Feds invest in research to promote more diverse crop rotations

Glacier FarmMedia—The federal government is investing $5,733,852 million in funding to advance soybean, corn and oat research and promote diverse crop rotations across Canada.

“The investment of $5.7 million will help grain producers in Ontario and across the country keep their businesses strong and competitive,” Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield said at the funding announcement at Woodrill Farms Ltd. “Every dollar that we invest in research puts almost $33 in the producers’ pocket, and that’s a pretty good return on investment.”

The Cropping Systems Cluster will be led by the Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance (CFCRA) and funding is provided through the AgriScience Program – Clusters Component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP).

Read Also

Canadian milk samples test negative for bird flu

It’s so far, so good when it comes to Canada’s milk testing efforts against bird flu as all samples have tested negative thus far.

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.

The funding supports research exploring environmental and economic impacts of crop rotations integrating soybean, corn and oats, reduction of business risk through secure rotational crops, bolstering Canada’s economy and food supply in the face of climate change for generations to come, Longfield said.

“The research is going to include developing new varieties that meet the quality demands of processors and consumers and new short-season soybean varieties,” he said. “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.”

Longfield said last year, Ontario farm cash receipts for soybeans, corn and oats hit $4.2 billion, which is half of Canada’s total farm cash receipts. This is especially significant given Ontario leads in corn production and oat processing and is the birthplace of Canadian-grown soybeans.

Josh Cowan, CFCRA vice-president, said the five research initiatives have already been vetted, approved and collaborated with institutions across Canada and several stakeholders from seed to processing.

“When you look at a breeding program, it doesn’t start and stop at any point in time, but you’re constantly evaluating what you need to do and trying to improve,” explained Cowan. “So there’ll be variety releases throughout the course of the five years, as those breeding programs continue to evolve.”

Greg Hannam, co-owner of Woodrill Farms Ltd. and a director at SeCan, said plant breeding projects crops for corn, soybeans and oats bring will bring new varieties with better disease packages, stress tolerance and beneficial end-user properties to the market and provide the foundation for on-farm profitability and environmental stewardship.

Federal investment in grain research is critical because individual farms and farm associations are limited in what they can achieve. Thin profit margins hinder project financing, Hannam said.

“The opportunity to partner with government and other organizations to be able to scale research up and get more of them going,” he said. “I’m optimistic, excited and there’s comfort there as well. Because we have this (breeding research) going on, I can focus my energies on other things and other research activities.”

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.”

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

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.