• Topic: Soil Health Innovations
• Date: Feb. 20, 2018
• Location: Waterloo, ON

In this workshop, farmers, industries, scientists and scientific funding agencies will discuss new technologies and applications towards maximizing soil health, crop and horticulture production.

Today, we know that soil fertility is not just a function of mineral nutrients but the net result of the relationships occurring among plants, organic matter, inorganic nutrients and soil biota. However, we have a poor understanding of how farming and horticultural practices, specifically in terms of soil amendments and inocula, affect the soil food web. This knowledge is key if we want to take full advantage of the soil biota to maximize soil health and minimize nutrient losses. Soil water-holding capacity, soil aeration, and soil aggregation are all important facets of the problem and need to be taken into account when applying amendments and inocula.

Agenda

• 9 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.: Opening remarks by Deborah MacLatchy, President and Vice-Chancellor, Wilfrid Laurier University
• 9:10 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.: Rob Gordon, Wilfrid Laurier University, Agricultural System: How do we define "healthy"?
• 9:40 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.: Ali Navabi, Wheat Breeding Program, University of Guelph, Improving Nutrient Use Efficiency in Agriculture: A plant breeders' perspective.
• 10:10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.: Sean Chiki, Inocucor Technologies, The thrill and challenge of developing microbial tools for growers.
• 10:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.: Kari Dunfield, Canada Research Chair, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Studying the soil microbiome.
• 10:50 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.: Lydia Collas, Master of Science candidate, Brock University, Introduction to a survey.
• 11:15 a.m. - 11:35 a.m.: James Jones, Doctoral candidate, Wilfrid Laurier University, How can geological amendments influence soil health?
• 11:35 a.m. - 11:55 a.m.: Liette Vasseur, UNESCO Chair in community Sustainability, Brock University, Cover crop and agromineral amendments: for the health of crops.
• 11:55 a.m. - noon: Lydia Collas, Master of Science candidate, Brock University, Follow-up on the survey.
• 1:30 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.: Alison King, PhD student, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Assessing the ability of diversified crop rotations to improve provisioning of soil ecosystem services.
• 1:50 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.: Shimaila Ali, A&L Biologicals, Balancing soil chemistry and microbiology for optimal plant productivity.
• 2:10 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Malinda Thilakarathna, Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Low cost measurement of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes using single leaf punches.
• 2:30 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.: Tarryn Goble, BioForest Technologies Inc., How plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria can improve plant health.
• 3:10 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.: Pedro M. Antunes, Canada Research Chair (Tier II), Invasive species biology, Algoma University, Are soil microbial inoculants other than rhizobia safe and efficacious?
• 3:30 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.: Bob Kerr, Kerr Farms Ltd., Keeping the soil health movement rolling: A view from the field.
• 4 p.m. - 4:10 p.m.: Closing remarks by Frédérique Guinel, Wilfrid Laurier University

To receive presentations, please email Frederique Guinel at fguinel@wlu.ca.

Coorganizers

• Frédérique Guinel, Professor, Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University
• Pedro M. Antunes, Associate Professor, Biology, Algoma University

Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.

• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC / CRSNG)
• Wilfrid Laurier University
• Algoma University
• Inocucor
• Canadian Wollastonite

• Topic: Scientific, technological and economic outlook for sustainable fertilization technologies
• Date: Feb. 17, 2015
• Location: Waterloo, ON

Participants of this daylong seminar were provided the opportunity to:

• Explore avenues for best agricultural practices that maximize the benefits of soil amendments.
• Discuss research opportunities focused on the mechanisms involved in making nutrients available to plants by using the diversity of microorganisms present in soil and soil amendments.

Speakers

• Tyler Whale, Ontario Agri-food Technologies
• Donna Kotsopoulos, Associate VP Research, Wilfrid Laurier University
• Peter van Straaten, University of Guelph
• John Slack, Boreal Agrominerals Inc
• James Jones, M.Sc. candidate, Wilfrid Laurier University
• Pedro M. Antunes, Algoma University
• Alexandra Reid, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
• Mahima Agochiya, Ontario Genomics Institute
• Mehdi Sharifi, Trent University
• Andrew White, Char Technologies
• Denis Blais, Day Group
• Mark Kean, Mikro-Tek Inc.
• Adi Treasurywala, ArrowCan Partners

Organizers

• Frédérique Guinel, Professor, Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University
• Pedro M. Antunes, Associate Professor, Biology, Algoma University
• John Slack, CEO, Boreal Agrominerals Inc.

Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.

• Ontario Agri-Food Technologies
• Ontario Genomics Institute
• Pfennings Organic
• Boreal Agrominerals Inc.