Crop Production

With 3,300 acres of farmland to work with, the crops research team at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology is able to perform small plot, strip plot or full-field commercial scale crop production trials.

The key goals for crop research are to develop and test ways to improve agronomic practices — including nutrient application or pest management — in order to enhance crop yield while consuming fewer resources. Ultimately, the intent is to transition the food production sector to a climate-resilient, agricultural, circular economy.

The crops research team delivers results that can be applied to real farms to meet the goals of efficiency, profitability and sustainability.

- Crop input efficacy against weeds, diseases and pests
- Crop tolerance and phytotoxicity
- Optimal product rates and application timings
- Nutrient use efficiency and fertilizer reduction strategies
- Crop growth, yield and quality
- Compatibility of new technologies with existing crop management practices
- Performance under Alberta growing conditions
- Generates independent, replicated and science-based data.
- Allows multiple products, rates, timings and management strategies to be compared under the same field conditions.
- Bridges the gap between controlled-environment research and commercial-scale production.
- Helps reduce the risk of adopting new agricultural technologies.
- Supports practical, Alberta-specific recommendations for producers and industry partners.

2026 Crop Research Program at a Glance

53 small-plot field research projects + 10 greenhouse projects

22 industry and academic collaborators

2,754 research plots seeded

1,926 plots to be harvested for yield and quality assessment

Approximately 365 crop evaluations conducted throughout the growing season

Research across wheat, canola, peas, barley, lentils, faba beans and forage crops

Crops Research Projects

View All Projects

Key Research Areas

Herbicide Efficacy

25 projects evaluating weed control, crop safety, application rates, timings and tank mixes.
Biostimulants

11 projects investigating nutrient use efficiency, fertilizer reduction, crop performance and integration with conventional crop inputs.
Regional Variety Trials

Nine projects evaluating 96 wheat, barley, pea and faba bean varieties at Olds and Three Hills locations.
Fungicide Efficacy Trials

Four projects evaluating disease management strategies and crop responses.
Greenhouse Research

10 projects evaluating biostimulants, crop protection and microbial products under controlled conditions, focusing on product efficacy, application strategies and crop response.
Additional research includes microbial inoculants, plant growth regulators, flea beetle management and forage production.