We saw more crop diversification, albeit the change in freight rates probably had as much to do with this as anything else. We did see the rather phenomenal growth continuing in the direct seeding area, with a corresponding large reduction in summerfallow acres in the province. There was more progress made in both wind and water erosion reduction as a result. The conversion from high to low disturbance direct seeding was very much in evidence as machinery manufacturers hastened to meet the demand from the producers for a quality method. Direct seeding under low disturbance acres expanded dramatically.
Nobody knows for sure but several trends and directions seem evident.
There continue to be great improvements made in direct seeding technology and machinery. Precision farming has expanded from the USA and has continued to draw much interest in the farming community in this country. Carbon sequestering in the soil grows as a viable concept among continuous croppers and more specifically among low disturbance direct seeders. Variable rate fertilization is rapidly becoming a reality with the advance of precision farming, with the technology being adapted to spraying and harvesting operations. Field mapping for producers is now an exciting thing that is attainable.