opinion
From Kam Dahl, General Manager of Manitoba Pork
It’s no longer your great-grandfather’s farm. While some may feel nostalgic for the old farm with its little red barn that housed a few chickens, a few pigs, and a dairy cow, modernizing agriculture is better for both the environment and the economy. That’s true. Farmers today have taken and are taking important steps to protect natural resources while maintaining economic sustainability. Farmers play a critical role in creating solutions to today’s environmental problems while promoting economic growth and job development.
Part of the environmental solution includes solving Lake Winnipeg’s algae problem. People across the country are concerned about the health of our lakes. Nutrients promote algae blooms that consume oxygen in the water, thereby negatively impacting fish populations and other natural life in the lake. Algae-covered beaches limit lake enjoyment and harm businesses that rely on Manitoba’s short tourist season. Despite countless studies and action plans, solving this complex problem remains difficult.
Some blame Manitoba farmers for contributing to Lake Winnipeg’s problems. This ignores the great strides agriculture has taken to ensure the right nutrients are delivered to the right place at the right time to maximize crop growth and limit nutrient runoff. Masu. Gone are the days of the little red barn, when we applied fertilizer without knowing its nutritional content or applying it to the surface without knowing its nutritional content.
Agricultural modernization has revolutionized nutrient management. Take today’s hog farming operations in Manitoba, for example. Before applying fertilizer, farmers are required to submit a fertilizer management plan to the state government. These nutrient management plans are tailored to the specific crops being grown and include soil sampling to prevent over-application of nutrients. More than 90 per cent of Manitoba’s hog manure is injected below the soil surface or incorporated into the soil immediately after application to prevent runoff and place this valuable nutrient where it is needed by the seeds. Sample the fertilizer itself before application to accurately determine its nutrient content.
Advances in technology have made fertilizer application more precise. The latest equipment uses near-infrared technology to test the flow of fertilizer as it is applied and can change application rates in real time. Farmers use global positioning technology, ultrasonic velocity sensors, and radar to ensure fertilizer is applied in the right places and in the right amounts. The technology that allows farmers to maximize the benefits of this natural fertilizer also helps minimize nutrient leaching into waterways, including Lake Winnipeg. Similar advances in precision agriculture have allowed those using synthetic fertilizers to apply plant nutrition in a way that maximizes its value.
Modern agriculture uses plant nutrients more accurately and efficiently while reducing the potential for negative environmental impacts and producing more food for consumers in Canada and around the world. This means being part of the solution for Manitoba farmers.
Being part of the solution also means taking action beyond the farm. Farmers are ready to do this and join the broader effort to develop solutions to the challenges facing Lake Winnipeg. The first step is to gather expertise from across the Lake Winnipeg Basin. This is called the Lake Winnipeg Task Group. This task group, which Manitoba could convene, should include representatives from the livestock industry, grain and oilseed farmers, First Nations representatives, and representatives from Manitoba municipalities, including the City of Winnipeg. The task group should also include third party scientific expertise to lead the discussion.
The task group should be empowered to outline science-based measures designed to reduce nutrient flows into the lake. Things like restoring wetlands to filter incoming water, keeping untreated sewage from flowing into the Red River, and increasing understanding of “the right source, the right place, the right rate, the right time.” , some potential action items have already been discussed. ” Principles of Nutrient Utilization in Agriculture. The task group should be responsible for presenting ways to break down barriers to the implementation of these known solutions and new ideas to keep Lake Winnipeg healthy. And finally, task groups must be forward-looking and action-oriented, rather than bodies that rehash past accusations.
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