Research Projects

The overall aim of this research is to assess the exposure of workers in conventional and alternative egg production facilities to dust and bio-aerosols, and to characterize the respiratory health risks they face.

This project addresses the risks posed by the spreading of manure and emissions released into the environment to the biosecurity of farms, as well as to the health of workers and nearby populations.

This project addresses the risks posed by new breeding practices that were developed to improve animal welfare.

IRDA has been mandated to design, install, and operate a hydrometric station at the watershed outlet of Ruisseau aux Castors in the Brome-Missisquoi regional county municipality.

This project will develop a procedure that relies on genetic markers to identify the animal species responsible for fecal contamination.

This project seeks to create farmer partnerships in which participants work on implementing a three-year forage crop rotation protocol in potato and field crop fields.

This project will determine the optimal post-emergent nitrogen dose to apply.

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.

This project will modify current protocols with the addition of labile carbon to preserve or rapidly restore the activity of beneficial microorganisms.

Project initiated to review the knowledge on the fungicide resistance of various pathogens to provide a preliminary assessment of the economic impacts of fungicide resistance.

By enhancing our understanding: 1) of the nitrogen supply dynamics associated with the use of mixed green and farmyard manure applications, and 2) of the timeline of nitrogen uptake by garlic; we hope to fine-tune fertilization strategies so they meet the needs of garlic crops, while minimizing phosphorus accumulation and nitrogen leaching.

Developing a fast and sensitive molecular detection methodology able to accurately identify raspberry and strawberry viruses.

Evaluating and developing a high-throughput sequencing-based diagnostic procedure to identify pathogenic organisms.

Development of optimized cleaning methods that are readily measurable with an effective real-time indicator.

Development of weeding strategies and methods that will reduce weed pressure on carrot crops, especially row-crop carrots, which appear to be the most problematic.