Plot tours help farmers prepare for 2009
As we roll into the long weekend marking the unofficial end to summer, plans are well under way at AGRIS Co-operative to host a series of plot tours across southwest Ontario. These tours are tentatively scheduled for the middle of September, prior to the soybean harvest so that farmers have a better opportunity to attend.
In the spring our AGRIS Co-operative staff works with area farmers and seed companies to plant test plots of various varieties of corn and soybean seed. These plots will traditionally feature competing seed varieties in a “side by side” layout in the field that helps to allow for direct comparison of the crop.
Bryan Brodie who is a board Certified Crop Advisor – Ontario (CCA-ON) and our AGRIS Co-operative branch manager in Chatham, outlined for me some of the key information farmers are trying to learn from these plot tours AGRIS will be conducting. “There are a number of things we look for and try to evaluate during our review of these test plots,” says Brodie. “Where possible we inspect how a particular herbicide provided weed suppression for the crop. How did the different cross varieties perform against each other in size and overall plant health, “added Brodie. In some instances where applicable they are able to determine how a particular fungicide that was sprayed on a crop performed. “We however don’t usually try to compare the effectiveness of disease and insect control products because it is not an exact science with respect to the mobility or movement of these problems within the field itself,” says Brodie.
It is one thing for farmers to read about different crops in a publication, but the opportunity to observe first hand the various seed varieties in the field with AGRIS staff, including the actual seed company representatives and answer their questions is invaluable. Following the plot tours farmers will be invited back to a central location and listen to expert guest speakers discussing possible solutions in trying to manage the skyrocketing fertilizer prices for the 2009 crop year. The farmers’ ability to try and manage these costs is paramount for a successful and profitable crop. Final decisions on specific seed varieties and a fertility program will not be made during these plot tours, however they will provide an excellent basis for farmers to begin formulating their crop planning for 2009.
* Special thanks to Bryan Brodie CCA-ON, who is my technical agricultural resource for past, present and future columns.*
