Quebec Agri-Environmental On-Farm Research Network
Field data for sustainable decisions
3 years of precision agriculture research supporting the Sustainable Agriculture Plan
80
Precision agriculture trials over 3 years
(target of 240 trials in total)
5
Quebec regions
10-20
Trained agronomists
The Project
Led by McGill University, AgPrecision establishes a large-scale on-farm research network using precision agriculture to evaluate sustainable agri-environmental practices.
Inspired by the On-Farm Precision Experiments (OFPE) framework, the network provides agronomists with a French-language digital tool to plan rigorous trials, collect field data and analyze results — directly in Quebec fields.
The project contributes to the goals of the 2020-2030 Sustainable Agriculture Plan: soil health, nitrogen fertilization optimization and cover crop adoption.
Research Axes
Fall cereals
Evaluate optimal seeding dates, densities and depths to maximize winter cover and rotation resilience.
Cover Crops
Measure biomass produced, impact on soil health and nitrogen credits to adjust the following year’s fertilization.
Nitrogen optimization
Optimize nitrogen rates by integrating within-field variability and soil characterization data.
Technologies & Equipment
Every farm receives a complete soil characterization free of charge
RTK-GNSS
High-precision surveying, positioning, and guidance for agricultural equipment.
SoilOptix MS-200
Gamma-ray spectrometry of soils, high-precision mapping of soil properties.
Veris U3 Series
Physical properties of the soil (texture, organic matter, pH), accurate real-time mapping.
Dualem-21
Electromagnetic induction, rapid noncontact soil mapping and profiling.
Noggin 500 GPR System
High-frequency ground-penetrating radar, detection of buried structures.
360 SoilScan
Portable soil analysis system: available nitrogen and pH. Rapid validation of nitrogen fertilization trials.
Régions du réseau
Laurentides
Lanaudière
Centre-du-Québec
Montérégie
Chaudière-Appalaches
Laurentides
Lanaudière
Centre-du-Québec
Montérégie
Chaudière-Appalaches
The network spans 5 major agricultural regions of Quebec, ensuring diversity in soils, climates and cropping systems.
Project Timeline
The Team
Viacheslav Adamchuk, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Principal Investigator
McGill University — Bioresource Engineering
Irene Amaya Tovar, CPI, B.Eng.
Project Officer
McGill University — Bioresource Engineering
Sean Ratcliffe, B.Eng.
Equipment Specialist
McGill University — Remote Sensing
10 – 20 advisors
Field Agronomists
Advisory clubs and private consultants
Advisory Committee
Paul Thomassin, Ph.D.
Agricultural economics specialist
McGill University – Natural Resources Science
Maxime Leduc, Agr., Ph.D.
Forage systems specialist
Mon Système Fourrager
Pierre R L Dutilleul, PhD.
Statistics specialist
McGill University – Plant Science
Bruce Gélinas, Agr.
Ministerial representative
MAPAQ
Louis Longchamps, Ph.D.
Digital agriculture specialist
Cornell University – Integrative Plant Science
Marc-Olivier Gasser, Agr., Ph. D.
Soil science specialist
IRDA
Icons from The Noun Project
Artist Credits
- Agriculture by Lulis Dian RP from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- people by Untashable from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- Location by QuinX from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- Cereal by Denicon from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- stack by Three Six Five from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- fertilization by PMSO BEMFEBUNUD from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- gnss equipment by ProSymbols from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- remote sensing by Boris from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- land by IYIKON from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- Magnet by Iconbunny from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- gpr by Agan24 from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
- soil by Yudzive from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)