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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1990-03-14, Page 24PAGE 4 — Vali* MOONS lite Soil conservation and sustainable agriculture by Keith Reid, P.Ag; Oillikro Walker** There ie bow ~odious recently that our current moil conservation pro groins are not environmentally sound or that conservation tillage mid austainable agriculture are intitindly exclueive. In fact soil comer vation should be an in- tegral part of aiay sound,suirtainable agricultural sy-4(411, In the loog term, there will be no tigricidture, attainable or otherwise, if we don't conserve our soil. Our crup pro - audit* depends on a few inches of top-. soil which, nature has Produced la the 10,000 years since the last glaciers ntreated. If we squander this, it smn't be replaced ** our lifetime, or in the lifetimeo of our ehildren. In the short term, conservation tillage and Conservation farming are &meet to the princlplea 01 Prodoett: rsustainaood mut fibre with the least environmental 4elradatiOn. The wilding principle of conservation farming is to keep. the topsoil in place. ThL helps =Wain the productivity of . the soil. It also prevents the soil itself from causing problems With seclimenta- tion or turbidity. Nutrients and .pesticides which are attached to the soil are also going to stay where they belong, rather than polluting our streams or groundwater. •.", Critics of conservation tillage predicted that massive infestations of weeds, in- sects and diseases would occur, and that these would only be controlled by huge amounts of chalice]. Pesticides. This has not happened. The spectrum -of problems has changed, as have the methods re- quired to control it, but the overall use Of pesticides have been reduced or reinithe • ed the same. Pesticides are behitaPPIled at lower rates and directly 'Onto the af- ---- • footed plants inatead of oe the soil, sio the field saves diesel fed, as well as treat anYd401 U if it is ladetion, or give there is less chance of effete impactswear and tear on tbe Iffillehteetr. The it precedence over the other ports of the Fertilizer placement hes received h attcon- 'orle ention conservation n itWane maw madakimy all cemical., but we also have opon time is freed up for other ac- = It is easy to say that we should derab sYstemie. Banding, and split applications requh•ed, so capital can be Invested in to look at what effect that will have on of fertiliser, have greatly increased the are which will generate greater return. soil loss, fuel um, crop productivity, efficiency of fertiliser use and minced All of this helps to make the farm a etcetera. We could even argue that a the potential for environmental damage. more profitable sal more pleasant place reduction in crop production due to the One of the keys in Making traservation 10 be. lops of pesticides and fertilizers would contribute to the greenhouse effect, by aYstenis wort has been crop rotations. 'This does not mean that we have all reducing the consumption of carbon tiluir- Them have a direct benefit in reducing the answers. Research is still needed 10-Ide. iilaly, we cannot work solely to the amount of soil loos, and they also to areas such as manure management, reduce the • amounts of fertiliser and fineliming of _nitrogen fertiliser rates* andgrreetent erosion without y ngc" withistern, mitmaiddeling Pesticides which must be applied to the improving applicator eafety. None of Oin• diallenge for the SO's Is to develop crop. these problems, though, are systerno which inatmise y The 'benefits of conservation farming innuromxmtable• all impede of the fthe efficiencof arming operation, • Word beyond the realm of crop ixoduc- We are all guilty of occernonallY forget- while minim!** the effects off tile fann. tion, and affect the. efficiency of the tAng the basic rule of ecology: all parts These will be the only systems which can whole fora. Reducing tillage trips across of a system are interrelated. We cannot be called truly sustainable. Scientists transplcini fish antifreeze gene By Lorraine Browa *lend* at the Plant Biotechnology In- Initially, to determine whether AFP Plant the ability to control the timing and stitute (PBI) in Saskatoon have cleared would work canola, the scientists foie.; mown of AFP production. the .first. hurdle in developing a frost- ed the protein into the tissue of some cut The flounder gene has two parts: one resistant canola plant. And they've done canola leaves, then chilled the leaves to actually produces the protein, the other it with the help of a fish: the North freezing point. They found that the AFF regulates Prodectlon• Georges and his col - Atlantic flounder. lowered the temperature at which the leagues inserted only the protein - The flounder produces an antifreeze leaves froze by 1.0 degrees Celsius. Producing segment into the plant cell. protein (AFP) which binds to, and in, Being able to grow plants with that They are investigating the possibility of . bibits the growth of, ice crystals. in its much more cold tolerance would be a using the Plant's existing regulatory DNAblood. The plant scientists at PBI have major breakthrough for agriculture hi to induce production of the protein only ' inserted a string of DNA that makes Canada:Looking at temperature records when the plant needs it; that is, when AFP in. the fish into the genes of ' for the Regina area, the scientists deter- frost is imminent. 1. • canola plant cell. • •• mined that increasing plants' frost Eventually, once the technique has . The inserted DNA is now continuously tolerance by two degrees would decrease been perfected on canola, other types of producing the fish AFP inside the plant the number Of damaging frost in spring crops could also be made frost -tolerant. cell. But Dr. Fary Georges, one of the from to 5. , Likely Candidates are crops at risk from three scientists who invented the new • Now that they know the canola plant , unseasonal frosts, either because of their procedure, cautions that there are many can produce the AFP, and that the pro- growing season, like winter cauliflower More 'steps in development and several . Win does indeed impart increased frost and Brussel Wait% or because the areas more years -of research before frost- tolerance * cook, Georges and his col-. where they grow are normally frost-free, tolerant canola plants grow in the fields • leagues, Dr. Adrian Cutler and Dr. M. Torn to page 6 • oe western Canada. Saleem, are looldng for a way to give the Formosa Mutual Insurance Co. Specializing in FARM VISURANCE SINCE 1880 Providing a loss prevention service to our policy holders. ' 367-5600 1-800-265-3020 FORMOSA ONTARIO ArCook's we pride ourselves on being a full-service • business. Our6 locations have evelYthing You need this spring, from seed -and ferdizer to crop protection products - and all at competitive prices. But Cook's can give you more ... whether it's . • crop planning advice, soil testing and blending " • of frin1WS, crop protection products or custom application. Cook's people have the expertise ;c) help you get the "maximum economic yield" from your crop. • For your inputs this spdng, talk to experts at Cook's. . • Head Office: Bengali (519) 262-2410 Branches: Centialis (519) 228-6661 KAM (519)229-8906 • 'Walton (519) 527-1540 N 5111be4ei (519) 395'3601 A1W0Ori (519)350-2292 Part of thecook's Crop input1am • (from left to Agin): Jim Bkkell !Britton Agri -Sales Representative, 13 years with Cook's Derwyn riodgins Velton Branch Manager, 4 yeart With Cook's Division of fattish tlehnbecker, 11rnited 1 "tVhcre you an tr(iLle L)nficierk 0."