Congratulations Sask on achieving number 1

[kANOLA]

So how many annual crops on the prairies grow for more than 100 out of the 365? Virtually all areas will support growing grass for 180+.

We grow 100 day crops with increasing biomass that would rival co2 sequestration that pasture land produces. I do believe both are great for our environment but comparing pasture to droughted crop cut early for silage is nonsense.

[farmaholic]

We grow 100 day crops with increasing biomass that would rival co2 sequestration that pasture land produces. I do believe both are great for our environment but comparing pasture to droughted crop cut early for silage is nonsense.

I too often thought the lushness of annual crops "enhanced with fert" would suck up alot of CO2 compared to native prairie short grass. Can't argue with the length of time each is "alive" though! Grass goes from April til Oct. Seeded crops from mid/late May till Aug/Sept.

You guys give Grassfarmer alot of static but he makes "some" valid points. ;-).... Antagonist101. I think it's a bit of a game for him....but you don't have to play.

Thank goodness for diversity....otherwise we'd all look the same!

[oneoff]

I've noted that about the same time the trees leaf out in the spring is about the same time that the wild trees leaf out.


Shortly after (or at the same time) the soybeans drop their leaves in the fall those same deciduous trees turn color and obviously go to sleep. So our growing season is relatively short...as an indisputable fact that is apparently ignored by some.

It has a whole lot to do with the growing season that Mother nature dishes out.

And weeds and forbes fill in the gaps if not controlled (or I guess for those who can spread and market them somehow they are seen as an asset.)

[oneoff]

I've seen John Deere combines that extend the growing season from Sept to as long in the fall as any other green growth occurs


Also seen grass that never got much off the brown stage. Time to admit that something wants to grow every time the moisture and temperature situation is conducive to seeds germinating. This truism seems to escape those who don't know where the stuff on their plate comes from.

And that goes well beyond young kids throwing food on the floor.

When the obvious has to be restated ...it only shows how separated we are from being able to discuss improvements

[grassfarmer]

I too often thought the lushness of annual crops "enhanced with fert" would suck up alot of CO2 compared to native prairie short grass.....

It might "suck up" a lot of C02 but it causes a lot of emissions to get it to do that - seeding, spraying, combining and fertilizer etc. On the grass front native prairie species can actually capture about 1.5x the C02 of tame grass species from the research I've read. Deeper rooted in some cases and also more likely to store carbon in above ground dead plant material. Management of course makes a huge difference and over-grazed pasture of any kind obviously has less potential to fix C02.

[bucket]

It might "suck up" a lot of C02 but it causes a lot of emissions to get it to do that - seeding, spraying, combining and fertilizer etc. On the grass front native prairie species can actually capture about 1.5x the C02 of tame grass species from the research I've read. Deeper rooted in some cases and also more likely to store carbon in above ground dead plant material. Management of course makes a huge difference and over-grazed pasture of any kind obviously has less potential to fix C02.

Interesting argument about the emissions to farm.....no one takes the emissions into account when talking about building solar power panels or electric cars recharging or building the batteries for them....


Just saying....

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Might I point out the absurdity of arguing about who is sequestering the most beneficial gas out of the atmosphere? Yes, I realize that building(keeping) Carbon in the soil is very beneficial, but it is not in any farmers interest to lower CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

[wmoebis]

Might I point out the absurdity of arguing about who is sequestering the most beneficial gas out of the atmosphere? Yes, I realize that building(keeping) Carbon in the soil is very beneficial, but it is not in any farmers interest to lower CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

If we can stop producing CO2 and start to deplete the soil of carbon then we can start a new buisness in carbon production and sell it to farmers to increase soil levels without increasing atmosphere levels of CO2 and affecting global warming.

[fjlip]

If we can stop producing CO2 and start to deplete the soil of carbon then we can start a new buisness in carbon production and sell it to farmers to increase soil levels without increasing atmosphere levels of CO2 and affecting global warming.

Unfortunately atmospheric CO2 is what plants take in...
Short growing season, COLD for 6 months of year, so lets penalize us all for living here at all?
Canada should NEVER have agreed to any Climate BS, we are totally at risk due to location on earth.
CO2 used to manufacture windmills, concrete, transportation, makes THEM a negative result.

[grassfarmer]

Interesting argument about the emissions to farm.....no one takes the emissions into account when talking about building solar power panels or electric cars recharging or building the batteries for them....


Just saying....

I hear your frustration bucket - it's pretty much the same on the grass/grazing side. I think it is the complexity of the whole issue that makes it difficult to work out the positive and negative effects and there is no "central body" tasked with researching every aspect related to carbon sequestration/emissions. There is no easy source where you can quote the data related to grain farming sequestration relative to grass - in many cases the research has not been done. Whose responsibility is that? I know on the grazing side the Holistic Management groups in Canada have been proactive doing and seeking out research - is their any such effort on the grain side? If not, why not, and who should fund/organise it?
Funnily enough I came across an article about electric cars lifetime emissions including manufacture this morning.
[URL="http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-exec-summary.pdf"]http://https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-exec-summary.pdf[/URL]