RDAR, a leader of results-driven agriculture research in Canada, is delighted to announce that it has agreed to distribute $610,000 in funding to extend Silage Crop Regional Variety Trials (RVTs) across Alberta for the next three years. This funding is provided by the federal and provincial governments through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership; and follows successful trials, held in 2023 and 2024, led by Alberta Seed Processors with prior support from Sustainable CAP and RDAR.
The Canadian Beef Cattle Research and Technology Transfer Strategy is a five-year program focused on coordinating national beef research priorities, funding, and technology transfer. It emphasizes that increasing producer awareness and adoption is vital for improving feed efficiency and utilization.
To support this goal, small-plot silage crop research validation trials (RVTs) will be conducted at various locations across Alberta. These trials will provide farmers and ranchers with valuable information regarding the performance of different silage crop and green feed varieties. In addition to making this crop data available, it is important that the information be accessible and easy to understand. Therefore, enhanced research extension activities and outreach efforts will be crucial components of the trials planned for 2025 to 2027.
The 2023/24 silage RVTs have brought significant success to the industry with the development of field books, sourcing and distribution of seeds, and analysis of silage data. Trial locations were able to be moved and expanded across the province to areas with higher concentrations of livestock production, and the data was also vetted by the Alberta Regional Variety Advisory Committee (ARVAC) Silage Subcommittee, providing a Western Canadian perspective and experience to the data vetting process prior to publication in the Alberta Seed Guide.
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