Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart recently announced nearly $550,000 in new funding through the Agricultural Demonstration of Practices and Technologies Program (ADOPT). Sixty-six producer-led projects will receive funding to promote the adoption of new technologies and production methods to benefit Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers.
"The Government of Canada is committed to putting the technology farmers need directly into their hands," said Ritz. "The ADOPT program helps demonstrate and evaluate innovative ideas on the Saskatchewan landscape so that they can be put into practical use as soon as possible."
"Investing in research is a priority for our government and critical to the success of farmers and ranchers," Stewart said. "These projects help producers incorporate new technologies into their operations resulting in long-term benefits for farmers, ranchers, the industry and our province."
Project proposals submitted to the program were designed to demonstrate a wide range of innovative ideas, from crop protection products and nutrient supplements, to new farm management techniques and new crops for the prairies. Projects receiving funding this year include: Responsiveness of oats to nitrogen and fungicide; Inoculant effect on peas; Corn grazing demonstration; Optimal nitrogen rate for camelina; Maximizing fungicide benefits in wheat and barley; Effects of fungicide and canola variety selection in the development of sclerotinia; Greenhouse vegetable demonstration and tour; Timing of fungicide application for disease control in saskatoon berries; Canola seeding speed demonstrations; Managing herbicide resistance in wild oats; The timing of weed control in herbicide tolerant canola; Input study for canola and flax; and Reclaiming saline soil using perennial forages.
"We appreciate this support to help get the latest in agriculture technology and innovation out to the fields," SARM President David Marit said. "Research is critical to the future of our agriculture industry and I know many producers will be interested to see how these projects can help benefit them on their farms."
The 2012 Saskatchewan Agriculture budget includes a record $20.4 million for agriculture research, an increase of 50 per cent since 2007. Since 2008, the federal and provincial governments have made almost $2 million available to producers through the ADOPT program, which has led to the introduction of new farming methods and technologies to benefit Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers.
ADOPT funding is provided under the federal-provincial Growing Forward framework.
