Manitoba Canola Growers Establishing On-Farm Research Project

Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) is in the process of establishing a farmer funded, farmer directed, canola on-farm research program that will launch a pilot program in the 2022 growing season.

"Testing some of the research that we've funded in small plot research or greenhouse research and taking some of the results from those and testing it on farms in Manitoba across a lot of different areas of the province, different soil types, with different farms with different equipment," explained Research Manager Amy Mangin. "The research questions that we're probably going to start with are going to be pretty simple but still big questions in canola production. Things like stand establishment, just a simple seeding rate question, as well as nitrogen rates. How much nitrogen are we needing and how does that translate to nitrogen uptake or nitrogen use efficiency for on-farm production practices? Other questions that we're hoping to look at also are things like planter versus drill for canola, as well as hopefully in the future, be able to do some variable rate or precision ag evaluation profitability of some of those practices."

Farmers that participate will receive a report from the results of the trials.

Mangin says they are looking to run about 10 to 12 trials across the province this year and are hoping to expand that number in the years to follow.

Program goals include:

• Test new and improved applied production practices on a wide range of locations and environmental conditions across Manitoba to help better understand the probability of response and the economic impacts.
• Tackle research questions that cannot fully be evaluated in small plot and greenhouse research, such as precision ag methods and equipment optimization.
• Collaboration with research partners to ensure meaningful interpretation of on-farm trial results

Bridge the gap between traditional research results and on-farm adoption of new and improved production practices.
MCGA will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, January 11 to discuss the project.