Varied Alternative Soil Amendment Project (Started: 2023, Completed: 2023)

The purpose of this project was to demonstrate the in-field use of alternative soil amendments vs. commercial fertilizer to facilitate soil health improvements and fertilizer cost savings. To compare these values, a study site was set up on Ken Trout’s (producer/cooperator) property in the spring of 2023. A selection of various amendments was applied to nine different plots, each measuring approximately one acre in area. Across these plots the crop composition was kept constant to provide a baseline vegetative community for comparison. This site was seeded with an oat/forage pea mix inter-seeded with a Union Forage Ultimate Cover Crop Mix for the purposes of livestock swath grazing. Below, table 1 details the different amendments per plot.

Over the course of this project, measurements were taken for soil health, as well as for feed quality and analysis. The initial pre-treatment soil results showed that all nine plots were rated “medium” in terms of their physical, chemical, and biological health. This, along with a consistent mid-range pH and a clay loam texture, ensured that the plots had a good baseline to develop from. Areas that required improvement, however, include issues surrounding excessive magnesium levels leading to chemically induced compaction, as well as a deficiency in phosphorus and an unequal balance of bacteria vs. fungi in the soil. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, post-treatment soil sampling was not able to be taken at the end of the growing season and so there was no soil analysis for comparison. 

In order to analyze the soil structure, soil compaction and water infiltration measurements were taken throughout the growing season. Soil penetrometer readings showed that on the treated plots, the depth to 300 psi (300 psi – level at which roots cannot penetrate soil structure) was approximately 40% deeper than that found on the control plots. This can be correlated with the infiltration results, in that the treated plots took on average under 3 minutes for the first inch of water to infiltrate and under 8 minutes for the second inch. In comparison, the control plots required 5 minutes for the first inch of water to infiltrate and up to the mid-teens for the second inch. These values suggest that the treated plots have a healthier soil structure than the control plots. 

To assess the impact the treatments had on the crop, forage samples were taken and used to estimate the tonnes/acre of each plot area. These samples were also subject to a feed analysis, the results of which can be seen in Table 2. The colour coding relates to the relative favourability of the results, with dark green being more favourable and red being less favourable. 

Table 2 Yield Estimate and Forage Analysis by Plot.

By tracking these values, correlations can be drawn between the amendments and their relative impact (positive or negative) on the soil health and overall forage quality and production. For 2023, results show an overall benefit to using the various amendments, however, continued trials will be needed to make decisive conclusions. 

Aspen Ranch Crop Demo Plot (Started: 2023, Ongoing)

In 2023, the Grey Wooded Forage Association was approached by Aspen Ranch Canada to collaborate on a plot trial for the purpose of demonstrating the agricultural practices surrounding the planting, growth, and harvest of forage and cereal crops. This site also serves to showcase these species in their various growth stages, as well as to highlight the impact these species can have on soil and microorganism health.

This site encompasses approximately 4.21 acres and has a history of weedy encroachment. For 2023, our focus was on terminating the weedy species present onsite prior to establishing an annual forage cover crop mix. To do this, Aspen Ranch personnel sprayed Grazon XC early in the spring, thus terminating the weeds prior to seeding the cover crop. The selected Full Season Cover Crop Mix (Covers and Co.) was aimed to help improve the soil and microorganism health and biodiversity prior to the establishment of plots in 2024. This warm and cool season plant mix also ensured that regardless of climatic conditions throughout the summer of 2023, there were species capable of handling both warm and dry (warm season) or cool and moist (cool season) conditions. 

Following successful establishment of the plot, a Third Tuesday Tailgate Event was held in August to showcase the benefits of using cover crops for soil regeneration. This event was well attended and served to inform producers on the usefulness of cover crops for improving soil health, while also showing the opportunities for harvest/grazing that annual cover crops can have. 

Taking advantage of the biomass produced on the plot, Aspen Ranch Canada cut and baled the plot over the last week of August. Shortly thereafter, the plot and surrounding pasture was grazed by the ranch’s small cattle herd. The plot was then left unworked to keep the root mass in the soil and thus promote a healthy soil system for establishment of trial plots in 2024.

Soil Health Impact Verification (Started: 2021, Ongoing)

For the 2023 year of this project, Grey Wooded Forage Association staff visited 5 producers and conducted soil sampling at 2 locations per producer. These samples will serve as comparison points to the earlier benchmark sampling, allowing for technicians and producers to assess the results of management practices on the soil health over a two-year timeframe. In mid-May of this year, the Grey Wooded Forage Association received the soil health reports for the 2023 sampling and returned them to the respective producers. Efforts are being made to include producers in a discussion with the Chinook Applied Research Centre (project owner/manager) to interpret the results of these reports in order to better inform on-farm management decisions.