By Alice McFarlane

New USask buildings to bolster agricultural research

May 23, 2025 | 9:19 AM

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has received $11.8 million in funding for two new facilities that will provide workspace for crop and soil science research and teaching.

The Harrington Plant Growth Facility and the Soil Science Field Facility will expand research programs and enhance training opportunities for students in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources and the Crop Development Centre (CDC) at USask.

The project will also include a renovation to a portion of the Crop Science Field Lab at USask to provide additional workspace for the CDC. Construction is underway and is expected to be completed in July 2026.

USask President and Vice-Chancellor Peter Stoicheff said the project is made possible by the partners and government supporters.

“These new facilities will be instrumental in advancing critical agricultural research and will set the stage for addressing global challenges as we aim to be the university the world needs.”

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Named after Dr. James Bishop Harrington, a member of USask’s Class of 1920, in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of plant breeding, the Harrington Plant Growth Facility will provide much-needed indoor growth room capacity for breeding programs. With a limited growing season in Saskatchewan, growth rooms are essential for researchers, allowing for multiple cropping cycles in a year.

The project will include an expansion in workspace capacity devoted to seed processing and storage, as well as enhanced lab spaces for analyzing field samples. Providing increased capacity to meet the needs of the CDC’s renowned plant breeding programs, the new infrastructure will improve efficiency and support research for many of the crop types essential to western Canadian producers.

The Soil Science Field Facility will better equip USask soil scientists as they address agricultural issues related to soil health and sustainability, soil fertility and plant production, Indigenous agriculture, and environmental issues such as the mitigation of climate change and its impact on agriculture.

The facility will offer a modernized, central location to consolidate soil science field research activities, featuring spaces for soil and plant drying, soil and plant processing for analytical analyses, and storage of soil and plant material from research trials.

The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) will contribute the largest share as WGRF Executive Director Wayne Thompson said, this will expand the capacity for research in Saskatchewan and Western Canada.

“Having these new facilities will accelerate the ability to develop new crop varieties and do more research into soil plant health,” he said. “Many of the things the university is already doing, but they’ll be able to do more.”

Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn, dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, said USask researchers are driving the discovery and innovation needed to feed the world.

“We are extremely grateful for this significant investment that will strengthen our research and teaching and elevate our capacity to deliver the resilient crop varieties and soil research that are critical for a sustainable future,” she said.

An additional $2.3 million will come from the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, $1 million from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture through the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership, $850,000 from the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission, and $400,000 from the Saskatchewan Oilseeds Development Commission.

Additional funding has also been provided by BASF Canada, the Saskatchewan Cattle Association, SeCan, Bob and Norma McKercher, the Saskatchewan Alfalfa Seed Producers Development Commission, the Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission, and SaskOats.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com