AgronomyCrop InputsAlberta Launches Water Runoff Monitoring Project

Alberta Launches Water Runoff Monitoring Project

-

The following piece is from our sister publication, Alberta Seed Guide.

Researchers in Alberta will be taking a closer look at crop protection product runoff into waterways after receiving funding from Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), a June 17 news release says.

The Crop Sector Working Group (CSWG) and three major life science companies will lead the water monitoring project. The project aims to gather scientific data to evaluate the effectiveness of wetland management practices in mitigating the movement of crop protection products into wetlands and aquatic ecosystems, the release notes.

“As a farmer, I take great pride in being a steward of the land and that includes our waterways,” Don Shepert, CSWG chair, says in the release. “The data collected from this project will give farmers a better understanding how stewardship practices can be further employed and adopted to continue to prevent the movement of crop protection products in the environment.”

The goal of the research is to develop the best management practices to protect water habitats from crop protection product use while providing substantive knowledge transfer and translation to producers. More than 10 producers have signed on to participate in the sampling of wetlands on their private land, the release says.

The project was developed in collaborated with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).

“Data collected from this project will ensure there’s a representative set of western Canadian data available for regulatory bodies such as the PMRA. It will ensure that fulsome decisions can be made based on accurate use and application of crop protection products,” the release notes.

RDAR is providing $750,000 in funding over three-years, with $417,500 coming from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), the release says. Partners providing matching funds to the project include Syngenta, BASF, Bayer Crop Science – Canada, the Alberta Wheat Commission, Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola, Potato Growers of Alberta, Alberta Sugar Beet Growers, and Alberta Pulse Growers.

Related Articles

Neonic Imidacloprid Use on Potatoes Reduced

Positive PMRA Potato Insecticide Ruling

New Strategies for Mitigating Off-Site Pesticide Movement in Water

Trending This Week

To Get Healthy Potato Plants, We Have to Feed the Soil

Soil is not inert. Given the proper conditions, it is a vibrant ecosystem – full of life. In nature, soil is kept healthy by the...

It Takes Both Faith and Science to Grow a Potato

0
A colleague and I were talking recently, and she mentioned how much hope and faith goes into potato farming. Faith can have different definitions,...

How to Spatially Arrange Spuds to Maximize Their Growth Potential

0
In our spring production webinar, Dr. Mark Pavek explained how much of a difference in-row spacing, between row spacing, and row direction can make...
Rows of planted potato hills

2023’s Huge Crop Influencing Planting Plans for 2024

0
Last fall’s record processing crop across the Pacific Northwest is shaping current stores, export opportunities, product movement and planting plans for the year ahead. Though...

The Unintended Limits of Organic Farming

0
I had a conversation some weeks ago that has really stuck with me. The conversation was with Joy Youwakim, an agroecology scientist at Biome...