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January is Winter Wheat Month
Learn more about the ways winter wheat delivers the green.
Ducks Unlimited Canada announces – January is Winter Wheat Month
Edmonton, Sask., January 2, 2007—Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has promoted growing winter wheat for the last 15 years for two reasons; improved nesting sites for ducks across the prairies and increased profits for producers.
DUC is launching Winter Wheat Month as part of an initiative to increase awareness of the benefits of including winter wheat in the crop rotation and to draw attention to the environmental benefits it provides. “Winter wheat can play an important role in a producer’s crop rotation while providing essential waterfowl nesting habitat in the spring,” says Paul Thoroughgood, regional agrologist with DUC.
Producers are seeing the benefit of seeding winter wheat in their operation. Improving equipment and land efficiencies, reducing herbicide use and therefore the potential for herbicide resistance issues, as well as improved marketing opportunities and higher yields, are all ways winter wheat growers benefit.
One of the reasons DUC promotes winter wheat is the valuable habitat it provides. The crop does best when seeded into standing stubble after harvest in the fall. This allows the field to remain relatively undisturbed in the spring, which greatly enhances the probability of nests successfully hatching.
The positive trend in seeded acres of winter wheat across the prairies has been very strong. Fall 2006 saw 1.2 million seeded acres, a testament to the value of the crop and the success of the DUC program, and a 60 per cent increase over the 2005 acres.
DUC agrologists are always available to discuss their winter wheat program and the role the crop can play in a producer’s operation. These winter wheat agrologists are available through DUC offices in every province and will be attending the following farm shows throughout Winter Wheat Month:
- Crop Production Show – Saskatoon – January 8-11, 2007
- Manitoba Ag Days – Brandon – January 16-18, 2007
- Agronomy Update – Lethbridge – January 16-17, 2007
- Farm Tech – Edmonton – January 24-26, 2007
- Man-Dak Annual GM – Brandon – February 6-7, 2007
January is Winter Wheat Month. Learn more about the ways winter wheat delivers the green – for producers and for conservation – across the prairies.
Since 1938, DUC has conserved, restored and managed wetlands and their associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people.
For more information, contact:
Paul Thoroughgood
Regional Agrologist
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Phone: (306) 359-2214
Email: p_thoroughgood@ducks.ca
Corporate Media Relations Specialist
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Phone: (204) 467-3306
Email: l_patterson@ducks.ca
