Sure, there’s a surge of potential revenue each year, but quickly followed by months of dry spell when a farmer isn’t generating anything new — and the bills for seed, fertilizer, fuel, pesticides are coming due,  many of them potentially piling up in waves.

Then there’s the surprise costs: machinery fixes they didn’t count on, an insecticide pass they really didn’t need the cost for, all before another cent of revenue flows in.

Even if they manage to clear all of that while staying in the black, there’s been the risk in the last few years that they might wake up tomorrow to find that international geopolitics have wiped out their market overnight, or sent the cost of their carefully planned inputs soaring.

For many Prairie grain farmers, the toughest financial stretch of the year comes months before a single bushel is sold.

Timing the cash flow crunch

“You need to have some means of carrying or financing that cost,” said Robert Misko, a Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) board member for the wheat and barley crop committee.

Fertilizer, seed and land costs all come due before farmers see any return from the crop. Input costs have also risen sharply over the past decade

“You’re looking at $500, $600 an acre to seed your crop,” he said. “And most of that is basically you spend it all before you get anything off.”

A cash advance as a financial bridge

A smart grain marketing strategy can spread out the cash flow and help farmers strive for the best possible financial terms out of a year. But organizations such as the MCA though point to another tool they think farmers should consider: the cash advance.

The federal Advance Payments Program aims to bridge the gap between revenue shots though short-term financing tied to the value of a producer’s crop. It’s backed by the federal government through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and delivered by administrators across the country, including the MCA.

Applications opened for this year’s program in early March.

“Farming is one of the most capital-intensive businesses out there,” said Darcelle Graham, MCA chief operating officer. “You’re making significant investments months before you ever see a return.”

The interest-free tug of war

The program announcement each year has led to a recurring tug-of-war over the interest-free portion of the advance. Financial pressures in several recent years had the federal government raising that bar to $250,000 and even $350,000, before bringing it back down to the standard $100,000, each time prompting a new round of industry advocacy.

In 2025, the federal government moved the line to $250,000 interest-free on most commodities, with another $250,000 for canola, which had been hit hard by Chinese tariffs. Maximum advances were set at $1 million.

The 2026 program has the government again bringing the interest-free portion back to $100,000 for most commodities, but with an extra $400,000 under that threshold for canola.

Past the interest-free portion, interest is set at prime, less 0.25 per cent.

The Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA), a major administrator for the program, said they’ll start distributing funds as early as April 1.

What farmers want changed

Graham said the program is designed to help farmers manage operating costs and avoid being forced to sell grain simply to meet short-term financial needs.

“What that means for you is lower costs, lower financial lower risk financing and delivered through a trusted framework,” she said.

But it’s also a program farmers would like some changes to.

Last year, industry welcomed news of a pilot program that gives a farmer’s application weight according to their past repayment history, potentially giving proven actors a faster line to the cash. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada noted that credit-worthiness pilot would let them allocate more time to farmers struggling to repay, without burdening those who had paid like clockwork.

David Gallant, vice-president of finance and APP operations with the CCGA, said at the time it was an ask they had been pushing the federal government to adopt for years.

Other proposed changes include earlier notification of post-announcement adjustments — such as those coming from the push and pull around interest-free portions — the adoption of an audit-based sale reporting system, and reducing priority agreement requirements.

More flexibility on marketing

Access to a cash advance can give producers more flexibility in deciding when to sell their grain. Many farmers want to avoid marketing crops during harvest, when prices can be weaker because of heavy supply.

“Take the cash advance that carries you through, that gives you that bridge,” Misko said. “And then when you sell your grain, well, you pay your advance back.”

Repayment is tied directly to grain sales rather than fixed monthly payments.

“The repayment aligns directly with your income, reducing pressure during tight periods,” Graham said.

Another tool in the toolbox

The advance payments program isn’t meant to replace traditional financing, Misko said, but to complement it.

“I would lean to say that it’s more on the complementary,” he said. “It’s just another one of the tools in in the process.”

Unlike some financing arrangements tied to production contracts, the program doesn’t require farmers to market grain through a specific company. The structure can also make it accessible for younger farmers who may not yet own land or equipment, as long as they own the commodity and have the right to market it, Graham said.

— With files from Jeff Melchior and Geralyn Wichers

The post How Prairie farmers can use cash advances to bridge the gap between input bills and harvest appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The organization’s Canola Variety Evaluation Trials (CVET), launched in 2024, was originally supposed to span three years, according to Amy Delaquis, the canola group’s research and agronomy manager.

“The hope was that we’d continue efforts in getting more seed companies to be involved in the program, by essentially running a really good program, and that just wasn’t what happened,” Delaquis said.

The program was meant to give farmers unbiased information to compare seed options and choose the best variety tailored for their local conditions. Data offered was regionally specific and independently tested commercial canola varieties. The idea was to help producers get the most out of their seed purchases.

Varieties put up for testing though, were missing some big names.

The 2025 trials spanned eight sites across the province and included 11 Liberty Link and four Roundup ready/Truflex varietys, including checks. They included varieties from BrettYoung, Winfield United Canda, Canterra Seeds, BASF’s InVigor line and newcomer Maizex Seeds.

BASF’s InVigor L340PC — Manitoba’s most popular canola variety, planted on about 33.5 per cent of insured canola acres according the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation — was the Liberty Link check for the trials. Manitoba’s second most popular major variety contender last year, InVigor L356PC, planted on 20.2 per cent of insured canola acres, was also included.

Overall though, only four of Manitoba’s top 10 canola varieties, as recorded by the provincial crop insurance corporation, were part of the trial.

Trials shuttered

After two years, the decision to drop the program didn’t come lightly.

“This program was a tool that allowed for an understanding of which varieties, across companies, are best suited to tackle the challenges farmers are facing on their farms,” Delaquis said.

In a press release sent out on March 27, MCGA directly cited a lack of seed company involvement as the factor that “eroded” the program’s direct value to producers.

However, Delaquis said the problem wasn’t sudden or unexpected.

“It’s always been a challenge in this program to get seed companies to enter their varieties,” she said, adding that most seed companies source data from their own field programs.

The program’s launch was actually delayed a year due to a lack of enthusiasm from seed companies.

A disappointing end to a promising program

The lukewarm reaction from companies has been disappointing to deal with, said Nicolea Dow, chair of MCGA’s research and agronomy committee.

“As farmers, we saw real value in the Manitoba CVET program. It was the last place in Canada for truly independent, side-by-side comparisons of canola varieties,” she said.

Program unlikely to return

Delaquis isn’t optimistic that the program will be making a return any time soon.

“We weren’t able to represent enough varieties that farmers were able to use the data to make good, actionable decisions,” she said.

Instead, Delaquis pointed farmers to the variety evaluation program run by North Dakota State University.

The post Manitoba canola variety trials axed appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

About one quarter of global nitrogen trade and nearly 20 per cent of natural shipments, both essential for nitrogen production, move through the Strait of Hormuz. The ongoing conflict in Iran has kept the strait mostly blocked, causing supply headaches for fertilizer and input deliveries.

Across the province and KAP’s districts, fertilizer availability was a recurring concern. While many producers have already sourced or prepaid for their fertilizer, the ones who haven’t are facing challenges, said producer Colin Penner.

Shannon Pyziak, a producer from District 10 in Manitoba’s Interlake, agreed.

“Fertilizer costs, as well as fuel costs, continue to be a concern for farmers in our district,” she said.

KAP focused on rural development and policy

Meanwhile, KAP’s policy manager Neil Van Overloop and others on the board have been busy with regional planning and rural development consultation, aiming to ensure agriculture’s role in rural Manitoba is front and centre in political discussions.

“Our comments focused on rural connectivity, rural infrastructure, immigration and population program delivery and action, as well as community safety,” he said.

A 2024 report from Statistics Canada found 34 per cent more reported criminal incidents in rural areas based on population rate, and the Prairies had the biggest disparity.

Those numbers alone may not tell the whole story, however. Northern parts of the province were included in those rural numbers, and Statistics Canada suggested most of the rural-urban divide could be attributed to that. The same report noted that crime in northern areas was about three times higher than in the southern parts of the provinces.

The post Rising input costs, rural concerns dominate KAP’s spring meeting appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“These are challenging times, and KAP will continue working with the provincial government to advocate for Manitoba farmers,” Hornby said, adding that continued funding for loan programs, veterinary initiatives, improved insurance coverage, and new trade initiatives are all good news for the industry.

Risk management and lending improvements

The province’s budget, announced by Finance Minister Adrien Sala on Mar. 24, includes $143.7 million for business risk management programs, alongside expanded lending limits, new insurance incentives and continued cost controls such as a freeze on Crown land lease rates.

Vet recruitment funding welcomed by farm groups

Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and KAP also welcomed new funding to support the Veterinary Medical Services Strategy, including $201,000 for tuition rebates, $100,000 for a veterinary recruitment program aimed at bringing newly licensed veterinarians to rural Manitoba, $50,000 for clinical mentorships to support internationally educated veterinarians, and $221,000 for the VetSTEP program.

“As a partner in the creation of the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Services Strategy, new funding focused on veterinary recruitment in rural areas and for clinical mentorships for internationally educated veterinarians, as well as increases to tuition rebates and summer employment opportunities, will help with addressing the veterinary shortage.”

— KAP president Jill Verwey

Beef producers applaud Crown land freeze and lending expansion

MBP also applauded the Crown land rental rate freeze (extended to 2026 last fall), support for the Livestock Predation Prevention Program, and more lending options through Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), said MBP president Arvid Nottveit.

“The beef industry is a key economic driver in Manitoba, responsible for more than $900 million in farm cash receipts and helping to support many businesses and services,” he said. “We recognize the government’s willingness to support initiatives aimed at advancing Manitoba’s cattle industry.”

MBP plans to keep working with the province to tackle ongoing challenges, such as boosting inspection capacity, improving Crown land management, addressing wildlife problems, upgrading infrastructure, and shaping future policy.

Trade diversification moves to forefront

The budget also points to a stronger emphasis on trade, including plans for a new economic development agency and a forthcoming diversification strategy.

KAP’s current Agricultural Trade Action Plan lobbies the province to be proactive when it comes to market access to make sure the needs and priorities of producers are protected, Hornby said.

“We look forward to working with the government on its Manitoba’s Trade and Diversification Plan and urge them to have agriculture at the forefront of this plan,” he said.

Manitoba Pork general manager Cam Dahl echoed KAP and MBP’s positive notes on the budget.

“Manitoba Pork is appreciative of the provincial government’s ongoing commitment to supporting the agriculture sector, both through this budget and through their continued engagement on files like trade that are deeply vital to our sector.”

— Manitoba Pork GM Cam Dahl
Photo: Manitoba Pork Council

Tax, drainage and red tape concerns linger

It’s not all sunny news though. Despite the new spending in the budget, KAP says several longstanding priorities were not addressed, including tax, drainage and regulatory burden.

The group will continue to lobby for a tax credit program for young farmers, axing the educational property tax on farm properties and other initiatives that would cut down on red tape for producers, Hornby said.

“Additionally, maintenance of the drainage network continues to be a top concern identified by Manitoba farmers, and this will require enhanced investments to ensure a modern, maintained drainage network that works for Manitoba farms.”

Funding in the budget is intended to help producers manage volatility, including ongoing trade uncertainty and geopolitical pressures affecting input costs, Sala said.

“We’re doing the important work of making sure (producers) have adequate access to those programs we know will help our producers across the province.”

The post Manitoba farm leaders praise 2026 budget gains, but gaps remain appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Loan limits rise for young farmers and stocker operations

The government is allocating a total of $143.7 million to AgriInsurance, AgriStability, AgriInvest, and Wildlife Damage Compensation. That includes $71.8 million to cover crop losses from natural hazards, $45.6 million to help stabilize farm income, $18.5 million for smaller fluctuations in revenue, and $7.8 million for losses caused by wildlife.

“We’re doing the important work of making sure [producers] have adequate access to those programs [that] we know will help our producers across the province,” Sala said.

A new Forage Advantage pilot program offers a 15 per cent discount on forage establishment insurance for eligible perennial acres. Insurance coverage has also been extended to include meadow fescue seed, and claims for wildlife damage now cover both crops and livestock.

Loan limits have been raised as well: Young Farmer Rebate loans can now reach $425,000, with a lifetime maximum of $42,500; direct loans increase to $6.25 million; and stocker loans rise to $1.6 million.

Crown land lease rates frozen at $3.66 per AUM

Crown land lease rates remain at $3.66 per animal unit per month.

The former Conservative government made changes to the Crown land program that caused “significant risk” for producers, especially in the Interlake and Western Manitoba, Sala said.

“This is an important measure that’s going to help to keep their costs low and help to ensure that family farms can continue to succeed and thrive here in Manitoba.”

Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn is currently working with the department and producers to see what other changes are needed to the Crown lands program, said Caedmon Malowany, a spokesperson for Kostyshyn.

“Ultimately, we will be presenting a new system that is fairer and more sustainable, but that work is ongoing,” he wrote in an email to the Co-operator directly after Sala’s budget announcement.

Assiniboine College ag programs to more than double capacity

The Prairie Innovation Centre at Assiniboine College will expand its programs from 300 to 800 students annually, while ongoing funding continues for initiatives supporting Indigenous participation in agriculture and the development of local food systems.

Trade risks and input costs add pressure

The budget also highlights trade risks, noting ongoing uncertainty around U.S. tariffs and the upcoming Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade agreement review.

“We know that trade disruptions are creating increased risk and uncertainty, and I think it’s clear that our government is stepping up with more support to help producers who feed Manitoba and the world,” Sala said.

When it comes to helping producers offset input costs tied to rising tensions in the Middle East, Sala pointed to the 50 per cent school tax rebate for farm properties.

The post Manitoba’s 2026 budget boosts loan limits, insurance and farm support programs appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The future, though, is a little scary.

“There’s definitely a lot of noise out there right now,” said Darren Bond, a farm management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.

Both fertilizer and fuel prices have shot up since missiles fired by the U.S. and Israel started falling in Iran. Sea traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — through which 20 per cent of global oil and gas travels — has been choked in response to the conflict, while a number of key oil and gas facilities in the Gulf have been hit by military strikes, also shuttering fertilizer facilities. Farm Credit Canada says the Middle East accounts for about 12 per cent of nitrogen production, and almost a quarter of the world’s global trade.

On March 19, Reuters reported that benchmark Brent crude oil prices ended the day at US$109 a barrel, and quoted Goldman Sachs estimates, which warned that the price could smash its 2008 record of $147.50 if tensions didn’t ease.

Markets have tightened further with news that Russian fertilizer exports are bumping up against a ceiling and China will be pulling back its exports, in an effort to protect its domestic supply as global supplies are squeezed.

U.S. urea futures jumped by roughly US$130 per tonne, or nearly 30 per cent, within two days of the conflict in Iran ramping up Feb. 28, according to a Farm Credit Canada (FCC) web post March 9.

Why spring fertilizer timing got complicated

Back in January, during Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon, farmers were already warned not to wait on fertilizer purchases. Parrish & Heimbecker’s head of market analysis, Tyler Freeman, told farmers that the usual price downswing hadn’t happened in summer 2025.

That was before the conflict in Iran intensified at the end of February.

The suddenly tighter margins and sky-high volatility risk have sharpened focus on cost-of-production as farmers gear up for a higher-risk production year.

“We need to … put that uncertainty as much as we can to the side and think with cold, hard numbers,” Bond said. “Once we start doing that, we start coming up with our plan. A lot of times our stress will dissipate.”

Planning remains the best defence

Cost-of-production budgets should be treated as working documents, updated continuously as projected costs turn into actual figures throughout the season, according to Bond.

“It’s not something that just gets touched once and then pushed to the side of the desk,” he said.

Using real numbers helps producers identify potential profitability challenges early, giving them more time to adjust. That approach also helps reduce the risk of making decisions based on fear rather than data.

“The earlier on in the season that we can identify that we might have a profitability issue, the more time that we’ll have to either make changes or make provisions,” Bond said.

Who’s exposed and when it hits

Farmers that already have their fuel and fertilizer in hand will be spared the first wave of the spiked markets.

Depending on how long war-driven trade disruptions stretch though, that financial wall may still be waiting the next time they need to buy inputs.

“This looks to be more of an issue for those who haven’t priced fertilizer yet … and going into a next year issue, or even, like, this fall,” Bond said.

Fertilizer availability typically varies across the country this time of year.

A 2022 RealAgristudies survey, later cited by FCC, found that more than half of Prairie farms have usually secured their spring fertilizer by late-March.

In contrast, only 17 per cent of Quebec producers and 10 per cent in Ontario had done the same, while none of the surveyed Atlantic Canadian farms reported having fertilizer on hand.

Statistics Canada data shows a similar divide today, with urea inventories in Western Canada at their highest levels in a decade, while Eastern Canada sits at its lowest since 2017.

Fertilizer movement typically peaks in April and May. Any disruption to shipping or supply chains during that window could still create localized shortages or price spikes.

Timing purchases have been complicated by the global uncertainty, Bond noted.

“As we’ve seen with the world events and world news, things change pretty quick,” he said.

If things do ease in the Middle East, relaxing pressure on global fertilizer supply, that could just as quickly improve the situation for farmers who still have to lock in fertilizer. Or things could get worse.

Depending on how many farmers waited to buy their spring fertilizer, that could add further pressure on supply.

Fertilizer shipments leaving the Middle East now, may not reach North America until May, potentially forcing adjustments in application timing or rates.

Cost pressures raising the stakes

The current headlines are attention-grabbing, but Bond said there’s been less dramatically visible issue swelling in the background.

Production costs in general have risen steadily over the past several years. At St. Jean Farm Days earlier this year, Bond said farmers are facing much higher inflation costs than the already high rates experienced by the average Canadian in the last five years.

According to Bond, general inflation in the broader economy rose about 20 per cent between 2020 and 2025, but “the numbers that we see … shows that farm level inflation in that five-year period is more around that 50 per cent.”

That shift has fundamentally changed the risk profile for producers. Five years ago, a farm might have spent roughly $500 per acre to generate $50 per acre in profit. Today, that same return may require $700 to $750 per acre in costs.

“It takes more money to generate the same returns,” Bond said. “So that creates more risk.”

Fertilizer is one of the most significant input costs on Manitoba farms, and Bond stressed that any increase in price or misstep in application can quickly erode already thin margins

And unlike the market conditions seen in 2022, when high commodity prices helped offset rising input costs, current forecasts suggest farmers may have less cushion this year.

FCC estimates that a 40 per cent increase in nitrogen prices could cut average Saskatchewan margins for a wheat-canola rotation roughly in half, from about $50 per acre to $25 per acre.

The post Fertilizer prices are spiking — here’s what Manitoba farmers need to know before seeding appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The expansion to the farm near Forrest, Man., is being made possible by land from Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).

The Odanah Pasture is intended to stay whole, allowing for a full-season grazing trial that mirrors how producers actually run cattle.

The focus is on how that land is used: keeping it intact and running it like a commercial operation rather than breaking it into small research plots.

“This expansion … is really a blank slate that is representative of what would potentially be happening for a commercial producer,” said MBFI general manager Mary-Jane Orr.

Real costs, real returns

The pasture had been cropped before being restored to forage and used for hay production over the past several years. Now, MBFI plans to transition it into a full grazing system and measure the results.

“The biggest opportunity we have is to really start benchmarking that transition and keeping it at that commercial scale,” Orr said.

That includes tracking costs, returns and management decisions in a way producers can compare directly to their own operations.

For the next three years, this “real-world case study” aims to capture the profitability and economics of grazing highly productive, managed grasslands and restored wetlands, Orr added.

Looping producers into the data

MBFI is working to bring in a producer collaborator willing to share detailed financial and management data, including grazing costs and marketing decisions.

“What I’m really excited about with this project is that opportunity to work with someone that is already closely tracking their own enterprise economics,” Orr said.

The scale of the land also opens the door to testing tools like virtual fencing in conditions where there’s no existing cross-fencing, something that hasn’t been possible on smaller research parcels.

Ranchers and conservationists see dual benefits

For beef producer Melissa Atchison, who ranches near Pipestone, the value of the project lies in its potential to help manage grasslands in a way that supports cattle operations, diversity and thriving ecosystems.

“This expansion will increase MBFI’s capacity to quantify, validate, and qualify beneficial practices on a field scale to support research and demonstration activities that help strengthen the long-term environmental and economic sustainability on these unique landscapes,” she said.

For DUC, the value of the project hinges on whether it produces results producers can use.

“I think the biggest thing is expanding it to the scale [that] it’s real-world scenarios, or larger-scale impacts that they’ll be able to demonstrate,” said Karli Reimer with DUC.

For her, it’s all about economics, and finding out what new technologies and best management practices make practical sense for producers, she added.

The project will also show how grazing and conservation can work together on the same acres.

“It really showcases how agriculture and conservation can go hand in hand, and that … they are not at odds with each other,” Reimer said.

Better numbers, better decisions

For producers dealing with volatile markets and rising costs, Orr believes the value of the expansion will come down to better information.

“I think the more we can understand our own production numbers, the better situated we are to make decisions in an informed way,” she said.

The post MBFI livestock research farm gets major expansion appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

If passed, Bill 15 would change the province’s Consumer Protection Amendment Act. Suppliers of certain consumer goods would be required to make repair tools, manuals, diagnostic software and replacement parts available to buyers, for a reasonable period and price, according to the bill’s wording on the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba website.

Farming welcome

The farm community broadly supports the move, said Jake Ayre, a farmer near Brandon, Man., and KAP vice-president.

“All of us as farmers … want to have the ability to repair our farm equipment, absolutely,” Ayre said.

Modern agricultural machinery, increasingly driven by electronics and sensors and fit with digital connectivity, has made self-repair more difficult, Ayre said. Farmers now deal with complexities, like one sensor not talking to another or voltage issues, much different than decades past.

“Previously, it was, ‘OK, well, you know, the bearing’s cooked or a belt’s gone,’ it’s much more physical, tangible things you can see,” Ayre said.

Outside agriculture

The auto sector has also praised the bill. Speedy Glass and Belron Canada issued a press release March 11 applauding the legislation.

“Right to repair is about empowering consumers with choice while strengthening the communities where we live and work,” said Corinne Lagueux, vice-president of corporate and legal affairs at Belron Canada.

Delays and access key concerns

Today’s machines often have producers needing to call up dealerships and bring in authorized technicians to diagnose issues.

“Unless you have a dealership close by or have a relationship, it can be tough to diagnose that problem on your own,” Ayre said, adding that delays can be costly, particularly during planting or harvest.

Access for independent repair shops, particularly in remote areas with limited dealership support, will be key, he added.

“Just being able to have access to the resources and information readily … improves competition in the marketplace.”

Ayre expects the legislation could influence neighbouring provinces as well.

The issue has already come up nationally on Parliament Hill. In fall 2024, Ottawa passed two right-to-repair bills: one which softened rules around accessing diagnostic software and one that eased copyright law to help push interoperability. This January also saw Manitoba commit $25,000 to help the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute to improve interoperability across different brands.

“Other provinces are definitely pushing too, especially … Saskatchewan, where … the nearest dealership can be two, three hours away, depending on where you are,” he said.

Key Takeaways

• Legislative Shift: Bill 15 proposes changes to the Consumer Protection Amendment Act to include “certain consumer goods.”
• Access to Tech: The bill would require suppliers to provide repair manuals, diagnostic software, and parts at a reasonable price.
• KAP Support: Farmers advocate for the bill to avoid expensive technician visits and long downtimes during critical windows.
• Software vs. Iron: Modern repairs often involve electronics and sensors rather than just physical mechanical failures.
• National Context: This move follows federal efforts in late 2024 to ease copyright laws around diagnostic software.

The post Manitoba Bill 15 offers right to repair hope for farmers appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“We’ve run off our residual early and been able to top up to where we needed to be later in the season. It’s saved our butt a couple times.”

The Beernaerts apply UAN 28-0-0 liquid nitrogen in season via drop nozzles, targeting the base of corn plants before tassel emergence. They’ve tried putting down 100, 50 and even zero per cent of their nitrogen needs at planting, followed with a mid-season top-off.

The results haven’t always been what they expected.

One of their strongest corn crops came in a year when they applied no nitrogen at planting and put it all on later in a June–July pass, Nathan said.

“It went against a lot of the other experience we had doing that, and against some of the norms associated with nitrogen availability or crop uptake in corn.”

Research backs in-field experience

Splitting fertilizer applications is one of the identified best management practices rooted in 4R nutrient management philosophy, noted Xiaopeng Gao, professor of soil fertility at the University of Manitoba.

Holding back on some of the fertilizer at seeding can better match crop needs for nitrate requirements.

“Especially where the crops are small, they don’t need a lot of nitrogen at the beginning,” Gao said, adding that nitrogen applied later in the season matches the peak growth stages of the crop.

Why and how nitrogen gets lost

Across the Prairies, nitrogen use efficiency is often only about 50 to 60 per cent for the current year of application, meaning a large share of fertilizer isn’t taken up by the crop in the year it’s applied, Gao said.

Better timing can push that number higher, he added, though there’s still a lack of data on exactly how much.

“If you can do a better job in terms of the 4Rs, especially if you can time the fertilizer supply better with the crop needs, that can improve the efficiency, maybe up to 70 per cent,” Gao said.

Nitrogen loss happens through several pathways depending on soil type and locations:

• Denitrification — the main risk on heavy clay soils like Manitoba’s Red River Valley, particularly while ground is waterlogged during spring melt. Nitrogen transforms into nitrous oxide, the greenhouse gas at the centre of Western Canada’s fertilizer emissions debate.

• Leaching — the bigger risk on coarse-textured sandy soils like the potato lands around Carberry, where shallow-rooted, high-demand crops are especially vulnerable.

• Ammonia volatilization — nitrogen escaping to the atmosphere when urea is broadcast on the surface rather than banded below ground.

“But if you can improve your placement by banding the soil, either side-banding or mid-row banding, that can effectively reduce the loss,” Gao said.

Other tools to reduce nitrogen loss

The Beernaerts are also considering nitrogen inhibitor products, which Gao said can make a real difference under the right conditions.

Enhanced efficiency fertilizers fall into two main categories:

• Polymer-coated products like ESN, which slow nitrogen release over time

• Inhibitor-based products, including urease inhibitors and nitrification inhibitors

The benefit of inhibitors is most pronounced when conditions are already driving significant nitrogen loss: a warm, wet early growing season, or in low-lying areas of a field prone to ponding and denitrification.

“Under that condition, if you use some inhibitor products, that will reduce the loss,” Gao said.

Under normal conditions though, if the nitrogen loss is already minimal, farmers shouldn’t expect a benefit by using those products, he added.

“It depends on the soil condition, the landscape and also the environment conditions,” Gao said.

Thinking beyond the next season

For the Beernaerts, nitrogen management is not just about the economics of a single season. With nitrogen making up roughly a quarter of their input costs, and prices that can spike suddenly based on global events, efficiency matters.

It’s also about setting up the farm for the long term.

“We want to set ourselves up for the future succession of the operation,” Chelsi Beernaert said. “We want to know that it’s in a good position to be left when we’re not around.”

The post Split nitrogen application: Manitoba farm puts timing to the test appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“It started for us with just an overwhelming amount of waste wool,” she said.

In 2022, Hunter worked with an engineer in the United States to add a small-scale pelletizer to her operation.

More accessible wool market

Hunter believes wool pellets offer a practical solution for farmers facing low commodity prices for wool.

Wool is not the typical focus for many sheep farms in Manitoba, many of which rely more on the sector’s meat stream. While there have been national efforts to revitalize wool and build more capacity for value-added processing in Canada, many of those efforts have looked to Eastern Canada.

However, pellets don’t require the same kind of processing wool must go through to be fit for textiles.

“We don’t have to do the scouring or the cleaning of wool,” Hunter said. “In fact, the dirtier the wool, the more effective it is for fertilizer.”

Higher returns for farmers

Hunter’s mill currently pays $1 per pound for waste wool, three or four times higher than what farmers are making on the commodity market.

Statistics Canada reported the average price paid to Canadian wool producers in 2023 was $0.35 per kilogram, a steep decline tied to global oversupply of wool. Historical trends shows wool prices dropping over time. In 2022, the average price Canadian producers received was about $0.38/kg.

“So, it’s already providing a bigger return on investment for sheep farmers,” Hunter said.

Wool pellets also benefit the environment by returning nutrients — including nitrogen, potassium, carbon, zinc, phosphorus and sulphur — back to the soil, she argued.

“It’s recycling them,” Hunter said, adding that the process also reduces carbon emissions because wool isn’t being shipped overseas to the global commodity market. It’s processed regionally.

Research shows growth advantages

Local agriculture research is also interested in the agricultural applications of wool pellets. Poonam Singh, a researcher at Assiniboine College, has been studying the nutrient benefits and moisture retention of wool pellets in her horticultural trials.

Most of the time, organic matter in a growing medium decomposes very fast. But because wool is made of keratin, just like hair, it’s more stable, Singh said.

“It retains good moisture, as well, so that also does help with reducing the watering needs for plants.”

Her trials have shown that wool pellets can support plant growth even without traditional fertilizers. One experiment grew plants in plain peat with 200 parts per million (ppm) of nitrogen every week, which Singh says is a standard horticultural practice. By contrast, she grew plants with wool mixed into the growing medium at five to 10 per cent volume. The results, she added, were “amazing.”

The plants grown with wool instead of fertilizer showed better results for plant growth, plant height, spread, chlorophyll levels, dry weight, and root growth than the peat and fertilizer mixture.

Singh is now expanding her trials to flowering and fruiting crops, such as peppers and strawberries, and continues to analyze the best application rates for different plants.

Future possibilities

One day, Hunter would like to see every municipality in Manitoba using wool pellets in their green and urban spaces.

“It would reduce our reliance on synthetic fertilizers and reduce our irrigation,” Hunter said.

The wider adoption of wool pellets could also incentivize higher-quality wool production in Canada, Hunter believes.

“Once farmers realize that wool is worth something again, they will be incentivized to do a better job of raising a higher quality wool that then might be textile quality, or quality wool for carpets,” she said.

Manitoba’s sheep industry produces roughly 56,000 kg of wool annually, though only a fraction of that, around 5,000 to 6,000 kg, is currently utilized within the province, according to Hunter.

In 2022, Manitoba producers generated about 51,551 kg of wool that was sold or used on farms, according to the Province of Manitoba’s sheep and lamb statistics. That was the bulk of the provincial wool output for that year.

Wool pellets could help capture the value in the rest of that supply, but the market for wool-based products needs to grow alongside processing capacity, Hunter said.

“We’re not going to have people investing millions of dollars into processing infrastructure without proving the marketability, but we can’t prove the marketability without having an affordable product that we can get to market,” she said.

The wool pellets are available through the Long Way Homestead website.

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