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Bees Like Diversity: Polycultures Can Support Many Kinds of Pollinators

Agriculture depends on pollination from insects, specifically wild bees; however, habitat alteration and climate change are impacting biodiversity, and subsequently pollination. Agriculture can either provide resources to support pollinator communities or contribute to their decline. Large-scale…

Northern BC (Bulkley-Nechako and Fraser-Fort George): Finding our farm pollinators

Insects pollinate many crops. In some cases, this process is essential for food production (and hence, food security); however, in other cases, insect pollination may not be essential but can greatly increase yields. Understanding the pollination services being provided in an area requires…

Vancouver Island Winter Vegetable Variety Trial 2023: Chicory

Vancouver Island Winter Vegetable Variety Trial 2023: Spinach

Moo-ve over: Reducing negative effects of livestock grazing near streams in cutblocks

This study looked at the use of logging debris as a deterrent for cattle grazing near waterways in order to reduce negative effects on plant biodiversity.Riparian zones are important ecosystems that provide multiple benefits including moderating stream temperatures, providing shade for fish and the…

Farmland Hedgerows: Hedgerow Benefits and the Delta, BC Hedgerow Project

Hedgerows are trees, shrubs and grasses bordering the edges of farm fields. These areas provide numerous agricultural and environmental benefits. It is for these benefits that farmers in the lower Fraser River Delta have been planting hedgerows since 1995 with the support of the Delta Farmland…

Effects of highbush blueberry field management on greenhouse gas emissions

Canada is one of the largest producers of blueberries in the world, with 90% of the country’s highbush blueberries grown in British Columbia (BC). As blueberry production grows, there is an increasing need to identify management practices that sustain yield and environmental health long-term. An…

Economic and environmental benefits of reducing nitrogen fertilization in potato fields

This study evaluated the economic and environmental tradeoffs of three nitrogen application rates (0, 90, and 120 kg N per hectare) in potato production.Decades of intensive cultivation, along with challenges caused by inherent soil properties (poor drainage, fine soil textures), in the Fraser…

Improving on-farm climate mitigation and adaptation through stewardship programs

The objective of this research was to quantify the ability of three agricultural stewardship programs to increase on-farm climate mitigation and adaptation, indicated by improvements in soil carbon storage and soil water regulation.The stewardship programs examined in this study have been…