Full slate of projects at ag station

The spring growing season once again will be a busy one at the Emo Agricultural Research Station.
In addition to a number of ongoing projects, research technician Kim-Jo Bliss said there are plans to plant a black spruce orchard at the site, located along Highway 11/71 about a mile west of Emo.
There also is a project involving a new species of hybrid poplar that began in 1999 and was repeated in 2002. Bliss said the plan is to plant an additional 10,000 poplars—at the Emo station and two other sites.
The list of legumes and grazing crops to be studied this year include an oat performance trial, a barley performance trial, eastern early-maturing barley, spring wheat performance trial, and various other types of barley, as well as a Northern Ontario soybean performance trial.
There also are plans to plant several demonstration blocks of potential bio-fuel sources.
Other crops and cereals to be planted at the Emo ag station include:
•Hyola 4-01 Roundup-ready canola (357);
•flax seed as a feed source to produce Omega-3 eggs;
•ultra alfalfa;
•trefoil and tall fescue;
•alfalfa—Brett Young—Hybrid 4-OD;
•alfalfa varieties;
•alfalfa—AL 223;
•alfalfa filler blocks;
•demonstration grass stripes;
•Kara clover establishment trial;
•Reed Canary Grass for hay/pasture systems;
•grass demonstration blocks;
•alfalfa and tall fescue;
•switch grass trial; and
•tall fescue.
“There could be other trials that are still in the works,” added Bliss.
The Emo ag station is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. until Dec. 1. For more information, call Bliss at 482-2354.