b'INDUSTRY NEWS initiative meant to help agriculture adapt to climate change, theOf the 520 respondents who grew cover crops in 2020, 91 release notes. per cent observed benefits from growing cover crops. The "I recommend Matilde to other farmers because it producesobservations include the 68 per cent of farms saw improved soil a lot, the potatoes taste good, boiled, mashed, fried, in soup,health, 59 per cent observed less soil erosion, and 57 per cent and late blight doesnt affect it the way it does other varieties.reported seeing increased soil organic matter.Im thankful to have this new variety because now I dont haveMore than three quarters of farms reported benefits within to invest so much in agrochemicals," Rolando Papuico, a potatothree years of adopting cover crops, the release notes.farmer from the Huancayo province, where the CIP-MatildeThe study did show some challenges in adopting cover variety was developed, says in the release. crops. The most common challenges include poor cover crop establishment, the late harvest of a cash crop preventing cover crop planting, and the additional costs associated with growing a cover crop.Study Shows Benefits of Cover Crops for OntarioThe project was a voluntary online survey of Ontario farms, Farmers targeting both farms that did and did not grow cover crops A study has found the majority of Ontario farmers growing coverduring the 2020 growing season. Farms of all types and sizes in crops are observing benefits from them, a news release fromOntario were invited to take part. A variety of questions were Grain Farmers of Ontario says. asked to farmers who grew and did not grow cover crops. Both The study was done by researchers at the University ofgroups were asked about farm characteristics, motivations, Manitoba working in collaboration with the Ontario Cover Cropwhat would enable cover crop use, and where farms source Steering Committee. Farmers were served in 2020 about theirinformation. cover cropping habits. With 731 farmers responding it was the largest survey of its kind in Canada.LIFEGARD YOUR CROPLifeGard is a low use rate product that starts to activate in the plant in just hours. Zero PHI & only 4 hours re-entry offers you flexibility. 66SPUDSMART.COM Winter 2022WWW.UAP.CA'