Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
May 22, 2025
As part of its ongoing $32 million Capacity Initiative, the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is pleased to announce its investment of $7 million towards critical facility improvements at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources for the Crop Development Centre (CDC) and Department of Soil Science.
These state-of-the-art improvements will replace outdated spaces and provide much-needed research capacity expansion.
Key features of the CDC improvements include:
- The new Harrington Plant Growth Facility providing critical indoor plant growth rooms for breeding programs and pathology research.
- New lab spaces for researchers
Key features of the new Soil Science Field Facility include:
- Improved efficiency for soil research with modern facilities.
- Plant processing, plant drying, plant threshing rooms and workshop spaces
"This investment aligns with WGRF’s commitment to increase research capacity and support the development of innovative solutions for agriculture," said Laura Reiter, WGRF Board Chair. "The new facilities will enable the CDC and the Department of Soil Science to better serve western Canadian farmers."
The Harrington Plant Growth Facility and Soil Science Field Facility will accommodate research on several crop types, including wheat, barley, canary seed, chickpea, durum, dry bean, faba bean, flax, perennial forages, lentil, oat, and pea and support research for soil health, soil fertility, and plant production.
Backgrounder:
WGRF’s $32 million Capacity Initiative
The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is a farmer-led, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing agricultural research that directly benefits Western Canadian farmers.
In 2019, the agricultural community had expressed a need to improve capacity for crop-related research in Western Canada. WGRF heard these needs and has committed $32 million to accelerate and expand crop research.
Phase 1: Building Human Capital
The initial phase of the initiative focused on expanding human resources. WGRF partnered with the Universities of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan to establish new Research Chairs, bolstering the expertise and capacity of the region's agricultural research community.
Phase 2: Enhancing Infrastructure
In Phase 2, WGRF implemented a competitive, proposal-based process to invest in essential infrastructure and tangible assets. This strategic approach aims to equip researchers with the tools necessary to accelerate crop research and deliver tangible benefits to Western Canadian field crop farmers.
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