“It starts with the air intake on the fans that are enclosed in a screened-in enclosure so that no insects can enter the greenhouse even when the fans are on,” he said.
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Keeping the insects out was a huge deliverable for its new greenhouse, he said, and Agra Tech knew how to achieve it. Insect Exclusion is vital for quality research The company recently added two Agra Tech Solar Light greenhouses, in order to keep the plants in two different environments-one of which to create a cool season and one warm season year-round. Sometimes we will measure other plant growth parameters as well, for example plant nutrient content in the leaves, or root proliferation.” We conduct research in corn, peppers, tomatoes, cotton, soybeans those are the main ones we use. “We compare the two treatments, and use statistics to determine whether it’s better or not. “For example, if it’s a nitrogen product, we will test our product versus standard nitrogen fertility and then with our enhanced product,” he said. Our goal is to develop multiple products and release 2-3 new ones every year.Įvery experiment that Breen and his team perform in the greenhouse is designed specifically for the goals of that particular product.
So, it’s roughly a 4–6-year process overall. In most cases, the field research is the most time-consuming, which usually also takes 2-3 years. “From the initial idea to the laboratory and on to the greenhouse can take approximately 2-3 years. This doesn’t happen overnight, Breen said. Having greenhouses is critical to our ability to develop products, and that’s why we rely on them to do our job.” If it still looks promising after that stage, we will subsequently take it to the field for more research. “Whenever we develop a product, we first test it in a laboratory, and then if it’s promising we will take it to the greenhouse. He described the importance of greenhouses in their R&D efforts.
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The company already had an Agra Tech greenhouse in full operation when Breen was hired at Nutrien, so he was already familiar with the name. “Nutrient use efficiency, reduction of greenhouse gases, enhanced soil health and soil function are among the types of products we are developing.” “Our focus is on products that enhance sustainability for growers around the globe,” says Breen. He has been with Nutrien for the past seven years and oversees its R&D efforts for crop protection, nutritionals and adjuvants globally. John earned a Ph.D in Ecology from UC Davis and spent several years in Japan working in a global crop protection company.
The Nutrien brand was established in 2018 after Nutrien was formed through the merger of PotashCorp and Agrium.ĭirector of Research and Development John Breen at Nutrien played an integral role in the acquisition of its new Agra Tech greenhouse. The company helps growers to achieve the highest yields with the most sustainable solutions possible, offering a wide selection of products, including their proprietary brands, such as Loveland Products, Inc.®, Proven® Seed and Dyna-Gro® Seed. Is the world’s largest fertilizer company providing full-acre solutions through a network of trusted crop consultants at more than 1,700 global locations. To develop some of the world’s leading agriculture products, Nutrien Ag Solutions recently added a new greenhouse in Biola, CA, close to its R&D department in Kerman, just outside of Fresno. The scale is closer to a real farm situation and shows how making timely agronomic and economic decisions can maximize every acre.Nutrien Develops Specialized Products Using Agra Tech Greenhouses The goal is to give Discovery Farm and growers an opportunity to see and touch leading-the-field seed genetics, crop and fertility options and a digital experience. These were matched with Nutrien’s MAP+MST fertilizer and enhanced by Atlas XC from Loveland Products – all following the 4R Nutrient Stewardship best practices, and keeping in compliance with the Carbon Pilot program enrollment – carbon reduction plan.
The four 10-acre fields utilize Proven Seed LibertyLink Canola pre-commercial, Proven Altorado Barley, Proven CWRS AAC Broadacres, and Proven Westlin 60 Flax.
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The site showcases Nutrien Ag Solution’s full digital catalog – from variable rate technology, data aggregation, and live scouting/field tracking software using our Echelon platform, to the latest and leading Proven Seed varieties and multi-year crop protection from our proprietary Loveland Products. Innovation Acres is a holistic view of leading farm solutions that Nutrien Ag Solutions provides to growers in Canada.