., but there is significant working happening on the Canadian side to find best management practices to reduce phosphorus going into Lake Erie. Canada and the U.S. have set a goal of reducing phosphorus loads to Lake Erie by 40 per cent in the next decade.

Leslie points out that the Gully Creek Watershed, where the study was conducted, drains to Lake Huron, not Lake Erie. However, Lake Huron itself flows into Lake St. Clair and then into the western basin of Lake Erie where there is most concern about algae.

Leslie, whose thesis advisor was Alfons Weersink, did the analysis from a Lake Huron watershed because there was no similar depth of data available from a Lake Erie watershed. In order to create wide-ranging policy, a broader study is needed, she said.

Leslie recorded how much nitrogen and phosphorus farmers applied to corn and winter wheat fields and compared it to the recommendations that would come from OMAFRA’s NMAN software, which helps determine what nutrient requirements should be supplied to a crop.

“In case of phosphorus in corn and winter wheat, there are statistically higher application rates. In almost every case, on every farm, every field we saw a rate higher than NMAN rate,” said Leslie, who has completed her master’s degree and is now working as a research assistant at Guelph.

In winter wheat, the overapplication of phosphorus compared to NMAN rates was 47.28 per cent, and for corn, 37.83 per cent.

Larger fields also received higher rates of phosphorus than smaller fields. The same was true of larger farm operations.

“We couldn’t go talk to farmers, but I would assume that larger farms are sole-income. They are relying on the crops for income,” and so they took no risks with being low in phosphorus.

The researchers looked to see if they could find a profit- and yield-maximizing rate that justified more application, but did not find it.

In the case of nitrogen, however, farmers applied only slightly higher rate in corn and winter wheat than was recommended by NMAN, almost four per cent for corn and a bit more than five per cent for winter wheat.

Leslie, who has a background in agronomics, said phosphorus is less expensive than nitrogen, it is applied in smaller increments and its correlation with yield is less understood than nitrogen. As a result, it costs farmers little more to apply insurance phosphorus.

Farmers apply around 200 lbs./ac. of nitrogen on corn, but phosphorus application may only be 15 lbs./ac. It doesn’t cost much more to add five more pounds, but that would be a 30 per cent increase. The extra phosphorus comes out of a farmer’s profit and it also comes at an environmental cost, so there’s little to encourage overuse of the nutrient.

However, farmers may say, “If my livelihood is based on this, then I’m going to go with my gut,” said Leslie.

NMAN is required to be used by farmers who operate under nutrient management plans, especially livestock farms, but there were no farms in this watershed that were required to use application rates based on NMAN.

Leslie’s research was published in 2017 in the scientific journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.

— John Greig is a field editor for Glacier FarmMedia based at Ailsa Craig, Ont. Follow him at @jgreig on Twitter.

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None of the numerous recommendations are particularly new or surprising and mostly call for using existing funding programs to encourage certain production practices.

Recommendations include programs under the next federal/provincial agriculture policy framework that would encourage phosphorus reduction strategies from a whole-farm, multi-BMP (best management practice) approach.

The plan, posted March 10, calls for Ontario to continue to support development of a 4R strategy, led by industry, encouraging farmers and applicators to apply the right source of nutrients at the right rate, right time and right placement.

The continually growing greenhouse sector, especially in the Leamington area, is believed to be a source of increased phosphorus and it’s recommended that the province continue working with greenhouse growers to encourage nutrient recycling and reduce phosphorus levels in discharges to watercourses flowing to Lake Erie.

Several programs have already been created to encourage best management practices already, including the Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative and its Farmland Health Checkup program, as well as the Environmental Farm Plan program and nutrient management plans.

The action plan recommends the harmonizing and streamlining of programs to create a whole-farm approach versus piecemeal programs addressing different parts of farm operations.

Other program recommendations include the planting of more trees, restoring native habitats including wetlands and riparian habitat, while focusing efforts on priority watersheds where phosphorus loadings are high and natural cover is low.

Other recommendations include encouraging dam owners to explore managing dams to reduce phosphorus outputs, and for public lands to be managed to minimize phosphorus losses.

Algae blooms in Lake Erie have been creating greater concern, especially in wet years. Most of the problems affect U.S. cities and most of the phosphorus entering the lake also comes from U.S. watercourses.

The federal-provincial plan says about “84 per cent of total phosphorus loads and 82 per cent soluble reactive phosphorus loads to Lake Erie are contributed by the United States, with smaller contributions from Canadian sources.”

There are concerns that a proposed Trump budget in the U.S. that slashed environmental programs includes a potential 97 per cent cut to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The Canadian plan is available for comment on the Ontario Environmental Registry website until May 9.

— John Greig is a field editor for Glacier FarmMedia based at Ailsa Craig, Ont. Follow him at @jgreig on Twitter.

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Provincial Finance Minister Cameron Friesen on Thursday introduced Bill 24 for first reading. Among its 15 proposed amendments to various pieces of legislation, the bill would repeal two sections of the Environment Act dealing with hog operations and winter manure spreading.

The previous NDP government introduced the freeze on new hog barn construction and expansions in certain areas of the province starting in 2006, expanding provincewide in 2011, with the stated aim of reducing phosphorus loading in Lake Winnipeg.

The province’s ban on winter spreading of manure from Nov. 10 to April 10 each year was imposed in 2013, also with the stated aim of reducing phosphorus runoff into waterways.

The province has said it imposed the winter spreading ban because applying nutrients onto frozen or snow-covered soils “results in an increased risk of nutrient runoff” which in waterways “contributes directly to algal blooms in Lake Winnipeg and elsewhere.”

In its press release Thursday, the province said Bill 24 would “remove general prohibitions from the Environment Act for the expansion of hog barns and manure storage facilities.”

Those prohibitions, in section 40.1 of the Act, require a provincial permit before a hog barn or hog manure storage can be built. It also prevents a hog operation from increasing its animal unit capacity.

Permits for new barns or storage would be granted only if the manure would be treated via anaerobic digestion or “another environmentally sound treatment that is similar to or better than anaerobic digestion.”

The province and Manitoba hog producers agreed in 2015 on a pilot project that would allow new barns to be built to certain environmental requirements, such as two-cell manure lagoons and limits on soil phosphorus.

Mike Teillet, manager of sustainable development at Manitoba Pork, said Monday the province’s proposed bill will “eliminate the need for impractical and extremely costly anaerobic digesters to build a pig barn in Manitoba.”

That provision, he said, “essentially stopped barn construction in the province and that is why it was often referred to as a ‘ban’ or ‘moratorium.'”

The digesters also “would have done nothing to protect the environment,” he said — and cutting that requirement is thus “a sound and practical action by the Manitoba government.”

Bill 24, as introduced Thursday, also orders a repeal for section 40.2 of the Act, which covers the winter manure spreading ban. In an “explanatory note” attached to Bill 24, the government describes the prohibition on winter manure spreading as “eliminated.”

However, Manitoba Pork’s Teillet said Monday, the ban’s inclusion in Bill 24 serves only to remove a “redundant” section of the Act that remains part of the province’s Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation, thus keeping the winter manure spreading ban in effect.

Manitoba Pork, he noted, “has never asked the government to remove the winter spreading ban” and the province’s hog producers remain “committed to environmentally-sound production practices.”

In introducing Bill 24, Friesen said Thursday the status quo “has created unnecessary challenges for both industry and government.”

The bill’s assorted proposals, he said, “were identified as priority actions by both industry leaders and the civil service” and will “reduce the red tape that is creating burdens on business, non-profits, municipalities, private citizens and government officials.” — AGCanada.com Network

UPDATE, March 20, 2017: A previous version of this article stated Bill 24 proposed to eliminate Manitoba’s ban on winter manure spreading. The article has been updated to include additional information from Manitoba Pork.

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The Wigle Creek subwatershed, west of Leamington, has turned into ground zero in long-term research on how farmers can reduce phosphorus running into the lake. Phosphorus from various sources, including farm fields, is being blamed for an increase in algae growth in Lake Erie.

The watershed is perfect for finding a baseline for phosphorus levels in the soils and how they run to the lake, says Denotter, who recommended it to the Essex Regional Conservation Authority (ERCA) for its Priority Subwatershed Project.

The subwatershed project is part of the Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative which funds changes to agricultural practices in watersheds that feed into Lake Erie.

The funding for the project is into its third year and the last intake for the project was in the late fall.

Projects gobbling up the entire funding were submitted in about the first five minutes, said Chris Snip, a certified crop advisor with Agris Co-operative. He is based at the Agris office in Cottam and was interviewed at the Chatham-Kent Farm Show.

Farmers who have got funding to help with new equipment have generally bought or modified equipment to more precisely place fertilizer or to strip till crops.

The starting point for farmers is a farmland health checkup, which involves working with a certified crop advisor to look at erosion, organic matter, soil health, soil chemistry and phosphorus levels.

Those who complete the free checkup are then eligible to apply for funding to improve best management practices. Farms in a subwatershed project are available for even greater funding — up to 80 per cent of projects.

That has allowed almost every farm in the Wigle Creek subwatershed to conduct soil tests, providing an extensive benchmark of phosphorus levels across the area.

Denotter said during an interview at the farm show that “the greatest thing about the watershed program is that we need a baseline.”

The Wigle Creek is already part of a monitoring program as part of a project to monitor greenhouse runoff. It has no greenhouses feeding water into its watershed, so serves as a baseline to other area watersheds.

Denotter, a past president of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), has taken the funding he’s received and purchased a Salford 2000 variable rate fertilizer cart that allows him to place fertilizer more precisely. They no longer broadcaster fertilizer. He’s also customized a John Deere air seeder for precision fertilizer and seed placement.

Denotter says he and his family are conservationists and that he’s motivated to reduce his runoff of phosphorus because “I don’t like to see green water,” in the lake.

The second largest farmer in the watershed, he was an early adopter of no-till farming and was recognized in January by the conservation authority with its education award.

The other large farmer uses a lot of plowing, he noted, so the subwatershed is a good place to compare phosphorus movement and tillage practices.

The program has expanded the number of farmers who are soil testing, said Snip, who has been helping lead the Agris work on phosphorus reduction because of a personal interest: He lives near the lake.

Snip was recognized by Agris parent co-op Growmark with one of its Endure 4R Advocate awards last year, one of four winners in North America.

The 4R nutrient management program is a certification program that encourages the reduced and proper use of fertilizers across North America. About 10 per cent of Ontario certified crop advisors are certified under the 4R program, said Snip. The Agris board of directors recently adopted a 4R Stewardship pledge.

The GLASI program is administered by OSCIA.

— John Greig is a field editor for Glacier FarmMedia based at Ailsa Craig, Ont. Follow him at @jgreig on Twitter.

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Over the past year, Manitoba soil fertility experts came together to fill this gap. John Heard (Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development), Cindy Grant (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) and Don Flaten (University of Manitoba) found low phosphorus (P) levels in soil tests in many areas across the province.

They weren’t surprised. In recent decades, yields have increased — and farmers have moved from crops that remove relatively low amounts of P from the soil (cereals, flax) to crops that use a lot more P (canola, soybeans, corn).

Plants need phosphorus. It contributes to photosynthesis, respiration, energy transfer, cell division, early root growth and winter hardiness.

Recommendations in place since 1992 have been based not only on outdated P needs but on a “short-term sufficiency” approach, with a goal of supplying enough P for a good yield on the current crop. The updated recommendations consider long-term soil productivity.

Flaten has a simple analogy. “A phosphorus budget works like a financial budget or bank account,” he said. “If you apply more phosphorous than you remove at harvest, that phosphorus goes into ‘savings’ as a reasonably stable and plant-available source of P for future crops.”

A long-term view of a field’s P needs provides more flexibility. Farmers can replenish P in the soil when prices are relatively low while, over time, reducing the risk that low nutrients will limit yield.

For a long-term approach, the experts point out:

• Banded phosphorus is more agronomically efficient than broadcasting.
• Sidebanding at planting is the optimum method for small seeded and solid seeded crops in Manitoba.
• Farmers without sidebanding equipment can apply higher-than-needed P rates when they’re seeding cereals that are more tolerant, applying a surplus one year to make up for a deficit in another year.
• Manure application to meet nitrogen requirements will give a field enough P for several years.

The experts’ numbers are shown in the table below, which is also included in their paper (attached here). These rates are based on three factors: your soil test results, what you’re planting and how the P will be applied.

For example, if your soil test shows an “M” for phosphorus, with 10 parts per million and 20 pounds per acre and you’re going to be placing the P with the seed, the recommended P rate for canola is 20 pounds per acre.

Long-term research

The results of a long-term AAFC phosphorus study based at Swift Current, Sask., recently turned heads. After years of applying P to the soil, researchers stopped applying P in 1995. Compared to test plots where they kept applying P, yields didn’t suffer.

The head researcher, Dr. Barbara Cade-Menun, is excited about this research into how plants use “legacy fertilizer.”

“This may or may not be typical of a farm,” Cade-Menun said. She also noted some of these results can be attributed to the higher rates of moisture in southwestern Saskatchewan in recent years.

“Compared to other parts of Saskatchewan and everywhere else, plant growth here is limited by water first, and nitrogen second, and then phosphorus.”

Flaten attributes the results of this study as the simple impact of drawing down on a long-running bank account.

“In situations like some of the long-term studies at Swift Current, the surplus phosphorus that accumulates during years of phosphorus fertilization can offset a phosphorus ‘deficit’ that occurs later on, when no phosphorus or low rates of phosphorus are applied.

“However, if no phosphorus is applied over a long period of time, even soils with a large reserve of phosphorus will become phosphorus-deficient and yields will eventually decline.”

Flaten also refers to a long-term study done by Dr. Martin Entz at the University of Manitoba’s Glenlea Research Station. Graduate student Cathy Welsh completed a long-term study of the effects of removing hay and grain from organic plots without replacing P.

“Even though soil test levels of phosphorus in this trial were very high at the beginning, after 12 years without adding any phosphorus, the decline in the most plant-available pools of phosphorus (i.e., the cash reserves in the phosphorus bank) was much more dramatic than in stable reserves (i.e., the bonds and term deposits in the phosphorus bank.)

“Then, Dr. Entz added composted beef cattle manure on half of the plots, to restore phosphorus, with a dramatic increase in crop yields.”

— Leeann Minogue is the editor of Grainews, based at Griffin, Sask. Watch for more details on this topic in the April 28, 2015 issue of Grainews.

Phosphorus-Recommendation-Strategies-for-Manitoba-v5-2

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While the results still need to be tested elsewhere, with other crops, the study’s findings may help Canadian farmers rethink how much phosphorus (P) — if any — their long-fertilized fields actually need.

The study, results of which were recently published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, is part of a broader federal project on “legacy” P — that is, the applied P crops don’t need or use, which can remain in the field and become more tightly bound to soil than recently-added fertilizer.

Barbara Cade-Menun, based at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre (SPARC) at Swift Current, Sask., led the study using a set of plots established in 1967 and fertilized every year with both P and nitrogen (N) until 1995.

After 1995, each plot on the set was split in two and P treatments were stopped on a half of each plot for a “long-term, controlled study” of legacy P, AAFC said in a recent release.

While soil tests showed “very low” concentrations of P on the no-added-P plots, there was no difference in yield, or in the concentration of P in the grain, as compared to the fertilized plot, AAFC said.

“Legacy P from a 28-year build-up was sufficient for 15 years of wheat cultivation, resulting in no significant differences in crop yield in 2010,” Cade-Menun’s team wrote in its ES+T paper.

In other words, the wheat plants that didn’t get the additional P fertilizer were able to use not only the legacy fertilizer P, but other pools of P that had built up in the soil such as organic P from decayed plant trash.

Because it’s more tightly bound, that legacy P may not show up in soil test-style analyses, which are meant to measure readily available soil inorganic phosphorus when deciding on a field’s fertilizer needs.

Sustainability

Having such plots available for longer-term research is key to studying new problems as they develop, such as the potential overapplication of P fertilizers, Cade-Menun said in AAFC’s release.

“While it’s well known that not all the fertilizer given to plants will be used, what we don’t know is how fertilizer compounds in the soil interact with the other soil elements, microbes and plants over time,” she said.

Cade-Menun’s team was able to observe P levels from the fields’ surface and subsurface layers with help from the Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, and from the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron in Saskatoon.

If farmers’ crops are consistently able to get at those P sources believed to be off-limits, AAFC said, that could translate to a cost saving for farmers and possibly cut down the risk of losing recently-added P into nearby bodies of water.

Oversupplies of P and N washed into creeks, rivers and lakes in turn are blamed for overgrowth of nuisance aquatic plants and algae, posing potential risks to lakes’ fish populations and the health of lakes’ human users.

“These results provide important information about legacy P to improve agricultural sustainability while mitigating water quality deterioration,” the team wrote in the ES+T paper.

The SPARC study, AAFC said, is part of a broader cross-Canada project on legacy P underway at “various locations” across Canada, led by Noura Ziadi at AAFC’s Soils and Crops Research and Development Centre (SCRDC) at Quebec City. — AGCanada.com Network

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The findings indicate just that.

“Season and forage species had significant effects on trace mineral levels. This suggests that varying the mineral supplementation program for grazing animals is necessary between spring and fall,” says SFC executive director Leanne Thompson.

Of greatest concern is that copper and zinc were not adequate in any forage species, season or soil zone to meet the requirements of grazing beef cows or growing calves.

The Western Beef Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Saskatchewan Agriculture partnered on this extensive project which involved collecting fresh forage samples from three pastures in each of four soil zones (brown, dark brown, black and grey) during spring and fall of 2012 and 2013. Up to six forage species representing commonly grazed forages at each site were individually sampled.

Seasonal differences

Overall, season had the most notable influence on trace mineral content of tame and native species across all soil zones.

Mineral levels were similar both years, but varied significantly from spring to fall within each year. Calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and molybdenum levels were lower in spring than fall, while the opposite was apparent for phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, zinc and copper levels.

Soil zone influences

Molybdenum levels were not an issue on their own. The highest average level found was 3.72 parts per million (ppm) in fall 2012, which was well below the threshold of less than 5.0. However, the trend of inadequate copper levels decreasing in conjunction with sufficient molybdenum levels increasing had an adverse effect on the copper-to-molybdenum (Cu:Mo) ratio, particularly in the grey soil zone.

Iron levels across all forage types, soil zones and seasons were sufficient to meet the requirements of grazing beef cows and growing calves. The highest concentrations were found in fall samples from the grey soil zone.

There were no significant differences in forage selenium content across soil zones. All samples in the brown soil zone and nearly all in the dark brown and grey soil zones were adequate. The lowest proportion of samples with adequate selenium was in the black soil zone, but still, 82 per cent of the samples contained sufficient selenium to meet the 0.1 ppm requirement for pregnant and lactating beef cows and growing calves. Averages of project samples ranged from a low of 0.46 ppm in fall 2013 to a high of 0.57 ppm in fall 2012.

This finding was somewhat of a surprise because of the general recommendation in many regions to provide minerals containing selenium and selenium injections for newborn calves to prevent white muscle disease. The idea behind this is that if soil is deficient in selenium, then forages will be lacking as well. It’s known that selenium levels vary across Prairie soils, but soil testing wasn’t part of this project to examine the relationship between soil and plant mineral levels.

Thompson cautions producers not to stop supplementing selenium or iron based on these findings alone. The project identified general trends, but producers need to test their feeds to know what’s going on in their own pastures. As well, mineral interactions are complex and there may be some reason why cattle aren’t able to absorb all of the selenium in forages.

Forage species

Species had a significant effect on mineral content and nutritional quality.

As mentioned, copper and zinc levels were inadequate across the province. This held true for all species, with zinc content being lowest in meadow brome. Copper was lowest in crested wheatgrass, Kentucky bluegrass and western wheatgrass. Alfalfa had slightly higher levels of copper in fall compared to spring while the opposite trend was noted for the grasses.

Molybdenum was lowest in fall-sampled Kentucky bluegrass, meadow brome and smooth brome. The average Cu:Mo ratio was lowest for Kentucky bluegrass, and smooth brome during fall.

Meadow brome, smooth brome and western wheatgrass had adequate levels of manganese in more than 80 per cent of samples. It was lowest in crested wheatgrass sampled in spring.

The tetany ratio was safely below the 2.2:1 threshold in fresh pasture forages across all soil zones in both seasons, but tended to be highest in spring. Smooth bromegrass in spring had tetany ratios of concern averaging 2.5:1, while western wheatgrass at 2.1:1 and meadow brome at 1.9:1 warrant close monitoring as well when grazed in spring.

The tetany ratio is the potassium level relative to the sum of the calcium and magnesium levels. The ratio increases as potassium increases or the level of calcium and, or magnesium decrease.

Tetany is a condition diagnosed by a low blood magnesium level. This can be caused by excessive potassium interfering with absorption of calcium and magnesium. Potassium levels may accumulate in forages on pastures frequently fertilized with manure, when growing conditions are dry, or in low-pH soils.

Copper-molybdenum ratio

The overall low level of copper and zinc in Saskatchewan forages is of chief con- cern because of the economic importance of these trace minerals. They influence reproductive performance (onset of estrus and puberty, conception rates, calving ease, survival, sperm production and testicle size), general growth and animal health.

Over 80 per cent of samples were deficient in copper and close to 80 per cent didn’t have enough zinc to meet the needs of beef cattle. Only two per cent of forages in fall 2013 had sufficient copper.

Though feed testing could show adequate copper content, molybdenum will tie up some of it; therefore, the actual amount of copper cattle absorb from the forage could be significantly lower than the amounts feed tests indicate. High sulfate levels in water also contribute to this type of secondary deficiency in copper, zinc and/ or manganese.

The Cu:Mo ratio should be above 5:1. A ratio of 3:1 is borderline, indicating that you need to be thinking about adjusting your mineral program before the ratio drops into the danger zone of 2:1 or lower, Thompson explains.

In the black soil zone, 79 per cent of the samples met the 5:1 mark in spring. The spring average was 8.4:1, but that fell to average 4.2:1 by fall with only 23 per cent of the samples having ratios at or above 5:1.

In the brown and dark brown soil zones, more than a quarter of the samples had ratios slightly higher than 4:1 in spring. The ratios fell to 2:1 to 2.5:1 by fall, when only about five per cent of the samples had the recommended minimum 5:1 ratio.

The issue was most prominent in the grey soil zone, where only six per cent of samples had ratios of 5:1 or higher in spring and that fell to one per cent by fall. The spring average was 2.4:1 and the fall average was 1.4:1.

A general recommendation is to consider increasing copper and zinc and perhaps decreasing molybdenum and magnesium in mineral supplements throughout the growing season to offset the natural decline in copper and increase in molybdenum.

Feed testing is highly recommended because so many factors, such as the age of the stand, grazing management, soil fertility and growing conditions come into play, Thompson says. If you see problems, contact your veterinarian right away.

Effective supplementation on pasture, whether with minerals, energy or protein, relies on closely monitoring mineral content and quality of pasture forages, as well as water sources over the course of the grazing season and from year to year.

The full report with tables illustrating the results, mineral requirements for beef cattle, and fact sheets for each soil zone are available on SFC’s website.

How to collect a sample on pastures

Representative samples of standing forage for feed tests are best collected by using your thumb and forefinger to tear off plants at grazing height while walking in a pattern across the pasture. The idea is to sample what cattle actually eat, so avoid undesirable spots like weed patches and leftover mature forages.

Mix well and take out enough to fill a large Ziploc bag. Seal and label it with your name, the field, forage species and date, then place it in the freezer until shipping to the lab for dry-down and testing.

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