Agroforestry Projects at the Guelph Research Station
Two agroforestry research projects led by University of Guelph researchers at the Guelph Research Station are being completed in fall 2020 and March/April 2021.
The first project—which is now complete—relates to biomass, or non-food plants such as trees with the potential to be used for fuel. As part of that project, “short duration woody crops” such as poplar and willow trees and grass varieties were planted. To complete the project, they were harvested in late 2020. A list of publications stemming from the biomass research is available in the Question and Answer section below.
During the spring of 2021, a second project is being completed. The project relates to intercropping— the practice of growing annual crops such as corn, wheat, soybeans or barley between rows of trees to improve ecological sustainability. As part of that project, the trees will be harvested, and their carbon content will be measured. The intercropping research project will further our understanding of the economics of tree-based intercropping systems for the benefit of Ontario landowners and farmers.
As institutional projects, the research plots and planted trees are exempt from the City of Guelph’s tree protection by-law. University of Guelph staff in the Office of Research have been working with the City of Guelph to ensure the tree harvest complies with local by-laws.
There will be machinery and activity at the Guelph Research Station during March and April 2021 as trees in the research plot areas are harvested. The harvest involves a 30-hectare parcel of land along the East side of Victoria Rd. S. between Stone Rd. E. and College Ave. E. in Guelph.
Contacts:
If you have questions about the research station, please contact:
Remo Pallottini
Director, Research Facilities Management
Phone: 519-824-4120, Ext. 56639
Email: remop@uoguelph.ca
To learn about results from this project:
Please contact Dr. Naresh Thevathasan.
Questions and answers about the biomass harvest
A: Long-term agroforestry research has been taking place at the Guelph Research Station since the 1980’s. Agroforestry is an approach to land use that incorporates trees into farming systems and allows for the production of trees and crops or livestock from the same piece of land in order to obtain economic, ecological, environmental and cultural benefits.
In November 2020, a long-term agroforestry research project led by University of Guelph researchers at the Guelph Research Station was completed. The project relates to biomass—non-food plants such as trees with the potential to be used for fuel. Work on this biomass project will further our understanding of growing biomass crops on land that is not otherwise suitable for growing crops and furthering knowledge about carbon sequestration and alternative fuels.
As part of that project, grasses (such as switchgrass) and about 32,000 trees were planted, and to complete the project, they were harvested. The final assessment of the project will be made after the 2020 growing season, the data analyzed and reported, and the project discontinued.
In spring 2021, a long-term agroforestry research project into intercropping will be completed. It has been underway at this site since 1987. It involves over 4,300 trees on a 30-hectare parcel of land along the East side of Victoria Rd. S. between Stone Rd. E. and College Ave. E.
Intercropping is the practice of growing annual crops such as corn, wheat, soybeans or barley between rows of trees to improve ecological sustainability.
In this phase of the project, the trees will be harvested and their carbon content measured to evaluate the economics of the intercropping system.
The results from this research will be shared with landowners and farming communities in Ontario and will be of interest to global research communities and researchers working on climate change adaptation mechanisms that use an agroforestry approach.
- Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Natural Resources Canada;
- Ontario Biomass Producer Cooperative (members);
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between OMAFRA and the University of Guelph; and
- Ontario Ministry of Environment.
The Guelph Research Station is owned by the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario and managed by the University of Guelph through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance.
The intercropping research and tree harvest is being funded by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs through the Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Ontario Government and University of Guelph.
Completing the projects will ensure the full value of this research investment is realized.
- A tree density of about 100 trees per hectare; significantly less (<10%) than the 1,500 to 2,000 trees per hectare in a forest.
- Agricultural crops grown between tree rows.
- Tractor, truck and human traffic.
Specifically relating to bird nesting, the harvest was planned for before bird nesting time. It was completed on March 22, 2021, before the bird nesting time identified by the Government of Canada for zone C2. The Arboretum across the street provides a suitable place for animals to nest and live without human or machine traffic.
Published research related to this site includes more than 50 theses, with students from 35 different countries coming to Canada to participate in the research. Below is a list of publications associated with the biomass research project:
Ayerb, N.W., Goretty M. Diasa, G.M, Kariyapperumaa,K., Thevathasan, N., Gordon, A., Sidders, D. (2017). Life Cycle Assessment of Heat Production from Short-Rotation Willow in Southern Ontario, Canada. Applied Energy: 342-353
Bazrgar AB, A Ng, B Coleman, MW Ashiq, A Gordon and N Thevathasan (corresponding author). 2020. Long-Term Monitoring of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Woody and Herbaceous Bioenergy Crop Production Systems on Marginal Lands in Southern Ontario, Canada. Sustainability, 12, 3901. 16 pp.
Borden K, Marney E Isaac, Naresh V Thevathasan, Andrew M Gordon, and Sean C Thomas (2014). Estimating coarse root biomass with ground penetrating radar in a tree-based intercropping system. Agroforestry Systems: DOI 10.1007/s10457-014-9722-5.
Cardinael, R, N. Thevathasan (corresponding author), A. Gordon, R. Clinch, I. Mohammed and D. Sidders (2012). Growing woody biomass for bioenergy in a tree-based intercropping system in southern Ontario, Canada. Agroforestry Systems 86: 279-286
Clinch, R.L., N. V. Thevathasan, A.M. Gordon, T.A. Volk and D. Sidders (2009). Biophysical interactions in a short rotation willow intercropping system in southern Ontario, Canada. Agriculture, Ecosystem and Environment.131:61-69Coleman B, K Bruce, Q Chang, L Frey, Siyu Guo, MS Tarannum, A Bazrgar, D Siddrs, T Keddy A Gordon and N Thevasathan (corresponding author). 2018. Quantifying C stocks in high-yield, short-rotation woody crop productions systems for forest and bioenergy values and CO2 emission reduction. The Forestry Chronicle Vol 94, N0 3, p 260-268.
Graham J, P. Voroney, Brent Coleman, B. Deen, A. Gordon,. M. Thimmanagari and N. Thevathasan (corresponding author) (2018). Quantifying soil organic carbon stocks in herbaceous biomass crops grown in Ontario, Canada. Agroforest Syst: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-018-0272-0
Lutes K, M. Oelbermann, Naresh V. Thevathasan and A.M. Gordon (2016). Effect of nitrogen fertilizer on greenhouse gas emissions in two willow clones (Salix miyabeana and S. dasyclados) in southern Ontario, Canada. Agroforestry Systems. DOI 10.1007/s10457-016-9897-z.
Mafa-Attoye, T.G., N. Thevathasan and K.E. Dunfield (2019). Indications of shifting microbial communities associated with growing biomass crops on marginal lands in Southern Ontario. Agroforestry Systems. DOI: 10.1007/s10457-019-00445-w
Marsal F., Naresh V. Thevathasan (corresponding author), S. Guillot, A. M. Gordon, M. Thimmanagari, W. Deen, S. Silim, R. Soolanayakanahally and D Sidders (2016). Biomass yield assessment of five potential energy crops grown in southern Ontario, Canada. Agroforestry Systems. DOI 10.1007/s10457-016-9893-3
Muhammad Waseem Ashiq, Amir Behzad Bazrgar, Houman Fei, Brent Coleman, Kevin Vessey, Andrew Gordon, Derek Sidders, Tim Keddy and Naresh Thevathasan (corresponding author) (2018). A nutrient-based sustainability assessment of purpose-grown poplar and switchgrass biomass production systems established on marginal lands in Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 98: 1–12.
Sean Simpson, Dunfield K.E., Khosla1 K., Lyons E. M., Thimmanagari M., Coleman1 B., Thevathasan N.V. (2020). The influence of biofertilizer effect on switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) crop yield under greenhouse and field conditions in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. American Journal of Agricultural Research 5:100.
Thevathasan N (corresponding author), Andrew Gordon, Jamie Simpson, Xiaobang Peng, Salim Silim, Raju Soolanayakanahally and Henry de Gooijer. (2014). Sustainability Indicators of Biomass Production in Agroforestry Systems. The Open Agriculture Journal 8: 1-11.
Wotherspoon, A., Naresh V. Thevathasan, Andrew M. Gordon and R. Paul Voroney (2014). Carbon sequestration potential of five tree species in a 25-year-old temperate tree-based intercropping system in southern Ontario, Canada. Agroforestry Systems: DOI 10.1007/s10457-014-9719-0
Zainab AL-Kaabi, Ranjan Pradhan, Naresh Thevathasan, Andrew Gordon, Yi Wai Chiangand and Animesh Dutta (2019). Bio-carbon production by oxidation and hydrothermal carbonization of paper recycling black liquor. Journal of Cleaner Production 213:332-341.
Reports
Thevathasan N. (2019). Quantification and long-term monitoring of soil carbon sequestration in woody and herbaceous bioenergy crop production systems on marginal lands in Ontario. U. of Guelph, School of Env Sci. 14 p.
Thevasathan N and Coleman B. 2017. Final narrative report: “Quantifying C stocks in high-yield, short-rotation woody crop production systems for forest and bioenergy values and CO2 emission reduction”. U. of Guelph, School of Env Sci. 11 p.