Field of Excellence

Field of Excellence is a collaborative research and demonstration program held annually at Discovery Farm Langham. This popular program attracts industry partners from diverse points across the entire production supply chain, bringing their insights, learnings and objectives together into a single cohesive project focused on informing and engaging with Canadian farmers. The 2020 Field of Excellence project focuses on wheat and canola. These two crops are seeded over 180 acres, where various types of data are collected and processed. The main objective of the project is to utilize various data layers to inform management decisions throughout the growing season. One area of focus will be the use of this data to inform the development and implementation of Variable-Rate (VR) input applications. We will focus on the application of VR seed and fertilizer at the seeding stage and VR top-dress nitrogen application in-season. The rates of the in-season application will be informed by real-time soil moisture probe and environmental data, which will be used to model the crop’s water-driven yield potential. Informed conclusions regarding VR herbicide and fungicide applications will also be drawn. Confirmed industry partners in this project include Nutrien Ag Solutions, Proven Seed, Loveland Products, CropPro Consulting, METOS Canada, Equipment Technologies, Vaderstad, and Canada West Harvest Centre.