The past few weeks have brought exciting educational events to the producers of the Kootenay-Boundary region, brought to you by KBFA.
As always, be sure to check out our archived events page for any events you couldn’t attend!
In case you were unable to attend, here’s a recap:
Irrigation & Orchard Mulching Trial
August 31, Creston
At the Orchard & Mulching Trial, we discovered how soil moisture improved after a two-year mulching and irrigation trial with Dr. Catherine Tarasoff and orchard owner Don Low; 2020 was the second year of this trial. Conducted at the Quiet Valley Cherry Farm, Don and Susan Low have been growing cherries for over 20 years using a mix of irrigation techniques (drip lines and micro=sprinklers). With these trials, we are looking to discover if mulching will affect moisture levels, ultimately affecting fruit yield.
KBFA Advisor and irrigation specialist Andrew Bennett demonstrated best practices for irrigation alongside irrigation designer and horticulturist, Molly Thurston.
Ultimately, the mulched rows had a higher percentage of soil moisture. However, when fruit was weighed, there was no significant impact on yield. It is important to note that the Creston Valley received above-average precipitation in 2020. To come to a conclusion, a larger sample would need to be measured.
Want to learn more? Check out the event summary from 2020.
Sorghum Sudangrass Yield Trial
September 2, Wardner
Sudangrass is a drought tolerant grass used for cattle grazing. In this trial, we looked to find out the viability of sudangrass for extending fall grazing.
This trial was conducted at the Morrison Ranch in Wardner, where Sudangrass was cultivated for measurement and observation. The site of the observation has coarse-textured soil and well draining. The field was disked and rolled in early May, with herbicide applied in June for weed suppression. At the Sudangrass Yield Trial, we tested two different varieties of the grass at high and low seeding rates under dryland conditions.
The results ultimately found that the lower seeding rate (15 lb/acre) produced higher yields. On the edges of rows with wide spacing, the plants were the largest. The Sudangrass also appeared more drought resistant than the neighbouring barley.
Find full project details here.
Want more details? Check out our past events archive for details on past events in case you missed them!
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Have an idea for an event you’d like to see? Contact us here! We’d love to hear from you.
