"Strengthening Agriculture, One Farm At A Time"

Funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research Introduction and Objective A cover crop polyculture that includes warm-season grasses seeded in the same field can sustainably contribute to cattle production systems by offering stability in forage yields and high nutritive values to improve animal performance. In Alberta, while cover crop blends are mostly cool-season crops, the inclusion of a warm-season crop such as sorghum sudangrass can provide effective competition and comp

Funders: Beef Cattle Research Council, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Climate Solutions Program (Peace Region Living Lab) Collaborators: University of Saskatchewan; The Kinnee Family of Brownvale, AB Introduction and Objective Over time, pasture productivity and carrying capacity tend to decline due to overgrazing, depleted soil nutrients, encroachment by low-value species, and challenging weather conditions. Restoring these pastures by incorporating long

Funded by the Rangeland Sustainability Program (Government of Alberta) Introduction The intentional combination of trees, forage, and animals into a single unit has the potential of providing ecosystem services (i.e., forage yield, soil health benefits) and improving the conditions and performance of cows. The silvopastoral project was established on-farm to compare the effects of three grazing systems: open system (i.e., without tree canopy), semi-closed system (i.e., with a

Funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research In collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan Soil salinity limits plant growth and lowers crop yields by restricting root uptake of water and nutrients. Many livestock producers have observed soil salinity issues on their pastures and hayfields during recent growing seasons. According to a Government of Alberta report published in 2020, more than 600,000 acres of land had soil salinity severe enough to reduce yield potenti

Introduction Optimizing livestock nutrition is essential for maximizing productivity and enhancing sustainable farming systems. An essential part of this process is analyzing feed and forage samples to determine their nutritional value, identify deficiencies, and detect potential contaminants that could affect animal health and performance. PCBFA supports Peace Country producers by coordinating feed testing, interpreting laboratory results, and assisting with ration formulati

Annual forage-type crops are an integral part of the feeding regimes of beef cattle operations in the Peace Region. When mixed as cover crop cocktail blends, these species not only provide high-quality forage but also play a key role in providing ecosystem benefits, including enhanced nutrient cycling, biological N2 fixation, soil moisture conservation, and carbon sequestration within cropping systems. This study looks at how different nitrogen rates affect forage yield, feed

Funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions Living Labs Program, and Cargill Background The Peace Region Living Lab (PRLL), is an initiative dedicated to advancing innovative best management practices (BMPs) that positively impact environmental factors such as carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas reduction, and other environmental co-benefits. This program commenced in 2022 and is set to run until March 31, 2027. PCBFA is a proud part

Funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) and Rangeland Sustainability Program (Government of Alberta) Livestock producers rely heavily on mixed perennial forages, typically grass-legume blends, to meet the bulk of their feed requirements. Evaluating new and emerging forage varieties is therefore essential to ensure producers can select options that optimize production and feed efficiency. This project evaluates the long-term performance of perennial forage stands,

Funded by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Calgary New forage wheat varieties present several potential benefits, including increased productivity, extended grazing periods, improved silage quality, and reduced dependence on perennial pastures. However, their performance can vary depending on local soil conditions, climate, and management practices. This project aimed to evaluate the forage dry matter (DM) yield, nutritional value, and grain yield of Nutrien Ag Solutions’ newly released

Funded by the Rangeland Sustainability Program (Government of Alberta) In Alberta, more than 1 million acres of farmland are strongly acidic, with a pH of less than 5.5, and about 4.5 million acres are moderately acidic with a pH of 5.6 to 6.0 (GoA, 2004). Soil acidity is a significant and growing threat to forage production in Western Canada, particularly in the Peace River region. As soil pH drops below 6.0, and especially below 5.5, the productivity of key forage crops, pa

Funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) and Coordinated by Lakeland Agricultural Research Association (LARA) Seeding winter cereals in spring is an emerging strategy to improve forage availability into fall, because these crops do not enter the reproductive phase when seeded in spring; they remain vegetative and can provide forage later into summer and fall. Most existing research, however, has focused on spring seeding when soil temperatures exceed 10°C. The obj

Funded by RDAR and Coordinated by the Alberta Seed Processors and Western Crop Innovations The Alberta Regional Silage Variety Trials (RSVT) play a vital role in supporting Alberta’s cattle industry by helping ensure a steady supply of quality feed. The trials offer producers objective, unbiased information on how different cereal crop varieties perform for silage and green feed, including yield and key agronomic traits. Managed by the Alberta Regional Variety Advisory Commit