We do not have safer cars by chance. We would not have the computers of today without research. There is science behind human flight, and tons more to be completed if we hope to leave this planet to live on another one day. The list goes on.
It is, of course, the same in agriculture where research by scientists is crucial, from best practices in fertilizer application to weed control to the particular traits developed in the grown varieties.
Given that the crops farmers grow around the world feed everyone, either directly as grains and oilseeds or converted into the milk and eggs, bacon and beef steak we eat, every step in varietal development is important.
Grains feeding us is also a good reason for the public to play a role in that research through an investment of dollars, which ultimately means tax dollars funding good science.
It was good news for both farmers and the public when Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture, and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced recently that a total of $9.1 million in funding would be provided for new crop-related research projects in 2022.
This year’s funding will support 55 crop-related projects in Saskatchewan through the province’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF).
Producers, in-turn, stepped up too. Adding their dollars to work with approximately $4.1 million contributed by a range of industry partners supporting these projects, including wheat, canola and flax producer groups.
Of course, having producer dollars on the table is important as they stand to benefit first from developments achieved. It is also producers who know best what areas of advancements in crop production would best help them be successful, so they are a key guide to point researchers down the right paths of study.
In a release from the University of Saskatchewan highlighting more than $5.7 million in funding, it was noted projects would range “from plant-based edible 3D printing and packaging to using drones for monitoring crops and soil health.”
The funding came through Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) and was awarded to 25 USask researchers to support 34 projects. The return on this investment will not be an immediate one, but the dollars spent now are good ones as they will help forge a better farming future, and that means a continued source of food on our tables.
- Calvin Daniels
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Disclaimer: opinions expressed are those of the writer.
