SUMMARY
Regeneration Canada is currently supporting a research lab at McGill University led by Dr. Cynthia Kallenbach. It explores crop diversity’s role in climate adaptation, particularly its impact on precipitation patterns, soil health, microbial diversity, and pesticide use. Through field experiments and digital modelling, the study aims to equip farmers with evidence-based strategies for climate resilience. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, the research seeks to advance regenerative agriculture, promoting crop diversity and resilience in Quebec’s farming landscape. What sets this research project apart is its commitment to ongoing engagement with Quebec farmers to ensure practical relevance and long-term impact.
This article builds on our initial exploration of this project, which we began in our first blog post entitled “Sowing Resilience: Crop Diversity, Soil Health and Climate Adaptation on Quebec Farms” while highlighting recent developments and emerging insights from the field.
Exploring Crop Diversity’s Role in Climate Resilience
As climate change intensifies, shifting precipitation patterns pose a significant challenge to food production, where changing rainfall—both excessive and insufficient—threatens crop productivity and soil health. At McGill University, the Diversity and Rainfall Treatment (DART) research project is investigating how crop diversity and polyculture farming systems may offer a natural solution to some of these challenges.
Led by Dr. Cynthia Kallenbach, this project explores how increasing biodiversity within agroecosystems impacts on-farm resilience to climate variability, soil health, and carbon and nitrogen cycling. This study aims to provide crucial data on regenerative practices in a time of environmental uncertainty.
Through interviews with two leading researchers involved in the project, this article delves into their work exploring the role of crop diversity in improving soil organic matter, enhancing carbon sequestration, and how this may affect levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture.
The research aims to answer pressing questions:
How do polycultures contribute to soil organic matter and nutrient cycling?
Can these systems play a role in mitigating the effects of climate change, particularly in terms of managing water availability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions?
Dr. Kallenbach and her team have set up test plots at McGill University’s Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue campus in Quebec to investigate these questions. They are studying the effects of seven crop diversity combinations of legumes and small grains, including spring wheat, dry beans, rye, white clover, and KernzaTM (a type of perennial wheat being developed at The Land Institute).
The team is closely monitoring three precipitation patterns, managed with the help of rain shelters and irrigation systems. They also use sensors, data loggers, and a variety of tests to monitor soil and crop conditions.
In August 2024, Regeneration Canada organized a field day at the McGill campus, where researchers were able to present their work and engage with farmers and other stakeholders, including agronomists and environmental organization representatives.
The field day introduced us to Nadia Moukanni and Theo Humbeeck, two members of the research team for the DART project.
Polycultures and Soil Organic Matter Quality
Nadia Moukanni’s story is one of passion and purpose. Originally from Morocco, she studied soil and water management, immersing herself in agriculture and building her expertise as a quality manager for fruit exportation. But her fascination with soil’s complexity and potential inspired her to dive deeper into research.
Nadia’s academic journey led her to UC Davis for her PhD, but a postdoctoral opportunity focusing on soil organic matter (SOM) led her to join McGill University’s DART research team, exploring the intersection of crop diversity and changing precipitation patterns. By studying diverse cropping systems, her research explores how varying levels of diversity impact soil organic matter and the broader soil ecosystem. This work aims to uncover the extent to which diverse cropping systems can enhance soil health and resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
Her hypothesis? Increases in crop diversity impact the diversity of life in the soil, creating a range of microbial byproducts that enhance SOM quality.
| Soil organic matter (SOM) refers to the decomposed remains of plants, animals, and microorganisms in the soil. SOM plays a crucial role in soil health by improving its structure, water-holding capacity, and nutrient availability. It also helps with carbon storage, acting as a carbon sink, and supports the growth of beneficial soil organisms like earthworms and microbes. |
When we talk about higher quality SOM, we are talking about SOM that locks carbon into the soil for the long term, persisting, and amplifying many of the ecosystem services provided by healthy soil.
Ultimately, Nadia aims to uncover strategies for storing more CO₂ in soil and keeping it there—a crucial step in building climate resilience and supporting sustainable farming practices. Her work is helping pave the way for regenerative agriculture that balances productivity with environmental stewardship.
Digital Modelling for Future Climate Scenarios
Theo Humbeeck, a second-year PhD student in bioresource engineering, focuses on understanding how crop diversity affects greenhouse gas emissions, the nitrogen cycle, and the carbon cycle.
Combining computer modelling with extensive fieldwork, Theo uses mathematical models to simulate biogeochemical cycles in soil, such as nitrogen and carbon dynamics. By calibrating these models with field measurements from the DART trials and using existing climate data, Theo can predict the impacts of different climate scenarios on soil processes. Using tools like DNDC (a computer simulation model of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry in agro-ecosystems), he adapts mechanistic models to the Canadian context, exploring future shifts in temperature and precipitation.
Theo is also passionate about linking his work to broader human health goals, inspired by the “One Health” approach. This approach acknowledges the deep interconnection between human health, animal health, and the health of our shared environment.
While Theo’s research is still in its early stages, preliminary findings from 2023 suggest a link between increasing crop diversity and decreasing GHG emissions, particularly nitrous oxide (N₂O), which has a global warming potential three times higher than CO₂.
What’s interesting is that some crop plots had higher N₂O peaks, while others had minimal emissions. Initial observations suggest that the type of crop and nitrogen treatments may have a bigger impact on emissions than just increasing diversity. While soil scientists and farmers anticipate polycultures, cover cropping, and perennial systems to reduce emissions, the reality is more nuanced.
This study provides rare, concrete data in an area where research has been challenging due to many factors, including the long timeframe of these types of studies and the complexity and dynamics of the nitrogen cycle. Further analysis of soil samples will provide more detailed insights into the complex interactions between crop diversity, nitrogen cycling, and greenhouse gas dynamics.
Why do researchers want to engage farmers in the research?
Collaborative and community-based participatory approaches are central to both Nadia and Theo’s research, as they ensure their science is not just theoretical but actionable for farmers.
While the project is still in the planning phase, Theo envisions engaging farmers to co-create solutions by integrating their cropping strategies into climate change models. By calibrating the models and simulating various climate scenarios with farmers’ input, the goal is to develop decision-making tools that empower farmers to adapt their practices effectively and be able to measure their impact. This approach bridges the gap between academia and agriculture, transforming complex scientific models into practical tools for a scalable transition to adopt regenerative practices.
Nadia also emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between academic research and the lived experiences of farmers, whose insights are crucial for addressing climate change. Engaging with farmers not only fuels her passion but ensures her research is grounded in practical solutions that impact daily decision-making.
A highlight for her was the field day interactions in August 2024, which reinforced the value of co-creating knowledge and shaping research to deliver on its potential impact. However, she acknowledges challenges, such as building and maintaining trust with farmers, fostering transparency, and balancing research integrity with responding to the needs of farmers. She believes that it is key to continue to bridge the research-practice gap, explore ways to involve communities in data collection, and amplify farmers’ voices in shaping research and policy.
Conclusion
As our climate changes, farmers and consumers alike face the challenges of shifting weather patterns on agriculture. By studying the role of crop diversity in climate resilience, the DART research team at McGill University aims to provide farmers with evidence-based strategies to navigate these new challenges. Their research not only offers pathways toward more resilient farming systems but also has the potential to inform environmental policies that are both effective and fair to farmers.
This work is made possible with the active support and participation of Quebec farmers, who play a critical role in both the research process and the application of its findings. Field days like the one held in August 2024 at McGill University showcase this strong partnership, where farmers and researchers engage in meaningful knowledge exchange.
What sets this project apart is its commitment to ongoing farmer engagement, ensuring the research translates into real-world solutions. Through this collaboration, the team is advancing regenerative agriculture in Quebec.
If you are interested in staying in the loop about this research or are looking to get involved as a farmer, please contact Sara at sara.mg@regenerationcanada.org.
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