Canola research in Saskatoon will get a $7 million boost this year.
Wilf Keller, director of the National Research Council’s Plant
Biotechnology Centre, has received a $3.75 million federal government
grant to improve canola seed. Keller said the rest of the funding will
come from various partners.
Research will focus on heat tolerance to improve canola’s ability to
flower during hot June and July days and reduce days to maturity.
Keller will also study a number of issues regarding seed
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characteristics:
- Thinner seed coats to improve processing and direct more nutrients to
oil-bearing tissue creation.
- New seed types that contain specific proteins, fats or carbohydrates
for the livestock feeding industry.
- Seeds that contain novel compounds such as medicinal ingredients or
polymers for industrial uses.
“We would like to create a larger canola seed with a lower seed
coat-to-oil ratio (to) improve the feed characteristics of the meal and
reduce the anti-nutritionals that remain in the meal. We’d like to make
it a better crop for farmers.”
Most of the $7 million targeted for the three-year project will be
spent on researcher salaries and lab costs.
The federal funding comes through Genome Canada. Randy Johnston,
president of Genome Prairie, the regional division, said he hopes the
project benefits Canadian companies and agricultural producers.
