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 2019 Fruit production
2019-2021 • Fruit production

A study of workforce productivity and its determinants in Québec’s strawberry sector

Project studying ways to maximize workforce productivity in strawberry production.

Researcher: Luc Belzile

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2019-2020 • Fruit production

Using apple maggot mass trapping with attracticidal spheres to cut back on insecticide applications in orchards

This project seeks to reduce the use of chemical insecticides in orchards by controlling apple maggot populations using mass trapping.

Researcher: Daniel Cormier

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Daniel Cormier
2019-2023 • Fruit production

Out-of-soil cultivation of organic long cane raspberries

Development of a growing out-of-soil organic raspberries in high tunnels protocol in a profitable and competitive manner with a view to selling products locally or to large retail chains.

Researcher: Annabelle Firlej

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Annabelle Firlej
2019-2023 • Fruit production

Modifying an irrigated day-neutral-strawberry growing protocol to improve soil functionality by activating beneficial microorganisms through the addition of labile carbon at planting time

This project will modify current protocols with the addition of labile carbon to preserve or rapidly restore the activity of beneficial microorganisms.

Researcher: Christine Landry

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Christine Landry
2019-2020 • Fruit production

Investigating key physicochemical and environmental factors that could account for variable lowbush blueberry yields

As part of this project, the soil water status at a chosen blueberry farm will be monitored at 40 spots over the course of the production year. We will seek to identify the relationship between water extraction, physicochemical and environmental factors, and yield levels that could help explain yield variability.

Researcher: Carl Boivin

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Carl Boivin

Assessing the economic impact of fungicide resistance in horticultural corps

Project initiated to review the knowledge on the fungicide resistance of various pathogens to provide a preliminary assessment of the economic impacts of fungicide resistance.

Researcher: Luc Belzile

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2019-2020 • Fruit production

Using carbohydrate-balance bioclimatic modelling to develop carbaryl-free apple fruit thinning strategies

The model’s predictions will be used to calibrate the dose of a thinning agent (ANA) to be applied in two plots, one treated with carbaryl and the other without, over a two-year period.

Researcher: Vincent Philion

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Vincent Philion
2019-2021 • Fruit production

Assessing the effectiveness of HARVANTA (cyclaniliprole) in controlling major cranberry pests

This project’s aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of HARVANTA® 50SL to control the cranberry weevil, the blackheaded fireworm and the cranberry fruitworm.

Researcher: Annabelle Firlej

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Annabelle Firlej
2019-2022 • Fruit production

Assessing the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the efficacy of spring flooding as a means of controlling the blackheaded fireworm

This project assesse the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the efficacy of spring flooding to developp a strategy of control for the blackheaded fireworm

Researcher: Daniel Cormier

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Daniel Cormier
2019-2020 • Fruit production

Developing transfer tools to promote good integrated pest management practices for Spotted Wing Drosophila

This update will incorporate information from more recent scientific articles on Spotted Wing Drosophila

Researcher: Annabelle Firlej

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Annabelle Firlej
2019-2024 • Fruit production

Using multitask nets and mechanization to eliminate pesticide use in apple orchards

Exclusion nets have proven to be effective against nearly all of these insect pests, which means that it’s possible to develop apple growing practices in Québec that are not only neonicotinoid free, but also devoid of all pesticides (including acaricides, given that mite problems are a consequence of broad-spectrum insecticide use). Although the net exclusion microsystem studied in Québec since 2012 has demonstrated its effectiveness in controlling insect pests, some issues remain to be studied before it can be unreservedly recommended. Among these are the handling times for the nets, i.e., installation/removal and opening/closing, and the system’s profitability and durability over the long haul for various cultivars.

Researcher: Mikaël Larose

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Mikaël Larose
2019-2023 • Fruit production

A new molecular approach to simultaneously detect disease-causing viruses in raspberries and strawberries

Developing a fast and sensitive molecular detection methodology able to accurately identify raspberry and strawberry viruses.

Researchers: Richard Hogue Luc Belzile

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Richard Hogue
2019-2021 • Fruit production

Using mating disruption to control black headed fireworm and cranberry fruitworm

Development of a mating disruption method to control two cranberry pests.

Researcher: Daniel Cormier

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Daniel Cormier
2019-2022 • Fruit production

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.

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Daniel Cormier
Gérald Chouinard

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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