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The dairy industry is vital to agriculture in Newfoundland, but its growth opportunities are constrained by limited choice of crops and a season shorter growing than other farming areas in Atlantic Canada. Allan Kwabiah works for the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food (AAFC) as a researcher at St. John's, Newfoundland, for 10 years. Its mandate is to find a solution to the limits of local production of food for livestock and helping farmers increase their profit margin.
The cost of cattle feed is one of the main challenges that the dairy industry of Newfoundland faces. Kwabiah says, farmers spend 30% of their production costs on the import of animal feed from other provinces. "Because of the cool climate and growing season lasts 122 days, farmers sought an alternative to grasses. We reviewed some new technology and began to develop an effective system of silage corn and biodegradable plastic mulch for farmers Newfoundland, says he. "
Over the past 10 years, Mr. Kwabiah research showed that the biodegradable plastic mulch can be effective as a cover for warming cold spring soil and speed germination and seedling emergence. Plastic mulch allows farmers to better manage climate impacts on maturity, dry matter yield and nutritional quality of corn silage.
This technology allows farmers to extend the growing season of about four weeks. Planting in mid-May and silage harvest mature is at the end of September or early October. This allows farmers to feed their cattle for food from their own farm instead of supplies from outside the province. Farmers can grow corn continuously for four or five years in a field before planting alfalfa or other legumes.
In 2010, 35 dairy farmers and gardeners have grown sweet corn and silage
an area of 1500 hectares (ha). The dry matter yield of silage corn seeded under plastic mulch system was nearly 16.8 tons / ha compared to 9.1 tonnes / ha with conventional methods. For its part, milk production was 28.338 kg / ha and 18.114 kg / ha respectively (a difference of 10.224 kg / ha). "For every dollar invested in technology, livestock producers get a return of $ 5.65 for corn silage. Meanwhile, the sweet corn growers receive $ 6.58, "says Kwabiah.
Technological and plastic mulch
Farmers use a 3 in 1 made in Ireland by the company Samco to grow maize under plastic mulch. In seeding time, the system applies the residual preemergence herbicide and biodegradable plastic films extends to the ground. The planter is approximately 30 000 to 40 000 USD.
"We worked with engineers to adapt their agricultural machinery Irish soil conditions Newfoundland," says Kwabiah. Some farmers have purchased their own planting, while others have formed a cooperative to operate the equipment collectively. The planter is very versatile, easy to use and requires very little maintenance and repairs.
"The most important is to choose biodegradable mulch cover on soil and plants during the first 35 days, says Kwabiah. This is the most critical period. Plants should be covered until they have six leaves and the threat of a killing frost has completely dissipated. The mulch also protect seedlings against pests such as crows during this critical period. " The biodegradable mulch made from carbon decompose when exposed to sunlight consistently over a season. Mr. Kwabiah also notes that have absolutely no mulch negative effect on the environment. There is no difference between the use of mulch and manure or that of any other carbonaceous material in the soil.
This technology is discussed elsewhere in Canada, particularly Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Mr. Kwabiah has also received calls about it from as far away as the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. Farmers in other regions cool climate such as Ireland, Finland, Denmark and New Zealand are already using this technology with much success.
Source: http://www.farmcentre.com/Francais/Features/ScienceInnovation/Article.aspx?id=d9b091ec-f732-40c4-97e7-ad26adc1a16d
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