How can we improve water retention and optimize water and nutrient use efficiency?
The 4Rs Plus Project is entering its third field season at Discovery Farm Langham in 2023. The aim of this project is to evaluate beneficial management practices to reclaim marginally productive land and reduce phosphorus export into the water. The presented challenge is nutrient-enriched run-off water from fertilizer application. In this project, a focus will be made on tracing the fate of applied nutrients in the crop and the soil-water interface.
In 2023, field activities will include measurement of snowmelt run-off water volume from the field site in spring, along with evaluation of the treatments for a second field season. Variable-rate fertilizer application and post-harvest crop residue management will be evaluated with wheat as the annual grain crop. A control treatment of standard farming practices including a fixed fertilizer rate will be evaluated for comparison.
Additionally, an investigation on a polycropping mixture of annual forages will be completed with particular focus on its potential ability to be productive on marginal soils impacted by salinity, as well as its ability to promote water infiltration from variable rooting structure.
This study is a collaborative effort with Dr. Jeff Schoenau of the University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources, CropPro Consulting, the Global Institute of Water Security and the following partners:
PARTNERS
Access the Discovery Farm Langham Field Reports
The Field Reports are an annual overview of all activities that happened at Discovery Farm Langham during the growing season including demonstration research, events and knowledge transfer.