Video transcript
[Rhythmic, upbeat music starts. Text appears over a farmer’s field.]
Text: Living Lab – Atlantic Crop Rotations
[Crops and tall grasses are shown. A man and a woman walk through the middle of rows of crops.]
Text: Ryan Barrett Research & Agronomy Specialist PEI Potato Board [Ryan stands in the field, addressing the camera.]
Ryan: Hi, my name is Ryan Barrett. I’m the research and agronomy specialist with the Prince Edward Island Potato Board. I’m here today in Freetown, PEI to show you one of the trials that I’m working on as part of the PEI Living Labs.
[Ryan crouches to inspect crops in the field.]
In this trial, we are comparing conventional multispecies grass crop with a somewhat newer annual crop.
[Ryan holds grass samples in his hand.]
We’re trying to understand the dynamics of rotations of some of these different crops specifically for building soil organic matter in some of these trials.
[Ryan checks the status of the field with a soil compaction tester.]
Organic matter is very important in all types of agriculture and all types of farming.
[The soil compaction tester is driven into the earth. A dial on top displays the results.]
But particularly in potato production…
[Hundreds of potatoes are deposited on a conveyor belt. Individuals dig potatoes out of the soil.]
…where we are trying to improve water holding capacity of soil…
[Ryan and another worker walk through the crops, inspecting them.]
…the cycling of nutrients, the building resiliency in these fields.
[Ryan addresses the camera.]
I call it a win-win situation. It’s improving things for the farmer, but it’s also improving things for the environment.
[Over the field, text appears.]
Text: Find out more Agriculture.canada.ca/living-lab
[Cut to the Canada wordmark. The rhythmic, upbeat music fades out.]