Daniel Colcuc
Role: HQP Scholar
Degree: M.Sc.
Project: Effectiveness of Various Cover Crops to Access Phosphorus From Struvite Fertilizer and the Effect on Subsequent Crop’s
Department: Department of Plant Agriculture (OAC)
What inspired you to pursue your current degree?
I grew up on a fruit and cash crop farm, so I knew from an early age I wanted to be involved in agriculture. As for attending Guelph, I really wanted to meet similar-minded people, who all share the same passion for agriculture that I do.
What about your research area excites you?
I am excited about how my research can be directly applied to a farmers’ management plan. It has a very practical purpose as both a cost analysis, but also a looking at environmental benefits of various cover crops.
What challenges do you find in your research, and how do you try to overcome them?
There is a lot of research that has been conducted on cover crops, however, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the foraging aspect of them. Therefore, this challenge can be overcome through talking to farmers and industry experts to gather as much knowledge as possible, to hopefully see the best results.
How would you describe your research and the implications of your project?
My research is focused on finding alternative crops which can provide a nitrogen credit to the subsequent corn crop, and provide a reliably yielding forage crop, which a farmer can gather additional revenue from. For farmers, this would provide extra incentive to plant cover crops, rather than either leaving the field fallow after wheat.
What are three of your favourite activities outside the lab?
Golf, working out, and guitar
What is one important thing you have learned during the pandemic?
How important it is to stay on top and take care of your mental health.
