Research Library
An open access source where you can find research protocols and reports from EFAO’s Farmer-led Research Program, and more.
2018 Research Reports and 2019 Research Protocols are available now. A full archive coming this fall!
Contact Sarah Hargreaves, sarah@efao.ca, for past reports and protocols.
Click + for entry details; use the filter function to find entries on a specific topic, farmer, region, etc.
To optimize labour associated with planting of easyleaf lettuce, farmers at Fresh City Farms compared transplanting, direct seeding and a step-in method.
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Among four succession plantings, there was a lot of variability and we were unable to discern clear differences between the three planting methods.
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Trends and observations support that transplanting has the potential to be highest yielding; and, depending on soil conditions, the step-in method may reduce labour time.
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The process of conducting a trial on the farm highlighted other areas for optimization, such as bed preparation, which ultimately led to greater yields in 2024.
Ryan and Isabelle tested different varieties and planting dates across two winter seasons to assess overwintering success of kale, cilantro and swiss chard in their unheated hoophouses in Cache Bay, northern Ontario.
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Kale and cilantro successfully overwintered in both years and were affected by their locations between the two hoophouses.
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Swiss chard did not survive in 2022 and was not included in the 2022/2023 trial.
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Planting date did not affect the yield of kale or cilantro.
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Winterbor F1 was the best kale of the three varieties tested and Caribe was the best cilantro of three varieties tested, with respect to its saleability and survivability.
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There was the same type of ground beetles in the beetle banks and cropped beds
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There were more ground beetles in beetle banks than cropped areas
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Beetle banks provided habitat for numerous other beneficial insects in addition to ground beetles
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Beetle banks provide opportunities for niche enterprises such as cut flowers and mushroom production
Continuing previous work on an organic system for no-till potatoes, Ken tested the performance of the varieties in this system and the effect of planting depth on marketable weight.
In a Nutshell
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Gemstar Russet and SP327 produced similar yield and marketable weight under tilled and no-till management
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Norland had lower yields under no-till management
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Ken found no significant difference in yield or marketable weight between 3” and 5” depths under no-till management
In a Nutshell
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Most of the potato varieties, including a diversity of types, did well with the mulch method with limited greening.
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Chieftain had the highest yield and marketable yield.
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Huckleberry Gold, Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Sangre, Purple Viking, Dakota Pearl were lowest yielding varieties.
In a Nutshell
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Cover crops with micronutrient amendments increased active carbon, a sensitive indicator of soil health and soil regeneration potential.
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Micronutrient amendments alone did not increase active carbon.
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Eric saw some added benefit of adding chicken manure and woody compost to the diverse cover crop, with respect to yield and cost effectiveness per unit biomass of an indicator crop of sorghum sudangrass.
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Moving forward, whether Eric uses cover crops with or without manure and compost will depend on the return on investment of the following cash crop.
Farmer-led research (FLR) is a process of inquiry wherein farmers use scientific methods to address their own on-farm curiosities and challenges in ways that are compatible with the scale and management style of their operations. With its flexible, adaptable, participatory, grassroots-oriented nature, FLR has typically been employed by farmers interested in ecological farming techniques and technologies, and evidence shows that it contributes to the adoption and improvement of ecological management practices across a range of contexts. Engagement in FLR initiatives has also been linked to positive social outcomes, including community building, farmer empowerment, and enhanced capacity for leadership and collective action. In this paper, we present a case study of the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario’s (EFAO) Farmer-Led Research Program (FLRP), which is currently one of relatively few FLR initiatives in North America. We draw on data from a participatory, mixed-methods research project. Our results highlight how the FLRP is enabling farmers to feel more knowledgeable, confident, motivated, and inspired to adopt and/or improve ecological practices on their farms, in part by supporting them in building robust social networks that align with their farming values and priorities.
Keywords
- Farmer-led Research, Ecological Agriculture, Farmer-to-Farmer Networks, Knowledge-Sharing, Social Learning, Evidence-Informed Practice, Ontario
Rav et les autres agriculteurs voulaient documenter les meilleures variétés de gombo pour la production dans différentes fermes du sud de l’Ontario et du Québec.
En Bref
- Une grande variabilité entre les variétés a rendu difficile la distinction entre les « meilleures » et les « pires » variétés de gombo.
- La variété Emerald Green a été performante en ce qui concerne la germination, le rendement, la cote et les préférences des producteurs.
- Les clients du marché des producteurs et des paniers d’ASC aiment toutes les variétés. Les producteurs sont alors invités à opter pour les variétés les mieux adaptées à leur système de production.
To innovate systems that reduce tillage and keep the soil covered using cover crops for organic vegetable production in southern Ontario, Ken Laing tested 60+ combinations of crops and ground cover over three years.
In a Nutshell
The most promising systems that emerged from his investigations included:
- Garlic no-till planted in the fall into a mown cover crop of sorghum sudangrass
- Potatoes no-till planted into winter rye, which is mown before potato emergence
- Winter squash no-till planted into hairy vetch or deep compost mulch
- Field tomatoes planted into winter rye and hairy vetch; with more trials needed to confirm
As part of the Living Lab–Ontario project funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Brett Israel tested strategies to make reduced tillage more scalable for organic field crop production systems in southern Ontario by double cropping soybeans with small grains and forages and adding N-fixing forages to his corn rotation.
In a Nutshell
Over two years of trials, the most promising systems that emerged from his investigations included:
- Overwintered cereal rye harvested for forage before planting soybeans
- Winter barley planted ahead of short season soybeans
- Spring-planted alfalfa harvested for forage and then incorporated as the sole nitrogen source for the following corn crop
The growers’ objectives were to document the best fava varieties for urban rooftop and field production across different farms in southern Ontario.
In a Nutshell
- Distinguishing the “best” and “worst” among fava varieties wasn’t possible due to crop failure and missing data
- All fava varieties had issues with disease and heat stress, leading growers to note a need for regionally adapted varieties of fava
- Fava was a popular item at markets and through CSAs as many customers don’t see fresh fava very often!
The growers’ objectives were to document the best iceberg lettuce varieties for successional head production across different farms in southern Ontario; and to assess the viability of the varieties for seed production in Zone 3 in northern Ontario.
In a Nutshell
- Iceberg can be a difficult lettuce to grow and market because of the variability and inconsistencies in head development
- Due to issues with replication, no concrete recommendations can be made on which iceberg variety is best for successional head production in southern Ontario
- Two varieties that rose to the top for growers were Laibacher Eis 4 and Marius, both of which came from a co-operative organic breeding network in Germany
- Due to disease pressure, no seed was produced in Zone 3 from any of the iceberg varieties
Mike and the other farmers wanted to document the best red pepper varieties for production across different farms in southern Ontario and on one farm in British Columbia.
In a Nutshell
- Ace F1 is still the red pepper to beat in terms of productivity and flavour
- Some growers around Guelph experienced extreme levels of pepper maggot infestation, which prevented some data collection for the trial
- Most Ontario growers mentioned that they would not likely grow these varieties of red peppers outdoors again, but instead would stick to poly tunnels or hoophouses as yields and quality are better
- Ace F1, Sprinter, and Crimson Carillon surfaced as favourites for the unreplicated hoop house trial in British Columbia
Rav and the other farmers wanted to document the best okra varieties for production across different farms in southern Ontario and Québec.
In a Nutshell
- High variability among varieties made it difficult to distinguish “best” and “worst” okra varieties
- Emerald Green performed well with respect to germination, yield, ratings, and grower preferences
- Market and CSA customers like all varieties, so go with the varieties that are best suited to your production system
In a continuation of his 2021 quinoa variety screening trial, Dean screened the viability of transplanting quinoa for five seeding dates and two transplant dates.
In a Nutshell
- Quinoa can be successfully grown from transplants and this method offers excellent weed control under organic management
- The efforts and cost of transplanting labour appears to be feasible with the high price of organic quinoa
- Dean believes that with no difference in germination and transplant survivability, earlier transplanted quinoa would be easier to manage with a longer harvest window and less possibility of head sprouting in the fall
Hans was interested in finding a starter mix that can produce healthy and vigorous seedlings without the use of peat moss.
In a Nutshell
- Both biochar and coco coir mixes performed comparatively well to ProMix BX by Hans’ observation
- Hans prefers the potential of biochar mixes over coco coir, given that biochar can be locally sourced or produced
- More on-farm trials are needed to assess the viability of alternative starter mixes
- More research is needed into the life cycle assessment of both peat moss and biochar
Ann wanted to know if there was a yield benefit to growing four-row compared to three-row beets in a three foot bed system. She also wanted to investigate whether there is a difference in labour required for weeding and disease pressure between the two systems.
In a Nutshell
- Using an Earthway seeder with no thinning, Ann found no difference in beet yield between three-row and four-row plantings.
- Ann observed three-row beets were less labour intensive for weeding and that she could use time-saving tools like a wheel hoe longer into the season.
towards the nitrogen requirements of the following cash crop. They established a randomized
block design with low- and high-legume cover crop treatments. They sampled cover crop
biomass and used lab analyzes paired with a free online calculator from Oregon State
University to estimate plant available nitrogen (PAN) from the cover crops, and also tested
an in-field method to estimate PAN. Finally, they took soil nitrate samples throughout the
growing season to better understand the best tools to manage his fertility.
In a Nutshell
- Legume cover crop mixes can supply a lot of PAN, potentially in excess of the needs of some vegetable crops.
- Cover crops act as an effective catch crop by reducing soil nitrate early in the season.
- Legume content in a cover crop mix moderates in-season PAN as indicated by soil nitrate.
- Cover crop biomass sampling coupled with lab analysis and the online calculator provided a simple, cost effective tool for quantifying PAN contribution of cover crops.
- Both pre-plant and mid-season soil nitrate-nitrogen sampling were effective tools for predicting PAN availability when Jesse and Meghan compared their results to the literature.
L’objectif de Becky était de voir s’il était possible d’établir des lieux de cultivation sans labour qui remplacerait de pâturages permanents existants pour la production de fleurs coupées.
En Bref
- Le paillis de résidus de cultures, du compost profond et le travail du sol (témoin) n’a donné aucun résultat appréciable par faute d’une mauvaise germination dans la répétition de son essai.
- Becky a eu de la chance en cultivant des tournesols dans deux parcelles de démonstration qu’elle a bâchées pendant 12 mois et 2 mois, respectivement.
- Becky recommande d’utiliser des bâches pendant de 2 à 12 mois avant de tenter la cultivation dans des pâturages permanents
The growers’ objective was to document the best summer and fall head lettuce across different farms throughout southern and eastern Ontario during the 2020 season.
In a Nutshell
- Magenta, Muir, and Nevada were the top varieties with respect to overall vigor, flavour, and germination in the summer.
- Green Star was the growers’ least favourite variety overall in the summer.
- Magenta, Ruby Sky, and Red Mist (from Vitalis Organic Seed) were the top varieties with respect to overall vigor in the fall.
- Encino was the growers’ least favourite variety overall in the fall.
- Red Mist (from another seedhouse) had poor germination rates, demonstrating that seed source – and not just variety – matters.
To reduce tillage for crops that are direct seeded, Jason tested different composts in a no-till deep bed system in one trial each of lettuce and carrots.
In a Nutshell
- The substrates for deep compost mulch differed with respect to growing lettuce and carrots, but bare ground control produced the highest seedling count for lettuce and the greatest yield for carrots.
- Optimizing the use of deep bed compost requires a systems approach since seeding depth and irrigation rate, etc. differ by substrate. It was not practical, however, for Jason to test each substrate in a systems- context which limits the applicability of these results.
Heather compared a standard protein ration with 16% protein to a reduced protein ration with 13% protein to see how her heritage Chantecler chickens responded during the grow-out period.
In a Nutshell
- In 2019, Heather tracked the weight of three cohorts of chickens, taking more than 1,000 weight measurements of individual chickens.
- There were no consistent differences in the weight of chickens on the two protein rations throughout the grow-out period.
- There was also no detectable effect of reduced protein on finished live weight or dressed weight.
- In 2020, Heather continued to use the reduced protein ration and would like to continue the trial over several seasons for more confidence.
Given the incredible importance of fungi in our world, Dianne was curious if inoculants improved lettuce and onions yields, as these two species are known to grow in relationship with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF).
In a Nutshell
- In 2019, she used AMF inoculants for the first time and observed particularly large, healthy lettuce and onions.
- In 2020, she set-up a randomized and replicated trial comparing two inoculants to uninoculated controls for Ariana, Cantarix, Nevada and Skyphos lettuce and Patterson onion. While they were also large and healthy, Dianne detected no effects of the inoculants yield.
- She wonders if the design of the trial was flawed because she unsuspectingly inoculated and/or resuscitated the mycorrhizal community of her whole garden in 2019.
To further explore no-till techniques, Matt compared no-till tomatoes three ways: compost + landscape fabric, compost + cover crop + landscape fabric, and compost + cardboard + landscape fabric.
In a Nutshell
- He detected no difference in cumulative or monthly tomato yield among the three methods.
- He also detected no difference in water infiltration, an indicator of soil health, among the three methods.
- This data indicates that adding cardboard or cover crops to compost and landscape fabric does not improve yield for no-till tomatoes; and cardboard and cover crops may be a useful means of further building soil without negative effects on yield.
To help him optimize pasture growth, Andy assessed soil nutrient status from the top slope, side slope and bottom slope of a 50–year old pasture and a hay field that he will start grazing in 2021.
IN A NUTSHELL
- Organic matter was higher in the older pasture but did not change significantly with topography.
- Potassium, phosphorus and iron were also higher in the old pasture and potassium was higher on the top slope. Andy observed variations in manganese and copper for reasons that are unknown.
- Andy’s observations of better soil health at the top of the hills weren’t supported by the basic assessment of soil nutrient status used in this study.
To try to hasten emergence and improve yield of no-till planted spring cereals, Ken compared liquid amendment, biological amendment, a combination of amendments and a no-amendment control.
In a Nutshell
- There was no observable difference in emergence due to amendments.
- There was no significant difference in yield among the different treatments.
Amaranth is climate-resilient and nutrient-dense, and is an important Indigenous plant of the Americas. To learn which varieties of amaranth are best suited for their region of southern Ontario, Ronaldo and Myriam compared five varieties of amaranth in an unreplicated screening trial.
In a Nutshell
- They observed differences among the varieties in germination, flowering times, flowering patters and yield and think that Grain Amaranth from Richters Herbs and Atitlan Dorado from IMAP Guatemala merit consideration for a replicated trial.
Ryan and Isabelle tested whether a crimped cover crop of rye and hairy vetch reduced tillage, cultivation and irrigation for their fall broccoli crop.
In a Nutshell
- Compared to tillage, the cover crop residue provided sufficient mulch to significantly reduce weeding time and increase soil moisture throughout the growing season by 11%. There was adequate rainfall, so they didn’t need to use irrigation in the tillage plots.
- Broccoli grown in crimped cover crop mulch had around half the marketable yield compared to the tilled plots.
- The yield loss combined with no difference in total labour made this no-till system as tested unviable for broccoli production.
To identify the best performing crosses of sweet potato for organic farming systems in the Ottawa area, Kate, Erin and Lise-Anne compared nine new crosses of sweet potato and one check variety (Covington) in a replicated and randomized trial across three farms.
In a Nutshell
- They identified three varieties that they think are definitely worth continuing to grow and observe, and another two “runner-up” crosses that are alsopromising.
Ryan et Isabelle ont testé si une culture de couverture sertie de seigle et de vesce velue réduirait le travail du sol, l’entretien de la culture et l’irrigation pour leur récolte de brocolis d’automne.
En Bref
- Par rapport au travail du sol, les résidus de culture de couverture ont fourni suffisamment de paillis pour réduire consid rablement le temps de d sherbage et augmenter l’humidité du sol tout au long de la saison de croissance avec 11% plus d’humidité que la parcelle de contrôle. Les pluies étaient suffisantes, de sorte qu’ils n’avaient pas besoin d’irriguer les parcelles de labour.
- Le brocoli cultivé dans le paillis créé par la culture de couverture serti avait environ la moitié du rendement commercialisable par rapport aux parcelles labourées.
- La perte de rendement combinée à l’absence de différence dans la main-d’oeuvre totale a rendu ce systéme sans labour, tel que testé, non viable pour la production de brocoli.
As a follow-up to their 2019 multi-farm trial, we compared 5 large tomato varieties and 4 cherry tomato varieties grown by grafting onto four different rootstocks and an ungrafted control.
In a Nutshell
- The best choice of rootstock was specific to the scion, with some rootstocks producing no improvement
or even reducing yield for some varieties of scion. - Compared to ungrafted plants, Caiman F1 large tomatoes had great yield and profitability when grafted DR0141TX rootstock.
- Preliminary data suggest that only Sakura cherry tomato may benefit from grafting on Fortanimo or Estanimo, but more replicates are needed to be confident.
- Preliminary data suggest that grafting “heirloom- like” hybrid varieties tested does not confer a yield advantage, but that open pollinated Striped German maybe benefit from being grafted onto Fortanimo.
Compte tenu de l’importance incroyable des champignons dans notre monde, Dianne était curieuse de savoir si les inoculants améliorent les rendements de la laitue et des oignons, ces deux espèces étant capable de grandir en relation avec les champignons mycorhiziens arbusculaires (AMF).
En Bref
- En 2019, elle a utilisé pour la première fois des inoculants AMF et a observé des laitues et des oignons particuli rement gros et sains.
- En 2020, elle a mené un essai randomisé et répété comparant deux inoculants à des témoins non inoculé s pour la laitue Ariana, Cantarix, Nevada et Skyphos et l’oignon Patterson. Bien qu’ils soient également grands et sains, Dianne n’a détecté aucun effet sur le rendement des inoculants.
- Elle se demande si la conception de l’essai était viciée parce qu’elle a inoculé et / ou ressuscité sans méfiance la communauté mycorhizienne de tout son jardin en 2019.
Eric compared five methods of preparing fallow land for vegetable production with respect to soil regeneration and cost to implement.
In a Nutshell
- Cover crops with micronutrient amendments increased active carbon, a sensitive indicator of soil health and soil regeneration potential.
- Micronutrient amendment alone did not increase active carbon; and Eric saw no added benefit with respect to soil health of adding chicken manure or woody compost with cover crops.
- Balancing cost and soil health benefits, Eric will focus on micronutrient application and full season cover crops in areas that require regeneration.
To prevent chlorosis in chestnuts, Derick compared broadcasting and localized application of nutrient amendments to no amendment controls. After a year of growth, he measured tree height and leaf nutrient status.
In a Nutshell
- Derick detected no difference in plant health or leaf nutrient status between the two amendment methods. Given the extra labour involved with the localized treatment, he will not broadcast any amendments moving forward.
- He detected higher leaf potassium levels in the amended trees, which is important for iron availability in the plant.
Key Findings
Continuing our work that began in 2016, members of the SeedWorks Plant Breeding Club worked together to breed and release an early, blocky sweet red pepper with good flavour that is adapted to ecological growing systems in southern Ontario. We continue to select for a yellow sweet bell pepper for release in fall 2021/winter 2022.
This trial was multi-year. Earlier reports and protocols can be found using the links below.
Earlier reports
Earlier protocols
Suite à leur essai de brocoli sans labour en 2020 avec des cultures de couverture, Ryan et Isabelle ont testé du brocoli sans labour avec du tissu couvre-sol en 2021.
En Bref
- Le brocoli cultivé en utilisant le traitement sans labour du tissu couvre-sol avait un rendement inférieur et nécessitait plus de maind’œuvre.
- Malgré la faible performance du brocoli sans labour utilisant des paillis, Ryan et Isabelle croient toujours que le brocoli d’automne dans le nord-est de l’Ontario peut être cultivé avec succès dans un système sans labour, et essaieront probablement le brocoli sans labour sans système de paillis (culture de couverture ou tissu) en 2022.
As a continuation of their no-till broccoli trial in 2020 using cover crops, Ryan and Isabelle tested no-till broccoli using landscape fabric in 2021.
In a Nutshell
- Broccoli grown using the no-till treatment of landscape fabric had lower yield and required more labour.
- Despite poor performance of no-till broccoli using mulches, Ryan and Isabelle still believe that fall broccoli in northeastern Ontario can be grown successfully in a no- till system, and will likely try no-till broccoli without a mulch system (cover crop or fabric) in 2022.
Les producteurs du nord-ouest de l’Ontario voulaient identifier les variétés d’épinards qui conviennent le mieux à la production de semences dans leur région.
En Bref
- Matador et Popeye figuraient parmi les variétés préférées des producteurs, se classant en tête dans la plupart des catégories.
- Giant Winter était la variété la moins appréciée des producteurs et était classée en dernière position dans presque toutes les catégories.
- Les épinards plantés plus tard à l’automne (ensemencés sur sol gelé) n’ont pas survécu donc n’ont pas pu produire des graines au sein de cet essai.
- D’après des données non répétées, les plantations du début de l’automne ont hiverné avec succès et montrent une tendance à une production de graines plus élevée.
In a Nutshell
- Orford yielded the highest among the three varieties in the trial.
- Bullet had the highest test weight among the three varieties, although its yield was the most variable.
- The addition of N in a side-by- side unreplicated trial showed a promising return on investment among all three varieties but more work and replication is needed to verify and reinforce these findings.
NB: This report was updated January 2023.
Becky’s goal was to see if it was possible to establish land for cut flower production on existing perennial pastures using no-till methods.
In a Nutshell
- Poor germination across her replicated trial comparing cover crop mulch, deep compost mulch and tillage (control) resulted in no appreciable results to note.
- Becky had good luck growing sunflowers in two demonstration plots that she tarped for 12 months and 2 months.
- Becky recommends using tarps for 2-12 months ahead of planting into perennial pasture.
The growers’ objective was to document the best short season northern grain amaranth variety for production across different farms throughout southern Ontario during the 2021 growing season.
In a Nutshell
- Golden Giant, Opopeo, and Atitlan Dorado all performed well and were overall favourites among the growers.
- The Grain Amaranth from Richters Herbs was the growers least preferred variety and didn’t perform as well as the other varieties but ranked top in flavour for growers.
- Despite this, growers are interested in adapting this variety because of its good flavour, early flowering, and wide genetics which they hope means they can work with the population to create an ideal variety for their farm.
- Growers’ enjoyed learning about grain amaranth production and its story but more work is needed to determine if production at the small and mid-sized scale is feasible with the harvesting and processing labour time.
In a Nutshell
- Jeff found no difference in onion yield (weight) between the tillage treatments.
- Seeing no adverse effects from using only shallow tillage gives Jeff confidence to try more minimum tillage for bed preparation in the future.
- Yankee variety outperformed Norstar by an average of 20% more by weight.
In 2021, Dean assessed 6 varieties of quinoa under organic management practices. The goal was to choose the best suited variety for future large-scale production and direct market sales to local consumers.
In a Nutshell
- Quinoa is a slow growing, non-competitive plant that can be a finicky crop to produce!
- It’s hard to differentiate between closely related weeds such as lamb’s quarters during the first 8 weeks of production.
- In a direct seeded quinoa crop, traditional large scale organic weeding practices were challenging, and the use of a rotary hoe was deemed impractical.
- Buffy and Brightest Brilliant Rainbow were the best performers in this trial under 2021 conditions.
In a Nutshell
- He tested nine varieties, three of which were bred for organic management.
- He grew unreplicated strips of six of the varieties and, with excess seed, two strips each of three varieties.
- Michael observed relatively uniform growth and development among varieties, and yield was excellent in the trial and across the farm.
- Pioneer 9998, 9608, and 0157 had the highest yields (two replicates each), but P0157 also had high harvest moisture.
- Moving forward, Michael will continue to grow and compare Pioneer 9998 and 9608.
Based on observations from the 2020 growing season, Kristine wanted to test the efficacy of intercropping cauliflower with onions in their market garden.
In a Nutshell
- Kristine found that the green stem variety performed better than the white stem and Romanesco varieties.
- Kristine found no significant difference in yields or plant health between cauliflower planted alone (control) and cauliflower intercropped with onions (treatment) in either the spring or fall plantings.
This study aimed to find out whether adding biochar to an engineered green roof soil blend would ameliorate the soil in order to successfully grow spray-free vegetables at similar yields to the Farm’s older plots with more productive soil.
In a Nutshell
- Farmers found that vegetables grew well in both the control and biochar- amended plots when compared to crops that grew poorly in the originally installed engineered soil.
- However, biochar amendment did not significantly improve crop quality, yield, or soil health during the first year of application.
To find a system for growing consistent lettuce in the heat of the summer in eastern Ontario, Luke and Dana compared different methods of altering the microclimate for lettuce including black landscape fabric (control); white landscape fabric, and white landscape fabric with shade cloth.
In a Nutshell
- Luke and Dana did not have the statistical power to detect differences in lettuce yield among treatments.
- From their observations, they will grow more mid-summer lettuce to help increase quantity available; and they will grow it on white landscape fabric to help with quality.
- They will continue to use black fabric during the spring and fall.
- They also plan to continue to experiment with shade cloth for 1-2 weeks post transplant during peak heat.
Growers in northwestern Ontario wanted to identify which varieties of spinach are well-suited for seed production in their area.
In a Nutshell
- Matador and Popeye were among the growers’ favourite varieties, ranking high in most categories.
- Spinach planted in later fall (frost seeded) did not survive to produce seed in this trial.
- From unreplicated data, early fall plantings overwintered successfully and show a trend towards higher seed production.
- Giant Winter was the growers’ least favorite variety and was ranked lowest in almost every category.
The growers’ objective was to document the best green head lettuce for summer production across different farms throughout southern Ontario during the 2021 season.
In a Nutshell
- Nevada was the top variety with respect to vigor, flavour, longest harvest, disease hardiness, and germination in this trial.
- Muir was a runner-up to Nevada, but did have some germination issues and did not size up as well.
- Concept and Encino were the growers’ least favorite varieties this year.
- Overall, these results are consistent with the 2020 lettuce variety trial.
As a follow-up to Brent and Gillian’s tarp trial last year, these growers evaluated the difference among tarp, landscape fabric and clear plastic for greens production.
Key Findings
- Occultation worked consistently for weed and residue management. Between tarp and landscape fabric, landscape fabric is much easier to manage.
- Clear plastic was not effective during shoulder seasons, when temperatures aren’t warm enough.
- The soil covers did not affect crop yield differently.
- Soil moisture retention was better with occultation, and soil moisture was highest under landscape fabric.
- Depending on farm and time of year, soil temperature peaked under all covers and uncovered soil, suggesting that occultation does not increase soil temperatures to a point that negatively affects soil biology.
Keywords
- soil health, active carbon, organic matter, farmer-led research, organic farming
Perennial cover crops have many ecological benefits. However, they may compete with the crop or not provide sufficient weed control.
Key Findings
- After 3 years at Pat’s and 2 years at Ivan’s, comfrey had no effect on fruit production or saskatoon and currant health.
- Comfrey was a vigorous living mulch without causing detectable negative affects on fruit production.
This trial was multi-year. Earlier reports and protocols can be found using the links below.
Earlier reports
Earlier protocols
Basalt rock dust is a remineralizer that is used in other parts of the world but there is limited information on its effectiveness to supply crops with nutrients in neutral and alkaline soils. To test the efficacy of basalt as a mineralizer for grain, Shelley and Tony grew Heritage Amber Spring Wheat in replicated plots with and without basalt amendments.
Key Findings
- Basalt rock dust had no detectable effect on Heritage Amber Spring Wheat yield, and benefits may take years to detect.
- There were also no other observable differences in growth, seed quality or disease resistance between treatment and control.
- It was a bad year for wheat production but, overall, Heritage Amber Spring Wheat – a landrace variety – performed well against lodging and Fusarium.
The fall slot for lettuce is challenging because lettuce has to handle both the heat and dryness of summer and the cold and wet of fall. To compare different varieties for fall growing, these farmers – in consultation with Johnny’s, High Mowing and Fedco seed companies – selected 11 lettuce varieties of interest. Each grower chose a subset and everyone committed to planting two replicates of each variety in their last two plantings of lettuce.
Key Findings
- Magenta, a red/green batavian, and Ruby Star, a red leaf, were the top performers with respect to overall vigor, flavour and germination.
- Adriana was the growers’ least favourite.
Spring cereals are integral to diverse rotations; however, it is often hard to get them planted early enough. One strategy to get into the field early is to no-till plant into cover crop residue, which provides soil cover in the winter and generally helps improve soil health. To investigate this approach, Ken no-till planted oats and barley into replicated plots of four different cover crops and plots that received fall tillage.
Key Findings
- Grain yield and relative net return were highest when no-till planted into daikon radish.
- Weed control was best with daikon radish and the fall tillage control.
- There was no soil erosion in the cover crop plots, and moderate rill erosion in the fall tillage plots.
Grafting is a proven way to incorporate disease resistance into tomato transplants. However adoption of this practice to high tunnel production is relatively new, so these four growers were curious about the economic viability of grafting tomatoes for production in high tunnels in southern Ontario.
Key Findings
- Grafted tomatoes had greater total marketable yield regardless of scion variety.
- Grafted tomatoes had greater overall plant health.
- Grafted tomatoes had higher net returns on average but the degree of economic benefit varied by farm.
- Yield advantage for grafting likely depends on scion variety and scion and rootstock compatibility.
To solve the world’s most complex problems, research is increasingly moving toward more transdisciplinary endeavors. While a lot of important work has explored the characteristics, challenges, opportunities, and operationalization of transdisciplinary research, much less is known about the circumstances that either facilitate or hinder the research process, particularly from the perspectives of graduate students who often participate in them. In this paper, we aim to address this gap by contributing our own experiences as a team of four graduate students and one community partner that collaborated on a food security project. To support our collaboration, we develop and apply an analytical framework that integrates transdisciplinarity and action research. Through principles of reflexivity, participation and partnership, methods and process, and integration, we find that the framework facilitated the development of shared purposes, mutual responsibility, and meaningful relationships, resulting in the cocreation of a guidebook for farmer-led research. Our main concern with the framework is not achieving the full integration of our disciplines and practices. Transdisciplinarity together with action research holds significant promise in a food security context, but only in the “right” circumstances, where considerable time is spent building relationships, opening communicative space, and reflecting on the work with collaborators.
Keywords
- Community engaged scholarship, graduate student, evaluation, transdisciplinary, action research, food security
This article surveys the current state of agroecology in Canada, giving particular attention to agroecological practices, the related social movements, and the achievements of agroecological science. In each of these realms, we find that agroecology emerges as a response to the various social and ecological problems associated with the prevailing industrial model of agricultural production that has long been promoted in the country under settler colonialism. Although the prevalence and prominence of agroecology is growing in Canada, its presence is still small and the support for its development is limited. We provide recommendations to achieve a more meaningful integration of agroecology in Canadian food policy and practice.
Keywords
- agricultural policy; agroecology; Canada; food movements; on-farm practices
- The amount of forage consumed was the same, irrespective of standard or ultra high density grazing.
- Tony found no difference in pasture recovery between standard and ultra high density grazing.
- Tony will graze these areas in a similar way next year to see if a second year of a “hit and boost” has benefits.
Northern Ontario faces specific challenges compared to other parts of the province when it comes to seed production, including late springs and early frosts (as early as end of August), followed with a wet fall. The demand for lettuce and greens seed is high, but these growing conditions make producing lettuce seed outdoors very difficult. This means that northern seed producers cannot produce regionally adapted varieties. As a potential solution to lettuce seed production in northern Ontario, Peggy compared seed production in a hoop house and uncovered.
Key Findings
- In the hoop house, Peggy grew sellable lettuce seed from 4 of 5 varieties, and sales of the seeds would recoup hoop house material costs in 2.21 years.
- When grown uncovered, none of the 5 varieties produced viable seed.
Jason Hayes raised groups of Nova Free Ranger and White Rock chickens on pasture and measured feed intake, carcass yield, taste and nutritional quality.
Key Findings
- From one successful replicate, the Nova Free Ranger group had a lower (better) average feed conversion ratio and greater return to labour ($5.30/kg vs. $5.05/kg).
- Blind taste tests suggest the taste and texture of Nova Free Ranger meat is preferred by culinary professionals but that the average non-chef customer may prefer the smoother texture of White Rock meat.
- Average OMEGA 6:3 ratio of one White Rock and one Nova Free Ranger was 9.5:1, higher (worse) than previously published results from pasture-raised chickens but lower (better) than previously published results from non-pasture-raised chickens. Vitamin content was higher than all previously published results.
- Delayed arrival of Nova Free Ranger chicks allowed analysis of only one replicate in 2016, so additional replicates are needed to draw conclusions.
- Evaluating the nutritional quality and profitability of alternative breeds on pasture helps producers choose breeds that are better suited to integrated, pasture-based farming.
Val and Brent were curious to know if biochar will help regenerate soil in their young apple orchard and help to set in motion biological activity and nutrient retention. Researchers have documented benefits from biochar in arid and tropical soils, which vary by soil fertility status and biochar quality. Much less is known about biochar’s effect in temperate regions, but there is anecdotal support for biochar use from some farmers in Ontario.
Key Findings
- In the first year of application, Val and Brent detected no effect of the biochar amendment on soil microbial activity, as a proxy for soil health.
- They also detected no changes in tree health in the first year of application.
- Val and Brent will continue to monitor soil and tree health in future years.
Much of the flower seed being produced and used by cut flower growers across Canada is grown internationally in the Netherlands, Israel, and various South American and African countries. This means that varieties are not adapted to the Canadian climate and flower growers can’t support local seed houses. Jessica wanted to assess different varieties from local seed houses to find the best one for her farm, and she enlisted the help of other flower growers.
Key Findings
- There was not a detectable difference in plant quality among blush or white varieties.
- While there was not enough data to analyze statistically, Jessica recorded differences in bloom period and vase life. In doing so, she gained insight into the importance of these factors – especially in hot southern Ontario – for future variety trials of Sweet Peas.
Felicia grows nematode-free garlic, which she sells as clean seed. She’d like to prevent loss to Fusarium and tested a copper spray and biostimulant spray as potential ways to control the fungus.
Key Findings
- The dry conditions and good seed garlic led to low Fusarium pressure this year.
- Felicia found no difference in the proportion of garlic with visual signs of infection by weight of good garlic when she compared plots treated with copper spray, RhizoVital® spray and no spray.
This project compared yield and labour for garlic planted into established oats, garlic and oats planted together, and garlic without a cover crop.
Key Findings
Duane would like to breed a pea that can be planted in the fall and yield early peas, before the heat and drought set in. He’d like to see early production of high quality peas to supply market gardeners and backyard gardeners without the struggles of early spring planting.
Progress to Date
- This breeding project should take 3-5 years to get uniform lines with the combined traits of winter hardiness and quality, which are both complex traits.
- Varieties derived from this project will be released publicly as per the Breeders Pledge (below).
- If deemed commercially viable, the resulting varieties will also be licensed to small seed companies.
Part of a multi-farm trial on five farms asking the research question: Do spring planted cover crops benefit the production of late season brassica cash crops?
Summary
- Organic vegetable growers use cover crops to improve soil fertility and tilth and control weeds.
- Five growers evaluated summer cover crops to determine benefits to N-demanding late season brassicas.
- Specific cover crop comparisons included bell/fava bean (legume) vs. no cover crop control; cocktails containing a legume (bell/fava bean, peas, white clover) vs. buckwheat control.
Key Findings
- Dry conditions in the spring impeded germination resulting in “lacklustre growth [that was] not nearly competitive
enough to deter weeds” or mature enough to effectively mow, resulting in very little meaningful cover crop or
brassicas yield data. - Buckwheat came up better than other species, making it the most drought tolerant of the species grown; at
Angie’s, buckwheat had 6+ times greater biomass than the oats/peas/fava cocktail (P<0.01).
Joseph and Jazmin compared organic sprays for managing disease in their young orchard, with the goal of discovering the best organic approach to care for their black walnuts.
Key Findings
- Disease and insect pressure was low on the young trees measured this year.
- While there was no statistical difference between the two treatments (neem oil vs copper and biological insecticide). They will continue measurements for a second year.
- The most significant indicator of fungal infection is early defoliation in the fall. Therefore, observations next year at the end of the season could strengthen their overall conclusions.
From 2019 to 2021, Kim used white and pink Cosmos flowers to test isolation distances of 400 ft and 600 ft.
In a Nutshell
- Kim observed off-type colours at 400 ft for Purity (white) and Rubenza (pink) Cosmos
- Kim observed off-type colours at 600 ft for Purity (white) Cosmos
As demand for sweet potatoes grows in Canada, breeders are working to create sweet potatoes that are adapted to eastern Ontario. In the first year of the project, Kate selected sweet potatoes that are best suited for low input, organic systems in eastern Ontario.
Progress to Date
- Kate evaluated nearly 60 genetically unique and
diverse sweet potato tubers. - After final evaluations of taste and storability, Kate
will choose 15 varieties and trial them in 2020. - Kate collected seeds from the vines that produced
seed, which is germplasm for future breeding.
With the goal of regenerative farming, Brent and Gillian want to minimize tillage for their organic salad greens production. To do this, they trialed tarps to kill residue between succession plantings and recorded the management needed to direct seed. They also tracked labour, including time moving and placing tarps and hand weeding.
Key Findings
- Tarping soil, without tilling before tarping, reduced tillage by 82% and resulted in faster growing crops.
- It also reduced total labour 60% for lettuce and spinach crops because of fewer weeds.
- It increased total labour by 65% for mustard greens, which do not require weeding.
- The “Fruition” or “pyramid” method, learned from Petra and Matthew at Fruition Seeds, where the head is trimmed like a pyramid such that leaves are usable but not sellable and;
- An alternative “Meadowlark” or “chop” method, learned from Beth and Nathan at Meadowlark Hearth Biodynamic Seeds, that removes the head in a way that it can be sold at winter or spring markets.