The organization is looking for about 12 farmers to participate
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A Manitoba ag organization is looking for producers to participate in a farmer funded and directed on-farm research program.
Manitoba Canola Growers are looking for between 10 and 12 farmers to take part in the pilot project this year.
The research program aims to include farmers in the research and provide information to help them make better decisions based on science. And farmers who participate will receive a detailed report of the on-farm trial results.
“We want to test things across the different growing regions of the province with field-scale equipment to see how some of the successful treatments from small plot trials translate to on-farm,” Amy Mangin, research manager with Manitoba Canola, told Farms.com.
For the first year, the project will aim to answer simple research questions.
This will likely be followed by more comprehensive questions in the future, Mangin said.
“What we’re looking for this year isn’t set in stone yet but the questions we’re looking to answer are important to canola growers,” she said. “It’ll most likely be things like seeding rate and nitrogen rate, and information about sclerotinia fungicide applications.”
Going forward, the research could include planter and drill comparisons as well as precision ag evaluations, she added.
Manitoba Canola hosted a webinar on Jan. 11 with about 40 farmers and agronomists to discuss the project.
The webinar included members of the ag community including a farmer who has conducted on-farm research.
“He talked about why he started it, why he continues to do it and how it has influenced his farm over the years,” Mangin said. “I think it was great for farmers to hear from another producer about the benefits of this kind of research.”
Any member of the ag community looking for more information about the on-farm research project can visit the Manitoba Canola Growers website or email Amy Mangin directly.