The Western Grains Research Foundation has announced another investment aimed at increasing agricultural research capacity on the Canadian Prairies.
The WGRF will provide nearly $276,000 to the Conservation Learning Centre, an Agri-ARM research facility located south of Prince Albert, Sask. The money will allow the CLC to acquire a new plot combine that will be used for various research projects and agronomic trials.
The funding announcement is part of the WGRF’s $32 million Capacity Initiative aimed at facilitating more agricultural research at regional facilities across Western Canada.
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“The Conservation Learning Centre is an integral part of the Agri-ARM network of research and demonstration sites across the province of Saskatchewan,” said WGRF chair Keith Degenhardt in a Feb. 10 news release.
“The purchase of a new plot combine increases efficiency and allows the CLC to continue to expand its research capacity for a wide variety of agronomic trials.”
Along with collaborating organizations, the Conservation Learning Centre conducts a variety of research projects that are of interest to Canadian producers.
Organizations involved in CLC research projects include the University of Manitoba, the University of Saskatchewan, the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute and numerous commodity groups.
“The Conservation Learning Centre is thrilled and thankful to have secured such a key piece of research equipment,” said CLC manager Robin Lokken.
“This plot combine (will provide) … better quality data, and in the future will allow the CLC to increase the number and scale of research projects on site, providing producers with more relevant and local information.”
The WGRF is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization investing in agricultural research that benefits western Canadian farmers.
Since 1981, the organization has funded more than $200 million of research in field crops of interest to western Canadian farmers.
The foundation’s $32 million Capacity Initiative is aimed at accelerating and expanding crop research in the West.
Phase 1 of the initiative was focused on expanding human resources at research organizations and universities in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Phase 2 will make investments in infrastructure and tangible assets that are needed to accelerate crop research.
WGRF is projecting more than $53 million of research funding over the next four years for new and ongoing initiatives.
Contact brian.cross@producer.com
