Record $12 Million For Crop Research Invested

Jan 17, 2019

Today federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced more than $12 million in funding for 44 crop-related research projects through Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) and the Strategic Research Initiative (SRI).

The ADF and SRI programs are supported through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $388 million investment in strategic initiatives for Saskatchewan agriculture by the federal and provincial governments.

“Our government is investing in programs that support the innovative and sustainable growth of the Canadian agricultural sector,” said MacAulay. “This funding in crop research will provide Canadian farmers, producers, and agribusinesses with the knowledge and technologies they need to compete globally and boost their bottom lines.”

“By investing in crop-related research, we’re investing in the future of Saskatchewan’s agriculture industry,” Marit said. “The projects we’re investing in today consist of a variety of fields of study, including herbicide resistance, pest control, crop breeding and much more. Not only do these projects enhance our industry by creating more opportunities for producers and agribusinesses, they cement our province as a leader in agriculture research.”

ADF support is awarded on a competitive basis to researchers looking to examine areas of importance to Saskatchewan producers. A few of the project topics include: developing a weed control system for herbicide resistant wild oat in wheat, enhancing the extraction of vitamins from canola crush co-product, establishing resistance to fusarium head blight in wheat, improving protein and seed quality in peas and determining the ideal seeding date for quinoa.

The SRI is a new program starting this year with the goal of providing targeted funding to advance strategic priorities within the industry. Projects are expected to go beyond the scope and scale of work normally undertaken in ADF, pursuing innovative research that will address complex challenges facing the industry.

This year funding has been awarded to a project that will increase the quantity and quality of protein in the smooth yellow pea while advancing crop breeding technologies.

In addition to funding provided by the federal and provincial governments, projects supported through the ADF are also receiving $3.6 million in funding from the following partners: The Western Grains Research Foundation, the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission, the Prairie Oat Growers Association, the Alberta Wheat Commission and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association.

“ADF provides a great forum for producer groups to collaborate and co-fund agricultural research that improves agricultural systems, varietal development and agronomic practices,” Western Grains Research Foundation Board Chair Terry Young said. “Producers are committed to investing in agricultural research, and partnerships like this one with ADF helps leverage the investment we as producers are making in research.”

Source : Government of Saskatchewan

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.