$1.2M for green agriculture research

Kelowna, BC – The University of British Columbia (UBC) has received funding of $1.2 million from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to study how water conservation practices can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The university will use the funding to develop beneficial management practices for irrigation that mitigates greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration in orchards in the Okanagan and Fraser Valleys. Results of the research will allow producers to improve their production efficiency and minimize their impacts on the environment while continuing to produce top quality fruit.

“Soil and plant science teaches and informs us in significant ways about the influence of agricultural practices on the ecosystem,” said Miriam Grant, vice provost and dean of Research for UBC’s Okanagan campus. “The investigations undertaken by UBC scientists Melanie Jones, Louise Nelson and Craig Nichol will improve our understanding and help increase yields.”

The funding is provided through the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program,  a five-year, $27-million initiative that focuses on the development of on-farm greenhouse gas mitigation technologies.