Saskatchewan Bulletin
New Year, New Look and Leadership for SaskOilseeds!
SaskOilseeds is celebrating its official amalgamation by launching a progressive new look!
“Our new brand identity reflects SaskOilseeds’ vision of growing producer prosperity,” says Tracy Broughton, executive director of SaskOilseeds. “The thoughtful, interpretive icon starts as an outline of Saskatchewan enveloping a seedling that intentionally resembles a book, to depict the commission’s primary priority of funding canola and flax research.”
SaskOilseeds’ new look includes a logo complete with symbolic icon and the commission’s new name, accompanied by a colour palette that includes nods to research with innovation green, canola with vibrant yellow and flax with rich blue, rounded out with a punchy orange to tie in Saskatchewan sunsets.
“SaskOilseeds’ brand identity solidifies a positive merger that will streamline operations, enhance research initiatives, and provide a unified voice for oilseed growers in the province,” says Dean Roberts, chair of SaskOilseeds who farms near Coleville.
SaskOilseeds began rolling out its new brand in January. While a friendly landing page greets visitors now, the commission’s extensive new website will launch later this year.
In addition to its brand launch, following the Annual General Meeting on January 15, the newly formed SaskOilseeds’ board voted to appoint Dean Roberts as Chair and Codie Nagy as Vice Chair to provide leadership for the upcoming year.
Federal & Provincial Research Tax Credits
The Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentive program is the largest government initiative designed to encourage and support research and development in Canada. To qualify for these incentives, research must align with one of two core objectives: advancing scientific knowledge or achieving technological progress, or engaging in systematic investigation or exploration in a scientific or technological domain through experimentation or analysis. Work categories encompass basic research, applied research and experimental development. Notably, SaskOilseeds strategically invests farmer levy dollars into research and development. As a result, farmers who retain their levy with SaskOilseeds gain the advantage of claiming SR&ED tax credits on their income tax. For the 2024 crop/tax year, 27.6 per cent of a producer’s canola levy is eligible for the federal SR&ED tax credit.
In addition, farm corporations may also claim 18.3 per cent of their canola levy contributions as a qualifying expenditure towards the SR&ED credit program for the 2024 crop/tax year.
To read more about the tax credits, visit the SaskCanola page on Research Tax Credits.
On-Farm Research Trial Program Results from 2024
In the program’s second year, SaskOilseeds’ Top Notch Farming trials have reached new heights and expanded significantly!
Building on the success of its first year, the program maintained its focus on field-scale research, delivering valuable insights and solutions directly to canola farmers. By investing levy dollars into research that has immediate, practical applications at the farm level, SaskOilseeds reaffirms its commitment to enhancing producer prosperity. The excitement and growth in 2024 are a testament to the program’s impactful contributions to the farming community! The program started in 2023 with one protocol and 10 sites and grew to four protocols and 23 sites in 2024.
Foliar-Applied Nitrogen Fixing Biological Products Trial ~ 8 sites
The objective of this trial was to determine agronomic and economic benefits of applying a commercially available, foliar-applied nitrogen-fixing bacteria product in canola under various management, soil and weather conditions in Saskatchewan. Producers could choose which product they wanted to use. Of the eight sites, two used Envita, five used Utrisha and one site used both products. Overall, trials showed no detectable differences in plant densities, yield or grain quality with the application of these products. Since there was no significant yield differences, the most economical option is the check.
Split or Top Up Nitrogen Trial ~ 4 sites
The objective of this trial was to determine agronomic and economic advantages to a split nitrogen (N) application or top-dressing N compared to applying all nitrogen at seeding. Trials measured canola yield, quality and economic return under various soil and weather conditions in Saskatchewan. Producers could choose between a split N application where the treatments consisted of a 100 per cent N application at seeding and a 70 per cent N application at seeding plus a 30 per cent N application in-crop, or a split application with the same treatments as the previous option plus an additional treatment of 100 per cent of the N applied at seeding plus additional N added in crop. When data from all four sites were combined, significant trends were observed between fertilizer treatments and protein, as well as between fertilizer treatments and moisture content.
Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizer Trial ~ 3 sites
This trial examined different ratios or proportions of treated and untreated N fertilizer using an enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer (EENF) product of choice, compared to 100 per cent untreated N fertilizer. It measured canola establishment, yield and quality under various management, soil and weather conditions in Saskatchewan. Three treatments for this trial were 100 per cent untreated nitrogen fertilizer, 25 per cent treated with EENF product and 75 per cent untreated N fertilizer, and 50 per cent treated and untreated. When all three sites were combined, there were significant trends, but they may be attributed to location rather than treatments.
Seeding Rate Trials ~ 8 sites
This trial examined the range of canola survivability rates on commercial farms and the optimal seeding rate to achieve adequate plant densities and maximize yield under various management, soil and weather conditions in Saskatchewan. Producers had the choice of seeding rate treatments between a low, medium and high range. Due to varying seeding rates and variability, density groups were established according to plant counts conducted in the field and counts at the two- to four-leaf stage were used for the combined analysis. Group one was grouped together because yield increased with higher seeding rates. Notably, medium-high (8-12 plants per square foot) densities achieved the highest yields. In contrast, group two showed a significant linear regression where yield decreased with increased seeding rates.
To provide meaningful data, protocols required a minimum of three replicates per site and randomized to account for field variability. Data was collected prior to seeding and throughout the growing season, as were samples from each replication at harvest for protein and oil content testing. For detailed summaries from each site and combined site statistics, including the protocols and data collected, visit saskoilseeds.com.
We continue to actively seek input from farmers and agronomists to shape future projects, and cultivate a collaborative network between SaskOilseeds, farmers, agronomists and research specialists.