Investing in research that makes sense for farmers
Click the icons below or type a keyword in the search bar to view Alberta Grains funded research.
Click the icons below or type a keyword in the search bar to view Alberta Grains funded research.
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This 3 year project aims to quantifying the effects of long term Nitrogen and Sulfur fertilizers on crop nutrient use efficiency and N2O emissions on sulfur-deficient, grey soils. Sulfur-deficient prairie soils may be in…
Although winter wheat has been grown for many years, for most western Canadian producers it is still perceived as a new and alternative crop. Producers, ag-industry and society recognize that there is a need to develop a…
Stomata are small openings found on plant surfaces that mediate gas exchange with the surrounding atmosphere. This structure is important for photosynthesis and water use efficiency as they control the amount of CO2 inta…
Nitrogen (N) is an essential plant nutrient and, along with water, is the factor that most frequently limits crop production. In recent years, however, soil N tests have come under considerable scrutiny and criticism, le…
Moisture deficits recognized as agricultural drought and those of dispersed nature that get less “press”, if any, bring down wheat yield. Grain filling period is particularly sensitive. Statistics Canada noted after …
As spring wheat growers strive for higher yields through intensified practices and new genetics, the knowledge gap around nitrogen (N) remains far from closed. One question that arises is the role of enhanced efficiency …
This research is examining the dependence of key physical and biochemical factors underlying CWRS wheat processing quality for breadmaking as a function of genotype (G), the crop growing environment (E) and G x E interac…
This 3 year project proposes to further develop the use of the plant growth regulator class, auxins, as a tool to increase wheat grain yield grown under non-stress and abiotic stress conditions. By determining the traits…
Hail damage crop losses vary depending on intensity, timing and spatial extent in terms of growth stages of the affected crops. This 3 year research project proposes to identify wheat’s response to simulated hail damag…
This project will use systems thinking to identify synergies between advanced agronomic practices to maximize the profitability of Alberta growers. Using a systems approach, approximately 50 different management systems …
The use of sourdough in industrial baking reduces ingredient cost, achieves “clean label” solutions by replacement of additives, and the quality of bread. Fermentations are carried out at the bakery or by specialized…
This investigation will determine if early plantings of cold-tolerant cultivars coupled with optimum agronomics will extend the growing season and achieve or exceed attainable spring wheat yield with improved system stab…
This project will Determine and revise estimates of the nutrient uptake and removal of crops commonly grown in western Canada and develop a user friendly online and mobile app for determining nutrient uptake and removal …
This project will determine nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) capabilities for a range of historic and modern spring wheat cultivar and identify agronomic traits that contribute to enhancing NUE of spring wheat.
This project will focus on the economic and ecological value of biological pest control by beneficials in Prairie crops.
This project will address the decline in planted barley acres in AB that is resulting in reduced crop diversity and threatening the cropping system sustainability in the province.
The yields of new feed barley cultivars have declined or at best remained static compared to varieties registered 15 years ago in according to data from AFSC. Barley acreage are also declining by an average of 3% per ye…
This project is unique from the other biosensor projects in that it targets multiple spore types.
The goal of this project is to develop an in-field, real-time biosensor for FHB forecasting. This project comes from the same scientist that is working on Sclerotinia sensors for Canola.
Lodging and mechanical failure of the stem or root system is a significant issue in barley leading to yield reductions and economic losses for Canadian producers. The development of barley varieties with improved lodging…
Team Alberta estimated the total value of unharvested acres in 2019 at $778 million. Such huge risks to the crops can be minimized by harvesting crops as soon as they reach physiological maturity and grain can be artific…
Fusarium head blight (FHB) now affects most of Canada and can be a devastating disease. While there is currently a lack of effective management or prevention options, we know that using an integrated crop management appr…
Part of the challenge of growing malting barley is managing protein in the crop. This study aims to develop better guidelines for managing protein levels, by determining how to successfully grow malting barley after legu…
Barley holds great value for the feed industry but it is still not the first choice for many livestock producers. This research aims to increase the competitiveness of barley for swine diets by substantiating how and why…
Demand for Canada’s high-quality malt and feed barley is increasing. To prepare for and nurture this growth, it is critical that we continue to develop barley varieties with improved traits.
Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is a system that separates the area that machinery travels on from the area where the crop grows, establishing permanent traffic lanes. In this farmer-led initiative, farmers are evaluati…
Increasing demand for greater cereal crop yield often motivates increasing the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers, leading to growing conditions with lower input use-efficiencies. Commercial agricultural products availabl…
The project aims to develop barley varieties with a superior ability to take up and utilize nitrogen, so that the rate of nitrogen fertilization can be reduced while continuing to improve grain yield.
The project aims to determine if applying herbicides at night is a practical option for farmers; to generate unbiased data on the efficacy of and tolerance of night application of herbicides, and to uncover possible issu…
The project aims to evaluate the EM38 and VERIS soil mapping tools, management zone delineation techniques and agronomy options. It will provide scientific data regarding precision agriculture tools and simple protocols …
The project aims to identify superior crop rotations that minimize input costs, environmental impacts and pest problems, optimize crop production, increase profit and improve soil quality. Canola, wheat, peas, barley and…
The project aims to assess seeding systems by soil-test-based fertilizer rate interactions for canola and cereal production. Combinations of two seeding systems and four fertilizer rates are being tested using a barley-c…
Kochia populations from more than 50 sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan have been confirmed to be glyphosate-resistant. This research will provide new information on the most efficacious and cost-effective alternative her…
The project aims to develop strategies to utilize third-generation silage inoculants during forage preservation in order to enhance the feeding value and utilization of forages in cow-calf and beef cattle operations.
In the marketplace, feed barley for pigs is undervalued compared to feed wheat. Barley can contain unique properties related to the fermentation of starch and fibre that may have important implications for gut health.
Barley is a major grain in the beef cattle diet in Alberta, but not in Japan. This project aims to investigate the effects of replacing 25 per cent of the corn in the Japanese beef cattle diet with Canadian barley in ter…
The project aims to assess the feasibility of, and risks associated with, using a pre-harvest glyphosate application as a dry-down on malting barley. Preliminary results indicate that pre-harvest glyphosate, when applied…
The project aims to develop a comprehensive guide for the barley feed industry that can be used by livestock producers, the feed industry and extension specialists.
The project will explore crop management systems—analyzing factors such as in-crop nitrogen fertilizer, foliar fungicides and plant growth regulators—to maximize the profitability of Alberta growers.
The primary objective of this project was to develop barley varieties with enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The development of barley varieties with enhanced NUE presents the opportunity to lower input costs for f…
Approximately 1 million acres of cereal forage is grown in Alberta annually. Small grain forages are assumed to be among the least expensive feedstuffs for ruminants. Forage varieties are still chosen on the basis of vis…
The project aims to develop barley germplasm for western Canada in all classes of barley with improved fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance.
The project aims to generate DNA sequence data and microbial species information in order to address knowledge gaps that currently exist regarding diversity, composition and fate of microbial communities during different…
This project will provide information on which barley varieties respond best to nitrogen both in terms of nitrogen-use efficiency and effect on end quality of malting and feed barley.
Plant growth regulators (PGR) can be a very cost-effective method of reducing the incidence of lodging, which can cause barley yield losses of up to 80 per cent. However, little research has been conducted in Western Can…
The project aims to identify barley germplasm, breeding lines and varieties with resistance to a range of foliar, root and head diseases.
The project aims to develop two-row hulless food barley cultivars for Western Canada, with improved disease resistance and agronomic performance with enhanced quality traits, in order to meet the needs of farmers and the…
The project will identify molecular markers associated with important agronomic traits that will help breeders improve these traits via molecular marker-assisted selection or genomic selection strategies.
The objectives of this project are to evaluate and map several barley scald resistance genes and to create molecular markers for effective scald resistance genes for use in genetic selection.
Modern agriculture’s reliance on uniform cultivars, monocultures and rotations with limited diversity hinders efforts to manage pest issues, such as diseases. The lack of genetic diversity in modern cultivars is also f…
The project aims to 1) determine the impact of seed treatments, PGRs and fungicide timing on crop health, disease levels, productivity and quality in barley; 2) assess the interaction of disease resistance with seed trea…
The project aims to develop six-row forage/feed barley cultivars for Western Canada, with improved disease resistance and agronomic performance with enhanced quality traits, in order to meet farmers’ needs and to contr…
We plan to develop in vitro or lab-based phenotyping methods that accurately characterize disease resistance mechanisms and that can be used for quick disease resistance selection within a breeding program.
The project aims to 1) determine and contrast the effects of monocultures, mixtures, intercropping and rotational diversity on crop health, disease levels, productivity and quality in a cereal silage production system; 2…
The project aims to develop two-row covered feed barley varieties for Western Canada, with improved disease resistance and agronomic performance combined with enhanced quality traits, in order to expand market opportunit…
The objectives of this study are to increase the effectiveness of selection of two-row hulled malting varieties and to develop quality selection criteria for hulless malting lines within the Lacombe Field Crop Developmen…
The project will produce hulless barley varieties with improved agronomic performance (e.g., yield, disease resistance, lodging resistance) and quality attributes to take advantage of potential novel markets in the malti…
The project will provide important information on the best seeding-rate and nitrogen-rate combinations to optimize beta-glucan levels in Hulless barley varieties, and thus enhance the health value and market feasibility …
Progress has been made towards the completion of a meta-analysis of the relationship between barley consumption and glycemic response. A comprehensive literature search has been completed and a systematic selection of qu…
This activity supports the improvement of wholegrain barley products with regards to microbial safety as well as desirable physicochemical properties and end-use quality.
The project aims to develop two-row malting barley varieties for Western Canada, with improved disease resistance and agronomic performance combined with enhanced quality traits, in order to expand market opportunities a…
The project aims to develop six-row malting barley cultivars for Western Canada, with improved disease resistance and agronomic performance combined with enhanced quality traits, in order to expand market opportunities a…
The project will produce malt and feed barley varieties with improved agronomic performance (e.g., yield, disease resistance, lodging resistance, lower grain protein) and quality attributes for both the malting and brewi…
The project aims to improve malting barley production in Eastern Canada through identification of improved malting barley cultivars. Barley breeders with the University of Saskatchewan and Alberta Agriculture, and in Aus…
The objectives of this project are to discover genetic markers and techniques for identifying malting barley varieties.
Many farmers look to the popular yet ambiguous area of "soil health" to help buffer perturbations to their farming operations and provide long-term productivity. However, there is little information on how farmers …
This research will assess whether there may be an opportunity to extend the crop harvest beyond the grain to include some portion of the crop residues, without appreciably impairing soil health.
Research is Alberta Grains' most significant investment for a reason. Development of new, improved genetics and best management practices will be key to helping producers adapt to changing environments, government policies and both domestic and international market demands, all while maximizing their profit.