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.
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Soil health (10) Water protection (2) Ecosystem protection (6) Optimal water management (15) Fertilizer management (14) Pest, weed, and disease control (27) Food safety and quality (5) Organic farming (19) Waste conversion (2) Laboratory analyzes (3)Experts
Using cesium-137 to quantify organic horticultural soil erosion
Project to quantify the long-term (60+ years) severity of erosion of organic horticultural soils.
Researchers: Claude Bernard Marc-Olivier Gasser
Optimizing the aerial release of trichogramma wasps to control the European corn borer in sweet corn destined for processing
Aerial spraying to optimize the release of trichogramma wasps in order to control the European corn borer over large areas of sweet corn crops in Québec.
Researcher: Annabelle Firlej
Developing a soil microbiome monitoring method to select potato crop management practices that reduce soil-borne pathogens and pesticide applications
Method to monitor and control telluric pathogens affecting potatoes that takes into account the interactions between these pathogens and other soil microbiome organisms.
Researchers: Richard Hogue Luc Belzile
Producing technical sheets on natural enemies of the main pests of Québec’s vegetable crops for the IRIIS Phytoprotection website
Production of technical sheets on the main natural enemies of Québec’s market garden crops.
Researcher: Annabelle Firlej
Developing an organic farming protocol for young vegetable shoots: a multidisciplinary approach
This project will help lead to the development of an organic farming system to grow baby greens.
Researchers: Caroline Côté Annabelle Firlej Maryse Leblanc Carl Boivin
Evaluating a protocol for growing organic market garden cabbage using split band applications of granulated laying-hen droppings
This project aims to develop a GHD-based fertilizer management system using split band applications for high-N-demand crops grown in rows, e.g., summer cabbage.
Researcher: Christine Landry
Evaluating the effect of seeds coated with commercial, mycorrhizal fungi inoculum on the yields of nantes carrots grown in mineral soil early in the organic transition process
Test whether or not commercial strains coated on Nantes carrot seeds can compete with native strains in the soil to colonize the host plant and, once symbiosis takes place, whether they succeed in doing a better job than the native strains during the transition to organic farming.
Researcher: Christine Landry
Adapting pest and disease monitoring to climate change: towards a better understanding of the factors affecting European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) abundance in Québec in order to better adapt monitoring practices and manage the future risks associated with this pest
Analyzing the factors influencing European corn borer abundance in Québec to improve monitoring methods and better manage future risks associated with this pest.
Researchers: Annabelle Firlej Daniel Cormier
Quantitative and qualitative water management in crops
Designing and teaching a course for agricultural consultants.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Multidisciplinary assessment of organic production systems for baby lettuce on muck soil
This project aims to assess the impact of cropping practices on baby lettuce yields and quality on muck soil.
Researchers: Caroline Côté Annabelle Firlej
Release of trichogramma wasps by drone, a new approach to the control of the European corn borer in processing sweet corn
Evaluation of the potential of drones to optimize trichogramma releases against the European corn borer on processing sweet corn in Québec.
Québec-wide potassium fertilization trial on fresh cucumber under fertigation
This project was aimed at determining potassium doses (5 doses) to apply before planting on nitrogen-fertigated cucumber crops grown on plastic mulch.
Researcher: Christine Landry
Validating microbial indicators of potato field productivity based on metagenomic analysis
The current project is designed to check the predictability of the biological productivity score.
Researcher: Richard Hogue
A study on the relationship between thermal imaging data collected by drone and agrometerological indicators of water stress in potato crops
The aim of this project was to study the relationship between thermal imaging data collected by drone and agrometerological indicators of water stress in potato crops.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Potato fertigation using a drip irrigation system
The aim of this project was to leverage the efficiency of drip irrigation and splitting nitrogen inputs into multiple applications to reduce total nitrogen inputs per unit produced and provide better economic and environmental alternatives to conventional irrigation.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
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