The Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station is testing new environmentally friendly products

Jun 13, 2023

The Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (LUARS) is testing new products that may benefit local farmers by improving soil health or crop yields while also minimizing environmental impacts.

This season, LUARS is testing three new products:

1. Utrisha N: is a nutrient efficiency biostimulant from Corteva Agriscience that provides crops with a unique way to capture nitrogen (N) from the air and provide it directly to the plant without the risk of loss, helping crops reach their full yield potential.

By utilizing Utrisha N in combination with soil nitrogen applications, farmers could get a sustainable alternative source of N that reduces the reliance on soil N uptake, and provides an integrated approach to ensure crops have access to nitrogen throughout the entire season. Since Utrisha N is not applied to the soil there are no chances of losses of N from it to the environment. LUARS is testing Utrisha N in spring wheat at three rates of N application; 0, 45 and 90 kg/ha.

2. Puryield 45-0-0: is a polymer coated urea. Because of its polymer coating, N is released slowly in the soil for uptake by crop plants matching with their N requirements and consequently N losses to the environment are minimal. LUARS is comparing Puryield with other sources of N (urea, ESN and their blends) in canola and will be testing it on winter wheat in the Fall 2023.

3. Holganix 800⁺: is a mixture of multiple soil organisms that improve soil health. LUARS is testing Holganix 800⁺ in four spring crops (wheat, barley, canola and soybean).

Source : Lakeheadu.ca

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.