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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Results for Field crops
2019-2023 • Field cropsMarket gardening

Developing a mechanical weeding strategy for narrow-row organic field and vegetable crops

Experimenting narrow-row crop weed control strategy on three crops: green beans, peas, and soybeans.

Researcher: Élise Smedbol

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Élise Smedbol
2018-2019 • Field crops

HebdEau: a pilot project to develop sound irrigation management decision-support tools

This project looks to develop decision-support tools informed by observations of “bellwether” plots and use these tools to disseminate relevant information to irrigators.

Researcher: Carl Boivin

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Carl Boivin
2018-2019 • Field cropsLivestock production

Cost-benefit analysis of proposed actions to reduce the phosphorus load entering Missisquoi Bay from the Rivière de la Roche watershed

The Rivière de la Roche sub-watershed has one of the highest phosphorus and sediment export rates of the entire Missisquoi Bay watershed—a particularly challenging situation for the local agricultural sector.

Researchers: Aubert Michaud, retraité Luc Belzile

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Aubert Michaud, retraité
2018-2019 • Field crops

Improving the efficiency of rainwater and irrigation use in the potato cropping system

This project proposes an intervention in a typical potato cropping system to enhance the crop uptake of water and nitrogen.

Researcher: Carl Boivin

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Carl Boivin
2018-2022 • Field crops

Biological control of cabbage seedpod weevil in the Prairies – Economic Analysis

The goal of the project is to improve biological methods for controlling the cabbage seedpod weevil in canola crops. In this project, initiated by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and conducted in Québec by UQAM, IRDA is performing an economic analysis of the practices under study.

Researcher: Luc Belzile

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2018-2020 • Field crops

A study on synchronizing the supply of n from green manure in order to reduce or replace the use of swine slurry as a fertilizer for post-emergent corn, in the context of the transition to organic farming

This project’s main goal is to demonstrate how to satisfy most of the requirements of a strongly N-dependent crop by improving N-supply synchronization, while protecting the farmers’ prior year revenue-generating window.

Researcher: Christine Landry

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Christine Landry
2018-2021 • Field crops

Evolution of spatial indicators of soil health in Québec and Ontario in response to a changing climate

This project aims to improve our understanding of the evolution and spatial variability of soil health indicators as barometers of climate change.

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Marc-Olivier Gasser
Claude Bernard
2018-2020 • Field crops

Testing biofungicides against white mold in soybean crops – an economic analysis

Testing the efficacy of four biofungicides against Sclerotinia in soybeans.

Researcher: Luc Belzile

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2016-2018 • Field crops

Promoting undersown clover cover crops in small grain production: A network of farm demonstration plots across Québec

Demonstration project to showcase the ability of undersown clover cover crops to reduce nitrogen fertilizer requirements in crops.

Researcher: Marc-Olivier Gasser

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Marc-Olivier Gasser
2017-2020 • Field crops

Validation of soil health indicators as a nitrogen uptake prediction tool

The objective of this project is to develop a prediction model for soil nitrogen supplies based on biological soil health indicators.

Researcher: Christine Landry

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Christine Landry
2017-2021 • Field crops

Maintaining high yields in field crops while reconsidering the option of using glyphosate

The aim of the project is to assess the impact of applying various rates of glyphosate in field crop systems on the soil and crop rhizosphere microbiome.

Researcher: Richard Hogue

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Richard Hogue
2017-2020 • Field crops

Economic analysis of agronomic practices that prevent soil degradation

Economic analysis of a three-year project aimed at testing methods of reducing and correcting surface soil compaction.

Researcher: Luc Belzile

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2017-2019 • Field crops

Economic analysis of planting flower strips along soybean fields

Economic analysis of using flower strips around soybean fields to serve as a reservoir for aphid species attacked by Pandora neoaphidis.

Researcher: Luc Belzile

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2015-2018 • Field crops

Chia: a new crop for organic production in Québec

This two-year project, conducted at the Organic Agriculture Innovation Platform, compared the effect of three seeding dates and three seeding rates on chia yields.

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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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