2024 Field of Excellence Powered by AgExpert

The Field of Excellence powered by AgExpert is a collaborative research and demonstration program that occurs annually at Discovery Farm Woodstock. This popular program attracts a variety of agriculture industry partners, bringing their insights, learnings and objectives together in a single cohesive project focused on informing and engaging with Canadian farmers.

The Field of Excellence powered by AgExpert is a part of the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network, which is building a collaborative framework among Canada’s Smart Farm initiatives for sharing data and expertise to help farmers, industry and technology developers better understand, utilize, and develop smart agriculture technologies and systems.

In 2023, the theme was to investigate how to narrow the yield gap and improve yield (and profitability) in the short term and productivity potential in the long term, especially with soil variability. These questions were explored through the use of multiple data layers and platforms to bring together precision agriculture, sound agronomy, and use of specialized products including novel soil amendments

The project for 2024 is similar in scope, but we want to visually show how a farmer can achieve improved yields, and other positive impacts on the crop, when following proper agronomic recommendations using lab services (grower standard practice vs. laboratory recommendations). In addition, we will demonstrate the impact of soil health on crop quality

In 2024, the Field of Excellence powered by AgExpert, represents a collaborative effort with the following partners:

A&L Canada Laboratories Inc.: As a Strategic Partner, A & L Laboratories Inc. helped to develop the project and define the research goals and protocols. A & L will be taking regular soil samples and using the data obtained, will direct the project with the objectives of demonstrating the impact of soil health on crop quality, providing a profitable alternative to the grower standard practice and demonstrate proper use/potential capabilities of biological practices readily available products on the market, or in the late stages of market approval.
AgExpert: The AgExpert platform is utilized throughout the season to track field operations (from seeding to spraying to harvest), showcasing the value behind digitizing records and connected data. This information provided critical information to assess the Project’s overall success.
Sylvite: A Field of Excellence Growth Partner, Sylvite provided the granular fertilizer for the 15 acres and will provide a side dress application, if needed.
Kubota: As a Performance Partner, Kubota Canada provides a product that is critical to crop production: Kubota’s 6 Row Variable Width Planter.
Maizex: The Field of Excellence is planted to corn for 2024. Performance Partner Maizex provided the seed.

2023 Field of Excellence

Farmers need practical solutions to everyday challenges. On the farm, the success of an entire year’s work can often be determined by answering the question: “how did it yield”? While we often focus on average yields, we also know there can be tremendous variability across any field. This variability can be a result of issues that limit yield such as nutrient deficiency, poor water retention, drainage, weed pressures and more. While we don’t want to hold back our best soils, there is tremendous potential in improving the poor areas of the field. 

So, then, the question for the Field of Excellence becomes, “what can we do to close the yield gap”? For subpar areas, we want to examine how we can improve yield and profitability in the short term and productivity in the long term. For this project, the Discovery Farm Woodstock staff and partners will use a variety of tools that improve productivity throughout the season. 

We worked with these partners on the Field of Excellence in 2023: 

• A&L Canada Laboratories Inc.: Discovery Farm Woodstock’s analytical partner offering soil testing and soil health demonstration, plant tissue testing, disease diagnostics, and fertility recommendations when required
• AgroLiquid: providing a foliar fertilizer application with their specialized liquid fertilizer blends
• Koch Fertilizer Canada: providing fertilizer enhancement technology for the Field of Excellence crop
• Kubota Canada: providing the equipment and expert staff to plant the Field of Excellence soybean crop, while showcasing their new line of planters
• Oxford Agropro: Field of Excellence fertilizer supplier
• Sevita International: one of our many seed suppliers at Discovery Farm Woodstock
• SoilOptix® Inc.: providing mapping and soil sampling of approximately 60 acres of the Discovery Farm Woodstock site
• SWAT MAPS/Fieldwalker Agronomy Ltd: providing mapping and soil sampling of roughly 50 acres of the Discovery Farm Woodstock site, and installation of an onsite soil sensor
• Woodstock Research Station Team: land preparation and agronomic work

Mapping the Soil on the 2023 Field of Excellence Project 

Prior to the 2023 planting, SoilOptix mapped the field to provide high-resolution soil information including macro- and micro-nutrients, physical properties, full texture breakdown and soil organic carbon (click on the link below to see the results). SoilOptix utilizes a passive sensor technology to identify variability in texture, physical structure and geology of soils. After the survey, soil samples are obtained at a standard 6- to 8-inch depth and are taken at strategic locations informed by the sensor data variability. Soil samples are sent to A&L Canada Laboratories Inc. and results shared with the SoilOptix team for further mapping.

See the 2023 Soil Mapping here.