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More than $1.6 million for crop research funded

FEB. 15, 2017 – The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing more than $1.6 million in eight research projects dealing with a wide range of issues facing crop producers, Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced at the CropConnect conference in Winnipeg today.

Project funding is provided through the Grain Innovation Hub, which was announced by the Canada and Manitoba governments in May 2014. Its goal is to leverage $33 million in government and industry funding to solidify Manitoba’s place as a leader in grain research, production and processing. 

The funded organizations and projects include:

·      D.L. Seeds Inc., to purchase specialized equipment needed to improve genetic disease resistance in canola (nearly $135,000)

·      Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA), for four projects focused on reducing the contamination caused by Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat, developing a commercial malting barley variety with improved pre-harvest sprouting tolerance, developing better nitrogen fertilizer management strategies for high-yielding spring wheat, and identifying the most efficient and environmentally friendly strategies to reduce the damage caused by FHB in spring wheat (nearly $590,000)

·      151 Research Inc. and their partners – the University of Manitoba Electromagnetic Imaging Lab, the University of Manitoba’s Canadian Wheat Board Centre for Grain Storage Research and the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute – to test remotely-monitored 3D imaging and grain drying systems able to dry grain to the desired temperature and moisture content ($189,000)

·      Canadian Triticum Applied Genomics 2 Project, a partnership of industry, government and Canada’s genomics agencies, to conduct research at the federal agricultural research station in Morden to identify and clone wheat genes responsible for higher yields and resistance to a variety of environmental stressors ($390,000)

·      SeCan, to develop a semi-dwarf wheat variety for the eastern prairies with higher yields, improved disease resistance and strong straw ($300,000)

The ministers noted industry partners will contribute another $4 million toward these research projects, highlighting the important research partnership between governments and the agricultural sector.

The federal and provincial governments are investing $176 million in Manitoba under Growing Forward 2, a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial policy framework to advance the agriculture industry, helping producers and processors become more innovative and competitive in world markets. For more information, visit www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture under Growing Forward 2.

February 15, 2017  By Top Crop Manager


Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Richler at the Crop Connect conference today

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