The data comes courtesy of a new tool in the organization’s conservation toolbox. The Prairie Biodiversity Mapping and Assessment computer program features an interactive map that displays biodiversity by area, along with a module that predicts how changes to those biodiversity levels would affect the landscape.

“By protecting a small amount of natural habitat, you have a big benefit that you can give to local species diversity,” said James Paterson, lead author of the research project.

Researchers studying the role of biodiversity in cropping systems have flagged agronomic benefits such as natural pest control and a greater variety of pollinators.

Users can input location, climate and land cover information to model the biodiversity situation. They can run scenarios, including probable results of conservation or restoration programs on specific sites, and get recommendations for improvements.

Information could include expected biodiversity gains and other benefits, given a particular shift in practices, and indicate which wildlife species would be most likely to benefit, Paterson said.

“We used both public and and private data sets of species observations, 1.2 million observations, and combined that with information on the habitat and climate of different places in the Prairies. And we built species distribution models that predict where each species occur …

“When we stack those together, each of those species models, we get a prediction of biodiversity across this big space and we can start to ask questions about how can we predict where (a) species occurs, what are the biggest threats and opportunities for biodiversity conservation.”

Ducks Unlimited Canada hopes to have the tool publicly accessible in less than a year.

Natural partnership

“Biodiversity is basically the basis of all (of) what we call ecosystem services, which are just the benefits that society receives from natural systems,” Paterson said.

Those benefits include flood mitigation, resilience against climate change and improvements to water quality.

“I think of it more like a tapestry or a wall,” Paterson said. “And so, as you take bricks out and you’re losing species, the integrity of that wall decreases and the function decreases. But the more complete that wall is, the better it can serve its function.

“And so, the loss of any individual species might not have a large effect on ecosystem services, but supporting many species we know is beneficial for the overall picture.”

It also “gives numbers to credit farmers with work they’re already doing,” he added, noting many producers have naturalized areas on their land but may not know the benefits that those areas provide.

Paterson said the numbers support the value of the often contentious conservation easement mechanism. The tool’s numbers show that land under an easement agreement has 39 per cent more species than unprotected sites nearby.

“This was really exciting because it’s showing that a conservation program that Ducks Unlimited Canada is delivering has really tangible benefits, not just for ducks, but for many other species that live in that region.”

While beneficial for wildlife, conservation easements are not as popular with farmers. Producers often argue that conservation easement payments fall far short of the opportunity costs they incur by not farming that land more intensively.

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Today Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and PepsiCo announced financial incentives for farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba who participate in Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) Sustainability Incentive Program via DUC’s Marginal Areas Program, and grow oats or canola in their crop rotation.

The incentive will equal 50 per cent of the total payment producers receive on behalf of FCC’s program, up to a $1,000 maximum per application, the organizations said in a news release.

The Marginal Areas Program provides a financial incentive to seed marginal lands to perennial forages, generally via a ten-year agreement, the news release said. The program pays $150 per eligible acre according to DUC’s website.

Via FCC’s incentive program, farmers in the DUC program can receive a percentage of the total amount owing with FCC at the time of application, to a maximum of $2,000 per year or $50 per registered acre, FCC’s website says.

“The uptake from our producer partners who have already taken advantage of our partnership with FCC has been incredible,” said Paul Thoroughgood, national manager of sustainability at DUC. “Now with PepsiCo at the table, we can support even more farmers across the Prairies, recognizing them for the positive impacts they have on the landscape by providing even more incentives.”

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“Winter wheat is the most profitable cereal crop for many farmers in our program,” said Alex Griffiths, a winter wheat specialist with Ducks Unlimited Canada in Brandon, Man.

“In the past two years, half our growers have seen yields above 70 bushels an acre. Prices have been strong and that has often made winter wheat their No. 1 cash crop.”

With protein content sitting around 11 percent, a little lower than the spring varieties, it can be milled into flour, but the principle market is for feed wheat.

“The feed wheat market right now is very, very high and has been for the last couple of years,” Griffiths said. “I think this is also contributing to the surge in production.”

Western Canadian breeding programs have developed varieties such as Wildfire, Vortex and Goldrush, and the new Coldfront, along with the old standard, Emerson.

Improved winter hardiness is key to adoption.

“One of the biggest barriers to expansion of acres is that, if people sow a crop that doesn’t make it through the winter, they’re probably not going to sow that crop again,” Griffith said. “That winter hardiness is probably the biggest thing people are breeding for, followed by yield, because obviously bushels are what pay the bills.”

Acreage is still small, however. Only about 77,400 acres went into the ground in Manitoba last fall, but that’s up sharply from the 32,000 acres seeded in 2020. (Ducks Unlimited Canada also has an incentive plan for Manitoba: $20 an acre, up to $5,000, along with agronomic and marketing assistance.)

The organization would like more winter wheat grown in some of the more productive wetland areas because it provides better spring habitat for waterfowl. If farmers can grow profitable winter wheat, various duck species will have better nesting space near those prairie potholes they love.

Population counts on ducks found they were more abundant in winter wheat fields and there’s a reason for that. Spring tillage and seeding operations can be intrusive and destructive to nesting ducks.

“You’re probably going to hit the nest as you’re seeding,” Griffiths said. “Whereas with winter wheat, you’ve got fertilizer and herbicide and fungicide applications but that’s all done with 50 to 120 foot booms so you pretty much leave the nest intact.”

Studies showed nesting success in spring crops was around 12 per cent but it was 34 to 36 per cent in winter wheat fields.

“As a result they were producing a ton more ducks,” Griffith said. “Mallards, lots of blue wing teals, shovelers, northern shovelers and the one that’s most important, the northern pintail. They prefer to nest on bare ground or stubble and if that stubble turns into a winter wheat field, then they have a pretty good chance of success.”

What’s good for the ducks can be good for farmers, too, as winter crops split the workload in terms of both seeding and harvest. It also puts living roots in the ground during the shoulder season and soaks up excessive moisture during a wet spring.

Farmers who want to beef up their rotations can also seed an intercrop legume into winter wheat. Hairy vetch works well. It’s winter hardy and will fix some nitrogen during the next season. It can be harvested at the same time and, once separated, the seed may be sold as well.

“Clovers are another great one.” Griffith said. “I’ve worked with a couple producers who, after spraying their in-crop herbicide in the spring, would spread red clover to fix some nitrogen. It was something green and growing in those shoulder seasons of late fall and early spring and worked well for soil health benefits or late stubble grazing.”

More info on growing winter wheat can be found at growwinterwheat.ca.

– This article was originally published at the Manitoba Co-operator.

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The Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) program, with funding from McDonald’s Canada and Cargill, will offer farmers discounted seed and technical support to help establish forages on their land.

Converting 125,000 acres of cropland to forages would remove 75,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and provides wildlife habitat for Prairie wildlife, DUC said.

In a news release, Cargill said it also wants to show “how cattle are a force for good in conserving this critical ecosystem of soil, grassland and wildlife habitats.”

More info on the announcement can be found at ducks.ca.

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“I’ve fallen in love with it out here. It’s one of the last places in the world you can see prairie for miles and miles,” said the Youngstown producer.

Each day when he hauls feed or moves fence for the 1,500-head cow herd, it’s not unusual to see a snowy owl gazing down from its perch on a power pole or fence post.

“It’s amazing to know that this is their winter vacation spot,” said Proudfoot.

The Special Areas was formed in 1938 by the provincial government when the drought of the Dirty ’30s forced more than 25,000 farmers off about 1.5 million acres of homestead land. Some farmers and ranchers stayed, changed the way they farmed and learned to adapt to the land, tackle drought, manage crops and acknowledge the area’s challenges.

It’s now home to Proudfoot, his wife, Kirsten, and children Landon, 4, Carter, 2 and at the end of January, another newborn son.

“It’ll be three crazy boys,” laughed Proudfoot, who grew up on an acreage near Pincher Creek and took range management at the University of Alberta.

The couple farms with Kirsten’s father, Ian Goodbrand, and their home is surrounded by a 50-year-old caragana hedge. Proudfoot, who ran yearlings for a while, had some feeder cattle, and now has settled on growing hay on a section of land.

Last year, with some of his land badly in need of rejuvenation, Proudfoot turned to Ducks Unlimited Canada and Nutrien Ag Solutions to take advantage of their forage program and put 110 acres of land into the program with Nutrien’s Proven Seed. (The program offers a $100 discount per 50-pound bag of seed.)

“It’s an attractive program and it helps cover your costs, especially in the first year,” said Proudfoot.

Ducks Unlimited Canada wants to encourage forage conversion and perennial grassland crops, said Kale Scarff, the organization’s conservation program specialist for the Special Areas.

“The program works really well for farmers,” said Scarff. “They don’t have to change a lot of things and it rewards them for practising good land management techniques. The land under the program must be kept in hay for 10 years after it is established.”

Proudfoot chose a grass seed mix of brome, wheatgrass, crested wheatgrass and fescue for his goal of selling small square-baled grass hay to horse and cattle owners. The other 530 acres in the section were seeded to a mixture of grass, alfalfa and crested wheat (also for hay).

“Everyone is always looking for hay. It’s worked good for me,” said Proudfoot, who bought a second-hand small square baler and stack wagon for the endeavour.

“It takes awhile for grass to get established out here. This is year three of a pretty bad drought, which is why I stuck to the drought-tolerant varieties. You are not going to be pushing production out here in the Special Areas.”

For more information about the program, contact a local Nutrien Ag Solution retailer or DUC’s Craig Bishop at c_bishop@ducks.ca.

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“For us, our main focus is on water and grass. It’s the same focus for cattle producers as well,” Karla Guyn said in an interview.

The relationship between her organization and the cattle industry is one of mutual respect and benefit, said Guyn, who spoke about this relationship in a keynote at the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) meeting at the recent Canadian Beef Industry Conference.

“Ducks Unlimited Canada recognizes that cattle are protecting some of the most threatened wetlands and grasslands,” she said. “Without cattle grazing, these areas could be lost to cultivated agriculture or other uses that negatively affect things like biodiversity and carbon storage and wildlife.”

Ducks Unlimited has a seat on the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef board, and it and other conservation groups (including the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the World Wildlife Fund) want to work more closely with the roundtable.

“At our last meeting in April in Ottawa with them, there was agreement from the CRSB and conservation groups to come out with communication messages, and those are being worked on right now,” said Guyn. “CRSB has recognized that they need to have that conservation voice at the table.”

For their part, conservation groups need to speak up about the importance of the beef industry, as the media are speaking more often about eating less meat or choosing plant-based foods, she added.

“I think environmental conservation groups have a role in this. We’re going to help promote the idea of why the cattle industry is important to the conservation of grass and water.”

During her talk at the CRSB meeting, she encouraged the cattle industry to continue to research its impacts on biodiversity, climate change and water quality.

“I still believe that at the end of the day, science will prevail, despite the misinformation,” said Guyn, who grew up in Calgary and trained as a biologist. “If you don’t have scientific fact to back you up, you don’t really have a leg to stand on.”

Since its inception in 1938, Ducks Unlimited has always focused on maintaining habitat of working landscapes, and has not advocated taking them out of production.

There are currently more threats to the beef industry through trade wars, tariffs, and plant-based foods, said Guyn.

“This demonstrates the need to have an environmentally sustainable industry,” she said. “More and more, consumers are requesting that.

“I think that’s where conservation organizations can come in. We’re not part of the beef industry, so some folks think us speaking up can carry some weight. We’re really talking about the role that cattle producers have on the agricultural landscape in Canada.”

A communications specialist is currently working with the CRSB, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and conservation groups to get key messages to the public.

“We all agree that this is very important. Ducks Unlimited Canada sees the push to more plant-based foods as a threat to the conservation of grasslands and wetlands,” she said.

“Using science gives us credibility with government, industry and the public. I believe the CRSB will continue to do that.”

Messages from landowners and cattle producers have a big impact on the public, and landowners should not be afraid to share their stories or to be emotional when they are doing so.

“Ducks Unlimited knows that the beef industry is facing all kinds of challenges right now, and we want to navigate those challenges with them,” she said.

The post Conservation group backs beef sector appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The deal to work on joint public awareness campaigns is an acknowledgment their work on issues such as conservation, the environment and sustainable practices is complementary and they could go further by working together, said Tom Lynch-Staunton, ABP’s government relations and policy manager.

“When Ducks Unlimited puts in projects and it is partnering with local ranchers and vice versa, we can demonstrate to the public that we can manage cattle appropriately and still keep conservation on the landscape,” said Lynch-Staunton. “I think that’s a pretty good story for the public to hear.”

It’s beneficial for the beef industry to partner with Ducks Unlimited and other environmental organizations because they can more effectively communicate their message as a united front.

“This type of partnership demonstrates that we are serious about environmental stewardship,” said Lynch-Staunton.

Ducks Unlimited and Alberta Beef Producers have already worked together on two projects. The historic Waldron Ranch in southern Alberta created a series of videos along with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Lynch-Staunton also collaborated with Ducks Unlimited and the Royal Ontario Museum to create content that will appear in the museum’s biodiversity display. The videos, which go on display in November, will highlight the story of grasslands and conservation.

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The 2019 forage program from Ducks Unlimited Canada and Nutrien Ag Solutions offers a $100 rebate on a 50-pound bag of Proven Seed forage varieties for farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Manitoba producers receive a rebate of $50 for every new forage acre seeded.

“Highly productive hay and pastures are foundational to profitable and sustainable beef,” said Craig Bishop, regional forage lead for Ducks Unlimited Canada.

In addition to helping cattle producers, forage acres benefit waterfowl as nesting and success is significantly higher in areas of perennial cover or grasslands than in cultivated fields. It also helps with other conservation measures such as wetland restoration.

Anyone interested in the program or who wants more information should contact their local Nutrien Ag Solutions retailer or call Ducks Unlimited Canada at 403-607-5805. Producers must sign an agreement under this program.

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These are common ways that Ducks Unlimited Canada manages invasive plant species on projects located on agricultural land. But there’s a new management tool in the mix now being used by the organization. It has started using goats and flea beetles to help combat leafy spurge at its Frank Lake project located 50 kilometres southeast of Calgary.

“Goats and flea beetles are natural allies,” said Ashley Rawlak, a conservation specialist with Ducks Unlimited Canada. “That’s why DUC is using goats on grasslands to help combat destructive, invasive plants through grazing.”

Prairie grasslands provide ducks, such as pintails, with important plant cover for nesting. While these waterfowl aren’t equipped to stop the spread of invasive plants, the hoofed animals they share this landscape with are.

Likely introduced to Canada in a bag of contaminated seed, invasive leafy spurge releases toxins into the soil where it grows, which prevents other plants from taking root. It also impacts the land’s capacity to hold water.

“It’s a problematic weed,” said Rawluk.

Fortunately, goats love it and “eat it like it’s candy.”

This year, Rawluk plans to have goats released onto grasslands at Frank Lake on three separate occasions. While small improvements can be noted after goats have been in the field, it will take several years before the full benefits of their grazing are seen.

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The fact sheet also breaks out several programs from Ducks Unlimited Canada, projects funded under Growing Forward 2, and Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) programs, which are available in 10 Alberta counties. There is a description of programs, its current status, and links and contact information.

The list can be found at the ‘Cattle Practices’ section on the Alberta Beef Producers website.

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