OWC Communications Specialist, Anna Garleff, went out to Taber to speak with the Executive Director of the PGA Staff, Terence Hochstein, to enquire about water and the Oldman and whether there are GMOs in the new potatoes.
Here we are specifically focusing on the potato growing industry which is a large one in Southern Alberta. The Potato Growers of Alberta have looked into efficient technology that have brought huge advantages to watershed health, like the variable rate pivot system. How is it advantageous to our watershed health? They require less water and create less evaporation and only irrigate areas that need it. Other crops (wheat, canola, timothy) are kept in rotation to build organic matter and keep the land from eroding and preserving the health of our watershed.
Some people are concerned GMOs negatively impact our watershed but research has not shown any major differences between GMO crops and non-GMO crops. In fact, GMO crops can have an environmental benefit because they may require less inputs - like pesticides/herbicides or water. Research is ongoing to quantify these benefits - it is difficult to generalize because the level of inputs required varies depending on weather, soil, site charactertistics, etc.
Rehosted from oldmanwatershed.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Comments are moderated before being published. Please be civil.