Project · July 1, 2023
BioSoil North
The project is a collaboration between Memorial University of Newfoundland (Prof. Adrian Unc) and the University of Waterloo (Prof. Maren Oelbermann), funded through NSERC-Alliance.
In search of food security in the boreal regions of Canada, land-use conversion (LUC) is used to expand agriculture into boreal forests or natural lands - a practice strongly supported through regional policies.
LUC disturbs and removes the topsoil rich in organic matter, and the resulting farmland is of very low fertility, requiring intensive management to increase and maintain its carbon stores and enhance soil health for sustainable productivity.
We propose to develop an evidence-based decision-support system that informs best on-land organic-waste utilization practices to facilitate productivity while mitigating GHG emissions.
Collaborators
Taiga Valley Farm Inc. · Nature's Best Farm · Birch Lane Farm · NunaKatiget Inuit Community Corporation Inc. · G&M Family Farm Inc. · Harbour Main-Chapel's Cove-Lakeview
Research activities
Research team
- Prof. Adrian UncPrincipal investigator
- Maxwell Derek LockePhD student
- Sanuja KalirasaMSc student
- Ethan William GarnierMSc student
- Amana Jemal KedirPostdoctoral fellow & project manager
- Prof. Maren OelbermannPrincipal investigator
- Aman DhindsaMSc student
- Akintayo AfolabiPhD student
Research questions
- Does the addition of locally relevant organic amendments of variable quality to a sandy Podzolic soil affect the formation of soil organic carbon across differently stabilized pools?
- To what extent does the natural AMF community participate in the AMF community of farmlands post-conversion, and how is it shaped by fertilizer and amendment management?
- What is the impact of fertilizer management and conversion status on nutrient-use efficiency and crop productivity?
- How do composted and non-composted local organic wastes affect fertility, carbon budget and sequestration?
- What is the impact of conversion history and fertility-management options on the GHG budget?
- What are the phosphorus dynamics in sandy Podzolic soils with contrasting management histories?
Progress
2023
Research activities established across the boreal field sites.
2024
Coming soon.
2025
Coming soon.