More than $365,000 will be invested into four projects
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Four projects aimed at helping Manitoba’s agriculture industry remain strong are receiving funding from the federal and provincial governments.
Manitoba Minister of Agriculture announced that more than $365,000 will be invested into the various projects, including one focused on reducing the risk of a costly and potentially fatal infection in dairy cattle.
“An investment in research is an investment in the future of Manitoba’s agriculture industry,” Manitoba Minister of Agriculture Ralph Eichler said in a release. “It’s exciting because these research projects are led by farmers and the broader agricultural industry, the people who are best positioned to identify the problems that need solutions and the opportunities we should pursue.”
Funded projects include:
- $180,000 to XiteBio Technologies Inc. to determine whether bacteria living near the roots of wheat and barley can be used to help control the damage caused by fusarium head blight, a serious fungal disease that affects crop yield and quality;
- nearly $27,000 to Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers to conduct the fifth general weed survey in Manitoba since the 1970s and the third herbicide-resistant weed survey since the 1990s, as the results will help measure changes in the number and type of weed populations and assess weed management strategies;
- $50,000 to CanaMaize Seed to develop and perform yield trials on a non-genetically modified soybean that is high-yielding and suitable for Manitoba’s shorter growing season;
- more than $47,000 to the University of Manitoba to evaluate prairie cordgrass as a potential source of biomass energy as compared to other perennial grasses, with the goal of developing a breeding program in Manitoba; and
- more than $61,000 to Dairy Farmers of Manitoba (DFM) to identify more effective prevention and control programs for mastitis, a costly disease affecting dairy cattle.
Mastitis can cause decreased milk yield, lower milk quality, higher veterinary costs and even the loss of cattle. The project will study the microorganisms found in dairy cattle’s mammary glands at different times of lactation.
“Dairy Farmers of Manitoba is pleased to receive this investment for mastitis research,” David Wiens, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba chair, said in the release. “Providing excellent care to animals is a priority for dairy farmers. This research will help to continually improve the level of care we provide our animals.”