Farming Smarter is looking positively toward the growing season.
Executive director Ken Coles said the organization, one of Alberta’s leading crop innovation hubs, is restructuring to better meet the evolving needs of farmers.
“There’s a lot of change here. There’s a lot of new people, new purpose and new restructuring as we try to meet the needs of farmers,” Coles said. “We’ve got a great crew, we’ve got some amazing projects and support from funders, and I’m eager to continue to get to work and help meet those innovation needs.”
He explained the most critical part of innovation is the practical application, which is part of the research process, with a number of projects using technology to manage trials on farms.
“But at the same time, it’s easy to get oversold on the opportunity that technology has to offer. It takes just the right blend of cultural knowledge, practical knowledge and using the right technologies when they make sense,” Coles added. “Everybody likes to get excited about technology, and I get more excited about when technology actually adds value to the farm.”
The organization conducts a range of practical research, including field trials on farms, third-party product testing and small-plot agronomy studies that produce unbiased science-based data that can be applied to real-world conditions.
Among its 2026 research projects is a study on spring wheat grown under reduced irrigation, aimed at helping farmers better manage limited water supplies. Coles said the project examines how long wheat can tolerate irrigation deficits.
“We have to look at wheat because that’s the one crop that farmers will likely cut their irrigation on to support higher-value crops like potatoes or sugar beets,” Coles said.
Research manager Lewis Baarda said Farming Smarter runs close to 200 trials each year, covering novel crops, pest management and agronomy.
“We have a longer-term initiative on saving soils… high-disturbance specialty crops like dry beans, potatoes, sugar beets or even canola are highly prone to wind erosion. We’re looking at strategies to mitigate that risk,” he said.
Baarda also highlighted projects focused on fertilizer efficiency, something he stated is topical with the price of fertilizer seeing a recent increase.
“We’re working to reset optimum rates for current varieties and practices, ensuring crops grow as efficiently as possible,” he said.
Other ongoing work includes research on managing the weed kochia, considered one of the biggest threats to crop production on the prairies.
“We’re doing trials on commercial farms in partnership with farmers, so the context is applicable to growers,” he said.
Baarda said the organization’s research bridges the gap between laboratory work and field practice.
“We try to test things under as many conditions as possible so the results are broadly applicable to the farmers that trust us,” he said.
Coles said organizations such as Farming Smarter are important because they fill gaps left by cuts to federal research.
“I think that organizations like ours are the only obvious solution to cuts within public research… those are pretty big shoes to fill.”
Farming Smarter also connects producers and agribusiness through its knowledge network — offering videos, publications and a biannual magazine — and through events including Open Farm Days, field school and its annual conference and trade show. The annual gathering provides a platform for farmers and researchers to exchange insights on best practices and emerging innovations.
