Winter wheat program benefits duck expansion

BISMARCK, N.D. — Ducks Unlimited is teaming with a global crop chemical company to expand a program that encourages the growing of winter wheat or rye for the benefit of waterfowl.

Bayer CropScience over the next five years will provide $500,000 for incentives for farmers to grow the grains, said Blake Vander Vorst, a regional agronomist for the Ducks Unlimited Great Plains regional office in Bismarck. Farmers in the program will be reimbursed for using Bayer CropScience chemicals.

“The contribution and resulting incentives will help reduce the risk for growers to adopt a new crop or expand their current acreage,” Vander Vorst said.

The program began in 2000 and has grown to thousands of acres in the southeastern North Dakota counties of Dickey, Sargent and Ransom and the northeastern South Dakota counties of Marshall and Day.

The program is now being expanded to Brown County in South Dakota and three northwestern North Dakota counties: McLean, Mountrail and Ward.

Winter wheat is seeded in the fall, minimizing field disturbance in the spring when ducks are nesting.

“Research in Canada shows that duck nest success improves by 35 times with fall-planted winter cereals when compared to spring-planted cereals,” said Jeff Nelson, director of the Ducks Unlimited Great Plains Regional Office.

The group said farmers also benefit by spreading out their workload and getting agronomy help.

The program has involved more than 100 farmers since it began. Vander Vorst said officials hope to involve another 100 in the new counties.

Prior to the new agreement with Bayer CropScience, farmers in the program were paid $7 per acre for up to 150 acres of grain, under three-year contracts. Alan Ayers, director of state affairs and stewardship for Bayer CropScience, said the Germany-based company is pleased with the opportunity to help enhance duck populations.

“This is an excellent example of how crop protection chemicals can be used to increase crop yield and play an important role in the conservation of wildlife,” he said.