Our 2025 research farm projects
The Innovation Team at Sollio Agriculture’s research farm conducts trials to support farmers and agri-advisors who want to adopt profitable, sustainable agricultural practices. Here’s what our researchers are working on for the 2025 season.
1. Creating a 4R space
We’re working with Réseau végétal Québec to create a research space for evaluating nutrient management in accordance with the 4Rs of fertilizer use: right source, right rate, right time, right place.
Trials are being conducted on wheat, corn, and soybean crops and will continue over several years to determine whether growing season has an impact on the 4Rs. Three types of tillage will also be evaluated:
Conventional tillage
Vertical tillage with DM-Air machinery
Minimum tillage
The 4R approach is recognized as a best practice for nutrient management, so it’s important that we further our research to provide farmers with even better guidance.
2. Improving direct seeding into heavy clay
In this project, we’re exploring ways to improve direct seeding into clay soils, which make up 30%–40% of Québec’s soil.
The goal is to develop cost-effective and environmentally friendly methods that increase yield. The research farm team will focus on two methods:
Strip-till for light tillage on seed rows
Standard direct seeding
The team will consider indicators such as soil health, emergence, maturity, and yield.
3. Evaluating frass use on corn
This project aims to assess the impact of two doses of black soldier fly manure (frass), combined with various nitrogen levels, on corn yield and soil health.
Studies on potatoes show that frass could have a beneficial, synergistic effect with synthetic fertilizer. This suggests that corn yields could be improved by adding frass (3-2-2).
However, no studies have been conducted on grain corn. The research farm team wants to see if frass could be a viable alternative for this crop and find out what the ideal dose and application method would be.
Other projects
Here are some other projects our researchers have been working on in 2025:
Partnering with Olymel and the Research and development institute for the agri-environment to evaluate manure acidification and reduce NH3 emissions from manure spreading.
Testing multi-purpose equipment for weeding, applying herbicide in strips, and sowing green manure.
Establishing a permanent site for cover crops evaluation.
Ongoing projects from 2024
Our researchers are also continuing several trials that began in 2024:
Using drone technology to sow cover crops: Since last year’s results were very positive, we decided to expand our cover-crop area in 2025.
Mechanical weeding: The team is continuing to evaluate this method to find the best way to weed while preserving yield.
Nitrogen and cover crops: The team is working with the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation and the Centre d’expertise et de transfert en agriculture biologique et de proximité to determine if nitrogen doses can be reduced when using cover crops that fix atmospheric nitrogen.
The team is also continuing to improve and select new cereal and forage-crop varieties. The goal is to develop varieties that are more disease-resistant, climate-resilient, and productive.
Talk to your agri-advisor to find out which methods and solutions might be right for your farm.
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