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.
A biological strategy to control obliquebanded leafroller in orchards where a codling moth mating disruption program is underway
Biological control of the obliquebanded leafroller in orchards where mating disruption is being used against the codling moth.
Researchers: Daniel Cormier Gérald Chouinard
Developing strategies and methods for weeding carrots grown in rotation with field crops
Development of weeding strategies and methods that will reduce weed pressure on carrot crops, especially row-crop carrots, which appear to be the most problematic.
Researcher: Élise Smedbol
Strategies to mitigate soil degradation in no-till field crops with the goal of reducing herbicide use and boosting soil quality and yields
Three-year project on an array of mitigation protocols to reduce the application of glyphosate in a field crop system (corn–soybean–grains).
Researchers: Richard Hogue Marc-Olivier Gasser
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
Attract-and-kill techniques for monitoring and controlling stinkbugs in Québec orchards
Acquiring the knowledge needed to develop an attract-and-kill treatment to control current and future stinkbug populations in Québec apple orchards.
Researchers: Gérald Chouinard Daniel Cormier
Optimization and use of Virosoft CP4 in a Codling moth control program
Developing a Codling moth control management tool based on an improved formulation of Virosoft CP4.
Researchers: Daniel Cormier Gérald Chouinard
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: Célia Bordier
Sustainable control methods for apple pests
This pan-Canadian project conducted in Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick focuses on strategies for controlling three key pests in apple production.
Researchers: Daniel Cormier Gérald Chouinard
Developing new shelter systems adapted to organic raspberry production that reduce pest infestations and boost crop productivity and profitability
Design and validation of a new generation of high tunnels with automatic retractable roofs, new roofing materials, and screens that will extend the harvest season.
Researcher: Annabelle Firlej
Environmentally sound management of the Spotted Wing Drosophila
This project will formulate multiple independent, but potentially synergistic, strategies to control Spotted Wing Drosophila.
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 Carl Boivin Maryse Leblanc
Incorporating integrated fruit production data for strawberries, raspberries, and highbush blueberries into the SAgE Pesticides web tool
This project looks to incorporate the data for the recommended IFP berry products into the SAgE Pesticides database. The goal is to encourage farmers to adopt IFP and make it easier for them to access IFP data.
Researcher: Annabelle Firlej
Evaluating techniques to interrupt the developmental cycle of spotted wing drosphila overwintering in Québec
The project’s overall goal is to slow the arrival of Spotted Wing Drosophila in crop plots using mass trapping at overwintering sites.
Researcher: Annabelle Firlej
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
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