Saskatchewan Bulletin

SaskCanola invests in the next generation of canola researchers

“The goal of SaskCanola’s scholarship program is to invest in the future talent  of the canola industry. ”

Lisa Horn, SaskCanola Executive Director

Each year, two scholarships are awarded to students enrolled in graduate programs with projects studying canola. This investment complements the research SaskCanola invests in for the benefit of canola production and farm profitability. This year, both recipients have projects which will help Saskatchewan canola farmers with the prevention and mitigation of the effects of clubroot over the long term.

“This scholarship has paved the way for young researchers to ensure a promising outlook for canola production and I consider it a privilege to be able to research economic factors that influence crop rotations in western Canada,” expressed Blend Frangu, a recipient of the award.

Frangu’s project will examine satellite and farm level data to better understand how crop rotation decisions impact profitability. The research will also look at the impact of using policy mechanisms such as crop insurance to influence on-farm decision making.

“It is an honour to be a part of SaskCanola’s investment in innovative and collaborative research,” stated Kimberly MacKay, “this financial support will provide me more time to share the outcomes of my project in the public space to ultimately benefit the growers who are investing in me.”

The results of MacKay’s project will contribute to the development of improved canola varieties. This research will provide novel insights into the underlying factors that influence disease resistance and stress tolerance in canola.

Three graduate students – Musharaf Hossain, Zayda Morales and YanRan Tang – who received the scholarships in 2018 will be continuing their studies at the University of Saskatchewan in the areas of clubroot, microbials on canola seeds, and canola protein in food formulations.

• Blend Frangu – Project: Uncovering crop rotation practice changes and productivity impacts – Evidence from Saskatchewan canola farms.
• Kimberly MacKay – Project: Characterizing 3D genome organization in Brassica napus and incorporating 3D spatial information into the identification of complex agronomic traits.
• Zayda Morales – Project: The canola seed microbiome – A new approach towards improving crop productivity in a sustainable way.
• Musharef Hossain – Project: Identification and functional characterization of putative effectors of Plasmodiophora brassicae and their role in regulating cell death during infection.
• Yanran Tang – Project: Canola protein stabilized oleogelation of canola oil.

Undergraduate scholarship winners

SaskCanola is proud to award four $2,500 scholarships to the following deserving students that are pursuing their undergraduate degrees at the University of Saskatchewan.

All four recipients are children of Saskatchewan canola farmers. Congratulations to this year’s winners!

SaskCanola Invests in Sask Young Ag-Entrepreneurs

SaskCanola is a proud sponsor of the Saskatchewan Young Ag-Entrepreneurs (SYA). Our investment supports the SYA to provide networking opportunities for young (under 40) Saskatchewan farmers and ag professionals at both a provincial and national level, where they can exchange ideas, access development opportunities, and exchange their views on agriculture and rural challenges.

SaskCanola has a sponsored clubroot presentation on the upcoming
SYA annual conference agenda. Learn more at saskyoungag.ca.

Reminder: Follow SaskCanola on Social Media

Follow @SaskCanola on Facebook and Twitter for timely updates on the Commission’s activities, relevant on-farm canola production information,
and notifications for upcoming events.

Upcoming Events

Top Notch Farming Meetings

SaskCanola’s goal in hosting these meetings is to share valuable knowledge with farmers and agronomists and to provide an opportunity for them to connect with renowned experts.

January 21 in Sturgis
February 4 in Meadow Lake
February 6 in Moose Jaw
February 10 in Melfort

Learn the latest agronomy and research findings for canola, barley, and pulses – including new Saskatchewan clubroot survey data. Keynote presentations will focus on harvest optimization and intergenerational farm transfer. Each event will also feature an update on SaskCanola’s priorities and investments.

Visit the ‘News & Events’ section at saskcanola.com to register for a meeting coming to a location near you.