USask Adjunct Professor Dr. Breeanna Kelln and BCRC's Stacey Domolewski present Dr. Bart Lardner with the 2026 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Winnipeg. (Image Credit: (submitted photo/Beef Cattle Research Council))

By Alice McFarlane

Outstanding Research recognized

USask Professor presented with national award

Aug 20, 2026 | 4:51 PM

A nationally and internationally recognized leader in beef cattle management and forage production has been recognized with one of the Canadian beef industry’s top honours.

Dr. Bart Lardner is the recipient of the 2026 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. It was presented at the Canadian Beef Industry conference in Winnipeg.

Dean Manning, chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), said Lardner’s research has helped producers reduce costs while maintaining performance and profitability.

“Committing to ensure beef producers see value from research investment while supporting the next generation is greatly respected and appreciated,” Manning said.

Lardner is a professor and researcher at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources and is the current Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair in Cow-Calf and Forage Systems. His work focuses on the management and nutritional requirements of cow-calf, replacement heifers, and feeder animals. For more than two decades, Lardner’s applied research has shaped everyday practices on Western Canadian farms and ranches—from winter grazing and bale feeding to water quality management and heifer development.

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His research emphasizes lowering production costs while maintaining profitability, with lasting impacts on grazing systems, forage use, and management decisions. Water quality studies showed up to 9 per cent higher weight gains, leading to widespread adoption of off-site watering systems now supported by government programs.

He introduced forage varieties and validated delayed swathing for winter grazing, increasing yield, and adding 30 grazing days. In addition, his work challenged traditional heifer development by showing breeding at 55 per cent of mature weight maintaining fertility while saving $60 per head.

Beyond his research, Lardner is highly regarded for teaching and mentoring future researchers. He leads an active graduate program, supervising over 25 graduate and numerous undergraduate students.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Alice McFarlane

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USask Professor presented with national award

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