Farming Smarter confirms record research levels in 2026

Research trials are now underway for 2026, and Farming Smarter is continuing to build on its incredible momentum in recent years.

A total of 115 trials are set to be conducted by the Lethbridge-based non-profit’s research teams, amounting to a record 1,413 plots.

2025 had already been a year of significant growth for the organization, with 100 trials on 7,002 plots. This year’s numbers amount to a 15 per cent increase in the number of trials and an astounding 49 per cent increase in the number of plots.

"This is a record year for us, and we are very excited for that. It means that companies understand the value and importance of the work that we do,” says Trevor Deering, Research Associate with Farming Smarter’s Commercial Innovation program.

The Commercial Innovation team delivers unbiased, third-party research services to agri-businesses. Their primary specialty is testing products for registration, variety suitability, pest management, and much more. 

The team is excited to work with 20 companies this year, 16 of which are returning clients and four represent new partnerships.

Deering says he is looking forward to strengthening Farming Smarter’s relationship with Bayer. Trials will include canola breeding, corn variety testing and camelina variety selection.

This is also the third year of Farming Smarter’s trial work with GS Dunn, which aims to add valuable insights into mustard agronomy in southern Alberta.

Lewis Baarda, Research Manager at Farming Smarter, says potato research continues to be a major focus for him and his team.

“This year's potato program includes more than a dozen trials that will support our potato industry by generating reliable local information,” says Baarda.

Among this year’s potato-related trials is a collaborative project with McCain Foods into varieties and fertility.

To support this work, Farming Smarter has recently acquired a new potato topper for vine management, two climate-controlled potato storage units, an upgraded audit system to ensure data quality and accuracy in our potato lab, and enhancements to our potato planter to make it a more suitable research tool.

For Thierry Fonville, Research Scientist at Farming Smarter, he says he is the most excited two new projects starting this year: the irrigated pulse crop project and reduced irrigation allocation management for spring wheat.

He explains that pulses are underutilized in irrigated crop production, and they are often considered challenging with a high risk of disease or being outcompeted by weeds.

“We are really trying to get a better idea of the how to maximize their potential,” says Fonville. “The project will help develop sustainable practices that can lead to reduced fertilizer use, in combination with reducing soil erosion by implementing strip tillage.”

The reduced irrigation allocation project help producers plan for drought. In recent years, extremely dry weather meant reservoir water levels had dropped to critical levels. This led to water usage restrictions for both farmers and municipalities. Growing crops under water restrictions creates substantial risk for producers and we aim to help producers prepare for these conditions.

Agriculture accounts for nearly 20 per cent of GDP in the Lethbridge region, according to Economic Development Lethbridge, and Farming Smarter is helping to lead the industry’s path forward.

Farming Smarter is Alberta's largest agriculture innovation hub, conducting more research trials than all post-secondary institutions in the province combined.

Learn more about Farming Smarter's current and past research projects here.