About the Authors
Joanne Thiessen Martens
Joanne works in the cropping systems and agronomy program in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba. She spends much of her time writing research and extension materials related to reduced input cropping systems. Together with Martin Entz and his research team, Joanne has published a number of scientific papers and currently maintains and develops materials for the Natural Systems Agriculture website. She has also been involved in a variety of field research projects including Pesticide Free Production and black medic cover crop research.
Dr. Byron Irvine
Email: birvine@agr.gc.ca
Byron works with the Innovation and Renewal Team of Agriculture and Agrifood Canada. Together with numerous government, university and non-government agencies, Byron works on environmentally and economically sustainable cropping systems. One aspect of the research supported by AAFC includes efforts to optimize the use of various inputs including herbicides. Optimal weed management with the lowest risk to the environment is generally achieved when herbicides are used in conjunction with robust cropping systems.
Dr. Martin Entz
Email: m_entz@umanitoba.ca
Martin started his work on reduced input cropping systems in 1989, when he was hired by the University of Manitoba as a cropping systems agronomist. For the first ten years, Martin and his graduate students revisited the role of perennial forages in integrated crop-livestock systems. His research group published 20 scientific papers that highlighted the positive contribution of forages in modern cropping systems. In 1992, Martin started the Glenlea rotation study, where integrated crop-livestock systems are investigated under both conventional and organic production. Grad student projects at Glenlea have ranged from measuring biodiversity to measuring energy use efficiency in the various systems.
Dr. Doug Derksen
Doug is also part of the Innovation and Renewal Team of Agriculture and Agrifood Canada in Brandon. Derksen has been developing information on weed management in cropping systems for over twenty years. He has been instrumental in developing successful weed management systems for zero tillage cropping in Saskatchewan and Western Manitoba. His work on reducing pesticide use without impairing crop yields has made a major impact on the economic environmental sustainability of cropping systems in Western Canada.