A popular proverb states ‘if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together’. Going far together is the thinking behind fields of research at Discovery Farm Woodstock with collaboration as the key to advancing learning in the agriculture industry.
The 330-acre Discovery Farm in Woodstock, Ontario is becoming a place where the industry gathers to test ideas, research products, then share what has been learned with farmers.
“We have seen a significant increase in collaborations at Woodstock the last few years,” says Brayden Bell, Field Manager at Discovery Farm Woodstock. “A highlight was our Woodstock farm becoming one of only eight national smart farm sites in the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network to advance smart technologies for Canadian farmers.”
Another collaborative project at Discovery Farm Woodstock is the Field of Excellence. It is a large-scale research project that has grown significantly from one partner in 2022 to nine in 2023. The project looks at closing the yield gap by identifying and improving poorer areas of the field alongside partners A&L Canada Laboratories Inc., AgroLiquid, Koch Fertilizer Canada, Kubota Canada, SoilOptix Inc., SWAT MAPS/Fieldwalker Agronomy Ltd, and with help from the Woodstock Research Station team and suppliers Oxford Agropro and Sevita International.
“To succeed, farmers need practical solutions to everyday challenges,” says Bell. “If this knowledge doesn’t get back to farmers, then the research doesn’t have the impact that’s intended. When information is shared with farmers through the Discovery Farm network with events, tours and farm publications, everybody wins.”
Discovery Farm Woodstock, one of two farms in Canada, is part of the Glacier FarmMedia family. The company’s large annual outdoor farm shows, Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock and Ag in Motion in Saskatchewan, bring in thousands of farmers who have the opportunity to see applied, in-field research in person.
On September 12 through 14, these projects were highlighted at the “Off the Beaten Path Demonstration Research Tour” at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, along with the Field of Excellence.
100-Bushel Soybean Project – What’s Really Holding Us Back? University of Guelph graduate student Matthew Rundle is looking for soybean management practices that help growers hit higher yields.
AgroLiquid Crop Nutrition Options – Corn & Soybeans: options for foliar fertilizer applications through specialized liquid fertilizer blends for optimized yield and profitability.
Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN): part of a global series that helps local farmers understand their winter wheat yield potential and learn possible limitations.
Grober Nutrition Inc. Trials on Young Animals: with an eye toward profitability and performance, different feeding volumes and formulations are investigated for impacts on calf growth, health and feeding costs.
Timac Agro Supercharged Fields: demonstrating the benefits of innovative biostimulants and fertilizers to create corn and soybean crops with stronger plants and increased yields.
Maizex Seeds Research Project: part of a network of eight trial sites in Ontario, this research evaluates nitrogen use on Maizex corn hybrids under two different seed populations and three different nitrogen applications.
Tillage T’s Demonstration: through a partnership between Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Soils At Guelph, a variety of fall tillage choices demonstrate the best time and use for implements and how each application overwinters.
A 2023 Field Report will be released in early 2024 to share what was learned on these projects at Discovery Farm Woodstock. Find more information on these projects at discoveryfarm.ca/woodstock.
Article originally published on Farmtario.