Canada-Ontario Research & Development (CORD IV) Program Update
CORD funding is a very important and significant
source of funding for Ontario corn research.
The CORD program is funded by the federal
and provincial government through the Agricultural Policy Framework agreement.
The CORD program has been extremely valuable in addressing research and development
issues important to field crop producers. This program directly complements
research efforts funded by producer licence fees and is a major source of dollars
for field crop research in Ontario.
In the spring of 2005, the Canada-Ontario Research and Development (CORD) Program was renewed by the provincial and federal governments. From April 2005 to December 2007, a total of $1.2 million was invested in corn research through this program. The CORD IV program is now complete, and all projects funded through this program are now finished.
The dollar amounts indicated in the following list only includes CORD IV contributions. In most cases, there are additional funds from other associations and industry members which support these projects.
If any members wish to gain more detail around these projects or any other research related material, feel free to contact your local or regional OCPA Director, or the OCPA office in Guelph. You can also visit our website at www.ontariocorn.org to view our most recent call for proposals.
| Project Title |
|
Project Duration
|
|
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
|
| Assessing & Comparing
the Business Environment for Producer Involvement in Further Value-Added
Processing in the U.S. and Ontario (K. McEwan, Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph) |
$20,000
|
||
| The Effect of Time of Day
on Herbicide Efficacy (Dr. P. Sikkema, Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph) |
$10,000
|
$10,000
|
$10,000
|
| The Effect of Cumulative
Stresses on Crop Performance (Dr. P. Sikkema, Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph) |
$10,000
|
$10,000
|
$10,000
|
| Impact of Poncho Seed Treatment
on the Performance of Corn under Stress (G. Stewart, OMAFRA, Guelph) |
$5,000
|
||
| Identifying and Correcting
Causes of Uneven Red Clover Stands Underseeded to Winter Wheat (Dr. Bill Deen, Dept. of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph) |
$20,000
|
$20,000
|
$20,000
|
| Management of Corn Rootworm
in Ontario (Dr. A. Schaafsma, Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph) |
$20,000
|
$20,000
|
|
| Improvement of the MERN Calibration
Curve with Adjusted Soil N Test Values (J. D. Lauzon, Dept. of Land Resource Science, University of Guelph) |
$80,225
|
$80,225
|
|
| Delivering Value-Added Technology
in Corn Directly to the Ontario Corn Farmer (Dr. E. Lee, Dept. of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph) |
$65,000
|
$65,000
|
|
| Improving Corn Hybrid Management
in Ontario (G. Stewart, OMAFRA, Guelph) |
$25,000
|
$25,000
|
|
| Molecular Approaches Toward
Improving Fusarium Resistance in Corn (Dr. K. P. Pauls, Dept. of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph) |
$96,000
|
$96,000
|
|
| Weed Control Decision Making
Tools for Profit Maximization in Corn (M. Cowbrough, OMAFRA, Guelph) |
$38,125
|
$38,125
|
|
| Expanding Sustainable Nitrogen
Fertilizer Use by Promoting and Refining New Nitrogen Recommendations for
Corn (G. Stewart, OMAFRA and G. Brown, Director Business Development, Agricorp, Guelph) |
$63,620
|
$63,620
|
|
| Development of an In Vitro
Mutagenesis/Selection System for Future Germplasm Development (Dr. L. Kott, Dept. of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph) |
$46,250
|
$46,250
|
|
| Weed Management Approaches
and Reduced Rates in Corn, Soybeans and Wheat (Dr. P. Sikkema, Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph) |
$10,000
|
$10,000
|
$10,000
|
| Standardization of Sampling
and Analytical Procedures for Vomitoxin Testing in Grain Corn (G. Stewart, OMAFRA, Guelph) |
$12,500
|
||
| Evaluation of a Flexible
Weed Management Program in Roundup Ready Corn (C. Swanton, Dept. of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph) |
$10,062
|
||
| Assessing the Impact of Fungicides
on Corn Yield (C. Swanton, Dept. of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph) |
$8,000
|
||
| Economic Importance of Ontario's
Corn Sector (R. Vyn, Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph) |
$16,850
|
Next APF - Growing Forward
As many of you are aware, the federal government has been working towards designing the next APF (termed Growing Forward) when the current program expires in the spring of 2008. The federal and provincial governments agreed to a delayed start to Growing Forward in order to allow enough time to complete federal-provincial negotiations and design the new suite of programs. In the interim, the governments have indicated they will provide transitional funding to allow programs currently in the APF to continue. However, we have received notice that the CORD IV program is not considered a 'core' APF program and is not eligible for transition funding in 2008.
Through the Ontario Field Crop Research Coalition, we have been working hard to make government aware of the importance of research programs such as the CORD IV program. Over the past few months, this has been communicated through several face to face meetings and letters. Efforts are continuing to stress the importance of providing funds to research programs that allow producer groups to play a significant role in determining projects to fund.
Ontario Research & Development Program (ORDP)
In January 2008, the provincial government announced
$2.5 million in funding toward a new Ontario Research & Development Program
(ORDP). The program will be delivered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council
and will be delivered in much the same way as the CORD IV program. This program
is intended to partially offset the gap created due to the CORD IV program not
being renewed for 2008. The funding will be split between the field crops, horticulture
and livestock sector. Program details are still in development, but it is expected
that approximately $200,000 will be available to direct to corn research.
Grower Requested Own Use (GROU) Program
The Grower Requested Own Use (GROU) program is
up and running. The
American equivalent of the following seven products are now available under
the GROU program:
* Basagran liquid herbicide
* Banvel II herbicide
* Roundup Weathermax with Transorb 2 Technology liquid herbicide
* Reflex liquid herbicide
* Touchdown iQ liquid herbicide
* Gavel 75DF Fungicide
* Aatrex liquid 480
To access these products, growers must apply for an Import Certificate for the GROU program. See http://www.pmra-arla.gc.ca/english/appregis/grou/grou_imp-e.html for details on how to apply. The program is now accepting applications to import product for 2008.
Products with significant price discrepancies between Canada and the US will be considered for inclusion in the GROU program on an annual basis as chosen by the grower-led GROU Nomination Committee (made up of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Horticultural Council, Grain Growers of Canada, and Pulse Canada). AGCare forwarded 22 products to the nomination committee on behalf on Ontario's growers, including OCPA's nominees of atrazine, Dual II Magnum, Frontier, and Prowl in August 2007. To date, only the seven products listed above are eligible for import under this program.
AGCare, with input from OCPA and other members, has written and met with the PMRA to express concern about some of the early challenges within the new GROU program. They have committed to performing a program evaluation following an 18 month period, to determine GROU's progress in meeting its objectives. It has been stated they will re-open the old Own Use Import (OUI) program if pesticide manufacturers are not willing to co-operate with the GROU program.
For more information, contact Jackie Fraser at AGCare (519-837-1326, jfraser@agcare.org).
Canadian Corn Pest Coalition
The Canadian Corn Pest Coalition (CCPC) was founded in 1997 to work toward the common goal of responsibly deploying and managing new pest management technologies for corn as they are introduced in Canada and to support their continued effectiveness. The membership includes representatives from the seed corn industry, grower associations, regulatory agencies, academic institutions and extension and research staff from both provincial and federal governments.
The main focus of the CCPC currently is ongoing proactive post-market stewardship of Bt corn hybrid technology for European corn borer (ECB) control. The group has recently turned its attention to include the development of similar strategies for Bt-based corn rootworm (CRW) control.
CCPC produces information to assist in managing refuge requirements. A second edition of "A Grower's Handbook - controlling corn insect pests with Bt corn technology" is available to growers on the website www.cornpest.ca. This current edition includes new information on corn rootworm biology and the new Bt corn events registered in Canada. It also includes in depth information on insect resistance management strategies for both ECB Bt corn and CRW Bt corn.
In 2008, an educational campaign on the importance of insect resistance management (IRM) to keeping the technology effective will be launched. The campaign will include a new IRM grower card to assist growers in planning and planting their refuge areas. In addition, articles will be published in several Ontario farm magazines.
Clean Water Act
Source Protection Committees (SPCs) are active throughout the province in each of the 19 Source Protection Areas or Regions (SPA/R). There are 1 to 3 agricultural representatives on 16 of these groups (3 northern SPA/R have little to no agriculture and therefore no agricultural reps) for a total of 36 agricultural reps throughout the province. The Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition (OFEC) - made up of AGCare, CFFO, the Ontario Farm Animal Council, and the OFA - organized a training session for agricultural reps in December and another is being planned for March 26 and 27. The training includes technical basics on water issues, negotiation skills, and OFEC's 13 principles on source water protection.
SPCs are currently creating their Terms of Reference. They will then complete an Assessment Report and the Source Protection Plan for their SPA/R.
For further information check www.agcare.org or contact Jackie Fraser at AGCare at 519-837-1326 or jfraser@agcare.org.
Proposed Pesticide Ban
The McGuinty government has proposed a "cosmetic use" pesticide ban. AGCare met with Minister of Environment, John Gerretsen, on February 4 to discuss OCPA concerns with the ban. It appears that irresponsible use is the issue and AGCare is therefore advocating for urban use to follow similar rules to agricultural pesticide use. AGCare is promoting training and regular IPM certification for all urban pesticide users and vendors as a solution, rather than banning products.
AGCare made a submission to the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) and worked with OFEC who made a similar submission. It is anticipated that this legislation will be dealt with in mid-March, early in the next session at Queen's Park. We need individual farmers to get involved by meeting with their MPPs to discuss their concerns.
Although at the moment agriculture is exempt from the proposed ban, AGCare is concerned about this being the thin edge of the wedge. We are also concerned about public perception issues - "if it's unsafe for my lawn, what about my food?" The ban may also have a chilling effect on new registrations in Canada, further widening the technology gap between Canadian farmers and our American counterparts. Last but not least, this ban simply makes for poor public policy, ignoring existing science-based health and environmental safeguards (i.e. the PMRA and MOE's own Ontario Pesticide Advisory Committee).
For further information check www.agcare.org or contact Jackie Fraser at AGCare at 519-837-1326 or jfraser@agcare.org.
On-Farm Fuel Storage
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), a not-for-profit agency,
created by the provincial government to administer and enforce a range of public
safety laws, has indicated its intent to change regulations related to the transfer
of fuel from storage to vehicle tanks at private fuel outlets.
Private fuel outlets are those places where fuels (gasoline or diesel) are transferred
from a storage tank into a vehicle's tank without money changing hands. Farms
are one type of private fuel outlet. Construction sites, forestry operations
as well as businesses with a fleet of vehicles are other examples of private
fuel outlets.
TSSA is proposing that private fuel outlets where any one fuel tank has a storage
capacity of more than 5000 litres (1065 gallons) would require a certified "site
operator". Many farms have a number of tanks, whose storage capacity easily
exceeds 5000 litres. OFA believes this requirement is unnecessary.
OFA recommended to TSSA that;
1. On-farm diesel and gasoline tank storage capacity not be added together;
that each tank be treated separately,
2. That the threshold volume to require a certified site operator be set at
10,000 litres (2130 gallons) for diesel, and 5000 litres xxxfor
gasoline, and
3. That eligibility for these thresholds only apply to farmers with a valid
Farm Business Registration number.
TSSA has advised OFA that there will be public consultations on this proposal,
likely during April 2008.
For further information, contact Peter Jeffery,
peter.jeffery@ofa.on.ca.