Want more canola bushels? Join a local research network

WESTERN PRODUCER — Most companies have a research and development budget, where they spend a certain amount of money on innovation each year.

Canadian farmers may want to copy that corporate model, says a Saskatchewan agronomist, because on-farm research and access to local data are critical for improving margins in crop production.

“If you think of other private corporation s… they have a percentage of gross revenue that they apply to R&D. I don’t see that on (many) farms,” said Mike Palmier, an agronomist with MNP in Saskatoon.

Palmier was part of a panel discussion of agronomists at CanolaWeek, a Canola Council of Canada event held in early December.

Individual farms don’t need a massive budget for R&D, where they evaluate dozens of innovative practices during the growing season.