AAFC Studying Effect Of Climate Change On Soil Health

 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is conducting a research project looking at the effect climate change is having on soil health.

 

Soil Scientist Stephen Crittenden, based in Brandon, talked about the study earlier this month at Manitoba Ag Days.

 

"We're going to simulate drought in no-till, we're going to simulate drought in tilled soil and we're going to irrigate and we're not going to irrigate," he explained. "We're going to measure soil health parameters, so a lot of beneficial ones, nutrient status, organic matter, soil physical properties...but also we're going to look at the unhealthy parameters. So the flip side of the coin, negative impacts. Greenhouse gas emissions and incidence of fusarium head blight."

 

Video: predictive weed Management saves on herbicide costs and increases yield potential

Gowan Canada is partnering with Geco Strategic Weed Management to help Canadian growers take a strategic approach to weed control through data-driven prediction and planning.

Geco’s technology uses data and AI to map where weeds have been over the past five years and predict where patches are likely to emerge next season. These insights allow farms and retailers to plan ahead and target actions in the most challenging areas.

“Our technology enables the question: if you could know where your most problematic patches are and where they are spreading to, what could you do differently? That’s what our technology makes possible,” said Greg Stewart, CEO of Geco. “Many of our farms are already using our prescriptions along with Gowan products, so this collaboration is a natural next step.”