Article by Dale Cowan
Agronomy Strategy Manager and Senior Agronomist
AGRIS Co-operative - CENTRAL OFFICE
Each summer, AGRIS Co-operative welcomes a group of interns who contribute to various areas across our business. This year, alongside our broader intern team, Korina Velema, Erin Masterson Foster, and Ashlynn Spense are taking the lead on specific agronomy-focused projects and field trials that bring added value to our growers.
Korina Velema – Nitrogen Management with Adapt-N
Returning intern Korina is leading the Adapt-N project, a computer model that tracks nitrogen availability in corn fields throughout the season. It generates site-specific variable rate nitrogen maps, and this year she’ll compare its recommendations with Ontario’s traditional methods—the Ontario Nitrogen Calculator (ONC) and the Pre-sidedress Nitrate Test (PSNT). Korina will also take weekly soil samples to monitor in-season nutrient shifts and continue corn leaf sampling research that questions traditional practices around tissue analysis.
Erin Masterson Foster – Soybean Sulphur Benchmark Trial
Participating in the GROWMARK Internship Program, Erin is leading our Sulphur Benchmark Trial on Soybeans. She’ll work with cooperators to apply ammonium sulphate test strips, collect soil and tissue samples, and evaluate yield data to determine the impact of sulphur additions. Erin is also supporting a soil carbon benchmarking project in collaboration with Great Lakes Grain, gathering detailed samples to assess soil carbon stocks across select sites.
Ashlynn Spense – Agronomy Sales Intern
As our Agronomy Sales Intern, Ashlynn is supporting test plot work, crop scouting using the myFS Agronomy app, and maintaining Agtrinsic spore traps for disease monitoring. She’s also managing the Corn Rootworm Monitoring Trap Network, ensuring accurate pest pressure tracking across AGRIS locations.
Research and Results that Matter
These intern-led projects are helping us test tools, challenge traditional practices, and deliver new insights to support your cropping decisions. We look forward to sharing their findings and how they can impact your farm this season.