Agronomists, industry and government representatives attend the latest 4R Nutrient Stewardship training workshop in Brandon, Man., Feb. 23.

4R Nutrient Stewardship taking more to the web

The 4R Nutrient Stewardship initiative has expanded training modules, 
accreditation and data logging online

Manitoba’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship is heading online. The program, announced in 2013, is a shared undertaking by the Canadian Fertilizer Institute, Manitoba government and the Keystone Agricultural Producers. It aims to balance environmental and agricultural interests. Four years later, the initiative has expanded to encompass education and tracking online. Initially packaged exclusively through day-long accreditation workshops,

Four farmers discussed nutrient management during the 4R Nutrient Field Day at Kelburn Farm July 3. Curtis McRae (l to r), Ed Peters, Frank Prince and Jonathan Hodson.  photo: allan dawson

Farmer panel discusses 4R nutrient stewardship

There could a fifth ‘R’ in sustainable nutrient management — the right economics

The 4R Nutrient Stewardship program aimed at promoting nutrient management on Canadian farms is short an R. The four “Rs” are using the right source of fertilizer, applied at the right time, at the right rate and in the right place. The fifth “R” is the right economics. “Economics determine the rate of change,” Virden


4R Nutrient Stewardship Field Day

Register to attend this one-day event at the Kelburn Farm

Kelburn Farm is Richardson’s 500-acre research farm and crop development centre located just south of Winnipeg. Kelburn Farm is committed to research and development. Whether testing new seed varieties or trying out the latest crop input products before they go to market, the work at Kelburn is both innovative and exciting. 4R Kelburn Field Day

Snake-oil versus innovation

Most farmers would scoff at the notion of replacing their nitrogen fertilizer with maple syrup. But Manitoba Agriculture soil fertility specialist John Heard was able to make a convincing argument using some creative interpretation of data. In 2009, Heard conducted a trial comparing the impact of a special “growth enhancer” derived from Acer negundo on

Oversights on seeds and fertilizers chopped

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is cutting back its oversight on laws governing seeds, fertilizers and other sectors that impact farmers. While it has yet to announce the measures, changes in the administration of the Seeds Act and the Fertilizers Act are already under development. The agency wants to introduce plans, some of which have


Rail shippers look to legislation to address service issues

The federal process to negotiate service level agreements or a dispute settlement mechanism for railway customers didn’t deliver, but the exercise was still a success, according to Greg Cherewyk, executive director of Pulse Canada. That’s because it clearly demonstrates federal legislation is required to make it happen. “The Dinning process has done a great job


Perennial Crops May Store Carbon

Finding ways to make farming more environmentally sound is one of the goals of a greenhouse gas study taking place south of Winnipeg. “What we’re trying to do is to see if it’s possible to generate cropping systems that are greenhouse gas neutral; in other words we want to build up soil carbon and prevent


The Three “R” S Of P

We’ve often heard of the three Rs– reading, writing and reckoning (a term related to mental math dating back to the Victorian era) whenever the subject of keeping the education on track arises. Or the three Rs of garbage– reduce, reuse and recycle. Right now, Manitoba is caught up in the three Rs of phosphorus

Long List Of Other Rail Users Back Ottawa’s Rail Plan

Farmers and grain shippers aren’t alone in supporting Ottawa’s plan to improve rail service. The forest, fertilizer and mining industries do too. In fact, having such a wide coalition presenting the same message probably played a big role in the course the federal government says it’s going to follow, said Blair Rutter, policy manager with