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.
Forage crop irrigation: helping farmers to make informed decisions
Irrigation project to spare farmers the loss of competitiveness and other risks brought about by drought periods.
Researchers: Carl Boivin Luc Belzile
A technology showcase of irrigation management decision-support tools for use in a variety of contexts
Showcase that will present and compare, in an impartial manner, a number of decision-support tools and technologies.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Out-of-soil cultivation of organic long cane raspberries
Development of a growing out-of-soil organic raspberries in high tunnels protocol in a profitable and competitive manner with a view to selling products locally or to large retail chains.
Researcher: Annabelle Firlej
Île d’Orléans farmers rally to tackle water shortage
This project aims to explore and experiment new approaches and ways to preserve, develop, and enhance the MRC’s bio-food sector, and reduce or eliminate the water deficit on the island.
Researchers: Carl Boivin Stéphane Godbout
Investigating key physicochemical and environmental factors that could account for variable lowbush blueberry yields
As part of this project, the soil water status at a chosen blueberry farm will be monitored at 40 spots over the course of the production year. We will seek to identify the relationship between water extraction, physicochemical and environmental factors, and yield levels that could help explain yield variability.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Improving potato crop water-use efficiency by developing a deeper understanding of cultivars
The selection of a cultivar should be an essential element in any sound irrigation management strategy. This project aims to optimize water use in potato farming.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Improving potato crop water-use efficiency through cropping system modifications
Modifying the cropping system design is an effective way to improve potato crop water-use efficiency and, thereby, lessen the risk of crops experiencing water stress.
Researchers: Carl Boivin Luc Belzile
Developing an organic farming protocol for young vegetable shoots: a multidisciplinary approach
This project will help lead to the development of an organic farming system to grow baby greens.
Researchers: Caroline Côté Annabelle Firlej Carl Boivin Maryse Leblanc
HebdEau: a pilot project to develop sound irrigation management decision-support tools
This project looks to develop decision-support tools informed by observations of “bellwether” plots and use these tools to disseminate relevant information to irrigators.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Improving the efficiency of rainwater and irrigation use in the potato cropping system
This project proposes an intervention in a typical potato cropping system to enhance the crop uptake of water and nitrogen.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Management and ecological restoration of peatlands for a sustainable Canadian horticultural peat industry
Development of a strategy for rapidly producing biomass using restoration and irrigation.
Researcher: Stéphane Godbout
Quantitative and qualitative water management in crops
Designing and teaching a course for agricultural consultants.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Québec-wide potassium fertilization trial on fresh cucumber under fertigation
This project was aimed at determining potassium doses (5 doses) to apply before planting on nitrogen-fertigated cucumber crops grown on plastic mulch.
Researcher: Christine Landry
Exploring the potential of thermal imaging data acquired by drone for the detection of water stress in lowbush blueberries
Exploration of the potential of detecting water stress in lowbush blueberries using a thermal infrared imaging sensor installed on a drone.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Cultural strategies for haskap berries: improving orchard productivity
The aim of this project is to improve the productivity of haskap orchards by promoting more efficient water and nutrient uptake.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
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