Agro-ecosystem resilience

Successful solutions

• Developed effective tools for the prevention of environmental and economic losses associated with excessive nitrogen and phosphorous fertilization.
• Effective practices to maximize forage productivity and nutritional value, and minimize the risk of nutrient losses to water and air associated with the application of mineral fertilizers, livestock manure and other industrial wastes (for example, paper mill waste).
• Developed agricultural weather modeling tools in collaboration with the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Centre. These models include weather observations and forecasts to ensure better monitoring and predict the development of various pests (insect pests and diseases).
• Demonstrated the advantages of using ion exchange membranes in conventional soil analysis methods. The membranes also effectively predict the availability of major elements (N, P, K, Ca) and trace metals in soil used to grow forage, corn, potatoes and blueberries.
• Visible near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (VNIRS) was shown to have potential as a rapid, accurate, non-destructive, and cost-efficient method that requires minimal sample preparation and no hazardous chemicals for determination of soil quality indicators (e.g., organic matter).
• Acquisition of knowledge on carbon sequestration in different agroecosystems for the reduction of greenhouse gases.
• Improvement of soil health, including the study of the microbiome and root systems.
• Adaptation of the Integrated Farm Operating System (IFSM) model to the Canadian context to assess the impact of agronomic practices on the economic and environmental sustainability of dairy farms.
• Implemented aeration of irrigation ponds to reduce populations of micro-organisms that are potentially pathogenic to humans. Demonstrated that this technique can be effective for quickly killing E. coli populations in irrigation ponds, which has led MAPAQ to include the technique in its Prime-Vert program.