Agriculture and forestry decision-making tools

General

• Alberta Climate Information Service
  The AgroClimatic Information Service (ACIS) provides access to meteorological data and maps derived from more than 330 stations.
• Grains, Forage and Straw Nutrient Use Calculator
  This calculator will help you determine how much nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and calcium your crop will use for a given yield.
• Irrigation Water Allocation Calculator
  This calculator estimates how long it will take to use up an allocation of water.
• Rural Water Quality Information Tool
  This online tool assesses the quality and suitability of raw water sources for livestock, irrigation or mix water for chemical spraying.

Seeding

• Alberta Soil Information Viewer
  Use this map-based decision-support tool to access selected soil data in Alberta’s agricultural region.
• Barley, General Purpose Seeding Rate Calculator
  This calculator determines how much seed is needed to plant a cereal crop with the desired plant density and includes seed drill calibration information.
• Forage Seed Mixture Calculator
  Grassland species are normally seeded in mixtures rather than monocultures. This calculator will calculate a mix and estimate a seed density for drills or broadcast seedings for any grouping of forage species in the calculator list.
• Peas, Pulses and Other Large Seeds Calculator
  This calculator determines how much seed is needed to plant a crop with the desired plant density and includes seed drill calibration information.

Cost of production

• Crop Budget Calculator
  Crop producers can use this software to predict revenues and margins for Alberta enterprises.
• Crop Returns Calculator
  This calculator helps managers to evaluate crop enterprise profitability by calculating production costs, breakeven selling prices, gross margins and returns to equity.
• CropChoices software
  Crop producers can use this software to predict revenues and margins for their enterprise, as well as the chance of achieving those levels.
• Cropping Alternatives
  Regional cost and returns forecast reports based on current Alberta cost of crop and forage production information.
• Match Forage Supplies to Livestock needs calculator
  Beef producers can use this software to estimate forage shortfalls or surpluses for different winter cattle feeding scenarios.

Grain measurement

• Bushel/Tonne Converter
  Convert between bushels per tonne for various grains.
• Dollars/Bushel: Dollars/Tonne Converter
  Convert between dollars per bushel and dollars per tonne for various grains.
• Grain Shrinkage Calculator
  Calculates the loss of volume and weight that occurs whenever wet grain is dried.
• Test Weight Converter
  Convert back and forth between kilograms per hectolitre (kg/hL) and pounds per bushel (lb/bushel).

Nutrient management

• Alberta Farm Fertilizer Information and Recommendation Manager (AFFIRM) 3.0 Software
  This software helps crop producers make fertilizer nutrient decisions based on soil test results, crops to be grown, soil moisture conditions, agro-climatic regions and economic factors of crop prices and fertilizer nutrient costs.
• Ammonia Emissions Estimator
  This calculator allows producers to perform a quick ammonia losses calculation. Accurate ammonia loss estimates from manure are needed to improve nutrient management recommendations and test the value of ammonia abatement techniques.
• Ammonia Losses from Liquid Manure Applications Calculator
  This calculator estimates ammonia emissions due to liquid manure application to farm land. It also estimates the economic value of the ammonia volatilization loss based on fertilizer nitrogen cost.
• Manure Composting Calculator
  This calculator determines the amount of carbon source material and water needed to create a good compost mix. The calculator is primarily intended for manure composting, however it can be used for other materials as well.
• Manure Management Planner
  This software program helps land managers determine where, when and how much manure should be used.
• Manure Transportation Calculator
  Use this software to evaluate the costs and benefits of manure application based on nutrient need and cost of transportation.
• Nutrient Loading Calculator
  This software program helps land managers plan detailed feed and cow management strategies.

General

• Alberta Average Farm Input Prices
  Monthly survey of prices of farm inputs including survey results in image and table formats over a 5-year period.
• Ammonia Emissions Estimator
  This calculator provides an approximation of ammonia emission based upon currently available information.
• Ammonia Losses from Liquid Manure Applications Calculator
  This calculator estimates ammonia emissions due to liquid manure application, and estimates the economic value of ammonia loss based on fertilizer nitrogen cost.
• Average Daily and Annual Water Requirements
  Average daily and annual water requirement numbers that can be used for estimating the amount of water used on a farm.
• Rural Water Quality Information Tool
  Assess the quality and suitability of raw water sources for livestock, irrigation or mix water for chemical spraying.
• Valuing Feed on Moisture Content
  This calculator will enable you to determine the adjusted weight or adjusted nutrient content when moisture content of a sample changes.

Beef

• Barley Silage Calculator
  Calculate the value of a barley crop as standing greenfeed to provide a value for the silage.
• Beef Breed Investment Calculator
  This calculator computes the Net Present Value (NPV) value for a breeding beef female.
• BeefAIChoice Computer Software
  This program helps producers compare artificial insemination (AI) options against using natural service bulls for cow-calf operations.
• Beef Feed Value Calculator
  This calculator can help you price livestock feeds based on both energy and protein content, based on the contributions they make to the ration.
• Creep Feeding Calculator
  This calculator can help producers determine whether creep feeding will be economically beneficial to the operation.
• Feed Systems Cost Evaluator
  This calculator compares the costs, on a dry matter basis, of pit silage, bagged silage, bale silage and dry hay.
• Feedlot Investment Risk Simulation Tool
  The Feedlot Investment Risk Simulation Tool (FIR$T) helps feedlot operators and potential investors analyze the risks and returns associated with cattle feeding.
• Match Forage Supplies to Livestock needs calculator
  Beef producers can use this software to estimate forage shortfalls or surpluses for different winter cattle feeding scenarios.
• Swath Grazing Calculator
  The Swath Grazing Calculator compares costs between conventional wintering feeding systems and swath grazing.

Pigs

• Barley Digestible Energy and Amino Acids for Swine Feed Calculator
  This calculator enables you to determine the Barley Digestible Energy and Amino Acids for Swine Feed.
• Hog Shipping Evaluator
  Farm managers can use this tool to evaluate their shipping effectiveness based on the weight distribution and average index of the hogs shipped.
• Wheat Digestible Energy and Amino Acids for Swine Feed Calculator
  This calculator enables you to determine the Wheat Digestible Energy and Amino Acids for Swine Feed.

Land

• Alberta Climate Information Service
  The AgroClimatic Information Service (ACIS) provides access to Meteorological data and maps derived from more than 330 stations.
• Alberta Soil Information Viewer
  Use this map-based decision-support tool to access selected soil data in Alberta’s agricultural region.

Volume

• Catch Basin Dimension Calculator
  This calculator may be used to design a catch basin based on catchment area and potential surface water runoff.
• Dugout/Lagoon Volume Calculator
  Calculate the volume of a dugout and the volume of water it contains.
• Earthen Manure Storage Volume Calculator
  This calculator may be used to design an earthen manure storage based on livestock liquid manure production (annual averages in cubic metres), plus associated freeboard.
• How Much Silage do I have?
  If you have an existing bunker silo use this calculator to determine how much silage you have on hand.
• Irrigation Water Allocation Calculator
  This calculator estimates how long it will take to use up an allocation of water.
• On-Side Tank Volume Calculator
  Calculate the volume of water an on-side tank can hold. Includes partially-filled tanks.
• Rectangular Bin Volume Calculator
  This calculator will estimate the contents of a rectangular grain bin filled to various heights.
• Round Bin Volume Calculator
  This calculator will estimate the contents of a round grain bin filled to various heights.
• Vertical Tank Volume Calculator
  Calculate the volume of water a vertical tank can hold. Includes partially-filled tanks.

• Farm Machinery Cost Calculator
  Calculate ownership and operating costs of common farm equipment.
• Vehicle Cost Calculator
  This calculator will estimate and compare the ownership and operating costs for a vehicle. Costs can be calculated for both business and non-business vehicles.

• Alberta Average Farm Input Prices
  Monthly survey of prices of farm inputs including survey results in image and table formats over a 5-year period.
• ABA Simple Farm Ratio Analyzer
  This tool helps farm managers get a quick check of their farm’s financial health.
• Agricultural Business Analyzer
  This tool helps users review up to 5 years of historical financial data and prepare and analyze a financial plan for the upcoming year.
• Cash Flow Analyzer
  This budgeting tool helps project future flows of cash into, and out of, a business operation.
• CowProfit$
  This tool is a starting point for producers to develop and use their own basic cost and returns profiles with the main emphasis on cow herd.
• FIR$T Computer Software
  The Feedlot Investment Risk Simulation Tool (FIR$T) helps feedlot operators and potential investors analyze the risks and returns associated with cattle feeding.
• Rancher’s Return Lite
  This program helps managers to evaluate cow-calf and backgrounding enterprise profitability by calculating production costs, breakeven selling prices, gross margins, and returns to equity.
• Rancher's Risk and Return
  This Excel spreadsheet template calculates costs and expected financial returns for individual cattle enterprises including cow-calf, finishing, backgrounding or backgrounding with grazing.

• Growth and Yield Projection System (GYPSY)
  This system is used to forecast the growth and yield of stands of trees on a per hectare basis.
• Living on the Edge – Alberta's Whitebark and Limber Pine
  Information about the endangered whitebark pine and lumber pine species, their benefits to other animals and conservation efforts undertaken by volunteers, agencies and government departments.
• March of the Mountain Pine Beetle
  Learn about the history of mountain pine beetle outbreaks, signs of pine beetle activity and methods used to track and manage the spread of this invasive insect.
• Micro Logscale System
  This program helps mills calculate log volumes using Smalian in an approved format, which is then submitted to the Timber Production and Revenue System (TPRS).
• Permanent Sample Plots
  This database search tool provides land standing listings, including contact information, maps and descriptions, for clients applying to utilize Crown land.