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.
Measuring the impact of winter vs. spring cereals on profitability, soil health, and pesticide use
Ten test sites will operate over a two-year period on farms spread over ten Québec regions to compare the performance of winter and spring cereals.
Researchers: Marc-Olivier Gasser Caroline Côté Luc Belzile
Developing a mechanical weeding strategy for narrow-row organic field and vegetable crops
Experimenting narrow-row crop weed control strategy on three crops: green beans, peas, and soybeans.
Researcher: Élise Smedbol
Biological control of cabbage seedpod weevil in the Prairies – Economic Analysis
The goal of the project is to improve biological methods for controlling the cabbage seedpod weevil in canola crops. In this project, initiated by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and conducted in Québec by UQAM, IRDA is performing an economic analysis of the practices under study.
Researcher: Luc Belzile
Chia: a new crop for organic production in Québec
This two-year project, conducted at the Organic Agriculture Innovation Platform, compared the effect of three seeding dates and three seeding rates on chia yields.
Agronomic and environmental impacts of various types of organic fertilizers and green manures in field crop production
This project evaluated the impact of various corn, soya, and wheat fertilization methods on marketable yields, harvest quality, nitrate losses, and movement of microorganisms potentially pathogenic for humans.
Researcher: Caroline Côté
Vegetative propagation and regenerative capacity of Canada thistle and sow thistle under organic management
The purpose of this project was to study the vegetative propagation and regeneration capacity of Canada thistle and sow thistle with a view to developing effective weed control strategies.
Researcher: Maryse Leblanc
Effectiveness of an annual vs. end-of-season legume green manure crop in increasing soil resilience and providing sufficient nitrogen
The project compared the nitrogen uptake effects of green manure crops grown for a full season, in association with a main crop, or after it is harvested.
Researchers: Aubert Michaud, retraité Marc-Olivier Gasser Maryse Leblanc
Developing a nitrogen fertilization program based on green manure supplemented by a manure-based starter fertilizer in organic grain production
In a wheat/grain corn/soya rotation, green manure can be used to obtain profitable organic grain corn yields while limiting phosphorus pollution.
Researcher: Christine Landry
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