SSCA Online Journal Preview
The Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association(SSCA) is launching its on-line journal at this year's Western Canadian Farm Progress Show (website). KIS introduced the journal in last week's blog entry and this week we are posting two more article summaries from the upcoming journal. If you have not already done so, please read last week's entry by Juanita Polegi, SSCA Project Manager, to learn more about the Ag Tech Journal.
Article: Agriculture and Non-renewable Energy Use on the Canadian Prairies
Authors: Elwin G.
Smith1, Robert P. Zentner2, Cecil N. Nagy3,
Mohammad Khakbazan4, and Guy P. Lafond5
Summary:Agriculture on the Canadian prairies is very
dependent on fossil fuel energy to provide the power to run machinery and to
provide many of the inputs essential for profitable production. The main energy
input is nitrogen fertilizer, especially important for cereal and oilseed
production. Nitrogen fertilizer energy can be reduced by utilizing legumes in a
rotation, either grain legumes, green manure, or alfalfa in the crop rotation.
No‑till production practices will reduce energy requirements for fuel and
machinery, and reduce total energy use by up to 20%.
1 Lethbridge Research Centre, AAFC, 5403 - 1
Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB. smithel@agr.gc.ca
2 Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre
(SPARC), Swift Current, SK. zentnerr@agr.gc.ca
3 University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive,
Saskatoon, SK. cecil.nagy@usask.ca
4 Brandon Research Centre, AAFC, Brandon, MB. mkhakbazan@agr.gc.ca
5 Indian Head Research Farm, AAFC, Indian Head,
SK. lafond@agr.gc.ca
Article: Agriculture and the Greenhouse Gases
Authors: H.H. Janzen1
Summary:The atmosphere is changing, notably
from emissions of greenhouse gases - CO2, CH4, and N2O - released from human activity worldwide. With rising concentrations of these
gases come fears of abruptly-altered climate, prompting increasing demands to
reduce emissions. Canadian farmers are intimately linked to this effort; not
only can they seek to reduce their own emissions, but they can sometimes also
remove CO2 from air by building soil carbon. Far-sighted responses
to this issue are perhaps best envisioned through conversation among farmers,
scientists, policymakers, and public citizens. That way, the challenges ahead
are illuminated by collective wisdom, and climate change may become, not just
an ominous problem, but also an opportunity.
1Lethbridge Research Centre, AAFC, 5403 - 1 Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB. janzenh@agr.gc.ca
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