Off the ‘slightly muddier’ beaten path at Discovery Farm

Cool and wet spring conditions led to a late start for research projects at the Discovery Farm site near Langham, Sask., which was a marked change from the past few years of drought.

The “Off the Beaten Path” demonstration tour presented by BMO at the Ag in Motion farm show July 16-18, highlighted the multi-year research underway by several companies at the 610-acre site, with the improved moisture levels in 2024 helping provide new data for the ongoing projects.

Read Also

From AIM: Sawfly and midge-resistant wheat named AAC Oakman VB

The variety, which is in its first year of seed grower increase and marked for a 2026 release, is a surprise even to its future seed supplier. This is because naturally-bred insect tolerance is rare, said Todd Hyra, western business manager for SeCan at Ag in Motion 2024.

Standing water seen in some of the fields was unheard of for the middle of July, according to tour leader Blake Weiseth, Applied Research Lead at Discovery Farm Langham and Agriculture Research Chair at Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

Studies into intercropping, weed management, soil health and nutrient usage will be especially interesting, according to tour participants, given the increased moisture levels at the site compared to past years.

“Water is the number one nutrient,” said Delaine Mandziak, agronomist with Yara Canada, while speaking about Yara’s research into micronutrient treatments at the farm. Several

Salinity can be a major concern in drier fields, and Discovery Farm includes an investigation evaluating strategies for optimizing water and nutrient use efficiency led by the Water Security Agency. A five-year soil salinity investigation into the use of perennial forages as a tool for managing salt-affected soils was another stop on the tour.

Discover Farm is part of the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network, a national network of smart farms across four provinces working collaboratively towards advancing technological solutions and sustainability for agriculture across Canada, with some of the new technologies coming down the pipeline also featured in the tour.