Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Soil microbes and their activities directly influence soil nutrient availability, water uptake, nutrient acquisition, and ecosystem stability. Changes in soil microbial diversity are a sensitive indicator of the response of agro-ecosystems to stresses, such as drought and heat. Many regions in western Canada have been experiencing frequent and severe drought and heat over the past decades, leading to significant yield losses in many crops. Long-term drought and heat stress can affect soil microbial activities, causing negative effects on soil health and crop performance.
Application of organic amendments improves the soil water-holding capacity, microbial population, and microbial functions, which improve plant nutrient availability and drought resilience in crops. Humalist is a naturally occurring organic substance containing high concentrations of humic acid and low heavy metals due to its unique freshwater depositional environment. Therefore, humalite may be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly soil amendment to improve soil microbial diversity and alleviate heat and drought stress.
This project will evaluate the potential benefits of humalite for improving soil microbiome under drought and heat stress, which helps to alleviate drought and heat stress on crop production.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
Sustainable agricultural practices help fight against climate change and prevent surging threats to the global food supply. Investigating the potential of humalite to alleviate drought stress under the future predicted climate change scenario will benefit farmers in the long run.
One of the major potential outcomes of this research is to develop humalite-based marketable products for the diverse agricultural industries, which are economical and environmentally friendly to end-users.
Funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.