USask College of Agriculture and Bioresources research receives $8-million boost

A total of 28 projects were funded in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, with 17 of these projects receiving funding from industry supporters. Projects range from investigating crop diseases to mapping soil carbon sequestration in Saskatchewan cropland to application of genomic tools for beef cattle producers.

“At USask, we are carrying out the innovative research needed to better understand and navigate the challenges of producing safe and nutritious food to feed a growing world,” said Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn (PhD), dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. “Funding from our industry and government partners supports research across the entire value chain, from genomics and agronomic solutions to bioprocessing and beyond, to ensure economic and environmental sustainability of our production systems for generations to come.”

The ADF is supported through the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (CAP), an investment of $3.5 billion over five years from federal, provincial and territorial governments with the goal of supporting the agri-food and agri-product sectors across Canada. The Sustainable CAP includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment for programs designed by provinces and territories that is cost-shared 60 per cent by the federal government and 40 per cent by provincial/territorial governments.

Industry co-funders include Alberta Grains, Alberta Milk, BC Dairy, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, Manitoba Crop Alliance,Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission, SaskMilk, Saskatchewan Oilseeds Development Commission, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG), Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, and Western Grains Research Foundation.

Funding from government and industry is an important part of the college’s research program, supporting the development of new technologies, products and tools that benefit the agriculture sector.

“Of SPG’s $5.3 million in new investments in ADF projects, many are spearheaded by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan. Known for its expertise in pulse research, USask has been a key partner in advancing innovation,” said Winston van Staveren, SPG board chair. “SPG is proud to support a wide range of research efforts, including studies on aphid resistance in peas, chickpea root rot, nutrient uptake, soil health, processing technologies, insect management, and more.”

Supporting the collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts needed to feed the world, USask’s Agriculture Signature Area of Research is addressing issues of food security, production efficiencies, and policy in the face of a changing climate and a growing global population.

For more information on USask ADF funded projects, see the crop-related projects and livestock-related projects announcements.

Dr. Yongfeng Ai (PhD) – Enzymatic modification and ultrasonication to improve functionality, nutritional quality, and flavour of starch-rich pulse flours – $149,000 – Co-funded by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

Dr. Yongfeng Ai (PhD) – Novel hydrothermal method to develop functional low-glycemic food ingredients and encapsulant from pea starch – $144,500 – Co-funded by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

Dr. Sabine Banniza (PhD) – Digging deeper into chickpea root rot issues – $134,989 – Co-funded by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Western Grains Research Foundation

Dr. Sabine Banniza (PhD) – Evaluating shade covers to improve reliability of blossom blight disease screening – $71,300

Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn (PhD) – A sustainable future for the Saskatchewan Soil Information System (SKSIS) – $90,668 – Co-funded by Saskatchewan Oilseeds Development Commission, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission

Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn (PhD) – Mapping soil carbon sequestration in Saskatchewan cropland – $290,400 – Co-funded by Saskatchewan Oilseeds Development Commission and Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission

Dr. Adam Carter (PhD) – Accelerating CWRS wheat improvement with multi-trait rapid-cycle recurrent genomic selection – $242,444 – Co-funded by Alberta Grains, Manitoba Crop Alliance, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, and Western Grains Research Foundation

Dr. Michael Nickerson (PhD) – Improving the gelation properties of faba bean and pea protein concentrates for application in structured plant-based products – $250,500

Dr. Michael Nickerson (PhD) – Development of a wet fractionation process for extracting pea and faba bean albumins by pilot-scale vibrational shear filtration – $149,800

Dr. Curtis Pozniak (PhD) – Alternative mechanisms for resistance to the wheat stem sawfly in wheat – $206,019 – Co-funded by Alberta Grains, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, and Western Grains Research Foundation

Dr. Curtis Pozniak (PhD) – Introducing high-protein content and early flowering alleles from wild wheat relatives while minimizing linkage drag – $160,037 – Co-funded by Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission

Dr. Sean Prager (PhD) – Developing and validation of thresholds for lygus in lentils in Saskatchewan – Funded by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Western Grains Research Foundation

Dr. Martin Reaney (PhD) – Graphene and epoxidized oil strengthen canola protein-based plastics – $180,000

Dr. Jeff Schoenau (PhD) – Revealing Nutrient Uptake and Biomass Development Patterns in Chickpea Cultivars – $32,275 – Co-funded by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

Dr. Steve Shirtliffe (PhD) – Plots Without Borders: Optimizing Methodology to Conduct On-Farm Research – Funded by Saskatchewan Oilseeds Development, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, and Western Grains Research Foundation

Dr. Ana Vargas (PhD) – Breeding the next generation of high value lentil cultivars – $337,500 – Co-funded by Western Grains Research Foundation

Dr. Ana Vargas (PhD) – Developing high-value faba bean cultivars – $167,248 – Co-funded by Western Grains Research Foundation

Dr. Tom Warkentin (PhD) – Rapid introgression of aphid resistance into pea elite cultivars – $149,645 – Co-funded by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Western Grains Research Foundation

Dr. Christian Willenborg (PhD) – Herbicide screening in spice crops II: continuing the search and generating minor use data – $179,400

Dr. Haixia Zhang (PhD) – Improving haskap quality and marketability by examining factors related to fruit shelf life, bioactivity and harvest span – $260,000

Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn (PhD) – Advancing Research, Teaching and Outreach Capacity in Animal Agriculture – $600,000

Dr. Natacha Hogan (PhD) – Improving hen health, welfare and productivity through novel yeast prebiotics – $256,000 

Dr. Eric Lamb (PhD) – Closing Litter Gaps in Saskatchewan Rangeland Reference Data – $23,470 – Co-funded by Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association 

Dr. Eric Lamb (PhD) – Efficacy of fire and herbicide for woody plant control in rangelands – $125,300  

Dr. Bart Lardner (PhD) – Application of Genomic Tools for Commercial Beef Cattle Producers – $326,000 

Dr. Gregory Penner (PhD) – Changes in weaning management of dairy calves: Are there benefits of weaning with high-quality forage? – $227,987 – Co-funded by BC Dairy, Alberta Milk, SaskMilk, and Dairy Farmers of Manitoba

Dr. Martin Reaney (PhD) – Enhancing Dairy and Egg Lipids: A Comparative Study on the Impact of Barley, Wheat, and Canola Phospholipids – $106,250 – Co-funded by BC Dairy, Alberta Milk, SaskMilk, and Dairy Farmers of Manitoba 

Dr. Peiqiang Yu (PhD) – Effects of Organic Acids on Mitigating Enteric Methane Emission by Improving Energy Efficiency in Lactating Dairy Cows – $250,500