$7.4M for crop-related research projects in Saskatchewan

Regina, SK – A total of 42 crop-related research projects are sharing a total of $7.4 million in crop-related research funding from the Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund (ADF).

In addition to the $7.4 million in research funding, the provincial government is continuing to provide $1 million in annual operational support to the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan.

“Research plays a valuable role as the pulse industry continues to grow,” says Murray Purcell, chair of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. “We are pleased the federal and provincial governments are providing this funding which will benefit producers in areas such as improved weed control and increased yields.”

By commodity, the funding is supporting research into oilseeds ($3,130,119), cereals ($2,284,975), pulses ($884,409), horticulture ($719,020) and other ($388,040). Institutions and organizations receiving funding include the University of Saskatchewan ($5,179,811), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ($1,004,100) NRC- Plant Biotechnology Institute ($719,746), Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre ($299,000), and Metabolix Oilseeds ($203,906).

The successful projects are as follows:

University of Saskatchewan/Crop Development Centre:

– Pea yield formation in warming temperatures – phenological mechanisms. Funding: $80,000. Contact: Rosalind Bueckert, Plant Sciences.

– Improving hard white wheat to meet changing quality requirements. Funding: $406,400. Contact: Pierre Hucl, Crop Development Centre

– Improving the colour of Canadian Durum wheat for premium pasta markets. Funding: $331,876. Contact: Curtis Pozniak, Crop Development Centre.

– Yield loss study of stemphylium blight on lentil. Funding: $91,642. Contact: Sabine Banniza, Crop Development Centre.

– Genomics of clubroot disease development in canola and development of in planta RNAi to impart novel resistance. Funding: $205,500. Contact: Peta Bonham-Smith, Biology.

– Evaluating wheat cultivars for variation in ergot infection. Funding: $96,200. Contact: Pierre Hucl, Crop Development Centre.

– Integrating cultural, chemical and mechanical weed management for controlling herbicideresistant broadleaf weeds in lentil. Funding: $75,000. Contact: Steven Shirtliffe, Plant Sciences.

– Physical characterization of wheat low-temperature tolerance locus to yield perfect DNA markers to develop cold hardy cereals. Funding: $249,000. Contact: Ravindra Chibbar, Plant Sciences.

– Disinfestations of stored-grain insect pests using selective radio frequency (RF) heating. Funding: $119,000. Contact: Oon-Doo Baik, Agriculture and Bio-Resource Engineering.

– Targeting insect reproduction for species-specific crop protection from insect pests. Funding: $72,000. Contact: Christopher Todd, Biology.

– Novel expedited variation creation strategy for cereal crop improvement. Funding: $118,000. Contact: Ravindra Chibbar, Plant Sciences.

– Genetic mapping of DNA markers of the different flax seed colour genes in RIL populations derived from crosses with CDC Bethune. Funding: $130,200. Contact: Helen Booker, Crop Development Centre.

– Developing deoxynivalenol (DON) screening capacity for CDC cereal breeding programs. Funding: $188,119. Contact: Curtis Pozniak, Crop Development Centre.

– Assessment of a phenotyping facility for Saskatchewan. Funding: $202,800. Contact: Dorothy Murrell, Crop Development Centre.

– New vegetable crops and cultivars suited to Saskatchewan growing conditions and market demand. Funding: $208,100. Contact: Doug Waterer, Plant Sciences

– Field performance and agronomic requirements of new potato cultivars for local and export markets. Funding: $200,000. Contact: Doug Waterer, Plant Sciences

– Soil nitrogen forms and turnover as affected by duration of no-till and N fertilization rate. Funding: $19,500. Contact: Jeff Schoenau, Soil Sciences.

– Biochars as amendments to improve fertilizer and water use efficiency and sequester carbon in soil. Funding: $194,800. Contact: Jeff Schoenau, Soil Sciences.

– FHB screening of CDC barley breeding selections 2011 – 2016. Funding: $400,000. Contact: Aaron Beattie, Crop Development Centre.

– Breeding of grapes and apples with emphasis on juice products and rootstocks. Funding: $193,220. Contact: Bob Bors, Plant Sciences.

– Endophytic Fungi: novel bioinoculants to enhance crop yield and stress resistance in Saskatchewan fields. Funding: $169,500. Contact: Vladimir Vujanovic, Applied Microbiology and Food Sciences

– Feasibility study of an “off-grid” sprinkler irrigation system. Funding: $51,500. Contact: Warren Helgason, Chemical and Biological Engineering.

– Dehumidification requirement determination and dehumidifier evaluation for humidity control in greenhouses. Funding: $117,700. Contact: Huiqing Guo, Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering.

– Determining the representative sampling size for soil testing in direct seeding fields. Funding: $122,240. Contact: Bing Si, Soil Science.

– An evaluation of soil water use efficiency for different seeding row spacings. Funding: $134,880. Contact: Bing Si, Soil Science.

– Quantifying nitrogen loss from 15N-enriched crop residues: Developing a case for the lowering of N2O emission factors. Funding: $67,467. Contact: Richard Farrell, Soil Science.

– Development of formulated canola protein-based ingredients for the food industry. Funding: $162,000. Contact: Michael Nickerson, Food and Bioproduct Sciences.

– Preparation of aqueous-ethanol-washed protein concentrates from air-classified pea protein. Funding: $68,500. Contact: Robert Tyler, Food and Bioproduct Sciences.

– Production of biolubricant from canola oil using solid catalysts. Funding: $194,000. Contact: Ajay K. Dalai, Chemical Engineering.

– Industrial products from vegetable oils. Funding: $378,000. Contact: Martin Reaney, Food and Bioproduct Sciences.

– Investigation and demonstration of close-coupled gasification combustion of raw glycerin and canola hull fibre fuel pellets/briquets. Funding: $132,667. Contact: Ajay K. Dalai, Chemical Engineering.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

– Development of high-yielding self-compatible varieties in condiment yellow mustard (Sinapis alba). Funding: $400,000. Contact: Bifang Cheng.

– Final phase research to improve “hairy canola” trait in Brassica napus. Funding: $186,600. Contact: Margaret Gruber.

– Protein allergenicity of mustard: assessment and risk reduction from seeds to products. Funding: $215,500. Contact: Janitha Wanasundara.

– Maximizing the value of canola proteins obtained from a novel fractionation process. Funding: $202,000. Contact: Janitha Wanasundara.

National Research Council of Canada

– Production of B. carinata with improved oil and seed weight and high levels of nervonic and erucic acids for the biodiesel and health sectors. Funding: $210,692. Contact: David Taylor, Plant Biotechnology Institute.

– Investigating the influence of Phospholipid signaling in canola performance under
suboptimal climate conditions. Funding: $206,150. Contact: Fawzy Georges, Plant Biotechnology Institute.

– Targeting key lipid metabolism genes to improve Brassica seed oil traits. Funding: $302,904. Contact: Jitao Zou, Plant Biotechnology Institute.

Metabolix Oilseeds Inc.

– Advanced technologies for engineering of camelina (ATEC). Funding: $203,906. Contact: Benjamin Locke.

Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre

– Develop a peanut-free replacement for whole peanut utilizing extrusion technology. Funding: $85,500. Contact: Shannon Hood-Niefer.

– Utilization of extrusion technology to produce food products from Saskatchewan-grown crops. Funding: $94,000. Contact: Shannon Hood-Niefer.

– Investigation into pulse proteins into meat and cheese alternatives
utilizing low-, medium- and high-moisture extrusion technology. Funding: $119,500. Contact: Shannon Hood-Niefer.