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ArticleFertilizer and Pesticide Management in CanadaIntroduction IntroductionFertilizer and Pesticide Management in Canada is the third article in a series of studies collectively called Farm Environmental Management in Canada. The objective of this series is to publish the key results of the 2001 Farm Environmental Management Survey (FEMS).1 The series presents information about the farming practices used on Canadian farms as they relate to a number of agri-environmental topics such as manure handling, water management, chemical inputs and sustainable land management practices. Agricultural activities by their very nature have a significant impact on the environment. Tillage practices alter natural landscapes, agricultural inputs enter ecosystems and animal by-products influence ecological balances. Because of environmental concerns, Canadian farmers are at the frontlines as stewards of the environment. Farmers are actively involved in environmental programs and are adopting farming practices that minimize pollution risks to air, water and soil, while contributing to the conservation of bio-diversity. FEMS results provide useful information for measuring the adoption of environmentally sound practices and assisting governments, farmers and non-governmental organizations in the promotion and development of farm environmental initiatives. Fertilizer and Pesticide Management in Canada provides information on the key management practices that were used by Canadian farmers in 2001. To assess the importance of these practices, the number of farms provides valuable information on the extent to which the farm community is aware of and has adopted farming practices that are more environmentally sound. Although the focus of this analysis is mainly at the national level, some highlights are also presented on a provincial basis. The topics covered comprise most of the key characteristics of fertilizer and pesticide management.2 Topics include seasonal crop residue management, chemical fertilizer use and application, soil testing, nutrient management and implementation of nutrient management plans and pesticide management practices. Chemical input use and the environmentCanadians are concerned about the impacts that farm practices can have on the environment and on human health. These farm practices involve the use of inputs such as fossil fuels, fertilizers, and pesticides. The use and management of these farm inputs have an impact on the sustainability of agricultural production and on the environment. Effective use of farm inputs can help improve sustainability by minimizing environmental risks and can enhance farm profitability through more efficient utilization of costly inputs. While cost is a factor that farmers always seek to minimize, the mix or combinations of the inputs used by farmers are determined not only by economic considerations, but also by technological advances. For example, according to the last Census of Agriculture, there has been a large increase in minimum or no-till practices. This is the result of developments in new equipment and pesticides, coupled with the realization that reduced or no-till is a sound agronomic practice in the right conditions. This practice can result in reduced soil erosion and reduced oxidation of soil carbon. Conversely, water quality, soil quality and biodiversity can be adversely affected by the improper use of plant nutrient and pest controls. The proper management of farm inputs is further complicated by the great regional diversity in agronomic conditions across Canada. Farm inputs management is one of the key factors that affect agroecosystem sustainability. One of the strategies used by farm operators to optimize the use of farm inputs and manage environmental risks is the application of beneficial management practices (BMPs). There are a wide variety of definitions of BMPs because of the different ecological and agronomic conditions from region to region. However, they all encompass a similar objective: managing production systems to achieve environmental goals while maintaining acceptable levels of economic returns. Examples of BMPs for farm inputs include regular soil testing, integrated pest management (IPM) and manure runoff containment. BMPs vary from farm to farm according to the physical, financial and technological components unique to each operation. Fertilizer and pesticide usage have been commonplace in Canadian agriculture for many years. In comparison to the high input production practices in the United States and some European countries, Canadian agriculture uses less of these inputs on a per-hectare basis. The relatively short and cool growing season limits the extent of insect and fungus problems relative to many other countries. Moreover, much of the crop and grazing lands are situated in Western Canada where the low level of precipitation limits crop yield. As a result of this, only relatively low levels of fertilizer applications are economically viable. In central and Atlantic Canada, in contrast, a longer growing season and higher precipitation produce conditions that allow for greater use of farm inputs on crops that are higher yielding. This is particularly the case in southern Ontario, where high levels of fertilization and pesticides use are observed. Crop productionCanada is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of land area but only a relatively small portion of the land mass is suited for agricultural production. According to the latest Census of Agriculture (2001), 41 million hectares of land was utilized in the production of field crops. The first table indicates the distribution of the major crops grown by area in Canada, as well as their value.
According to the FEMS, almost 90% of the 193,180 Canadian farmers included in this survey3 grow crops or have pasture. Saskatchewan has the largest number of farms that raise crops, followed closely by Ontario. In addition, both provinces report the largest percentage of farms involved in crop production, at 94.7% and 92.2% respectively. Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, and New Brunswick have the lowest percentage of farms growing crops, at around 80%.
Crop residue managementThe management of crop residue is important because of its implications on soil moisture conservation in the short run, and on soil organic matter content over the longer term. In addition, residue or trash cover halts or reduces the damage caused by water and wind erosion. Across Canada, respondents indicated two principal methods of crop residue management. Chopping and spreading straw in the field and bailing straw together accounted for over 80% of all methods reported. The "chop and spread straw" method was more popular in the prairies than in other provinces. Burning straw constitutes only 2.2% of all crop residue management methods across Canada. However, burning straw was more popular in Manitoba where it represented over 8% of all methods. Manitoba's result is higher than the other Prairie provinces because the wetter conditions that prevail in that region tend to produce taller growing crops and, consequently, more crop residue per acre. This crop residue has traditionally been disposed of by burning.
Commercial fertilizer managementProducers were asked if they applied fertilizer to the land. About three-quarters of farmers nation-wide indicated that they used fertilizer in 2001. Prince Edward Island and Ontario report the highest percentage of farms that apply commercial fertilizer.
Canadian producers were asked in this survey about their method of fertilizer application. "Broadcasting" accounted for about one-third of all commercial fertilizer application methods, while "applied with seed" constituted a further one-third of methods. Broadcasting was a less popular practice in the Prairies, particularly in Saskatchewan, while "applied with seed" was more commonplace in the Prairies. "Knifing in" or "injecting" fertilizer into the ground formed only 8.5% of all commercial fertilizer application methods, and again this practice was more prevalent in the Prairies. Banding accounted for a little over 17% of all methods, while top- or side-dressing during the post planting period constituted just under 3% of all methods.
The FEMS did not ask farmers how much fertilizer they applied, since specific survey difficulties present themselves with this type of question. Farmers typically do not know, or are not able to answer how many tonnes of fertilizer they applied to their land, the specific form of the fertilizer or the aggregate amount of nutrient applied. Fortunately, this information is gathered together by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and is presented in the table.
Canadian farmers were asked in the FEMS on the time of year that they applied their fertilizer to the fields. The table summarizes the time of year that farmers apply most (greater than 75%) of their fertilizer. In 2001, much of the fertilizer applied in Canada was during the spring season, over 90% for the most part. The notable exceptions are anhydrous ammonia application in Central Canada and in the West, and urea application in Atlantic Canada. The balance of anhydrous ammonia was applied mainly in summer in Central Canada and in the fall in Western Canada. The balance of urea was mainly applied in the summer in Atlantic Canada.
The FEMS indicates that soil testing was the most popular method of deciding on the amount and type of commercial fertilizer to apply in Canada as a whole, amounting to 48.0% of all methods. In Quebec, soil testing accounted for almost three-quarters of all methods reported. In contrast, foliage testing formed only 2.8% of all methods in that province. This latter method constituted about 8% of all the methods reported in New Brunswick and British Columbia. Across Canada, the use of economic factors such as the cost of fertilizer and/or crop prices accounted for 21.3% of all the methods farmers employed in deciding how much, and what kind of fertilizer to apply to their crops. This method appears to be particularly significant in the Prairie provinces. In Saskatchewan, it represented 31.0% of all the methods used, while in Manitoba and Alberta, the figures were 25.8% and 23.7%, respectively. The third most important factor in deciding fertilizer application was moisture conditions. While this method of deciding constituted 15.8% of all methods in Canada, there was a higher proportion in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Moisture conditions were also reported as a significant factor in Nova Scotia. There were other methods that Canadian farmers indicated they used when considering the amount and type of fertilizer to apply. Overall, these "other" methods accounted for a little over 12% of all methods reported. In certain provinces outside Quebec and the Prairies, the "other" factors were a significant consideration.
Producers were also asked how frequently they tested their soils for nutrients. About three quarters of the respondents indicated that they tested their soils to determine the levels of nutrient carry-over. Most farms tested every two or three years, but less than 20% carried out soil testing on an annual basis. Among the provinces, Quebec and Prince Edward Island tested their soil more frequently, while Nova Scotia and, to a lesser extent, British Columbia tended to test less frequently. About 40% of the farms in Central Canada test their soil every two to three years.
Over 44% of Canadian crop growers reduced their application of nitrogen fertilizer following cultivation of a legume crop. The higher response rates were found in Quebec and Ontario at 65.9% and 61.2% respectively.
Commercial fertilizer and manureCanadian farmers indicated that 39.2% of them apply fertilizer to land that has had manure applied to it. The rates are much higher in Eastern Canada. It should be noted that 34.0% of the farm population stated that this question was not applicable to their situation, i.e. they did not have any livestock in their farming operation, had no opportunity to procure manure for this purpose, or had otherwise choosen not to apply manure to their land. This was particularly the situation in Saskatchewan, where the area of land relative to the livestock population is much greater.
When asked if they reduced fertilizer application to land which has had manure applied, 43.1% of Canadian farmers responded that they did. However, in all provinces in eastern Canada the response rate was much higher than the national average. In the western provinces, particularly Saskatchewan, relatively few farms reduced their fertilizer application to offset the nutrient content in manure.
Canadian farmers generally appear to not test the nutrient content of manure. The highest response rate was in Quebec, which was over three times the national average. This outcome is due to the provincial regulations that requires producers in the province to submit nutrient management plans.
Nutrient management plansNutrient management plans (NMPs) are a relatively new concept that is being introduced in some parts of Canada. These are formal written plans prepared by a trained person or specialist, which consider issues such as the method and timing of nutrient application. Other considerations include the carry-over of nutrients and the distance to waterways. About 47% of the farms in Quebec have a NMP. The percentage in other Canadian provinces are much lower. Amongst farms that do have a NMP, 91.7% reported that they implemented their plan. With the exception of Quebec (95.5%) and Saskatchewan (83.9%), about 90% of the farmers in the other provinces have implemented their nutrient management plans.
Producers were asked the reason they had a NMP. Most responded that they had plans because of their concerns over the environment (43.6% of total responses). The second most common reason was that it was a part of the operation's manure management plan (34.4%). Government regulations constituted 22.0% of all the responses, with this reason accounting for 32.6% of all the responses in Quebec.
Pesticide managementThe survey asked farmers if they applied any pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides) to their crops in 2001 and 73.2% answered in the affirmative. The largest percentage of farmers who applied pesticides are found in Saskatchewan at 82.8%. This is followed by 80.2% in Prince Edward Island, and 79.2% in Ontario. In British Columbia and Nova Scotia, only about 48% of farms applied pesticides to their crops.
The FEMS also asked farmers which criteria or rule they use in deciding when to apply pesticides. Half of the farms in Canada decide to apply herbicides based on the growth stage of their crop. Similar percentages were found in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia, which were much lower. The second most frequent reason was based on the first sight of pests (18.6%), followed by regional monitoring of pests (15.1%). The former method was popular in Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia. With respect to insecticides, 40.9% of the farmers who applied them decided to do so when they felt that the level of pests or insects exceeded acceptable levels. While there was considerable variation across Canada, this was a particularly popular method in the Prairie provinces. Another 28.1% of farmers applied insecticides at the first sign of pests. When it comes to fungicide application, there did not appear to be a dominant factor that farmers used in determining when to apply them.
Farmers were asked if they used band application of pesticides on row crops. Less pesticide is generally required using this methodology. Just under 10% of the farmers indicated that they used this method. The largest use is found in Newfoundland and Labrador. A significant percentage of farmers used this method in the regions outside of the Prairies.
Given the nature of pesticides and the importance of proper handling and application, the FEMS asked producers if a formally certified person applied pesticides on their farm. Nationally, just over 60% of the farmers responded that this was the case. In Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick, the percentage of certified applicators was well over 90%.
The FEMS asked producers when they calibrated their sprayer. This activity ensures that the application of the pesticide is accurate. Almost one-half of the farmers in Canada calibrate their sprayers at the start of each season. This is followed by just under 14% who calibrate the sprayer between applications of different pesticides. The latter is considered a beneficial management practice.
Alternative methods of pest controlThere are many methods of pest control that do not involve the use of pesticides. Because this survey asked farmers to report all of the non-pesticide control methods they used, and the fact that there are many methods available, the total exceeds the number of farmers who reported growing crops. While most of these methods have been commonplace for many years (i.e. tillage), some are more recent innovations (i.e. B.T or bacillus thuringiensis). New interest in organic production methods is resulting in the adoption of more alternate pest control methods. Various methods of weeding (mechanical and hand) account for over 59% of all alternative methods of pest control across Canada. Saskatchewan is the province reporting the highest percentage of methods that utilize this form of weed control, at almost 70%. The province with the lowest proportion reporting weeding as a pest control method is Nova Scotia at 41.5%. There are various methods of controlling pests that employ the use of plants or crops. These include fall seeding, using tolerant or resistant plants, green manuring and others. These methods constituted 19.4% of all alternative methods of weed or insect control across Canada. The proportion in each province is very similar to the national average, although somewhat lower in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. There are a series of pest control methods that can best be described as biological methods, since they consist of biological agents such as predators, parasites, and others. These biological methods form only 3.8% of all these alternative methods of pest control. The highest percentage is found in British Columbia, at 13.2%. The proportion Ontario is less than one half of this percentage.
SummaryThe FEMS provides key insights into the management practices that Canadian farmers employ with respect to fertilizers and pesticides, and some of the reasons for those decisions. While the survey gathered much data, not all the information is presented in this publication. This report has tried to present a summary description of every question asked in the fertilizer and pesticide module, one that would be of interest to the widest audience possible. Some information was added from other sources to provide the reader with more context. A summary of the findings are presented below:
1 FEMS was conducted in March 2002 by Statistics Canada for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The survey provides a broad coverage of farm management practices that are related to the environment in all sectors of Canadian agriculture. 2 The two previous articles in this series, Manure Storage in Canada and Manure Management in Canada, address issues related specifically to manure storage systems and manure management practices. 3 The total number of farms is lower in the FEMS than that reported in the Census of Agriculture because the FEMS included only those with total gross farm receipts of $10,000 or more. |
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