RDAR invests over $7.5 million to boost agricultural research in Western Canada

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) has announced an investment of over $7.5 million in research grants as part of the Agriculture Funding Consortium (AFC). This funding aims to deliver impactful results for Alberta’s producers.

The AFC, consisting of 18 agricultural organizations, coordinates funding to support sustainability, diversification, and growth in Western Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industry. The combined investment, including contributions from RDAR’s AFC partners, totals nearly $12 million and will support 40 research projects. This funding ensures that the projects align with industry needs, enhancing productivity, profitability, and competitiveness in the agriculture sector.

The approved AFC funding will benefit various Alberta agricultural commodities, including livestock (bees, beef, dairy, pork, poultry), crops (wheat, canola, pulses, potatoes), and feed and forages.

Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, RJ Sigurdson, emphasized the importance of RDAR’s investment through the Agriculture Funding Consortium, highlighting its role in supporting diverse agricultural projects across the province.

“This funding arrangement leverages invested dollars, a known positive impact of RDAR’s work. Amid ongoing uncertainty in our trading relationship with the United States, these projects are crucial for helping Alberta producers remain competitive, profitable, and sustainable.”

Examples of projects approved in the announcement include:

• The expansion, validation, and optimization of rapid genetics tests for herbicide resistance. (Charles Geddes, AAFC Lethbridge)
• Optimizing leafcutter bee incubator management to control the critically damaging parasitoid pest, Pteromalus cenustus. (Jennifer Retzlaff, Alfalfa Seed Commission of Alberta)
• The evaluation of a new technology to enhance cattle respiratory health. (Trevor Alexander, AAFC Lethbridge).