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Weekend rainfall a blessing for Alberta's agricultural industry

A rainy May long weekend may have put a damper on camping plans, but it's been a blessing for Alberta's parched crops.
 
On Saturday and Sunday alone, Edmonton received as much precipitation as it has in the past six months, including snowfall, said Stan Blade, dean of the University of Alberta's Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.
 
"It's a fantastic start to have this kind of rainfall, we've all been waiting for it. This spring was so good as far as early seeding. Farmers across Alberta got out early, they seeded their crops, and then it was like hitting the pause button because it was so dry," Blade said.
 
"The weekend has been just exactly what we were hoping for."
 
Last year, the Alberta government declared an agricultural disaster after a spring drought and hail in the summer affected around 80 per cent of Alberta farmers, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance claims.
 
Blade said the rain this weekend came at the perfect time and will ensure crops like canola, barley, wheat and even perennial crops like hay, grow more evenly.
 
"What we've seen in the last two or three days will put our crop in a very good shape for this time of the growing season," he said.
 
'Rain makes grain'
 
Grain farmer Humphrey Banack said this weekend's downpour was a "godsend" for his farm in Round Hill, around 90 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. He had seen barely any precipitation on his farm since the snow melted in February.
 
"Rain makes grain.This will get a good start," Banack said. "It's going to make a huge difference to Alberta as a whole. For agriculture, it's ... a billion dollar rain."
 
Banack said he's already invested close to a million dollars in this year's crops, but it all depends on rain.
 
"We were seeding canola last week and we knew it was not going to grow until it rained," he said.
 
"But it doesn't grow in the bag so you might as well put it in the field and wait for the water."
 
Banack said until this weekend, optimism was low in the farming community after a tough summer last year.
 
The rain is also a huge benefit to the cattle industry. Banack said he knows cattle producers who were running short on feed, but rainfall will allow them to turn cattle out to grass.
 
Source : CBC

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The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.