The Parkland College is has announced the successful completion of a ground breaking agriculture research project it conducted this summer in association with Dutch Openers agricultural products and Airguard Inc. College representatives met with company executives today in Regina to present the project's final report.
Using a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, an arm of the federal government, Parkland College conducted numerous trials with East Central Research Foundation (ECRF) at their research farm half a mile south of Yorkton. One of the projects tested the impact of the Airguard Seed Brake on several Dutch Openers. Favourable results were observed when the Airguard seed brakes were used in conjunction with the 1 3/4" - 3/4" Nose Side Band - Dutch Universal Opener. With this combination of products there was an improvement in seed placement which resulted in improved emergence and greater yield.
"This type of research that Parkland College is performing is essential to the improvement of technology in Agriculture," says Brian Cruson of Airguard Inc. "Although it is too early to draw any decisive conclusions from the study, it is helpful to see how air flow does affect seed placement, emergence and, ultimately, yield."
"We are proud of the research conducted by Mike Hall, our lead scientist on the project, and we're confident Dutch Openers and Airguard will find our results very useful," adds Gwen Machnee, Parkland College's University and Applied Research Coordinator.
It was a successful first summer of operation for the research farm near Yorkton. Researchers also tested new canola varieties from Monsanto, conducted trials on North Star Genetics varieties of shorter-maturity soybeans, and ran demonstrations on grass and legume forages with Saskatchewan Agriculture.
"Our partnership with Parkland College is strong," ECRF chairman Glenn Blakley says. "We're happy to produce these results, which can be used to provide innovative products, ideas, and techniques to local farmers."
Three Parkland College students participated in the summer project. The research farm is used for teaching purposes and allows students to gain experience in the agribusiness and bioresources industry.
Parkland College and ECRF plan to continue agriculture research trial programs in the Yorkton area for the long term. The information developed and gathered on site will be shared with the research community, agricultural industry, and local producers.
