Discovery Farm Partnership Focuses on A Systematic Approach to Crop Nutrition

“We’re very happy to work with Yara Belle Plaine and Down to Earth Ag Research to look at practices and application systems that could really benefit producers not only in increased yields but also in return on investment,” says Blake Weiseth, Applied Research Lead at Discovery Farm. “This is the kind of project that fits the Discovery Farm mandate to a tee, with industry and research partners working together to find practical, applicable solutions in agriculture.”

A total of 80 acres at Discovery Farm will be devoted to the large-scale trials, explains Weiseth, including 40 seeded with canola and another 40 with wheat. Standard farming practices will be used on half of each crop as a control. The other half will feature alternative practices, products and technology designed to improve crop yield, nutrient use efficiency and grower profitability.

“Having an Incubator Farm in the heart of the Prairies, near our Belle Plaine, Sask. nitrogen facility, has been a long-term goal in our effort to further support the agriculture community here in Western Canada” says Mandy Huska, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Yara in Western Canada. “Our research at Discovery Farm will allow us to showcase new and traditional practices to our retail partners and their farmers that could make a difference in how, when, and what nutrition is applied as we work toward keeping operations simple and farms profitable.”

In addition to field scale trials, the research underway at Discovery Farm also involves a small-plot component where Yara will trial new granular fertilizers, fertilizer coatings, and foliar nutrition products along with crop nutrition strategies on key western Canadian crops. “We call these incubator projects because it allows us to bring to scale learnings from these and other Yara trials in a more commercial context. Ultimately, we intend for the farm to serve as a platform to demonstrate innovative ways to deliver complete crop nutrition, without creating additional complexity for the farmer, while increasing net return on investment on practices implemented” says Markus Braaten, Market Development Manager for Yara North America.

Down to Earth Ag Research will manage all aspects of the project, from seeding to harvest, on both the large and small plots. For Down to Earth Ag Research Founder and CEO Dean Streisel, the research results will help farmers recognize the value that comes with paying attention to nutrition.

“Farmers want products and systems that boost yield, but they also need to see the economic benefit,” he says. “We’re excited to be part of research that will make our limited amount of agricultural land even more productive.”

Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm is an innovative agricultural event and demonstration site, home to Ag in Motion and the Field of Excellence. Located on 640 acres at Langham, Sask., Discovery Farm is designed to connect western Canadian farmers with industry and research partners to find practical solutions to the agriculture challenges of today, and tomorrow.

Learn more about the Yara Incubator Farm in Saskatoon.

For more information contact:
Kaitlyn Kitzan
(306)-521-0643
Kkitzan@farmmedia.com