Researchers and industry work together on the best ways to deliver environmental BMPs on the farm

Some of Canada’s best environmental research scientists and dairy specialists gathered in Ottawa in April to discuss the results of projects supported under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agriculture and Greenhouse Gases Program (AGGP). The results from the project investments in the AGGP carried out in the last five years will lead to the development of best management practices (BMPs) that will continue to support dairy farmers in meeting their sustainability goals.

The group focused on three areas where research results have emerged and that can form the basis to develop new BMPs: feeding strategies, manure management and cropping systems management. It is the aim of project partners, DFC, Alberta Milk and OMAFRA, to work with the scientists to develop strategies to communicate new BMPs to farmers as effectively as possible.

Scientists working on projects for carbon soil sequestration, feeding and manure management in the Dairy Research Cluster shared their preliminary results to contribute to an action plan going forward. Groupe AGÉCO (formerly Quantis) presented a draft version of Canadian dairy farmers’ new carbon footprinter (in development), which will be available in 2016.