By Alice McFarlane

$15 million assigned to 53 crop research projects on the Prairies

Jan 17, 2025 | 11:09 AM

The first annual SaskCrops Forum at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon, Sask. was the chosen venue to announce $9.4 million in funding for crop-related research.

Through Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), there will be 53 research projects on a variety of topics

Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay said the funding will investigate solutions to production issues and boost a farmer’s bottom lines.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison said over the last five years, the province has invested almost $50 million into crop-related research through the ADF.

“That’s the kind of support that helps our producers stay competitive and profitable in international markets and helps Saskatchewan to keep setting the bar higher for sustainable practices and innovation in agriculture,” Harrison said.

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The ADF uses an annual competitive process to support selected research projects. The range of topics covered by the 2025 ADF projects include mapping soil carbon sequestration in Saskatchewan cropland, examining alternative genetic mechanisms for resistance to the wheat stem sawfly, and studying the effects of a pea-based beverage on bone health to prevent osteoporosis and bone fracture.

University of Saskatchewan crop research projects will receive the lion’s share of ADF funding at $4.18 million for 23 crop and cropland-focused research projects.

The industry partners also provide funding to support research with an additional $5.4 million contributed by Alberta Grains, Manitoba Crop Alliance, Mustard 21 Canada, Sask Barley, Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission, Sask Oilseeds, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Sask Wheat and the Western Grains Research Foundation.

Sask Wheat Board Chair Jake Leguee said the funding supports Sask Wheat’s research priorities in areas such as disease and insect pressures, weed management, fertilizer management, germplasm and trait development.

“These investments will work to address growers’ top concerns and work to improve profitability and competitiveness,” he said.

Sask Barley said it was committing $124,609 to fund barley research over the next four years. Research Committee Co-Chair Cody Glenn said these initiatives address concerns identified by the barley sector.

SaskOilseeds will provide $781,432 to support eight new research projects over the next four years with the goal of developing solutions to issues that limit production. Some of the projects include generating next generation clubroot resistant canola varieties with advanced gene editing technologies and developing verticillium stripe disease management strategy in canola.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @farmnewsNOW