Where would you like to see R&D expanded

[wmoebis]

I would like to see more R&D $ go to cross breeding to get wht to be like crested wht grass, that you only have to seed once every ten years or so, will choke out weeds etc. don't have to spray just a little top dress fert and harvest early.

Higher yields for less money that nobody wants to pay for isn't high on my want list. Cheaper production costs and less work is.

[charliep]

Work on fusarium resistance. Increasing corn acreage, the adaptation of the disease to wider climatic zones and more virilant mycotoxins/tighter grade specifications should mean high priortity. I note that a club root resistant canola was able to be released in a relatively short period of time. Fusarium has been around for years and limited to no progress.

Given the wet conditions in 2010, this may be the next shoe to drop over the summer. No one commented on agstar77 thread so I guess no one cares. You will care this fall when you wheat/barley goes feed because of tighter fusarium head blight damaged kernel requirements.

[Hopperbin]

How about N fixing wheat and canola etc, my dream.
Charlie does the feed industry even want fusarium infected wheat?

[charliep]

Cowboys yes at at discount. Hogs and feather - no.

Not R&D but on my wish list a functioning western barley futures. If western barley can't trade today in the current market and volatility/risk, then it is likely dead. A bad thing for all domestically traded feed grains and malt. To both cattle and grain. If you don't use it, you will loose it.

[charliep]

My list would be long.

Agronomics and cropping alternatives that give farmers the ability to adapt to changing conditions from drought to too much rain. Shorter season varieties. Alternative crops suited to different weather conditions in the same general soil zones. Even pulling from Parsley's ideas, green manure/nitrogen fixing crops that can improve soil/reduce fertilizer.

A livestock industry that can use alternative feedstuffs when the stuff hits the fan like this year.

Again, my list would be long.

[btjadenlepp]

I would love to see contracting standards
set up on the cash side of all the grain,
oilseed, pulse and special crops markets.
Make it more consistent in every area -
pricing deadlines, terms for rolling,
cancellation fees, even what the different
contracting options are named.

www.farmlinksolutions.ca

[freewheat]

I want R D into how necessary it is that the cwb should be banned from existence.

[btjadenlepp]

More research on the CWB's performance
is about the last thing I want to see.
Doesn't matter which side writes it,
it's biased and inflammatory and
everyone knows it, so nothing changes.

I would be sure to include them in the
group forced to offer farmers
consistent, sensible and fair contracts
though.

Anyway speaking of the CWB, the wheat
FPC is $4.75-5.25/bu today - anyone
selling?

[checking]

I wish for farm ownership of the results of R&D to which farmers contribute. As if that is about to happen.

[Cattleman]

Charlie - I see your note on expanding corn acreage, does this mean we have thrown in the towel on improving barley and other coarse grains or how far down are they on the priority list in Canada?

[charliep]

Barley is still a priority feed crop in addition to the malt side. My
reference was more to imported corn and potential to bring in
fusarium this way as well as increase use as forage in things like
swath grazing. Getting out of my knowledge area but my
memory is that fusarium can have life cycle stages in corn stocks
(corn can be a carrier). Swath grazing with the amount of residual
left over (stomped in the ground if you like) does present risk
given its even distribution over a field.

A concern is the spread of the disease across the prairies. It has
arrived in southern Alberta. Just don't want it to move into the
black soil zones along highway 2.

[charliep]

Cattleman

Also on my wish list would be investing in breeding programs that would
develop a high yielding and high energy feed grain potentially with low
protein for livestock feed and potentially ethanol. My suspicion is the protein
side will remain relatively cheap.

The next step would be to look at all the livestock classes specific nutritional
needs and tailor feedgrains to meet these needs. We might also look at
dealing with environmental issues like phytates and nitrates in manure.

More of my dreaming.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

We need low heat unit soybeans. I am sure it could be done if some $$$ were there to pay for it.

Winter wheat with CWRS quality so it can all go into one class.

Then Hard white winter wheat for us. The USA already produces millions for Tonnes of hard white winter... again the CWB has recked this opportunity.

A soft white triticale for the feed/ethanol market that yeilds 20% more than wheat with less water consumption.

Just a start, I like the other ideas too!

[rbrunel]

how low of heat unit soybeans do you want Tom.... we grow beans that have some daylight sensitivity....

[furrowtickler]

Lots of $$ are being spent on corn and soy for western canada, it is just not public money.