Kristen MacMillan wears many hats — researcher, farmer, teacher and mother — and brings all of them together in her work to help Manitoba farmers grow healthier, more productive crops.
She is a research agronomist with the University of Manitoba, studying best management practices and cropping systems for soybeans, dry beans and peas to help farmers improve profitability and sustainability.
She also applies her research at home on her family’s crop and livestock farm near Marquette, where she enjoys crop scouting and caring for cattle with her husband Bryce MacMillan, while watching their young children grow into — and develop a love for — the agriculture industry, just as she and her husband did.
“In my research, I develop and extend knowledge to farmers and agronomists for crop management,” MacMillan said. “I want them to continuously improve their practices — that is my goal.”
MacMillan recently presented her research findings at Ag Days in Brandon from Jan. 19 to 21, where she spoke about improving agronomic decision-making and building resilient cropping systems.
She began her research career in 2013 after completing undergraduate and graduate degrees in agriculture and cropping systems. Raised on a farm, she developed a strong interest in crop management, particularly the science behind soil properties and plant yields. Today, her focus is on developing region-specific soybean research to support farmers in the Interlake and beyond. In fact, she began working in soybeans at the same time they started growing them on her family’s farm.
“We were asking production questions on the farm, which shaped my research mission to help answer those questions for soybean farmers in Manitoba and western Canada,” she added.
“I’m in a unique position where I can take practical knowledge from the farm and expand it through research, developing knowledge specific to Manitoba’s growing conditions.”
Researchers know there is a strong interaction between the environment and how crops grow, and that interaction drives MacMillan’s agronomy research.
“Research sometimes finds its way to the farm too,” she said. “This past year, a research team installed flux towers on our fields to monitor carbon and water exchange. Many students are collecting data on how cropping practices interact with our ecosystem.”
MacMillan said her work examines the many decisions farmers must make when growing soybeans and pulse crops, including when and how deep to seed, what rate and which varieties to plant, how to manage pests, and strategies to diversify crop management and rotations.
“All of these management decisions influence the yield potential of the crop, and that’s what I study and develop,” she said. “We are looking for the best practices and highest yield potential of each factor. Being aware of ongoing research — and even being part of it through on-farm research — is something I encourage all farms to apply.”
Through her research, MacMillan has learned that soybean yields in Manitoba are highly dependent on seasonal moisture.
“Generally, the more rainfall, the higher the crop yield,” she said, noting farmers must manage many risks, from markets and pricing to climate.
“Precipitation and temperature patterns between seasons are becoming more extreme. Whether it’s a moisture deficit or excess, or heat stress, seasonal weather conditions are becoming unpredictable, and as a research community we are exploring how to respond through crop development and management practices for continued yield improvements.”
Her research is also examining ways to improve nitrogen fixation in dry beans. Legumes — protein-rich seeds — have the unique ability to produce their own nitrogen, but dry beans have relatively low nitrogen fixation, meaning farmers rely on fertilizer. MacMillan is now asking whether dry beans can fix more nitrogen, and early research suggests they can.
She expects this work will help make cropping systems more sustainable by reducing fertilizer use and improving long-term soil health.
Balancing life as a researcher, farmer and mother can be challenging, MacMillan said, but it is made easier by her passion for all three roles and shared priorities with her husband.
“As farmers, we approach it as a lifestyle,” she said. “I am passionate about all aspects, and I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to blend them together. Seasonally, I need to realign priorities to support farming and family life, but that also adds value to my other roles.”
Fuelling her passion are the people she works with and teaches. In addition to research, MacMillan educates the next generation of farmers and agronomists — a role she takes great pride in.
“I enjoy engaging with future farmers, sharing my stories and knowledge, and hearing their backgrounds and paths into agriculture,” she said. “It’s a chance for me to help advance their knowledge, giving them confidence as they take those practices back to their farms.”
She values feedback from former students and farmers she has worked with, describing it as a “full-circle moment” when their paths cross again.
Remaining active on the farm is a priority for MacMillan, allowing her to work hands-on with crops, develop new research ideas and test theories.
She describes that connection as “bridging the gap between farmers and researchers,” forming practical and meaningful links between science and real-world farming.
For her, bridging that gap includes sharing research at events like Ag Days, publishing articles in agricultural magazines and showing students why continued investment in research matters.
“The sooner we can get information to farmers, the sooner we can improve our farming practices,” she said.
She added that recent federal government announcements about closures to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada facilities — including the research farm in Portage la Prairie, where she conducts studies — will create new challenges for research capacity. Even the closure of Stonewall’s agriculture office more than 10 years ago has shaped the extension system in rural communities.
“Our rural economy relies heavily on agriculture, and it is a public investment,” she said.
Looking ahead, MacMillan expects major technological and ecological advancements in agriculture. One study of particular interest to local farmers focuses on iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) in soybeans and how crops respond in calcareous soils.
Farmers can now map soil properties and crop potential within individual fields, allowing for more precise management decisions, and part of her work aims to explore how that technology can be used.
“Are soybean varieties best suited for IDC areas also maximizing yield in other parts of the field?” she said. “If we need to plant more than one variety, farmers now have the technology to map and plan for the best yield potential.”
She hopes future cropping systems will be resilient to climate change and that farmers will remain flexible in adopting new practices.
Overall, MacMillan said she expects Manitoba’s agriculture community to remain strong and looks forward to continuing her research in support of farmers.
