Grainswest - Spring 2026

Spring 2026 grainswest.com 45 BY CHRISTINA KAYE Olds College supports national emissions research Potential profit insoil data FROM LAB TO FIELD OLDS COLLEGE CENTRE FOR Innovation (OCCI) at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology plays a key part in a national research program studying ways to reduce farm emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent green- house gas. Project data encompasses various crops, environments and regions, and results will potentially boost profits for farmers. The Canadian Nitrous Oxide Collab- oration Network to Meet Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets (CAN- N2ONET) is a four-year research program designed to help Canada reduce fertiliz- er-related N2O emissions by 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030. CANN2ONET is a collaborative network composed of experts from six universities, one college and one polytechnic, along with 12 part- ners from industry, government and farm organizations. It will address inefficiencies in nitrogen fertilizer use in grain and oilseed production. Led by University of Guelph (U of G) professor Claudia Wagner- Riddle, the project was established in 2024. Federally funded with $7.9 million as part of the NSERC-SSHRC’s Sustain- able Agriculture Research Initiative, it aims to develop a roadmap for emission reduction based on better measurement, development of suitable metrics to track progress and region-specific recommen- dations that consider Canadian farm profitability. The OCCI Smart Agriculture Applied Research team is assisting the U of G by providing a research site at the Olds College Smart Farm. One of eight benchmark sites nationwide, it features field towers provided by U of G and the Univestity of British Columbia and out- fitted with equipment that continually monitors emissions. Olds College also assists the project with equipment and technology. This includes the use of LI-COR soil gas flux chambers. The device consists of an automated chamber and a trace gas analyzer that operate around the clock. The chamber seals for five minutes as it captures gases. The air sample is then transferred to an analyzer. The LI-COR chambers provide continuous, high res- olution data on N2O emissions, carbon dioxide and water vapour produced by various fertilization strategies. As well, light detection and ranging remote sensing is used to create 3D digital topo- graphical maps, and agronomic man- agement includes application of variable rate nitrogen fertilizer. The research team seeks to deter- mine whether precision agriculture is an effective means to reduce emissions. They applied two kinds of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers with and without the use of variable rate technology on four trial plots. Two were fertilized with a prescribed rate recommended by an agrologist and two received higher and lower fertilizer rates according to their soil properties. Typically, a 15 to 30 per cent increase or decrease was compared to the recommended rate to measure the emissions’ impact. In the 2025 growing season, Olds College along with Maurizio Coman- done, a U of G PhD student, used the automated LI-COR chambers on a canola crop to capture N2O soil emissions. He will test wheat in 2026 and barley in 2027. This allows researchers to develop and validate models that will predict the impact of practice changes on the carbon footprint of crop production. The data produced is essential for CANN2ONET to allow researchers to analyze the im- pact on emissions of practices such as 4R nutrient stewardship. CANN2ONET’s goal is to track the progress toward N2O emission reduction targets to develop practical strategies to guide project partners in decision-mak- ing as they work toward net-zero goals. This translation of scientific data on the carbon footprint of crop production into practical recommendations will inform decision-making on agricultural policy and on-farm practices. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is es- sential to support global food security. Through participation in CANN2ONET, Olds College demonstrates its role as a national partner in applied agricultural research with broad impact. The insti- tution is pleased to contribute its Smart Farm and applied research expertise. Christina Kaye is project lead on the Smart Agriculture Applied Research team at Olds College Centre for Innovation.