Next generation no-till

This study began in 2018 and is part of a larger study titled “Optimizing Systems Productivity, Resilience and Sustainability in Major Canadian Ecozones”. The site in Carman, Manitoba is one of seven sites in three ecozones that will look at six carefully designed cropping systems and determine the best one for each ecozone. The Carman site is referred to here as the “Next Generation No-Till” study.

About the study

Plot of kernza with plots of canola in the background.

Location

This study is located on Treaty 1 territory, at the Ian N. Morrison Research Farm in Carman, Manitoba. There are seven cropping systems with a wide variety of crops grown in rotation. The crops grown vary for each location and are based on common cropping systems in each “eco-zone”.

Objectives

Determine the best cropping system for the ecozone—the Eastern Prairies, the Parkland Region, and dry/drought areas.

Improve nutrient use efficiency with a “nutrient balance model” for crop input and by exploring soil residual nutrients with contemporary crop rotation sequences.

Enhance system resiliency—the ability to tolerate and/or resist abiotic and biotic stresses or recover rapidly from stress-induced damage—by integrating best management practices (BMPs).

Improve long-term soil health by improving soil fertility and exploring beneficial soil microbiomes.

Experimental design

This study is a randomized complete block design and all rotations are fully phased, meaning all crops are grown each year.

Aerial view of a section of the study.

Arial view of part the study and the crops growing are labelled beside the rectangle of the plot.

Cropping systems

Plot of wheat at the NGNT study in Carman Manitoba.

Conventional

This is a wheat-soybean-wheat-canola rotation that is typical in this region of Manitoba.

A plot of green soybean plants at the NGNT study in Carman Manitoba.

Pulse or oilseed intensified system

This is a soybean-wheat-soybean-canola rotation with improved best management practices (BMPs) integrated.

Plot of flowering canola.

Diversified system

The multiple commodity diversified system is a canola-winter wheat-soybean-canola rotation that uses a “nutrient balance model” to determine fertilizer rates.

Plot with rows of green corn plants at the NGNT study in Carman Manitoba.

Freestyle system

In this system, crop rotation decisions are heavily weighted to current market conditions.

A plot of flowering sunflowers at the NGNT study in Carman Manitoba

High-risk, high reward

In this innovative system, crops that have great potential but are high risk are integrated with dominant crops. The crops are corn-dry bean-canola-sunflower.

Plot containing rows of corn alternating with soybeans at the NGNT study in Carman Manitoba.

Green manure incorporated system

A green manure is added to enhance soil health while maintaining the yield of the dominant crops. The rotation includes a cereal-legume green manure (Faba/crimson barley), fall rye with a cover crop (faba, 4010 pea-oat), a corn-soy intercrop, and a canola-pea intercrop.

Plot of perennial wheatgrass kernza at the NGNT study in Carman Manitoba.

Perennial wheat

In this rotation, perennial wheat kernza is established in the first, second, third, or fourth year.

More information

Staff and students

  • Dr. Martin Entz

    Principal Investigator
    m.entz@umanitoba.ca

  • Katherine Stanley

    Research Associate
    katherine.stanley@umanitoba.ca

  • Wilson Fink

    Technician
    wilson.fink@umanitoba.ca

  • Sarah Wilcott

    Technician
    Long-term studies coordinator
    sarah.wilcott@umanitoba.ca

  • Sam Curtis

    Graduate Student
    curtiss@myumanitoba.ca

Contact us

Department of Plant Science
66 Dafoe Rd.
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V6 Canada

204-474-6236