Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre (CSIDC) Annual Field Day to Look at Past, Present and Future of Irrigation
Embracing the “Wealth from Water — Past, Present and Future” theme, the Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre (CSIDC) Annual Field Day and Trade Show promises quite an experience this year on July 14 in Outlook.
John Linsley is Manager of Irrigation Development at Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food.
“We will focus on the past to celebrate the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration’s (PFRA) 70th anniversary year. The CSIDC, Gardiner Dam, Lake Diefenbaker and 26 reservoirs in the South West are all part of those 70 years of creating wealth from water.”
In exploring the present, the CSIDC Field Day will also show how high value irrigated cropping practices continue to create wealth from water. Guests will be able to take in the trade show “under the tent,” where agri-businesses, industry and public sector support organizations will have displays.
On the tour, irrigation technology projects will include various irrigation systems and a solar powered centre-pivot, as well as trickle irrigation demonstrations.
“New improved potato varieties will be viewed, including agronomic refinements for seed, processing, and table potato production. High-value vegetables are also part of the program, including tips for season extension to grow warm season veggies. There will be stops at the native fruit orchard, and strawberry crown production will also be looked at.”
The visit will include a study of medicinal and aromatic plants, as well as agronomic refinements for commercial production.
“On other fronts, corn production for grain and silage; pulse crops like dry bean, field pea, soybean; forages featuring timothy improvement and management; and best management practices for forage production, mixed forages and annual cereal forages like barley, oat and Triticale will also be looked at.”
Oilseeds such as canola, flax, sunflower; and cereals, which will include various market classes of wheat, will also be featured.
Looking to the future, the Field Day will take a look at Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation’s 50-Year Water Plan for Saskatchewan, according to Linsley.
“The Action Committee on the Rural Economy (ACRE) recommended that Saskatchewan adopt an aggressive policy towards irrigation development, that both expands utilization of the current irrigation system and looks at further development in order to open new areas for diversified agricultural growth.
“In the same vein, the Canada Saskatchewan Water Supply Expansion Program is funding irrigation infill and expansion feasibility studies. As water becomes more precious, future water needs are becoming more pressing. This is where the CSIDC comes in.”
The CSIDC is a partnership between the provincial and federal governments and irrigation industry farmers seeking crop diversification, new production efficiencies and avenues for the betterment of agricultural irrigation practices in Saskatchewan.
For more information, contact:
John Linsley
Manager of Irrigation Development
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 867-5527
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