2025 JOHN TURNBULL AWARD

Dr. Patrick Brassard holds a degree in agri-environmental engineering from Université Laval (Canada) and completed a Ph.D. in Bioresource Engineering at McGill University. His doctoral research focused on pyrolysis and the use of biochar for soil amendment and carbon sequestration. During his postdoctoral research internship at the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) in Toulouse (France), he gained valuable expertise in life cycle assessment (LCA).
Currently a researcher at the Research and Development Institute for the Agri-Environment (IRDA), Patrick is committed to advancing sustainable agricultural practices. His work focuses on developing innovative approaches for the management and valorization of agricultural residues, manure, and slurry. He has contributed to numerous manure management projects, including mechanical separation system testing and the establishment of complete mass balances for manure treatment processes. Recently, he has been studying an integrated management chain combining in-barn separation, aerobic treatment of the liquid phase and dry anaerobic digestion of the solid phase. He has also played a key role in developing several technical reference documents for manure storage tank design.
In addition to his research activities, Patrick contributes to the training of future professionals by supervising graduate students as an adjunct professor at Université Laval, reflecting his strong commitment to the field of agricultural engineering.