Today, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald and Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture David Marit announced $9.7 million to support crop research in Saskatchewan.
This investment includes $7.2 million to support 39 new crop research projects through the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) and $2.5 million through the Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) to study the long-term management of herbicide-resistant kochia and wild oats.
ADF projects are selected through an annual competitive process to identify research with the potential to help Saskatchewan's farmers remain innovative, profitable and competitive. This year's crop projects include a range of topics, including: evaluating the performance of subsurface drip irrigation; identifying new ways to build resistance to wheat stem sawfly; enhancing tolerance to drought and phosphorus deficiency in lentil crops; managing riceworm infestations in northern Saskatchewan wild rice production; and validating bale wrapping material made from flax straw and oat hulls.
The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan work closely with industry partners on ADF projects to leverage funding to support research that aligns with industry priorities. This year, projects are supported by an additional $3.2 million from 13 industry partners, including:
- Alberta Canola Producers Commission
- Alberta Grains
- Alberta Pulse Growers
- Canary Seed Development Commission of Saskatchewan
- Manitoba Canola Growers
- Manitoba Crop Alliance
- Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR)
- Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley)
- Saskatchewan Oat Development Commission
- Saskatchewan Oilseeds Development Commission (SaskOilseeds)
- Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG)
- Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (SaskWheat)
- Western Grains Research Foundation
The SRI provides targeted funding to address complex challenges facing the agricultural sector. The 2026 SRI project, led by Dr. Shaun Sharpe at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), will accelerate development of sustainable solutions for producers to manage herbicide-resistant kochia and wild oat. The collaborative initiative involves a multidisciplinary team from AAFC, the Universities of Saskatchewan, Regina, and Manitoba, and the National Research Council. The multi-year research project represents a $3.2 million research investment with $2.5 million in government funding and $730,000 from SaskWheat, SPG, SaskOilseeds, SaskBarley, RDAR and Alberta Grains.
The ADF and SRI are supported through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada's agriculture, agri-food, and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities, and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
