Living Laboratories Initiative: Advancing Reduced Tillage for Organic Vegetable Systems 2022, 2021, 2020 Research Project Cover Crops
Description

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

Publish Date
May 25, 2023
Farmer(s)
Ken Laing
Living Laboratories Initiative: Advancing Reduced Tillage for Organic Field Crop Systems 2022, 2021 Research Project Soil Health
Description

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

Publish Date
May 25, 2023
Farmer(s)
Brett Israel
Fava bean variety trial for field and rooftop gardens in southern Ontario 2022 Research Project Seed Production, Selection & Breeding
Description

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!

Publish Date
May 3, 2023
Farmer(s)
Micheline Lalond; Michelle Dang; Martina Schaefer; Leslie Moskovits
Iceberg lettuce variety trial 2022 Research Project Seed Production, Selection & Breeding
Description

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

Publish Date
May 3, 2023
Farmer(s)
Kristine Hammel; Sarah Judd; Evalisa McIllfaterick
Red pepper variety trial for Ontario and British Columbia 2022 Research Project Seed Production, Selection & Breeding
Description

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

Publish Date
May 2, 2023
Farmer(s)
Mike Smith; Anne Dockendorff; Matthew Brearley; Karlo Bobinac; Angie Koch and Nikola Barsoum; David Catzel, Siri van Gruen, and Gillian Murphy
Okra variety trial for southern Ontario and southern Québec 2022 Research Project Seed Production, Selection & Breeding
Description

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

Publish Date
May 1, 2023
Farmer(s)
Rav Singh; Orlando Martin Lopez Gomez; Nikola Barsoum; Jessica Tong; Rashel Tremblay; Nasser Boumenna; Paterne Mirindi; Hamidou Maïga
Screening of quinoa transplant date and viability 2022 Research Project Seed Production, Selection & Breeding
Description

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

Publish Date
April 3, 2023
Farmer(s)
Dean Orr
Alternatives to traditional peat moss starter mixes 2022 Research Project Soil Health
Description

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

Publish Date
March 31, 2023
Farmer(s)
Hans Ning
When is intensive too intensive? The production of table beets in three vs. four row spacing 2022 Research Project Weed Control
Description

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.

Publish Date
March 15, 2023
Farmer(s)
Ann Slater
Quantifying plant available nitrogen from cover crops 2022 Research Project Cover Crops
Description
Jesse and Meghan wanted to understand the contribution of spring legume cover crops
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.

Publish Date
February 22, 2023
Farmer(s)
Jesse Way and Meghan Brandenburg
Organic no-till soybean production: Making it work in Ontario 2020, 2019 Research Project Cover Crops
Description
Growing cover crop-based organic no-till soybeans requires a different system approach than for standard organic production. Three years of extensive research trials in Ontario have guided the development of four key best practices for growing no-till organic soybeans following a cereal rye cover crop. This tip sheet is designed to provide practical advice for Ontario growers.

Publish Date
September 20, 2022
Farmer(s)
Jake Munroe
Tournesols sans labour dans le nord de l’Ontario 2021, 2020 Research Project Soil Health
Description

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

Read report in english

Publish Date
September 1, 2022
Farmer(s)
Becky Porlier
Summer and fall head lettuce variety trials 2020 Research Project Seed Production, Selection & Breeding
Description

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.

Publish Date
November 11, 2021
Farmer(s)
Angie Koch, Ann Slater, Lise-Anne Léveillé, Jon Gagnon, Laurie & Corey Ahrens, Martina Schaefer, Hilary Moore, Harold Saunders, and Sarah Judd
Performance of Chantecler chickens on a reduced protein grower ration 2020, 2019 Research Project Livestock Feed
Description

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.

Publish Date
August 11, 2021
Farmer(s)
Heather Newman
Efficacy of mycorrhizal inoculants on vegetable transplants 2020 Research Project Disease & Pest Control
Description

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.

Publish Date
August 11, 2021
Farmer(s)
Dianne Kretschmar
No-till tomatoes 3-ways 2020 Research Project Soil Health
Description

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.

Publish Date
August 11, 2021
Farmer(s)
Matt Jones
Assessing chronology of soil nutrient status in pastures across a topographic gradient 2020 Research Project Pasture Regeneration
Description

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.

Publish Date
August 11, 2021
Farmer(s)
Andy Macdonald
Effects of liquid and biological amendments on emergence and yield of no-till planted spring cereals 2020 Research Project Soil Health
Description

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.

Publish Date
August 11, 2021
Farmer(s)
Ken Laing
In search of short season northern grain amaranth varieties: A screening trial of grain amaranth (Amaranthus spp) 2020 Research Project Seed Production, Selection & Breeding
Description

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.

Publish Date
August 11, 2021
Farmer(s)
Ronaldo Eleazar Lec Ajcot and Myriam Legault
No-till fall broccoli in northern Ontario 2020, 2019 Research Project Cover Crops
Description

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.

Lire le rapport en français

Publish Date
August 11, 2021
Farmer(s)
Ryan Spence & Isabelle Spence-Legault