Forage Seed Research Funding Announced
On January 14, 2020 federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie Claude Bibeau and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced more than $11 million in funding for 47 crop-related research projects through Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) and the Strategic Field Program (SFP). ADF and SFP are supported through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $388 Million investment in strategic initiatives for Saskatchewan agriculture by the federal and provincial governments.
In addition to the government funding the ADF projects are receiving $8.7 million in funding from the following co-funding partners: Western Grains Research Foundation, Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission, Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission, Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association, Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission, Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission, Saskatchewan Cattlemens’ Association, Genome Canada, and the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition.
The full press release, Governments Invest $11 Million To Support Agriculture Crop Research, is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2020/january/14/ag-crop-research
Three new forage seed research projects were included in the funding announcement from ADF. The projects are receiving $316,488 from the following organizations: The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board, Alberta Beef Producers, the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission and the Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission.
1. Developing hybrid bromegrass with improved neutral detergent fibre digestibility, a 3-year project led by Dr. Greg Penner, with collaborator Dr. Bill Biligetu (UofS). The project will receive $87,060 from ADF, $25,000 from the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association and SFSDC will provide $2,000.
Project objectives:
Evaluate hybrid bromegrass populations for NDF digestibility and growth characteristics in a sward density trial;
Develop new breeding lines of hybrid bromegrass with enhanced NDF digestibility;
Develop an NIR calibration to rapidly assess NDF digestibility; and
Establish a new half-sib progeny nursery to evaluate heritability of NDF digestibility trait in bromegrass.
2. Development of meadow brome and cicer milkvetch varieties for stockpiled grazing in western Canada, a 5-year project led by Dr. Bill Biligetu (UofS) with collaborators: Dr. Surya Acharya (Lethbridge Research Centre Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/AAFC), Dr. Bart Lardner (UofS), Dr. Joseph Robins (USDA- Utah) and Dr. Bruce Coulman (UofS). The project will receive $193,928 from ADF, $50,000 from the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, and SFSDC will provide $2,500.
Project objectives:
Select meadow bromegrass populations for stockpiled grazing in late fall;
Select cicer milkvetch populations for improved germination, seedling vigor, and high late fall forage yield;
Conduct transcriptomic analysis for seedling vigor in cicer milkvetch and identify unique alleles associated with seedling vigor; and
Develop optimum ratio of meadow brome-cicer milkvetch mixtures for stockpiled grazing in late fall.
3. Investigating the role of copper fertility in ergot infestation of forage crops, a 2-year project led by Dr. Jillian Bainard (Swift Current Research Centre-AAFC) with collaborators: Dr. Sean Asselin, Dr. Jeff Schoenau (UofS), Dr. Jim Menzies (Morden Research Centre-AAFC), Dr. Ron Knox (Swift Current Research Centre-AAFC) and Dr. Bill Biligetu (UofS). The project will receive $48,000 from ADF, $12,500 from the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, and SFSDC will provide $2,000.
Project objective:
To determine the impact of soil copper fertility levels on ergot infection in forage crops.