Intercropping legumes impact on nitrogen cycling and grazing as a form of cover crop termination

Coordinating agronomist: Marika Dewar-Norosky
Organization: Manitoba Organics
Practice: Nitrogen management
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: While agronomically effective in supplying nitrogen, full season green manure years remove land from cash-crop production so they can be perceived as a financial burden. As a result, farmers (organic and non-organic) are hesitant to extend rotations or adopt more complex systems without clear, regionally relevant evidence that these practices can maintain yields and support economic viability.

Description: This field scale trial evaluates a two-year intercropping and grazing system aimed at improving nitrogen management and profitability in grain production. More specifically, it compares: 1) an intercropped yellow pea-oat crop (to be harvested, cleaned and sold as two separate cash crops) with an underseeded cover crop of hairy vetch and subterranean clover and 2) a forage pea-oat green manure (with an underseeded cover crop of hairy vetch and subterranean clover) that will either be a) grazed as a termination method or b) plowed down as a termination method. The following year, a spring wheat crop (which will be harvested as the cash crop) will either be 1) monocropped or 2) underseeded with red clover. The trial, which builds on University of Manitoba small-plot research, will measure soil nitrate, yellow pea-oat and spring wheat yield and biomass, and oat-pea forage and green manure biomass. Analysis will also be completed to determine nitrogen availability and economic viability of the intercrop.

Field-scale evaluation of fall-applied EEFs for seed yield productivity, profitability, and nitrous oxide emissions reduction in multi-year forage and turf seed production systems

Coordinating agronomist: Jo-Anne Relf-Eckstein
Organization: Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission
Practice: Nitrogen management
Trial started: Fall 2026

Barrier: Adoption of enhanced-efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) in multi-year forage and turfgrass crop production faces barriers of high EEF product cost, lack of region-specific evidence of economic or environmental benefit, and uncertainty about real-world performance. As a result, these producers—who have a short frost-free period and a long cold interval between fall fertilizer application and spring crop demand—are hesitant to invest in EEFs without proof of economic and environmental benefit.

Description: This project evaluates standard, fall-applied urea with enhanced-efficiency products in commercial forage and turf grass seed fields, with three randomized replicates. The four treatments used in this replicated trial are: 1) urea at 100% of the recommended rate, 2) urea at 100% of the recommended rate plus a dual inhibitor (SuperU™), 3) urea at 80% of the recommended rate plus the dual inhibitor, and 4) urea at 100% of the recommended rate plus the dual inhibitor plus a spring-applied liquid phosphorus fertilizer (PhosForce). Tissue tests and post-harvest soil nitrate tests will be conducted, and above-ground biomass, seed yield, and seed quality will be measured. Both statistical and economic analyses will also be completed. This will provide producers with valuable data on nitrogen use efficiency and offer practical guidance for those considering the adoption of these nutrient management practices.

Optimizing wheat yield and quality: Farm-scale comparison of blanket vs. variable rate nitrogen strategies across landscape positions

Coordinating agronomist: Lana Shaw
Supporting agronomists: Junaid Afzal and Salman
Organization: South East Research Farm
Practice: Nitrogen management
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: While many wheat producers understand the theory of variable rate nitrogen (VRN),  adoption has been hindered by the uncertainty on the return on investment (the cost of mapping and technology compared to benefits), risk of low protein levels, and a lack of localized data that clearly quantifies the economic benefit of VRN against blanket rates.

Description: This replicated block design farm-scale trial compares the standard blanket nitrogen rate to a variable rate nitrogen (VRN) application in two topographically variable, rainfed Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat fields in the Black soil zone of southeast Saskatchewan. In addition to in-crop monitoring, yield, quality, protein, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) will be reported across low, mid, and high landscape slope positions. The economic return ($/ac) of each application rate strategy will be determined, based on site-specific performance.

Nitrogen EEFs in northeast Saskatchewan: What is the impact on nutrient management and profitability?

Coordinating agronomist: Ishita Patel
Supporting agronomist: Lauriche De Villa
Organization: Northeast Agriculture Research Foundation
Practice: Nitrogen management
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: Unpredictable weather, increased input costs, and high land rental/mortgage costs are all challenges for farmers on unirrigated land in Northeast Saskatchewan, in addition to balancing production, profitability, and environmental impacts. While there is interest in using nitrogen enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs), inconsistent messaging on the economic feasibility of these products, along with uncertainty related to their performance on soils with high organic matter (6-10% OM), has hampered farmers from trying them.

Description: This field trial will be set up in a randomized complete block design that includes four replicates and five treatments: 1) dual inhibitor product (Active Stabilizer Plus), side-banded at 75% of the recommended nitrogen rate, 2) a 50:50 blend of ESN and conventional urea side-banded at 75% of recommended nitrogen rate, 3) untreated urea at 75% of recommended nitrogen rate and a humic acid product (Resurge by Helena Agri Enterprises) at label-recommended rate (both side-banded), 4) untreated urea check side-banded at 100% of the recommended nitrogen rate, and 5) an anhydrous ammonia check, mid-row banded at 100% of the recommended nitrogen rate. Spring LibertyLink canola will be seeded and tissue tests (at bolting), yield, grade, oil, and protein content will be measured, as well as post-harvest soil nitrate levels. Economic analysis for treatment will also be conducted.

Can under-seeding spring cereals for silage with annual rye grass provide an extended fall grazing option for Alberta producers?

Coordinating agronomist: Alyssa Krawchuk
Organization: Lakeland Agricultural Research Association
Practice: Rotational grazing
Trial started: Spring 2027

Barrier: The dry conditions in the Lakeland region of Alberta has led to reduced feed sources and overgrazed pastures. Since overgrazed pastures may produce less the following year and require additional management strategies (including reduced grazing days) to ensure long-term pasture viability, this project examines two extended fall grazing options to potentially address this.

Description: This randomized strip trial with four replications will compare two spring-seeded treatments: 1) soft white spring wheat only, silage harvested, stubble grazed and 2) soft white spring wheat under-seeded with Italian ryegrass, silage harvested, stubble grazed to measure the potential that under-seeding Italian ryegrass into a silage ration may have as an extended fall grazing option. Biomass, forage quality, and regrowth the following spring will be assessed and economic analysis will be performed.

Does incorporation of cattle impact improve legume establishment in pasture rejuvenation efforts when drone seeding?

Coordinating agronomist: Alyssa Krawchuk
Organization: Lakeland Agricultural Research Association
Practice: Rotational grazing
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: Pasture rejuvenation in remote locations where mechanical equipment cannot be used can be difficult, leading to reduced forage stand and quality (particularly for legume species), as well as fewer grazing days. While drones offer a new opportunity, the lack of incorporation (to maximize seed to soil contact) with this seeding method is thought to cause low establishment rates. As cattle hoof traffic is an easy incorporation method which eliminates the need for mechanical equipment, this project investigates the effectiveness of hoof traffic when rejuvenating remote perennial pastures in a rotational grazing system.

Description: A randomized strip trial with four replications will compare four treatments: 1) non-improved control, 2) drone seeded, no incorporation, 3) drone-seeded, harrowed, and 4) drone seeded, hoof traffic (stock density of initial graze will be 150,000 lbs/acre). A pre-inoculated legume blend, including creeping red fescue, tap rooted alfalfa, branch rooted alfalfa, falcata alfalfa, sainfoin, cicer milkvetch, red clover, chicory, birdsfoot trefoil, and sweet clover will be seeded at 10 lbs/acre. Following emergence, the trial will be grazed for proper forage establishment. Emergence, establishment, grazing events, and biomass will be measured/recorded and quality and economic analyses will be conducted.

Field-scale evaluation of cover crops prior to potatoes in the semi-arid irrigation districts of southern Alberta

Coordinating agronomist: Emily Ford
Organization: Quattro Farms
Practice: Cover crops
Trial started: Fall 2026

Barrier: Barriers to adopting multispecies cover crops in southern Alberta’s irrigated potato systems include a lack of regionally relevant, field-scale data addressing growers’ concerns about logistics, timing (short September planting window), nitrogen dynamics (nitrogen immobilization or unpredictable nitrogen release), and crop rotation compatibility.

Description: To evaluate the feasibility and benefits of establishing non-brassica cover crops after cereal harvest, this trial will compare two treatments: standard practice with no fall cover crop, and a multi-species oat–phacelia–crimson clover–sunflower mix selected to avoid rotation issues with sugar beets and seed canola. Treatments will be implemented as replicated (three reps) full-scale strips on a commercial pivot field to ensure real-farm relevance. The cover crop biomass, ground cover, and species composition will be assessed, as well as fall and spring soil nitrate levels. The emergence and plant counts from the following potato crop (planted after the terminated cover crop) will be measured, along with potato yield, grade, specific gravity, and cull rates at harvest. An economic assessment will also be conducted. The project will generate practical, region-specific, field-scale evidence to guide growers in making informed decisions about adopting rotation-safe cover crops within intensive irrigated potato systems.

Evaluating farmer-identified practices for managing slugs as a barrier to cover crop adoption in Southern Ontario

Coordinating agronomist: Lorraine Vandermyden
Organization: Ontario Soil Network
Practice: Cover cropping
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: Farmers adopt cover crops to build soil health and increase crop yields and resilience. However, the residue left on the soil surface can also provide forage and habitat for unwanted pests, including slugs. Slugs have become an increasingly common and difficult challenge for growers in Southern Ontario, causing severe early-season damage to cash crops such as corn, edible beans, and soybeans. They also feed on cover crops, reducing biomass production and its associated benefits. Farmers may respond by replanting, increasing tillage, or reducing residue cover. Some have identified slug pressure as a major barrier to maintaining or expanding cover crop acres. Practical, applied research on slug management in Ontario cash crop systems is extremely limited.

Description: Three replicated, randomized block field trials in Southern Ontario will support farmers in evaluating potential slug management practices relevant to their own production systems. Trials will examine shallow spring strip tillage in soybeans, iron applied in the seed trench in corn and edible beans, and adding a brassica to a cover crop mix. Slug counts, early-season plant damage, cash crop yield, field observations, labour requirements, and economics will be assessed. The results will provide practical, locally relevant observations on how these practices perform and help inform future slug management research and decisions.

Evaluating virtual fencing as a tool for optimizing rotational grazing

Coordinating agronomist: Mélanie Perreault Gagnon
Organization: Agrinova
Practice: Rotational grazing
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: Rotational grazing can improve pasture productivity and land use, but the time, labour, costs, and infrastructure required to install, move, and maintain physical fencing can limit its adoption or intensification. Virtual fencing may address some of these challenges, while also allowing more flexible, responsive grazing rotations that adapt to forage growth and changing conditions. However, producers lack regional, commercial-scale evidence on whether the technology can effectively control cattle movements, maintain pasture and animal performance, reduce management time, and provide a financially viable alternative to physical fencing.

Description: A field trial on a commercial beef farm in Centre-du-Québec will compare three approaches to rotational grazing: 1) a herd managed using physical fences under a more rigid rotation system of approximately five days per paddock; 2) a herd equipped with GPS-enabled collars, allowing for adaptive management and more frequent movements; and 3) a theoretical scenario estimating the labour required to achieve the same adaptive management moving physical fencing. Measurements and observations will include forage biomass, quality and utilization, animal behaviour and adaptation, management time, technical issues, and economics analysis performed. The results will be used to assess the profitability and feasibility of virtual fencing, as well as its agronomic impacts.

Refining nitrogen rates for spring wheat on high-organic-matter soils in the Bas-Saint-Laurent

Coordinating agronomist: Audrey-Anne Pelletier
Organization: JMP Consultants
Practice: Nitrogen management
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: Spring wheat producers in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region often farm G2 and G3 soils with more than 4% organic matter, but the new MAPAQ nitrogen guidelines adjust for organic matter only in G1 soils. As a result, standard recommendations may overestimate nitrogen needs in the region. While tight profit margins make producers reluctant to reduce rates without regional, spring wheat-specific evidence that yield can be maintained, lowering in-crop nitrogen could reduce fertilizer costs and improve profitability.

Description: Field trials on two farms will compare four nitrogen treatments in spring wheat. The control will receive up to 60 kg N/ha (54 lbs N/ac) at seeding with no additional nitrogen, while the other treatments will receive the same rate at seeding followed by post-emergence applications at Zadoks stage 26 of 30, 45, or 60 kg N/ha (27, 40 or 54 lbs N/ac). Soil and plant tissue nitrate levels, plant population, pest and weed pressure, grain yield, protein, and test weight will be assessed. An economic analysis will compare treatments to evaluate whether post-emergence nitrogen can be reduced on high-organic matter G2 and G3 soils without reducing profitability.

Optimizing nitrogen application in corn while improving operational efficiency and reducing environmental impacts

Coordinating agronomist: Marie-Laurence Côté
Organization: Groupe Envir-Eau-Sol Inc.
Practice: Nitrogen management
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: Applying some nitrogen (N) after corn emergence may better align nitrogen availability with periods of high crop demand, but the timing can conflict with time-sensitive field operations, such as first-cut hay on dairy farms. Applying all N before emergence may improve operational efficiency for these farms, particularly when combined with planting and strip-till in a single pass, while polymer-coated urea may help extend nitrogen availability. Producers lack regional data on whether this approach can maintain yield and provide an agronomically, economically, and environmentally viable alternative.

Description: A strip trial conducted in two fields on a commercial dairy and cash crop farm in Quebec will compare two corn nitrogen strategies at similar total nitrogen rates. The control will include starter fertilizers banded at planting, followed by a post-emergence blend of urea and ammonium sulfate around the V6 stage. In the treatment strips, starter fertilizers and a 50:50 blend of polymer-coated urea and conventional urea will be applied in a single pass, combining planting and strip-tillage, with no post-emergence nitrogen application. Crop performance, nitrogen dynamics, labour, fuel use, treatment costs, and potential greenhouse gas emissions will be assessed to compare the agronomic, operational, economic, and environmental trade-offs of the two strategies.

Sulfur fertilization and overseeding to maximize symbiotic nitrogen fixation in pastures

Coordinating agronomist: Frédérique Lavallée
Organization: Écoboeuf
Practice: Nitrogen management, Rotational grazing
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: Mixed legume-grass pastures are the norm for many beef producers and can supply nitrogen through symbiotic fixation. However, sulfur deficiencies can reduce legume vigour, resulting in declining pasture productivity, leading more producers to consider synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. Although synthetic nitrogen can increase forage yield, it carries economic and environmental costs and can further reduce legume content in mixed stands. Producers lack regionally relevant, commercial-scale evidence that sulfur fertilization combined with legume overseeding can sustain pasture productivity and reduce reliance on synthetic nitrogen.

Description: A randomized field trial on a commercial beef farm in Quebec’s Clay Belt region will evaluate whether sulfur fertilization can improve legume establishment, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, and forage productivity under rotational grazing. Overseeded pasture plots will receive either potassium sulfate, a fast-release sulfur source; lower-cost, slow-release elemental sulfur; or no sulfur fertilizer. Legume establishment, composition, forage yield and quality, and treatment economics will be assessed to determine whether correcting sulfur deficiencies can help mixed pastures provide a practical and economically viable alternative to synthetic nitrogen fertilization.

Evaluation of Dual Inhibitor EEF on Winter Wheat Production

Coordinating agronomist: Steve Watts
Organization: Genesis Crop Systems
Practice: Nitrogen management
Trial started: Spring 2026

Barrier: Limited access to independent, on-farm information about the performance and cost-effectiveness of utilizing enhanced efficiency fertilizers in winter wheat production is a key barrier to adoption in Prince Edward Island. The higher per unit cost associated with these products may discourage farmers from trying them without regionally relevant evidence and/or results from their own operations that demonstrate that using an EEF can reduce total nitrogen application rates and passes across the field while maintaining yield, grain quality, practicality, and profitability.

Description: Field-scale replicated trials will be conducted on six farming operations to evaluate how using a dual-inhibitor nitrogen fertilizer, such as SuperU, to reduce total nitrogen rates in winter wheat affects crop performance, profitability and operational efficiency. Each farm will compare three treatments: 1) the grower’s standard nitrogen management practice; 2) a treatment receiving approximately 20% less total nitrogen, with a dual-inhibited nitrogen source applied at green-up supplying approximately 30–45% of the total nitrogen; and 3) a treatment receiving the same reduced total nitrogen rate without an inhibited nitrogen product. Farmer observations will assess ease of application and adoption, while grain yield, dry matter, bushel weight, protein content, and treatment economics will also be evaluated. 

Determining the best fall-seeded cover crop mixtures for field rejuvenation and cost effectiveness

Coordinating agronomist: Serena Black
Organization: BC Forage Council
Practice: Cover crops
Trial started: Fall 2025

Barrier: There is a lack of data on the use and management of cover crops, their impacts on subsequent crop performance, and the economic costs and returns on investment for this practice.

Description: Fall-seeded cover crop mixtures were planted following annual forage crop harvest as part of preparing a field for rejuvenation back to perennial forages in a typical B.C. mixed farming rotation with limited irrigation. The trial compares two varieties of a single-species cover (e.g. common and hybrid fall rye) to a more diverse cover crop mixture (e.g. each variety of fall rye with Austrian winter peas). Cover crop establishment, biomass, soil health, forage quality, and subsequent crop performance will be measured, and then an economic analysis will be conducted.

Measuring the impact of different proportions of legumes in cover crop mixes on nitrogen credits in a subsequent corn crop

Coordinating agronomist: Florence Pomerleau-Lacasse
Organization: Agri Conseils Maska
Practices: Cover crops, nitrogen management
Trial started: Fall 2025

Barrier: Leguminous cover crops can supply nitrogen to the following crop and potentially reduce synthetic fertilizer needs, but legume cover crops can have a wide range of seed costs depending on species. There is a lack of local data on what species and proportion of legumes optimize biomass, nitrogen contribution and economic return.

Description: On four farms, two cover crop mixes (oats, radish and forage peas or fava beans) will be planted side by side after a cereal crop with <50% legumes and >70% legumes. Cover crop biomass and quality will be measured. In the subsequent corn crop, test strips with only starter fertilizer will be compared to standard rates. Changes in soil nitrate, corn stalk nitrate, and corn yield will be measured, and the economics evaluated to determine the legume proportion that delivers the best agronomic and economic value.

Evaluating the latest planting date for establishing cover crops after spring cereal, soybean and silage corn crops

Coordinating agronomist: Isabelle Dubé, Emmanuelle Robertson
Organization: Groupe PleineTerre inc.
Practice: Cover crops
Trial started: Fall 2025

Barrier: The lack of regional data on the latest viable planting dates for cover crops makes it difficult to develop reliable recommendations for farmers. In corn–soybean–cereal rotations, the very short planting window after harvest limits the adoption of cover crops and there is uncertainty about the agronomic and economic benefits.

Description: These trials compare standard and late fall planting dates to evaluate cover crop establishment. Trials include 

• Fall rye (160 kg/ha) drilled after spring cereals on September 15, October 1, and October 15; 

• Oats (50 kg/ha) and radish (4 kg/ha) drone-seeded into soybeans at R6 and R7; and 

• Fall rye (160 kg/ha) seeded after corn silage on October 15 and 25. 

Cover crop performance will be evaluated in late fall, including ground cover and biomass, and a partial-budget analysis completed.

Evaluating nitrogen credits from leguminous cover crops in colder regions to guide nitrogen fertilizer management in potatoes

Coordinating agronomist: Yolaine Filion
Organization: Club d’encadrement technique pommes de terre
Practices: Cover crops, nitrogen management
Trial started: Fall 2025

Barrier: Potatoes are heavy feeders, and under- or over-applying nitrogen can affect plant health, yield and quality. In colder regions with shorter growing seasons, uncertainty about nitrogen credits from leguminous cover crops makes it difficult for potato growers to confidently adjust synthetic nitrogen fertilizer rates.

Description: This replicated split-plot trial will compare a legume cover crop (forage peas) seeded after canola harvest with a no cover crop control. Three post-emergence nitrogen (N) rate treatments will be applied: the grower’s standard nitrogen rate and two reduced rates (15 kg N/ha and 30kg of N/ha below standard). Cover crop biomass, soil and petiole nitrate levels and potato yield and tuber quality will help quantify nitrogen credits, while an economic analysis will evaluate the feasibility of adjusting synthetic fertilizer rates accordingly.

Intercropping cover crops in grain corn: evaluating seeding methods

Coordinating agronomist: Camille Dumont
Organization: Groupe ProConseil
Practice: Cover crops
Trial started: Fall 2025

Barrier: Adding cover crops in a corn rotation can be challenging due to the short post-harvest growth window, wet conditions at seeding time that can result in compaction, and limited access to specialised equipment. Drone seeding into standing corn offers a quick and potentially more affordable alternative, but this practice is still new in the region. It is therefore necessary to document methods, timing, and seeding rates in order to identify effective and cost-efficient approaches that promote reliable establishment and improvements in soil health.

Description: Four farms will participate in this trial. One farm will compare 1) 10kg/ha of broadcast Italian ryegrass at the same time as nitrogen sidedress application into corn, with 2) Italian ryegrass drone-seeded preharvest at 25 kg/ha, and 3) a no cover crop control. The other farms will drone-seed radish or winter canola pre-corn harvest at 15 kg/ha and 25 kg/ha, compared to a no cover crop control. Corn yield, cover crop growth, and soil structure data will be collected, and an economic comparison conducted.

Adaptive nitrogen trials in corn following cover crops

Coordinating agronomists: Lorraine Vandermyden, Jackie Clark
Organizations: The Ontario Soil Network and Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario
Practices: Cover crops nitrogen management
Trials started: Summer 2025 and Summer 2026

Barrier: Nitrogen is a critical and costly input, with economic and environmental consequences if not managed carefully. As farmers adopt beneficial management practices such as cover cropping to improve nutrient cycling and increase flexibility in nitrogen management, the lack of local, field-level data on how much nitrogen can be reduced in corn following a legume cover crop without compromising yield or profitability remains a key barrier.

Description: This replicated strip trial will be conducted on 12 farms across Ontario and will compare the farmers’ standard nitrogen (N) application rates with reduced nitrogen application rates (by at least 20 lbs N/acre) in corn following cover crops. Farms may choose to include a zero/near-zero nitrogen control. Yield, soil, and economic data will be combined with farmer observations to understand outcomes.

Evaluating the profitability and productivity of enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) on irrigated winter wheat systems

Coordinating agronomist: Jamie Puchinger
Organization: Farming Smarter
Practice: Nitrogen management
Trial started: Fall 2025

Barrier: There is limited data on the cost-benefit analysis of the use of EEFs on a fall-seeded winter wheat crop under irrigation in the Prairies.

Description: This study aims to evaluate the use of EEFs in irrigated winter wheat systems in southern Alberta. A replicated strip trial will compare two rates of fall-applied urea (at 100% and 80% the recommended rate) with and without the use of a dual inhibitor (Anvol and Centuro U-Pro) to a check (with no nitrogen). Soil samples, emergence counts, canopy closure, vigour, biomass and aerial imagery will be captured in this trial. Grain yield and quality will also be measured and nitrogen use efficiency and profitability will be calculated. The project assesses strategies to reduce nitrogen losses, reduce operational expenses while maintaining yields for overall increased profitability.