Brett van Heyningen
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brettvhaafc.bsky.social
Brett van Heyningen
@brettvhaafc.bsky.social
Communications Advisor with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador. Nova Scotia born, now residing on PEI. Borderline delusional Manchester United and Montreal Canadiens fan. Opinions are my own. Also on X: @BrettvhAAFC
Sandy soils on PEI means farming practices can directly impact water. 🌱💧 #AgLivingLab Research from Dr. Yefang Jiang shows swapping red clover for soybeans in crop rotations can cut nitrogen in groundwater by 17%, in estuaries by 8%, and sea lettuce biomass by 24%.

Learn more: ow.ly/RJIT50XgtLe
October 22, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Through the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN), grain and oilseed producers in #NB, #NS, and #PEI are celebrating their latest #CdnAg achievements in crop yield, soil health, and farm management: ow.ly/HTTs50X9JTW
October 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Soil and water are connected in #CdnAg. Inputs like fertilizer can impact the water ecosystems that we rely on every day.

For #ScienceLiteracyWeek, we celebrate the innovators with @AgMuseum who protect our ecosystems, like #PEI #GCAggie scientist, Dr. Yefang Jiang.

Learn more: ow.ly/CkW350X7Jkj
October 7, 2025 at 2:39 PM
We’ll be at Farm Day in the City with the East Prince Agri-Environment Association this Sunday, October 5, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Connect with us between 10 am- 4 pm (ADT) and learn about the roots of science that supports farmers across the Island and Canada.
October 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM
There’s something on #PEI that’s destroying weeds in a flash! 🗲 Our #GCAggie biologist Nicolle MacDonald is testing the Weed Zapper, which uses electricity to destroy weeds, on horticulture crops like blueberries, potatoes, carrots, and more. Learn more: agriculture.canada.ca/en/science/s...
September 18, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Our researcher, Dr. Erin Smith, is collaborating with local farmers through #AgLivingLab #PEI to help develop other ways manure can be applied to boost yields and cut emissions. 💩

Dr. Smith is exploring injection and dribble bar that conserve nitrogen and reduce economic and environmental loss.
September 15, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Attn: home gardeners📢! Our #GCAggie scientists discovered new late blight pathogen genotypes and producers need your help to protect their tomato and potato crops. Learn more: agriculture.canada.ca/en/science/s...
August 14, 2025 at 1:31 PM
The ocean isn't the only thing making waves this summer on #PEI. This perennial ryegrass at our Harrington Research Farm appears to float in the wind. #CdnAg
June 20, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Craig McCloskey, founder of Bluefield Seeding Solutions, developed his seed sensing technology that helps producers improve environmental performance, with support from our Agricultural Clean Technology Program. Learn more: agriculture.canada.ca/en/agri-info...
June 18, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Brett Francis’ father was an early adopter of cover cropping, but now with help from the PEI Federation of Agriculture through our On-Farm Climate Action Fund, he was able to expand the practice. Hear from Brett on #TheFirstSixteen: ow.ly/7zuV50Wa4X8
June 16, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Fusarium head blight is a scary disease for #CdnAg cereal grain farmers because it’s hard to detect. Thankfully, a new #GCAggie and @AtlanticGrain developed forecasting web tool is helping Maritime farmers remove the guesswork. Learn more: agriculture.canada.ca/en/science/s...
June 11, 2025 at 6:08 PM
She found that these little critters can travel more than 60 metres into farm fields to search for other crop-attacking insects to eat and some even munch on pesky weed seeds. 2/
June 11, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Many pests are a nuisance to us and farmers, but did you know that some insects are pests to other insects and weeds? #GCAggie entomologist, Dr. Christine Noronha, studied several species of Carabid beetles, or ground beetles, on Prince Edward Island. 🪲 1/
June 11, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Long tubing is attached to the chamber, so that a greenhouse gas sample can be extracted using a syringe. Once captured, Dr. Murray and her team analyze the sample in their lab with more sophisticated equipment called a gas chromatographer. They analyze tens of thousands of samples each year! 5/
June 5, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The floating chamber is an insulated bucket with pool noodles attached, so it can float undisturbed on water in the wetland. It’s gently placed into the wetland with a long pole, as walking in during sampling can disturb soil around the chamber, forcing gases up leading to incorrect measurements. 4/
June 5, 2025 at 5:17 PM
To understand the potential of wetlands to mitigate climate change, Dr. Murray and her team regularly measure greenhouse gas emissions in wetlands with a #ScienceMadeSimple, but clever device called a floating chamber. 3/
June 5, 2025 at 5:16 PM
That’s a question our water engineer, Dr. Audrey Murray, is hoping to answer through ongoing Living Lab-Prince Edward Island research to design wetlands that can capture more carbon than they release. 2/
June 5, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Happy #EnviroWeek! Constructed wetlands on farms provide ideal habitats for biodiversity and help with water quality. But can wetlands also capture carbon to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? 1/
June 5, 2025 at 5:15 PM
New episode! 🎙️

Hear from #PEI producer Brett Francis, along with Kevin Budd #NB and Raphaël Beauchemin #QC, who have received #OFCAF funding to help them adopt beneficial management practices. #TheFirstSixteen has their stories: ow.ly/pUgI50W2T61
June 3, 2025 at 3:09 PM
#GCAggie, @ualberta.bsky.social, and @uwaterloo.ca researchers are hoping that a nature-based solution will be an “udder” success for turning dairy farm wastewater into irrigation water for cattle feed crops on #ABAg dairy farms 🐮: agriculture.canada.ca/en/node/3936 #WorldMilkDay
June 2, 2025 at 6:30 PM
The research of #GCAggie Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill on #PrinceEdwardIsland is helping farmers reduce weed germination by 60 to 95% by using the weed seed crusher during potato harvest: agriculture.canada.ca/en/science/s...

#InternationalDayOfPotato
May 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Our #GCAggie researchers and the Pye Centre in #Labrador have a cost-effective method for #CdnAg to improve soils using passively aerated static #compost systems made with local organic materials and perforated piping. 💩 🍃 📦 #ICAW2025 agriculture.canada.ca/en/science/s...
May 7, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Extending the growing season is crucial for northern #CdnAg farmers. Our #GCAggie scientist, Dr. Julia Wheeler, discovered that “mini greenhouse” technology and alternative potato varieties can help! 🥔

Learn more: ow.ly/5Fex50VbfMi
March 5, 2025 at 7:13 PM
#GCAggie scientists pinpoint important disease resistant genes in diploid potatoes (two sets of each chromosome), marking the first step toward breeding common scab resistant potato varieties for #CdnAg. Learn more: ow.ly/OLn350V7AwC 🥔
February 27, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Did you know that #NL is home to the world’s only dedicated outdoor field research site for potato wart?

Across the country, our #GCAggie scientists are using modern genomics and potato breeding to combat this disease. 🥔🔬

Learn more: ow.ly/CZTX50UZkES
February 13, 2025 at 5:27 PM