The Jarislowsky Foundation supports research chairs to promote excellence in teaching, mentoring and research.
"At BMO, we are long-time supporters of the agricultural sector and proud of our clients, who are among the most innovative producers in the world in regenerative agriculture," said Allison Hakomaki, Head of Agriculture, Public Sector and Emerging Industries, BMO. "We know how vital sustainable practices are to the resilience of our farmers and the future of food in Canada and, driven by our Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life and our commitment to a sustainable future, we recognize the importance of supporting initiatives like the University of Saskatchewan's research in this field."
During the Chair's five-year term, Congreves' research will inform sustainable nitrogen (N) management for healthy agroecosystems. Nitrogen is simultaneously an essential nutrient for crop production and a major environmental concern. Better understanding of N cycling is necessary and is a timely priority with policymakers interested in developing strategies to better manage N. Congreves will explore interdisciplinary collaborations with agricultural researchers in other areas of expertise such as water, livestock and health, and with social scientists, economists, and philosophers to develop evidence-based recommendations that will be pertinent to Canada's progress towards a sustainable future.
"Regenerative agriculture is an ecosystem-based approach to crop production—one that embodies reciprocity with the land by improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing negative impacts of inputs like N fertilizer. A promising strategy to design regenerative agroecosystems is the diversification of cropping systems," said Congreves, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.
Understanding how diversification can tighten the N cycle for sustainable soil management and regenerative agriculture is a major focus. Congreves' work explores the controls on soil N transformations, plant N uptake, and N losses, and is aimed at better understanding the flow of N and its cycling in diversified agroecosystems.
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