2025 JOHN OGILVIE RESEARCH INNOVATION AWARDS

“Development of RZWQM2-P model for reducing phosphorus loading from agricultural field to surface water bodies” by Zhiming Qi

Agricultural soils in the humid temperate regions of Canada—particularly in Ontario and Quebec—are a major source of non-point phosphorus (P) pollution in freshwater rivers and lakes, especially when treated with chemical fertilizers, manures, or biosolids. Over the past several decades, the frequency and severity of cyanobacterial blooms have increased significantly. These blooms, along with broader eutrophication issues in freshwater bodies, have been closely linked to the enrichment of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) via subsurface drainage effluent. Subsurface drainage systems are a primary pathway for P transport from agricultural fields in these regions. In response, various strategies have been developed to manage agricultural practices and mitigate P pollution. Among these strategies is the development of computer models capable of simulating and assessing P loss from agricultural lands. Although some models have been updated or newly developed, most lack integration of field management practices and crop growth dynamics, limiting their effectiveness as decision-support tools. Moreover, none currently simulate both dissolved and particulate P losses through subsurface drains simultaneously. To address these limitations, a new phosphorus management tool—RZWQM2-P—was developed. This tool builds upon the Root Zone Water Quality Model 2 (RZWQM2) by incorporating the latest scientific advances in soil and water phosphorus dynamics, while leveraging the model’s existing hydrologic and agricultural management capabilities. The performance of RZWQM2-P was evaluated using data from tile-drained agricultural fields treated with both organic and inorganic phosphorus sources across the Lake Erie watershed (encompassing Ontario, Ohio, and Michigan). Results showed that the model reliably simulated monthly dissolved reactive P and total P losses via surface runoff and tile drainage, achieving a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient greater than 0.35, percent bias within ±25%, and an index of agreement exceeding 0.75 across the study sites. RZWQM2-P represents a promising advancement in phosphorus management, particularly for subsurface-drained agricultural systems.

2025 JOHN OGILVIE RESEARCH INNOVATION AWARDS

“Sustainable approaches for upcycling of industrial pea-starch waste into nanomaterials for potential agricultural and food applications” by Ashutosh Singh, Abdallah Elsayed, Guneet Kaur & Rahul Islam Barbhuiya

Pea starch obtained from pea protein processing industries has a high amylose content (40 %, w/w) rendering them unsuitable for direct food applications as ingredients. Starch is one of the natural encapsulant materials widely used in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Starch with high amylose content (above 40 %, w/w) is prone to form single helices V-type allomorph with a hydrophilic outer surface and a hydrophobic inner cavity making them suitable for encapsulation of hydrophobic compounds such as essential oils, fatty acids, and vitamins. Therefore, in this project, an in-house spraying procedure was used to synthesize nanoparticles using pea starch, to encapsulate neem oil, a natural antimicrobial compound obtained from neem plant (Azadirachta indica) seed. The synthesis of the oil-encapsulated starch nanoparticles (OESNP) was optimized using a Box-Behnken experimental design to study the influence of the processing parameters such as the initial starch concentration, homogenization speed, duration of homogenization, sample injection rate, and quantity of antisolvent (ethanol). The optimized samples showed an 80–90 % encapsulation efficiency and particle size of <500 nm. The spherical OESNPs also demonstrated sustained release of the oil compared to free oil when dispersed in water. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the coexistence of C-type and V-type polymorphs in the loaded and unloaded nanoparticles. It is concluded that the synthesized OESNPs with controlled release hold the potential to utilize industrial pea starch waste for the delivery of natural pesticides in agriculture.

2024 John Ogilvie Research Innovation Award

P. Goel, P. Daggupati, and R. Rudra

Non-point source (NPS) pollution, mainly from agricultural runoff, poses a significant threat to water bodies, demanding effective mitigation measures. Conventional approaches to mitigating NPS pollution through uniform application of best management practices (BMPs) lack effectiveness due to overlooking critical seasonal variations and specific storm events. To tackle this, a novel approach integrating temporal and spatial aspects of NPS pollution was developed, identifying threshold precipitation events and critical source areas (CSAs) within watersheds. A threshold precipitation event is defined as the maximum storm intensity in which the sediment or phosphorus generated in a watershed is below seasonal tolerance limits of sediment and phosphorus. The proposed approach was tested across diverse agricultural watersheds in southern Ontario utilizing an event based Agricultural Non-Point Source (AGNPS) model which was calibrated against streamflow, sediment, and phosphorus data. The findings reveal that frequent early spring storms occurring every 5 years in upland watersheds and every 12 years in lowland watersheds lead to sediment and phosphorus runoff. Notably, summer storms with return periods of up to 100 years did not result in sediment and phosphorus runoff. Additionally, critical source areas are dispersed throughout the watersheds, with climate-induced hydrological shifts favoring winter occurrences, while late winter and early spring remain primary periods of concern. This study highlights the importance of targeted BMP placement and adaptation strategies to address evolving hydrological patterns and NPS pollution dynamics.

La pollution diffuse (SNP), principalement due au ruissellement agricole, constitue une menace importante pour les masses d'eau et exige des mesures d'atténuation efficaces. Les approches conventionnelles visant à atténuer la pollution due aux SNP par l'application uniforme des meilleures pratiques de gestion (BMP) manquent d'efficacité parce qu'elles ne tiennent pas compte des variations saisonnières critiques et des tempêtes spécifiques. Pour remédier à ce problème, une nouvelle approche intégrant les aspects temporels et spatiaux de la pollution due aux SNP a été développée, en identifiant les seuils de précipitations et les zones sources critiques (CSA) dans les bassins versants. Un seuil de précipitations est défini comme l'intensité maximale d'une tempête au cours de laquelle les sédiments ou le phosphore générés dans un bassin versant sont inférieurs aux limites de tolérance saisonnières des sédiments et du phosphore. L'approche proposée a été testée dans divers bassins versants agricoles du sud de l'Ontario à l'aide d'un modèle AGNPS (Agricultural Non-Point Source) basé sur les événements et étalonné par rapport aux données sur le débit, les sédiments et le phosphore. Les résultats révèlent que les tempêtes fréquentes du début du printemps, qui se produisent tous les 5 ans dans les bassins versants des hautes terres et tous les 12 ans dans les bassins versants des basses terres, entraînent un ruissellement de sédiments et de phosphore. En particulier, les orages d'été dont la période de retour peut atteindre 100 ans n'ont pas entraîné d'écoulement de sédiments et de phosphore. En outre, les sources critiques sont dispersées dans les bassins versants, les changements hydrologiques induits par le climat favorisant les événements hivernaux, tandis que la fin de l'hiver et le début du printemps restent les principales périodes de concentration des sédiments et du phosphore.

2021 John Ogilvie Research Innovation Award

Contribution: Safe Use of Untreated or Partially Treated Wastewater in Agriculture                                                            

Dr. Shiv Prasher 

Field lysimeters, 1.0 m height x 0.45 m diameter, were used to determine the fate, transport, and translocation of heavy metals in irrigation water in potatoes and spinach plants grown on a sandy soil. Plantain peel biochar (1% w/w) was incorporated in the top 0.1 m of soil. Control and biochar treatments were replicated three times in a completely randomized. Results showed that all heavy metals accumulated in the topsoil. No heavy metals were detected in the leachate. Heavy metals also translocated to all parts of the potato plant, including roots, peel, flesh, and shoots. Biochar amendment significantly reduced (p<0.05) Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn in the flesh. In spinach, biochar amendment reduced Zn uptake by 42%. Yields, however, were not significantly different between the treatments.