Research Library
EFAO’s research library is an open access resource where you can find all of EFAO’s research protocols, reports and publications, and other on-farm research guides.
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.
Keywords
- soil health, active carbon, organic matter, farmer-led research, organic farming
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.