The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) saw a lot of interest in the first year of their 4R Nutrient Stewardship Advantage program as part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's On-Farm Climate Action Fund.
Warren Ward, an Agronomy Specialist with the CCC says the Canola 4R Advantage program offers financial enhancements to help cover some of the costs associated with 4R Nutrient Stewardship.
"Soil testing, the use of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer, preferred application - which really is moving from fall nitrogen applications to in-season applications. So whether that be banding at the time of seeding, or a combination of banding at seeding and top dressing later on in the season. Then our fourth one was field zone mapping - where we provided some incentive to help cover some of the costs of generating zone maps that help you improve that nutrient application in the field."
He gives an example of the savings producers could see through the program for something like soil testing.
"If they're doing a minimum 12-inch soil sample at an accredited lab, they'd be eligible for 85% reimbursement of the costs associated with that. That includes the cost of an agronomist going out to the field collecting that soil sample and the cost of sending it to the lab for analysis."
This year's program includes additional enhancements including more funding per best management practices, added eligibility for 4R plan development, and continued funding for the adoption of new practices that were started on February 7, 2022.
Year two of Canola 4R Advantage will cover eligible expenses paid by growers between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024.
A new digital application portal is expected to be up and operational in June (2023).
The CCC is also collaborating on 4R demonstration sites in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
The Canola 4R Advantage is one of 13 programs being delivered by Canadian agricultural organizations with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF).
To hear Glenda-Lee's conversation with CCC Agronomy Specialist Warren Ward click on the link below.