Research Projects

Each year, IRDA's R&D Team conducts more than one hundred research projects in sustainable agriculture. What's more, IRDA is working with Quebec's key agricultural stakeholders to find concrete solutions.

2018-2022 • Livestock production

Redefining indoor and outdoor spaces and proposing practices that promote dairy cow exercise

The project’s objective is to make available an indoor and outdoor exercise yard design that improves dairy cow and calf well-being while complying with Québec regulations.

Researcher: Stéphane Godbout

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Stéphane Godbout

Bison farming in Quebec: Determining phosphorus discharge

The purpose of our project was to generate benchmark data on phosphorus discharge from bison farms in Québec.

Researcher: Stéphane Godbout

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Stéphane Godbout

A digital decision support tool for optimizing resources in animal nutrition, energy, and biomaterials

This project is part of a broader effort to develop a descriptive grid of agricultural biomass residues to support decisions about how they can optimally be recovered.

Researcher: Stéphane Godbout

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Stéphane Godbout
2017-2019 • Livestock production

Substituting corn for hulless barley in dairy cow rations – an economic analysis

Economic analysis for an Agrinova project that measures the optimal amount of hulless barley to replace some of the grain corn in dairy cow rations without affecting milk production and milk components.

Researcher: Luc Belzile

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2017-2019 • Livestock productionField crops

Validating tools used to reduce soil phosphorus saturation by monitoring soil tests and phosphorus loads in an intensive livestock region

The aim of this project is to show that efforts made to better distribute phosphorus on the land are effective and that the indicators used to determine phosphorus saturation thresholds are correlated with soil phosphorus balance and dynamics.

Researcher: Marc-Olivier Gasser

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Marc-Olivier Gasser
2017-2019 • Livestock production

Characterizing GHG emission sources from covered pig manure storage facilities with biogas treatment systems

This project will draw recommendations to reduce fugitive emissions through technical means or agricultural practices.

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2017-2019 • Livestock production

Low GHG emission strategies for Quebec dairy farms

The aim of this project was to identify manure management strategies that boost productivity on Québec dairy farms and reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases.

Researcher: Stéphane Godbout

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Stéphane Godbout
2016-2018 • Livestock production

Revising the nutrient balance sheet for estimating phosphorus loading in laying hen production

This project was set up to test the nutrient balance sheet method as a tool for estimating phosphorus output from pullets and laying hens.

Researcher: Marc-Olivier Gasser

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Marc-Olivier Gasser
2017-2019 • Livestock production

Field tests on the nitrogen efficiency coefficient and nitrogen release period of pelleted laying hen manure on grain corn and oat crops

This project will determine the nitrogen efficiency coefficient (EC) of pelleted laying hen manure, a source that is interesting an increasing number of growers, both organic and conventional, because of its efficiency.

Researcher: Christine Landry

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Christine Landry
2017-2019 • Livestock production

Living environments and animal welfare in aviary systems (Phase 1: Mitigation)

This project will help to identify and evaluate practices, techniques, and technologies that can be used to improve overall environmental performance, animal welfare, and the quality of the animals’ living environment.

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Stéphane Godbout
Caroline Côté
2017-2019 • Livestock production

Quantifying and reducing GHG emissions on Québec beef farms

One of the project objectives is to calculate GHG emissions in various beef production systems based on the results of a literature, methodology, and database review.

Researcher: Stéphane Godbout

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Stéphane Godbout
2016-2018 • Livestock production

An innovative and economical air treatment technology for pig farms

IRDA and CRIUCPQ have been working on developing an air treatment unit to reduce pig farm emissions.

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2013-2018 • Livestock production

Bioproduct combination study to avoid antibiotics in broiler chicken production

The objective of this study is to create a cheap, effective, ecofriendly alternative to the use of antibiotics on chicken farms by developing a new formula using yeasts, enzymes, and organic acids.

Researcher: Stéphane Godbout

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Stéphane Godbout

The solutions developed by IRDA aim to...

Ensure the sustainability

and quality of soil, water, and air

Protect the health and well-being

of local communities by improving the quality of crop and livestock production, with an emphasis on animal welfare

Safeguard the economic viability

of crop and livestock production

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