A test drive for sustainable farming

Sophisticated, long-term research, such as this study at the Lethbridge Research Centre, is helping the industry shift gears to new crops and cropping systems.

Potato acreage in Alberta is poised to triple within five years. At first glance, this sounds like good news for the industry. But what impact will a mass infusion of this input-heavy crop have on the land base and the environment?

Simply put, it’s complicated. The effects of modern farming are the cumulative result of an array of causes, such as the level of tillage, the application rates of fertilizers and herbicides, the broader crop rotation system and other factors.

New potato farmers have little time to assess, let alone try all the possibilities. Yet finding the delicate balance between short-term gains and long-term sustainability is essential to their business. That’s where research comes in.

Benchmarks for production strategies

The Lethbridge Research Centre has several studies in place to essentially test-drive cropping systems over long-periods of time. The goal is to provide benchmarks for production systems that are sustainable, both economically and environmentally.

“Our job is to try things out on a small, controlled research scale to find out what works and doesn’t work,” says Dr. Bob Blackshaw, who leads the project along with Dr. Frank Larney. “This saves a farmer from trying out a new approach on 200 or 500 acres, which risks a considerable amount of money.”

In order for an agricultural system to be sustainable, three key factors must be taken into account, says Blackshaw. First, the system must offer continued profitability for the grower. Second, cropping systems must be designed so soil resources are preserved for the future. Finally, production systems must be designed with environmental protection in mind.

One new study at the Centre’s Vauxhall, Alta., sub-station, has been designed to consider all of these factors, he says. The Irrigated Cropping Systems study is an intensive research effort designed to accumulate data over the next 10 to 12 years. This broad-based, multi-disciplinary study includes research on several different crops, including dry beans, sugar beets, soft wheat and timothy, in addition to potatoes.

This study is expected to provide important baseline production standards that will help anchor the sustainability of crop production. For example, beans, potatoes and sugar beets do not produce much crop residue – as a result, there is less soil cover and greater wind erosion risk after harvest. Research can help determine practical solutions to reduce this risk.

In the case of potatoes, the goal is to gather solid data on every aspect of the irrigated cropping systems that will be used to grow potatoes in Alberta, says Blackshaw. This research will provide the potato industry with cropping guidelines to ensure that the increased expansion of potato acreage is sustainable.

Long-term solutions

The long-term nature of the study is essential, he says. The study has been designed as a long-term project in order for scientists to accurately gauge changes, year-by-year and over several years.

“It’s very difficult to assess the impact of certain cropping systems on the environment because those effects may take years or even decades to show up. The changes from year to year are very subtle.”

The researchers plan to monitor “nearly everything that can be monitored,” says Blackshaw. The project will measure a multitude of variables including crop yield and quality, weed shifts, insect and disease pressure, and soil physical, chemical and biological properties. There will be an economic component to this research as well – the scientists will determine the net returns of various cropping practices for producers.

The study will also compare a variety of traditional and sustainable cropping strategies. For example, scientists will compare conventional with reduced tillage strategies. They will measure the effects of cover crops and the use of composted manure to supply nutrients to the soil, compared to inorganic fertilizer.

This research comes with strong support from industry, producer organizations and provincial extension.

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