The Conservation Learning Centre (CLC) returned with its annual Field Day Program Wednesday, with presentations on new technology and research, field trials, and farm tours to showcase to local farmers, producers, and agronomists.
The event started in the main office, where CLC Community Outreach Coordinator, Rachael Groat and CLC General Manager, Robin Lokken outlined the agenda for the day.
“The main goal would be just getting farmers out into the fields and actually have them check out the trials, walk the plots, ask the experts here questions they have, and also for us to learn from the farmers what kind of future research they would like to see,” said Lokken.
The schedule was full of presentations including rejuvenation of hayland, 4R management of barley, drone seeding and spraying, agricultural drainage, and more.
“One of my favourite ones we’re checking out today is mixing up varietal mixtures for improved yield stability in field barley,” said Lokken. “So in this trial, we are looking at seeding feed barley as a monocrop, like individual varieties, but then we have some plots where we have a whole bunch of different barley varieties seeded in the same plot.”
Alongside informational presentations about agricultural research, the organization also emphasized the balance between sustainability and profitability.
“The presentation that we just had about drone seeding, [participants] are provided with information to help seed challenging locations and also learn about programs that are out there to provide a cash incentive too to try out some things,” said Lokken. “They don’t want to put money into something that they don’t know how if it’s going to work as well.”
Brooke Howat of Ducks Unlimited Canada delivered a presentation on drone seeding, where she detailed their research on using agricultural drones to spread forage seeds in marginal and seasonally inaccessible fields, showcasing differences in various seasons and techniques.
In terms of the province’s unpredictable weather, she said that their research in agricultural drainage has benefited from the rainy season.
“We’re comparing surface drainage to tile drainage,” said Lokken. “We’ve been able to see that, even during dry years, drainage does make a difference and helps increase yields.”
Agricultural drainage refers to the practice of removing excess water from cropland through using surface ditches, subsurface tiles, and gravity channels to improve root health and crop yields.
“I’m definitely happy to see that we’ve got more moisture and so now we can see the effects of drainage are suppressed during dry years,” she added.
In addition to the CLC’s annual program, they also offer hands-on community programs.
“We get the community out on-site, whether it’s through the school program to learn about agriculture, and get some hands-on experiences. Then we host other events like our Fall Family Fun Day,” said Lokken. “But we also have things like our nature trail and our community garden, which have been received very well too.”
Lokken said she is excited and thankful so many people come, especially farmers and producers, to learn and ask questions.
“I prefer that we spend less time kind of talking and more time having that discussion with the farmers after the presentations and answering their questions and actually getting them to walk in the plots and point out something, and say ‘Hey, what’s going on here?’, versus the winter where we’re just stuck in front of a screen.” she said.
