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Seeding Systems and Cropping Trends in Saskatchewan
Results of a PFRA Survey, 1997-2002
Author: Dennis Haak
Key Findings
- There has been a clear trend towards increased adoption of reduced soil disturbance or conservation seeding systems (CSS) on cropland in Saskatchewan over the past 8 years.
- According to this PFRA survey, from 1997 to 2002 the percentage of land in CSS increased from 20% to 40%. The Census of Agriculture data for Saskatchewan shows higher adoption rates for CSS; 55% in 1996 and 67% in 2001. The actual rate of adoption of CSS is probably somewhere between these two data sources.
- There is a very close association between conservation seeding systems and the inclusion of pulse crops in rotation. Two major reasons may be the greater need to conserve crop residue for crops that produce very little straw and stubble, and the easier ability to minimize soil disturbance because of lower fertilizer requirements.
- There are very few fields that use conservation seeding systems every year. This suggests that producers need to be flexible and that fields may require some occasional tillage to deal with special concerns such as perennial weeds.
Between 1997 and 2002 Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) conducted an annual spring survey of over 4000 annually cropped fields across Saskatchewan. Each year the same fields were visited, shortly after crop emergence in mid June. The objectives of the survey were to gather information on seeding systems and crop rotations used in Saskatchewan. This information is useful to assess the adoption of annual cropping practices which help to conserve soil and water resources, and protect quality of water and air in the environment. This report provides results on crop types, crop rotations, seeding systems, and interrelationships between these variables. To our knowledge the PFRA survey is the most extensive survey of its kind in Saskatchewan, and possibly Canada.
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