APAS, other ag groups calling for the passage of Bill C-234

Jun 16, 2023

The bill to exempt grain drying and heating barns from the federal carbon tax is making progress.

Bill-C234 passed second reading in the Senate, and goes to committee for further discussion.

But with only two weeks left before the upper chamber rises for the summer break, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan Ian Boxall says now is the time to get it passed.

“This is something that ag groups have lobbied for, for the last number of years and we’re almost there, we’re almost at the finish line,” Boxall said. “We need the Senate to take a look at this thing and pass it to give it Royal Accent so that it’s in place come fall.”

“On the grain drying side, if you’re having to dry grain in the fall, you’ve already had a tough fall; conditions have been wet, conditions have been tough and you’re having to dry grain and that added cost of the carbon tax on the fuel to dry that grain is something that no rebate could ever refund.” he continued.

APAS is not alone, as the Keystone Agricultural Producers of Manitoba and the Alberta Federation of Agriculture joined them in calling for the passage of Bill 234.

“Manitoba producers breathed a sigh of relief when this bill passed the House and moved over to the Senate for what we hoped would be its swift passage, but now have serious concerns with the delays we are seeing unfold,” said KAP President Jill Verwey in a joint news release. “This critical piece of legislation will allow livestock producers to no longer face additional costs for regulating temperature in their barns, which is a key pillar of maintaining best management practices of animal welfare. Additionally, keeping moisture levels down for drying grain is critical to prevent food safety issues, like the development of mycotoxins, and protects the Canadian brand on the global market as we do our part in meeting food security goals.”

“Farmers in Alberta still rely on propane and natural gas to dry grain and heat barns,” AFA President Lynn Jacobson said. “The carbon tax adds a significant cost to those farm operations, so we urge the Senate to get this done before the summer recess.”

The last day for the Senate is June 30th. If it is not passed by then, it will be picked up later when the fall sitting of Parliament begins.

Source : 620 CKRM

Video: Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Understanding how a plant responds to stress is one thing.

Using that knowledge to make better management decisions is another.

Systemic acquired resistance, or SAR, is the plant's more direct defense response. When stress or infection occurs, the plant begins signaling throughout its system and preparing defensive compounds.

But if we know that response exists, can we help prepare the plant before the stress arrives?

The answer starts with understanding what triggers the response and what the plant needs to carry it out.

The Trigger and the Fuel

Salicylic acid plays an important role in triggering the SAR pathway.

Think of it as turning the truck on.

The engine may be running, but it still needs fuel to do the work.

In this case, manganese plays an important role in supporting the enzyme systems involved in the plant's defensive response.

This makes manganese status an important part of the conversation. Whether a producer is using tissue testing, sap analysis, or simply scouting for visible deficiency symptoms, the goal is to make sure the plant has adequate manganese available.

Manganese is required in relatively small amounts, but that does not make its role small.

If the plant receives a signal to defend itself but lacks the nutrition needed to support that response, it may struggle to carry out the process efficiently.

The trigger matters.

The fuel matters too.

Prepare Before the Stress Arrives

The best time to think about stress management is before the plant is overwhelmed.

Once a crop is already struggling, management can quickly turn into a game of catch-up.

This is similar to nitrogen management. Once a plant becomes severely deficient, correcting the problem does not necessarily erase the time and yield potential already lost.

Plant defense can work the same way.

Low-rate, targeted approaches designed to support the SAR pathway may fit best ahead of an expected stress event rather than after significant damage has already occurred.

That requires producers to think about predictable stress.

We may not know exactly what the weather will do tomorrow, but we generally know summer heat is coming. We know certain field conditions increase disease pressure. We know a herbicide application can temporarily stress a crop as the plant processes the chemistry.

Even a properly timed and labeled herbicide application can create a temporary response in the plant.

That does not mean the herbicide is bad.

Weeds can create significantly more yield loss than the temporary stress caused by controlling them.

The question is not whether we should eliminate every stressor.

The question is whether we can better prepare the plant to manage necessary and predictable stress.

Not All Stress Is Bad

Stress is a normal part of plant growth.

A perfectly stress-free environment does not exist in the field.

In fact, some stress is necessary for normal plant development. A plant responds to wind, temperature, moisture, sunlight, and countless other environmental signals throughout the season.

The environment is stress.

The plant's job is to manage it.

Problems begin when the stress load becomes greater than the plant's ability to respond.

Extreme heat, drought, high salt concentrations, disease pressure, and even certain management practices can add to that load.

This is where understanding SAR becomes useful.

Instead of waiting until the plant is visibly struggling, producers can begin identifying periods when stress is likely and make management decisions around those windows.

ISR Starts With the Soil

While SAR is a more direct defense response, induced systemic resistance, or ISR, brings the conversation back to soil health.

The longevity of a farm is closely connected to the health of its soil.

Carbon plays a major role because it supports biological life within the soil. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms interact with plant roots and influence how the plant grows, accesses nutrients, and prepares for stress.

This is why soil health cannot be reduced to one product or one application.

It is a system.

Keeping living plants in the field longer can support biological activity. Cover crops may fit some operations. Better water management can improve soil conditions.