Kari Dunfield, a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College, has received federal funding to help Canadian farmers use fertilizer more efficiently while improving soil health and the wheat microbiome.
WHY IT MATTERS: Nitrogen fertilizers are essential for crop growth but can have significant environmental impacts when overapplied, as well as increase production costs.
Dunfield received $3,920,000 through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s (NSERC) Alliance Advantage program. The governments of Canada and Ontario, along with industry partners, contributed an additional $1.96 million in funding and $143,695 in in-kind support.
“Collaboration between academia, industry and government is critical for developing innovative, sustainable solutions to complex agricultural challenges,” said Shayan Sharif, interim vice-president, research and innovation.
Dunfield and her team will test sustainable nitrogen management strategies by combining agronomy, precision technology and wheat microbiome science. The research team includes Adrian Correndo, David Hooker and John Sulik from the Department of Plant Agriculture, and Claudia Wagner-Riddle from the School of Environmental Sciences.
Maintaining wheat quality also key
Dunfield’s research team will test sustainable nitrogen management strategies to improve wheat growth. Their goal is to improve nitrogen efficiency through more efficient use of fertilizer inputs and enhance soil health while maintaining grain quality for baking.
The focus will be on soft red winter wheat, a key ingredient in baked goods prized for its low protein content, ease of milling and high flour yield. Multi-year field trials will evaluate nitrogen rates, timing, sources and protective strategies, while also investigating beneficial microbes to naturally enhance nitrogen cycling and crop resilience.
This research will take place at the Ridgetown and Elora sites of the Ontario Crops Research Centre, as well as on farm sites, maximizing the value of existing trials and ensuring findings are relevant to real-world farming conditions.
Building on previous research by Dunfield and Hooker at the Ridgetown campus, this project will also use learnings from long-term trials supported by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, and the applied research project on the soil microbiome funded under the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative through the federal-provincial Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership.
“Grain Farmers of Ontario is proud to invest in research that delivers meaningful results for our farmer-members,” says Paul Hoekstra, vice-president, strategic development, Grain Farmers of Ontario. “This project will advance the environmental sustainability of soft red winter wheat production while ensuring farmers continue to deliver the high-quality grain customers depend on.”
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