A key funding announcement in Saskatchewan could play a role in crop production in the future.

A total of $14.7 million in Federal-Provincial funding was announced in support of crop-related research. 

The funding comes through Saskatchewan's Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) and the Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).

Agriculture Minister David Marit says  $12.2 million has been earmarked for 56 ADF research projects, while $2.5 million will go to support an SRI project identifying solutions to manage root rot in peas and lentils.

Federal Agriculture Minister Laurence MacAulay says investments like these are vitally important to the future of our agriculture sector.

"These research projects will help our farmers adopt more sustainable practices and new methods to counter the effects of drought, diseases, and other environmental challenges they face."

Marit notes the ADF funding supports a range of topics related to crop breeding, improving economic practices, soil health, further advanced sustainability, as well as producing forage and feed, and adding value to commodities through processing.

Specifically, we'll see research on enhancing flax abiotic stress tolerance; determining the impact of agronomic products containing calcium on soil conditions, plant growth and greenhouse gas emissions, understanding, mitigating, and managing Group 14 resistant kochia, and developing a wet fractionation process for novel oat protein ingredients.

Along with the Federal-Provincial funding, over $4 million is coming from industry partners including:

  • Alberta Grains
  • Manitoba Canola Growers
  • Manitoba Crop Alliance
  • Prairie Oat Growers Association
  • Results Driven Agriculture Research
  • Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission
  • Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission
  • Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission
  • Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission
  • Saskatchewan Pulse Growers
  • Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission
  • Western Grains Research Foundation