Multiple Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) sites across Western Canada will receive field equipment and phenomics enhancements after receiving funding from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), a Jan. 27 news release from WGRF says.
AAFC will receive $3.3 million from WGRF’s capacity initiative. The release says equipment purchases will be made at multiple AAFC stations and research farms across western Canada including Brandon, Indian Head, Swift Current, Morden, Saskatoon, Lacombe, Lethbridge, and Portage La Prairie.
“WGRF’s Capacity Initiative provides an opportunity to continue the great partnership work happening at AAFC and enhance some of the equipment needed for field research programs,” Keith Degenhardt, WGRF board chair, says in the release. “AAFC is matching the $3.3 million dollar investment by WGRF, Prairie farmers will see the results of this investment through improved crop productivity and resource use efficiency.”
The equipment being purchased includes multiple plot seeders, combines, sprayers, swathers, irrigation equipment as well as field-based phenotyping equipment allowing for the automated measurement of plant characteristics such as height, nitrogen content, photosynthesis and other qualitative plant growth characteristics. The combination of equipment will benefit both variety development and agronomy research.
In total, twenty-four Phase 2 Capacity Initiative applications have been approved by WGRF, the release notes. Additional funding announcements will be made in the coming months.
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