DUC ENCOURAGES GROWERS TO LINE UP THEIR INPUTS

Edmonton, AB, August 11, 2010  – Harvest time is a stressful and busy period for producers; therefore seeding winter wheat during this time requires good planning to make things go as smoothly as possible.

Winter wheat does require a slight change in production practices, but total farm management and planning helps producers to be more efficient in the long run. By using this checklist, growers can plan, prepare, and seed winter wheat successfully and stress free:

• Line up seed early:
  • Having seed in the yard or lined up with your local seed grower will save time and headaches when seeding begins. Winter wheat acres are estimated to increase this fall, therefore on-farm storage will ensure seed is available for planting.

• Have fertilizer at the farm:
  • Contact your local farm supply dealer before seeding. If on-farm storage is not feasible, arrangements should be made so that fertilizer will be available when needed.

• Prepare seeding equipment:
  • Growers may have their seeding equipment field-ready with seed and fertilizer on board so seeding can start before the trucks are needed. Trucks to supply seed and fertilizer are often a limiting factor when seeding, so using seed wagons, hopper bins or borrowing trucks, if necessary, will help. This type of preparation will save precious time during harvest.

• Control of weeds and volunteers:
  • Experienced winter wheat growers know that the benefits of early harvest make adding seeding to their fall workload a great decision. Organization is the key to incorporating winter wheat into your cropping rotation.

Ensure you take the proper steps to help you plan, prepare and seed successfully. Visit growwinterwheat.ca to learn more about winter wheat and seeding preparation.

Sign up for the Winter Wheat Grower Incentive Program to take advantage of financial incentives to seed winter wheat this fall. DUC and Bayer CropScience are offering incentives through their Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action initiative.

To sign up, call 1-866-384-DUCK.

For further information, please contact:

Marci Dubé, National Communications Manager
Ducks Unlimited Canada
m_dube@ducks.ca
Ph: (780) 930-1242