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Feds invest in crop research and development

Oct. 17, 2014 - The federal government is investing up to $2.16 million to the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) to address the crop sector's need for improved crop research and development.

According to a news release, the project aims to "better understand the interactions among crops, soils, environment and economics, and how to grow crops effectively and profitably while respecting the environment and its biodiversity."

Industry researchers, in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, will focus on several priorities, including determining the effects of rotational crops to develop crop management strategies that are beneficial to both the environment and producers, as well as studying the effective control of fungal diseases through timely applications. Other research activities will look at the interaction among plants and other soil microorganisms, and develop ways to improve the efficiency of cropping systems through the use of different inoculants. Researchers are also working to develop mobile phone apps which can be used for the integrated pest management of weeds, insects and diseases.

A previous research investment of $8.2 million under the grains cluster resulted in a number of key findings, including the effect on yields from seeding patterns, land recovery rates, and testing yields with various crop rotations.

October 17, 2014  By Top Crop Manager