Centre on Temperate and Irrigated Agro-ecosystems
The core work of this Centre is to conduct research relevant to farming systems in temperate and irrigated areas that are generally characterized by favourable soils, high levels of mechanization, and functioning markets for farm supplies.
In these areas, high external inputs make it possible to obtain high production levels but productivity may be pushed beyond the actual ecosystem capacity. Soils receive high levels of synthetically produced fertilizers and crop genetic resources are often hybrids designed to perform well under ideal conditions (such as receiving regular and abundant water and nutrients) and with high levels of pesticides and herbicides. Organic agriculture meets consumers demand for food free of pesticide residues and meets stringent environmental regulations that exist in certain areas.
The major challenges in converting farms to organic agriculture in this agro-ecosystem are maintaining the financial health of farms during organic transition and full rotations, labour demand, and raising yields to be comparable to conventional systems.
The proposed Key Topics are: Comparative Studies & Cropland Yield.
