New AgriScience Project supporting cereal and oilseed producers in Atlantic Canada

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Atlantic Grains Council (AGC) have a rich history of research collaboration along with Atlantic Canadian producers. Incorporated in 1984, AGC represents grains and oilseed producers and focuses on research for wheat, corn, soybean, oat, barley and pea crops. So far in 2024, 233 grain and oilseed farms have planted more than 270,000 acres of barley, canola, corn, oats, rye, soybeans, and wheat in Atlantic Canada.

This fruitful collaboration will continue with the latest joint AgriScience Project announced in July 2024 by AAFC, AGC and the New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island (PEI) provincial governments. The AgriScience Program, under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, aims to accelerate innovation by providing funding and support for pre-commercial science activities and research that benefits the agriculture and agri-food sector and Canadians.

AAFC will contribute more than $3.8 million to the project over the next 4 years with additional funds coming from AGC and the Maritime provincial governments. The project’s goal is to continue to forge strong partnerships between researchers and Atlantic Canadian producers to support production of grain and oilseed crops which are best adapted to climate change and help increase market opportunities for high quality products.

"We’re proud to continue this immensely important partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers, Atlantic Grains Council and producers across Atlantic Canada. This research helps producers better adapt to the unique climate and soil conditions here and can help them increase their production and stay competitive."

Benoit Girard, Director General of Science and Technology Branch, Coastal, AAFC.

The project priorities include the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN), on-farm agronomy, increasing adoption, and perfecting data management systems. The YEN began in 2019 and has since grown into a juggernaut of valuable data sharing and beneficial management practice sharing amongst dozens of Maritime producers. The YEN model helps researchers and farmers work more closely together in pursuit of higher yields by efficiently using the resources they have available (considering the amount of rain and sunlight each field receives every season). As part of the AgriScience Project, YEN will incorporate carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission reduction research.

On-farm agronomy research will focus on nitrogen management with the assessment of various enhanced efficiency fertilizers and biological tools that help producers use fertilizer more efficiently. Living Lab – Atlantic research in 2023 for enhanced efficient fertilizer-use on potato crops saw huge greenhouse gas emission reductions and researchers hope to see the same when applied to grain and oilseed crops.

Finally, increasing adoption of sustainable and profitable management practices while providing producers valuable data will help improve the competitiveness of Atlantic grain and oilseed producers ensuring sustainability of the sector and improved food security for Canadians.

“This is a made in the Maritimes solution” says Roy Culberson, chair of AGC. “It starts with producers investing in their future, collaborating as a whole sector and building strong partnerships with support from our Federal and Provincial Partners.”