Research Projects

Each year, IRDA's R&D Team conducts more than one hundred research projects in sustainable agriculture. What's more, IRDA is working with Quebec's key agricultural stakeholders to find concrete solutions.

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2015-2017 • Fruit production

Attract and kill strategies for control of the plum curculio in conventional and organic apple orchards

An attract and kill technique to control plum curculio was recently proposed by U.S. researchers, but it is very little used in orchards and virtually unknown in Québec.

Researcher: Gérald Chouinard

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Gérald Chouinard
2016-2019 • Fruit production

Selection, mass rearing, and field efficiency of a predaceous strain of mullein bug

The goal of the project is to select a strain of the mullein bug to control two spotted and red spider mites when populations tend to explode.

Researcher: Daniel Cormier

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Daniel Cormier
2016-2018 • Fruit production

Adapting fruit crop pest and disease control to climate change

The goal of this project was to document the impact of climate change on fruit crop pests and diseases in Québec.

Researcher: Annabelle Firlej

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Annabelle Firlej
2015-2016 • Fruit production

Productivity of healthy looking plants that have never received nitrogen fertilizer and that are located in a blueberry field infected by stunt disease

In highbush blueberry fields where stunt disease has been detected, plants that have never received nitrogen fertilizer are more vigorous and homogeneous than plants that have received nitrogen fertilizer.

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Carl Boivin
Christine Landry
2015-2018 • Fruit production

Repellent properties of exclusion nets used for the control of leafroller and stink bug pests of apples

The aim of the project was to measure the effect of certain natural repellents that can be used on different types of exclusion nets.

Researcher: Gérald Chouinard

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Gérald Chouinard
2014-2018 • Fruit production

Development of a cropping system for organic raspberries in high tunnels

Evaluate the toxicity of biological pesticides or repellents to control the spotted wing drosophila on everbearing raspberries grown in tunnels.

Researcher: Daniel Cormier

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Daniel Cormier
2015-2018 • Fruit production

Distribution of the infection period required by individual ascospores of Venturia inaequalis

Improving the RIMpro software to better predict the risk of infection during rainfall.

Researcher: Vincent Philion

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Vincent Philion
2014-2017 • Fruit production

Sterile insect release as a biological control method for the spotted wing drosophila: sterilization protocol, competitiveness of irradiated males, and releases in semi-natural conditions

The project consisted of sterilizing spotted wing drosophilas in the laboratory and mass releasing it in crops as a biocontrol method.

Researcher: Annabelle Firlej

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Annabelle Firlej
2014-2018 • Fruit production

Developing a cropping system for organic strawberries

In a high density strawberry crop grown in sod covered with plastic mulch, evaluate the toxicity of bioinsecticides for controlling tarnished plant bugs and strawberry blossom beetles and of bioherbicides for controlling weeds in and between crop rows.

Researcher: Daniel Cormier

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Daniel Cormier
2014-2017 • Fruit production

Mating disruption as a new control method for the dogwood borer

This project consisted of using mating disruption to control dogwood borers in five orchards.

Researcher: Daniel Cormier

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Daniel Cormier
2014-2017 • Fruit production

Developing a sprayable attracticide to control tephritid flies in fruit production

The aim of the project was to test a series of attracticides that can be mixed and applied with regular sprayers with no additional specialized or expensive equipment or modifications required.

Researcher: Daniel Cormier

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Daniel Cormier
2014-2017 • Fruit production

Variable economic injury for the apple leafcurling midge and modelling of population abundance of this emerging pest

The apple leafcurling midge is a new apple pest in Québec. The aim of the project is to explore the pest’s phenology, establish variable economic injury thresholds, and incorporate the results into a phenology model in CIPRA.

Researcher: Daniel Cormier

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Daniel Cormier

The solutions developed by IRDA aim to...

Ensure the sustainability

and quality of soil, water, and air

Protect the health and well-being

of local communities by improving the quality of crop and livestock production, with an emphasis on animal welfare

Safeguard the economic viability

of crop and livestock production

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