A recent webinar organized by Quebec’s provincial agriculture ministry (MAPAQ) brought together two experts from different fields but pursuing the same goal — improving the soil’s capacity to cope with increasingly extreme weather events, as Celine Normandin reports in an article published on Farmtario.
Laura Van Eerd, of the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus, shared data collected from 65 years of crop rotation research. The trials are being conducted at two research sites, Elora and Ridgetown.
Unsurprisingly, the studies show crop rotation improves yield. The researcher also mentioned that rather than fading, the long-term outcomes of rotation show continued improvement in yield, soil health, resilience and also by lower nitrogen demand.
The study looked at yield only in dry years and found a 2.5 per cent positive difference in yield attributed to rotation. Healthy soils, with more organic matter, have shown to be more resilient, are more protected and allow for a greater margin of error.
Studies conducted on the contribution of cover crops demonstrate that cover crops provide organic matter, resulting in higher crop yields. They also require less nitrogen.
“The challenge in the coming years will be to ensure that the plant gets what it needs at the right time, in the right place, in the right quantity,” said Hélène Bernard, engineer at MAPAQ during her presentation. She said that it is necessary to provide solutions adapted to the current climate by making the right diagnosis when faced with a problem observed in the field.
Source: Farmtario. Read the full article here
Image: Credit Ralf from Pixabay
Discover more from Potato News Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
