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.
The agricultural value of whole biomethanation digestate and its various fractions: potential use in fertilization and recycled bedding
Assessment of the efficiency of biomethanation digestate as a fertilizer for field crops and as recycled bedding in dairy production.
Researchers: Stéphane Godbout Christine Landry Caroline Côté
A comparative study of organic fertilizers with a high, effective nitrogen to total phosphorus ratio (Neff / Ptot) as a basis for developing productive and sustainable market gardening fertilization strategies
In this study, we will test alfalfa meal pellets in a broccoli crop planted on plastic-covered irrigated mounds and we will compare them with two organic fertilizer, in addition to a control treatment in which no nitrogen is added.
Researchers: Christine Landry Caroline Côté
Developing strategies to reduce and control pathogens in the drinking water used for outdoor cow-calf breeding
Cow-calf farms tend to prefer outdoor breeding, poor-quality drinking water can have a direct impact on animal health, and may lead to higher pathogen levels in the environment and at slaughter time, and negative consequences for food safety.
Researchers: Caroline Côté Stéphane Godbout
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
Adapting quantitative detection methods for determining silver scurf injury thresholds both in the soil and on seed potatoes to model potential economic losses
The fungal pathogen Helminthosporium solani causes silver scurf, a disease that is hard to detect, both in the soil and on harvested potatoes.
Researcher: Richard Hogue
Impact of manure management and tillage practices on water quality and safety in canola and wheat
Canola and wheat (wheat-corn-canola rotation) were planted in 2016 and 2017, respectively, on 12 experimental plots with tillage practices on the main plots (minimum tillage and chisel plow) and fertilization methods (mineral fertilizers, 25 m3/ha of pig manure and 50 m3/ha of pig manure) in the subplots.
Researchers: Caroline Côté Marc-Olivier Gasser
Impact of green manure and organic fertilizers on the yields and safety of organic carrots grown on muck soil
Plots were set up at the Organic Agriculture Innovation Platform in St-Bruno-de-Montarville, Québec.
Researcher: Caroline Côté
Control measures to reduce clogging in a St. Lawrence River water treatment process using slow sand filtration
To manage clogging risks, the project automated pumping based on water turbidity and cover the filter to prevent light from entering the water and thus reduce algal bloom.
Researcher: Caroline Côté
Bioproduct combination study to avoid antibiotics in broiler chicken production
The objective of this study is to create a cheap, effective, ecofriendly alternative to the use of antibiotics on chicken farms by developing a new formula using yeasts, enzymes, and organic acids.
Researcher: Stéphane Godbout
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