Asha Wareham
BC Living Lab: BMP Demonstration Field Days
In 2024, the BC Living Lab and partnered industry groups held field days with producers and extension professionals across BC. These events showcased the beneficial management practices that seven commodity groups have selected to trial within the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program.
Research Brief: Improving highbush blueberry nitrogen management with nitrification inhibitors
🫐 Can we boost blueberry nitrogen uptake?
A recent study in BC tested nitrification inhibitors, which help slow down the process of turning ammonium (the type of nitrogen blueberries like) into nitrate. The results showed that while the inhibitor did slow that process, the effect on blueberry yield and soil nitrogen levels changed from year to year.
Research Brief: Economic and environmental benefits of reducing nitrogen fertilization in potato fields
🥔 This study evaluated the economic and environmental tradeoffs of three nitrogen application rates (0, 90, and 120 kg N per hectare) in potato production.
Research in BC’s Fraser Valley examined the economic and environmental trade-offs of different nitrogen fertilization rates in potato fields. Researchers found that high application rates (120 kg N/ha) were not worth the costs – yields and revenue did not increase enough to justify the added input, and excess nitrogen led to higher nitrous oxide emissions.
Research Brief: Fighting grapevine root diseases with brassica cover crops
🍇 Fungal diseases and nematodes can pose significant challenges to wine grape growers in BC.
To address this challenge, researchers in Kelowna evaluated the role cover crops can play in fighting fungal diseases and parasitic nematodes in vineyards. They tested out four brassica species: white mustard, tillage radish, shepherd’s purse, and rockcress. Some brassica species have a special ability to suppress the growth of bacteria, fungi, nematodes, weeds, and insect pests through chemicals that they naturally produce!
Research Info Session: Regenerative Climate Resilient Vegetables
🗓️📌 May 8, 2025| This online info session shared UBC applied research in organic vegetable production and opportunities to get involved in new field trials.
Researchers introduced the Regenerative-Organic Climate Resilient Vegetables project and highlighted the next four-year phase of field trials launching this spring. Research will be focused on enhancing regenerative outcomes through practices like conservation tillage, nutrient management, and cover cropping.
Spring 2025 E-News
🌸🌱👋 Read our new article with the Organic Science Cluster 4, find new issues of BC Food Web’s research briefs, and join a Farmer Innovation Advisory Group.
Agricultural Science Communication Training
The “Seeding Success” training series help build skills in the art and science of farmer-centered communication. Core extension topics have focused on knowledge translation and transfer (KTT) planning, producing research summaries for farmers, and delivering effective field days. The format and content is designed for graduate students, researchers, agrologists and consultants working in British Columbia.
2025 Provincial Research Workshop
Delivered in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, ACARN’s 2025 annual workshop was Lab to Land: Advancing water and soil research for agricultural resilience. Sessions explored current agricultural climate change research and projects from across the province, including keynote sessions on Indigenous partnered initiatives. We heard from those working on the ground and learned about the research and programs emerging to advance agricultural research and support BC farmers. Key topics included:
Producer Perspectives on Beneficial Management Practices
In 2023, ACARN supported the BC Living Lab with the development and distribution of a survey to BC producers. The survey explored growers’ awareness of and interest in Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) and collected insights across seven major agricultural commodities.
Ethical Data Governance Toolkit
To increase the capacity for ethical data governance in the agriculture sector, ACARN partnered with researchers at UBC and beyond to co-develop resources to help farmers and others working with agricultural data. A free and open-access collection of resources available in multiple languages:
2024 Provincial Research Workshop
Delivered in partnership with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food, ACARN’s 2024 annual workshop was Water, Soil, Climate: Research and resources for BC farmers. This workshop explored how we can to adapt to the climate change challenges facing the agriculture sector. We heard from those working on the ground and learned about the research and programs emerging to support BC farmers. Key topics included:
Environment and Climate Guidebooks for BC Regional Extension Program
As part of BC’s Regional Extension Program, ACARN collaborated with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food to compile producers’ climate priorities, relevant applied research, and extension projects across BC —resulting in seven regional guidebooks.
These guidebooks can help producers, researchers, and consultants reflect on the climate issues challenging environmental sustainability and resilient food production for and local farm businesses.
Agricultural Data Collection Protocols Conference
We hosted this two-day conference to make progress towards defining collective approaches for measuring soil organic carbon, greenhouse gas emissions and co-benefits in BC agricultural production systems.
The workshop was designed to showcase the common research approaches that will provide a framework for the BC Living Lab and to build connections with provincial government initiatives and other aligned projects. Find all sessions below.
AgResilience Podcast
The AgResilience podcast brings you behind the scenes into conversations with guests from across BC on the leading edge of agricultural research for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Interviews go beyond results and dive into discussions on making research more effective for farmers and insights into the transformations needed for long term resiliency in our food systems.
2021 Provincial Research Workshop
This online workshop explored pressing climate impacts on BC agriculture in 2021. Discussions covered wildfire risk reduction, adaptation strategies, and the role of agriculture in climate mitigation. With insights from researchers, producers, industry leaders, these fostered timely conversation on adaptation strategies, barriers, and opportunities for resilience. Key topics included:
Greenhouse gas mitigation research summaries for BC agricultural commodities
To support the work of the BC Living Lab, ACARN conducted a scan of recent research that addresses practices to help mitigate climate change. We produced mitigation research summaries for seven production systems.
These documents provide a high-level overview of recent, primarily BC-based, published research and research in progress investigating agricultural management practices with potential to mitigate climate change.
Agricultural Weather Data Network
Between 2019 and 2021, ACARN’s Climate and Weather Data Working Group identified gaps in agricultural weather data availability and explored options for better data and decision aid support tools for agricultural producers. A gap analysis and roadmap were produced from this work and shared in a webinar.
Livestock Surface Water Risk & Forage Assessment for BC Range
Livestock Surface Water Risk & Forage Assessment for BC Range Sufficient and high-quality water is essential for sustainable livestock production on Crown Range in British Columbia. This webinar series introduced a method for assessing the climate change risks to surface water sources, and explained how to apply this process to water and range use management […]
GHG emissions & carbon sequestration in Fraser Valley agricultural systems
Discover findings from a pioneering, four-year research initiative examining greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across high-value crop production in British Columbia’s Lower Fraser Valley.
Managing orchards and vineyards for climate friendly outcomes
This three-part webinar series from the BC Food Web explored strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in orchards and vineyards across the Okanagan Valley. Key topics included soil carbon, microbial nitrogen cycling, and lifecycle modelling.
2020 Provincial Research Workshop
This online workshop explored climate adaptation research relevant to BC agriculture in 2020. Discussions covered pests and disease management, adaptive planning, application of weather monitoring tools, and Indigenous worldviews. With insights from researchers, producers, and industry leaders, these conversations fostered timely dialogue on adaptation strategies, barriers, and opportunities for resilience.
Climate and Weather Data Webinar Series
From weather station data to future climate projection models and decision support tools for farm-level management, this series provided an in-depth look at what data and tools are available and how best to use them for research or agriculture management for climate change adaptation.
Adaptive capacity for water management
This collaborative project, led by Dr. John Janmaat at UBC’s Okanagan campus, explored how agricultural communities in the Okanagan and Cariboo regions adapt to climate change impacts. Building on earlier work by project partners, the team focused on how BC’s regulatory environment influences agricultural resilience to changes in water supply.
BC Agriculture and Climate Change Education Series
The BC Agriculture and Climate Change Education Series was created out of a four-part event exploring climate challenges and adaptation strategies in British Columbia’s agricultural sector. Hosted across eight post-secondary institutions in spring 2019, the series included expert presentations, Q&A sessions, and activities designed to bring regional and broader perspectives together.
