RDAR Invests in Alberta Regional Silage Trial Program

Feb 15, 2023

RDAR is investing $150,000 for 2-year funding for a project to operate regional silage trial program in Alberta.

The goal of the project is to conduct Regional Silage Trials in a very targeted and controlled method focusing on delivering high quality data that is relevant to the Alberta livestock and crop sectors.

Efficiency and results are primary drivers of the new project. Hence a very compact program will be operated for the next 2 years focusing on delivering data in areas with high silage acreage. In building the proposal, other prairie provinces as well as cattle feeders, beef and dairy sectors in Alberta have been consulted. The rising cost of operating the project has also been taken into consideration, with coordination of sites to be within proximity of other regional variety trial sites to ensure efficiency for both trial coordinators and site cooperators. Rigor of the project will be ensured by adopting the bylaws, policies, procedures, and protocols of ARVAC*, and amending to fit silage trials where appropriate.

This program will constantly be evaluated for efficiency and relevancy, which is intended to operate a project that delivers value to the agriculture sector in Alberta.

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.