Part 2 of 5
We've learned about why Farming Smarter restructured itself into smaller business units and what units came out of it. This post we are going to be looking into the custom research unit.
The custom research unit, led by research associate Trevor Deering, does research for private companies on crop protection and management products and techniques. This includes pesticide spray trials and herbicide efficacy and phytotoxicity testing.
Deering says they also do crop variety trials, biostimulant and biological studies as well as management trials. Deering had two hard-working students this year that ensured they reached the goals of the many trials in the ground.
One example of custom research by the unit is the Rolling Barley study conducted with Complete Agronomic Services. This study examines the effects of rolling barley at various stages of crop growth. "By working with companies to conduct these trials we help products and techniques reach farmers to help them farm smarter and better their crops," says Deering.
If you wish to hire our team to conduct a study or trial, visit this page. Read part 1 of this series Farming Smarter Business Units
Other business units
Lewis Baarda, On-Farm Research, leads the Field-tested unit doing field-scale research with farmers and farm managers.
The research unit run by soil scientist, Gurbir Dhillon Ph.D., and research coordinator, Mike Gretzinger, leads grant-funded research projects either led by Farming Smarter or in collaboration with researchers from other institutions.
This unit's goal is to share learning that comes from Farming Smarter and other researchers. The unit produces all external communication and extension.