What is new at LUARS this year (2024)?
Dr. Tarlok Singh Sahota CCA
We keep on testing new fertilizers/and other products, new crops and new crop varieties every
year to find out if there is anything that works better than the existing ones. One exciting thing
we have to show you this year is winter camelina, an oilseed crop like canola, that survived our
winter. Winter camelina is resistant to flea beetles and black leg disease. Pod shattering is not an
issue in camelina; therefore, it can be straight cut.
Taurus Ag Poly Phosphate (TAPP) is a new Phosphorus (P) fertilizer that we are testing against
the conventional P fertilizer in spring wheat and canola. It is a unique combination of essential
plant nutrients, strategically designed to ensure season-long plant nourishment. It is a special
blend of Crystal Green Synchro™ 50 and Polysulphate Premium® that ensures delivery of
Phosphorus (25 %), Potassium (8 %), Sulphur (7.5 %), Calcium (12.5 %), Magnesium (1.6 %),
and also some other nutrients; Chloride, Boron and Zinc.
We are evaluating Holganix Bio 800 + Agriculture on spring crops, especially its effect on N and
P requirements of canola; the latter is new this year. Holganix harnesses the power of over 800
species of soil microbes to increase yield, reduce the need for fertilizers, improve crop
resilience against stress, and boost soil health.
We have added 16 new crop varieties to our varieties portfolio; 3 HRSW (AAC Spike, AAC
Westking and AAC Stoughton VB), 2 malting barley 2-row varieties (AB Dram and BC100),
one AAC Lariat 2-row feed barley, 2 Truflex canola varieties (BY 6216TF and DK903TF) one
DK400TL (Truflex and Liberty combine) canola, 2 flax varieties (CDC Esme and CDC
Kernen), 4 soybean varieties (DKB0008-87, DKB0005-03, EXP006-24XF, EXP006-24E3) and
one RR alfalfa variety (WL 375HVX.RR).
We are continuing testing plant growth regulators (Manipulator and Moddus) on wheat and
barley, high efficiency N fertilizers (ESN, urea Super U and PurYield) on spring and winter
wheat and canola. This is the first time we are evaluating GHG emissions from these fertilizers
vis-à-vis urea in canola with Dr. Gautam Das, Professor Physics, Lakehead University as the lead
researcher.
We have a lot more to show you. We have 51 experiments in total. Our new collaborative
project with RAIN Algoma funded by OAFRI “Maximizing Crop Potential through Nutrient
Management for alfalfa and Sustainability Practices for Sorghum Sudan Grass in relation to seeding rate
and allelopathy effects” is on forages. Come join us on our Annual Summer Tour Day at LUARS on
August 1, 2024 and we will show you all what we are doing for our enterprising producers!
