September 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Bush Fruit Harvester Acquired By Horticultural Research Center 1 Reglone Users Urged To Use Protective Equipment 3 Alberta Feed Industry Conference 4 Overwintering Bees In Alberta 6 Sainfoin Disease Survey Underway 9 Botulism In Ducks 10 Vegetables And Frost 11 Handling Home Garden Potatoes At Harvest Time 13 Avoiding Spoilage In Pickles 15 ADC Assistant Manager Farm Lending Appointed 18 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BUSH FRUIT HARVESTER ACQUIRED BY HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER Front view of harvester as it goes over a saskatoon bush. Staff at the Alberta Horticultural Re- search Center in Brooks have successfully harvested saskatoon and Nanking cherries with an over-the- row bush fruit harvester that the center recently acquired from Blueberry Equipment Incorporated of South Haven, Michigan, U.S.A. Up to now the expansion of native fruit crop production in Alberta has been severely limited by the lack of a cost-efficient method of harvesting it. A semi-mechanical, hand-held vibrator-picker was used until recently to harvest saskatoons and other bush fruit crops like red and black curr- ants, Nanking cherries and sandcherries. Dr. S. Mahadeva, who is head of the center's environmental horticulture section, reports that as the harvester travels down a row of bush fruit, nylon "fingers", mounted on rotary heads, gently shake the bushes with a firm, but careful back-and-forth action. As the berries fall they are collecting by pivoting "fish-scale" plates (near the bottom of the machine) as they move around the base of the bushes. Side conveyor belts then carry the fruit to the rear of the harvester where a blast of air removes the leaves and other debris before the relatively clean berries fall gently into boxes or crates. Inside the "shaking" chamber. Note the nylon "fingers", the "fish scale" plates at the bottom and the conveyor belts on each side. - (cont'd) Phone: (403) 427-21 21 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - Bush Fruit Harvester Acquired By Horticultural Research Center (cont'd) Dr. Mahadeva says neither the "shaker" arms nor the pivoting plates damage the bushes. The machine is 19 feet long, nine feet and 10 inches wide and 1 1 feet and four inches high. And it consists of two conveyor belts, two blowers and two spouts that deposit the fruit into two boxes or crates. According to Dr. Mahadeva, the machine can harvest fruit bushes that are about 10 feet tall, and it is powered by hydraulic motors in each of its four wheels. The fact that each wheel is independ- The chute and the harvested ently powered means that the machine can operate saskatoons. with ease in irregularly-contoured fields as well as at different bush heights. Dr. Mahadeva says "We have effectively harvested saskatoons and Nanking cherr- ies at the center as well as fruit for commercial growers located in the Carstairs-Bowden area and as far north as Manning in the Peace River region. And we expect to evaluate the mach- ine's performance in harvesting other bush fruit like Mongolian cherries, black currants and possibly gooseberries." Dr. Mahadeva also reports that the harvester has already been used to pick rose hips, which it apparently did very efficiently. -30- September 5, 1983 J FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE REGLONE USERS URGED TO USE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT People who use the herbicide, Reglone, as a dessicant for canola and legumes should use proper pesticide safety equipment when mixing it. This warning comes from Dr. Moe Hussain, pesticide issues coordinator with Alberta Agriculture. He points out that Reglone contains diquat as the active ingredient, and that it can cause poisoning. "Because diquat is fairly toxic, continuous exposure to it can cause severe headaches, nausea and, in extreme cases, diarrhea and vomiting," Dr. Hussain says. "I am particularly concerned about the person who does the mixing of the herbicide since he is the one who will be subjected to the highest exposure. Severe diquat poisoning could put him in bed for up to two weeks." Unfortunately, there is no fast treatment for severe diquat poisoning, and an individual who is accidentally poisoned will have to bear the pain. However, he should seek medical attention because a physician can provide some relief and he can flush the chem- ical out of the victim's body. Dr. Hussain strongly advises people who are mixing Reglone to wear a clean coverall, a respirator with cartridges designed to absorb pesticides, a pair of rubber gloves and a pair of goggles. "Should any diquat get on the skin or in the eyes, the individual should promptly wash off the skin and flush out the eyes with plenty of clean water, he says. This procedure is very important because Reglone can irritate the skin and cause eye damage. "If any symptoms should develop, go immediately to the emergency unit of your local hospital for treatment," says Dr. Hussain. - 30- /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch igitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/agrinews00albe_21 September 5, 1983 4 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA FEED INDUSTRY CONFERENCE The annual Alberta Feed Industry Conference will be held at the Convention Inn in Edmonton on September 21 - 22. Designed for feed industry personnel, veterinarians, agricultural extension, re- search and financial personnel and people associated with agribusiness, the conference will open with a nutrition workshop. It will begin with a 1 5-minute presentation that focuses on some of the problems that can occur when too much emphasis is placed on percentages in livestock feeding programs as opposed to an animal's actual requirements. And workshop participants will be divided into groups of eight to 10 to work on a variety of case histories involving beef and dairy cattle, swine and poultry problems that resulted from having placed too much emphasis on percentages and from other causes. The afternoon session will cover the livestock, grain and the freight rate outlook and technical, structural and service trends. There will also be a panel discussion. The second day will offer a choice of two all-day workshops. The first is designed for feed industry sales staff and will cover territorial management, communication skills and interview skills. The second workshop will feature an overview of the manager's role in times of economic uncertainty. And emphasis will be on helping workshop participants to more adequately define their own role and on the need for role definition. Some time will also be spent on the differing perceptions of management as seen by senior management, subordin- ates, etc. The registration fee schedule is as follows:- . Nutrition Workshop, including lunch -$30 . Outlook Session, including lunch -$35 (cont'd) (403) 427-21 21 ydlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Alberta Feed Industry Conference (cont'd) . Management Workshop, including breakfast and lunch — $55 * Sales Workshop, including breakfast and lunch — $55 . Banquet (September 21 ) —$20 An alternative would be to register for the nutrition workshop, outlook session, one of the two workshops on September 22 and the banquet for only $85. A registration fee of more than $50 will include a copy of the conference proceedings. The Alberta Feed Industry Conference is sponsored by the Alberta Division of the Canadian Feed Industry Association, the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, the Univer- sity of Alberta's Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry and Faculty of Extension and Alberta Agriculture. Further information on the conference can be obtained by telephoning 432-3029 during the day or by calling 432-31 1 6 in the evenings. - 30 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OVERWINTERING BEES IN ALBERTA Bee hives in Alberta being overwintered in specially constructed buildings. As fall approaches Alberta's beekeepers must decide whether to kill or overwinter their bees. Alberta Agriculture's supervisor of apiculture, Donald MacDonald, reports that approximately 25 per cent of the province's 170,000 hives were overwintered last year and that the survival rate was high. And he says that a survey taken of a number of the bee- keepers shows that the overwintered hives out-produced the packaged bee hives by a cons- iderable amount. For this reason Mr. MacDonald expects that there will be more hives over- wintered this year than was the case last year. Apart from the extra honey produced, over- wintering is an attractive economic proposition because it costs $27 to replace every hive that is killed off in the fall. - (cont'd) - Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Liberia AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - 7 Overwintering Bees In Alberta (cont'd) In Alberta bee hives may be overwintered out-of-doors or in specially constructed, environmentally-controlled buildings. However, regardless of which method is used, prepara- tions must be made before winter sets in. Mr. MacDonald advises beekeepers to overwinter only strong hives because the weak ones usually die off early in the spring. And he says weak hives can be either combined with strong hives or the bees in the weak hives can be killed in the fall. He also emphasizes it is essential to begin making wintering preparations in early September. At this time hives that are to be overwintered out-of-doors in two brood chambers must be provided with a sugar-syrup mixture, made of two parts of sugar to one part of water, until each hive weighs 140 pounds. If they are to be overwintered indoors in one brood chamber, the syrup should be provided until each hive weighs 85 pounds. In addition to being provided with adequate feed, each hive should be headed by a young, vigorous queen that is not more than a year old, Mr. MacDonald says. Ideally, all hives that are to be carried through the winter should have been requeened sometime during the past season. Choice of the overwintering site for hives that are going to be overwintered out- of-doors is also important. The area should provide shelter from the prevailing winds and allow the hives to face south so that they can get the benefit of the winter sun. Spring access- ibility to the hives is also important. Hence, low lying areas should be avoided because of flooding during the spring thaw. Mr. MacDonald recommends either wrapping hives that are to be overwintered with insulating material in mid-October, or moving them into a specially constructed over- wintering facility. And he points out that because the hives are "on their own" from mid- - (cont'd) - 8 -3- Overwintering Bees In Alberta (cont'd) - October until the middle of the following March, the preparations that a beekeeper makes in the fall are crucial to the winter survival of his hives. Mr. MacDonald also advises anyone who would like more information on over- wintering bees to contact Alberta Agriculture's Apiculture Office, Box 415, Falher, Alberta, TOH 1MO or to read chapter 11 (Fall and Winter Management) of the Alberta Beekeeping Manual (Agdex 616-4). It can be obtained by writing to the Publications Office, Alberta Agriculture, 7000 - 1 13 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. -30- Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Liberia AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 9 September 5, 1 983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAINFOIN DISEASE SURVEY UNDERWAY Staff at the Alberta Horticultural Research Center in Brooks are carrying out a survey of more than 30 fields of sainfoin in southern Alberta to find out which diseases are most prevalent in sainfoin crops and to try to find out what is causing "sainfoin decline". Sainfoin is a perennial forage legume that is grown on a limited scale in Alberta, and which is most prevalent in southern areas. It is an excellent forage that does not cause bloating in ruminant animals and that has good drought resis- tance and good winterhardiness. In spite of these advantages, however, the forage has not caught on with many farmers because of a stand decline problem of unknown origin. Dr. Ronald Howard, who with Dr. Sheau-Fang Hwang, is heading the survey, reports that the Alberta disease closely resembles a crown rot disease that has been identified in irrigated sainfoin in Montana, which is caused by a species of the Fusarium fungus and several species of bacteria. In Alberta several species of fungi and bacteria have also been isolated in the diseased plant tissues. Dr. Howard says, "While the crown rot seems to be a major cause of 'sainfoin decline' in this prov- ince cultural practices also seems to be important causal factors". -30- ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch } 10 September 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BOTULISM IN DUCKS Domestic or wild ducks that are found dead near a lake at this time of year may have succumbed to botulism, otherwise known as limberneck. According to the head of Alberta Agriculture's poultry disease section, Dr. J. A. Hanson, Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, survives in dead and decaying vegetation on lake shores, and the toxin becomes concentrated in invertebrates which are eaten by the ducks. Botulism in ducks produces paralysis of the legs and wings as well as paralysis of the neck muscles. The neck appears to be limp and the head is either lying over the shoulder or extended along the ground. Dr. Hanson says there is no known practical treatment for botulism in ducks. However, he recommends removing surviving domestic ducks from the infected area, and, if necessary, feeding and watering them by hand. -30- Ahexto AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-2 1 2 1 Print Media Branch September 5, 1983 1 1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE VEGETABLES AND FROST You can protect garden plants with paper or blankets against frost for a day or two, but the paper or blankets should be removed each day by mid-morning. Plastic will not provide any protection. Another way to protect plants against a light frost is to turn on the sprinkler just before sunrise, but care must be taken not to oversaturate the soil, particularly if this method of protection is used over a period of several days. Even though the plants are covered with ice, they will not sustain injury if they are allowed to thaw out slowly. Vine vegetables are the most susceptible of any of the vegetables to frost injury. They will be severely injured or killed if the temperature drops to almost 0° C. Only the mature fruit on these plants can sustain one or two degrees of frost without being injured. Tomato, egg and pepper plants are slightly more tolerant of frost than vine plants. When the frost is light, damage is usually confined to the upper portion of the plants. Of this group of plants, peppers are the most frost tolerant. They will survive two to three degrees of frost. A light frost will injure sweet corn, but the cobs will still be usable. In fact, they can be left on the plant as long as any part of it is alive. Most leafy vegetables can tolerate two or three degrees of frost, but swiss chard and spinach can tolerate up to five degrees. Cole crops such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts, are very tolerant of frost, and their flavor is reported to actually improve with exposure to some frost. However, it is possible for their flavor to become so strong that it is no longer palatable. - (cont'd) - /dlberfa AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Vegetables And Frost (cont'd) Apart from onions, root crops can tolerate the highest amount of frost of all veg- etables because their edible parts are below the ground. In fact, they can remain in the ground as long as the soil does not begin to freeze. Onions, on the other hand, should be harvested as soon as it starts to freeze. In the event of a frost of more than five degrees or a snow fall, the vegetables that are salvagable should be left in the garden until the temperature warms up and allows them to thaw out slowly. The worst thing to do would be to take them indoors and thaw them out quickly. The above information comes from an Alberta Agriculture publication entitled "Home Vegetable Gardening in Alberta, which, in addition to containing information on growing vegetables, tells how to store them, how to winterize the garden and what vegetables can be seeded in the fall. "Home Vegetable Gardening in Alberta" (Agdex 250/20-3) can be obtained from district agriculturists or by writing to the Publications Office, Alberta Agriculture, J.G. 0' Donoghue Building, 7000 - 1 13 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. -30- September 5, 1983 13 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HANDLING HOME GARDEN POTATOES AT HARVEST TIME Because potatoes react very poorly to rough handling, the bags or containers that are used to transport them during harvest time from the garden or field to the storage area should be handled carefully. In fact, Dr. leuan Evans of Alberta Agriculture recommends handling them almost as carefully as a bag of apples or tomatoes. He also says that if polyethelene bags or garbage bags are used to transport the potatoes, they should be left open to allow for air circulation unless they are perforated. And he does not recommend storing the potatoes in these bags. Dr. Evan suggests the following procedure for maximizing the quality and storab- ility of potatoes. Harvest them when their tops have died back or been killed by a frost, and when the soil has cooled down, usually between the middle of September and early October. This will give the potatoes as much time as possible to mature. Immature potatoes are more prone than those that are mature to bruising and skinning, both of which make them much more susceptible to storage rot. Dig the potatoes on a dull day. Even a short period of exposure to the sun may cause sunburn or greening. And to avoid greening, do not leave the potatoes lying on the ground even on a cloudy day, or exposed to artificial light for any longer than is necess- ary. Apart from giving them a bitter taste, greening, which is caused by an increase in the potato's glycoalkaloid content, can be toxic. Use either a fork or a spade to dig the hills, being very careful not to cut or bruise the potatoes. Put aside any that do get cut or are otherwise damaged for immediate use. - (cont'd) - Phone: (403) 427-21 21 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch -2- 14 Handling Home Garden Potatoes At Harvest Time (cont'd) Place potatoes as they are dug beside the hills. Do not throw them. Always harvest potatoes when the temperature is above freezing. Those that are subjected to even a few degrees of frost will break down completely and rot. And keep the storage temperature at about 5° C. If it falls to near the freez- ing mark, the potatoes will develop internal blackening, and if it goes too high, and the ventil- ation is poor, the potatoes will "smother" from lack of oxygen and turn a blackish color internally. - 30 - September 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AVOIDING SPOILAGE IN PICKLES Making pickles is fun and a very satisfying way of preserving much of the delicious garden produce that is available at this time of year. Ideally, garden produce that is used for pickles should be processed within 24 hours of having been picked. If this is not possible, it should be kept in a cool, well ventil- ated place until it can be processed. In other words, perfect fruit and perfect vegetables are needed for perfect pickles. However, according to Alberta Agriculture's food and nutrition specialist at Airdrie, Suzanne Tenold, a large proportion of home-made pickles spoil and have to be dis- carded. "In many cases this is because the person making them does not know enough about the products she is using or about the process involved," says Ms. Tenold. For example, it is only possible to make good cucumber pickles out of pickling cucumbers. The salad variety, which are large and have a thick skin, often produce soft pickles with tough skins. Ms. Tenold says cucumber blossoms (stems) must be removed when the cucum- bers are being prepared for pickling because they harbor yeasts that can make the pickles soft. And she says to be sure that no soil gets into the pickles because it too can cause spoilage. Since vinegar replaces the acid that is produced by pickles during the fermenta- tion process, it plays an important part in pickle making. Ms. Tenold explains that it is necess- ary to provide enough vinegar to kill bacteria, yeasts and molds, but that there should not be too much acid in the vinegar because it will sour the pickles. She points out that commercial vinegar comes in two strengths — 5 per cent and 7 per cent — and that home-made vinegar should never be used for pickles because its acid content is not known. - (cont'd) - >dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Avoiding Spoilage In Pickles (cont'd) If the acid content of vinegar is not specified in a pickle recipe, either strength can be used, but according to Ms. Tenold, the amount of vinegar called for in the recipe should never be reduced. She points out that pickle recipes have been developed to produce a product that has the correct acid content to prevent the growth of microorganisms, and that the solution called for by a recipe should never be diluted. "People who prefer a less sour pickle can add sugar," she says. Ms. Tenold also recommends not heating the pickle liquid very long before it will be needed and simmering it while the pickles are being prepared. This is because the strength of the vinegar may be reduced by excessive heating. Salt is another of the main ingredients of pickles. It acts as both a flavoring agent and as a preservative, and the amount recommended in the recipe should not be changed. Too much salt will toughen and shrivel the pickles, while too little will cause them to go soft. Unfortunately, there is no salt substitute that can be used in pickles. Ms. Tenold says the amount of salt called for by a recipe will depend upon the type of pickles being made. Fermented weak pickles, for example, call for a weak brine so that the formation of lactic acid can take place rapidly. Quick-process pickles, on the other hand, require a strong brine to draw out any excess water before the vinegar is added. "Pickling Salt", says Ms. Tenold, "should be used for pickles. Free-running table salt can cause a cloudy brine because it has been treated with an anti-caking agent. And salt of an unknown purity should never be used for pickles". Water too can influence the quality of pickles. Ideally, soft water should be used because the minerals in hard water can soften and darken the pickles. However, if only hard - (cont'd) - -3- 17 Avoiding Spoilage In Pickles (cont'd) water is available, many of the unwanted minerals can be eliminated by boiling the water for 15 minutes, allowing it to stand for 24 hours, and then carefully skimming off any scum that may have formed on the surface. The water should be ladled out of the containder with care so that the sediment at the bottom will not be disturbed. A convenient alternative to the above procedure is to purchase distilled water. "Remember", says Ms. Tenold, "the best way to avoid spoilage in pickles is to prevent the conditions that cause it." 30 - Phone: (403) 427-21 21 ydlborra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 18 September 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ADC ASSISTANT MANAGER FARM LENDING APPOINTED Randy Niven, manager of farm lending with the Agricultural Devel- opment Corporation (ADC), has announced the appointment of Ken Ebeling to the position of assistant manager of farm lending. Mr. Ebeling brings extensive experience in agricultural lending to his new position. He has been employed by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the Commercial Credit Corporation, the Federal Business Development Bank and the Bank of British Columbia. And he has spent the last two years with ADC as a senior business analyst dealing with agribusiness loans and complex farm lending proposals. Mr. Ebeling is married, has three children and will continue to reside in Camrose. - 30 - Phone: (403) 427-21 21 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch September 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Wind Turbine Research 1 Preventing Shrinkage In Cattle 3 Pules For The Sound Use Of Credit 5 Crop Yields And Economics Of Liming Acid Soils 8 "Do-lt-Yourself" Home Insulation 10 Hints On Storing Vegetables 12 Goat Artificial Insemination Course At Olds 14 Fall — The Other Time For Weed Control 15 ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 1 September 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WIND TURBINE RESEARCH Approximately 300 people attended a field demonstration that was held just north of the Lethbridge research station to provide an overview of the research that is being carried out on the use of wind turbines and on the various types that are being manufactured today. The research was initiated last year by Alberta Agriculture's drainage branch in cooperation with the Solar Wind Energy Research Program of the Alberta Research Council and Jensen Engineering Ltd of Olds. It is designed to evaluate the technical and economic potential of using wind turbines for pumping water under southern Alberta conditions, and it is being funded by Farming for the Future, the Alberta/Canada Energy Resources Research Fund, Alberta Agriculture and TransAlta Utilities. Representatives from Alberta Agriculture, the Alberta Research Council, Jensen Engineering Ltd and TransAlta Utilities gave brief presentations at the demonstration, which covered the project background, site design and turbine selection, data acquisition and evaluation, and the electrical power generated by wind turbines. Each manufacturer gave a short description of his machine's performance, its cost, etc and answered questions during the remainder of the afternoon. Brent Paterson, head of Alberta Agriculture's drainage branch, reports that six direct pumping turbines have been installed at the site where the demonstration was held, and that each turbine has its own sump and water supply. The turbines have been monitored continuously throughout the irrigation season and will continue to be monitored during the summer of 1984 to evaluate pumping rates, etc. that are related to wind conditions. The wind direction, its speed and constancy, the operating characteristics of the representative wind turbines and a correlation of their characteristics with wind conditions are all being - (cont'd) - ydlberra AGRICULTURE (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch ■ 2 -2- Wind Turbine Research (cont'd) monitored. According to Mr. Paterson, there is also an electrical turbine on the site that is being used to evaluate potential wind power production. Anyone who is interested in seeing the various types of turbines that are currently available operating under actual field conditions should contact Brent Paterson at 329-5515 or Wayne Ulmer at 329-5514. -30- 3 September 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PREVENTING SHRINKAGE IN CATTLE Shrinkage represents a large proportion of a cattleman's production costs. As the district agriculturist for Rocky Mountain House, Phil Dixon, points out, calves that are selling for $70 per hundredweight will bring only $68.60 if they have sustained a 2 per cent weight loss, while those that have sustained a 4 per cent loss will bring only $67.20. He also points out that there are two kinds of shrinkage: excretory shrinkage and tissue shrinkage. "Excretory shrinkage", he says, "is a loss of 'belly fill', and is not as serious as tissue shrinkage because the cattle will replace any weight loss after having been back on feed and water for a few days." Tissue shrinkage, on the other hand, represents a decrease in the actual carcass weight of an animal. And according to Mr. Dixon, research has shown that it takes a week or more for an animal to regain this weight. Shrinkage usually occurs when cattle are rounded up and trucked to another loca- tion, and most of the shrinkage occurs during the first part of the haul. Mr Dixon reports that the loss of weight actually begins to slow down as distance and time increase. He says tests carried out in the United States showed that cattle hauled 320 miles lost an average of 38 pounds from tissue shrinkage alone. Although the shrinkage increased as the distance and time increased, it increased at a much slower rate than during the first part of the haul. According to Mr. Dixon, when grass-fed cattle are denied feed and water over- night, they will shrink about 4 per cent, while grain-fed animals will shrink from 2.5 to 3 per cent. He says this shrinkage often occurs at auction markets, and that when the animals are provided with feed and water, they still lose about 2 per cent of their weight. However, as he points out, a 2 per cent weight loss is better than 4 per cent weight loss. /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Phone: (403)427-2121 Preventing Shrinkage In Cattle (cont'd) Excitement is apparently one of the main causes of shrinkage, and it is very prevalent in range cattle. They will lose about 4 per cent of their weight, and this is espec- ially true of calves that have just been weaned. Here is how Mr. Dixon recommends avoiding shrinkage. Make sure the loading chutes, holding pens, scales and trucks are all working ahead of time. . Avoid rough handling of the animals. Water and feed the cattle animals if they are to be kept in the pens overnight before shipping. Water is even more important than feed. Give the cattle good, dry hay just before they are shipped. Do not overload or underload the truck. Overloading will make the animals nervous and uneasy, while underloading will enable them to move around too much. Provide protection from the cold. And provide good, fresh hay and water at rest stops on a long haul. - 30 - 5 September 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RULES FOR THE SOUND USE OF CREDIT A knowledge of the basic rules for the sound use of credit has become a must in today's society where it is virtually, impossible for most farmers to accumulate sufficient savings to purchase the assets they require for a profitable farm business operation. According to Doug Barlund of Alberta Agriculture's farm business management branch, the rules for the sound use of credit can be categorized under the three R's — risk, returns and repayment. The rules for risk are: Limit borrowing for enterprises that you do not fully understand. And experiment on a small scale before expanding through the use of borrowed funds. Keep debts in line with your capital investment. In addition to checking the relationship between total assets and total liabilities, watch the dis- tribution of current or short term assets and liabilities in order to main- tain a strong liquid position. . Maintain adequate insurance coverage to reduce risk and protect the farm business. Keep debts as low as possible without reducing your efficiency. Use loans for purposes that will bring the largest return per dollar invested and that will do so in the shortest time to reduce risks. The rules for returns are: Borrow primarily for purposes that will increase your net income. - (cont'd) - Liberia AGRICULTURE Phone: (403)427-2121 Print Media Branch Rules For The Sound Use Of Credit (cont'd) . Study farm price trends. Estimate your ability to repay loans on a realistic and conservative basis over the term of the loan. Keep your debts in line with your probable income. Maintain a reserve repayment capacity, if possible to meet emergencies. Apply income received from productive assets purchased by a loan on a regular basis against the loan. Maintain good records so that you have the factual information for making sound management decisions, and monitoring changes in your financial position. Schedule the repayment term of a loan when borrowing for depreci- able assets to coincide with the expected life of the asset. The rules for repayment are: . Develop a definite repayment program that fits your cash flow. Evaluate your total credit requirements rather than evaluating them on a "piecemeal" basis, and then plan and arrange financing before you actually need the funds. . Do not use too many credit sources. As your record of repayment grows, your lenders will be more willing to service your credit needs. When arranging for credit: Shop around. Select a dependable lender who is willing and able to provide good terms and sound financial advice. Be businesslike, frank and fair with the lender. Meet loan payments promptly. Whenever you are unable to do so, discuss your situation - (cont'd) - 7 -3- Rules For The Sound Use Of Credit (cont'd) as far in advance of the due date as possible. Explain what you are able to do and outline how you plan to bring your account up-to-date. Prepare the background information necessary to support your loan application. It should include your net worth statement, a past and projected income statement and a cash flow budget. Most lending institutions offer information and assistance in preparing these documents. Mr. Barlund advises farmers to ask themselves the question: "Will it Pay?" before making changes to their farm businesses, regardless of whether the changes would involve expanding an existing enterprise or developing a new one. He points out that by carrying out a thorough analysis of any proposed changes, including a partial budget and a cash flow state- ment, a farmer will be in a position to know in his own mind whether the changes would be worthwhile before he approaches a lender for the necessary funds. To help Alberta farmers to do such an analysis and to help them to choose the most appropriate credit lender for their specific needs, the farm business management branch has compiled a "Financial Management Package" and an up-to-date list of sources of credit that are available through chartered banks, treasury branches, credit unions, the federal Farm Credit Corporation and the provincial Agricultural Development Corporation. The list of creditors is contained in a publication entitled "Sources of Farm Business Credit". The "Financial Management Package" (Agdex 810) and "Sources of Farm Bus- iness Credit" (Agdex 832) can be obtained from district agricultursits, the Farm Business Management Branch, Box 2000, Olds, Alberta, TOM 1 PO or by writing to the Publications Office, Alberta Agriculture, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000 - 113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. - 30 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 8 September 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CROP YIELDS AND ECONOMICS OF LIMING ACID SOILS Although lime has been added to acidic soils for centuries in some parts of the world, it is a relatively new practice in Alberta. Even though there has been much less research done on liming than on fertilizing in Western Canada, it is known that yield increases from liming depend upon the degree of soil acidity, the kind of crop that is to be grown and the general growing conditions of the area. Average yield increases for wheat, canola and barley grown on land which required lime have ranged from 0.24 to 0.79 tonnes per hectare when lime was applied. The increase in barley yields has usually been greater than that of wheat or canola. And yield increases are also usually greater in the gray soil zone than in either the dark brown or the thin black soil zones. The return on money invested in liming depends upon the size of the yield increase, the value of the crop, the cost of the lime and the interest rate charged for money borrowed. Since most of these factors vary from one farm to another and from one year to another, it is impossible to come up with a calculation that will apply to all situations. The length of time the effect of an application of lime will last is important when considering the economics of liming. It will mainly depend upon the buffer capacity of the soil; management practices, especially when it comes to the application of ammonium-based nitrogen fertilizers; and the extent to which cations (mainly calcium) are removed from the soil by cropping and leaching. - (cont'd) - /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 9 - 2 - Crop Yields And Economics Of Liming Acid Soils (cont'd) Data on the average yield of various crops grown in acid soils in the dark brown, gray and thin black soils zones before and after liming, yield increases and net returns from liming specific crops; the longevity of lime treatments under various conditions plus other related information are contained in the publication "Crop Yields and Economics of Liming Acid Soils" (Agdex 534-2). It can be obtained from district agriculturists or by writing to the Publications Office, Alberta Agriculture, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000 - 113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. -30- 10 September 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE "DO-IT-YOURSELF" HOME INSULATION With winter just around the corner, many people are starting to think about reducing the heat loss in their houses and, even more importantly, about reducing their heat- ing bills. Alberta Energy and Natural Resources has published several publications on "do- it-yourself" home insulation. One deals with weather stripping and caulking to prevent air leakage. Did you know that air leakage can account for one-third of the total amount of heat lost in an average home? And that the cost of heating the cold air that replaces the warm air that leaks out can be anywhere from $100 to $200 every year. Also, if the moisture that is carried out in the warm air condenses inside the walls or in an attic, it can do serious structural damage to the house. Two other publications deal with the exterior and interior methods of insulating a basement. One third of the total heat loss can occur through the floor and walls of an uninsulated basement. Even if it is used only as a storage area, the heat from ducts and pipes and from the main floor will escape through the uninsulated basement floor and walls as well as through cracks or holes in the joist space. This loss of heat could amount to $1 00 or $200 a year. Earth around a basement is not a good insulator, and concrete actually conducts heat out of the house. Another publication, published by Alberta Agriculture, gives detailed instructions and provides illustrations that show the various methods of installing movable window insula- tion. Most windows are poorly sealed, and allow air leakages to occur between the sash and the glass, between the sash and the jamb and between the jamb and the window opening. In - (cont'd) - ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 1 1 -2- "Do-lt-Yourself" Home insulation (cont'd) fact, air leakage losses through and around windows are claimed to account for from 6 to 25 per cent of total heat losses in Canadian homes. The publications referred to above are called "How to Weatherstrip and Caulk Your Home" (ENR No. 1/1 7— 4), "How to Insulate Your Basement — Exterior Method" (ENR No. 1/1 7 - No.2), "How to Insulate Your Basement - Interior Method (ENR No. 1/1 7 — No. 3) and "Movable Window Insulation" (Homedex 1700-76-5). They can all be obtained from Alberta Agriculture's district offices or by writing to the Publications Office, Alberta Agriculture, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000 - 1 13 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. -30- 12 September 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HINTS ON STORING VEGETABLES Anyone who plans to store his or her vegetables this winter, and who has not stored vegetables before, will find the following information, compiled by Paul Ragan of the Alberta Horticultural Research Center in Brooks, very useful. The first thing to remember is to harvest the vegetables during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the early morning. Because they contain less field heat at this time, they will not heat up the storage area. Carrots, beets, parsnips and rutabagas should all be stored at a temperature that is as close to 0 ° C as possible and at a high relative humidity. They can be put into perforated plastic bags or into garbage bags that have been perforated to keep the humidity high or they can be buried in moist sand or slightly moistened vermiculite. Parsnips can even be left in the ground all winter and dug the following spring, providing that they are well mulched with straw or leaves. This practice increases their sugar content. Cabbage, cauliflower, celery and Chinese cabbage should be stored at 0° C and a high relative humidity. Cabbages store best when they are pulled up and replanted in sand. However, since they have a peculiar odor, it would probably be best not to store them in the house. Onions should be stored at 4° to 5 °C and at a low relative humidity. If the hum- idity is too high, the onions will start to root and sprout. Pumpkins and winter squash should be stored at from 10 °to 15° C and at a low relative humidity. If they are stored at a lower temperature than that recommended they will deteriorate and rot. - (cont'd) - ydlberra AGRICULTURE (403)427-2121 Print Media Branch 13 -2- Hints On Storing Vegetables (cont'd) Green tomatoes should also be stored at a temperature of from 10° to 15° C and at high relative humidity. If they are stored at a lower temperature than 10° C, they will ripen abnormally and rot. Ripening can be hastened by bringing a few tomatoes at a time into room temperature. Potatoes should be stored at a temperature of from 4° to 7° C and at a high relative humidity. The storage area should be dark to prevent the potatoes from turning green and to prevent the starch from turning into sugar. Finally, never store apples or pears with vegetables because they give off a chem- ical that may reduce the quality of the vegetables and may even cause them to spoil. - 30 - 14 September 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GOAT ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION COURSE AT OLDS The Alberta Goat Breeders Association, in conjunction with Alberta Agriculture, is holding an artificial insemination (Al) course at Olds College, Olds, on September 24. The course is intended for people who have a basic understanding of goat nutrition and reproduction. In addition to reviewing general information on nutrition and reproduction, participants will learn how to handle goat semen, and they will actually in- seminate goats that have been provided for the course. Ron Weisenburger, nutrition specialist, Dr. Barry Callaghan, reproductive specialist and Ernie Maynard, genetic specialist, all of Alberta Agriculture, will be the course instructors. With the gradual expansion of the dairy goat industry in Alberta, out-of-season breeding and breeding for improvement in type and production are becoming increasingly necessary for the industry to reach its potential. And the course is designed to answer questions that many goat breeders have on these topics. The cost of the course is $50, which is payable upon arrival. Additional information can be obtained from Beth Little, Box 785, Cochrane, Alberta, TOL 0W0 (Telephone: 932-3573). - 30 - Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 15 September 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FALL - THE OTHER TIME FOR WEED CONTROL Weed control is traditionally associated with spring and summer, but the fall is also a good time for this occupation, says Walter Yarish of Alberta Agriculture's weed control branch. Following is a list of some of the main weeds that can be controlled at this time of the year. Winter annuals and biennials such as stinkweek, flixweed and scentless chamom- ile in both stubble and summerfallow fields. Narrow-leaved hawk's-beard in newly seeded alfalfa fields and other broadleaved weeds and grasses in established alfalfa fields. Perennial weeds such as Canada thistle, perennial sow thistle and quack grass on cultivated land, but more specifically in areas that are difficult to approach during the grow- ing season. Since the advantages of fall weed control vary from one district to another be- cause of cropping patterns and climatic and soil conditions, Mr. Yarish suggests checking proposed fall weed control programs with local district agriculturists. -30- ydlborra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch September 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Alberta Food Marketing Advisory Committee Established 1 Alaskan Trade Mission A Success 2 Federal Court Ruling Affects Futures Market Speculators 4 Alberta Agricultural Real Estate Situation 6 Facts About Agricultural Lime 8 Farm Land Leasing Rates For 1983 10 Feed Test Early This Year 12 Preparing The Garden For Winter 14 Livestock Investigation Supervisor Appointed 16 Dairy Farm Specialist Appointed 17 ydlbcrta AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 1 September 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA FOOD MARKETING ADVISORY COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED Alberta's minister of agriculture, LeRoy Fjordbotten, has established the Alberta Food Marketing Advisory Committee to provide a greater emphasis on marketing in the development of his agricultural policies and programs. The committee will be responsible for identifying current issues in the market place, marketing trends and potential marketing opportunities. It will also make recommend- ations that will have an impact on the future development of Alberta's agricultural and food industries, and it will indicate potential market place response to current agricultural produc- tion issues. This unique advisory committee will be made up of senior executives from the major retail and food service companies, and it will bring together, for the first time, repres- entatives from the province's food market place. "It is my hope", says Mr. Fjordbotten "that the activities and recommendations of the Alberta Food Marketing Advisory Committee will help to provide valuable and innov- ative leadership for the future development of the province's agricultural and food products industries. It is designed to be a vital element in encouraging the greater use of a market- oriented approach by these industries, which in addition to aiding their growth will better serve Alberta's retail and consumer needs." 30 Phone: (403)427-2121 alberta AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch September 19, 1983 2 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALASKAN TRADE MISSION A SUCCESS Provincial government officials and representatives of Alberta's livestock and food industries, who recently returned from a trade mission to Alaska, are optimistic about the opportunities they found there for exporting both purebred and commercial livestock, bred dairy heifers, pork and beef and such other food products as processed meats, pasta, cheese, honey, French fries, etc. The trade mission consisted of Alberta Agriculture's trade director, Dave Rous, who led the party; trade director, Wilf Walker; a vice-president of the Alberta Grocers Asso- ciation, Jack Shippobotham; a representative of Canada Packer's International Trade Divi- sion, Peter Pastyr; a representative of Beef Booster, Roman Hrytsak; and a director of the Alberta Hereford Association, Rodney Elvestad. The Alberta party met with the State of Alaska's officials, including the newly appointed director of agriculture, Bill Heim, to discuss areas in agriculture for future co- operation. Then the livestock representatives and Mr. Rous visited the ranches of a number of potential customers for Alberta's purebred and commercial cattle. And they conducted livestock seminars in Homer, Palmer, Delta Junction and Fairbanks to tell Alaska cattle producers the benefits they could expect from adopting some of Alberta's livestock pro- grams. Mr. Rous says that Alaska has only fledging meat and livestock industries at the present time, but that, by working with the Alaskans and evaluating their needs, Alberta live- stock producers should be able to reap some substantial benefits in the long-term. In fact, he believes that firms like the Beef Booster and purebred Hereford and other cattle breeders should be able to provide Alaska with the basis for a blossoming meat and livestock industry. (cont'd) - Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Alaskan Trade Mission A Success (cont'd) Mr. Walker and the food industry representatives visited Alaskans involved in the construction and management areas of a new packing plant that is being built in Palmer. Here they discovered that Alaska needs a feedlot or feedlots to finish its cattle for slaughter, and Mr. Walker believes that this plant will be the key to Alaska's livestock industry as well as the key to a potential market for Alberta's cattle breeders. While visiting a dairy plant, Mr. Walker was told that the Alaskans are going to need from 3,000 to 4,000 bred dairy heifers over the next three years. He and the food representatives also contacted retail and food service buyers and found several of these companies were interested in receiving information and price quota- tions on Alberta beef and Alberta pork. An important meeting was held between the Albertans and Alaskan officials who handle the United States Department of Agriculture meat inspections. They furnished the Alberta representatives with a list of 20 places in Alaska where these inspections can take place. And they intimated that there should be no problem in exporting Canadian products to Alaska in the future, providing that the proper authorities are advised well in advance of shipments and the documentation is complete and accurate. There was one thing that amazed the Alberta group. It was the large acreage that is devoted to the raising of lettuce and strawberries in Alaska. They wondered why these crops could not be grown just as successfully in Alberta. In summary, Mr. Rous says "There are certainly opportunities for Albertans to export livestock, meat and other food products to Alaska." And he pointed out that these ventures could be made profitable by bringing back such Alaskan products as halibut, salmon and king crab. - 30 - September 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEDERAL COURT RULING AFFECTS FUTURES MARKET SPECULATORS Those who "speculate" in the futures market will be interested in a recent Federal Court of Canada ruling which has, to some degree, changed the rules of the game. The case dealt with the deductibility of interest on borrowed funds and other costs associated with a commodity transaction that yielded a capital gain. And according to Alberta Agriculture's tax specialist, Merle Good, the court ruling contradicts Revenue Canada's historic stand on this subject as outlined in its Interpretation Bulletin IT346R. The bulletin states that purchasers of commodities fall into one of two categories: those who engage in a business that involves commodities and those who are "speculators". Mr. Good explains that a person who is deemed to be a "speculator" has the option of having his transaction treated as either income or as capital in nature, providing that he uses the same method of reporting every year. The Department of National Revenue states that interest paid on funds that have been borrowed to finance a transaction that yields a capital gain is neither deductible for tax purposes nor allowed to be added to the original cost of the contract. Individuals who acquire commodities in connection with their businesses must include their commodity profits in their regular income, and the interest on borrowed funds is considered to be a current deductible expense. In the case involved in the recent federal court ruling - Jeffrey Sterling vs the Queen - Mr. Sterling had added the interest and safe keeping charges to the cost of a gold contract which he had bought and which had yielded a capital gain when it was sold. When the Department of National Revenue disallowed the addition of these costs, he appealed to the Federal Court of Canada, which ruled that the Department of National Revenue's position as outlined in its Interpretation Bulletin was not sustainable under the law. (cont'd) hone: (403)427-2121 ydlborta AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - 5 Federal Court Ruling Affects Futures Market Speculators (cont'd) Mr. Good reports that the court's reasoning was based on a number of precedents that contradicted the Department of National Revenue's position as well as on its own inter- pretation of bulletins that deal with the cost of property in other circumstances. And he says the judge ruled that the cost incurred in the Sterling transaction was not only the purchase price of the gold. It included the interest on the borrowed funds and the safe-keeping charges. A question that still has to be resolved is whether Mr. Sterling could have treated the interest cost incurred in his transaction as a current expense that was deductible in the same way as is allowed in the purchase of stocks and bonds. According to Mr. Good, the feel- ing within the accounting profession is that another appeal and another court case will be necessary before this question can be answered. Mr. Good says "The Sterling case certainly puts quite a different slant on the computation of capital gains and losses for income tax purposes. Even though the Depart- ment of National Revenue may appeal this case, and even though it may be successful in over- turning it, taxpayers may wish to protect their positions in the meantime by filing notices of objection to recent assessments." However, Mr. Good strongly recommends that anyone who is considering this strategy seek the advice of a professional accountant before embarking upon it. - 30 - September 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA AGRICULTURAL REAL ESTATE SITUATION o < en UJ Q_ < DC UJ 500 400- 300- 200 100 0 J ALBERTA AGRICULTURAL REAL ESTATE VALUES For a little more than a decade now, Alberta farmers have seen agricultural real estate values increase at an annual rate of approximately 20 per cent. Peter Woloshyn, resource economist with Alberta Agriculture's resource econ- omics branch, reports that from 1971 to 1982 the average value of agricultural real estate in Alberta increased by 601 per cent in absolute dollar terms (not deflated to 1971 constant dollars). He points out, however, that when the average values in each year are converted into 1971 dollars, the picture is very different. In terms of 1971 dollars the average value per acre increased from $67 in 1971 to $179 in 1982, which represents an increase of 166 per cent. However, as Mr. Woloshyn points out, the increase in land values has slowed down substantially since 1981 when the economic downturn began. - (cont'd) Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch -2- 7 Alberta Agricultural Real Estate Situation (cont'd) He reports that agricultural real estate values. increased by 6 per cent in 1982, but have decreased by 3.3 and 5.4 per cent respectively in the first and second quarters of 1983 compared with the first and second quarters of 1982. And he points out that while farmers could, in the past, count on the increasing value of their land when applying for a loan (it made it easier to get a loan), their ability to use land as a hedge against inflation is slightly less now. On the other hand, those starting out in a farming career and established farmers who want to expand will find it relatively easier to purchase farm land from the point of view of its value alone. Mr. Woloshyn says the number of acres that are transferred in a given period is another key indicator of the Alberta agricultural real estate situation. He reports that the number of acres transferred in 1982 dropped by just over 19 per cent (-22.9, -26.2, -16.4 and -5.7 for the four quarters respectively). However, both the first and the second quarters of 1983 have shown an increase in the number of acres transferred — 2.3 and 16.1 per cent respectively. "This situation", Mr. Woloshyn says, "shows an improvement in terms of activ- ity, but it should be remembered that these percentage increases are based on the extremely poor transfer activity that took place in 1982". Both average land values and the number of acres transferred are available for each CLI (Canada Land Inventory) class on a quarterly basis in a publication entitled "The Alberta Agricultural Real Estate Situation". It and additional information on the real estate situation in Alberta can be obtained from Peter Woloshyn, Resource Economics Branch, Alberta Agriculture, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000-113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6 (Telephone: 427-4026). - 30 - September 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA AGRICULTURAL REAL ESTATE SITUATION o < en Ld Q_ Ld ZD —I $ Ld O < DC Ld 500-1 400- 300- 200 100 0 d tx&it.-y,-] l-,'-,'a'i \\\(.a ■■:,-)vi k'.-;-:,? i,v ixy,-: i-yi Ki-yj t'y'-i Ix'-fl YEAR ALBERTA AGRICULTURAL REAL ESTATE VALUES For a little more than a decade now, Alberta farmers have seen agricultural real estate values increase at an annual rate of approximately 20 per cent. Peter Woloshyn, resource economist with Alberta Agriculture's resource econ- omics branch, reports that from 1971 to 1982 the average value of agricultural real estate in Alberta increased by 601 per cent in absolute dollar terms (not deflated to 1971 constant dollars). He points out, however, that when the average values in each year are converted into 1971 dollars, the picture is very different. In terms of 1971 dollars the average value per acre increased from $67 in 1971 to $179 in 1982, which represents an increase of 166 per cent. However, as Mr. Woloshyn points out, the increase in land values has slowed down substantially since 1981 when the economic downturn began. - (cont'd) Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Alberta Agricultural Real Estate Situation (cont'd) He reports that agricultural real estate values increased by 6 percent in 1982, but have decreased by 3.3 and 5.4 per cent respectively in the first and second quarters of 1983 compared with the first and second quarters of 1982. And he points out that while farmers could, in the past, count on the increasing value of their land when applying for a loan (it made it easier to get a loan), their ability to use land as a hedge against inflation is slightly less now. On the other hand, those starting out in a farming career and established farmers who want to expand will find it relatively easier to purchase farm land from the point of view of its value alone. Mr. Woloshyn says the number of acres that are transferred in a given period is another key indicator of the Alberta agricultural real estate situation. He reports that the number of acres transferred in 1982 dropped by just over 19 per cent (-22.9, -26.2, -16.4 and -5.7 for the four quarters respectively). However, both the first and the second quarters of 1983 have shown an increase in the number of acres transferred — 2.3 and 16.1 percent respectively. "This situation", Mr. Woloshyn says, "shows an improvement in terms of activ- ity, but it should be remembered that these percentage increases are based on the extremely poor transfer activity that took place in 1982". Both average land values and the number of acres transferred are available for each CLI (Canada Land Inventory) class on a quarterly basis in a publication entitled "The Alberta Agricultural Real Estate Situation". It and additional information on t lie real estate situation in Alberta can be obtained from Peter Woloshyn, Resource Economics Branch, Alberta Agriculture, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000-113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6 (Telephone: 427-4026). - 30 - September 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FACTS ABOUT AGRICULTURAL LIME Did you know that the higher the quality of agricultural lime, the less you will have to use to neutralize acidic soil? Also, the finer it is, the less you will have to use, but more importantly, the quicker it will react with the soil. These factors are important because agricultural lime is not cheap and it is not cheap to transport. Phil Dixon, district agriculturist at Rocky Mountain House, explains that Effect- ive Neutralizing Value (ENV) is the term that is used to indicate the quality of agricultural lime. It takes into account both purity and fineness, and the higher the ENV, the higher the quality of the lime. According to Mr. Dixon, pure calcium carbonate limestone is given a percentage rating of 100. However, this rating can vary greatly, depending upon which quarry and which layer of the mountain it came from. Mr. Dixon also says that the lime that is fine enough to pass through a 60-mesh screen is given a rating of 100 per cent. If only 30 to 60 per cent of it can be passed through a 60-mesh screen, it is given a rating of 50 per cent and so on down to a rating of 5 per cent, which means that none of it will pass through a 10-mesh screen. "The ENV", says Mr. Dixon, "is arrived at by multiplying the percentage of purity by the percentage of fineness." And he points out that agricultural lime must have an ENV of at least 70 per cent (dry weight basis) to qualify for Alberta Agriculture's Agricultural Lime Freight Assistance Program. Also, anyone who is applying for assistance under this program must have a soil test done and get a Lime Requirement Report from the Alberta Soil and Feed Testing Lab- oratory in Edmonton or from an authorized private soil testing laboratory. (cont'd) /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Facts About Agricultural Lime (cont'd) This report gives the pH level of the soil and the tonnes of lime per acre that would be required to raise the pH to either 6.0 or 6.5. Mr. Dixon says the optimum pH for most crops is 6.5, but that a farmer may be satisfied with a lower or higher pH level for economic or other reasons. The report also contains a list of the quarries that sell agricultural lime, and it gives the ENV rating for each quarry's product. Mr. Dixon recommends that farmers who are thinking of liming their fields this fall allow two to three weeks between the time they submit their soil for testing and the time that they will receive the results. "And, remember," he says, "under the Agricultural Lime Freight Assistance Program, the farmer pays the first $5.50 per tonne of the actual freight cost from the quarry to the farm and Alberta Agriculture will pay roughly 80 per cent of the remainder of the freight costs." - 30 - CORRECTION (August 29, 1983. issue of Agri-News) The title of the article "Regional 4-H Specialist Appointed for Northwestern Alberta" should read "Regional 4-H Specialist Appointed for Northeastern Alberta"; NOT Northwestern Alberta. And the first sentence should read "The head of Alberta Agriculture's 4 H branch, Ted Youck, has announced that Rod MacMillan is the new regional 4-H specialist for the northeastern region of the province"; NOT the northwestern region of the province. -30- September 19, 1983 10 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FARM LAND LEASING RATES FOR 1983 Farm land leasing rates in Alberta have decreased over the past 12 months, according to the results of an annual survey that was conducted between May and July of this year. Peggy Johnson of Alberta Agriculture's farm business management branch says the decrease in land rental charges reflects a reduced demand for rental land, which is prob- ably the result of increased farm input costs, reduced prospective grain prices and the antic- ipation by farmers last spring of only moderate crop yields. Ms. Johnson reports that 60 per cent of the land rented this year was rented on a cash basis, revealing an upward trend in cash rental agreements, which was off-set by a similar reduction in crop-share agreements. She points out that this upward trend in cash rentals, which leaves the tenant with all the risk, may be an indication that non-farming landowners do not want to share the risk with tenants during hard economic times. The following table illustrates the decrease in land rental charges that has taken place during the past year. Cost Per Acre of Rented Land for 1982 and 1983 Most Common Range of Charges Most Common Charges in 1982 in 1983 Charges in 1983 South - irrigated (with equipment) $80 - $225 $195 -$205 - irrigated (without equipment) $65 - $90 $21 - $ 80 $ 50 - $ 60 ■ non irrigated $50 - $60 $10-$ 50 $ 30 - $ 40 Central $25 - $35 $12-$ 60 $ 25 - $ 35 North $25 -$30 $13 $ 45 $15-$ 25 (cont'd) Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 1 1 - 2 - Farm Lending Leasing Rates For 1983 (cont'd) Ms. Johnson says the range in rental charges shown in the table can be explained by the facts that the quality and quantity of land being rented varies; that rental rates vary according to the profitability of the crops being grown, and that dependable, established tenants often get a lower rate than other tenants. Also, a cash rent may be higher or lower than current rates, depending upon the length of the lease. Ms. Johnson says that a decrease in land rental charges is evident in crop-share agreements as well. She points out that the number of people with 50:50 landlord-tenant share agreements has decreased over the past year, while the number with a 33.3-66.6 share agreement has increased. This change, which has resulted in a greater portion of the crop going to the tenant, may have been caused by the decrease in the value of the land ov/ned by the landlord due to a general decline in land values and by an increase in the input costs that are paid by the tenant. The table below illustrates the change in landlord-tenant crop-share agreements. Landlord-Tenant Share 1982 1983 33% • 66% 67% 87% 40% - 60% 4% 5% 50% -50% 11% 3% Others 18% 5% According to Ms. Johnson, the remainder of the land rental agreements contain various combinations of expenses and profits which are split between the landlord and the tenant. Further information on the survey can be obtained from district agriculturists or from the Farm Business Management Branch, Alberta Agriculture, Box 2000, Olds, Alberta, TOM 1PO. -30 - September 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12 FEED TEST EARLY THIS YEAR Livestock producers are advised to submit their feed samples for analysis as early as possible to avoid the rush that develops every year in the late fall and early winter. Samples should always be taken before the feeding period begins so that the analysis results can be used to formulate a ration that will meet the requirement of the animals concerned. And it is important to remember that feed testing makes the best use of the available feed by showing what supplements are needed and the level of supplementation that is required. Underfeeding livestock will limit their production, while overfeeding is a waste of resources. Ron Weisenburger, head of animal nutrition with Alberta Agriculture, reports that this summer's adverse weather conditions are expected to have reduced the feeding value of much of this year's hay. For example, July's heavy rains delayed the harvesting of hay crops in many parts of the province, while drought and weathering were problems in other areas. Mr. Weisenburger advises farmers sampling baled forage to use a core sampling tool which has been especially designed for this job. It can be obtained from district agricul- turists. Mr. Weisenburger also recommends taking samples from at least 1 5 different bales or places in the stack and putting them directly into a polyethylene sample bag to avoid the loss of leaves. However, when sampling loose or cut forage or silage, it is best to take the sample by hand because it is difficult to obtain one with a core sampling tool. Again, samples should be taken from at least 1 5 locations in the stack or silo. They should be put into a pail, thor- oughly mixed and a sample from the pail put into a polyethylene sample bag. The most convenient and effective way of sampling grain at this time of year is to collect a small amount in a pail from each truck load as the grain is being augered into the bin. ydlbcrfa - (cont'd) - AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch -2- 13 Feed Test Early This Year (cont'd) Mr. We isen burger advises farmers who wish to sample grain that is already in a bin to use a bin probe when possible uncollect the sample. It can probably be obtained from a district agriculturist or from a grain elevator agent. Samples should be taken from at least 1 5 locations in the bin, put into a pail and thoroughly mixed before a sample from the pail is put into a polyethylene sample bag. Mr. Weisen burger points out that there are five or six privately owned feed testing laboratories in Alberta that do a good job of feed analysis. He also points out that farmers who plan to have their feed analysed at Alberta Agriculture's soil and feed testing laboratory in Edmonton can pick up a sample kit, etc. from their district agriculturist. And anyone who would like help to develop a feeding program for his livestock can use Alberta Agriculture's ration advisory service. It is run by highly qualified nutrition- ists and information on its use can also be obtained from district agriculturists. -30- September 19, 1983 14 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PREPARING THE GARDEN FOR WINTER The time to prepare your garden for the winter is when the trees and shrubs have shed their leaves, says Paul Ragan of the Alberta Horticultural Research Center in Brooks. He recommends starting by raking up the leaves. Those that are soft can be dug into the soil, providing there are not too many of them, but leaves that have a shiny surface and evergreen needles should not be incorporated into the soil. The needles should be dis- posed of, but the leaves can be either put on the compost heap or otherwise disposed of. Next clean out leaves and other litter that may have accumulated in fence corners, along the base of a fence and in the crowns of shrubs. Mr. Ragan says this practice is import- ant because the leaves and other litter could provide ideal spots for harmful garden pests to overwinter. Now remove all the annual flowers and vegetables from flowerbeds, borders and the vegetable garden. They too can be put on the compost heap, providing they are not dis- eased. If they are diseased dispose of them. Again, providing the plants did not suffer from root diseases or pests during the past growing season, they can be cut off at ground level and their roots left to decompose in the soil. The roots will increase the soil's organic matter content and improve its texture. Herbaceous perennials should be cut back to within 7 or 1 0 cm (3 or 4 inches) of the soil surface. Then in the spring, when the new basal buds are easier to identify, the plants can be cut back to ground level. When digging over annual flowerbeds, borders and the vegetable garden, Mr. Ragan recommends using a spade, digging to its full depth and leaving the soil in big lumps. Since the frost will break the lumps down during the winter and spring, all that will be necessary next spring will be to fork over the soil. (cont'd) ydlborra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 15 - 2 - Preparing The Garden For Winter (cont'd) A garden fork, as opposed to a spade, should be used to dig the soil in beds and borders that contain trees, shrubs or herbaceous perennials. Dig as deeply as possible without damaging the roots or plants growing in the bed. And be careful not to leave any roots exposed to the air. Last, but by no means least, make sure that the garden is reasonably moist as it goes into the winter. "Ideally", Mr. Ragan says "all perennials should be watered periodically in the fall to prevent them from drying out during the winter." This is particularly likely to happen if the snow cover gets blown off the garden or during an early spring when strong sun- shine, increasing temperatures and the wind combine to dessicate the plants. Trees, shrubs, and perennials can all be watered until just before freeze-up. Mr. Ragan points out the aim of such a watering program should be to have the soil hold the optimum amount of moisture without becoming saturated from lack of drainage. He says the result should be a moist soil that contains plenty of air in its pore spaces. -30- 16 September 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LIVESTOCK INVESTIGATION SUPERVISOR APPOINTED Ken Spiller, head of Alberta Agriculture's regulatory services and feeder association branch, has announced the appointment of Wayne Daye to the position of livestock investigation supervisor for the Calgary area. He will be work- ing out of the Airdrie office. Mr. Daye brings extensive experience in investigational work to his new position. As a member of the RCMP since 1960, he has been stationed throughout the province, and he attained the rank of sergeant in charge of the Strathmore high- way patrol unit. From 1970 to 1978, he worked as a livestock investigator with the general investigation section in Lethbridge and in Edmonton. Mr. Daye is married, has two children and will continue to reside in Strathmore. - 30 - Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrta AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 17 September 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DAIRY FARM SPECIALIST APPOINTED Lloyd Johnston, head of Alberta Agriculture's dairy farm inspection branch, has announced the appointment of Robert C. Pilling to the position of dairy farm specialist. He will be located in Edmonton and will be responsible for raw milk quality control in the Edmonton area. He will also act as a resource person to dairy farmers and departmental staff in dairy farm production technology transfer. Mr. Pilling is an animal science graduate from Brigham Young Univers- ity in the U.S.A. and has had experience in managing 1 ,000-cow dairy farms in both California and New Mexico. He was most recently employed by Alberta Agriculture's dairy produc- tion branch where he coordinated the Somatic Cell Pilot Project and helped pro- ducers who had production difficulties or who were restructuring their operations because of financial or quota constraints. - 30 - Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch September 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Tobacco Rattle Virus Found In A Sample Of Alberta Potatoes 1 Warble Infestations Drop Again In Alberta 4 Specialty Crop Situation 5 The Isolation And Cloning Of An Ice-Forming Gene 6 Fall Versus Spring Nitrogen Fertilizer Applications 8 "Autumn Shed" In Evergreens 10 Deadline For Field Crop Entries For The Royal 12 Catfacing Of Tomatoes 14 Farm Safety Poster And Essay Contest Winners 15 Poultry Specialist Appointed To Lethbridge Area 17 District Home Economist Appointed To Sangudo 18 ydlbcrta AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TOBBACO RATTLE VIRUS FOUND IN A SAMPLE OF ALBERTA POTATOES A cross section of potatoes infected with the Tobacco Rattle Virus. Staff at the Alberta Horticultural Research Center (AHRC) in Brooks are solicit- ing the cooperation of home garden potato growers, market gardeners and commercial potato growers in Alberta in their attempt to find out whether the Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV) has gained a foothold in the province. Dr. Ronald Howard, plant pathologist at the center, reports that the first known cases in Canada of TRV in potatoes grown out-of-doors were confirmed earlier this year in Alberta and Saskatchewan. He says samples of potatoes from two home gardens, one near Hughenden, Alberta, and the other near Biggar, Saskatchewan, were found to be infected with TRV when analyzed at the federal research station in Vancouver. According to Dr. Howard, the samples had been originally submitted to the plant diagnostic laboratories in Brooks and Regina for the diagnosis of an internal brown spotting (cont'd! Phone: (403)427-2121 Ahexia AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 2 - 2 Tobacco Rattle Virus Found In A Sample Of Alberta Potatoes (cont'd) symptom in the flesh of the potatoes. He points out that, while these may be isolated cases, the incidence of TRV on the Prairies is concerning plant pathologists because of the potential destructiveness of the disease in commercial potato fields. And he says if TRV were to be- come established in Canada, it could seriously affect the viability of the country's seed pota- toes as well as the fresh and processing potato industries. Although TRV can produce stem mottling and, alternately, internal necrosis (tissue browning) in infected tubers, the internal necrosis is the only symptom that is known to occur in North America. Dr. Howard says the internal necrosis can vary in type and sever- ity, depending upon the degree of infection, the time the infection became established, the strain of virus involved, the potato cultivar involved and the environmental conditions. He explains that the primary symptoms of the disease may be lacking in the initial stage of the infection or they may range from prominent, alternate concentric rings of live and necrotic tissue to small, necrotic flecks in the tuber flesh. He says some cracking and various degrees of tuber malformation may follow if the infection started early in the growing season, and that the symptoms may or may not include surface lesions. Secondary tuber symptoms, which are those that originated from infected seed pieces, may include internal flecking and the malformation of the potatoes. Also the plants may be stunted and have small, puckered leaves. However, there are frequently no visible symptoms above the ground and even the potatoes themselves do not always display external symptoms. And Dr. Howard says not all infected potatoes will exhibit internal necrosis symptoms. Those whose cooperation is being sought in this survey are asked to send potatoes that appear to have the same symptoms as those described above to the Alberta Horticultural Research Center. They should be individually wrapped in dry newspaper, tissue paper or - (cont'd) - -3- 3 Tobacco Rattle Virus Found In A Sample Of Alberta Potatoes (cont'd) paper towelling and packed in a box or similar container. They should not be wrapped in plastic or put into a plastic bag. Whenever possible the sample should be sent through a district agriculturist. If this is not possible, a letter containing the following information should accompany the sample. Name and address of the sender, the variety of potato, the extent of the disease (per cent of tubers with symptoms), source of seed, and the past history of the disease in the garden or on the farm. The samples will be screened by AHRC staff and if any suspicious looking tubers are found, they will be sent to the federal research station in Vancouver for confirmation of the diagnosis. The address of the Alberta Horticultural Research Center is Bag Service 200, Brooks, Alberta, TOJ OJO. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 Ahcxio AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch September 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WARBLE INFESTATIONS DROP AGAIN IN ALBERTA Alberta Agriculture's warble monitoring system has recorded a considerable drop in the number of warble-infested cattle carcasses for the second consecutive year. Dr. Ali Khan, livestock pest control specialist with Alberta Agriculture's beef cattle and sheep branch, reports that the examination of slaughter cattle in packing plants in Alberta by federal meat and hygiene inspectors during the past spring showed that only 4 per cent of the carcasses were infested compared with 14 per cent in 1980 and 44 per cent in 1968. Dr. Khan also reports that this reduction in warble infestations in Alberta cattle has been confirmed by data obtained from auction market inspections. He attributes the dramatic drop in warble infested cattle carcasses during the past three years to the continual treatment of cattle in both the fall and the spring and to the persistent efforts of agricultural service board fieldmen. He says that they have carried out their area warble control and enforcement programs with great diligence. And he believes that a further reduction in the number of warbles can be achieved through the continued co- operation of all sectors of the cattle industry. Dr Khan points out that we are not alone in our fight against warble flies. He reports that in Great Britain, for example, 34 per cent of the marketable cattle were infested with warble grubs in 1 978. However, by 1 982 this figure had dropped to only 0. 1 7 per cent as a result of their intensive eradication program and its strict enforcement. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 5 September 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SPECIALTY CROP SITUATION Specialty crop growers in Alberta can expect generally favorable prices for this year's crops. This is the opinion of Fred Boyce, special commodities analyst with Alberta Agri- culture. He says lower production prospects plus much stronger prices for the main grain and oilseed crops has pushed specialty crop prices above what they were last spring. He also says that the main specialty crop acreages in Alberta, and in Western Canada as a whole, are lower than they were in 1982 except for the mustard seed acreage, which increased by 18 per cent. Generally poor price prospects at seeding time were respons- ible for a substantial decline in canary seed, dry bean, lentil, and fababean acreages. The buckwheat, sunflower, dry pea and grain corn acreages were also down from last year. The main reason for the large increase in the mustard seed acreage was the relatively attractive contract prices that were offered last spring. Mr. Boyce reports that yields are expected to be average for the majority of spec- ialty crops in both Western Canada and the United States. The pulse crop acreage in the U.S.A. is considerably smaller than it was in 1982, and the dry bean and lentil acreages decr- eased by 39 and 45 per cent respectively. The dry pea acreage also decreased with the green variety acreage down by 7 per cent and the yellow variety acreage down by 13 per cent. -30 - Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlborra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch September 26, 1983 6 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE ISOLATION AND CLONING OF AN ICE-FORMING GENE Scientists at a California biotechnology firm and at the University of California in Berkeley have announced the isolation of a gene that could help unlock the mystery of frost damage to plants and ultimately lead to more effective frost protection methods. According to information received by Conrad Gietz, Alberta Agriculture's agro- meteorologist, the scientists have isolated the bacterial gene that is responsible for ice nucle- ation. Found in several species of bacteria, the gene apparently stimulates the production of a substance that causes water to form ice crystals when the temperature is slightly below freez- ing. It is these crystals that actually cause the frost injury to plants. In addition to isolating the ice nucleating gene, the scientists at the biotechnology firm and at the University of California have managed to clone the nucleating gene into E. coli bacteria that is commonly used in genetic engineering. The fact that E. coli containing the new gene can be cultured in a laboratory to produce biogenic ice nuclei in relatively large quantities means that scientists can now explore the structural components of the nucleating material. And this could lead to the development of anti-ice nucleating substances to protect crops from frost damage. Scientists have been studying ice nucleating in microorganisms, plants and insects for a number of years, but this is the first time that genes for ice nucleation have been isolated and cloned from a living organism. (cont'd) /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch The Isolation And Cloning Of An Ice-Forming Gene (cont'd) Ice nucleating research has applications in other areas including weather modif- ication where the nucleation material could potentially be used to seed clouds so that they would produce rain or snow. Mr. Gietz agrees with the scientists who say that the scientific and commercial benefits that could be derived from ice nucleating research are just beginning to be explored. And he says the above research represents important progress towards answer- ing the most basic questions about how ice formation is triggered. - 30- September 26, 1983 8 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FALL VERSUS SPRING NITROGEN FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS Questions about the relative effectiveness of fall and spring nitrogen fertilizer applications are common at this time of year because many farmers prefer to apply their fert- ilizers in the fall so that they can take advantage of the fall discount prices and reduce their spring workload. Doug Penney, Alberta Agriculture's supervisor of soil fertility, reports that re- search carried out in Alberta has shown that large losses of fertilizer can occur under certain conditions when fertilizers are applied in the fall. He explains that while these results should not discourage fall fertilizing in general, they do show the need for caution in some situa- tions. The following table shows the relative effectiveness of nitrogen fertilizers that are applied in the spring and in the fall under low, medium and high rainfall conditions on brown and dark brown soils, thin black and some black soils, and on gray black and gray soils. Method Spring broadcast and incorporated Spring banded Fall broadcast and incorporated* Fall banded* Low Rainfall (Brown and Dark Brown soils) 100% 1 1 5% 1 1 0% 115% Medium Rainfall (Thin Black and some Black soils) 1 00% 1 1 0% 85% 95% High Rainfall (Gray Black and Gray soils) 1 00% 1 10% 80% 85% Fall fertilizer applications, as shown in the above table, are as good or better than spring fertilizer applications under low rainfall conditions, but they ate not as good under high rainfall conditions. In September and early October the relative value is less than is shown, while in the late fall, it is greater than is shown. (cont'd) Phone: (403)427-2121 Abexto AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch -2- Fall Versus Spring Nitrogen Fertilizer Applications (cont'd ) Mr. Penny points out that, because it is the nitrate form of nitrogen that is lost under wet soil conditions, the ammonium form of nitrogen can be used to reduce the losses that can occur in early spring when nitrogen has been applied in the fall. He also points out that the method of application and the timing of the application are important because, under warm, moist conditions, ammonium nitrogen is rapidly converted in the soil to nitrate nitrogen. Hence, to reduce nitrogen losses that can occur from fall fertilizing, he recomm- ends applying ammonium fertilizers like anhydrous ammonia and urea from mid to late October. And he says banding ammonium fertilizers will also help to reduce the rate of their conversion. A question that is often raised is: "Why not apply all nitrogen fertilizers in the spring if the loss from fall-applied nitrogen is a problem?" Mr. Penney concedes tha+ the application of nitrogen fertilizers in the spring is valid for some farmers, but he says that in many cases a farmer has to coordinate his fertilizer applications with his other farming opera- tions. A survey of barley and canola growers in central Alberta, that was carried out by Alberta Agriculture's field crops branch recently, showed that many top producers apply their fertilizers in the fall. "Hence, it is important", says Mr. Penney, "that we know the extent of losses that can occur from fall fertilizing, and that we learn how to prevent them." And he says research funded by Alberta Agriculture's Farming for the Future Program is helping to identify the specific conditions under which significant nitrogen losses occur as well as to identify the most effective methods of application. -30- 10 September 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE "AUTUMN SHED" IN EVERGREENS Many Alberta homeowners will have noticed or will notice during October yellow foliage appearing on some of their evergreen trees, especially pines and cedars. Because this color change is often dramatic, a natural reaction is to suspect that the tree or shrub has been attacked by a disease or insects. While such attacks can cause foli- age yellowing, they are not the main cause at this time of year. The yellowing is more likely to be a natural phenomenon, known as the "autumn shed". The reason that evergreen trees are green throughout the whole year is because they do not shed all their foliage at the same time as is the case with most deciduous trees. And their annual needle or leaf drop often goes unnoticed because it is gradual and because it is concealed by new terminal growth. Most species of spruce and pine and some types of cedars and junipers sheld their older foliage in the fall, while Scots, lodgepole and Austrian pines retain their needles for three years. They occasionally drop a few of their three-year-old needles in the late spring or early summer. Spruce and fir trees keep their needles for even longer than three or four years. Dr. Ronald Howard, who is the plant pathologist at the Alberta Horticultural Re- search Center in Brooks, says any factor which decreases the vigor of an evergreen tree or places it under stress can increase the extent of its "autumn shed" and can even bring on the (cont'd] Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch "Autumn Shed" In Evergreens (cont'd ) shed sooner than normal. Some examples of such factors are wet or poorly drained soils, drought, low soil fertility, soil salinity, transplant shock, spider mites, herbicide damage and winter injury. Dr. Howard also says the implementation of appropriate remedial measures will usually bring about a resumption of normal growth, but, because evergreens cannot re- generate foliage that has been lost, such trees may be left looking deformed or "scraggly" for several years. He advises those who is not sure whether yellowing in their evergreens is the result of '"the autumn shed" or whether it is being caused by an insect or disease problem to consult a tree specialist. -30- 12 September 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DEADLINE FOR FIELD CROP ENTRIES FOR THE ROYAL October 8 is the deadline for receipt of field crops entry forms for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, which will take place in Toronto from November 10 - 19, 1983. They should send directly to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario, M6K 3C3. Bill Witbeck, Alberta Agriculture's supervisor of seed technology, urges farmers to accept the challenge offered by the Royal and send exhibits. He points out that, in addition to prize money, the recognition achieved by those who exhibit seed at the Royal each year is extremely valuable both to themselves and to the province as a whole. Once again Alberta Agriculture will pay the cost of transporting exhibits to Toronto, and it will provide prize money in all the pedigreed classes that is equal to that prov- ided by the Royal. It also provides an honorarium of $100 every year for each of the first prize winners in the pedigreed classes and an honorarium of $200 for each grand champion- ship winner. The honorarium for reserve grand championship winners is $1 50. Mr. Witbeck says exhibits may be selected from either the 1 982 or the 1983 crop, and that the entry fee is $2 per sample except in the case of 4-H classes and pedigreed seed classes where there is no fee. Commercial cereal seed samples should weigh 10 pounds each, while commercial forage, mustard and canola seed samples should weigh three pounds. Pedigreed seed samples, which must be taken from a 500-pound or larger lot, should also weigh three pounds. Seed potato samples must contain 20 tubers that weigh 7 to 8 ounces each and the variety must be recorded. A hay sample must contain not less than a 12-inch section of a bale, and sheaves must be not less than five inches in diameter in the centre of the sheaf and not more than seven inches. (cont'd) Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrta AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - 13 Deadline For Field Crop Entries For The Royal (cont'd) All exhibits must be shipped in containers that are strong enough to ensure that they will reach their destination in good condition. Light cotton sacks should be placed in a cardboard box for shipping, and the entry tag should be placed inside the box. Exhibits that are sent to Alberta Agriculture must arrive by October 28, while those sent directly to the Royal must arrive there before November 2. Exhibits sent to Alberta Agriculture should be addressed to the Field Crops Branch, Alberta Agriculture, Bag Service No.47, Lacombe, Alberta, TOC 1SO. Additional information on exhibiting at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, prize lists and entry forms can be obtained from district agriculturists or from Bill Witbeck by tele- phoning 728-4641 in Lacombe - 30 - 14 September 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CATFACING OF TOMATOES The term "catface" has been applied to tomatoes that have a distinct marking and a distorted shape at the blossom end of the fruit. The plant pathologist at the Alberta Horticultural Research Center, Dr. Ronald Howard, says that this disorder can occur on both greenhouse and field-grown tomatoes, and that it can affect most varieties. He says prolonged cold weather during flowering and faulty flower fertilizing, are the main causes of catfacing. In addition to being misshapen, such fruit will have ridges, furrows, protu- berances, ribs, creases, indentations and blotches at the blossom end, often involving the whole tomato. According to Dr. Howard, the incidence of catface can be minimized by growing tomato varieties that are less susceptible to the problem than others. He says most varieties that are recommended for growing in Alberta are resistant to this condition. Catfacing can be prevented from developing in greenhouses by following recom- mended pollination procedures and maintaining temperature above 16° C. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch September 26, 1983 15 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FARM SAFETY POSTER AND ESSAY CONTEST Wl NNE RS Railway crossings, climbing broken ladders and grain truck boxes are some of the hazardous situations depicted in the 1983 Farm Safety Poster contest. Following is a list of the first, second, third and fourth place winners in grades 1 through 4. Grade 1 John Tenwolde — Lamont Tory Mark Braybrook - Devon Natale Paeser — Ardrossan Kevin Klein - Dapp Grade 3 Debby E. Wipf - Hanna David Leslie — Sherwood Park Rod Chapman - Lethbridge Kara Wigg — Cremona Grade 2 Jay Birkjar — Killam Robert Myer — Mayerthorpe Coleen Pawluski — Eaglesham Bobbi Petrowski -Innisfree Grade 4 Travis Aylesworth — Glendon Lorna Gaschnitz — High Prairie Karen Nelson — Strathmore Jamie Lind — Nanton Approximately 6,500 posters were entered in the contest by elementary school students from across the province. The 16 winners listed above were chosen by Albena Agri- culture's farm safety program staff for the style of their presentations, and especially, for the farm safety messages they conveyed. The contest is sponsored every year by the farm safety program. All the winning posters are being printed in a sa;c;ty workbook entitled "A child's Guide to Farm Safety", which will be distributed later this year throughout the province. Farm safety program staff will be visiting the schools of the winning students during December and presenting them with a copy of the workbook and a special safety award. (cont'd] Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 2 16 Farm Safety Poster And Essay Contest Winners (cont'd) "A Child's Guide to Farm Safety" will also contain the 12 essays of the winners of the Jellybean Jenkins Safety Story Contest. The themes of these essays ranged from eating treated wheat and an experience with dangerous animals to being careful around farm mach- inery. Following is a list of the first and second place winners in grades 1 through 6. Grade 1 Sarah Beamish — Dapp Jodi Raine — Sedgewick Grade 3 Martin Scase — Nanton John MacDonald — Glendon Grade 5 Steve M. Gross - Milo Andrea Stavert — Calahoo Grade 2 Tanya Stenson — Forestburg Roger Moore — Forestburg Grade 4 Merrilea Tillitson — Innisfree Marilyn Dmytriw — Innisfree Grade 6 Jerry A. Waldner — Castor Robyn Lambert — Vulcan Additional information on the contests and the workbook can be obtained from Solomon Kyeremanteng, Alberta Farm Safety Program, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000 - 1 13 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. 30- 17 September 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE POULTRY SPECIALIST APPOINTED TO LETHBR IDGE AREA C.W. Herbert, head of Alberta Agriculture's poultry branch, has announced the appointment of Martin Dyck to the position of poultry specialist in the Lethbridge area. He replaces Rod Chernos who was transferred to Airdrie when Jack Plumley retired. Mr. Dyck brings extensive experience in the poultry production and extension fields to his new position. Prior to his present appointment, he was man- aging editor of the "Canada Poultryman", which has its head office in New West- minster, British Columbia. While working for the magazine, he wrote and edited articles on the management, nutrition, health and marketing of poultry and wrote a monthly editorial column. Between 1975 and 1980 he was employed as a poultry specialist by United Feeds in the Lethbridge area. And in the summer of 1974, while still at university, he worked for Alberta Agriculture on a salmonella research project in which he collected and monitored samples at feed mills, hatcheries, poultry farms and processing plants. Mr. Dyck attended high school in Coaldale and received his B.Sc. (agri- culture) in 1975, having majored in poultry science. -30- ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 18 September 26 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DISTRICT HOME ECONOMIST APPOINTED TO SANGUDO The head of Alberta Agriculture's district home economics branch, Shirley Myers has announced the appointment of Jo-Ann Hall to the position of district home economist at Sangudo. Ms. Hall grew up in Vermilion and obtained her B.Sc. (home econ- omics) from the University of Alberta in 1982, having majored in family studies. She took her district home economist training in Red Deer where she has been until her present appointment. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch October 3, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Alberta's Trade With Japan 1 Points On Weaning Calves 3 Ammoniating Straw And Chaff 6 Late Fall Seeding Of Forage Crops 8 Granular Herbicide Applicators Tested By PAMI 9 Herbicide Application Rates Charged In 1983 11 Taking Stock - 1983 13 Minimizing Winterkill To Trees And Shrubs 15 Land Use Branch Head Appointed 16 Coming Agricultural Events 17 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE ne: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch October 3, 1983 1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA'S TRADE WITH JAPAN Although Alberta suppliers export a wide range of products October Export Trade Monlh to Japan, and there are opportunities to broaden this range, the compet- "'- 7QCT0BRE ^'^•^~7 Mois des d^^HMVexportaiions ition for that market is fierce, which means that the suppliers must always be conscious of the quality of their products, their prices and the reliability of their supply. Jackson Gardner, an international trade director with Alberta Agriculture, reports that Japan has been importing Angus Cattle from Alberta for some time now. And he says the approximately 200 head that are exported to Japan every year are used mainly in the northern regions of the country. He hopes that other cattle breeds can eventually be added to the Angus exports. Mr. Gardner also reports that, Alberta has established itself in Japan as a supplier of high quality swine breeding stock. The main reason the Japanese have been buying Alberta breeding stock is that they want to preserve Alberta's traditional bloodlines, which they prefer to other bloodlines. Mr. Gardner expects this trade with Japan to increase ove- the next few years. Canola also continues to represent a major export to Japan. In fact, in the agri- cultural field, and in dollar value terms, canola is Canada's number one export commodity to that country. According to Mr. Gardner, there will be more emphasis in the coming years placed on diversifying canola into oil and meal exports. In the area of animal feeds, Alberta Agriculture actively supports the sale of dehy alfalfa. Mr. Gardner says there appears to be an opportunity to expand these sales, part- icularly in the area of direct feeding. Feeding trials have been organized in Japan to provide concrete evidence of the benefits that can be derived from feeding dehy alfalfa. (cont'd) alberta AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch - 2 - 2 Alberta's Trade With Japan (cont'd) In the area of processed food, Alberta Agriculture is supporting the participation of Alberta firms in all the major food shows and restaurant promotions. Mr. Gardner says "We expect these exports to become more significant in the future as we make Japanese consumers more aware of Alberta's high quality food products." Alberta Agriculture recently completed a geographical study of existing and pot- ential red meat markets in various parts of the world, including Japan. The study was de- signed to identify opportunities for the sale of beef and pork, on the condition that quality and price qualifications can be met. "We intend", says Mr. Gardner, "to fully support sup- pliers of these products who take advantage of real export opportunities." He points out that Japan's lack of arable land presents Alberta with an excellent opportunity to sell that country forage varieties that were bred and multiplied here. And he says the recent pasture land development projects that are taking place in Japan, particularly in the northern regions, has increased the awareness of the Japanese for the need to import new forage seed varieties. Mr. Gardner explains that, while there may appear to be many difficulties that have to be overcome when trading with Japan, there are an equal number of opportunities. He says "We should, therefore, be pragmatic in our approach to the marketing of our pro- ducts so that our optimum potential may be realized." - 30 - October 3, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE POINTS ON WEANING CALVES There are a number of things that cattlemen can do to reduce the damage caused by stress to newly weaned beef calves, and, thereby, make them a more attractive purchase. The first involves the processing aspects of the operation. Ross Gould, beef cattle specialist with Alberta Agriculture, recommends that such procedures as vaccinating, dehorn- ing and castrating be done at least three weeks before the calves are weaned. He also says that once the cows and calves have been separated, they should not be allowd to see each other again. Because the cows will go through almost anything to get to their calves, and be- cause the calves will find any weak spot in a fence, the fences that contain the two groups must be in top condition. Next Mr. Gould recommends checking weather reports to avoid putting additional stress on the calves by weaning them in wet, cold or windy weather. He says where possible the feeders for calves that have been on creep feed should be put into the pen where the calves will be weaned, and that the calves should have access to this pen for a few days before they are weaned. This way they will learn to feed out of a feed bunk more quickly. Feed bunks should be no more than 18 inches high for newly weaned calves, and they may even be dug into the ground if necessary. Calves weighing up to 600 pounds need 18 to 24 inches of bunk space per head so that those that are smaller and more timid do not get crowded out. However, eight inches per calf should be enough room for a hay self-feeder. Mr. Gould recommends feeding newly weaned calves a small amount (less than one per cent of body weight) of grain the first day after they have been weaned and gradually (cont'd! Phone: (403)427-2121 alberta AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 4 -2- Points On Weaning Calves (cont'd) increasing this amount until the desired level is reached. He points out that keeping the calves eager to come to the bunk makes it is easier to spot slow moving, sick animals. Also, because newly weaned calves tend to walk fence lines, it is a good idea to put the feed bunks against the fence at right angles so that calves will find the feed. A supply of fresh, clean water is extremely important for newly weaned calves. Like the feed bunks, the water should be in a place where it can be easily located. Mr. Gould says that some cattlemen allow their automatic waterers to overflow for a few days because the calves sometimes have difficulty in realizing that the waterers contain water. He recommends one waterer or a 200 gallon open tank for every 40 calves. And he stresses that the water must not be allowed to become dirty, stagnant or frozen. A supply of salt and minerals is also important for newly weaned calves. The salt, which should be loose rather than in a block because the calves will eat more, should be put into a divided, covered compartment at the end of a feed bunk or in a two compartment mineral feeder. As with the feed bunk, the mineral container should not be more than 18 inches above the ground. Regarding shelter, Mr. Gould advises protecting newly weaned calves from the wind, rain or wet snow, when feasible, with a three-sided shed that opens to the south or to the east. And he says that calves that weigh 500 pounds need 1 5 square feet of shed space per head and 150 square feet of corral space. However, if the corral is paved, 25 square feet per head should be enough. In the absence of a shed, a windbreak or a semi-solid fence can be used to protect newly weaned calves. The fence can be made of slabs or of one-inch boards with 15 to 20 per cent open spaces between them. Such a fence will prevent snow drifts from forming on the lee side of the fence, and it will provide protection from the wind over a fairly large area of the pen. - (cont'd) - -3- 5 Points On Weaning Calves (cont'd) Since some calves will get sick in spite of the best precautions, it is important to have chutes and squeezes in good working order. And animals that require treatment should be isolated in a "hospital" pen. Mr. Gould advises all cattlemen to have a treatment program worked out with their veterinarian ahead of time so that they are ready for any emergency. Finally, he recommends weaning calves and adapting them to solid feed at least 30 days before they are to be sold. -30- Phone:(403)427-2121 alberta AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 6 October 3, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AMMONI ATING STRAW AND CHAFF When everything is taken into consideration, much can be said in favor of collect- ing, ammoniating and feeding straw and chaff to beef cattle. This is the view of Glen Werner, senior district agriculturist at Stettler, who reports that work carried out by the Saskatchewan Research Council has shown that ammon- iated straw and chaff make good livestock feed, and that a farmer can save money by feeding them in place of conventional feed to his beef cow herd. If, for example, the ammoniation treatment costs can be kept down to about $14 per ton, a farmer feeding 100 cows for 180 days ould save as much as about $4,000 compared with what it would cost him to feed a conventional hay ration over the same period. Mr. Werner says ammoniation improves the feeding quality of straw and chaff by increasing its crude protein equivalent, the amount of digestible energy (TDN) and the amount of roughage that the animal will eat. He also says that straw which is intended for ammoniation should contain at least 12 per cent moisture and preferably 15 to 20 per cent. He notes that it can be either mechan- ically stacked or baled, but that baling is preferable. Wheat straw should have a TDN of at least 33 per cent and barley straw should have a TDN of at least 38 per cent. Mr. Werner points out that although chaff can be a problem to collect during combining, its collection has numerous advantages. Among them are the removal of certain crop-retarding properties, viable weed seeds and shrivelled and broken grain kernels. (cont'd) - /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Phone: (403)427-2121 -2- 7 Ammoniating Straw And Chaff (cont'd) According to Mr. Werner, wheat chaff that has not been ammoniated has a crude protein content of about 6 per cent and a TDN of 35 to 40 per cent when neither its weed seed nor its grain content are taken into consideration. Treating the chaff with ammonia renders the weed seeds and the grain non-viable and probably makes it more digestible, and it also improves the crude protein and TDN content of the chaff. "Possibly the most important advantage of ammoniating chaff", says Mr Werner, "is that the animal intake of this feed is substantially increased." -30 - October 3, 1983 8 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LATE FALL SEEDING OF FORAGE CROPS The late fall seeding of forage crops is becoming increasingly popular with Alberta farmers. Phil Dixon, district agriculturist at Rocky Mountain House, says that seeding for- age crops between October 15 and freeze-up means the seeds will germinate early in the spring, thereby enabling the young seedlings to take full advantage of the moisture from the melting snow. Since the ground is too cold for the seeds to germinate after October 1 5, they are, in essence, being stored in the ground ready to emerge when the soil warms up the following spring. Mr. Dixon says, apart from sweer clover, most legumes and grasses that are sown in the fall germinate well the following spring. He also says in some years farmers who seed their forage crops in the late fall stand to gain three to four weeks of growth the following spring compared with crops that are seeded in the spring. Late fall seeding is particularly desirable in areas where the land is too wet to work in the spring. However, Mr. Dixon notes that there are two potential problems associated with late fall seeding — soil crusting and weeds! He says "When we seeded a forage plot late last fall in grey wooded soil, severe soil crusting prevented the various grasses and legumes from emerging in the spring." "Hence, in cases where the soil is likely to crust or weeds are likely to be a problem, it would be better to work the soil in the spring and then to seed the forage." Mr. Dixon also warns against seeding forage crops in September or during the first two weeks of October. This is because the seeds would germinate before the cold weather set in and the seedlings would be killed when it arrived. 30 Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch October 3, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GRANULAR HERBICIDE APPLICATORS TESTED BY PAMI The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) is presently testing pneum- atic granular pesticide applicators at its Lethbridge station. According to Ed Wiens, manager and senior engineer at the station, there are two basic types of granular herbicide applicators on the market. One is the gravity or dribble type and the other is the pneumatic or air type. In the case of the former, the herbicide is metered out from a box across the width of the machine and falls to the ground. In the latter, the herbicide is metered out from centrally located hoppers and is delivered across the width of the machine by air. It is spread by the action of the airborne granules hitting the impact plates. Both the gravity and the pneumatic applicators can be mounted on a trailer or on an implement. Mr. Wiens says the trailer-mounted models necessitate that the herbicide be sub- sequently incorporated into the soil, while those that mounted on an implement incorporate the granules as they are being applied. He also says that the trend appears to be towards the pneumatic type of applicators because they are thought to give a more even distribution pattern compared with the gravity type. The PAMI staff have already tested the most commonly used gravity applicators and given them a rating of only "fair" because of the unevenness of their distribution patt- erns. It was in response to this evaluation, that the farm machinery manufacturers came up with the pneumatic type of applicators. Since such things as impact plate height, impact plate spacings, fan speed and air velocity have an effect on distribution patterns, all these variables are taken into considera- tion during the tests, Mr. Wiens says. - (cont'd) Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch -2- 10 Granular Herbicide Applicators Tested By PAMI (cont'd ) He also says the PAMI tests are intended to help farmers in their selection and use of granular herbicide applicators, which are being used more and more frequently for the fall control of wild oats, broad-leaved weeds and grasses. He says up to a few years ago, Avadex BW was the only granular herbicide on the market, but that there are now a wide variety of these chemicals being used in the fall. The test results on granular herbicide applicators and on other machinery that has been tested by PAMI can be obtained from the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute , c/o LCC Campus, Lethbridge, Alberta, TIK IL6 (Telephone: 329-1212). -30- October 3, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HERBICIDE APPLICATION RATES CHARGED IN 1983 The custom rates charged this year in Alberta for applying herbicides remained relatively unchanged from those charged in 1983, except for the northern part of the prov- ince where they increased slightly. The data contained in the following two tables are based on the results of a survey carried out by Alberta Agriculture last June and July. Aerial Application Rates (Per Acre) Region Most Common 1982 Range 1983 Most Common 1983 South $2.75 -$4.00 $2.25 $6.30 $2.75 - $4.00 Central $2.50 - $3.50 $2.50 - $4.00 $3.00 - $3.50 North $2.50 -$3.75 $2.50 - $4.50 $3.15 -$4.00 The south region consists of the area from Olds south to the American border; the central region consists of the area from Olds north to Edmonton; and the north region consists of the area north of Edmonton and includes the Peace River region. According to Gerd Andres, herbicide application charges are higher when the spraying is done by aircraft as opposed to helicopters. He points out that although planes have a larger tank holding capacity than helicopters, they are restricted by the availability of nearby landing strips. If the pilot has to return to the base rather than being able to land in a nearby field to refill his tank, his charge will reflect the extra time involved. Since a heli- copter can land almost anywhere, its refilling time is kept to a minimum. Mr. Andres also points out that the considerable difference in the rates in the above table can be explained by the fact that the charge for the aerial application of herbi- (cont'd) - ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 2 • 12 Herbicide Application Rates Charged In 1983 (cont'd) cides is influenced by the chemical application rate. Custom applicators vary their rates acc- ording to the amount of chemical they apply per acre, and, naturally, the higher the applica- tion rate, the higher will be their charge. The table below gives the rates charged by custom operators who applied herb- icides with ground equipment. Ground Application Rates (Per Acre) Region Most Common 1982 Range 1983 Most Common 1983 South $2.00 -$3.00 $1.00 -$3.50 $2.00 - $3.00 Central $1.75 -$2.75 $2.25 - $3.75 $2.25 - $3.00 North $2.50 -$3.00 $1.75 -$4.00 $1.75 -$4.00 Unlike aerial spraying, the amount of chemical applied per acre does not affect the custom charge for ground spraying. However, the volume of water applied per acre will cause a slight variation in rates. Mr. Andres reports that of the 55 applicators surveyed this year, 64 per cent did aerial spraying and 36 per cent did ground spraying. He says the use of aerial applicators has increased in recent years because fields in many parts of the province have been too wet to spray with ground equipment. More information on custom rates for all types of operations can be obtained from district agriculturists, from Alberta Agriculture's farm business management branch in Olds at 556-4247 and from Alberta Agriculture's statistics branch in Edmonton at 427-4018. -30- October 3, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAKING STOCK - 1983 Taking Stock - 1983, a workshop and outlook conference for Alberta's livestock industry, will be held at the Convention Inn South in Edmonton on November 8 and 9, 1 983. The workshop, which will be held in the evening of November 8, is a new feature that will be limited to the first 100 people who register for the conference. It has been de- signed to introduce livestock producers to sources of market information and to help them to interpret and to use it in their production and maketing decisions. It will also cover the futures market and the principles of hedging. The conference will be held on November 9 and will provide an analysis of econ- omic conditions and an explanation of the way in which they affect Alberta livestock produ- cers. It will also provide up-to-date market situation and outlook information on cattle and hogs. And there will be a question and answer period on market concerns that pertain to both cattle and hog producers. Following is a list of the topics that will be covered by the conference. General Economic Conditions for Livestock Production — Dr. Ernie Stokes, Director of National Forecasting, Conference Board of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The North American Cattle Outlook — Robert Price, Western Livestock Market Information Project, Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. The Alberta Perspective Dennis McGivern, Market Research Analyst, L.K. Resources Ltd., Calgary, Alberta. The U.S. Hog Situation and Outlook - Dr. Gene Futrell, Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, U.S.A. The Canadian and Alberta Hog Outlook - Greg Whalley, Economist, Alberta Pork Producers Marketing Board, Edmonton, Alberta. (cont'd) ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Brancn Taking Stock - 1983 (cont'd) The conference will conclude with a panel discussion on the market outlook of cattle and hogs. Three registration plans are being offered for the conference. The first costs $40 and covers the conference sessions, proceedings and lunch. The second costs $30 and covers the conference and proceedings. The third costs $1 5 and covers the proceedings only, which will be mailed out immediately following the conference. There is no charge for the work- shop. Since the conference is limited to 350 people, anyone who wishes to attend it must have his or her registration form in by October 28. Registration forms and further information on Taking Stock — 1983 can be obtained from district agriculturists or by contacting the Market Analysis Branch, Alberta Agriculture, 7000 - 1 13 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. (Telephone: 427-5387). Taking Stock — 1983 has been arranged this year to coincide with the Northland Farmfair, which will be held at the Northlands Exhibition Grounds in Edmonton from November 3-13. -30- October 3, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MINIMIZING WINTERKILL TO TREES AND SHRUBS Water your ornamental trees and shrubs thoroughly between now and freeze-up to minimize winterkilling, advises Herman Oosterhuis who is Alberta Agriculture's shelterbelt specialist. He explains that watering at this time of year is more important than at any other time, particularly in the case of pines, junipers and spruce. It is even more important if the tree or shrub was planted this year or if it is growing in a dry location such as close to the house and on the south or east side of the house. Mr. Oosterhuis says birch trees are another species that should be watered in the fall, Because of their shallow root system, they do not have access to deep subsoil moisture. When the soil is frozen and the tree or shrub is relatively dormant, moisture cannot be supplied to the twigs, buds or needles to prevent them from drying out. However, a plentiful supply of moisture in the fall will enable it to withstand the drying force of the winter winds and the varying temperatures. And since evergreens retain their needles all winter, they are more vulnerable to winter desiccation than deciduous trees. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 Ahefia AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 16 October 3, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LAND USE BRANCH HEAD APPOINTED Brian Colgan, director of Alberta Agriculture's resource planning div- ision, has announced the appointment of Dr. Alfred Birch to the position of head of the land use branch. Located in Edmonton, Dr. Birch will manage the branch's coordination of departmental policy and related research pertaining to the development of land and water resources. He will also serve on a number of committees concerned with agricultural resource management and development. Dr. Birch was born on a farm in central British Columbia and grew up in that province. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and holds degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Alberta and Michigan State University in the United States. He was most recently employed in Alberta Agriculture's resource econ- omics branch where his main responsibility was the economic analysis of agricul- tural water resource development. He has also worked with Alberta Agriculture's planning and research secretariat. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 1 / COMING AGRICULTURAL EVENTS 1983 Pacific Northwest Region Meeting of American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) Empress Hotel Victoria, B.C October 12-14 North Central Region Meeting of ASAE Weyburn, Saskatchewan October 14-15 Round-Up '83 Stampede Park Calgary, Alberta October 26 - 30 USDA Outlook Conference Jefferson Auditorium Washington, D.C., U.S. A October 31 - November 3 Alberta Honey Producers Cooperative Ltd — Annual Meeting Mayfield Inn Edmonton, Alberta November 1 United Grain Growers Ltd — Annual Meeting Hotel Saskatchewan Regina, Saskatchewan November 2 - 3 The Alberta Beekeepers Association's 50th Annual Convention Mayfield Inn Edmonton, Alberta November 2 - 4 Northland's Farmfair AgriCom Building Northlands Grounds Edmonton, Alberta November 3-13 Women of Unifarm - Annual Convention Capri Centre Red Deer, Alberta November 8 - 9 Taking Stock - Market Prospects for Cattle and Hogs Convention Inn South Edmonton, Alberta November 8 - 9 Annual Saskatchewan Swine Symposium Bessborough Hotel Saskatoon, Saskatchewan November 8-10 Canadian Dehy Conference Edmonton Inn Edmonton, Alberta November 15-16 Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Coming Agricultural Events (cont'd) Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association Continental Inn 954 - 7th Street, S.W. Medicine Hat, Alberta November 17-18 Mexabition Saskatoon, Saskatchewan November 17-21 Saskatoon Fall Fair and Mexabition Prairieland Exhibition Grounds Saskatoon, Saskatchewan November 18-22 Alberta Wheat Pool Annual Meeting Palliser Hotel Calgary, Alberta November 21 - December 2 Alberta Potato Commission Annual Meeting Lodge Hotel Lethbridge, Alberta November 24 - 25 Canadian Western Agribition Exhibition Grounds Regina, Saskatchewan November 26 - December 2 Mexabition Regina, Saskatchewan November 26 - December 2 The Canadian Federation of Agriculture Committee on Vegetables for Processing Convention Westin Hotel Calgary, Alberta December 1 - 2 1983 Alberta Sheep Symposium Banff, Alberta December 1 - 3 Alberta Fresh Vegetable Marketing Board Annual Meeting Marlborough Inn Calgary, Alberta December 2 - 3 Alberta Polled Hereford Society - Annual Meeting Red Deer, Alberta December 4 Alberta Cattle Commission Annual Meeting Edmonton Inn Edmonton, Alberta December 6 - 7 Canadian Agricultural Outlook Conference Government Conference Centre Ottawa, Ontario December 12-13 - 3 - 19 Coming Agricultural Events (cont'd) Winter Meeting of ASAE Hyatt Regency Chicago, Illinois, U S A December 13- 16 1984 Pa 1 1 i sen Wheat Growers Association Hotel Saskatchewan Regina, Saskatchewan January 4 - 6 Unifarm Annual Convention1 Westin Hotel Edmonton, Alberta January 9-13 Alberta Branch - Canadian Seed Growers' Association Annual Meeting Westin Hotel Edmonton, Alberta January 16-18 Alberta Pork Seminar Banff Centre Banff, Alberta January 18-20 Alberta Association of Co-op Seed Cleaning Plants Annual Conference Westin Hotel Edmonton, Alberta January 19-21 Alberta Canola Growers Association — Annual Convention Four Seasons Hotel Edmonton, Alberta January 25 - 27 Canadian Charolais Association Annual Meeting and Convention Holiday Inn — Downtown London, Ontario February 2 - 4 Provincial Agricultural Service Board Conference Edmonton Inn Edmonton, Alberta February 6 - 8 Alberta Dairymen's Annual Convention Convention Inn Edmonton, Alberta February 6 - 8 Canadian Federation of Agriculture Edmonton, Alberta February 7 - 9 Western Canadian Economic Conference on the Food Industry Marlborough Inn Calgary, Alberta February 13-14 Phone:(403)427-2121 Liberia AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 4 - 20 Coming Agricultural Events (cont'd) Ag-Expo Lethbridge and District Exhibition Lethbridge, Alberta February 29 - March 3 Agriculture Week Province of Alberta March 5 - 1 1 Canola Council of Canada Bayshore Inn Vancouver, B.C March 26 - 28 Northlands Stock Show and Sale Edmonton Exhibition Grounds Edmonton, Alberta March 28 - 31 Canadian Western Farm and Ranch Show Northlands Edmonton, Alberta March 28 - 31 Managing Agricultural Technology for Profit Conference Banff, Alberta March 30 - April 2 Alberta Dairy Seminar Banff Springs Hotel Banff, Alberta April 4 - 6 International Congress on Animal Reproduction and Artificial Insemination Urbana-Campaign Illinois, U.S. A June 10 - 14 Western Canadian Farm Progress Show Regina, Saskatchewan June 20 - 23 Summer Meeting of ASAE University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. A June 24 - 27 Canadian Seed Trade Association Meeting Westin Hotel Edmonton, Alberta July 8-11 1984 Provincial Agricultural Service Board Tour Athabasca, Alberta July 1 0 - 1 2 National Canadian Seed Growers' Association Convention Holiday Inn - Downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba July 12 - 13 National Alfalfa Improvement Conference Lethbridge, Alberta July 16-20 21 5- Coming Agricultural Events (cont'd) Edmonton's Klondike Days Exposition Northlands Grounds Edmonton, Alberta July 19-28 Canadian Society of Soil Science Banff School of Fine Arts Banff, Alberta August 26 - 29 Alberta Feed Industry Conference Marlborough Inn Calgary, Alberta September 18 Western Nutrition Conference Marlborough Inn Calgary, Alberta September 19-20 National Outstanding Young Farmer Banquet Westin Hotel Calgary, Alberta October 29 Seed Technology Workshop Olds College Olds, Alberta November 12-14 Canadian Western Agribition and Mexabition Exhibition Grounds Regina, Saskatchewan November 24 - 30 Winter Meeting of ASAE Hyatt Regency New Orleans Louisiana, U.S. A December 11-14 Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch October 10, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Alberta's Trade Interests In China 1 Olds College Announces Farm Waste Management System 3 Lysine In Hog Rations 5 "One-Shot" Parasite Control Product For Cattle 7 Seeding Vegetables In The Fall 8 1983 Haymaking Custom Charges 10 Land Use Hearing To Start In Calgary 12 PAMI Holds Open House 14 Winter Protection Of Trees And Shrubs 15 Soil And Water Engineer Appointed 17 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch October 4, 1983 1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA'S TRADE INTERESTS IN CHINA Canada was among the first of the Western industrialized nations October Export Tiade Mont^i to resume trade and diplomatic relations with China in 1970 when the cold war ended. And this new relationship was marked by a formal sales agreement between the two countries concerning Canadian wheat and barley exports to China. Dr. Joe Rosario, Alberta Agriculture's agricultural economics advisor, points out that the agreement has continued to form the basis of our trading relations with China, but that this concentration on grain exports is a matter of concern here in view of the intensifying competition for international markets. He explains that concentrating on a single product puts Canada in a very vulnerable position because the Chinese can always divert part of their purch- ases to other countries. Such a diversion is of particular concern at this time because China has a large balance of trade deficit with Canada. And Dr. Rosario says, "Alberta, as a major source of Canada's agricultural exports, is over the federal government's recent proposals to further restrict the importation of Chinese textiles and clothing. These and foot ware are China's main exports to Canada, and she has been encouraging buy-back arrangements in the area of capital goods in an attempt to improve her balance of trade position. Dr. Rosario reports that to date Alberta's commercial sales of agricultural products, other than wheat and barley, to China have been limited. Apart from grain, the province's main trade has resulted from her twinning arrangement with Heilongjiang Province. Dr. Rosario says "Heilongjiang's geography and agricultural programs make it a natural basis for the devel- opment of trade relations with China as a whole." In the past, Heilongjiang's livestock development program has provided Alberta with an opportunity to cooperate with it in the genetic breeding of both dairy and beef cattle. And it is expected to provide an opportunity for significant commercial sales once the techn- ical problems related to health certification and quarantine facilities have been resolved. Acc- (cont'd) Liberia AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 2 Alberta's Trade Interests In China (cont'd) ording to Dr. Rosario, Alberta Agriculture is collaborating with provincial cattle and swine breed organizations and technical experts in animal genetics in their efforts to ensure that commercial livestock sales follow this cooperative effort. While Alberta has sold some forage seed and barley seed to Heilongjiang, field-scale experiments of seed donated by Alberta to Heilongjiang are presently in progress. "They will be completed in 1985-86 and could result in some large-scale commercial sales," Dr. Rosario says. He also says that Alberta agrologists are involved in large pasture and livestock devel- opment programs in Heilongjiang. Malting barley and hides have been two outstanding successes in Alberta's other direct commercial transactions. According to Dr. Rosario, the initial sales of malting barley and hides have been followed by more substantial sales. For example, an agreement has been signed by Heilongjiang to buy 100,000 hides, 71,500 of which have already been shipped. "This agreement," says Dr. Rosario, "can be expected to result in even larger sales in the coming years." He points out that familiarization on the part of the Chinese with the quality, adaptability and competitiveness of such Alberta products as forage seed, malting barley, breeding stock, etc., through technical missions and trade visits, needs to be continued if Alberta is to make significant inroads into the Chinese market. Dr. Rosario also says that Alberta's twinning arrangement with Heilongjiang has been strengthened as a result of the Premier's recent visit to China and his extensive discussions with Heilongjiang officials. And Dr. Rosario expects the Premier's visit to result in an expan- sion of agricultural developments and trade between Alberta and China. - 30- October 10, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3 OLDS COLLEGE ANNOUNCES FARM WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Olds College in Olds, Alberta, is going to construct a $939,000 prototype waste management system on its 70-year-old farmstead which will revolutionize manure handling practices. The chairman of the college's board of governors, Don Robertson, says the system will recycle high moisture manure from the hog and dairy cattle facilities, the run-off from the beef feedlots and the dry waste from horses and sheep as well as from the college's cafe- teria to produce a variety of materials for reuse on the farm. Mr. Robertson also says the recycling process will begin with the transportation of the waste material to a covered mixing pit where its water content will be adjusted to prov- ide a 10 per cent solid material mixture. It will be stored in a 2-million gallon tank called a Slurrystore. When required, the material will be pumped into a methane digester where an anaerobic process will produce more than 7 million cubic feet of methane gas a year for use in the Olds College heating plant and in a prototype demonstration electrical generator. The by-products from the process will be transported by pipe to a tub grinder where they will be mixed with fibre and other low food value bulk materials to produce a balanced ration for beef or swine. The feed will be stored in two airtight Harvestore struc- tures. A.O. Harvestore Products Inc. of Illinois and its Western Canadian affiliate, Western Harvestore Ltd., have donated materials and grants valued at $262,000 to the proj- ect which will be matched by grants from the Alberta Advanced Education Endowment Fund. The Olds College Foundation plans to raise an additional $150,000 and the college itself will allocate $265,000 from the province's recent $2 million college farmstead upgrad- ing grant. ydlbcrra Phone: (403)427-2121 (cont'd) - AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 4 - 2 - Olds College Announces Farm Waste Management System (cont'd) Mr. Robertson reports that the methane by-products can also be used as a fertil- izer or they can be redigested and dried to form a product that can be used for animal bedd- ing or to replace peat moss in the horticultural industry. He adds that construction of the methane digester, the Slurrystore and the two Harvestores will begin immediately, and that they are expected to be operating early next spring. - 30- October 10, 1983 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LYSINE IN HOG RATIONS When hog feed is formulated on a strictly protein basis, it is possible to have either a shortage or an excess of one or more of the 10 essential amino acids, and this can be costly. Alberta Agriculture's monogastric nutritionist, Sam Jaikaran, explains that the amino acids in hog rations are supplied by the protein in the feed, and that, for their most efficient use, their quantities should closely approximate those required by the animals. He reports that extensive research has established that lysine is the amino acid in barley protein that is in the shortest supply, and that this shortage severely limits the effect- iveness of barley in hog rations. However, as he points out, this limitation can be overcome by adding synthetic lysine to barley-type rations. And he says that the addition of lysine will increase the effectiveness of barley protein by as much as two percentage points, depend- ing upon the barley's protein content. Hence, the addition of lysine makes it possible to formulate a ration that contains 2 per cent less protein, and that will still maintain an equally good animal growth rate. According to Mr. Jaikaran, most feed manufacturers formulate their hog rations in accordance with the amino acid requirements, and they add lysine when it is necessary. He says this is particularly true in the case of hog starters. Feed manufacturers in some par:sof the United States actually advertise the emphasis they place on the importance of amino acids, and the fact that they use synthetic amino acids in their formulations. Mr. Jaikaran believes that this practice creates a greater awareness oh the part of hog producers of the importance of amino acids. "Unfortunately", he says, "some of our pork producers are not as amino acid- conscious as their American counterparts because of the low profile advertising here, and this fact may be costing them unnecessary money. This is especially likely to be the case in times - (cont'd) Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - 6 Lysine In Hog Rations (cont'd) like these when soybean prices are very high and still rising, and when there is every indica- tion that barley prices may increase by as much as 35 per cent over the next six months." In advising Alberta hog producers to make every effort to improve the effective- ness of their feed resources, Mr. Jaikaran points out that the use of lysine in their hog rations is one of the most important improvements that they can make immediately. And he reports that hog grower sample rations have shown that savings of $10 per tonne can be realized when synthetic lysine is used and the protein content is reduced to 14 per cent from 16 per cent. He also says the easiest way to take advantage of this potential saving is for a farmer to ask his feed manufacturer to add the appropriate level of lysine to the farmer's hog supplement or premix or to ask to have it included in his complete feeds. Many American companies apparently produce a high lysine 35 per cent hog grower supplement for on-farm mixing instead of the regular 40 per cent supplement. Additional information on ration formulations for hogs as well as on the use of alternative sources of protein like canola can be obtained from Sam Jaikaran, O.S. Longman Building, 6909 - 1 16 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 4P2 (Telephone: 436-9150). - 30 - October 10, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE "ONE-SHOT" PARASITE CONTROL PRODUCT FOR CATTLE A new injectable product, known as Ivomec, is now available for the control of both internal and external cattle parasites. According to Dr. Ali Khan, pest control specialist with Alberta Agricul- ture, Ivomec is unique in that it contains the properties of both a drug and an in- secticide. One subcutaneous injection will control such internal parasites as lung worms and round worms and such external parasites as warble grubs, cattle lice and mange mites. Dr. Khan says Ivomec's greatest advantage is that it controls mange mites. This means that it will no longer be necessary to dip or spray cattle with an insecticide in the middle of winter, which is the time when severe mange infesta- tions most frequently occur. Another advantage of Ivomec is that it cuts down on the number of times that the cattle have to be handled. One injection in the fall will control warble grubs, lice and mange mites. The recommended dose is one mL of Ivomec for every 50 kg of the animal's bodyweight. And the cost is about 50c per mL. -30- Abex\o AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEEDING VEGETABLES IN THE FALL Research trials conducted at the Alberta Horticultural Research Center in Brooks show that some commonly grown home garden vegetables do well and mature earlier when they are planted in the fall rather than in the spring. Paul Ragan, research horticulturist at the center, reports that trials carried out during both mild and severe winters showed that onion, carrot, parsnip, spinach and lettuce seeds and garlic cloves respond well to fall seeding. He says that the seedlings emerge in April, and that in some years they have emerged as early as the middle of April. He also says seedling emergence is good, although at the present time about 1 0 per cent of the seeds can be expected not The onions on the left were seeded in the fall. The onions on the right to germinate. Also, if the spring is dry, it may be were seeded the following spring. necessary to water the seedlings. Since soils which have a clay content produce a thick crust that often hinders seedling emergence, a light soil is the best for fall seeding. And the site should be located in an area that is sheltered from strong winds so that the soil and the seeds do not blow away. Mr. Ragan says "tops down" (maturity) in garlic and onions occurs two to three weeks earlier in fall-seeded crops than in spring-seeded crops, and that carrots are ready to harvest in early July. However, a period of prolonged hot, dry weather during July will cause >hone: (403)427-2121 - (cont'd) - /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - 9 Seeding Vegetables In The Fall (cont'd) the carrots to produce seed stalks and their roots will become woody, a poor color and lacking in flavor. Since fall-seeded carrots germinate unevenly, their root size is quite variable, but this is not a problem with parsnips. Fall-seeded parsnips are ready to harvest in August and head lettuce matures in late June. Mr. Ragan says that germination is spotty and plant development tends to be very variable when cole crops — cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli — are seeded in the fall. Pea, bean, sweet corn and vine crop seeds do not survive the winter in southern Alberta. The most critical factor when seeding vegetables in the fall is the date on which they are sown. Mr. Ragan says, as a general rule, seeding should be done in late October or early November, and that the soil temperature should be 5 ° C or less, but still manageable. Ideally, the soilbed should be prepared well in advance of the seeding date and the seeds should be sown immediately prior to freeze-up. If the seed is sown too early, it will be killed when the free water in the seed freezes. To survive it must be in a fully dormant, dry state. According to Mr. Ragan, the concept of seeding vegetables in the fall has been tried on a commercial scale with onions in southern Alberta with encouraging results. He says the onions matured earlier than those seeded in the spring and that there were consider- ably fewer weeds in the fall-seeded crops compared with the spring-seeded crops. - 30- October 10, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10 1983 HAYMAKING CUSTOM CHARGES This year's haymaking custom charges showed a wider range than those of 1982, but, apart from mowing, the average rate charged by most operators was the same as last year. Charges for mowing decreased compared with last year's rates. Gerd Andres of Alberta Agriculture's farm business management branch cites the fact that more farmers did custom work this summer as one reason for the wider range in charges. He says many farmers did custom work to lower their per hour machinery costs as an alternative to achieving lower fixed machinery costs. The following tables contain summaries of the data collected by Alberta Agricul- ture in a survey that was conducted in July and August. Cutting and Conditioning ($ per acre) Region South Central North Most Common 1982 $8.00 - $9.00 $7.00- $8.00 $5.00 - $7.50 Range 1983 $5.00-$ 9.00 $5.00 - $ 8 00 $4.00 - $10.00 Most Common 1983 $6.00 - $8.00 $6.00 - $7.00 $5.00 - $7.00 Region South Central North Most Common 1982 $5.00 $5.00 - $6.00 $4.00 - $5.00 Ba 1 1 ng - Round ($ per bale) Range 1983 $4.50 - $5.25 $4.50 - $5.00 $4.00 - $7.00 Most Common 1983 $4.50 - $5.25 $5.00 $4.25 - $6.00 (403)427-2121 (cont'd) A\bex\a AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch -2- 1983 Haymaking Custom Charges (cont'd) Baling and Stacking - Small Square (C per bale) Region Most Common 1982 Range 1983 Most Common 1983 South 49C- 60C 18C- 58C 55C- 58C Central 45C - 55C 35C- 55C 40C- 55C North 50 C- 58C 25 C - 55C 50 C- 55C The south region consists of the area from Olds south to the American border; the central region consists of the area from Olds north to Edmonton; and the north region is the area north of Edmonton and includes the Peace River region. Mr. Andres reports that the custom charges for baling small square bales ranged from 25c to 40c per bale compared with 20C to 35C per bale in 1982. And the stacking charges for small square bales ranged from 17c to 30c per bale compared with 19c to 25c in 1982 The stacking charges for round bales ranged from $1 to $3 per bale, depending upon the distance involved. The 1982 charges ranged from $2 to $2.50 per bale. Mr. Andres says Alberta Agriculture will be publishing a directory next spring of all types of farm custom operators in the province. And he urges custom operators who have not already contacted the farm business management branch to do so before November 1 if they would like to be included in the directory. It will list the operator's name, his telephone number, his nearest town and the service he provides. Information on all the mam customer operation charges can be obtained from district agriculturists of from the Farm Business Management Branch, Alberta Agriculture, Box 2000, Olds, Alberta, TOM 1PO (Telephone: 556-4247). -30- 12 October 10, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LAND USE HEARING TO START IN CALGARY The Environmental Council of Alberta (ECA) will begin its series of public hear- ings on maintaining and expanding the province's agricultural land base in Calgary's Jubilee Auditorium on October 12. The purpose of the hearings, which have taken nearly three years of preparation, is to help the Alberta Government, through recommendations from the panel, to develop new policies for the future use of agricultural land in this province. The chairman of the ECA panel, Charles Stewart of Wainwright, says he has received about 60 advance briefs or notices of briefs, and that those he has read have been of a very high calibre, especially those that have been submitted by individuals. He is hoping for many more briefs from individuals because he feels they are of great value to the panel. As he says: "They often express specific points of view on particular concerns." To date only a few of the briefs have represented the views of urban people, which Mr. Stewart says is unfortunate because long-term urban interests could very definitely be affected by the panel's findings. He suggests that both rural and urban people who were unable, for one reason or another, to submit a brief attend the hearings anyway and plan to express their points of view at that time. The sessions will start at 9:30 a.m. and again at 1 :30 p.m. each day, and there will be an evening session starting at 7:30 p.m. on the first day of the hearings at each location. - (cont'd) - Ahetia AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 3hone: (403)427-2121 13 Land Use Hearing To Start In Calgary (cont'd) Following is a list of the places and the dates on which the hearings will be held. Hanna Medicine Hat Olds Camrose St. Paul Wainwright Evansburg Barrhead Peace River Grande Prairie Vegreville Red Deer Edmonton Masonic Temple Hall Continental Inn Legion Hall Legion Hall Senior Citizens' Centre Centennial Centre Heritage House Senior Citizens' Centre October 25 October 27 November 1 November 3 November 7 November 9 November 15 November 17 Athabasca Hall Grande Prairie Motor Inn Elks Hall Legion Hall Jubilee Auditorium Anyone who would like more information on the agricultural land use hearings is asked to contact the Economic Council of Alberta, 8th Floor, Weber Centre, 5555 Calgary Trail, Edmonton, Alberta, T9E 2X1 (Telephone: 427-5792). People outside the Edmonton area can dial 0 and ask for Zenith 06075 for a toll-free call. November 22 November 24 November 29 December 1 December 5,6 and 7 -30 14 October 10, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PAMI HOLDS OPEN HOUSE The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) in Lethbridge will be holding an open house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 25 and 26. The PAMI engineers will be discussing air seeders, sprayers and granular applicators, combines and other farm machinery, fertilizer banding and the results of their barn and grain aeration fan tests. Participants will also be able to discuss PAMI's farm machinery test results and the results of tests on other equipment and facilities. There will be a large farm machinery display and movies showing air seeder testing, combine test- ing and combine modifications. Anyone who would like more information on PAMI's open house should contact Ed Wiens, Manager and Senior Engineer, Prairie Agricultural Mach- inery Institute, c/o LCC Campus, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1 K 1 L6 (Telephone: 329- 1212). -30- >hone: (403)427-2121 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch October 10, 1983 15 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WINTER PROTECTION OF TREES AND SHRUBS ■ The main prerequisite to the winter survival of ornamental trees and shrubs in a cold climate is moist soil around their roots, says Herman Oosterhuis, shelterbelt specialist with Alberta Agriculture. He recommends mulching for small trees and shrubs that were planted last summer and for such ornamental species as hybrid tea roses, which have only borderline hardiness. Mulching entails spreading 8 to 15 cm of a loose organic material like peat moss around the base of the tree or shrub. Depending upon the size of the ornamental, the mulching material should cover an area extending 45 to 75 cm out from the base. Fifteen to about 20 cm of chopped straw can also be used for mulching, but its insulating quality is inferior to that of peat moss because it packs down. Both the bulk form of peat moss, which comes by the cubic metre and the processed form, which comes in plastic bags, have excellent insulating qualities and are relatively cheap, Mr. Oosterhuis says. And the peat moss can be worked into the soil in the spring to increase its organic matter content. The principle behind mulching, which should be done any time after the beginning of October, is to prevent the frost from penetrating to the roots of the plant before the snow comes. Once the ground freezes around the roots, they are no longer able to take up moisture and the tree or shrub is much more likely to winterkill, Mr. Oosterhuis says. And since snow is one of the best insulating materials, it should not be trampled or disturbed. Among the ornamentals that Mr. Oosterhuis feels will benefit from mulching are grafted shrub varieties like double-flowering plums, grafted lilacs, silver-leaved dogwoods, spirea shrub varieties, junipers, dwarf nest spruce and dwarf cedars. The winter survival of Dropmore scarlet trumpet honeysuckle and clematis, dwarf cedars and newly planted small spruce and pine will be helped considerably if they wrapped as - (cont'd) - /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch -2- 16 Winter Protection Of Trees And Shrubs (cont'd) well as mulched. Mr. Oosterhuis says wrapping should be done about the middle of November, and that burlap is the most convenient material to use. To wrap honeysuckle vines, detach them from the wall, bend them back to the ground, and then wrap the burlap around them. Because the vines of clematis die back every fall, it is only necessary to cover them to a height of about 45 cm. Then cover the ground around the base with 20 to 25 cm of peat moss. Three poles tied in the form of a tripod and covered with burlap is probably the most convenient way of covering junipers, cedars and small spruce and pines. Except for hybrid tea roses, ornamental trees and shrubs should not be pruned back at this time of year because it weakens their branches. Since the branches of hybrid teas will die back naturally, they should be pruned back to within 20 to 25 cm of their base, but never below the graft. October 10, 1983 17 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOIL AND WATER ENGINEER APPOINTED John C. Hermans, head of the soil and water conservation section of Alberta Agri- culture's conservation and development branch, has announced the appointment of Douwe Vanderwel to the position of soil and water conservation engineer. As a provincial specialist, Mr. Vanderwel will provide farmers with expertise on soil and water conservation engineering as well as on on-farm water management. He will also act as a resource. person for Alberta Agriculture staff in all the regions of the province, and he will work closely with agricultural service boards and their fieldmen. He will also work with Alberta Environment staff in the designing of projects under the Soil Conservation Area Pro- gram as well as having an input into water resources policy issues and the development of programs related to agriculture, including drainage, slough consolidation, water erosion, flood control and soil and water conservation. Mr. Vanderwel grew up in a small, rural town in southern Ontario. He attended the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph and obtained his B.Sc. in water resources engineering in 1977. Following graduation he became a studies engineer with Water Survey of Canada. And from 1978-1980 he worked for Ducks Unlimited in Saskatchewan as a design and field engineer, which involved small water supply and drainage projects. From 1981 until his present appointment he was employed by Acres Consulting of Calgary as a water resources engineer. His work here involved hydrology and related studies as well as designing and planning irrigation works. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 >dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch October 17, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Alberta's Cattle Trade With Korea 1 Supreme Court Judge Rules Herbicides Not A Health Hazard 4 Western Canadian Food Promotion Week Planned For Los Angeles 6 Canola And Barley Marketing Comments 8 1983 Silage Custom Charges 10 Focus On The Future Seminar 12 "Workers' Exposure To Herbicides" 14 Director Of Alberta Horticultural Research Center Appointed 15 Appointment Of Post Loan Officer 16 ADC Loans Officer Appointed To Athabasca 17 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Export Trade/ Month r 4KI"7 OCTOBRE Mois des exportations October 17, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA'S CATTLE TRADE WITH KOREA Korea has been an important market for Alberta's beef and October/ Export Trade/. Month Vj& dairy cattle for sometime now. Even though the province's share of that market declined last year, compared with the 1981 level, more than 90 per cent of the 6,385 head of beef cattle that were exported by Canada to Korea originated in Alberta. Strong competition from the United States and Australia were responsible for the decline in Canada's share of that market, which totalled 30,000 cattle in 1982. According to Jackson Gardner of Alberta Agriculture's market development sector, Korea has set its beef cattle import target at between 70,000 and 100,000 head this year because of the high price farmers in that country have to pay for cattle and because the Korean Government is trying to keep the young people on the land by providing them with training and livestock. He says this volume of imports will provide Alberta suppliers with an excellent opportunity to increase the number of cattle they ship to the National Livestock Cooperative Federation (NLCF), Korea's only importer of beef cattle. Mr. Gardner also says that Alberta suppliers have had some difficulty at certain times of the year in meeting the weight specifications dictated by the NLCF tenders. This difficulty has been due to the structure of the Alberta cattle industry, and it has been the subject of several appeals to the NLCF by Alberta Agriculture's market development sector. It appears that agency may be at least considering some movement in the direction of a weight/age combination as opposed to the present weight only requirement. Mr. Gardner says "We will continue our efforts in this regard during the planned visits to Alberta of NLCF officials this year as well as at the time of the tentative visit by the Korean minister of agriculture. He wants to study our cattle raising and marketing (cont'd] /hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch -2- 3 Alberta Cattle Trade With Korea (cont'd ) According to Mr. Gardner, Korea plans to import 10,000 head of dairy cattle this year of which about 3,440 will be bought by the NLCF, 1,000 by the Animal Improve- ment Association of Korea and 5,560 by the dairy co-ops. All the purchases will be made through a tender system, and the market development sector plans to make every effort to ensure that Alberta's export capability is maximized, despite the fact that the province has only a limited supply of these animals. -30- hone: (403)427-2121 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch October 17, 1983 4 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SUPREME COURT JUDGE RULES HERBICIDES NOT A HEALTH HAZARD by Dr. Moe Hussain Pesticides Issues Coordinator, Alberta Agriculture In a recent landmark decision, Nova Scotia's Supreme Court Justice D. Merlin Nunn ruled that the use of the herbicides, 2,4-D and 2,4, 5-T, was safe and that the plaintiffs would have to pay Court costs and damages. Seventeen Nova Scotia families led by environmentalist and articling lawyer, Elizabeth May, had brought a mass action suit against Nova Scotia Forest Industries to stop them using the two herbicides to control brush on forest lands. During the month-long trial that began last May, Justice Nunn heard testimonies from several expert witnesses. In his 182-page decision, he said that he was satisfied that the overwhelming currently accepted view of responsible scientists was that there was little evi- dence that either 2,4-D or 2,4, 5-T caused cancer or mutations in human beings and that TCDD, a by-product of 2,4, 5-T, was not an effective cancer-causing agent. TCDD belongs to a family of chemicals called dioxins and is formed in very minute quantities as a by-product of 2,4, 5-T during its manufacturing. TCDD has been labelled as the most toxic of the man-made chemicals and other dioxins that are not toxic have also been found in 2,4-D. However, since 1979, manufacturers have been required to eliminate all dioxins from their products, and the federal Department of Agriculture regularly monitors all products that contain 2,4-D or 2,4, 5-T to ensure they are free of dioxins. Justice Nunn indicated that any risk to Nova Scotians from the use of 2,4-D and 2,4, 5-T, if indeed there was a risk, was inf in itesi mal ly small. Putting this into perspective, the judge said that the risk of cancer to a smoker is 1 in 800, while the risk to a person drinking two litres of water per day from a stream immediately after it has been sprayed with 2,4-D or 2,4, 5-T is one in 100,000 million. - (cont'd) •hone: (403)427-2121 AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 5 - 2 - Supreme Court Judge Rules Herbicides Not A Health Hazard (cont'd) The judge noted that many of the plaintiff's witnesses seemed to refuse to accept any study results that were contrary to their own views or to accept any criticism of studies that supported their position. Where a study was done by anyone remotely connected with industry, there was a tendency on the part of the plaintiff's scientists to leap to the "fox in the chicken coop" conclusion and to dismiss it as biased. The judge also pointed out that a true scientific approach did not permit such self-serving selectivity; nor did it so readily decry a study on the basis of bias. "I had the opposite impression of the scientific witnesses offered by the defend- ant" Justice Nunn said. "I did not detect any sense of partisanship. They related their work, their involvement with the herbicides, the results of their studies and their considerations of other studies in a professional, scientific manner and I therefore found their opinions to be reliable and, indeed, I accepted them as such." The chief justice's decision clears the way for the resumption of the use of 2,4-D and 2,4, 5-T in Nova Scotia's forests, and it awards Nova Scotia Forest Industries damages and legal costs that could total half a million dollars. The losers are now contemplating whether or not to launch an appeal. -30- /dlberra AGRICULTURE hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch October 17, 1983 6 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WESTERN CANADIAN FOOD PROMOTION WEEK PLANNED FOR LOS ANGELES A Western Canada Food Promotion Week will be held early Ex ^°^RA next year by a major grocery chain store in the Los Angeles area of Calif- i^mmexZn^ons ornia, U.S.A. The promotion was decided upon during the Western Canadian Grocery Products Shows that were held in Los Angeles and San Francisco recently. A total of 30 Canadian companies exhibited grocery products in Los Angeles and 20 exhibited products in San Francisco. Nine Alberta companies were among the 50 participants. They were Bee Maid Honey Ltd of Edmonton; Catelli Ltd of Lethbridge; Fletcher's Ltd of Red Deer; Forcrest Food Ltd of Calgary; Heritage Foods Ltd of Edmonton; Nanton Water International Ltd of Nanton, Sunland Industries Ltd of Edmonton; Sun Valley Foods Ltd of High River; and Tri-Dan Confectionery Ltd of Okotoks. Wilf Walkei, Alberta Agriculture's trade director for West Coast Canada and the United States, reports that the Western Canada Food Promotion Week will involve several hundred stores in the Los Angeles area, and that it could be the prelude to the permanent list- ing of a wide range of Western Canadian grocery products in California. He also says that the Alberta companies that participated in the shows are now engaged in negotiating with California food brokers, and that he expects at least 75 per cent of them to be successful. This would mean that they would be able to sell their products in the Los Angeles and the San Francisco markets. Apparently all the Canadian companies that participated in the shows did exten- sive store surveys while they were in California to assess the competition they would bo up against and to assess the California market potential. According to Mr. Walker, a number of (cont'd! /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE lone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 7 -2- Western Canadian Food Promotion Week Planned For Los Angeles (cont'd) the Los Angeles chain buyers were very interested in many of the grocery products that were exhibited at the Los Angeles show and said that they would like to have product sales presentations when the companies have established brokers. The Western Canadian Grocery Products Shows were initiated by Alberta Agri- culture's market development section and were sponsored by the Canadian consulates in Los Angeles and San Francisco. -30- lone: (403)427-2121 ydlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch October 17, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CANOLA AND BARLEY MARKETING COMMENTS by Jack Hazelwood Three Hills Marketing canola this fall is a little more exciting than it has been for quite a while. And right now seems like a good time to consider when and at what price you are going to "lock-in" the value of your 1 983 crop. The futures market on September 23, 1983 was as follows:- November/83 $432.00/tonne (10.96/bu) January/84 $441 .40/tonne (11.20/bu) March/84 $445.50/tonne (11.30/bu) June/84 $448.00/tonne (11.38/bu) November/84 $395.00/tonne (10.04/bu) So things are looking pretty good! There will be some movement up and down, but the general opinion is that we will not see a substantial movement in either direction for a short while, and then the direction will probably be down. So where does that leave you with your 1983 crop? In a nutshell, get it priced soon! Marketing economists are now recommending fixing in a price on this year's canola crops very soon — probably before the end of October. But do not necessarily do your whole crop all in one day. Use the daily fluctuations in the market to pick up a few extra bucks, but do not get greedy and try to hit the top price with all your crop in one shot. There is a saying that should act as a caution. It is: "The bulls make money, the bears make money, but the pigs get slaughtered!" Remember, no one knows where that absolute peak is, so do not base your marketing decisions on trying to hit it. Let's take a quick look now at the 1984 canola crop. Opinions seem to agree that we are seeing the highs now. Unless we have another disaster in the U.S. soybean crop next year, there is a very good chance that canola prices will be significantly lower in the fall of - (cont'd) ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch - 2 - 9 Canola And Barley Marketing Comments (cont'd) 1984 than they are now. At this time you could probably "lock-in" about $363.75 per tonne ($8.25 a bushel) through a grain dealer or even better through hedging. The odds are that the price in the fall of 1984 will be considerably lower. Just a few quick comments on barley. Unless you are desperate for cash, do not sell barley off board for a while. The grain industry is anticipating an increase in the initial payment for barley in the neighborhood of $15 per tonne. We are also expecting a good quota on barley this year, and right now the difference between barley futures prices and the price being offered at the elevators is unusually high. Look for barley to come up by $20 to $30 per tonne (40 c to 60c per bushel) before Christmas. -30- ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch October 17, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10 1983 SILAGE CUSTOM CHARGES The following data on silage custom charges are based on a survey that was conducted by Alberta Agriculture in August of this year. Gerd Andres, farm management economist with Alberta Agriculture's farm busi- ness management branch, says it is hard to compare this year's charges with those of last year because many farmers used more of their own equipment this year than was the case in 1982. Last year farmers seemed to hire a custom operator to do the complete silage making opera- tion, whereas this year they only used a custom operator if they did not have a particular piece of equipment. The tables below give the range of charges and the most common charges for for- age harvesting, swathing and forage harvesting, forage harvesting and hauling, and hauling for the south region (from High River south to the U.S. border), the central region (from High River north to Red Deer) and the north-central region (from Red Deer north to Edmonton). The northern region was not included in the survey because only a little silage is made there. Forage Harvesting ($ Per Tonne) Most Common 1983 $3.00 - $6.00 Region South Central North Central Range 1983 $3.00 - $9.00 $3.50 (one report) $3.25 - $5.00 $3.25 - $5.00 Region South Central North Central Swathing and Forage Harvesting ($ Per Tonne) Range 1983 $5.50 - $7.75 $3.50 - $5.60 (cont'd! hone: (403)427-2121 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - 1 1 1983 Silage Custom Charges (cont'd) Region South Central North Central Forage Harvesting and Hauling Range 1983 $4.00 • $6.50/tonne $160 - $190/hr (trucks used for hauling) $ 90-$115/hr Region South Central North Central Hauling ($ Per Tonne) Range 1983 $1.00 - $1.60 $1.30 - $2.00 $1 .80 (one report) The average custom charge for swathing silage ranged from $5 to $7.50 per acre, which was very similar to last year's charge. Alberta Agriculture plans to publish a directory next spring of all types of farm custom operators in the province. Anyone who would like to be included in the directory should contact the farm business management branch before November 1 if he has not already done so. The directory will list the operator's name, his telephone number, his nearest town and the service he provides. Information on all the main custom operation charges can be obtained from district agriculturists, the statistics branch in Edmonton (427-4018) or the Farm Business Management Branch, Alberta Agriculture, Bag 2000, Olds, Alberta, TOM 1 PO (Telephone: 556-4247). 30 - ydlberra AGRICULTURE lone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch October 17, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12 FOCUS ON THE FUTURE SEMINAR An overview of the international agricultural situation, what to watch for in the future and how to adjust to the changes is one of the topics that will be covered at the sixth annual Beef Marketing Seminar which will be held in Ponoka on November 1 0. This topic will be discussed by R.E. McMaster who is the editor of a newsletter put out by one of America's largest and most highly respected economic and commodity advisory services. In fact, in a 1981 survey of 135 of that country's most successful brokers in 10 top investment firms, the newsletter was voted the "most valuable" and reported to be "read by the most successful brokers." Mr. McMaster is also president of Cycle III, a $2,400 a-year commodity advisory service, which has the reputation of accurately forecasting market turning points months ahead, and often to the day. Michael Walker, also on the agenda, will speak on inflation, interest rates, con- sumer disposable income and protectionism. He is a director of the Fraser Institute and has worked at the Bank of Canada in Ottawa as well as a consultant to the policy branches of the federal department of finance. He is a regular columnist for "The Financial Post," "The Toronto Sun," "The Province Equity Magazine," "Citibusiness Magazine," the Sterling newspaper chain and community newspapers across Canada. Mr. Walker prepares a daily syndicated radio program called "Perspective" and his commentaries are published monthly in the Forum Series. And he speaks to a wide variety of groups as well as at conferences and associations across Canada and the United States. - (cont'd) - /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE (403)427-2121 Print Media Branch 13 • 2 - Focus On The Future Seminar (cont'd) In addition to all this, Mr. Walker is an author and an editor and contributor of articles on such topics as balancing the budget, flat-rate tax proposals, the national energy program, rent control, unions and the public, interest, discrimination, affirmative action, equal opportunity, privatization and tax facts. Harvey Dann, a former feedlot farm manager from Manitoba who is now the market analyst specialist at Canfax, will speak on the long-term supply and price outlook for cows and calves and for feeder and fat cattle. The Beef Marketing Seminar will begin at 8:30 a.m. on November 10 and con- clude at 4:30 p.m. A preregistration fee of $30 per person (includes lunch) or $40 for a husband and wife must be submitted to Alberta Agriculture's district office in Ponoka before 4:30 p.m. on November 8. Cheques should be made payable to the Ponoka Education Account. Additional information can be obtained from Rick Williams, District Agricul- turist, Alberta Agriculture, Box 70, Ponoka, Alberta, TOC 2HO (Telephone: 783-4476). -30- /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 14 October 17, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE "WORKERS' EXPOSURE TO HERBICIDES" The Alberta Environmental Centre will be holding a seminar entitled "Workers' Exposure to Herbicides" in Vegreville on October 26. It will be given by Dr. Raj Grover, head of environmental chemistry in the herbicides section of the federal research station in Regina, Saskatchewan, and it will cover the use of aerial and ground applicators for 2,4-D as well as provide guidelines for minimizing the exposure hazard. The seminar will start at 2 p.m. in the main conference room at the centre. Further information can be obtained by telephoning Dr. S. Ramamoorthy at 632-6761 -30- ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DIRECTOR OF ALBERTA HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER APPOINTED Dr. John Wiebe, director of Alberta Agriculture's plant industry division, has announced the appointment of Thomas R. Krahn to the position of director of the Alberta Horticultural Research Center at Brooks. As director of the center, Mr. Krahn will work closely with producer commodity groups and the various industry advisory committees. He will be responsible for ensuring that the research and extension programming conducted by the center's 14 professional staff meet the needs of the horticultural and special crops industry. The center has a total staff complement of 50. The director is also expected to provide horticulture policy and program Thomas Krahn, director of the Alberta Horticultural Research advice to senior department officials. Center at Brooks. Mr. Krahn was raised on an irrigated specialty crop farm near Taber, where pro- cessing vegetables, sugar beets and potatoes were an integral part of the operation. He att- ended high school in Taber and graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. (agri- culture) in 1967, having specialized in plant science. He obtained an M.Sc. (horticulture) from Michigan State University, U.S.A. in 1973, and he has attended the Banff School of Advanced Management. Mr. Krahn has been employed by Alberta Agriculture since 1967 and has spent all his working career at the Alberta Horticultural Research Center. During this time he has worked in direct extension with a number of commodity groups, and has carried the center's program in horticultural product storage and handling research. He has also been head of the center's laboratory services section for the last eight years. Mr. Krahn, who is married and has two children, lives in Brooks. ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch (403)427-2121 16 October 17, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APPOINTMENT OF POST LOAN CONTROL OFFICER Bob Thompson, general manager of lending with the Alberta Agricul- tural Development Corporation (AADC) has announced the appointment of Brian V. Moore to position of post loan control officer. Mr. Moore will be responsible for monitoring accounts that require special financial or production supervision as well as for supervising the administra- tion of incentives and for co-operation with farm counsellors. He graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. in 1978 and he joined AADC as a loans officer in December of that year. He covered such areas as Red Deer, Westlock and Stettler. Mr. Moore, his wife and young son will be moving to Camrose in the near future. - 30 - /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 17 October 17, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ADC LOANS OFFICER APPOINTED TO ATHABASCA Lyle Roberts, the Alberta Agricultural Development Corporation's (AADC) regional manager in Barrhead, has announced the appointment of Anthony Goldthorpe to the position of loans officer in Athabasca. Mr. Goldthorpe was born and raised on a farm in England. He has 15 years experience in the banking industry where he served farm communities, and he has been with AADC for two years as a loans officer in Grande Prairie. His hobbies include skiing, curling and boating, which he plans to cont- inue doing in the Athabasca area. - 30 - Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch October 24, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Member Of Surface Rights Board Appointed 1 Regional Director Appointments And Transfers 2 Trips To The Doctor Now Tax Deductible 4 Canola Meal To Be Tested In Mexican Hog And Poultry Trials 6 Alberta-Bred Horses Popular In Europe 8 Alberta Honey Situation And Outlook 10 Society For Range Management Grazing Seminar 12 Seed Technology Workshop 14 Farm Wives Conference 15 Late Fall Snow Mould Control 17 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 1 October 24, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEMBER OF SURFACE RIGHTS BOARD APPOINTED LeRoy Fjordbotten, Alberta's minister of agriculture, is pleased to announce the appointment of A.D. MacKenzie as a member of the Surface Rights Board. Mr. MacKenzie obtained a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in animal science in 1967 and a Master of Science in Agriculture in 1970. He is also a graduate of the Olds Agricultural College. Mr. MacKenzie joined Alberta Agriculture in 1968 as district agricul- turist at Stettler. During 1970 and 1971 he was supervisor of publications and visual aids and from 1972 to 1976 he served as district agriculturist at Calgary. In 1976, he was promoted to the position of tegional director for the Peace Region headquartered at Fairview, and in 1980 he was transferred to the position of regional director at Red Deer. Mr. MacKenzie brings a broad background of experience to his new position which he will assume on November 1 . -30 ydlborra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch October 24, 1983 2 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE REGIONAL DIRECTOR APPOINTMENTS AND TRANSFERS W.J. Dent, assistant deputy minister with Alberta Agriculture, is pleased to announce transfers and appointments of regional directors within the department's field services sector. is a graduate of the University of Alberta and Olds Agricultural College. He spent 20 years with Canada Packers; the last eight as their poultry manager in Edmonton. He joined Alberta Agriculture in 1969 as regional poultry specialist at Lethbridge. In 1972, he was promoted to the position of regional director at Lethbridge, a position which he has held until his transfer to Airdrie. E.H. (Eric) Horton has been appointed regional director at Lethbridge. Mr. Horton is a graduate of the Vermilion School of Agriculture and the University of Alberta. He first ioined Alberta Agriculture in 1954 as hone: (403)427-2121 AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch -2- 3 Regional Director Appointments And Transfers (cont'd) agriculturist in 1975. In 1976 he was transferred to Wetaskiwin and in 1981 was appointed assistant director of extension in Edmonton. W.A. (Alan) Hall has been appointed regional director at Red Deer, succeeding A.D. MacKenzie who has been appointed to the Surface Rights Board. Mr. Hall joined Alberta Agriculture's district agriculturist service in the County of Strathcona in 1972 and has also served in the M.D. of Sturgeon. In 1973 he was appointed district agriculturist at Westlock, and in 1978 he was appointed as a senior district agricul- turist, continuing to be stationed at Westlock. J.B. (John) Tackaberry will continue to serve as regional director at Barrhead and R.F. (Ralph) Berkan will remain regional director at Vermilion. -30- 4 October 24, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TRIPS TO THE DOCTOR NOW TAX DEDUCTIBLE If a person has to travel a long distance from his or her home to a doctor's office or to a hospital, he or she may quality for a tax deductible expense. Dan Hilsenteger, farm management economist with Alberta Agriculture, reports that recent changes to the Income Tax Act allow an individual to claim reasonable travelling expenses when they are necessary to obtain medical services. He points out, however, that the patient must be transporting himself, his spouse or a dependant, and that the route travelled must be reasonably direct, considering the circumstances. The distance must be in excess of 80 km one way, and similar medical services must not be available closer to home. The method of transportation can be by air, water or land vehicles. When a patient goes by car, he can include the cost of the gas for his car, meals, lodgings and any other reasonable expense related to the trip. I f an attendant is required, and a doctor verifies this in writing, the meals and lodging for one attendant can be included as an expense. Mr. Hilsenteger stresses that it is essential for a person who wants to deduct the cost of his trips to his doctor or to a hospital for tax purposes to keep all his receipts as proof of his expenses. These should be added to other allowable medical expenses, such as eye- glasses, crutches, dental expenses, when these are not covered by a dental plan, etc. Mr. Hils- enteger suggests that anyone who does not know what expenses qualify as an allowable med ical expense ask Revenue Canada for their pamphlet that lists them. He also points out that an income earner is entitled to claim any medical expenses that exceed 3 per cent of his or her net income as a tax deduction. Here is an example of how it works. - (cont'd) Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - Trips To The Doctor Now Tax Deductible (cont'd) Jolly Rodger and his wife, Betty, had total medical expenses for themselves and their two children of $1 ,1 00 in 1 983. Mr. Rodger's net income was $25,000. Three per cent of his net income would be $750, so he would be allowed to deduct $350 from his net income ($1,100 -$750 = $350). According to Mr. Hilsenteger, it is possible, and in many cases beneficial, when both spouses have a salary, for the one who has the lower income to claim the medical expenses. However, he suggests that individuals in this situation ask their tax adviser to cal- culate which spouse should make the claim. He also recommends that people keep track of their charitable donations next year because legislation that is presently being proposed would eliminate the $100 standard deduction for medical expenses and charitable donations in 1984. - 30 - October 24, 1983 6 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CANOLA MEAl. TO BE TESTED IN MEXICAN HOG AND POULTRY TRIALS The Mexicans will be testing Alberta canola meal in the near Ejtpor, Trade//>\_ Month W^L_Z.OCTOBR1 future in a large commercial hog operation and in a large commercial y^mm^pona^m broiler operation in the Guadalajara area. John Latham, international trade director with Alberta Agriculture's market development sector, reports that Mexican feed formulators and feed users have become aware of Canadian canola meal as a result of trade and technical missions to Mexico and a trade mission to Canada from Mexico. He says Mexican livestock and poultry men are interested in finding alternative sources of protein that are cost-competitive with existing sources and that are readily available. At the present time they are planning to use Alberta - grown canola meal as a partial substitute for soybean meal. Alberta Agriculture and the Canola Council of Canada will be funding the Mex- ican trials, which are expected to last for about six months. And the market development sector has hired an Alberta-based consultant to design the trials and to set them up in Mexico. Mr. Latham says Mexico's balanced feed industry is made up of 59 companies that operate 84 feedmills in 24 of the country's 32 states. Altogether they have a production capacity of 6.4 million tonnes per year. The demand for animal and poultry feed has been growing so rapidly in Mexico during the past 10 years that the feed industry in that country has made massive investments in facilities to increase its feed production. According to Mr. Latham, feed production rose from about 2 million tonnes in 1970 to an estimated 4.2 million tonnes in 1980 or by more than 100 per cent. To satisfy this growing demand for feed, balanced feed production is projected to reach just over 6 million tonnes by the end of 1984. (cont'd) - /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Canola Meal To Be Tested In Mexican Hog And Poultry Trials (cont'd ) In 1980 approximately 30 per cent of Mexico's feed was used in broiler formula- tions, 28 per cent was used for swine, 23 per cent for laying hens, 14 per cent for dairy cattle, 3 per cent for beef cattle and the remaining 2 per cent for other animals. Mr. Latham believes that there is a potential market in Mexico for about 8,000 tonnes of Alberta-grown canola meal. - 30 - October 24, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA-8RED HORSES POPULAR IN EUROPE People in Europe are now riding Alberta-bred horses and the October market for these animals is growing! According to Bryan Walton, an associate trade director with Alberta Agriculture's market development division, Alberta horse breeders and trainers who have travelled to Europe to promote their animals, to present riding clinics and to attend shows are the people responsible for the present popularity of Western riding in Europe. He says market development division staff identified the European market poten- tial for Alberta's high quality riding horses in the late 1970's, and that the first substantive move to participate in that market was focussed on West Germany's Equitana Horse Trade Fair in Essen. In this case, both the federal and provincial governments provided assistance for breeders who wanted to exhibit horses at the show, and the exhibits consisted of Quarter- horses, Appaloosas and Arabians. Six horses were sold at the fair, numerous contacts were developed and Alberta horse trainers began to conduct Western riding clinics in West Germ- any. These were considered to be a crucial post-sale service because the education of the European buyer is a very important part of cultivating such markets. Since that time Western riding clinics have become very popular in many European countries. Mr. Walton also says sales agents and Alberta-German breed association affilia- tions have had the desired impact on European buyers. He points out that Alberta breeders attended subsequent horse shows in Germany while they were preparing for the 1983 Equit- ana, which was held last month. (cont'd) - ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Phone: (403)427-2121 9 Alberta-Bred Horses Popular In Europe (cont'd) The Albertans took a large number of horses to this show, which again proved to be a great success. Mr. Walton reports that 10 horses were sold at the show and that two more were ordered later. However, most important of all, it became apparent at Equitana that European buyers are beginning to notice Alberta's horses and its Western riders. Italy, France and Austria, for example, have indicated an interest in purchasing Alberta-bred horses. Mr. Walton says "The impact of this international exposure began to ripple across the Atlantic to Alberta when European buyers began to come here in increasing numbers. And the promoter of Equitana, the largest horse show in the world, decided to hold a North American Equitana in Alberta." The first ever North American Equitana took place at Spruce Meadows in Calgary from September 7-11 in conjunction with the Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament. Al- though smaller than its German counterpart, it had the international flavor that generated enough interest and enthusiasm for another North American Equitana. According to Mr. Walton, the West German media and the general public have been captivated by Western riding horses. A German television crew, which spent three weeks in Alberta filming a one hour "special" on horses is evidence of this interest. The crew travelled the length and breadth of the province with the guidance of horse breeders and Alberta Agriculture's horse industry branch staff. The film will be aired later this year to an estimated audience of 10 million Germans, and it will then be sold to other European in- terests, thereby giving Alberta-bred horses even more exposure. As a result of their success in Germany, Alberta's horse breed organizations are planning to attend shows in Italy and France. They feel that their presence in foreign markets, in addition to bringing horse sales, brings such spin-offs as the sale of tack, clothing and related horse equipment as well as helping the Alberta tourist industry. - 30 October 24, 1983 10 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA HONEY SITUATION AND OUTLOOK Alberta bulk honey prices are expected to remain in the $1.30 to $1.38 per kg range this year, which is similar to what they were in 1982. However, beekeepers' returns in most areas will be better than they were last year because of higher yields. Alberta Agriculture's special commodities analyst, Fred Boyce, expects Canadian honey exports to the United States to increase, but he points out that stiff competition from Mexico, Australia and a number of other countries will limit price advances. Although significant European sales could boost prices, the ample worldwide supply of honey will probably keep them at about their present level. Alberta's 1983 honey crop is forecast to be 11.3 million kg, which would be up by nearly 38 per cent compared with last year's crop of 8.2 million and by 23 per cent comp- ared with the 10-year average of 9.26 million kg. Mr. Boyce says good yields, especially in the Peace River and other northern regions of the province, were responsible for this year's increase in production because the estimated number of colonies ( 1 72,000) was down slightly compared with 1982 (174,000). However, the honey crop in the southern part of the prov- ince was very disappointing. This region did not receive as much rain as the Peace River and other northern areas, and the hot weather in August further reduced the already below normal nectar flow. The honey crop in the central part of the province is expected to be in line with the long-term average. Because honey supplies in Alberta will be very large this year, and because domes- tic consumption of honey is relatively stable, large export sales will be needed to move the 1983 crop. Recent reported sales of honey to the United States, Canada's major honey market, were bringing 48c to 56c (US) per pound including containers F.O.B. Canadian shipping point. /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - (cont'd) - 'hone: (403)427-2121 Alber a Honey Situation And Outlook (cont'd) According to Mr. Boyce, the average American support price for honey is 62.2c (US) per pound and many American beekeepers are putting their honey under government loans because dealers can buy Canadian and Mexican honey more cheaply. He reports that wholesale prices in Canada are unchanged to slightly higher than they were last year, and that prices to beekeepers are likely to be little changed from last year. - 30 - October 24, 1983 12 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT GRAZING SEMINAR The practical application of the Savory Grazing Method and the use of Landsat Imagery to improve ranch and pasture management are two of the topics that will be covered at the International Mountain Section of the Society for Range Management's Grazing Seminar, which will be held at the El Rancho Motor Hotel in Lethbridge on the afternoon of November 5. Now being used on several ranches in Alberta, the Savory Grazing Method will be discussed by Blake Holtman who had been using it on his ranch near Hays for three years. Basically, it is a high intensity, short duration grazing scheme that may or may not involve the use of a cell. The cell, which is the area where the animal handling facilities and the water- ing facilities are located, is the hub out of which anywhere from five to 42 pie-shaped pas- tures radiate. The Landsat data, which had been collected by satellites that circle the earth few days, will be examined at the seminar, and its usefulness to southern Alberta ranchers from the point of view of making the best use of their grazing land will be discussed. The Grazing Trial at Oyen and the Sheep Grazing Reserve Irrigation Project at Hays are also on the agenda. The Oyen Grazing Trial was designed to compare the average daily gains of cows and calves on pastures seeded to Russian wild ryegrass with the average daily gains of cows and calves on native range land. The Sheep Grazing Reserve Irrigation Project involves the use of a pivot irrigation system as opposed to the commonly used flood irrigation system. It will be evaluated from the point of view of its value for sheep rather than cattle. (cont'd) •hone: (403) 427-21 21 Aha\a AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 1 - 2 - Society For Range Management Grazing Seminar (cont'd) Anyone who is interested in range management is invited to attend the Grazing Seminar, which will start at 1 :00 p.m., and the annual meeting of the International Mountain Section of the Society for Range Management, which will start at 9 a.m. The fee for the sem- inar will be $5 per person and the cost of the banquet, which will feature an after dinner speaker on range improvement ill Alberta, will be $10 per person. Additional information on the seminar, annual meeting or the banquet can be obtained from Bob Wroe in Lacombe at 782-4641 . - 30 - 14 October 24, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEED TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP Anyone who would like to attend the Seed Technology Workshop at Olds College on November 14, 15 and 16 must register with the college by Nov- ember 7. The workshop has been designed tor seed growers, seed buyers, seed cleaning plant personnel and seed company representatives. It will provide the latest technological information that is applicable to the seed industry. Topics on the agenda will include: seed production; weeds; weed control; seed cleaning; germination testing; seed drying; special testing; an author- ized establishment for cleaning, grading and tagging seed; and microcomputers in the seed industry. The workshop will also include a question period and a tour of the college campus. The cost of the workshop will be $125, which will include a barbeque, a wine and cheese party, coffee and a three-ring binder. A non-refundable deposit of $30 must accompany the registration form which can be obtained from district agriculturists. Cheques should be made payable to Olds College and forwarded with the registration form to the Department of Continuing Education, Olds College, Olds, Alberta, TOM 1PO. Further information on the workshop and information on accommoda- tion can be obtained from Bill Witbeck at 782-4641 or from Olds College at 556-8281. - 30 - ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch October 24, 1983 15 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FARM WIVES CONFERENCE "Living and Learning" is the theme of this year's Farm Wives Conference, which will be held in Manning on November 16 and 17. It was planned and organized by a committee of farm women and the district home economists in the Peace region, and it costs only $20 for the two days, including lunches. Bob Simmerman, Alberta Agriculture's leadership training specialist at Airdrie, will start off the conference by a discussion on ideas for lifelong learning. His talk will be followed by lunch after which participants will choose the topics they would like to take in the select-a-session part of the program. Following are among the topics from which they will be able to choose. "A Computer in Your Future?" — Regional economist George Monner and family resource management specialist, Jean Wilson, will demonstrate what computers can do. And each participant will have a computer on which to experiment. Enrollment in this session is limited. "Wanted . . . Farm Help" — Merle Good and Dan Hilsenteger, Alberta Agri- culture's agricultural economists at Olds, will outline some of the farm labor programs that are available. And they will explain why it is a good idea to pay a spouse or a child a salary as well as point out who can be paid and how much. "Its About Time" — Pauline McCardle, Alberta Agriculture's family resource management specialist at Airdrie, will discuss time management skills that have been designed to help people to cope with stress. "Lets Talk It Over" - Suzanne Atkinson, who is with the Mental Health Services in Peace River, will analyze effective family communication, conflict resolution, negotiations and decision making. Husbands are encouraged to accompany their wives to this session. alberta - (cont'd) - AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 16 - 2 - Farm Wives Conference (cont'd) The above are only a few of the select-a-session topics on this year's agenda. Anyone who would like to know what the others are can obtain a brochure outlining them and a registration form from her district home economist. November 7 is the deadline for registering for the Farm Wives Conference. -30- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LATE FALL SNOW MOULD CONTROL Snow mold on Kentucky bhtegrass. Just before the first permanent snow arrives is the time that homeowners who have had severe snow mould damage on their lawns in the past, and who want to use a fungi- cide should apply it, says Alberta Agriculture's sod and home garden specialist, Lorraine Taylor. Although the fungi that cause this disease do their damage to lawns and other turfed areas during the fall and winter, the damage actually manifests itself in the early spring when the snow is melting. At this time a lawn that is diseased will have patches or may even become covered with a cottony growth. And in severe cases patches of grass will have been killed. Unless the grass has been severely damaged, the recommended procedure is to rake or brush the matted material off the lawn as soon as it becomes visible in the spring. The fungi that cause snow mould are low-temperature fungi, and there are at least four types in Alberta. The damage they do to golf courses and on sod farms can be very severe indeed. - (cont'd) - i Aba\a AGRICULTURE 'hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch -2- 18 Late Fall Snow Mould Control (cont'd) Ms. Taylor says the severity of the disease will depend upon the weather and the conditions of the turf. An early snowfall on wet, unfrozen ground and a heavy snowfall that lasts into the late spring are the conditions that most favor this disease. The chances are that a lawn that had snow mould last spring will have it again next spring, but the damaged caused, except in severe cases, can be reduced by hardening off the turf in the fall. This means that the grass should not be fertilized within six weeks of freeze-up and that watering should be gradually reduced towards the end of the growing season. And the grass should be cut at the same height as it was cut during the summer before winter sets in. Long grass encourages the growth of snow mould. Home owners who have had severe problems with snow mould in the past can treat their lawns with either Benlate or Easout according to the manufacturers' directions. -30- October 31, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Feeding Light Weight Barley To Feedlot Cattle 1 Field Peas In Swine Rations 3 1983 Custom Rates Charged For Fertilizer Applications 5 Alberta Fresh Vegetable Prices 7 Water Erosion Film Released By Alberta Agriculture 9 Negotiating Surface Rights 11 Guide To Farm Accounting And Management Terms 13 Loans Officers Appointed To Fort Vermilion, Peace River And Grande Prairie . .14 ADC Loans Officer Appointed To Red Deer 16 Phone:(403)427-2121 ydlborta AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch October 31, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEEDING LIGHTWEIGHT BARLEY TO FEEDLOT CATTLE A considerable proportion of Alberta's barley crop has a lower than normal bushel weight this year, and the general feeling is that the feeding value of light weight barley in high grain feedlot cattle rations is lower than that of normal barley. According to the head of Alberta Agriculture's animal nutrition section, Ron Weisenburger, very limited research has been done to date to determine the difference in the feeding value of light bushel weight and normal bushel weight barley. He says only three studies in which the starting test weight of steers ranged from 725 to 867 pounds, and in which the proportion of barley in the rations ranged from 65 to 90 per cent, have been repor- ted in the last 20 years. The first was conducted in Montana in the early 1960's, the second was conducted in Idaho in the late 1970's and the third was conducted at the University of Alberta this year. In the Montana study, which involved only eight steers on 42-pound per bushel barley and eight on 52-pound per bushel barley, the steers on the light bushel weight barley gained 3.7 per cent less than those on the normal bushel weight barley, and their feed to gain ratio was 3.9 per cent poorer. However, as Mr. Weisenburger points out, the differences were not statistically significant. In the Idaho study, which involved 16 steers on 42-pound per bushel barley and 16 on 51-pound per bushel barley, the steers on the light bushel weight barley gained 1 1.3 per cent less than those on the normal bushel weight barley, and their feed to gain ratio was 9.3 per cent poorer. In this study the decrease in average daily gain was significant statist- ically, but there was no difference in the carcass fat cover or grade between the two groups. In the Alberta study, which involved 30 steers on 34-pound per bushel barley and 30 steers on 52-pound per bushel barley, the steers on the light weight barley gain 0.7 per cent better than those on the normal bushel weight barley, but their feed to gain ratio was (cont'd! ydlborra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Feeding Light Weight Barley To Feedlot Cattle (cont'd) 3.2 per cent poorer. Again, these values were not significantly different statistically and there was no difference in carcass fat cover or grade between the groups. "Although the reduction in animal performance from feeding lightweight barley was relatively small in these studies" says Mr. Weisenburger, "it appears that light weight barley is worth less than heavy barley in high grain cattle rations when one considers the combined effect of more barley being required per unit of gain and a longer feeding period." He stresses that the main thing to remember when feeding light bushel weight barley is to feed it by weight; not by volume. And he says the fact that a bushel of 34-pound per bushel barley has the same volume as a bushel of 48-pound per bushel barley, but weighs 14 pound less, must be taken into consideration when the feed is being mixed and again when it is being measured for actual feeding. - 30 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FIELD PEAS IN SWINE RATIONS Field oe.~s have been successfully fed as a protein supplement to pigs. According to Alberta Agriculture's monogastric nutritionist, Sam Jaikaran, field peas can replace part or all of the other protein ingredients, like soymeal and canola meal, in swine rations and their use could save feed costs. Today more and more field peas are being grown on the Prairies as a rotational crop with cereal grains. And Mr. Jaikaran says Alberta-grown field peas usually contain be- tween 20 and 25 per cent protein. He also says the nutritional quality and palatability of field peas in rwir;e rations appears to be excellent, and that their protein digestibility is about 90 per cent. Although field pea protein contains a good balance of amino acids for pigs, it should be noted, says Mr. Jaikaran, that its methionine content is lower than that in tradi- tionally used protein supplements. However, this lower level of methionine is apparently not critical for pigs because good performance has been obtained from cereal-field pea rations that have been properly fortified with minerals and vitamins. Mr. Jaikaran reports that research, carried out at various universities and in field trials, has shown that field peas can supply all the supplementary protein that is needed in crower-finisher swine rations, and that they can produce satisfactory weight gains in growing pigs. However, this research was done on rations which had been formulated with barley that had an average protein content of from 1 1 .5 to 12 per cent and field peas that had an average protein content of about 24 per cent. Because of the variability of the protein content (from R to 16 oer cent) of barley that is used on the farm, and the variability in the protein content r>f field oeas (from 10 to 26 per cent), Mr. Jaikaran feels it is not practical to recommend that field peas be used to provide all the additional protein required by pigs. He points out < ■ - (cont'd) - >hone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrta AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 14 -2- Feeder Cattle - What Can You Pay? (cont'd) per head per day. Purchase Data Date Weight $/ cwt Steer Calves - Backgrounding - British - 1.5 lb/day Nov 1/83 450 80.00 - Exotic - 2 lb/day Nov 1/83 550 80.00 Cost of Gain $/cwt 65.00 61.00 Sale Data Date May 20/84 Mar 31/84 Break Even Weight $/cwt 750 850 74.00 73.50 Steer Calves - Wintering For Grass - British - 1.0 lb/day Nov 1/83 450 80 .00 89 .00 May 20/84 650 82 .50 - Exotic - 1.5 lb/day Nov 1/83 550 80 .00 69 .00 Mar 15/84 750 77 .00 Steer Calves - Finishing - British - 2.25 lb/day Nov 1/83 450 80 .00 54 .00 Jul 26/84 1050 65 .00 - Exotic - 2.5 lb/day Nov 1/83 550 80 .00 54 .00 Jun 29/84 1150 65 .00 Yearling Steers - Feeders - British - 2.75 lb/day Oct 1/83 750 75 .00 56 .00 Jan 18/84 1050 69 .50 - Exotic - 3 lb/day Oct 1/83 850 75 .00 59 .00 Jan 26/84 1200 70 .00 - British - 3 lb/day Oct 1/83 900 75 .00 61 .00 Dec 3/83 1100 72 .00 - Exotic - 3.25 lb/day Oct 1/ 83 1000 75 .000 62 .00 Jan 1/84 1300 72 .00 Copies of "Feeder Cattle - What Can You Pay?" (Agdex 420/816-2) can be obtained from district agriculturists or by writing to the Publications Office, J.G. 0'Donoghue Building, 7000 - 113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. -30- November 14, 1983 15 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A NEW METHOD FOR CONTROLLING WARBLE GRUBS Alberta cattlemen have four instead of three methods to choose from this fall when treating their cattle for warble grubs. The new method involves the injection of a product called Ivomec. It, like the pour-on, spot-on and the high pressure spray methods that have been the only methods avail- able in the past, will control warble grubs and lice at the time of treatment. And it will also control all internal parasites except tapeworms. However, because Ivomec is a drug, as opposed to a pesticide, it is a bit more expensive than the conventional products. Alberta Agriculture's livestock pest control specialist, Dr. AN Khan, recommends that cattlemen choose the warble control method that is most suitable for their particular operation. The pour-on method is quirk and simple to use, but it requires holding facilities such as a chute. The spot-on method is a very quick way of applying a ready-to-use highly concen- trated systemic insecticide. The insecticide can be applied with an applicator gun or a device called a squeeze-spot. The high pressure spray method is used for applying a diluted insecticide under 350 to 400 pounds of pressure. This method gives longer lasting louse control than the others, but it requires special spraying equipment and special animal holding facilities. Dr. Khan points out that cattle that have been treated for warble grubs in the fall are also protected to a certain degree from severe infestation of lice during the coldest months of the year — December and January. - 30 - Ahex\o AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch >hone: (403)427-2121 November 14, 1983 16 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GRAIN MARKETING SEMINAR "Keeping Alberta In Touch With The World" is the theme of Alberta Agricul- ture's second annual grain marketing seminar, which will be held in Rimbey on December 2. Dr. Andrew Schmitz, one of North America's foremost agricultural economists, will be the keynote speaker. A native of Saskatchewan where he maintains an interest in the family farming operation, Dr. Schmitz is currently a pre fessor of agriculture and resource economics at the University of California in the U.S.A. He has written four books on agricul- tural economic concerns, and he has more than 80 manuscripts in print. His consulting ex- perience includes work for groups such as the Ford Foundation, Sunkist Growers Inc. and the Central Intelligence Agency. And he has given presentations to groups all over North Amer- ica as well as to groups in such countries as Israel, Germany, Sweden and Finland. Dr. Schmitz will speak on the American government's farm policy — its impact on prices and production and the spin-off effect on Canadian agriculture. Dr. Georgina Vitonova, economist for the International Affairs Directorate with Agriculture Canada in Ottawa, will speak on trade prospects with centrally planned econ- omies. She has been described over the last 15 years as North America's foremost "Soviet watcher"! And she recently returned from a meeting of the Paris-based Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. Don Bousquet, manager of the Farm Market Network in Winnipeg, Manitoba, will be looking at the supply and demand picture for the world's competitive crops, and he will outline the direction he sees Canadian grain prices taking over the next year. Mr. Bousquet is well known by many farmers for his daily market reports. (cont'd) /dlborra AGRICULTURE hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Brancn 17 Grain Marketing Seminar (cont'd) Ken W. Stickland of Cen Alta Grain Ltd. will be focussing on the Canadian gram industry and its market options and alternatives for Alberta farmers. He is well known for his consultations with the federal government on the rail freight rate ,ssue and he is a founder of Cen Alta Grain, Pre-reg,stration is required for the seminar which will be restricted to 200 on a first come, first served bas.s . The registration fee is $20 per person or $30 for a husband and w,fe. which includes lunch. Registration starts a, 9:30 a m. on December 2 a, the R,mbey Community Hall. Further information on the sem,nar and on pre-reg,s,ering can be obtained by calling 843-2201. - 30 - r7 /L^y ^> 1 /j FA CANADIANS 84 November 21, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Seniors' Home Improvement Program 1 Number Of Calves Sold At Government Monitored Certified Sales Increasing 4 Skip-Feeding Pregnant Sows 6 Members Of Alberta Sugar Beet Growers' Marketing Board Announced 8 Sheep Footrot Eradicated From Grazing Reserve 9 Alberta Chicken Industry Outlook 11 Average Protein And Bushel Weight Values Of Alberta Feed Grains 12 Winners At The Calgary Seed Fair And Hay Show 14 Numbers Of Livestock On Alberta Farms 16 Farming And The Challenge Of The 80's 17 Cattle Artificial Insemination Courses 18 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch November 21, 1983 i FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SENIORS' HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM Senior citizens who own their own home, who are planning to repair or im- prove it, and who have not yet received a grant under the Alberta Government's Seniors' Home Improvement Program, but would like to do so, can obtain a brochure and an appli- cation form from their local bank, Treasury Branch or any other participating financial insti- tution. Alberta Agriculture's farm management economist, Doug Barlund says all senior citizens in Alberta who own their own home, and who have an income of $20,000 or less a year, including those who participated in the Alberta Pioneers' Repair Program, are eligible for the seniors' program. The Seniors' Home Improvement Program commenced on December 1, 1982 and operates in a manner that is similar to that of the Alberta Pioneers' Repair Program, which was phased ou t on November 30, 1 982. Mr. Barlund points out that people who have unspent funds from the pioneers' program can continue to spend them and still apply for a Seniors' Home Improvement grant. The unspent funds from the pioneers' program will not reduce the size of the grant the applicant is eligible to receive under the Seniors' Home Improvement Program. A person who receives a Seniors' Home Improvement grant has four years from the dale his or her application is approved in which to spend the money. Eligibility To be eligible for a grant, the applicant must own his or her own home, the home must be his or her place of residence for at least nine months of the year, and he or she must be at least 65 years of age, except in the case of a widow or a widower, when people between the ages of 55 and 64 may qualify under the program. The applicant must also be either a (cont'd) /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch -2- 2 Senior's Home Imrpovement Program (cont'd) Canadian citizen with at least 10 years residency in Canada or a landed immigrant with at least 10 years residency in Canada. And he or she must have lived in Alberta for at least a year prior to the date of the application. Single family dwellings, duplexes, fourplexes, row-houses, condominiums and mobile homes are all eligible under the program, but only one grant is allowed per household. Amount of Grant According to Mr. Barlund, there are basically three levels of grants, and the size of grant that a senior citizen is eligible to receive will depend upon his or her income. For ex- ample, an applicant whose income for the last calendar year was $15,000 or less or who is presently receiving the Alberta Assured Income Supplement would be eligible for a $3,000 grant, as would a couple whose combined income for the same period was $1 5,000 o/ less or who were receiving the income supplement. A person whose income was between $15,001 and $17,500 or a couple whose combined income was between $15,001 and $17,500 would be eligible for a $2,000 grant. And a person who had an income of between $17,501 and $20,000 or a couple whose combined income was between $17,501 and $20,000 would be eligible for a $1 ,000 grant. "Applicants" says Mr. Barlund, "who have an income from farming must submit an itemized, signed statement of this income with their application or a copy of their income tax return for the last calendar year, complete with all schedules used. And they must submit a copy of their latest property tax notice. Eligible Work and Materials Only those items or services purchased after an applicant has received the Seniors' Home Improvement Program Identification Card will be eligible for reimbursement under the program. An eligible applicant may receive a reimbursement up to the amount of his or her - (cont'd) - -3- 3 Seniors' Home Improvement Program (cont'd) grant for repairs and improvements done to the house or girage as well as for money spent to purchase, install, maintain, repair, clean or improve a heating system; to purchase, install or repair a stove, a refrigerator, a washer, a dryer, an air conditioner, a deep freeze or a dish- washer; and to purchase, install, maintain, repair or improve a water heater, a water softener, a sink, tubs and other plumbing fixtures. Mr. Barlund says a prospective applicant who is in doubt about the eligibility of any home repair item should contact the Alberta Government's home improvement branch. And he points out that an eligible applicant can hire a relative, friend or contractor to carry out a repair or an improvement project. In addition to being available from banks, Treasury Branches and other participat- ing financial institutions, brochures and application forms for the Seniors' Home Improve- ment Drogram can be obtained from: The Home Improvement Branch Main Floor, Devonian Building 1 1 1 56 - Jasper Avenue Box 2453 Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 3B8 Telephone: 427-5760 or The Alberta Department of Housing 4th Floor 855 - 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta, T2P 3P1 Telephone: 297-8464 - 30- /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch November 21, 1983 4 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NUMBER OF CALVES SOLD AT GOVERNMENT MONITORED CERTIFIED SALES INCREASING The number of calves that have been preconditioned and preimmunized under the Alberta Certified Preconditioned Feeder Program and sold at government monitored certified sales has increased steadily since the program was initiated in 1980. Dwight Karren, Alberta Agriculture's regional livestock supervisor at Red Deer, reports that 1,300 calves were sold at the first sale, and that this number had increased to 5,000 by 1981. Last year 8,15' calves out of a total of 16,256 animals that had been pre- conditioned or preimmunized were sold at 14 monitored sales. All calves that are sold as preconditioned animals at a monitored sale must have been dehorned, castrated, treated for warbles and vaccinated with an I BR — Pl3 vaccine and a 7-way clostridial vaccine at least three weeks before the sale; and they must have been at least four months old when they were vaccinated. They must also have been weaned at least 30 days before the sale. The preconditioned calves, which will be accompanied by a certificate, can be identified at monitored sales by a green tag. Calves that are sold as preimmunized animals will have met all the above require- ments except that they will not have been weaned before the sale. They too will be accom- panied by a certificate, and they can be identified by a white tag. Following is a list of the places where the certif ied sales will be held this year and the dates on which they will be held. Stettler November 25 Clyde November 26 - (cont'd) - /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch - 2 - 5 Number Of Calves Sold At Government Monitored Certified Sales Increasing (cont'd] Rimbey Rocky Mountain House Ponoka Grande Prairie Olds Red Deer Wainwright Edmonton December 1 December 2 December 3 December 5 December 7 December 9 Mr. Karren says that the Alberta Certified Preconditioned Feeder Program is becoming increasingly popular because preconditioned and preimmunized calves have proved to be economically beneficial to both the producer and the feeder. 30 November 21, 1983 6 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SKIP-FEEDING PREGNANT SOWS Skip-feeding is fast becoming the most popular and the most efficient way o1 feeding pregnant sows that are kept out-of-doors. Alberta Agriculture's monogastric nutritionist, Sam Jaikaran, explains that with this feeding method the sows are fed once every two or three days, and that they are given all the feed they can eat over a period of several hours. He emphasizes, however, that enough feeder space must be provided for all the sows to eat at the same time if the method is to work. And he says the use of a self-feeder is usually the best way of ensuring that all the sows eat at once He goes on to point out that skip-feeding prevents some of the feeding problems that are encountered when groups of sows are fed on the ground once a day. The main prob- lem with this type of feeding is that the more agressive "boss" sows eat more than was in- tended, while those that are more timid eat less than was intended. The result is an increasing disparity in weight gains and in the overall condition of the sows. Because skip-feeding seems to encourage more uniformity in feed consumption, it all but eliminates this problem. Mr. Jaikaran says that the length of time that sows should be allowed to spend at a self-feeder will vary depending upon how often they are fed. Gilts usually require more time than sows. Mr. Jaikaran thinks that four to six hours of feeding time should be enough when sows are fed every second day. However, they may require more time if they are fed every third day. In essence, the appropriate length of the feeding time will be determined by the condition of the sows and the amount of feed each sow eats. The latter may be calcul- ated by dividing the quantity of feed put into the feeder by the number of sow-feedings it provided (sow feedings = the number of sows x the number of times fed). According to Mr. Jaikaran, there are various ways in which pens can be arranged to give the sows easy access to the self-feeder. An arrangement whereby the self-feeder is (cont'd) ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 7 -2- Skip- Feeding Pregnant Sows (cont'd) placed in the centre of a rectangular area surrounded by four pens of equal size is commonly used for herds of about 100 sows. Each of the pens holds irom 20 to 25 animals and has its own gate to the feeder area. On Day 1, the sows in Pen 1 are allowed access to the feeder in the morning and are taken out at noon. The sows in Pen 2 then go in and are removed in +he evening. On Dev 2, the sows in Pen 3 are allowed into the feeder area in the morning and removed at noon. The sows in Pen 4 go in for the afternoon and are removed in the evening Hence, the whole cycle is repeated everv two days. Mr. Jaikaran reports that little difference in feed intake has been foimd during the entire pregnancy period of sows that were fed by the skip-feeding method and those that were fed by the group method. "The biggest advantage of the former," he says, "is the re- duction in the number of over fat sows and thin sows, which results in a more evenly fleshed heal This, in turn, results in easier farrowing and the birth of more live pigs. Sows in good condition also have a better appetite during their lactation, produce more milk and breed more quickly after they have been weaned. And labor savings represent a big plus for the skip-feeding method." - 30 - November 21, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEMBERS OF ALBERTA SUGAR BEET GROWERS' MARKETING BOARD ANNOUNCED The Agricultural Products Marketing Council has announced the appointment of the provisional members of the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers' Marketing Board, which was approved in October of this year. They will serve for not more than 18 months after which the members will be elected by the pro ducers at the board's annual meeting. Following is a list of the provisional members, all of whom are sugar beet growers. . John Vaselenak of Coaldale . Walter F. Boras of Iron Springs . Steve Tokariuk of Lethbridge . Ed Hranac of Coaldale . Jim Csabay of Coaldale . Peter Vanden Dungen of Vauxhall . Gerard Van Nistelrooy of Picture Butte . Dick Butler of Bow Island . Norman Hall of Taber . Rudy Gregus of Taber . Paul Thibodeau of Taber As provisional members, they will be responsible for guiding the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers' Marketing Board through its formative stages and for devel- oping a foundation upon which the board can provide a beneficial service to sugar beet growers and to the sugar beet industry as a whole. 30 ■ ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch November 21, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SHEEP FOOTRQT ERADICATED FROM GRAZING RESERVE The head of Alberta Agriculture's livestock inspection section, Dr. Ralph Shute, has announced the eradication of footrot from the sheep flock on the Medicine Lake Provin- cial Grazing Reserve. He reports that an intensive eradication program has been in place on the reserve since 1981 when it was decided that something had to be done about footrot which had been a serious problem in the sheep for many years. The program involved the inspection by a veterinarian of all sheep that were destined for the reserve before they left their home farms. And it involved informing the sheep producers who used the pasture of the measures that were necessary for eradicating the disease. They included trimming the animals' hooves, dis- infectant foot baths and moving the sheep to a clean area after treatment so that they would not become recontaminated. Dr. Shute says the fact that the organism that causes footrot in sheep cannot survive in the environment for more than two weeks is the key to its eradication. He attributes the success of the eradication program to the efforts and coopera- tion of the sheep producers who used the reserve, to the grazing reserve personnel and their management, to the local veterinarians who inspected the sheep and to Alberta Agriculture staff. He says the periodic inspection md foot bathing that took place during the pasture season were important steps in eradicating the footrot. And he says that a similar program will be in effect in future years to maintain the present health status of the sheep on the reserve. - (cont'd) - Phone: (403)427-2121 Aha\a AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - 10 Sheep Footrot Eradicated From Grazing Reserve (cont'd) He also emphasizes that the continued availability of the Medicine Lake Provincial Grazing Reserve to sheep producers will depend upon whether or not there is a sufficient number of healthy sheep to form an economically viable pasture flock. However, in view of this year's successful eradication program, he expects that the number of sheep entered for the pasture next year will be considerably higher than it has been in the past. The cost of grazing an ewe during the 1983 pasture season was approximately $7.30. Information regarding the pasturing of sheep on the Medicine Lake Provincial Grazing Reserve in 1984 can be obtained from Morris Seiferling, Regional Manager of Grazing Reserves, Box 411, Drayton Valley, Alberta, TOE OMO (Telephone: 542-3537). -30 - 1 1 November 21, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA CHICKEN INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Several factors suggest that 1984 should be a good year for Alberta's chicken industry, especially after the first quarter. Alberta Agriculture's dairy and poultry analyst, Dave Hope, says Cana- dian chicken stocks are at a manageable level, illegal production is under control, feed costs are expected to begin to fall by mid-1984 and a reduction in the supply of red meat later in the year should put chicken in a good competitive position. Although both feed grain and oilseed prices are expected to continue variable into 1984, average feed costs in the first half of next year are not likely to go above the levels that have already been experienced. Mr. Hope says in the absence of a crop disaster next summer, feed costs will begin to drop in mid-1984 and should fall to levels that are lower than those seen this fall. He also says pork and beef prices should begin to rise by the second quarter of next year. The Canadian Chicken Marketing Agency has established the first quarter 1984 quota at 94.9 million kg and the annual quota at 384.8 million kg. This should provide ample supplies of chicken in the first quarter of 1984 and a good opportunity for those provinces that overproduced in 1983 to make produc- tion cutbacks so that they are in a position to take advantage of a strong market leter in the year. However, Mr. Hope points out that the annual quota of 384.8 million kg is still preliminary, and that the final figure will be determined by the sum of the quarterly quotas that are announced during the year. The above article is based on information that was available in Oc tober. 1983. - 30 >hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 15 - 2 - Winners At The Calgary Seed Fair And Hav Show (cont'd) greed flax class with his exhibit of McGregor flax. Jerry Kubik won first prize in the pedi- greed canola (Polish varieties) class with an exhibit of Tobin canola, while L.G. Dobry of Viking won first prize in the pedigreed canola (Argentine varieties) and mustard class with his exhibit of Westar canola. The pedigreed forage legume seed class was won by Steve Merkl of Brooks with an exhibit of Algonquin alfalfa, and first prize in the pedigreed forage grass and turf grass seeds was won by Frank Kastelic with his Basho timothy exhibit. -30 - 16 November 21, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NUMBERS OF LIVESTOCK ON ALBERTA FARMS Recently released results of the National Livestock Survey, conducted by Stat- istics Canada on July 1 , 1983, indicate a decline in the number of cattle, calves and sheep on Alberta farms but an increase in the number of hogs in the province. The total number of cattle and calves on Alberta farms was estimated at 3,805,000 head. Michael Adam of Alberta Agriculture's statistics branch points out that this figure represents the lowest inventory since 197 1 and marks a decline of more than 5 per cent from July 1, 1982. He says, apart from bulls, whose numbers have remained relatively un- changed, significant reductions occurred in all other classes of cattle. A decline of about 7 per cent was recorded for steer, heifer and calf numbers, indicating heavy marketing and slaughter volumes. During the one-year period covered by the survey, sheep and lamb numbers declined by almost 4 per cent to 197,000, while hog numbers rose by 3 per cent to 1 ,180,000 from 1,150,000. Comparative inventories for the years 1982 and 1983, by census division, are available from the Statistics Branch, Alberta Agriculture, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000-1 13 Street, Edmonton, Alberta. T6H 5T6. -30- ydlborra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 17 November 21, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FARMING AND THE CHALLENGE OF THE 80'S What lies ahead in the 1980's? Alberta Agriculture's northwest region has organ- ized two seminars entitled "Farming and the Challenge of the 80's" in an attempt to answer this question. One is scheduled to take place at the Grove Motor Inn in Spruce Grove on December 14 and the other at theWestlock Inn in West lock on December 15. Dr. Brian Scarfe, head of the University of Alberta's Economics Department, will discuss the outlook for interest rates, inflation rates and consumer demand, all of which set the stage for the future of the agricultural industry. And Les Lyster and Gordon Herrington of Alberta Agriculture's market analysis branch will present outlook material on grains, oil- seeds and livestock. Do people have to re-examine their goals and priorities in view of the fact that the economic circumstances of the 1980's are different from those of the 1960's and 1970's? And how can people learn to deal with the stress that is associated with these changes? Eileen Klien, a former management specialist with Alberta Agriculture, and Lloyd Johnston of Alberta Agriculture will present somn new and challenging ideas on goals and priorities and on managing stress. The seminars will begin at both locations at 9:30 a.m. and the registration fee will be $10 per person, which will include a noon luncheon. Further information on "Farming and the Challenge of the 80's" can be obtained from Alberta Agriculture's district offices in Leduc, Drayton Valley, Evansburg, Edson, Sangudo, Barrhead, Westlock, Athabasca, Thorhild, Morinville, Sherwood Park and Stony Plain. - 30 - ydlberfa AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch November 21, 1983 18 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CATTLE ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION COURSES Olds College is holding a series of 10-day courses this winter on the artificial in- semination (Al) of cattle. The first course, entitled Al and Dairy Herd Management, will take place from December 5-16. The second, Al and Purebred Beef Herd Management, will take place from January 9-20, 1984, and the third, Al and Commercial Beef Herd Management will take place from January 30 to February 10, 1984. Three other courses, entitled Al and Herd Manage- ment, Al and Dairy Herd Management and Al and Dairy Herd Management will be held from February 20 to March 2, 1984, March 12-23, 1984 and April 2 13, 1984, respectively. All courses Will cover the basic nutritional requirements of the cows, sire selec- tion, breeding programs, diseases and heat synchronization. The fee for each course is $375, but participants will have to pay only $275 because Alberta Agriculture's animal industry division provides a $100 subsidy for each course. The deadline for registering for any of the above courses is 10 days before they are scheduled to start, and registrations must be accompanied by a non-refundable deposit of $65 Cheques should be made payable to Olds College. The college will also be holding four one-day refresher courses on Al in the new year. The dales are February 17, 1984, March 9, 1984, March 30, 1984 and April 27, 1984. They are designed for people who have had previous training and/or experience with Al, and they will include a careful check of techniques and semen-handling practices. The full fee of $50 must accompany registrations for these one-day courses, and, again, the deadline for receipt of registrations is 10 days before the course is due to start. Additional information on any of the courses on be obtained from the Depart- ment of Continuing Education, Olds College, Olds, Alberta, TOM 1PO. ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch CANADIANS Cf FEB 1 51984 November 28, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Rat Control In Alberta 1 Food Processing Development Centre To Open In 1984 4 Forage Supply Situation 5 Processed Alfalfa Outlook 6 Forage Cultivar Program 7 Virulent Blackleg Of Canola Found In Albetta 8 Year-End Planning To Reduce The Farm Tax Bite (Part I) 9 Custom Grain Harvesting Rates For 1983 11 Agricultural Fans Being Tested By PAMI 13 Market Garden Courses Scheduled For New Year 14 Emergency Standby Power Unit 15 ADC Loans Officer Appointed To Bonnyville 16 ydlberta AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RAT CONTROL IN ALBERTA Norway Rat Did you know that under ideal breeding conditions one pair of Norway rats can produce 350,000,000 descendants in three years? Sounds incredible, but it is apparently true. A pair of rats can have a litter of 10 or more every month, and the offspring are ready to begin reproducing in three to four months. And did you know that rat droppings, urine and hair can transmit infectious jaundice, salmonella and other intestinal bacterial diseases to man as well as trichinosis via pigs? Rats can also transmit bubonic plague via fleas, rat-bite fever via a direct bite and other diseases to both domestic animals and to man. On the farm rats consume, contaminate and cause the spillage of tonnes of grain by chewing holes in storage bins, etc. They also eat fresh produce, eggs and even live poultry. And in industrial areas, they destroy merchandise, woodwork and other material as well as chew wires. - (cont'd) - ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE lone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Rat Control In Alberta (cont'd) It has been estimated that if rats were to become established in Alberta, the annual loss to the province would be over $40 million! That they have not become established in the province is due to the vigilance of its citizens and to Alberta's rat control policy. Under the Agricultural Pest Act it has been the legal responsibility of every Albertan since 1951 to prevent the establishment of Norway rats and to destroy any that gain entry to their premises, whether these premises are owned or simply being occupied. And every city, town, village and rural municipality is required to appoint a pest control officer to handle local rat control prob- lems. At the present time Alberta has more than 250 part-time municipal pest control officers who investigate reports of rat sightings and supervise any action that is required. Seven full-time rat control officers are employed by Alberta Agriculture along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. They maintain permanent poisonous bait stations on the farms and in the grain elevators in the area as well as in garbage disposal dumps, and they generally supervise the control measures. Alberta Agriculture supplies the rodenticides to the municipalities along the Saskatchewan border that are distributed by the pest control officers. Nearly 10 tonnes of ready-mix poisonous bait are supplied to this 600 km long border area, known as a buffer zone, each year. It is enough to control the estimated 20,000 - 40,000 rats which invade it annually. The number of rats that get into the rest of Alberta probably averages about 200 a year but it may go as high as 1,000 in some years. Of ihe 75 to 100 infestations that are discovered each year, many are single rats but a few can involve as many as 50 rats. The max- imum number of rats that are destroyed in Alberta in a year would probably be around 2,000. - (cont'd) - 3 -3- Rat Control In Alberta (cont'd) If you would like more details on Alberta's rat control program, and if you would like to know how to identify a Norway rat, you should get a copy of a publication entitled "Rat Control in Alberta". In addition to containing information on rat control methods, eliminating their sources of food and rat-proofing buildings, it has a section on the identifica- tion of the Norway rat. This section contains some excellent drawings of the Norway rat, the roof or black rat, the wood or pack rat, the pocket gopher and the muskrat. Copies of "Rat Control in Alberta" (Agdex 682-2) can be obtained from district agriculturists or the Print Media Branch, Agriculture Building , 7000- 113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6 -30- ydlborra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 4 November 28, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOOD PROCESSING DEVELOPMENT CENTRETO OPEN IN 1984 When it opens early in the new year, the Food Processing Development Centre in Leduc will be available to all food processors who use Alberta products and who want to develop new processes or products or who want to improve existing processes or products. Financed by the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund Capital Projects Division, it will consist of an extension section where initial problem solving will take place and a pilot plant section. The latter Will be used to develop processes on a scale that will approximate commercial production. Alberta-based food processing firms will have first priority at the centre, and not more than half of its space and staff will be used for large projects. Although all food processors, suppliers of food processing ingredients and equipment, food producer groups and university research personnel will benefit from the new facility, it is the small processor with limited funds to spend on product research and development who is expected to benefit the most. Those who use the Food Processing Development Centre will not have to pay the full cost of the research project, but they will be expected to provide their own materials, and they will probably be asked to pay a labor fee. All information that results from the research will be kept confidential to ensure that the benefits go to the processor who initiated it. - 30 - Phone:(403)427-2121 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch November 28, 1983 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FORAGE SUPPLY SITUATION Apart from some areas in southern and south-central Alberta, livestock producers will have adequate to a surplus of hay this winter. Marilyn Johnson of Alberta Agriculture's statistics branch reports that limited rainfall reduced hay yields to below normal last summer in the Pincher Creek and Cardston areas as well as in the Oyen and Scapa areas. She says hay yields in the north-central, northwestern and Peace River regions were very good, and that many farmers in those areas have hay for sale. There is an adequate supply of hay in the northeastern region of the province, but very few farmers are reporting a surplus. According to Ms. Johnson, the quality of this year's hay crop is gen- erally good in spite of the fact that many larmers in central and northern Alberta put up weedy hay because they were unable to spray during the frequent rain storms in late June and in July. Also, some of the first cut was overmature when harvested and some of it was frequently rained on while in the swath. However, areas where the first cut had been taken off before the rains, produced some excellent second cut crops as a result of all the moisture. Ms. Johnson says the quality of the second cut was considerably better than that of the first. And she says the supply of feed grains is good throughout Alberta. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlberfa AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch November 28, 1983 FOR i MM EDI ATE RELEASE 6 PROCESSED ALFALFA OUTLOOK Alberta's alfalfa processors can expect continued strong demand and good prices during the rest of the crop year, says Fred Boyce of Alberta Agriculture's market analysis branch. The current situation has arisen partly because western Canada enjoyed a good alfalfa crop last summer, while drought and hot weather reduced the harvest in the United States. The lack of American product leaves Canada as the world's main exporter of pro- cessed alfalfa. The second factor in the alfalfa market, Mr. Boyce explains, is increased purchases of Canadian alfalfa products by Japan, the world's dominant buyer. Alfalfa sales to members of the European Economic Community could also increase substantially from 1982-83 be- cause of a below-average European alfalfa crop last summer. Mr. Boyce says export ship- ments could reach a near record by the end of the crop year. The result of all this is that prices for Alberta's dehy alfalfa have risen over $10 per tonne from last year. Overall, Mr. Boyce expects Alberta plants will produce 30 per cent more pro- cessed alfalfa than last year. After this crop year ends, however, Mr. Boyce views the outlook for processed alfalfa as "a lot less certain," adding that American production should recover, and more plants throughout North America will probably be operating. "Strong export and domestic demand will be needed to maintain current price levels into the next season," he concludes. -30- /dlberra AGRICULTURE (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch November 28, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FORAGE CULTIVAR PROGRAM Have you heard of Agriculture Canada's and Alberta Agriculture's joint Forage Cultivar Program in the Peace River Region? It is designed to serve Alberta's forage seed industry by enabling both seed growers and seed trade officials to prepare meaningful con- tracts. Under the direction of Henry Nadja, a forage agronomist at the federal research station in Beaverlodge, the program provides information on the seed production, herbage capability and the general adaptability of named *oreign perennial grass and legume cultivars and compares them with Canadian standard varieties. The information is used by the Cana- dian forage seed industry to help it to develop production contracts and seed export markets. According to Mr. Nadja, the species being tested under the program are tnose that are currently being produced for the export seed trade. They are brome grass, red fescue, timothy, alsike clover, red clover and alfalfa. Other species that appear interesting are also tested from time to time. The tests are carried out at six different locations in the Peace River Region and each site has a series of demonstration plots that include perennial forage species that are generally adapted to that particular area. Mr. Nadja says the plots have proved very useful for local seed producers who want to compare variety and species differences in their own regions. And he expects that the program will eventually provide data that will be used for developing recommendations for grasses and legumes that are intended to be seeded alone or in mixtures for herbage production. You can obtain further information on the Forage Cultivar Program from Mr. H. Nadja, Beaverlodge Research Station, Box 29, Beaverlodge, Alberta, TOH OCO (Telephone: 354-2212). A\ba\a AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch • 30 - ►hone: (403)427-2121 November 28, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE VIRULENT BLACKLEG OF CANQLA FOUND IN ALBERTA The virulent strain of blackleg disease of canola, caused by a fungus Lepiosphaeria maculans was found for the first time in a growers field in Alberta, near Vermilion. Pre- viously this fungus had been identified only in research plots near Edmonton, presumably brought in on the seed. This fungus was identified during a survey carried out by Dr. Prem Kharbanda, Alberta Environmental Centre, Vegreville. His survey region was part of the province-wide survey co-ordinated by Dr. leuan R. Evans, Alberta Agriculture. This disease organism occurred on a recently released cultivar of canola, Westar, an Argentine type variety from the Saskatchewan canola breeding program. The virulent strain of blackleg is widespread in the northern and western canola growing areas of Saskatch- ewan, and in several areas where the disease is well established yield losses of 10 to 25 per cent have been documented. This same fungus has caused total loss of canola production in some areas of Australia where perhaps conditions are more favorable for its survival and spread. The disease appears as buff colored, round to u regular spots on leaves, and grey to black canker at the base of the stem. These lesions are dotted with numerous small black fruiting bodies of the fungus. The fungus overwinters on crop stubbles, and within and on infected seed. Wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis) is the only important weed host, though many of our commonly grown cole crops (turnips, cabbage, cauliflower) are susceptible to this disease. None of the available canola cultivars is resistant to this disease. Introduction of this disease into new areas can be prevented by seed treatments with systemic fungicides containing either benomyl or carbathiin. 30 /dlborra AGRICULTURE hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch November 28, 1983 9 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE YEAR-END PLANNING TO REDUCE THE FARM TAX BITE (PART I) by Merle Good Farm Business Management Branch, Alberta Agriculture With 1983 drawing to a close, farmers should be seriously thinking about income tax management. The first step is to checking the accuracy of all income and expenses that have been recorded during the year so that the various tax strategies can be properly evalu- ated. Check all records to make sure that: . All expense items have been included. Out of pocket expenses that are missed can be costly. If, for example, a farmer fails to claim a $1 purchase as an expense, the net cost of that purchase, assuming a 25 pet cent tax bracket, will be $1 .33. . Individual tools and equipment that cost more than $200 have been depre- ciated. Items that cost less than $200 can be fully deducted in the year in which they were purchased. After the November 1981 federal budget it was thought that only 50 per cent of the purchase price of an item costing less than $200 could be deducted. . That the business portion of various expenses have been included in the list of expenses. A quarter of house maintenance expenses, utility expenses and up to two-thirds of car expenses, including depreciation, can usually be claimed as business expenses. . Annual accounting and legal fees for the management of the farm and for in- come tax purposes have been deducted. Legal, appraisal and accounting fees that were asso- ciated with buying land or equipment can be added to the capital cost of the asset concerned. . Government subsidies or rebates that were designed to reduce expenses or com- pensate for income losses in the current or previous years have been reported as income in the year in which they are received. - (cont'd) - ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch - 2 - 10 Year-End Planning To Reduce The Farm Tax Bite (Part I) (cont'd) . Proper procedures have been followed when reporting income from such un- usual sources as patronage dividends, insurance proceeds, commodity trading or oil or gas lease revenue. A publication entitled "Reporting Unusuai Farm Income for Tax Purposes" (FS 837-10), available from district agriculturists, discusses these and other unusual sources of income. . A reasonable sum has been deducted as a business expense for business travel and for up to two conventions per year when applicable. Eligible expenses include travel, registration fees, meals and lodging. Receipts are necessary to document these expenses. . Half the normal capital cost allowance has been deducted on any depreciable assets that were purchased in the last year, after the trade-in value has been deducted. Prior to the November 1981 federal budget, the whole of the capital cost allowance could be deducted in the first year. Interest charges associated with commodity trading that yielded a capital gain have been added to the original purchase price of the contract. This change, which resul- ted from a recent federal court ruling, means that a capital gain can be reduced and that a capital loss can be increased. A farmer who has determined through the above procedure what his projected taxable income is likely to be is in a position to decide whether he wants to adjust it, and, if so, in which direction. - 30 1 ! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CUSTOM GRAIN HARVESTING RATES FOR 1983 Custom grain harvesting rates for 1983 increased from those of 1982, according to a survey that is carried out every year by Alberta Agriculture's statistics and farm business management branches. The data below were obtained by contacting custom operators in each of the six regions that are listed and represent actual charges in those regions. Region 1 consists of the area extending from the American border to High River; Region 2 is the area from High River to Olds; Region 3 is the area from Olds to Camrose; Region 4 is the area that extends from Camrose to Fort McMurray and east; Region 5 is the area that extends from Camrose to Athabasca and west; and Region 6 is the Peace River region. Combining and Trucking ($ Per Acre and $ Per Hour) Region 1 Most Common 1982 $17418 $14-$15 $13-$15 $15 $14-10 Range 1983 $10-$25 $75-$80/hri;! $1 2-$1 8a $75-$125/hr $10-$18a $100-1 10/hr $ 1 2a $85-$ 1 10/hr $19a $85-$100/hra $12ab $100/hra Most Common 1983 $19-$20 $75-$80/hr $12-$18d $120/hr $10-$18a $1 10/hr $12ab $85-$1 10/hr $193 $85-$100/hra $12 $100/hrab a. Two reports or less per region b. Combining only Phone: (403)427-2121 - (cont'd) >dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Custom Grain Harvesting Rates for 1983 (cont'd) The survey also showed that swathing costs ranged from $4 to $10 per acre in 1983 with the most common charge in all regions being $5 to $5.50 per acre. This was a slight increase from 1982. Trucking costs ranged from 10 £to15 £ per bushel for all regions, which was the same as last year. Alberta Agriculture's farm management specialist in the area of custom rates, Gerd Andres, says this year's custom contract rate differed somewhat from that of last year. Half of the custom operators surveyed this year charged an hourly rate whereas only 35 per cent of the operators surveyed in 1982 charged an hourly rate. The 1983 survey also revealed differences among the regions. Most of the custom operators in Region 1, for example, charged on a per acre basis while most of those in Regions 2, 3 and 4 charged on an hourly basis. Additional information on custom rates for all operations can be obtained from district agriculturists, from Alberta Agriculture's statistics branch in Edmonton at 427-4019 or from the department's farm business management branch in Olds at 556-4247. November 28, 1933 FOP IMMEDIATE RElEASE AGRICULTURAL FANS BEING TESTED BY PAMI Did you know the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) has an agricultural fan testing facility at its Lethbridge station? Ed Wiens, manager and senior engineer at the station, says the facility was deve- loped to meet the growing demand from farmers and from industry and government agencies for reliable and comparative information on the capacity and specifications of the more than 300 ventilation fan models, and at least an equal number of dryer and aeration fans, that are on the market todav. This growing demand is the result of advances that have been made in livestock and poultry buildings, which has been accompanied by a vast number of new ventilating and con- trolled environment systems. It is also the result of the greatly increased interest in grain dry- ing equipment as well as in the use of cooling fans for vegetable storage areas. In addition to helping farmers to choose the most suitable fan on the basis of its capacity, energy efficiency, safety, power requirements, ease of operation and specifications, the PAMI reports are designed to help farmers to use fans properly. PAMI also works with manufacturers who are developing new energy-efficient fans and who are involved in improving the performance of existing models. The fan test results wili be available in the usual PAMI evaluation report format when the tests have been completed. Further information on agricultural fans and on the test results of other agri- cultural machinery and equipment can be obtained in Alberta from the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute, c/o LCC Campus, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1 K 1 L6 (Telephone: 329-1212). Abaia AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch -30 •hone: (403)427-2121 14 November 28, 1983 for Immediate release MARKET GARDEN COURSES SCHEDULED FOR NEW YEAR Alberta Agriculture will sponsor market garden short courses in Red Deei and Fairview in the new year, says Lloyd Hausher, market garden specialist with the Alberta Horticultural Research Center. Times and dates for the courses are as follows: Red Deer — at the Black Knight Inn from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on January 10,1 1 and 12, 1984. Fairview — at the Dunvegan Motor Inn from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on January 24, 25 and 26, 1984. The topics to be covered during the first day of both courses will include veg- etable marketing, planning and managing a market garden, market garden equipment, and strawberry and raspberry production. The second day will feature early crop production (transplants, plastic mulches and tunnels), vegetable varieties and culture, disease and insect control and presentations by established market gardeners. The third day will cover such topics as vegetable storage and design, accounting and taxation, and weed control. A dinner is planned on the evening of the third day with a guest speaker-producer. All the courses are designed for people who grow vegetables or fruit on a comm- ercial basis, and those who are seriously considering going into the market garden business. They are not intended for the home gardener, Mr. Hausher says. The registration fee for the courses in Red Deer and Fairview will be $10 per person per day or $25 for the three days. The fee for the Thursday banquet is $15. You can obtain further information on the market garden short courses and application forms from Lloyd Hausher, Alberta Horticultural Research Center, Bag Service 200, Brooks, Alberta, TOJ OJO (Telephone: 362-3391). -30- ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE 'hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch November 28, 1983 15 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE EMERGENCY STANDBY POWER UNIT An emergency standby power unit is a good irvestment for a farmer whose live- stock depend heavily on a continuous supply of electricity for heat, ventilation, automatic feeding, etc. or who has a bulk tank. Such a power unit can be driven by an engine or by the power take-off on a tractor. Units run by a power take-off are a less expensive than engine-driven units and are less complicated than an automatic engine-driven unit. Engine-driven units can be started manually or automatically, they can be fuelled by gasoline, diesel or propane and they come in a variety of sizes. Most automatically started units restore power within three to 15 seconds after a power failure, and they shut off when normal power is restored. The main disadvantage of an automatically started unit is that it costs roughly two and-a-half t imes as much as a tractor-driven unit. The main disadvantage of a tractor-driven power unit is that the tractor must be manually connected to the unit. The size of a standby power unit required will depend upon type of livestock enterprises involved and whether the unit is to be used to supply electricity for the whole farm or to supply just enough to keep certain essential equipment going in an emergency. And its location will depend upon such things as the number of buildings that will have to be supplied with electricity in an emergency and the location of the electrical system to which it will be connected. More detailed information on choosing a standby power unit is contained in a TransAlta Utilities publication entitled "Emergency Standby Power". It can be obtained from district agriculturists or by writing to the Publications Office, J.G. O'Donoghue Build- ing, 7000 - 1 13 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Phone: (403)427-2121 16 November 28, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ADC LOANS OFFICER APPOINTED TO BONNYVI LLE Peter Ignatiuk, the Agricultural Development Corporation's (ADC) regional manager for the Vermilion region, has announced the appointment of Russell McAllister to the position of loans officer in Bonnyville. Mr. McAllister was born in Cowansville, Quebec, and was raised on his parents' mixed farm in Ontario. He is a graduate of the Kemptville College of Agri- cultural Technology and brings tc the corporation a vast amount of agricultural experience as a result of having operated a farm for 10 years and of having been employed in the agricultral service field for the past 19 years. During the last 10 years, Mr. McAllister has been the district manager for the Saskatchewan Land Bank Commission in Tisdale, Saskatchewan, where he was responsible for administering land leases to farmers, including some land and building development loans. With the dissolution of the Saskatchewan Land Bank Commission, he was transferred to the lands branch of Saskatchewan Agriculture. Part of this time he worked for the Farm Credit Corporation as seconded staff. Mr. McAllister, his wife and one daughter will be making their home in Bonnyville. -30- alberta AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch CANJ FEB 1 5 1984 December 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Federal-Provincial Program Aids Companies In Edmonton Area 1 Potato Outlook 2 Alberta's Female Farm Operators 3 Swine Breeding Research 5 Year-End Planning To Reduce The Farm Tax Bite (Part II) 7 Alberta Agriculture And The Alberta Optometric Association Co-operate In Joint Project 9 Custom Tillage Rates For 1983 10 Breeder Seed Ordering Time 12 Animal Health Homestudy Course Scheduled For Red Deer And Vermilion 13 Livestock Electrocution Fatalities 14 Distr ict Home Economist Appointed At Giande Prairie 15 Phone: (403)427-2121 alberta AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch December 5, 1 983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL PROGRAM AIDS COMPANIES IN EDMONTON AREA Four Edmonton area companies will receive a total of $190,725 under the Canada-Alberta Nutritive Processing Assistance Agreement. One is the Barrhead Alfalfa and Protec Products Ltd, which will receive $1 18,610 to establish an alfalfa pelleting and dairy suppliment facility near Barrhead. The plant will produce alfalfa pellets for both the domestic and export market as well as supplements for dairy cattle. The cost of the new facility is es imated at $495,000 and 30 jobs are expected to be created. The second company is an alfalfa dehydrating plant near Calmar, which will receive $34,467 to switch from a stationary operation to a mobile one. The latter is said to be more cost efficient in the long-run. The switch is estimated to cost $192,000 and it is expected that four additional jobs will be created. The third company is Cottage Bakery Ltd of Onoway, which will receive $29,320. It is a new bakery and will soon be producing r full line of baked goods for Onoway and the surrounding area. Its cost estimated at $1 1 7,000 and it is ex >ected to employ three people. The fourth company is D & R Feed Services at Thorsby. It will receive $8,328 to establish a hay processing facility. The addi'ion of this new facility will provide a service that has long been requested by D & R Feed Sei vices' customers. The hay processing facility is estimated to cost approximately $33,000 and to orovide two jobs. i The Canada-Alberta Nutritive Processing Assistance Agreement is jointly adminis- tered and equally funded by the two levels of government. Since it was signed in 1975, almost $23 million of assistance had been offered to businesses in rural Alberta. Further information can be obtained from Dr. Jim Wiebe at 427-4287. - 30 Phone:(403)427-2121 Ahex\a AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 2 December 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE POTATO PRICE OUTLOOK Prices for Aiberta's 1983 potato ciop are expected to remain above those for The 1982 crop despite the fact that this year's crop was considerably larger than that of last year. Fred Boyce, special commodities analyst with Alberta Agriculture's market analysis branch, says small crops in nearly all of the major potato-growing areas of the world and higher prices throughout North America should provide Alberta's growers with a good market and ample opportunity to move their 1983 crop at favorable prices. Although Alberta's crop is estimated at 4.6 million hundredweight, or more than 9 per cent larger than it was last year, initial estimates place the North American crop as a whole at 346.3 million hundredweight, which would be 6.2 per cent smaller than it was in 1982. Mr. Boyce reports that good growing condit ons in southern Alberta resulted in some excellent yields in that area, and that the size and the quality of the potatoes are above average. He also says that the quality of this year's Norh American crop is generally good, but that unfavorable growing conditions in many places resulted in smaller than usual pota- toes, and, consequently, lower yields. The demand for fresh and processing potatoes has been very good across North America and is expected to continue to be good - 3( - Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlberfa AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 3 December 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA'S FEMALE FARM OPERATORS E Statistics recently released from the 1981 Agricultural Census indicate that 2.8 per cent of Alberta's farm operators are women compared with 3.4 per cent in 1971 . According to Marilyn Johnson of Mberta Agriculture's statistics branch the de- crease in the percentage of female farm operators between 1971 and 1981 occurred in all the provinces except for Ontario and British Columbia, where it increased. She says British Columbia has continued to have the highest percentage of female farm operators (7.8 per cent in 1981 and 6 per cent in 1971 ). In Alberta the highest number of female farm operators is in the Wetaskiwin — Morinville - Drayton Valley — Tofield area. Ms. Johnson says approximately 5 per cent of the farm operators in this area are women. Of Alberta's 1,635 female farm operatcrs, 42 per cent are reported as being widowed, 40 per cent as being married, 8 per cent as being single, 6 per cent as being divorced and 4 per cent as being separated. The statistics for Alberta's 55,780 male farm operators show that 86 per cent of them were married, 10 per cent single, 2 per cent divorced, one per cent widowed and one per cent separated. And the number of female widowed farm opera- tors between the ages of 30 and 59 exceeds the number of male widowed farm operators in the same age category. The number of male farm operatcrs exceeds the number of females in all the other marital status categories which are grouped by sex and age. Another factor revealed by the census data is that the greatest proportion of female farm operators are over 50 years of age, while 57 per cent of the male farm operato s are under 50 years of age. Only 43 per cent of the female farm operators were less than 50 ^ears of age. - (cont'd) - /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch - 2 - 4 Alberta's Female Farm Operators (cont'd) Ms. Johnson says that nearly half of Alberta's farms run by women are between 70 and 399 acres in size, 1 6 per cent are between 400 and 759 acres and 1 7 per cent are more than 760 acres. Male farm operators tend towards larger farms with 37 per cent being be- tween 70 and 399 acres, 23 per cent between 400 and 759 acres and 33 per cent more than 760 acres. The distribution of female farm operators by type of farm shows 36.6 per cent are involved in cattle operations, 6.2 per cent in dairy operations, 14.4 per cent in wheat operations and 24.9 per cent in grain operations other than wheat. By comparison 31.4 per cent of all male farm operators are involved in cattle operations, 5.4 per cent in dairy opera- tions, 14.3 per cent in wheat operations and 34.6 per cent in grain operations other than wheat. Ms. Johnson points out that based on this proportional involvement within each sex category, more female farm operators than male farm operators are engaged in cattle and dairy operations. She explains that the above categorizing of farms into types is based on the value of agricultural products sold in each of the commodity or group of commodity categories. If 51 per cent or more of a farm's total potemial sales came from a particular product,e.g. wheat, then the farm was considered to be a wheat farm. An examination of the statistics on the value of products sold show that the aver- age sales of female farm operators were $24,895 compared with $57,020 for their male counterparts. While 52 per cent of the female farm operators sold less than $1 0,000 worth of agricultural products in 1980, only 30 per cant of the male farm operators were in this category. Additional information on the Agricultural Census can be obtained from the Statistics Branch, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000-1 1 3 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6 (Telephone: 427-4020). - 30 - December 5, 1983 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SWINE BREEDING RESEARCH The management of breeding gilts to increase production is the focus of a study that has been supported by Alberta Agriculture's Farming for the Future Program since 1981 . According to Robert Blair, an animal scientist at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who is in charge of the study and who has received $74,000 under the Farming for the Future Program, North American sow herds are notoriously in- efficient. He says that, on average, they wean only 13 piglets a year compared with their potential capacity of 25 piglets a year. Since farmers in countries like Denmark, and even some farmers in Canada, are achieving this potential, there is obviously something wrong, in Dr. Blair's opinion, with the average producer's management practices. He and his colleagues are a ming at providing information that would enable some producers to breed gilts during thair first estrus, as opposed their third, which is the common practice, and thereby get a higher lifetime production from each sow. And they are looking at ways of inducing puberty as early as possible as well as ways to increase the number of ova (eggs) that are shed during the firs^ estrus. They are also evaluating feeding practices that are likely to encourage and maintain high productivity, and collecting informa- tion on which to base culling decisions. The test animals in this research ar ! fed a normal or an enriched diet and bred during their first estrus, and their performance . compared with that of a control group that is fed the normal ration and bred during the third estrus. - (cont'd) - ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 6 - 2 - Swine Breeding Research (cont'd) Research has apparently shown that the number of ova shed can be increased by enriching a gilt's diet, and that puberty can be brought on by exposing it to a boar. Dr. Blair, reports that researchers ere questioning two commonly held opinions. One is that a gilt should be culled if she produces a small first litter and the other is that a gilt produces a small litter because her uterus is immature. It now appears that the size of a gilt's uterus is not as limiting a factor in litter size .is had been previously thought, and that the number of piglets in her first litter may not be a good indicator of her future production. -30 7 December 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE YEAR-END PLANNING TO REDUCE THE FARM TAX BITE (PART II) by Merle Good Farm Business Management Branch, Alberta Agriculture Farmers who would like to increase their taxable income so that they can make full use of their personal exemptions (if they cannot be claimed each year they are lost until a five-year block average is filed) and their Canada Pension Plan contributions or who would like to claim previous business losses should consider: Selling inventory items, postponing paying expenses and deducting less than the maximum allowable capital cost allowance. . Using the livestock inventory provision to artificially increase their income. A farmer who has livestock can add to his current year's income any amount up to the fair market value of the livestock. However, he must deduct the amount that he adds in one year from his income in the following year. (See "Tax and the Livestock Inventory Provi- sion" — FS 837-9, available from district agriculturists). . Withdrawing all or part of their registered retirement savings plan before the end of the year. A withholding tax will have to be paid when the withdrawal takes place, but it will be credited to the income tax that is payable in that year. Cashing grain tickets, taking cash advances or selling assets that trigger capital gains. These strategies will bring more income into the present tax year and will facilitate a reduction of debts and interest costs without incurring a corresponding tax liability. Using the block averaging provision. It may result in a refund of taxes that were paid in one or more of the past five or six years. However, the quirk in the rules that allowed an investment tax credit to be claimed twice when using the block average provision appears to be in jeopardy if the April 1983 budget is passed. - (cont'd) Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlborra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Year-End Planning To Reduce The Frrm Tax Bite (Part II) (cont'd) . Claiming the maximum capital cost allowance deduction in conjunction with the livestock inventory provision. By claiming the maximum capital cost allowance deduc- tion, and by artificially adding income through the livestock inventory provision, a livestock producer can generate a larger deductible expense in a subsequent high income year. Becoming informed on the proposed amendments that are contained in the April 1983 budget. One of these would allow losses incurred in 1933 to be carried back three years and forward 10 years as opposed to back one year and forward five years. In addition to extending the time limits on losses, the amendment drastically changes the pro- cedure involved in claiming losses. In the past, a taxpayer could not use his personal exemp- tions or the interest dividend deduction to reduce his taxab e income until he had used ud all his losses. Under the proposed amendment he would be allowed to use these exemptions and the tax-free portion of his income to reduce his taxable income before he had to apply snv losses against it. This would mean that in some cases a taxpayer would bo in a position to carry forward some or even all of his losses. The use of a good set of records and a competent accountant are extremely bene- ficial when it comes to determining which tax strategies are best suited to an individual farm business. -30- December 5, 1983 9 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA AGRICULTURE AND THE ALBERTA OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION CO-OPERATE IN JOINT PROJECT Alberta Agriculture and the Alberta Optometric Association have formed a steering committee to inform the farming community about good eye care and eye safety. "It is difficult to estimate the number of eye injuries that occur on farms each year," says the manager of Alberta Agriculture's farm safety program, Solomon Kyereman- teng, "because only certain selected hospitals in the province report farm accidents. However, the serious nature of those eye injuries that are reported is reason enough for concern." Informing the public about desirable eye care habits and the benefits of effective safety eyewear is a priority of the Alberta Optometric Association. And its director of vision care plans, R. Glen Campbell, says that because farmers are exposed to such a variety of environmental and occupational hazards, it is extremely important that they adopt good eye care and safety habits. A major priority of the steering committee wi I be to point out the relationship that exists between good vision and safety. Dr. Don Martin, a member of that committee, says, "A person who has not had an eye examination foi some time may not see well enough to do his job properly. The result could be a poor job or a serious accident." The phrase, "Maybe Your Eyes Were the Problem", will be the theme used by the committee to stress its points. And Mr. Kyeremanteng says "We want to hear from farmers and related agricultural groups about their vision and eye safety concerns so that we can develop a program that will address these concerns." According to Dr. Martin, local optometrists and steering committee members will be on hand at regional agricultural meetings to advise farmers on eye care and eye safety subjects. He says the combined efforts of the^e two groups should be able to reach a large proportion of the farming community in Alberta. - 30 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 10 December 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CUSTOM TILLAGE RATES FOP 1983 Custom tillage rates increased and decreased in 1983 compared with those of 1982, depending upon the type of operation anc the region. The data contained in the following three tables are based on the results of a survey carried out by Alberta Agriculture in ( ctober, 1983. It has been summarized into three areas: southern Alberta (the U.S. bordei north to Calgary), central Alberta (Calgary north to Edmonton) and northern Alberta (Edm >nton north). Cu tivating (? Per Acre) Region Most Common 1982 Range 1983 Most Common 1983 South $3.70 $4.50 $3.75 - $4.40 $3.75 - $4.40 Central $2.30 - $4.00 $4.00 - $5.50 $5.00 North $1.05 -$3.50 $3.00 - $3.50 Discing ($ Per Acre) Region South Central North Most Common 1982 $7.35 - $8.00 $5.20 - $5.50 $3.75 Range 1983 $3.50 - $6.00 $5.00 - $7.0C $1.50 - $7.00 Most Common 1983 $3.50 - $6.00 $6.50 - $7.00 $4.50 - $7.00 (cont d] Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 11 2 - Custom Tillage Rates For 1983 (cont'd) Plowing, Harrowin i and Rototilling Operation Plowing Harrowing Rototilling South 1982 1983 $17-$20/ac Central North mi 1983 1982 $1 7 $ l9/ac $1.55-$1.80/ac $1.75/ac $1 . S0-S1 .90/ac $2-$2.50/ac $35-$130/hr $1 1 5-S1 35/hr $ 68-$ 86/ac 1983 $8-$12.50/ac Gerd Andres, custom rates specialist with Alberta Agriculture's farm business management branch, says detailed information on rates charged by all custom operators in 1983 will be available in a publication entitled "Custom Rates Annual Summary - 1983". This publication and the spring of 1984 issue of "Farm Machinery Costs As A Guide To Custom Rates", (designed to help farmers calculate their individual machinery costs) will be released by the farm business management branch in April, 1984. In the meantime, further information on 1983 custom rates can be obtained from district agriculturists, Alberta Agriculture's statistic:, branch in Edmonton (427-4019) or the farm business management branch in Olds (556-424"). 30- December 5, 1983 12 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BREEDER SEED ORDERING TIME December 31 is the deadline for receipt of applications by the Alberta Stock Seed Distribution Committee for obtaining seed through the Canadian Seed Growers' Association (CSGA) Select Plot Program. This committee is also responsible for granting a probationary status to new growers. The applicant must apply directly to the committee for this status, and he must have successfully grown the pedigreed variety of seed for which he is applying during three of the last five years. If probationary status is granted and the applicant wants a SeCan seed variety, the Alberta Stock Seed Distribution Committee will notify Secan that he is elible to receive an allocation of breeder seed. However, since SeCan controls and distributes its own seed varieties, the applicant must order the seed himself from the Secan Association, 1568 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Z 7M5. This must be done before December 31. Established select seed growers should apply directly to Secan if they want SeCan seed, but the Alberta Stock Seed Distribution Committee would appreciate being notified when such a grower changes his variety. An established seed grower who wants to change from one variety to another in the same type of crop can request permission from CSGA in Ottawa to grow a select plot of both varieties for one season, but the combined area of the two plots must not exceed one hectare. The maximum plot size allowed for a probationary select seed grower is half a hectare (about one acre) and the minimum is a quarter of a hectare (about half an acre). Application forms for ordering breeder seed and additional information on the Select Plot Program can be obtained from Bill Witbeck, Secretary, Alberta Stock Seed Distribution Committee, Bag Service No. 47, Lacombe, Alberta, TOC 1S0. (Telephone: 782-4641). -30- AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch /dberra December 5, 1983 13 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ANIMAL HEALTH HOMESTUDY COURSE SCHEDULED FOR RED DEER AND VERM I L.ON Alberta Agriculture's Animal Health Homestudy Course will be offered this year to livestock producers and to anyone else in the Red Deer and Vermilion regions of the province who is interested in animal health. The lessons, which have been prep ired by the department's animal health division staff, will be mailed to course participants at weekly intervals, commencing on January 20, 1984. Each student will receive five core lessc ns on basic anatomy and physiology; the causes and spread of disease; disease prevention and i ontrol; the various types of treatment that are available for disease; and the role of the fed1 ral and provincial governments in maintaining the health of the country's livestock population. The remaining seven lessons are optional in that students can choose two. They will cover beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, horses, sheep, goats and poultry. Additional species options can be purchased by any student at the end of the course. Dr. M. W. Stone, course coordinator, ;ays veterinarians in the Red Deer and Vermilion regions are being encouraged to arange workshops in cooperation with district agriculturists to supplement the course material. And a series of regional seminars is planned on individual animal species so that areas of par icular concern can be covered in greater depth. Brochures that contain an application form can be obtained from feedmills, veterinary clinics, auction markets, etc. Anyone who would like more ir formation on the Animal Health Homestudy Course should contact his or her district office or Home Study, Communications Division, Alberta Agriculture, J. G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000 - 113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. - 30 - /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE 3hone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 14 December 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LIVESTOCK ELECTROCUTION FATALITIES During the last 10 years there have been 44 recorded cases of livestock being electrocuted in Alberta. According to information received by Dr. M.W. Stone of Alberta Agriculture, most of electrocutions involved cattle. Several of the animals were killed by a 110-volt electrical charge when a piece of equipment, such as a barn cleaner, milking machine or squeeze chute, became energized. In other cases the cattle were electrocuted as a result of improperly wired water- ing bowls, energized stanchions or lightning striking a power pole or an electric fence. Fatal- ities were also reported as a result of cattle having come close to or in direct contact with downed powerlines. Similar electrical accidents were reported for swine during the same period. The most dramatic of these was the electrocution of 148 pigs when the metal sheeting on a build- ing accidentally became energized from temporary 1 10-volt wiring. The few losses in horses were due to lightning striking powerlines or to energized watering troughs. There was one very dramatic loss in turkeys during the 10-year period. It involved 4,000 birds and was caused by a power failure and the subsequent loss of ventilation in the turkey house. 30 - /dlberta AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 15 December 5, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DISTRICT HOME ECONOMIST APPOINTED AT GRANDE PRAIRIE The head of Alberta Agriculture's home economics branch, Shirley Myers, has announced the appointment of Ncrma Edwards to the position of district home economist at Grande Prairie. Ms. Edwards was born in Killam and grew up in Strathmore. She obtained her B.Sc. (home economics) from the University of Alberta in 1982, having majored in family studies. She joined Alberta Agriculture the following September and took her district home economist training at Camrose where she remained for 15 months. In the summer of 19151, she worked as a summer assistant to the district home economist at Warner - 30 - Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch CANADIANS C f December 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Game Farming In Alberta 1 Alberta Agriculture's Printed Material To Include Hectares And Acres. . . 4 Red Deer Area Firms Receive Nutritive Processing Financial Assistance 5 Alberta Treasury Checking Farmer Declaration Forms , . .7 Year-End Planning To Reduce Tne Farm Tax Bite (Part III) 8 News From Lambco 11 Turkey Outlook 13 Choosing And Cooking A Christmas Turkey 14 Associate Trade Director Appointed 16 Regional Dairv Specialist Appoimed To Grande Prairie 17 Family Management Specialist Appointed 18 Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GAME FARMING IN ALBERTA A young moose which is being raised in captivity. Surveys carried out by the University of Alberta indicate that there is good public support for a revision to The Wildlife Act, scheduled for the spring session of the Alberta Legislature, that will legalize the commercial production of game animals. However, opposition to this practice has been expressed by some naturalists and sportsmen. Dr. Robert Hudson, associate professor of wildlife productivity and management at the university, says the opposition stems mainly from an incomplete understanding of what game farming is and what it can offer. He points out that commercial game production involves the use of the province's wildlife resources in a way that will benefit farmers, native people and all Albertans. Concern has been expressed by some that game farming will spell the end of the wilderness in Alberta. "It is true", says Dr. Hudson, "that predators, like the timber wolf, - (cont'd) - /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch -2- 2 Game Farming In Alberta (cont'd) will have to be controlled, that some forage production and winter feeding will have to be provided and that access to public big game huntinc will have 10 be controlled. For this reason I believe that game farming should be carried out on Indian and Metis land, where oublic access is already limited, and on private and where present agricultural practices have left little wildlife habitat". He goes on to point out that it is also true that many of the white-tailed deer that are harvested in Alberta each year come from private land, but that it is only sound manage- ment tc have non-hunted refuges scattered thro jgh out the agricultural area to serve as a re- stocking reservoir for such animals. Both moose and deer are able to move freely over and under conventional game fences. And Dr. Hudson claims that if game farmers were permitted to raise wapiti, this species would again be seen in areas of the province where they have not been seen for more than one hundred years. He also points out that the resultant increase in pasture land from the commercial raising of game animals would mean a better quality of habitat for other wildlife species .than is provided by cultivated fields. Another concern expressed by both wildlife managers and sportsmen is that the commercial production of game animals could had to widespread illegal dealings in wildlife products. Dr. Hudson says it must be recognize d that the economic motive for such dealings already exists and will continue to exist regardless of whether or not a commercial game production industry is developed. Because a leg supply of wildlife products would stabilize prices, it should actually go a long way, in Dr. Hudson's opinion, towards reducing the incen- tive to deal in illegal products. Then there are those who would argjethat illegal products could be "laundered" through a formal marketing system. However, Dr. Hudson thinks this would be unlikely, at least in the case of venison, even under exist ng controls. He points out that the federal - (cont'd) - -3 3 Game Farming In Alberta ( cont'd) government's meat inspection regulations require the t all animals must be inspected before they are slaughtered, ahd that problems that could a'ise from the illegal sale of antlers, for example, and breeding stock, could be avoided by well designed legislation. Still another misconception that is held bv some is that land which is suitable for the commercial production of game animals presently supports a high wildlife population. Although game farming may be viable on marginal lends, which presently provide the least disturbed wildlife habitat, the best areas for this type of farming are those that are classified as good agricultural land. Hence, most game farms will be established in these areas. -30 - Phone: (403)427-2121 >dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch December 12, 1983 4 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA AGRICULTURE'S PRINTED MATERIAL TO INCLUDE HECTARES AND ACRES LeRoy Fjordbotten, Alberta's minister of agriculture, is pleased to announce that, effective immediately, all agricultural publications and material printed by the department will include both hectare and acre land measurements, where applicable. "Making mistakes can be costly for producers, especially when converting expen- sive chemicals and fertilizers for proper acre applications," said Mr. Fjordbotten. "I wart to make sure that farmers have every advantage to ensure they are maximizing their returns." The use of hectare and acrs measurements in agricultural publications follows a government decision that all departments and agencies of the government of Alberta, which have moved to the use of the hectare as a unit of measurement, be required to provide the equivalent land area information in both metric and imperial units. The only exemptions from this policy will be the Energy Resources Conservation Board and specific areas of the Department of Energy and Natural Resources which pertain to their responsibilities and interactions with the oil and gas industry. Mr. Fjordbotten said "The identific. tion of both acre and hectare measurements will allow farmers to make better management lecisions. Farms were developed on an acre basis and farmers can relate to acres better than hectares." Alberta Agriculture will be providing acre— hectare equivalents in all future publi- cations, fact sheets and related information available to Alberta producers. -30- alberta AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch December 5, 1983 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RED DEER AREA FIRMS RECEIVE NUTRITIVE PROCESSING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Five firms in the Red Deer area will receive a total of $402,216 in financial assis- tance under the Canada-Alberta Nutritive Processing Assistance Agreement. Feed-Rite Alberta Ltd wi I receive $271,597 to construct a feedmill at Linden. The new facility will produce a comp ete line o: livestock and poultry feeds as well as handle premixes, animal health products, dc j food, insecticides and some lines of poultry feeding equipment. Its cost is estimated at $1 5 million ind it is expected to create 16 jobs. V-S Feed and Agri Supp ies Ltd will receive $51,446 to establish a plant in Ponoka. It will produce ground feed ^uppleme its and mineral and vitamin mixes as well as carrying a complete line of farm and /eterinary supplies. The facility's cost is estimated at $224,000 and it is expected to create 0 jobs. Central Alberta Dairy Poo and FaLh Farms Ltd will receive $48,468 to expand and modernize their plant in Red Deer. The pkmt currently produces and packages a full line of dairy products, including cheddar and cottage cheese, yogurt and sour creem. The cost of the renovations is estimated at $256,000 and 17 people ate expected to be employed by the third year of operation. Olds Meat Packers Ltd and Olds Mt at Packers (Central) Ltd will receive $19,650 to expand and modernize its plant in Olds. Tl e money will be used to upgrade its abattoir and to add a sausage kitchen to its present facilities. The cost of the renovations is estimated at $98,000 and it is expected that one addition? I job will be created. J & R Meats will receive $11,055 to establish an operation in Alliance. It will provide fresh meat and other products to the town and the surrounding area. The cost of the facility is estimated at approximately $34,000 and two jobs will be created. (cont d) ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Red Deer Area Firms Receive Nutritive Processing Financial Assistance (cont'd) An extension of the Canada-Alberta Nutritive Processing Assistance Agteement, which is equally and jointly administered by the two levels of government, was signed recently. It will allow applicants to apply for financial assistance until September 30, 1984. Further information can be obtained from Dr. Jim Wiebe, Alberta Agriculture at 427-4287. -30- December 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBERTA TREASURY CHECKING FARMER DECLARATION FORMS Alberta farmers should be aware that Alberta Treasury is checking the registra- tions of vehicles that are classified for farm use (F plates) against the farmer declaration forms that it has on file. John Chang, energy engineer with Alberta Agriculture, explains that owners of vehicles that are classified for farm use with the motor vehicles branch are entitled to use purple fuel under the Alberta Farm Fuel Distribution Allowance Program, providing that they are actively engaged in farming and that they have filed a farmer declaration form with their bulk fuel dealer. It appears that there are a consider jble number of people whose vehicles have been registered for farm use, but who have not filed a farmer declaration form. This means that if they are using purple fuel, they are doing so illegally. Alberta Treasury is now contacting people whose vehicles have been registered for farm use, but who have not filed a farmer declaration form with their bulk fuel dealer. Mr. Chang believes some of the disci epancy in the number of vehicles registered for farm use and the number of farmer declaration forms that have been filed could have been caused by farmers having retired, havimi gone out of business or having sold their vehicles to non-farmers. -30 hone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch December 12, 1983 y FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE YEAR-END PLANNING TO REDUCE THE FARM TAX BITE (PART III) by Merle Good Farm Business Management Branch, Alberta Agriculture Farmers who have had a good year and are in the happy position of wanting to reduce their taxable income should consider the various strategies that can be used for this purpose. But they should remember that their objective should always be to maximize their profits; not to minimize their taxes! Following is a list of the strategies: Purchasing supplies at the end of the tax year. Even with high interest rates, it may pay to borrow additional fundi to take advantage of significant tax deductions, early purchase discounts, etc. . Using deferred grain t ckets to reduce income and increase expenses. This strategy entails endorsing the tickets and giving them to the dealer as a type of post-dated cheque. The result is a deductible expense in the current tax year and the deferral of income until the following year when the deal< r cashes the tickets. Paying spouse and children a salary for their work. An additional benefit of this strategy is that the spouse will then be eligible for the Canadian Pension Plan and able to contribute to her own registered retirement savings plan. A salary of about $6,756 will not attract a tax liability for the current taxation year, and the net effect of claiming this ex- pense, as opposed to using the spousal marriage deduction, will be a tax saving of $915. Buying new machinery when it is needed before the end of the year to take advantage of the capital cost write-off and the investment tax credit on new purchases. How- ever, this strategy is not as profitable as it used to be because the purchaser can now claim only one half of his normal capital cost allowance in the year in which the piece of equip- ment was purchased. >dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - (cont'd) - hone: (403)427-2121 9 - 2 Year-End Planning To Reduce The Farm Tax Bile (Part III) (cont'd) Forming a holding company if the farm is incorporated and its fiscal year ends before December 30. The formation of a holding company will allow the corporation to declare dividends on income earned prior to 1933 without triggering the new 12.5 per cent dividend distribution tax. Depending upon th >i size of the corporation's retained earnings, the merits of this strategy could be well worth discussing wilh an accountant. Contributing to a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP). This strategy could be especially beneficial if more than $1 ,000 of interest is being earned from income or dividends. Contributions are deductible and there are no restrictions on withdrawing the money except for a small withholding tax. Loaning funds to spouse and children on an interest-free demand ncte and having them invest the money so that each earns up to $1,000 of interest income per year. Since this aspect of the loan will override the income attribution rules, it will allow the inter- est to be taxed in the hands of the recipients. . Using cash to retire any personal loans, and, if necessary, re-borrowing the funds under a business loan. Interest on the naw loan will be deductible because it will be used for business purposes. And the net effect will be an exchange of a non-deductible inter- est loan for a deductible interest loan. Asking machinery manufacturers to send rebate cheques directly to you; not to the dealer. A recent court case indicates th£ t rebates that come directly from a manufac- turer to the purchaser are tax-free. This means that the purchaser can claim the investment from credit and the capital cost allowance on the full purchase price of the piece of equip- ment, as opposed to only on the price that was paid after the rebate had been deducted. Finally, make sure that you are informed on the proposed amendments that are contained in the April 1983 federal budget. A though these amendments have not yet been - (cont'd) - -3- 10 Year-End Planning To Reduce The Farm Tax Bite (Part III) (cont'd) passed into law a number of them are very important. One concerns the use of the invest- ment tax credit. When the amendment is passed, it will allow credits earned in 1983 to be carried back two years and forward seven years. And in 1984, the carry-back period will be extended to three years. Also, a 40 per cent special refundable tax credit will be available from Revenue Canada on investments that were purchased between April 15, 1983 and May 1, 1986. In view of the complexities of the present taxation system, the knowleage and advice of a competent accountant is almost a necessity today. -30 - Phone: (403)427-2121 Aha\Q AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch December 12, 983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS FROM LAMBCO by Ruth Salmon Meat and Dairy Consultant, Alberta Agriculture As the only lamb processing plant in Western Canada, Lambco plays an important role in the operations of all Alberta sheep producers. Lambco recently announced the appointment of James W. Coutts to the newly created position of general sales manager. Having spent many years with a major Canadian packer, Mr. Coutts has considerable experience in the meat industry. This experience will enable him to work closely with the retail and wholesale trade to maintain the existing market and to seek new market opportunities. Packaging Equipment Purchase Lambco is currently preparing to install a "Cryovac" packaging system. It will not only give Lambco products a neater, more attractive appearance, but it will also signifi- cantly increase their shelf life. And with the now equipment, the plant's capacity to further process lamb cuts into boxed form will be grea ly increased. The increased processing capa- city, plus the superior quality of the new packaged cuts, will give the plant the flexibility to enter new markets. Retail operations, not equipped to handle whole carcasses, will now have the opportunity to carry the Lambco product. Market News Slaughter levels at Lambco are up b\ 25 per cent over last year. In fact, during one week in Cctcber, the plant slaughtered more than 3,000 lambs - an all time record! - (conf I) - ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403)427-2121 Print Media Branch News -rom Lambco (cont'd) This year's peak killing period at the plant occurred between late May and early August. Interestingly, this period was both shorter and earlier than in past years. Associated with this peak killing period, lamb prices reached their lowest point in early August. How- ever, an upward trend in prices can now be expected into the first quarter of 1984. -30- December 12. 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 13 TURKEY OUTLOOK The general outlook for the Canadian turkey industry for 1984 is good and prices are expected to remain profitable. David Hope of Alberta Agriculture's market analysis branch expects Candian stacks of frozen turkey to be below 10 million kg on January 1 , 1984, which would be a con- siderable imorovement over what they have been in recent years. He says Canadian disappearance of turkey meat during the first 10 months of 1983 is estimated at 67.8 million kg or up by 6.4 per cent from a year earlier. Turkey con- sumption this Christmas is expected to be equal to or slightly highe r than it was last year. Canadian turkey production during the first 10 months of this year totalled 79.6 million kg or one per cent above what it was du» ing the same period in 1982. And Canadian ^old storage turkey stocks on November 1 of thi . year totalled 26 million kg or 10.3 per cent below what they were in 1982. Mr. Hope reports that Alberta turk :y production during the same 10 months totalled 6.5 million kg, which represented a A.', per cent increase from the same period in 1982. He also says that the apparent consumpt on of turkey was 5.4 million kg or 2.9 per cent below what it was a year earlier. The Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency (CTMA) has allocated 89.1 million kg of global quota for 1984, which is a reduction of 4.6 per cent compared with this year's quota. Mr. Hope expects that the global quota for turkey will be reviewed early next year and that a favorable stock level could result in an upward revision. The above a~tic!e is based on information that was available in November, 1983. - 30- ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch December 12, 1983 14 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHOOSING AND COOKING A CHRISTMAS TURKEY by Linda St. Onge Food and Nutrition Specia'ist, Alberta Agriculture With Christmas rapidly approachii g, there is one thing that Albertans can be happy about. It is the bargain prices that still exist for poultry. Choosing a turkey takes a little planning. You should allow approximately 0.2 to 0.3 kg (1/2 to 3/4 of a pound) per person. Hence, if you are planning to have 12 people for Christmas dinner, you should choose a bird that weighs from 2.7 to 4 kg. For 20 people you will need a bird that weighs from 4.5 to 6 8 kg. However, if you want to freeze some of the turkey to enjoy later, you will need a larger bird. All Canada Grade A turkeys sho Jld have an excellent appearance. In other words, there should be no large tears in the skin 2nd there should be no pieces missing. Turkeys are often packed with "optional extr as" like butter-basting and a pop-up indicator that shows when the bird is cooked. Remember, though, these "optional extras" add to the cost of the bird, and that you can achieve the same results by basting the turkey while it is cooking and using a meat thermometer. Utility Grade birds are usually just as tender as a Canada Grade A bird, but they will have a tear in the skin, a crooked breastbone or a piece missing. And they usually cost a few cents per kilogram less than a grade / bird. If you buy a fresh turkey, you should not buy it more than two or three days before you intend to cook it, and you should keep it in the refrigerator. On the other hand, a frozen turkey can be kept for up to 12 months at a temperature of -18° C. It is best to thaw it in its wrapping in the refrigerator You should allow a thawing time of 10 hours per kilogram, which means that a 5-kg turkey would take two days to thaw while a 10-kg bird would take four days. - (cont'd) - Phone: (403)427-2121 AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 15 -2- Choosing and Cooking a Christmas Turkey (coni 'd) Turkeys and other poultry can b ; thawed at room temperature if there is no space in the refrigerator, but they should be refrigerated or cooked as soon as they have thawed. When thawing a turkey at room temperature, allow three hours per kilogram. If you leave it in its plastic wrap and then wrap it in newspaper and put it into a paper bag, it will thaw more evenly, but it will take a little longer. Before roasting your turkey, brush its surface with melted fat, place it in a shallow roasting pan and cover it loosely with tin foil to prevent it from becoming too brown. Then insert a meat thermometer through the stuffing and cook the turkey until the tem- perature registers about 70° C. This will take about four and a half hours for a 5-Kg turkey and about six hours for a 10-Kg turkey. To be on the safe side, rerr ove th>; stuffing as soon as the bird is cooked, and remove any left over meat from the carcass as soon as the meal is over. Wrap it in tin foil or plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator or fieezer. It will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator and for up to about three months in the freezer. -30 • December 12, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ASSOCIATE TRADE DIRECTOR APPOINTED David C. Rous, Alberta Agriculture's Trade Director for Canada/U.S.A., has announced the appointment of Doug Bienert to the position of associate trade director. He replaces Lee Harris who retired at the end of September. As associate trade director, Mr. Bienert will work closely with Mr. Rous in developing market opportunities for Alberta's agricultural commodities, processed food products and technical services in the central Canada/U.S. markets. He was born and raised in the Leduc area and attended California Polytechnic State University in California, U.S.A., where he obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in agriculture in 1967 and 1973 respectively. Mr. Bienert has spent the past several years with Alberta Agriculture, most re- cently as supervisor of 4-H field services. He has worked for the Canada Livestock Import Export Co. and has been very active as secretary of the Alberta branch of the Holstein Association of Canada. Mr. Bienert, who has a broad knowledge of the livestock industry, has parti- cipated in several foreign missions, including the Vladison and Guadalajara international live- stock shows. As a result of his 4-H work, he is A/ell acquainted with the promotional work that is required to assist Alberta producers. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch December 12, 1983 17 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE REGIONAL DAIRY SPECIALIST APPOINTED TO GRANDE PRAIRIE The head of Alberta Agriculture's dairy processing branch, Ken Waldon, has announced the appointment of Robert Pulyk to the position of regional dairy specialist at Grande Prairie. Mr. Pulyk was raised and educated in the Sarnia area of Ontario and attended the University of Guelph, where he majored in dairy science. Following graduation he was employed as assistant production supervisor by Clark's Dairy in Ottawa. When Clark's Dairy was purchased by Wm. Neilson Company Ltd., a well-known manufacturer of ice cream and chocolate products, Mr. Pulyk was transferred to the company's Toronto operation as a product development engi- neer. He was superintendent of finished products quality control prior to joining Alberta Agriculture. Mr. Pulyk and his wife will be living in Grande Prairie. -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 /dlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch December 12, 1983 18 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FAMILY MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST APPOINTED The head of Alberta Agriculture's home economics branch, Shirley Myers, has announced the appointment of Karin Hoist to the position of family management specialist. Ms. Hoist will be located in Fairview and will be responsible for developing and providing information on time management, budgeting, finances and home and farm record keeping systems to farm families. And she will be helping the district home economists in the department's two northern regions to develop programs in these areas. Ms. Hoist comes from the Peace Riv< r region and grew up on a certified seed farm northwest of Fairview. After attending the Hines Creek High School she attended the Univer- sity of Alberta, graduating in 1975 with a B.Sc. (home economics). She majored in foods and nutrition. Following graduation she went to Papua New Guinea for three years under the auspices of CUSO. While there she developed nutritional programs in the rural highlands. After returning home she worked as a home management educator in Frobisher Bay and then as a homemaker coordinator in the Wildwood area of Alberta. For the past three years Ms. Hoist has been district home economist at Three Hills where she has concentrated on strength3ning the knowledge and skills of rural women in the overall farming operation. -30 Liberia AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch FEB~1 5 1984 December 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Promising New Hornfly Control Products Tested 1 Choosing The Right Trace Mineral Salt 3 The Savory Grazing Method 5 Research Into A Serious Swine Disease 8 Pesticide Breakdown By Soil Organisms 10 Take-All Root Rot In Wheat 12 Taxation Considerations When Relocating A Farm Business 13 Farm Computer Home Stuc y Course 15 Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 1 December 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PROMISING NEW HORNFLY CONTRC L PRODUCTS TESTED Some of the new hornfly control products and devices that were tested in field trials last summer by the Alberta Environmental Centre's entomology section staff proved to be very effective and efficient in controlling these insects on ange cattle. According to the centre's livestock entomologist, Hugh Philip, the trials were part of an ongoing program that is designed to evaluate new products and devices and to disseminate the information to farmers. He says last summer's trials were carried out in cooperation with cattlemen near Innisfree, Provost and Czar. The trial that involved self-treatment backrubbers, which had been charged with the insecticide fenvaleraie, provided excellent hornfly control for the whole grazing season, according to Mr. Philli ). He says one backrubber was located in a strategic position in each of six pastures, which each contained 65 to 189 head of either yearlings or cows and calves, and that the control was excellent in all the pastures. Other trials involved the use of experimental tags which had been impregnated with an insecticide and attached to the ear, tail or an identification eartag on the cattle. One set of the tags had been impregnated with oypermethrin and the other with permethrin. Both sets gave season-long hornfly control when they wore attached to one ear of each animal in the pasture. The two experimental devices that were tested last summer had both been impregnated with permethrin. One was a bandaid-like tape that was attached to the "neck" of the identification tags on the cattle, while tie other was a plastic strip, resembling a 15 cm ruler, that was attached to the identification tags with a plastic cord. Mr. Philip reports that both devices gave excelle it hornfly contn I throughout the season, but that only the tape-type gave satisfactory control whri the de ices were attached to the tails of the cattle, just above the switch. - (cont'd) - AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch ydlbcrra Promising New Hornfly Control Products Tested (cont'd) The data that have been obtained from the above trials will now be submitted to Agriculture Canada officials who will review it as part of the registration process for new insecticides, use patterns and application devices. Mr. Philip points out that the trials have also provided invaluable information on the way the insecticides and devices perform under Alberta conditions and under the cattle management systems that are used here. "This means", says Mr. Philip, "that Alberta cattlemen will be able to use them, when they become available, with the assurance that they will perform as stated on the product labels, providing they followed the directions properly." - 30 - December 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHOOSING THE RIGHT TRACE MINERAL SALT Although feeding a trace- mineralized salt is a common and a relatively easy way of supplementing copper and zinc in beef cattle rations, it is very important to remember that ali trace mineral salts do not contain the same amounts of hese nutrients, and that some do not supply enough of them when consumed by cattle at the normal level. The head of Alberta Agriculture's animal nutr tion section, Ron Weisenburger, reports that more than 80 per cent of the farm-grown feed; that are analyzed at the Agricul- tural Soil and Feed Testing Laboratory in Edmonton for iheir copper and zinc content are found to be either borderline or deficient in these nutrients from the point of view of beef cattle needs. He points out that several of the "old style" trice mineral salt products that are still on the market in Alberta contain only 0.01 to 0.04 per cent copper and only about 0.4 per cent zinc compared with 0.25 per cent copper and 0.75 per cent zinc for the "new style" products. The following table shows the daily requirements for copper and zinc of a beef animal that is eating 10 kg (22 lbs) of dry matter per day; the amount of copper and zinc provided by 30g (about one oz) of the "old style" trace mineral salt products, and the amount provided by 30g of the "new style" trace mineral salt products. Daily Amount Supplied by 30g of Requirement "Old Style" Salt "New Style" Salt Copper 100 mg 3-12 mg 75 mg Zinc 400-500 mg 120mg 225 mg Since 10 kg of dry matter from farm-grown feeds typically provide about 50 mg of copper and 250 mg of zinc, it is obvious from the above table that 30g of the "old style" (cont'd! /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Choosing The Right Trace Mineral Salt (cont'd) mineral salt products do not provide enough additional copper and zinc to meet the require- ments of beef cattle. According to Mr. Weisenburger, the general rule is that a salt which contains at least 0.25 per cent copper, 0.75 per cent zinc and normal levels of both cobalt and iodine, and which is consumed at a level of at least 0.3 per cent of the total dry matter intake, is needed to meet the requirements of beef cattle for these nutrients. He reports that the "new style" trace mineral salt products are being marketed in Alberta at the present time with and without added selenium. And he says the choice of which type to use will depend upon whether or not selenium deficiency is a problem. He also says that the prolonged use of trace mineral salt products that have been medicated with EDDI (organic iodine) is not recommended because it could lead to chronic iodine toxicity, and that cobalt-iodized (blue) salt should only be used when copper and zinc are being ade- quately supplemented by other means or when the feed is known to contain adequate levels of these nutrients. Finally, Mr. Weisenburger emphasizes that the amount of copper that is provided by a trace mineral salt that contains 0.25 per cent copper can be toxic to sheep. -30- December 19. 1983 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE SAVORY GRAZING METHOD At the present time there are three or four Savory Grazing Method ranching schemes being used or developed in Alberta from Chin Coulee in the south to Buck Lake in the central part of the province. The Savory Grazing Method is a high intensity, short duration grazing manage- ment technique, which is usually associated with a grazing cell where the water and animal handling facilities are located at the hub of from five to 42 pie-shaped pastures. According to Alberta Agriculture's supervisor of range management, Bob Wroe, the Savory Grazing Method, which is being promoted by Savory and Parson Ranch Consul- tants of New Mexico, was developed by Alan Savory. Mr. Wroe says a number of Albertans attended the Savory School in New Mexico and set up a cell on their ranches when they returned. The Savory Grazing Method involves the following four principles. The first principle is that the grazing periods are interspersed with rest periods. To reduce the stress that grazing animals put on forage plants, each grazing period should be short enough to prevent the regrazing of individual plants. The ideal is a grazing period of one to three davs which is followed by a rest period of from 30 to 60 days. However, Mr. Wroe reports that research carried out at tie federal research station at Manyberries has shown that rotational grazing has a detrimental offect on individual animal gains. The second principle is to use a maximum herd size and a maximum stocking density for a minimum time. Savory claims that the action of the hooves of a large herd of cattle breaks the crust on the soil's surface and works the litter into the soil, which improves water penetration and seed germination. (cont'd) >dlbcrra AGRICULTURE (403)427-2121 Print Media Branch - 2 - 6 The Savory Grazing Method (cont'd) Mr. Wroe says, although research carried out in Alberta has never really invest- igated this theory, the action of animals' hooves on pastures has usually been considered to be detrimental to the soil from the points of view of compaction and erosion. However, a large herd of cattle that is allowed to graze on a particular area for a short period encourages the uniform use of the pasture and a more uniform fertilization effect from the manure. On the other hand, moving the stock frequently to fresh forage is believed to reduce the deleter- ious effect of manure fouling. The third principle is that grazing periods must be as short as possible during the time that the plants are growing. The theory here is that excessive leaf area reduction, assoc- iated with overgrazing, will be avoided. The fourth principle is that the Savory Grazing Method can be continually devel- oped. Unlike many grazing systems that require a given set of pastures and a predetermined stocking rate, it makes it possible to start at an unsophisticated level and to develop the system as grazing conditions and finances permit. In other words, there is no minimum or maximum number of fields required and no optimum size of field. More pastures are added as grazing requirements and finances dictate. The statement has been made that the Savory Grazing Method often makes it possible to double stocking numbers. However, as Mr. Wroe points out, whether or not a person is able to double his stc eking numbers depends upon where he starts out from." It is quite conceivable," he says, "to double stocking numbers if range or pasture conditions are improved and if the grazing distribution is improved." He also points out that Savory's emphasis is on animal production per acre, rather than on average daily gain per animal per season, and that Alberta-based grazing studies indicate that overgrazing pays in the short term. - (cont'd) - 7 - 3- The Savory Grazing Method (cont'd) Alberta Agriculture staff are monitoring two Savory Grazing Method projects that are being carried out under the Farming for the Future Program. "We hope," says Mr. Wroe, " to have an evaluation of this method under Alberta conditions within the next few years. We do not have enough information at this time to either recommend or not recommend the Savory Grazini Method to Alberta ranchers." -30- Phone: (403)427-2121 ydlberra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch December 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RESEARCH INTO A SERIOUS SWINE DISEASE Have you heard of Hemophilus pneumonia in hogs? It is a bacterial infection that some hog producers in the midwestern United States are calling their most serious disease. It can range from a mild infection where there are no symptoms, apart from a depressed growth rate, to a raging pneumonia that can kill overnight. In one case that was recorded in Saskatchewan two years ago, 40 pigs died in three days. It seems that the inci- dence of this disease is increasing in C.mada as closely confined quarters and large-scale pro- duction units become the norm for the swine industry. Alberta Agriculture's Farming for the Future Program has contributed $101,000 to a research project on hemophilus that is being conducted by Dr. Philip Wilson of the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and by Dr. Dudley Osborn of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, also in Saskatoon. They are presently working on a vaccine that would prevent lung damage and death. The two commercial vaccines that they have tested are apparently unable to prevent the chronic form of the disease. The scientists are also investigating the possibility of using antibiotics to prevent and to treat acute cases of hemophilus as well as to reduce economic losses in chronically infected herds. They have already tested a number of vaccines that they have developed from bacterial extracts, and they have found two that provide good protection. However, they are still looking for a better adjuvant (tne substance that the bacterial extract is mixed with to produce an injectible vaccine). The scientists have also found that an outbreak of hemophilus can be stemmed by giving the healthy pigs in the herd a dose of a long-acting injectible oxy- tetracycline. And they have found that acutely ill pigs can be saved with an antibiotic injec- tion, providing that they are treated in time. (cont'd] /dlberra AGRICULTURE (403)427-2121 Print Media Branch Research Into A Serious Swine Disease (cont'd) This year they began exploring the role that environmental stress, especially that involved in transportation and temperature extremes, plays in precipitating hemophilus. They are also nvolved in developing a practical blood test to diagnose the infection in com- mercial swine herds. Although they have developed a test which they have successfully used in their own experimental herd, they still have to try it in commercial herds where diagnosing hemophilus is more difficult because of the presence of a larger variety of organisms. -30- December 19, 1983 IC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PESTICIDE BREAKDOWN BY SOI L ORGANISMS by Dr. U If Soehngen Alberta Horticultural Research Center, Brooks Often when a pesticide fails to control a pest, the immediate assumption is that the pest has developed a resistance to the chemical, but this assumption may not be correct. There are bacteria and fungi that are capable of deriving energy from the degradation of certain pesticides in some soils, and repeated applications of the pesticide actually enable these microorganisms to multiply very rapidly. This, in turn, accelerates the rate at which the pesticide breaks down. For example, when Furadan is applied repeatedly to certain fields, it has been found that it breaks down into non-toxic products in as little as 30 days. And similar reports on the behaviour of the herbicide Eradicane and the organo- phosphate insecticide Diasinon have been received from various places in the world. Although not enough is known at this time about this phenomenon to predict the type of soil in which it is likely to occur, there seems to be some relationship between chemi- cal breakdown and soil pH. A" a pH level that is lower than 6, for example, the problem does not seem to occur. In practical terms this neans that a person whose soil has a pH of 7 or higher may be getting an unexpectedly rapid pesticide breakdown and hence poor pest control. According to the Illinois Natural History Survey, and according to Allan Felstool, who is an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois, chemical extenders, controlled release pesticide formulations and the rotation of certain classes of chemicals may all be helpful in combating the problem. In laboratory experiments, chemical extenders have been shown to keep pesticides in the soil longer, slow release formulations make the pesticide available over a longer period and the rotation of chemical classes reduces the rate at which the microorganisms build up and pesticide degradation takes place. The stricter timing of pesticide applications may also be helpful from the point of view of correlating the application of the pesticide with the occurence of the pest. - (cont'd) - ydlberra AGRICULTURE (403) 427-21 21 Prmt Media Branch -2- 1 1 Pesticide Breakdown by Soil Organisms (cont'd ) However, in the final analysis, the problems that are associated with the break- down of pesticides by soil organisms will only be solved when scientists discover the specific microorganism or the enzyme systems that are responsible *or the phenomenon and when they learn how to inhibit those organisms. -30- 12 December 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAKE-ALL ROOT ROT IN WHEAT Take-all root rot has been more prevalent than usual in wheat crops in southern Alberta this season. Dr. Ron Howard, plant pathologist with the Alberta Horticultural Research Center in Brooks, says take-all, which is caused by a soil-borne fungus, is considered to be a major problem in temperate climates where wheat and grass culture are intensive. He also says yield losses of as high as 50 per cent have been attributed to this disease. Take-all symptoms are most noticeable on wheat plants grown in moist soil and just before they head out. Plants that are infected tend to be stunted and to be somewhat yellow. They have few tillers, ripen prematurely and their heads are bleached (white heads) and sterile. Dr. Howard says he white heads caused by hail and the wheat stem maggot are sometimes confused with thos: caused by take-all. When infected plants are pulled up, their lower stems and roots will generally be found to have t een blackened by fungus growth. Take-all likes an alkaline, compact, poorly drained and infertile (especially nitro- gen and phosphorous-deficient) soil. And, like many other soil-borne diseases, it increases in severity during the initial three to six years of continuous wheat cropping. The control of take-all is not easy because there are no wheat varieties that are highly resistant to it. Dr. Howard recommends rotating wheat crops with non-susceptible crops like oats, barley, corn, oilseeds or legumes. He says applications of lime and applica- tions of nitrate fertilizers generally increase the buildup of take-all. However, ammoniacal and the slower-release forms of nitrogen are less favoiable. And spring applications of nitro- gen are normally less favorable than fall applications. Dr. Howard also recommends providing an adequate level of phosphorous to promote good root growth in wheat crops. -30- ydlborra AGRICULTURE (403)427-2121 Print Media Branch 13 December 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAXATION CONSIDERATIONS WHEN RELOCATING A FARM BUSINESS In view of the taxation implications of relocating a farm business, farmers who are contemplating such a move should ask themselves the following questions: . Is the purpose for which I intend to use the replacement property the same as or similar to, that for which I am using the present property? . Am I using my present property to earn income from a business? . If I dispose of my prese it property, what is the time limit I have in which to buy a replacement property. . What is the value or cosi of the replacement property compared with the one I am thinking of selling? • Will I be able to defer all or only part of my gain from the sale of my present property and the purchase of replacement property. Under the replacement property provision of the federal Income Tax Act, which came into effect in 1977, a tax-deferred rollover of business assets is allowed if the property is replaced by similar business assets by the end of the following taxation year. To qualify for this rollover , the asset must have been a business property immed- iately before its disposition; the replacement asset must have been purchased before the end of the first taxation year following the disposition of the original asset; a letter of election (notifi- cation of intent) must be filed with the vendor's tax return for the year in which the replace- ment property was acquired; the replacement asset must be used in the same business as the original asset or in a similar business; and the property must be taxable Canadian property if the owner is not a Canadian resident. The same rules apply to property that is expropriated. The owner may defer all or part of his gain on the disposition of such property, and he may defer all or part of the recapture of the capital cost allowance. The same rules also apply regarding the purchase of replacement - (cont'd) - 3hone: (403)427-2121 AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch - 2 - 14 Taxation Considerations When Relocating a Farm Business (cont'd ) property except that a person whose property was expropriated has until the end of the second taxation year following expropriation in which to purchase replacement property. More detailed information on the replacement property provision of the federal Income Tax Act and examples of how it works are contained in a publication entitled "Tax Consideration When Relocating a Farm Business" (Agdex 837-4). It can be obtained from district agriculturists and from the Publications Office, Alberta Agriculture, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000-1 1 3 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. -30 - 15 December 19, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FARM COMPUTER HOME STUDY COURSE Alberta Agriculture's farm business management branch has developed a home- study course on farm computers that will be available to farmers anywhere in the province. Paul Gervais of the farm business management branch says "The course is de- signed for farmers who are wondering whether they should computerize. If a farmer decides to buy a computer, the course will provide him with enough background to enable him to walk into a computer store and to make an informed purchasing decision." The eight lessons that make up the course will cover the history of computers, the farm application of computers and the various parts of a computer system. The farm applica- tion section will provide detailed information on computerized accounting and physical record keeping systems and on the educational and home uses of farm computers. The course material will be mailed out by the Rural Education and Development Association (REDA) in February, 1984. Registration forms can be obtained from Alberta Agriculture's district offices, the farm business management branch in Olds, and Home Study, Communications Division, J.G. O'Donc ghue Building, 7000-113 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6 (Telephone: 422-2896). Brc ;hures and further information are also available from these sources. The registration form, should be returned to REDA, 14815-119 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T5L 2N9. The course will be suppler tented by local seminars and training courses which involve the actual use of a comouter in those areas of the province where there is a high level of interest. The cost of the Farm Computer Home Study Course is $25, but groups of 10 or more people will be eligible for a 20 per cent discount. -30- ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403)427-2121 Print Media Branch December 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THIS WEEK Lethbridge Area Firms Receive Financial Assistance 1 1983 Alberta Field Crops Review 3 Hail And Weather Damage To Crops In 1983 4 1983 Alberta Potato Disease Situanon 5 Confectionery Sunflowers 6 Cattle Carcass Bruising 8 Controlling Farm Input Costs 9 Custom Farming Agreement 11 Using Manure As A Fertilizer 13 Should You Buy A Computer? 14 Biological Control Of Insects 15 Questions And Answers 17 ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Brancn 1 December 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LETHBRIDGE AREA FIRMS RECEIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Three Alberta firms, two located in Lethbridge and one near Magrath, will re- ceive $184,800 under the Canada-Alberta Nutritive Processing Assistance Agreement to modernize and expand their operations. Ellison Milling Company of Lethbridge, and a division of Parrish and Heimbecker Ltd., will receive $1 29,600 to modernize its flour and feed milling operation. The facility was established in 1906 and the financial assistance will be used to purchase new equipment, to upgrade the plant, shop, office, laborat >ry and yard and to expand its product line. The cost is estimated to be $648,000 and two new jobs are expected to be created. Canadian Co-operative Wocl Growers Ltd. of Lethbridge will receive $29,200 to modernize and expand its operation, v hich coll ;cts locally produced wool, grades and bales it, and sells it to the company's head c f f ice in Ontario. The financial assistance will be used to expand the warehouse, improve the mechanical baler, purchase a new forklift and for other minor renovations. The cost is estimated to be $146,000 and several new jobs are expected to be created. The Rockport Hutterian Bn thren o Magraih will receive $26,000 to modernize their flour mill. The mill is located < 'n the H itterite :olony's land and was established in 1955. It produces flour and a pancak mix that is sold throughout Alberta under the trade name of "Coyote". The financial assistance will be used to automate the manual production line, which is estimated to cost $130,000. - (cont d) - /dlberra AGRICULTURE (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Lethbridge Area Firms Receive Financia Assistance (cont'd) A one year extension of the Canada-Alberta Nutritive Processing Assistance Agreement, which is jointly administered and equally funded by the federal Department of Regional Industrial Expansion and Alberta Agriculture, means that applicants now have until September 30, 1984 to apply for assistance. Further information can be obtained from Dr. Jim Wiebe, Alberta Agriculture at 427-4287. December 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3 1983 ALBERTA FIELD CROPS REVIEW While Alberta farmers did not establish any yield records in 1983, the overall quality of their crops was good. In fact it was considerably better than it was in 1 982. Alberta Agriculture's crop statistician, Marilyn Johnson, reports most of the grade reductions that did occur were attributed to the heat stress experienced by the crops in August and to last fall's unsettled harvesting weather. She says that the frost that occurred in the middle of August in low-lying areas in the northeastern and northwestern regions of the province did not cause any widespread damage, and that the frost in early September that occurred in the central and northwestern regions had only a slight effect on grades. However, rain during the spraying season caused excessive weed growth with the result that above aver- age dockage levels are expected. Ms. Johnson also reports that Alberta farmers planted a record number of acres to field crops in 1983. She says only 4.9 million acres of land were summerfallowed com- pared with 5.25 million acres n 1982. This was the smallest summerfallow acreage since 1939 when an estimated 4.6 million acres were out of production. Alberta's 1983 wheat production cached a record 6.8 million tonnes and was grown on a record 7,700,000 acres. This acreage was 12 per cent larger than that of 1982. Total production from the province's six main qrain and oilseed crops was 14.5 million tonnes or 6 per cent lower than it was in 1982, and 7 per cent lower than Alberta's record 1981 crop of 15.57 million tonnes. Statistics Canada's 1983 average yield estimates, expressed in kilograms per acre, are as follows. The figures in brackets represent the previcus five-year average. Wheat - 885 (835); oats - 910 (920); barley - 1010 (1055); rye - 830 (845); flaxseed - 465 (495); and canola - 445 (475). -30- ydltxsrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch 4 December 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HAIL AND WEATHER DAMAGE TO CROPS IN 1983 Based on claims submitted to the Alberta Hail and Crop Insurance Cor- poration, weather-related crop losses reached a record level in 1983. According to information recei/ed by Marilyn Johnson, Alberta Agri- culture's crop statistician, the claims that had bet i received by December were worth almost $84 million compared with $75 million in 1982. She says the size of the 1983 payout can be attributed to an increase in both the number of farmers who took out crop protection and to the losses from unfavorable weather. More than half of Alberta's farmers had some type; of crop protection in 1983. The crop losses that resulted from unfavorable weather were mainly in the form of reduced yields, which resulted from early spring droughts, excessive rain in July and heat stress in August. Ms. Johnson says nearly $47 million worth of the 1983 claims were for these weather-related losses. However, the number of claims for hail damage were down in 1983 compared with 1982. Total hail insurance claims in 1983 are estimated at $37 million compared with $50 million in 1982. Ms. Johnson points out that while the 1983 hail losses are lower than those recorc ed in 1982, they are still considered to be above the long - term average. -30- ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch December 26, 1983 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RElEASE 1983 ALBERTA POTATO DISEASE SITUATION Last summer a serious virus disease, corky ring spot, was diagnosed at the Alberta Horticultural Research Center's aboratory in potatoes that came from a home garden in the Wainwright area. And, at about the same time, the disease was diagnosed in Saskatchewan in potatoes that came from a home garden in Biggar. Alberta's research center's plant pathologist, Dr. Ronald Howard, reports that since the diagnosis was made samples of potatoes that were suspected of having corky ring spot have been solicited from home gardeners, market gardeners and commercial growers throughout Alberta. To date about a dozen suspicious samples have been received from five locations in the northeastern part of the province, and confirmation tests are presently under- way at Agriculture Canada's research stati }n in Vancouver, B.C. Corky ring spot is caused by the tobacco rattle virus and transmitted b\ nematodes. Dr. Howard also reports that verticillium and fusarium wilts were responsible for reduced potato y;elds in many commercial fields and home gardens in 1983. And witches' broom mycoplasma affected scattered plants in a commercial potato crop near Taber. However, the incidence of bacterial ring rot in commeicial potato crops was down in 1983 compared with the last four-year average. Of the 195 farms, on which a total of 18,759 acres of potatoes were inspected by Alberta Agriculture and agricultural service board staff, only 9.7 per cent of the farms and 7.9 per cent of the total acreage were found to have diseased potatoes. These figures compare with the last four-year average of 15.5 and 1 1.5 per cent respectively. Dr. Howard says nc ring rot was found in the counties of Forty Mile and Leth- bridge or in the Medicine Hat, Airdrie, Red Deer or Vermilion areas. And no ring rot was found in the 2,700 acres of seed potatoes that were inspected throughout the province by Agriculture Canada personnel and the Alberta Seed Potato Improvement Program suDervisors. /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch December 26, 1983 C. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONFECTIONERY SUNFLOWERS Did you know that sunflower seeds ontain 31 per cent more iron per pound than raisins, and that they are a good source of several mportant nutrients? According to Blair Roth, Alberta Agriculture's special crops specialist at Leth- bridge, non-oil sunflower seeds, usually referred to as confectionery sunflowers, are high in a number of the less common minerals, like iron, as well as in lysine and several vitamins includ- ing thiamin and niacin. They are also a good so jrce of high quality protein and unsaturated fat. The other type of sunflower seed gi )wn in North America is ths oil type and it is by far the most commonly grown on this C( ntinent. The seed from the oil type of sun- flowers is crushed and sold as sun oil for human consumption and as a meal and hulls for live- stock feed. The sunflowers grown in Alberta ar<' almost always of the confectionery type be- cause the closest processing plants for crushing the oil type seed are located in Manitoba and North Dakota. The uses to which confectionery si nflowers are put are mainly based upon the quality and size of the seed, says Mr. Roth. ~ he small seed is used by the birdseed trade. And this market is surprisingly large, particular^ in big cities where birds are the most pract- ical pets for people to keep. Seed used in this market is either sold as a complete bird feed in a pre-mix ration, or it is sold alone in packages or domestic bird feeding and for feeding to wild birds during the winter months. The medium-sized seed is used to rr ake sunflower nutmeat, which is eaten as a snack or used as a nutritional food supplemer t. The supplement provides a considerable amount of protein and energy in the human die . Among nuts, sjnflower seed ranks second only to peanuts in its protein content. It is ahe id of almonds, walnuts and pecans. Mr. Roth - (cont I) - >dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch Confectionery Sunflowers (cont'd) says the hulls from medium-sized sunllower seeds, which represent 45 to 60 per cent of the seed, are often ground, pelleted and sold as cattle feed. The large confectionery sunflower seed is used by the roasting^ trade, where the seeds are salted and roasted in their hulls and sold in packages as a nutritious snack. According to Mr. Roth, the percentages of small, medium and large seeds that will be produced by a field of confectionery sunflowers depends upon the variety grown, climatic conditions, the disease status and the number of sunflower plants per acre. As a general rule, good moisture conditions, such as those orovided by irrigation, and a low sun- flower plant population will ensure a high pero ntage cf large seeds. Mr. Roth reports there are now a number of hybrids on the market t lat have been specially selected to emphasize either the medium or the large-sized seed. - 30 December 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8 CATTLE CARCASS BRUISING A survey of seven American feedlots showed that the most serious bruising in the loin and rib area of cattle occurred when the animals were crowded through gates and around sharp comers. Ross Gould of Alberta Agriculture's sheep and beef cattle branch says special care should be taken when loading and unloading cattle through the slide doors of vehicles because they are likely to bruise themselves if they crowd in from both sides. The survey also showed that moving finished cattle through a squeeze chute just before they were slaughtered had no effect on the amount of damage done to the carcasses through bruising. It was also found that the distance the animals were transported to market had little effect. In fact, a group of cattle trucked only 10 miles had the largest number of bruises. The heaviest bruising apparently occurred in a group of part Brahma steers which were reported by the researchers to be "spooky". -30- ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch December 26, 1983 9 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTROLLING FARM INPUT COSTS Controlling farm costs does not always mean reducing costs; it means getting the best from every dollar spent. Knowing what the production costs are is vital, especially in times of depressed markets, because it is only when a farmer knows what they are that he can work towards controlling them. Although controllhg them may sound like a difficult task, there are a number of relatively simple approaches that can be taken. Doug Barlund, a farm management economist with Alberta Agriculture's farm business management branch, suggests the following approaches. . Record all farm operating costs and the physical quantities of inputs used. Express input c )Sts as a percentage of the farm's total operating costs. Use soil tests to obtain an accurate indication of fertilizer requirements. . Review farm ci Itural p actices to determine whether any tillage operations could be eliminated or combined with c hers. . Practice preventative ma ntenance. . Improve the livestock herd health program. . Pregnancy lest breeding stock. • Monitor feed input costs to determine whether feeding levels are returning a favorable profit. Have feed analyzed to de ermine proper supplementation levels. Mr. Barlund says that contr >lling any one input cost by itself is not likely to result in a large decrease in operating e> oenses, but that a combination of controls in several areas can significantly reduce total opera ing cosls. (cont'd) - /dlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch -2 10 Controlling Farm Input Costs (cont'd) He also points out that controlling input costs may not mean the elimination or reduction of the input itself. However, he says when input costs are known, a person can adjust them to obtain the maximum profit from the farm business. Copies of a publication on this subject that is entitled "Controlling Farm Input Costs" (Agdex 818-21) can be obtained from district agriculturists, the Farm Management Branch, Box 2000, Olds, Alberta, TOM 1 PO or by writing to the Publications Office, J.G. O'Donoghue Building, 7000-1 13 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6. - 30 - December 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1 1 CUSTOM FARMING AGREEMENT The farm business branch of \lberta Agricull jre has a publication entitled "Custom Farming Agreement" that is designed to help f irmers understand the basic concepts and implications of contracting their operations out to a :ustom operator. Such economic factors as increasing equipm ;nt costs, labor problems and high inte- rest rates have forced many rural land owners to enter in o lease arrangements or to have a por- tion or all for their farming done by a custom operator. However, the income tax implications of such arrangements are often overlooked by many landlords and tenants. Income tax implications in farm property tr msfers are such that the rollover provi- sions can be forfeited if the land is farmed on a cash or ci op-share basis. However, with a proper custom farming agreement, the rollover provision is maintained because a landowner is considered to be actively farming and to be assuming the risks of the business. On the other hand, a custom operator should be aware that under a custom farm agreement his business may be classified as a business other than farming if his custom work accounts for a major portion of his operations. It became apparent when this topic was rese irched that information on custon farming agreements was extremely limited and a format was necessary to meet the wide variety of farming operations within the province. Hence, it was decided to develop a basic agreement with attached schedules outlining the specific operations to be performed. "Custom Farming Agreement" consists of three main areas. The first deals with the various factors that should be considered by both parties and explains how to use an agree- ment. The second contains a sample agreement with a brief explanation of the terms used in - (cont'd) - ydlbcrra AGRICULTURE (403)427-2121 Pnnt Media Branch - 2 - 12 Custom Farming Agreement (cont'd) - the contract. The final section consists of a series of work schedules for the various operations that could be contracted out. The format is designated so that both parties will: (a) sit down and decide what work is to be done; (b) complete the appropriate schedules; (c) fill out the agreement itemizing the schedule to be used; and (d) review the conditions attached to the agreement. Copies of "Custom Farming Agreement" (Agdex 817-10) can be obtained from district agriculturists, the Print Media Branch, Alberta Agriculture, J.G. O'Donoghue Build- ing, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5T6 or the Farm Business Management Branch, Box 2000, Olds, Alberta, TOM 1PO. - 30 13 December 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE USING MANl JRE AS A FERTILIZER Did you know that 20 per cent of the nitrogen that is available from manure is lost if the manure is not mcorpo-ated into the soil for several days after application and that as much as 50 per cent is lost if the manure is left sitting on top of the soil for a week or more? Alberta Agriculture's district agriculturist at Rocky Mountain House, Phil Dixon, says in view of today's high fei tilizer prices it is well worth while to use manure from a feedlot or a manure pit to mprove the level of nutrients in the soil. And he says solid cattle manure contains an average of 14 pounds of nitrogen, 4 pounds of phosphorous and 9 pounds of potassium per ton. Hence, 15 tons of solid cattle manure per acre would provide 210 pounds of nitrogen, 60 pounds of phos- phorous and 1 35 pounds of potassium as v\ ell as a variety of other nutrients that are beneficial to crops. However, Mr. Dixon points out that rot the full amount of these nutr- ients will be available to a crop in the ye.ir that the manure is applied to the land. He says about 50 per cent of the nitrogen, 40 per cent of the phosphorous and 90 per cent of the potassium in the manure will be available in the year of application. -3C - Phone:(403)427-2121 ydlborra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch December 26, 1983 14 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SHOULD YOU BUY A COMPUTER? If you are a farmer and you are wondering whether to buy a computer to help you with your business decisions, remember this A cor iputer is not a "business doctor"; it is a tool to be used by an already skillful manager. Phil Dixon, district agriculturist at ^ocky Mountain House, says "Never buy a computer because your neighbors have one or t ecause you think it might be useful. Your reason for buying a computer should be based on an assessment of your managerial approach to your business and on the farm record data you normally keep". He recommends that a farmer who ii thinking about buying a computer ask him- self the following questions. • Am I a risk-taker who enjo . s experi nenting with new approaches to things? , Am I patient enough to wait several months for results? Some of the results may be immediate, but computer sy ;tems usually start out by being bothersome. • Am I a numbers pt rson? A comput ir can assist the user by numerical planning and control if such inform; tion is available. Mr. Dixon believes hat a f; rmer wh >se many jerial style is very casual, unstruc- tured and tends to rely upon in) jrmal inlormatio i channels should think twice before buying a computer. A person who decides to get a comp iter simply because he hates to keep records is probably on the wrong track too bee luse a cc nputer will involve such a person in an even more intense record keeping system. T lis is because the ecords that are to be kept and the desired reports must be defined ahead of time. 30 /dlbcrra AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch Phone: (403)427-2121 15 December 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF INSECTS by Dr. Ulf Soehngen, Alberta Horticultural Research Center, Brooks Growing public awareness of the environment s causi ng considerable interest in the use of long-term but effective biological control agents for controlling unwanted insects. Although the prevalence of insect diseases caused by such diverse pathogens as viruses, fungi, protozoans and bacteria have been known for a long time, attempts to use them to control undesirable insect competition have traditionally receive little official support. The reason for this lack of enthusiasm has been that they require time and favourable conditions to "do their work". Farmers and others who depend upon immediate cash returns, as opposed to an increase in returns at some future date, have been forced to choose chemical agents because of their prompt, but generally short-lived result;. which is now commercially available in several formulations, and the less well known B. sphae- ricus, which attacks mosquito larvae, must be tested carefully. The tests are designed to deter- mine the insects against which the agants are effective and to eliminate the possibility of their damaging beneficial non-target organisms such as pollinators and preditors of destructive insects. Since the tests are usually c rried ou under very artificial conditions,the pathogens could behave quite differently in a differ* nt situation. Al ,o, any biological agent could mutate and develop a virulent reaction that was not previously demonstrated towards a non-target As is the case with any insecticide, biological agents like Bacillus thuringiensis, - (cont'd) - Phone: (403)427-2121 AGRICULTURE Print Media Branch 16 -2- Biological Control Of Insects (cont'd) organism. Fortunately, to date, this has rarely, if ever, occurred. Nevertheless great care must be taken when using biological control agents near high concentrations of such useful insects as honeybees. It is unlikely that biological insect control agents will ever completely replace insecticides. Because each pathogen works best under a specific set of conditions, there will always be seasons when the reproductive capacity of the target insect will outstrip the ability of the control insect to hold it down. Under such circumstances, the selective use of insecti- cides by judiciously combining them with presently available biological insect control methods, especially insect pathogens. -30 - ♦ December 26, 1983 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 17 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Every month Alberta Agriculture's food specialists at the home economics labor- atory in Edmonton receive questions from consumers about various foods and various food processing techniques and equipment. The following is a sample of these questions and their answers. Q. What is the difference between brewer's yeast and the yeast used by bakers to make bread? A. Brewer's yeast is the dried yeast cell that is produced when beer is brewed. It is a good source of the B vitamins and of protein. The yeast used by bakers is grown on a grain mash and is composed of one or more strains of yeasts that are selected for their gas- producing ability. Q. Is it safe for people to use salt which contains yellow flecks? A. Yes, the yellow flecks are caused by prussiate of soda (sodium fero cyanide) which has a low toxicity level. It is allowed to be used as an anti-caking agent. Q. Why does my microwave oven cook book recommend that strained baby food, particularly meat, not be heated in its original jar in a microwave oven. A. Because the liquid often forms a separate layer on the bottom of the jar. When the jar is heated, the liquid may come to a boil before the strained meat, for example, and force the meat out of the top of the jar. Q. Why can't Meimac be used in a microwave oven? A. Because it will blister and crack even when it contains food. Its alpha cellulose content becomes extremely hot in a microwave oven and absorbs a great deal of energy. Q. Can margarine be served in restaurants in Al :>erta? A. Yes, but the fact that margarine is being st rved must be stated on the menu or on a plaque on the wall of the restaurant. - 30 ydlberra AGRICULTURE Phone: (403) 427-21 21 Print Media Branch