May 2005

A new look at Western crop conditions
Snapshots from space are helping Canadian producers, governments and the agriculture industry to stay updated on crop and pasture conditions in Western Canada. The Crop Conditions Assessment Program (CCAP) Web site, delivered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Statistics Canada, uses satellite image displays with a one-kilometre resolution to provide weekly updates of conditions across the West, measuring vegetative health by changes in chlorophyll activity. The site offers comparative information about previous weeks and growing seasons, and is proving valuable when management decisions require the most recent information on vegetation conditions. CCAP's Web site is accessible via AAFC's Drought Watch Web site www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/index_e.htm or Statistics Canada's Web site http://www25.statcan.ca:8081/ccap/ccaphome.jsp.

Flexing Our Mussels in Europe
Atlantic Canada's cultured blue mussel industry is on the move in Western Europe. This spring, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Atlantic Regional Office brought together mussel industry stakeholders in Belgium and Holland and Canadian mussel industry producers to show what the Canadian industry has to offer. The Belgian and Dutch markets for mussels is huge, importing about 40,000 metric tonnes annually, the equivalent in weight of 40,000 average-sized cars. This represents about twice the current production of mussels in Atlantic Canada. A Prince Edward Island based company, Canadian Mussels Ltd., realized the market opportunities and decided to launch its new line of modified atmosphere pack mussels in Amsterdam. Groundwork is being laid for even bigger export activity. The demand for Canadian mussels in Europe is growing due to a worsening mussel production situation in Europe; technological improvements in mussel processing; improved transportation linkages; and an almost unlimited capacity to produce mussels in Newfoundland waters.

Plants helping people
Scientists and nutritionists have long touted the benefits of introducing antioxidants to human diets, from a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, to the positive effect on various neurological disorders. Now a group of researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is trying to determine how the same antioxidants which help plants defend themselves against environmental threats during growth and following harvest might be used to help improve the overall health of humans. The research has a number of components: scientists are first determining which antioxidants are most important to certain fruits and vegetables during growth and post-harvest. They then plan to look at ways to enhance the content of these antioxidants so that the plants can better handle stressful situations. Finally, scientists will use this information to determine which specific species, varieties and cultivars hold the most promise for providing human health benefits.

Safflower, So Good
Canadian safflower varieties are a mainstay of the birdseed trade, but new uses are being explored. Safflower is becoming an attractive host for the production of high-value, pharmaceutical and industrial enzymes, and proteins, developed into a milky cream, have applications in the personal-care industry. Safflower, originally grown throughout Asia for the reddish pigment in the flower petals, was used to colour rice and bread, and dye cloth. As a healthy alternative to edible oils high in saturated fat, unsaturated safflower oil has been sold mainly in health food stores. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Safflower Production on the Canadian Prairies: revisited in 2004 is an updated cultivation guide. The booklet includes information on varieties, adaptation to Prairie conditions, recommended management strategies, and Internet links to marketers. For more information, see http://res2.agr.ca/lethbridge/safflo/part1_e.htm

PFRA is 70 years young!
On April 17, 1935, the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act received Royal Assent. The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration's original five-year mandate was to rehabilitate drought and soil-drifting areas in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Over the years, this mandate changed in response to evolving resource care and rural growth needs. The PFRA might have turned 70, but its many projects and initiatives take advantage of today's modern technology possibilities, such as using interactive flash animations to illustrate beneficial management practices for water quality. On the organization's Web site, producers can view six different flash presentations on tips and solutions for improving the quality of water sources. One presentation even caters to school-aged children who can learn more about environment-friendly farming practices by joining RoboCow in one of her adventures. The PFRA has a proud history of contributing to the sustainability of the agriculture sector in Western Canada. For more information, visit the PFRA's Web site at www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/main_e.htm. Watch out for PFRA festivities to be announced in following Tipsheet issues!

Curbing the Financial Impacts of Bacterial Ring Rot
How can seed potato producers be helped financially when Bacterial Ring Rot strikes? This is one of the main questions being answered in a project spearheaded by the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) and funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Private Sector Risk Management Partnerships (PSRMP). Bacterial Ring Rot (BRR) is a disease that in its advanced stage, causes potato vines in some varieties to wilt late in the season and bacterial ooze to leak from the tubers. An infected crop results in a devastating financial blow to a seed potato producer. All the produce has to be disposed of, and equipment and storage bins disinfected; producers cannot grow a crop on that field for two years; they become decertified as seed potato growers and must reapply for certification; and it is difficult for producers to regain the market share once it is lost. While coverage for losses related to BRR exists in some provinces under Production Insurance, this coverage is not uniform across Canada, and it does not adequately compensate producers for the losses they incur. The goal of the CHC project is to develop and implement an economically viable, comprehensive and uniform financial risk management solution for Canadian seed potato producers affected by BRR. This initiative, funded at $190,000, supports the mandate of the PSRMP to address gaps in risk management coverage for producers. For more information, see the PSRMP's Web site at www.agr.gc.ca/psrmp or the CHC's Web site at www.hortcouncil.ca.

Employee Snapshot: AAFC Employee Contributes to Book on Yukon's Ecoregions
Scott Smith, a land resource officer at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, British Columbia, is the principal editor of Ecoregions of the Yukon Territory - Biophysical Properties of Yukon Landscapes. A 15-year veteran of the Yukon and a contributor to the development of Canada's national ecological framework in the 1990s, Mr. Smith has the exact expertise needed to edit this book, which is the first to present a comprehensive natural history of the Yukon. Released recently, the publication has 29 contributors and took 10 years to make. With more than 300 pages and 120 full-colour photographs, maps and illustrations, the book details the physical and biological conditions of the territory's 23 ecoregions. The multi-disciplinary work will appeal to a broad audience, from resource managers to outdoor enthusiasts, and is available in hard copy and on CD-ROM. For more information visit www.geology.gov.yk.ca/publications/recent.html

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