Tender: Field-Scale Simulation and Agrohydrologic Assessment for Prairie Cropping Systems (AAFC Manitoba Research Fields)

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Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is seeking a contractor to conduct field-scale, process-based simulation modelling using measured soil, crop, nutrient and management datasets from AAFC research fields in Manitoba and to develop calibrated and evaluated model configurations to assess, at whole-field and management-zone scales, the impacts of alternative cropping systems and climate variability on crop productivity (e.g., wheat, canola, soybean, barley and other crops in AAFC datasets), soil water dynamics, evapotranspiration and water balance components, nutrient cycling and loss indicators for nitrogen and phosphorus, and long-term soil organic carbon trajectories. The work includes simulation-based evaluation of cash crop systems and exploration of integrating cover crops and/or perennial phases into Prairie rotations, leveraging established cultivar coefficients where available in process-based models (e.g., DSSAT, EPIC, APEX/ArcAPEX, DNDC, DayCent, STICS, APSIM, or RZWQM), and incorporates a parallel agricultural hydrology component using AAFC soil moisture, yield, soil physical/chemical and annual fertility datasets. The contract period is anticipated from December 1, 2026 to November 30, 2027 with an irrevocable option to extend for one additional one-year period; the solicitation is open only to Canadian suppliers (subject to any applicable trade agreements) and bids will be evaluated on mandatory technical criteria with award based on the highest combined rating of technical merit and price.