Cover story 6 DISCOVERY FARM WOODSTOCKis now part of a nationwide agricultural technology research network designed to test, troubleshoot, and develop practical farming technologies. Established and led by Olds College in Alberta, the Smart Farm Network is now comprised of eight locations across four provinces. The multi-region collaboration has multiple directives — to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of Canadian agriculture — with regard to both emerging opportunities and challenges facing Canadian farmers. The addition of the 330-acre Discovery Farm in Woodstock, Ontario will support agricultural technology research in a number of ways. As described by a Discovery Farm press release published on August 2, 2023, the Smart Farm network can now leverage specific expertise in corn and soybeans, different soil types, and other production realities and characteristics unique to Ontario and Eastern Canada. Both crop and livestock research comprise elements of the Discovery Farm contribution. Established in 2021, a wide range of research initiatives are already underway through the Smart Farm Network. Several projects at the head campus in Olds, Alberta, were showcased this past summer when journalists and communications professionals descended on the college campus for the 2023 International Federation of Agriculture Journalists (IFAJ) congress. TROUBLESHOOTING AUTONOMY In-field autonomy has been identified as a priority Smart Farm research area. In 2019, Olds College acquired a Raven OMNiPOWER platform (previously called DOT) to further the economic, environmental, and logistical benefits of autonomous agricultural equipment for broad-acre crop production. Yevgen Mykhaylichenko, professor and technology integration specialist at Olds College is the machine’s primary operator. He and his colleagues have trialed the platform using its seeder, spreader, and sprayer attachments. About 17,000 acres have been covered as of July, 2023, with researchers examining a variety of data points — how efficient and effective is it compared to non-autonomous equipment? What logistical kinks need to be remedied? — and delivering their findings to Raven for further improvements. Mykhaylichenko, a Ukrainian with an extensive history working with agricultural equipment around the globe, first came to Olds College on the recommendation of a colleague. One of his first tasks at the college was to develop agricultural technology courses covering subjects such as GIS (geography information systems) and telematics (information technology dealing with longdistance transmission of information). Speaking to IFAJ congress delegates in late June, Mykhaylichenko highlighted the possibilities of operating autonomous machines from anywhere in the world — including active war zones. Mykhaylichenko currently splits his time between the Olds College Smart Farm and the front line of the war in Ukraine. There, he delivers and trains Ukraine’s armed forces in the use of drones. In between, he operates OMNiPOWER. “I open my laptop from Ukraine at the front line, connect to Starlink, ask the students to start the engine and warm up the hydraulic system. I plan and operate the robot from Ukraine while they are working in Alberta,” he says. “I am proud of my students and team in Olds College. They support and motivate me every time when I fly to Ukraine.” MEASURING NITROGEN EMISSIONS Olds College Smart Farm researchers are also collecting hard data on soil and fertilizer emissions in a field crop setting. Using a series of small, domed chambers set up in the field, information about how much greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide, specifically) is being emitted from different amounts of applied fertilizer is being measured. Three different fertilizer treatments are being tested — a standard agronomistprescribed rate, a rate with an additional 30 per cent, and one with 30 per cent less than the prescribed rate. Farming smarter EXPANSION OF THE PAN-CANADIAN SMART FARM NETWORK Matt McIntosh continued on page 8 • Established by Olds College in Alberta, the Smart Farm Network now has eight locations in four provinces. • The Discovery Farm site in Woodstock, Ontario, (home to Canada's Outdoor Farm Show) joined the Smart Farm Network in 2023. • A wide range of research initiatives are underway, including researching and evaluating autonomous equipment like the Raven OMNiPOWER platform. • At the Olds site, research includes collecting data on soil and fertilizer emissions in a field crop setting. • Research conducted by the Smart Farms can benefit many aspects of society. Water quality research could be applied to municipal storm ponds or water treatment processes. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
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