A farm photo of green wheat fields in the foreground with groups of people in the background

Supporting Ontario's Field Crop Growers

Research for a productive field crop industry

The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance works for Ontario grain, dry bean and oilseed farmers, helping them meet complex challenges with research, innovation, laboratory capacity and world-class expertise. We deliver effective tools for farmers to protect their harvests, grow healthy plants that produce well, and improve soil health for the future.

Partners: Working together for a strong, sustainable sector

The Alliance brings together government, academia and industry for a strong, sustainable field crop sector. Partners include:

Grain Farmers of Ontario
Ontario Bean Growers
Ontario crop committees and organizations
Agricultural and ag-tech companies
Agribusinesses, such as seed companies

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Making an impact

A hand poised near a seedling, surrounded by soil

Research for resilience: Soil health pays off

Alliance-funded soil health research has transformed how we understand, manage and preserve Ontario’s soils. Explore the benefits associated with farming for soil health alongside yield and profit using cover cropping, crop rotation, 4R nutrient management and reduced tillage.

Soil Health: An Alliance Impact Case Study

About 6 wide white strips of the mineral wollastonite are visible on a field of soil, with a tractor in the background

Wollastonite: Improving soil health and capturing carbon

Dr. Rafael Santos

The chemical engineer and researcher found that the mineral wollastonite can trap twice as much carbon dioxide as limestone. With support from the Alliance, Santos is collaborating with UK-based company UNDO carbon, which is working directly with farmers.

Field Testing on Crop Yield

A high-pressure water jet sprays from a large machine into a residue-covered field

Cultivating innovation through academic-private partnerships

Dr. Joshua Nasielski

This research collaboration with Ontario-based Susterre Technologies Inc. provides unbiased, third-party data on a novel planter attachment designed to improve crop establishment in high-residue, no-till farming systems.

De-Risking Agri-Tech for Ontario Farmers

Booker stands in a field of knee-white, green (young) wheat, wearing casual clothes and a hat

Working with industry and government on FHB-resistant wheat

Dr. Helen Booker

U of G’s wheat breeding program was formed as a partnership between U of G, Grain Farmers of Ontario and SeCan. Booker breeds varieties that balance Fusarium head blight resistance with yield, maturity time and strength.

Breeding Wheat to Resist Disease

Standing in a wheat field and wearing sunglasses and a baseball hat, Riley balances a tall piece of metal machinery in one hand

AI solutions for the future of wheat breeding

Connor Belot and Riley McConachie

Dr. Helen Booker’s graduate students have developed a free app that allows farmers to take a photo of their wheat plot using their smartphones and receive a near-instant analysis of wheat head infection levels.

Using Tech to Prevent Human Error

A drone view of a soybean field with overlays on the screen

Faster and more precise soybean selection through AI

Dr. Milad Eskandari

Combining artificial intelligence (AI) and remote sensing technologies with traditional breeding methods will develop high-yielding, disease-resistance soybean cultivars for both Ontario and international markets.

AI-Powered Soybean Breeding

Robotics for lima bean farmers

Dr. Medhat Moussa

Working with industry partners, Moussa developed an automated robotic system to help farmers manage weeds, leading to healthier crops, higher quality yields and lower production losses. The technology is a tractor attachment that uses computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI).

Weeding Out Inefficiency

A researcher sits on soil lightly covered in snow, working on a laptop

Better, faster, stronger soil data can feed the planet

Dr. Asim Biswas

Machine-learning algorithms can generate digital field guides that tell farmers how nutrients are distributed and where to adjust. These techniques, developed by Biswas and already being used in the industry, are building a new era of precision agriculture.

New Problems With New Solutions

An aerial view of long-term plots showing a checkerboard pattern of soil and green plants

Key findings from the long-term rotation plot research

Dr. Bill Deen

Decades of research at the Ontario Crops Research Centre sites in Ridgetown and Elora have helped farmers determine which rotations yield the healthiest crops and soil. Working with Soils at Guelph, four infographics of key findings summarize these farm-tested solutions.

'Crop Rotation Counts' Infographics

Field of OAC constellation wheat at harvest

Ontario Crops Research Centre

Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario (ARIO) provides the places and spaces where research thrives.

The network of sites provides cutting-edge research that prevents disease and keeps Ontario's food systems safe; spans five soil types (London Loam, Guelph Loam, Holland Marsh, Clay Loam and Norfolk Sand Plain); and hosts events for producers, including weed tours, field and diagnostic days and ag-robotics demo days.

Explore the Ontario Crops Research Centre sites in: