The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has secured more than US$4.5 million in public funding for crop focused research, with 24 university led projects receiving support through the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF), a joint federal and provincial program supporting agricultural research in Saskatchewan.
The funding announcement was made at the Saskatchewan Crops Forum by Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri Food Heath MacDonald and Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture David Marit. The ADF is a joint federal and provincial program designed to support agricultural research initiatives with direct relevance to the sector.
USask Researchers Lead Majority of Funded Projects
In total, 39 new crop research projects received funding through the ADF in this round. USask researchers are leading more than half of these initiatives, positioning the university as the primary contributor to the current portfolio of funded crop research under the program.
The supported projects collectively address a broad range of research areas, including soil health, crop genetics, pest and disease management, protein processing, and climate smart agricultural practices. The research is intended to support agricultural producers and the wider agri food system through applied and field relevant outcomes.
The incredible agricultural research and researchers at USask are unquestionably among the best in the world. This level of support is a testament to the strength and innovation of USask’s unique agricultural research ecosystem that supports Saskatchewan agrifood producers and enables us to continue to be what the world needs in this ever important sector.
Additional Federal Support Through Strategic Research Initiative
Beyond the ADF allocations, USask researchers are also participating in a separate federally supported project focused on weed management. Multiple experts from the university are part of a research team led by Agriculture and Agri Food Canada that has received US$ 2.5 million through the Strategic Research Initiative (SRI). The project is examining the management of herbicide resistant kochia and wild oat plants, an ongoing challenge in prairie crop systems.
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Both the Agriculture Development Fund and Strategic Research Initiative programs operate under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five year investment framework running from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2028. The partnership represents a US$3.5 billion commitment by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to support competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency across Canada’s agriculture, agri food, and agri based products sector. This includes US$1 billion in federal programs and activities, along with US$2.5 billion in cost shared funding, split 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially and territorially, for programs designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
Industry Contributions Complement Public Funding
Alongside government funding, industry participation formed a notable component of this year’s research investment. Across all 39 ADF funded crop projects, 13 industry partners contributed an additional US$ 3.2 million, underscoring private sector engagement in agricultural research and production.
Agriculture in Saskatchewan and the research done at USask to support this industry are critically important. They have real implications for the people of Saskatchewan, Canada and around the world. Funding from the Agriculture Development Fund provides support for the research that drives growth and innovation.
The combined public and industry investments signal sustained momentum for crop research at the University of Saskatchewan, with funding supporting a wide spectrum of applied and systems level studies. As these projects move from research design to on ground implementation, the outcomes are expected to inform production practices, address emerging agronomic challenges, and strengthen the broader agricultural ecosystem across Saskatchewan and the Canadian agri food sector.