Crop reseaerch cluster to receive more than $5.7 million

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has announced more than $5.7 million in funding  to the Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance (CFCRA) through the AgriScience Program – Clusters Component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, to promote more diverse crop rotations on farms.

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The CFCRA will lead the Cropping Systems Cluster to target advancements  for soybeans, corn and oats, AAFC said in a release.

The funding will be matched by an additional $4.8 million from industry for a total investment of up to $10.5 million over five years.

Research will be aimed at reducing business risk for farmers by developing crops that are resilient to climate change and weather stresses, protect against losses caused by diseases and insects, and are profitable for producers overall, said AAFC. This will be achieved by developing oat varieties with improved traits for eastern and western Canada, as well as improving soybean varieties for short-season production environments in Canada. 

Research activities will also explore how diverse crop rotations can play a central role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and how better genetics, land management, and fertilizer use can improve nitrogen use efficiency to protect the environment, AAFC said.

Jeff Harrison, Grain Farmers of Ontario chair said in a separate release that Canadian growers “are confronting heightened global crop demands and are relying on research to secure top-tier varieties offering robust disease resistance, improved yields, and unparalleled quality, and to identify practices that may reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the environment resiliency of crop production.”  

Grain Farmers of Ontario is a founding member of the CFCRA, and also supports eastern Canadian wheat research in the Canadian National Wheat Cluster.

Grain Farmers of Ontario CEO Crosby Devitt said the investments in corn, oat, and soybean research through the Cropping Systems Cluster “will keep these crops profitable and sustainable for Ontario farmers, increasing quality and yields while finding new solutions for environmental stressors like drought and diseases. This work will also contribute to understanding practices that might allow farmers to contribute to Canada’s climate targets. Research is the key to meeting those objectives.”

The Sustainable Canadian Agricfulture Partnership (SCAP) is a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture and agri-food sector. SCAP builds on the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the previous five-year agreement that ended on March 31, 2023.

The CFCRA is a not-for-profit entity founded in 2010 with an interest in advancing the economic and environmental sustainability of field crops in Canada, particularly barley, corn, soybean, oat, and wheat. The CFCRA is comprised of provincial farm organizations and industry partners, including Atlantic Grains Council, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Producteurs de grains du Québec, Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers, Manitoba Crop Alliance, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Prairie Oat Growers Association, SeCan, and FP Genetics.