Good Afternoon List Friends,
The snip/paste below is a press release from the Canada Alberta Beef
Industry Development Fund, distributed by the Ag. Info service of
Meristem in Calgary. It tells of research which is documenting the
performance of several forages for early spring and late fall growth in
the Western Canadian environment. These could help cattle producers
reduce the need for winter feed by several weeks each year, a potential
saving of $0.50 per head per day. Two weeks extra grazing for a herd of
250 cows would represent a saving of $1,750. The added forage quality
of the varieties studied might also improve body condition in the fall,
resulting in even added winter feed savings, and improve body condition
in early spring to improve conception rates.
Regards
Ross Gould, P.Ag.
Calgary, Alberta
=======================
Subject: CABIDF - New forage lines
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 14:29:03 -0700
From: mdirect@meristem.com ()
To: srgould@shaw.ca
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CANADA ALBERTA BEEF INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT FUND
c/o Alberta Beef Producers
216, 6715 - 8 Street N.E., Calgary, Alberta T2E 7H7
Phone: (403) 275-4400 Fax (403) 274-0007
Email: abpfeedback@albertabeef.org
***************************************************
For Immediate Release:
New forage lines to help Alberta cattle producers cut feed costs
Calgary, Alberta, Nov. 18, 2003: It's a small number that quickly adds
up to big savings for
cattle producers- each extra day cattle remain on pasture during the
grazing season cuts feed
costs by an estimated $0.50 per head.
Now a study funded by the Canada Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund
(CABIDF) has identified
the most promising new forage lines to help producers extend the grazing
season and realize
those savings.
"The forage lines we identified feature improvements in one or more of
spring growth, fall
growth, yield and quality," says forage breeder Dr. Bruce Coulman of
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada (AAFC) in Saskatoon. "Several of the most promising lines will
now be increased and
placed in the Western Forage Testing System. When available, these lines
will reduce feed costs
and improve the overall economics of production for the beef producers
of Alberta."
Western Canada's cool growing season has good potential for high forage
yields in late spring
and early fall, says Coulman. But most forage growth doesn't begin until
mid spring and tends
to reach the end of production by early October.
"This is clearly an area where there's great room for improvement, and
that's a major reason
why there's been growing interest in improving the economics of beef
production by extending
the grazing season," he says. "It's a matter of simple math - if
producers can graze their
animals on pasture earlier in spring and later in the fall, they don't
have to come up with as
much conserved feed in the winter."
If the lines identified in the study continue to perform well in the
prairie-wide testing
system, they are expected to become available as new forage varieties in
two or three years
following completion of testing. In all, 13 lines spanning five forage
crops were selected.
They include lines of Westerwold ryegrass, Italian ryegrass, meadow
bromegrass, crested
wheatgrass and orchardgrass.
"The main objective of the project was to select and evaluate the new
forage lines for improved
spring as well as fall growth," says Coulman. "But we also examined
yield and quality, since
ultimately a new forage variety needs the complete package. The lines
identified have different
combinations of strengths in these areas, but all will provide producers
with more and better
options."
Each forage type tested features specific advantages, he says.
Meadow bromegrass has become the standard pasture grass of the Canadian
prairies. It is more
productive in the fall than most other perennial grasses and will stay
green longer than smooth
bromegrass. But research shows there is enough variation in the species
for significantly later
fall growth.
Annual ryegrass - both Westerwold and Italian - can stay green and
continue growth until the
end of October, and provide nutritious pasture into December. Crested
wheatgrass and meadow
bromegrass are some of the earliest developing perennial grasses in the
spring, and have shown
good adaptation to Alberta conditions. Orchardgrass is known for fast
regrowth after grazing,
and lines with improved winterhardiness would make them suitable for
Alberta.
"The major benefit of these forages will be for the beef industry, but
other sectors of
agriculture will also benefit," says Coulman. "Once we develop the best
lines as varieties,
commercialization rights will be given to seed companies with a strong
presence in Alberta and
the seed will be grown by western Canadian seed growers."
Along with Coulman, the study was conducted by Dr. Scott Wright,
formerly of Alberta
Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD), Arvid Aasen of AAFRD
Lacombe, and Duane
McCartney and Dr. Vern Baron of the AAFC Lacombe Research Centre.
CABIDF is a joint $16.4 million fund of Alberta Agriculture, Food and
Rural Development and
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Fund is administered by Alberta
Beef Producers and has
supported more than 50 projects in five major categories identified to
benefit the Alberta beef
industry.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Dr. Bruce Coulman, forage breeder
Saskatoon Research Centre
Phone: (306) 956-7240
Fax: (306) 956-7247
Gary Sargent, General Manager
Alberta Beef Producers
Phone: (403) 275-4400
Fax: (403) 274-0007
