Between January and February 2025, OBV SCABRIC organized two days of conferences for the region’s agricultural producers, in Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka and Saint-Constant. The main aim of these events was to impart practical knowledge on soil management and pest control, while promoting more sustainable agri-environmental practices that are less dependent on chemical products.
The two events were attended by some 60 participants, with a variety of conferences covering cover crops, weed management, soil health and pest management. Each conference enabled farmers to discover concrete solutions for improving the health of their soils and the profitability of their farms, while respecting the environment.
In Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka: Soil management and cover crops
On January 28, 2025, OBV SCABRIC held a day of conferences on agricultural soil management, in collaboration with experts from the agri-environmental sector. The event focused on the use of cover crops and intercrops to improve soil fertility and increase water retention. Conferences covered topics that are essential for agricultural producers:
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Cover crops and field crop rotation: Sylvie Thibaudeau, agronomist and advisor, explained the importance of integrating cover crops to improve soil fertility and texture, while reducing the use of chemical fertilizers such as nitrogen. She stressed the importance of adopting good farming practices, such as seeding dates and reduced tillage.
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Weed management: agronomist David Girardville detailed techniques for managing weeds using cover crops, reducing dependence on herbicides and the risk of environmental impact.
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Healthy soils: where to start? Marie-Ève Bernard, agronomist, presented simple tools for diagnosing soil structure and understanding its porosity level, in order to promote microbial life and improve the health of agricultural soils.
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Fall wheat: a beneficial practice: Stéphanie Mathieu, agronomist, demonstrated the benefits of growing fall wheat, which conserves soil over winter and improves yields of main crops such as corn and soybeans.
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Prime-Vert program: Mélanie Poirier, agronomist, presented MAPAQ’s Prime-Vert financial assistance program, which supports projects related to agri-environmental practices, such as the purchase of cover crop and intercropping equipment.
This event was part of the PAAR Saint-Louis project, funded by MAPAQ under the Prime-Vert program.
In Saint-Constant : Pest management
On January 30, 2025, OBV SCABRIC organized another day of conferences in Saint-Constant, focusing on pest management, an essential topic for market garden producers. The aim of the day was to reduce the use of chemical products by offering more ecological pest and disease management solutions. Conferences covered several aspects of this issue:
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Reasoned pest management in crucifers: Audrée Lapointe, market gardening advisor, explained how to better target pest control interventions according to the life cycle of diseases and pests. She stressed the importance of preventive practices such as traps, scouting and the rational use of chemical products.
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Phytophthora capsici: better knowledge for better prevention: Isabelle Couture, agronomist, discussed prevention and control of this fungus that affects solanaceous plants and cucurbits, explaining symptoms and treatment methods.
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Solanaceae 2024 review: agronomist Riva Khanna analyzed the impact of recent climatic variations on Solanaceae crops and methods for minimizing pest and disease damage.
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Prime-Vert program: A new presentation by Mélanie Poirier informed growers about the components of the Prime-Vert program, which funds projects aimed at reducing the use of chemicals on farms.
This event was made possible thanks to the PAAR Saint-Pierre project, funded by MAPAQ under the Prime-Vert program and the collaboration agreement for the implementation of the Roussillon MRC’s agricultural zone development plan.
Both events were a great success, enabling local farmers to discover new agri-environmental practices to improve soil health and crop management. Thanks to enriching conferences and exchanges with experts, participants were able to deepen their knowledge and implement sustainable solutions on their farms.
