Today we are talking with Dr. Mary-Jane Orr about MBFI’s Sod Seeding Trial and the Forage Living Library.  

Mary-Jane leads a dedicated team at MBFI to advance Manitoba’s beef & forage industry through engaging stakeholders, evaluating on-farm innovation, and extension for sustainability of farmers, the public, and the environment. She deeply values the opportunity to collaborate with producers, researchers, education providers, extension specialists, conservation groups, and all stakeholders in field-testing management practices and growing understanding of improved production in Manitoba. Mary-Jane holds a PhD from Purdue University in soil microbial ecology in agricultural systems, is a Professional Agrologist, and Certified Crop Advisor. Her experience in ecology and field agronomy gives her a unique perspective on the challenges facing agriculture today. 

The Sod Seeding Project is being implemented at MBFI’s First Street Pasture, which is a marginal pasture on sandy soil. This is a three year project that builds on previous work by Jane Thorton (previous MB Ag Staff) on Mob and Sod Seeding.  This project is in collaboration with Ducks Unlimited Canada.  While looking at this project, Mary-Jane shares how the site was prepped, how the trial is set up, what the objectives are and what aspects are being evaluated in this research.

Along with this, Mary-Jane gives us an overview of what the goals of pasture rejuvenation are and what needs to be considered before choosing to rejuvenate forage stands or not.  As always, we include a bit of information on the economics for this project and what is being considered when looking at the economics of pasture rejuvenation in this way.

Mary-Jane also shares what the forage living library is and what the purpose and goals of having a forage living library are.

Thank you to DSV Northstar and Ducks Unlimited Canada for sponsoring the Sod Seeding Trial. Thank you also to DLF Pickseed, DSV Northstar Seed, BrettYoung Seeds and Ducks Unlimited Canada for being the sponsors of the Forage Living Library.

Related Resources:

Beef Cattle Research Council: Rejuvenation of Hay and Pasture June 23, 2023 Retrieved May 13, 2024 

https://www.beefresearch.ca/topics/rejuvenation-of-hay-pasture/ 

The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).

We encourage you to follow MBFI on social media, or check out the website for more information on project findings and results, upcoming events and more!

Instagram: @MBBeefandForage

Facebook: @MBBeefandForage

X (Twitter): @MBBeefandForage

Website: www.mbfi.ca 

Email address: [email protected] 

Mary-Jane’s Phone Number: 431-255-0011