(file photo/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

2024 agriculture research projects

Funding for crop research to benefit Prairie farmers

Jan 10, 2024 | 12:39 PM

Western Canadian Crop Production show in Saskatoon, Sask. is the platform used each year to announce funding for crop-related research.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said a total of $14.7 million will be invested which includes $12.2 million for 56 ADF research projects and $2.5 million to support an SRI project identifying solutions to manage root rot in pea and lentils.

“Funding agriculture research is the first step to helping our producers stay competitive and profitable,” Marit said. “Our growth targets for the end of this decade rely heavily on agriculture and agri-food products. Our commitment to projects like those being funded today, with strong support again this year from our industry partners, is an investment in Saskatchewan’s innovative, export-based economy.”

The ADF provides support annually and on a competitive basis to research projects with the potential to create growth opportunities and enhance the agriculture industry’s sustainability and competitiveness.

This year’s successful ADF projects cover a range of research topics, including enhancing flax abiotic stress tolerance; determining the impact of agronomic products containing calcium on soil conditions, plant growth and greenhouse gas emissions; understanding, mitigating and managing Group 14 resistant kochia; and, developing a wet fractionation process for novel oat protein ingredients.

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An additional $4.2 million was contributed by Alberta Grains, Manitoba Canola Growers, Manitoba Crop Alliance, Prairie Oat Growers Association, Results Driven Agriculture Research, Sask Barley, Sask Canola, Sask Flax, Sask Forage, and Sask Wheat.

Another funding partner is the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) with $5.1 million of new funding for 25 crop-related research projects.

WGRF Board Chair Laura Reiter said the focus is on research that will help lead to improved crop production for farmers.

“ADF continues to do a great job of bringing together producer groups to collaborate and efficiently fund research in key areas that will help us as farmers,” Reiter said.

WGRF projects will look at improved varietal resiliency to environmental stresses and diseases for wheat, canola, pea, lentil, oats and flax, as well as research into soil health, understanding and mitigating diseases and weeds, and new strategies to improve crop production.

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) contribution of $670,000 is part of the $4.4 million for a five-year program with 15 collaborators and co-investigators from the University of Saskatchewan, the National Research Council of Canada – Saskatoon, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), will be led by Dr. Sabine Banniza at the Crop Development Centre.

SPG Research and Development Director Sherrilyn Phelps said the program will build on current knowledge to fill existing knowledge gaps and provide practical solutions to the real-world issue of root rot complex in peas and lentils.

“Root rot is the biggest challenge for Saskatchewan pea and lentil growers, and this is why SPG is contributing to the SRI,” Phelps said. “With a team of 15 collaborators dedicated to gaining a deeper understanding of root rot, there is hope for finding solutions to mitigate the risks.”

A complete list of research projects can be found here.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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