Advancements in Agricultural Research Seminar Series

The College of Agriculture and Bioresources presents a new seminar series, Advancements in Agricultural Research. The series features AgBio faculty and research chairs, highlighting research conducted in the college.

Upcoming Seminars

Stay tuned for more information on our next seminars!

Food, Bioproducts and Biotech

September 2023

Past Seminars

Plants and Soils (February - March 2023)

Chickpea and flax breeding genetics at the CDC: a journey of two superfoods

Dr. Bunyamin Tar'an, Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair in Chickpea and Flax Breeding and Genetics

The chickpea and flax breeding programs at the CDC focus on the development of superior chickpea and flax cultivars for western Canadian environments. In Saskatchewan chickpea is best adapted to the brown and dark brown soil zones. The growth of chickpea production in western Canada depends on the development of new cultivars with high yield, early maturity, and improved resistance to ascochyta blight disease, which will enable the crop to be grown over a larger area with reduced production risk. Breeding efforts are directed to develop high yielding chickpea cultivars with early maturity, improved disease resistances and acceptable seed quality characteristics. The flax breeding program focuses onmaking the crop more competitive, widely adapted, while maintaining its high quality. The breeding goals include higher seed yield with improved resistance to diseases (such as pasmo, fusarium wilt, rust and powdery mildew), early maturity, improved straw management, visual seed appearance and seed nutritional quality. Climate change has posed a new challenge to chickpea and flax production. We are currently exploring the genetic components associated with the abiotic stress tolerance in chickpeas that will allow us to develop cultivars with better adaptability to adverse environmental conditions. Efforts to widen the genetic base and enhance the knowledge of the genetics of important traits in chickpea and flax are underway. Genomic technology at different levels is being put together to help to achieve the chickpea and flax breeding objectives. In addition to chickpea and flax, Dr. Tar’an also works on the genetic improvement of coriander and caraway for resistance to blossom blight.

March 28, 2023

Keeping a finger on the pulse of pulse crop pathology

Dr. Sabine Banniza, Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair in Pulse Crop Pathology

The pulse crop pathology program was initiated in 1998 to support the pulse breeding programs at the CDC and develop knowledge and tools for the management of diseases in the expanding pulse industry in Saskatchewan. Much of the early research was focused on developing management tools for newly emerging diseases, such as ascochyta blight in chickpea and in collaboration with the provincial plant pathologist led to the development of a decision support system for fungicide applications. Large scale population studies were conducted on the causal organism, Ascochyta rabiei of this disease in chickpea, and the lentil pathogen Ascochyta lentis, revealing shifts in the populations to higher virulence and an erosion of resistance in widely grown cultivars. A considerable amount of research has concentrated on Colletotrichum lentis, causal agent of anthracnose of lentil, whose genome was sequenced and interaction with the host has been dissected in detail. In the last 10 years, emerging root rot pathogens, particularly Aphannomyces euteiches and Fusariumspp. have taken center stage with the objective to identify durable resistance in pea, lentil and chickpea.

March 21, 2023

Past and current research in the cereal and flax pathology program

Dr. Randy Kutcher, Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair in Cereal and Flax Crop Pathology

Since 2011, the cereal and flax pathology program has provided tools and knowledge to Saskatchewan growers for disease mitigation or control. The program supports the pathology needs of plant breeders at the Crop Development Centre and conducts research into integrated pest management strategies. Stripe rust, Fusarium head blight, and recently bacterial leaf streak of wheat and barley; pasmo and wilt of flax; and leaf mottle and Fusarium seed infection of canaryseed have been, and continue to be important diseases for Saskatchewan growers. Our objectives are to increase our knowledge of these diseases in the province to better inform plant breeders of the characteristics and genetics of the causal pathogens and provide research findings to improve disease management strategies for growers and agronomists.

March 14, 2023

Pea and soybean breeding

Dr. Tom Warkentin, Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair in Pulse Crop Breeding and Genetics

The field pea breeding program at the Crop Development Centre (CDC) aims to develop high yielding cultivars with resistance to powdery mildew, improved resistance to the ascochyta blight and root rot complexes, improved resistance to lodging, and improved end-use quality for export and domestic markets. These goals are addressed in collaboration with local, national, and international collaborators. To specifically address the breeding goals, research is conducted to identify pea germplasm with enhanced resistance to environmental stresses, particularly heat and drought, to improve the market value of field pea in terms of seed visual appearance, nutritional quality, culinary properties, flavour profile, and functional properties including milling, baking, and cooking, to develop and utilize genomic tools for key traits. The CDC pea breeding program has released some 40 cultivars over the past two decades and these cultivars have approximately 65 percent market share in the Canadian prairies. The soybean breeding program at the CDC is younger than the pea program. It aims to develop maturity group 000, high-yielding, high protein soybean cultivars for the northern frontier production regions. The first CDC soybean cultivar releases are expected in the coming year or two.

March 7, 2023

Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management: 40 Years and Forward

Dr. Jeff Schoenau, Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair in Soil Nutrient Management

This seminar highlights research work and accomplishments in the soil fertility and nutrient management research program led by Dr. Schoenau from 1980s to present. An overview of work in fertilizers, organic amendments, cropping systems, and soil quality from an agronomic and environmental perspective is provided.

February 14, 2023