Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 1164 www.seed.ab.ca | Advancing Seed in Alberta Messages DAVID BISHOP KNOWLEDGE is Power: That old cliché still holds true regardless if we are conquering the unknown galaxies of outer space or trying to hit a maximum return target on a specific field. As farmers, we are now operating in an ever evolving world of modern agriculture, with drones acting as virtual crop surveillance, GPS technology assisting in efficiency, to biotechnology boosting yields, while reducing the reliance on certain pesticides. The mere volume of data points that are gathered, nor the use of utilizing numerous gene splices does not necessarily make us better or smarter farmers. Frankly, at times the amount of data collected and technology available to us is mind-boggling. The bigger question is how do we use this information and technology to build on the basics of excellence in crop management that has been part of the evolution of modern agriculture? Many of the critical crop management elements are not necessarily all that glamorous. For example, the subject of crop rotation to manage ever increasing disease pressure is very important in a sustainable agriculture model, but is not all that exciting. The things farmers do every day without really even taking into account are important links in the crop production chain. The balancing act, then, is to keep building a better chain by practicing good agronomy, but always seeking higher knowledge for the many questions this business of farming keeps throwing at us. Many experts agree that yield is set very early in the crop establishment process; hence, unlocking the genetic potential of the seed in an optimum setting is key. We hear much about new diseases, insect and herbicide resistant weeds; but little about how important good quality seed is to our farming success. The Alberta Seed Processors is going to try to change that, by launching the SEED SMART project, which challenges every Alberta grower to know the quality of seed that he/she is planting. Regardless if seed is farm saved or pedigreed, knowing germination, 1000 kernel weight, and fusarium loading is an important, but yet undervalued investment. In addition, seed testing technology can further indicate additional key indicators, such as vigour, purity and pathogen presence. Be SEED SMART and stop in at your local seed cleaning plant to drop off a seed sample that can be sent to an accredited seed testing lab. Seed Quality Knowledge is power to succeed! On behalf of the 67 farmer-owned co-operative seed and grain processing plants, have a successful safe harvest! David Bishop President Alberta Seed Processors Email: [email protected]