With $9 million from the federal government’s Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and another $8 million from grower organizations and industry, the next round of Canola AgriScience Cluster research will help strengthen Canada’s canola sector.

$17 million for 17 research projects

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The Canola AgriScience Cluster will channel over $17 million in public and private funding into four priority areas of research to support sustainable growth of the canola industry. By helping to improve yields, meet increased market demand and enhance economic and environmental sustainability, the research findings are expected to advance the growth and resilience of Canada’s canola sector.

In November, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced over $9 million in Canola AgriScience Cluster funding under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. When federal funding is combined with contributions from SaskCanola, Alberta Canola, Manitoba Canola Growers, Ontario Canola Growers Association and the canola industry, the total investment will be more than $17 million over the five-year time frame.

The Canola Council of Canada will administer the funding, spreading it among 17 projects that encompass all links in the canola value chain. Research will address four priorities:

Curtis Rempel, Canola Council of Canada vice president, crop production and innovation, speaks at the November announcement of the federal government’s new investment in canola research. “Innovation is key to unlocking the next level of canola’s success, and continued partnership on research is an essential part of that,” Rempel says. Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay (seated, right) announced the new Canola AgriScience Cluster funding under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Priority 1:

Climate change and environment

The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration from canola. Canola plays a significant role in carbon sequestration given the deep rooting nature of the crop. Research projects will concentrate on methods to further increase carbon sequestration, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer and dairy-associated methane emissions. Projects will evaluate strategies to increase nitrogen use efficiency and improve nitrogen management and methods to inform fertilizer rate recommendations.

Priority 2:

Economic growth and development

The goal is to increase canola’s global competitiveness. Three genomics projects will look to produce novel clubroot genes, gene-specific markers for precision breeding of blackleg resistant cultivars, and new canola genotypes with improved yield and abiotic tolerance. One plant physiology activity will aim to improve seed and seedling vigour. Three projects will evaluate the impact of canola meal in dairy cow and aquaculture diets.

Priority 3:

Sector resilience and societal challenges

The goal is to improve canola’s resilience in response to climatic stressors and pest pressures. Priority three will concentrate on canola breeding opportunities to produce improved climate adaptive resilient traits and flea beetle resistant traits, along with optimizing fungicide use for sclerotinia stem rot.

Priority 4:

Knowledge and technology transfer and impact assessment

This is where the Canola Council turns results into recommendations. Along with activities related to administering the Science Cluster to guarantee continued success and high impact of research findings, this priority also includes:

  • Knowledge and technology transfer. The objective is to assist scientists in sharing their findings from current and past activities with growers and other industry stakeholders. The Canola Council’s agronomy specialists will turn research results into tangible practices that can be applied on farms and disseminate findings through innovative strategies and knowledge transfer products, including Canola Watch, the Canola Research Hub, the Canola Encyclopedia and Canola Digest magazine.
  • Economic impact assessment. A network of econometric analysts will examine and provide quantitative data on the return on investment of research dollars and impact on the canola industry.