Landowners

Conservation That Works for Working Lands

How Ducks Unlimited Canada’s conservation efforts make real-world impacts on sustainable agriculture

By Camille Llosa May 15, 2026

A critical part of the conservation work at Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is supporting agricultural producers and landowners so their lands remain productive and profitable while also improving soil, water and wildlife habitat.

Ducks Unlimited Canada works with farmers, ranchers and landowners through voluntary, science-backed programs that balance agricultural production with environmental outcomes.

One example is the Marginal Areas Program (MAP), which offers a practical financial solution for chronically underproductive areas within annual cropland by converting them to long-lasting grass and other forage plants that don’t need to be replanted every year. Programs like MAP, supported by ongoing research and partnerships, help deliver long-term ecological and economic benefits across working landscapes.

Why marginal areas?

Research has shown that about 10 to 20 per cent of cropland on the average Prairie farm is not profitable in a given year and about eight per cent remains unprofitable in the same location year after year, despite careful management and repeated inputs. These areas can be caused by soil salinity or drainage issues, can cost farmers money in fertilizer and fuel, and can be a source of harmful weeds for the rest of the field. A proven fix is to plant grasses and forage plants in these underperforming areas, competing with weeds, saving money and producing a small hay crop.

Marginal acres are a persistent challenge across the Prairies, costing farmers millions each year in lost profits and unnecessary input costs. The Prairie Precision Sustainability Network (PPSN) estimates 13 acres (5.3 hectares) in every quarter section consistently remain unproductive despite fertilizer, crop protection products and careful management. 

Learn how DUC supports landowners here.

How DUC’s Marginal Areas Program benefits landowners

“Farmers can lose about $68 per acre on average trying to grow annual crops in marginal land,” explains Sam Robinson, a sustainable agriculture research scientist with Ducks Unlimited Canada. 

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Perennial forages help manage challenges like salinity and problem weeds like kochia or foxtail barley in underperforming acres. Producers can reduce input costs, improve soil conditions and generate forage that can feed livestock or be sold.

Sam Robinson, sustainable agriculture research scientist, Ducks Unlimited Canada

Kochia, a salt-tolerant weed that is becoming increasingly difficult to manage, can be a telltale sign of underlying soil challenges. In many cases, it points to salinity, compaction or flooding issues that can limit the growth of annual crops, letting weeds grow freely without any competition.

Forage field at DUC Lakusta project in Alberta. © DUC

Robinson explains that deep-rooted, salt-tolerant forages can help manage saline areas by drawing moisture below the soil surface. This reduces the movement of salts toward the surface, limits further soil degradation and helps prevent the problem from weeds spreading into nearby productive land.  

“Saline areas can also produce a surprisingly large amount of forage,” notes Robinson. “A study from North Dakota showed that bare, saline areas were able to produce forage at about 50 per cent the rate of nearby non-saline areas within a few years. A study we recently completed in partnership with FCC and Olds College in Alberta showed that production can be even higher in areas with excess moisture: these saline wet areas produced more forage than the provincial average for that year and had decent feed quality as well.”

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The main message is that restoring marginal areas can turn a longstanding liability into a practical opportunity.

Sam Robinson, sustainable agriculture research scientist, Ducks Unlimited Canada

Through partnerships with farmers and landowners and programs like the Marginal Areas Program, DUC helps ensure working lands remain economically viable while providing important environmental benefits for agricultural producers and surrounding communities. DUC also engages in research into best-management practices of marginal areas, including improved seeding techniques or forage species recommendations.

Employing sustainable practices like these supports continued food production while sustaining the long-term livelihoods of Canadian farmers.

Want to learn how to access incentives like these?

Read about our Marginal Area Programs in Canada.

Learn more

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