The Rural Voice, 1988-04, Page 23BAKER'S
NURSERY
Specializing in:
Hardy Shade Trees
Beautiful Maples
Emerald Queen
Norway
Crimson King
Columnar
Green Ash, Mountain
Ash,
Linden, Crab Apple
Bare Root, Potted,
Bagged and Burlapped
BAKER'S
NURSERY
"Quality Merchandise At
A Fair Price "
R.R. 2, Bayfield, Ont.
519-482-9995
Also a complete line of
evergreen and fruit trees
Much of the reason for all this research is that agriculture
has entered a new philosophical phase. The aim is to farm
efficiently but without pollution, without destroying the soil,
without displacing or eliminating wild species, and without
being cruel to farm animals.
ment," this research attempts to under-
stand the interactions between pest
and crop and looks for the least dam-
aging means of controlling the pest.
The aim is to decide how much pest
damage at what stage of the plant's
life will justify the expense of spray-
ing, and precisely when the spray
should be applied. The results can be
spectacular: a recent program looking
at economic loss caused by aphids on
field peas raised substantially the
number of aphids counted per plant
before spraying was required. The
scientists also showed that one well-
timed application of insecticide was as
effective in controlling aphid damage
as the conventional practice of spray-
ing three or four times in a season.
The less insecticide used, the more
money in farmers' pockets.
A similar shift in emphasis is
underway in soil research. Many
conventional practices have encour-
aged erosion by wind and water and
the loss of organic matter. Research
on cultivation is following an "inte-
grated" approach too. The aim is to
get a cultivation and soil -management
system that is acceptable to farmers
and isn't detrimental to the soil.
Another line of research, now in its
infancy but guaranteed to grow in the
future, is the assessment of animal
well-being. As every livestock farmer
knows, there is a growing concern in
the Western world about whether
modern animal farming practice's are
inhumane. There is very little scien-
tific evidence that can be applied to
this contentious issue. Much more
research must be done to determine,
scientifically, what constitutes in-
humane treatment. When an objective
standard has been reached, farming
practices can be evaluated fairly. If
any changes are found necessary or
desirable, further research will have to
be done to ensure that an acceptable
level of efficiency is maintained.
Running through this incomplete
list shows how much research can
still be done, even in an agriculturally
advanced nation like Canada. Add
Third World problems to the list, and
it becomes endless. Much of the rea-
son for all this research is that agricul-
ture has entered a new philosophical
phase. The aim is to farm efficiently
but without pollution, without
destroying the soil, without displacing
or eliminating wild species, and with-
out being cruel to farm animals.
If funding for this research is cut
continually, experience has shown us
that the price we will pay will include
massive disruptions of the ecosystem,
increasing pest problems as natural
control systems collapse and pesticide
resistance emerges, and a continuing
loss of topsoil and general soil fer-
tility. Clean rivers and healthy land
with abundant wildlife and a complex
ecosystem will not increase the bal-
ance of payments, or stimulate indus-
try. But they are nice (and arguably
essential) to have, and with continued
research they can be achieved in
tandem with highly productive
agriculture.
T
his series on agricultural
research has looked at some
of the less obvious aspects
of science and attempted to explain
their importance in general terms. A
list of sources for information about
research and science follows. One
hopes that an increased understanding
of science will lead to an increased
curiosity about it.
The two biggest participants in
agricultural research are the federal
and provincial governments. The
bodies responsible for research at both
levels publish yearly summaries of
their activities.
At the federal level, the Agricul-
ture Canada Research Branch publish-
es the Research Branch Report, which
(cont'd on following page)
APRIL 1988 21