Standing Stubble - Winter 2003 (211 kb) : 5/26/2004


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Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Program for Canadian Agriculture

 The Manitoba Zero Tillage Research Association (MZTRA) Research Farm has undertaken a new program starting this year.  For the next three years, the farm will be administering the Soils and Nutrient Management portion of the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Program (GHGMP) in Manitoba.  In December of 2002, the Canadian Government ratified the Kyoto accord, and in doing so committed itself to reducing its GHG emissions to 6% below our 1990 levels for the accounting period of 2008-12, a 21% decrease from current levels.  The agriculture sector will be able to play an important role in helping Canada to reach its goals of reducing GHG emissions.  Not only is there potential to reduce emissions, but agriculture can also store, or sequester carbon in its soils under certain management systems.  The GHGMP, funded by the Climate Change Action Plan 2000, through Agriculture and Agri-food Canada was created to start this process.  The program is split into livestock, nutrient, and soil management areas.  The Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) is administering the soil and nutrient management portion of the program for Canada.  SCCC has contracted the Manitoba Zero Tillage Research Association (MZTRA) to administer the program for the province of Manitoba.  The goals of the program are to demonstrate Beneficial Management Practices (BMP’s) to producers which reduce GHG emissions and/or sequester carbon, and to promote the adoption of those BMP’s.  This will be a starting point for helping meet Canada’s Kyoto targets. 


 

Improving water infiltration with Alfalfa in the crop rotation

Another BMP demonstration project took place at the JRI Kelburn Farm in the Red River Valley south of Winnipeg in 2003.  One of the main reasons producers cite for not adopting reduced tillage in this area is excess moisture. Alfalfa was evaluated as a tool to increase water infiltration, thereby reducing excess moisture at the soil surface.  Alfalfa is a high water use crop, and will also increase the soils internal drainage via its deep extensive root system.  The alfalfa stand at Kelburn Farm was established in the spring of 2001, and was then sprayed out in the fall of 2002.  Wheat was direct seeded into the alfalfa stubble in 2003.  The field in the alfalfa rotation was monitored for water infiltration and then compared to a continuously cropped field. To do this, C-Probe moisture sensors were placed at 5 different depths, and recorded the moisture levels throughout the growing season.  A probe was inserted in each plot (ten meters apart) and measured soil moisture content at 10, 20, 30 and 50 cm depths.  Readings were taken every 15 minutes.  The results are demonstrated in the following graph.  (Note – the north plot was in the alfalfa rotation, south plot, continuous cropping.)

 

1.       July 6 – 15 mm rain

 

North plot showed significant recharge to the 50 cm depth.  The south plot showed increased soil moisture content at only the 10 and 20 cm depths.

 

  1. July 11 – 8.4 mm rain

North plot showed increased soil moisture at both 10 and 20 cm depths, however the south plot had an increase only at the 10 cm depth.  Additionally, between July 6 and 11, the north plot crop was extracting water along the entire length of the probe (i.e. soil moisture content was decreasing at all sensor points), while the south plot didn’t indicate crop water use until after July 11, and then only at the 50 cm depth.  This may be indicative of a difference in rooting depth at this point of the season.

 

  1. August 1 – 7 mm rain

The surface soil was very dry in both plots, with each showing only a slight change in soil moisture at the 10 cm depth, and nothing beyond that point.  The flattening of the soil moisture slopes for all sensors after July 20 indicates that most of the crop water requirements are being met from deeper in the profile, unless of course, the crop was near maturity with a corresponding reduction in water demand.

 

  1. August 5 – 19.2 mm rain

Again, surface soil as very dry, and moisture did not penetrate to the 20 cm depth.  The north plot experienced a greater change in moisture than the south where there may have been some ponding and runoff.

 

  1. August 20 – 10.4 mm rain

Increased moisture in both plots was minimal (10-15 cm).

 

  1. August 27-28 – 35 mm rain

The north plot showed substantial increases in soil moisture at the 10, 20 and 30 cm depth, and possibly a slight change at 50 cm.  The south plot had significantly less infiltration, with increased moisture at the 10 and 20 cm depths and a slight increase evident at the 30 cm level.

 

  1. September 17-18 – 15 mm rain

Both plots showed moisture increases throughout the 30 cm of the profile.

 

Figure 1.  C-Probe Moisture Sensor Data at Kelburn Farm.

 

In all cases, moisture infiltration was considerably deeper on the alfalfa stand than on the continuously cropped field plots.  This demonstration will be run again in 2004 at the Kelburn Farm.

 

 
 
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