Grainswest - Tech 2025

Tech 2025 grainswest.com 41 “The only reason I get up in the morning is because it’s helping farmers and improving the livelihoods of our people on this island,” —Hrannar Smári Hilmarsson GREAT EXPECTATIONS Raised in villages across Iceland, Hilmarsson worked on sheep and dairy farms in southeast Iceland during his childhood. This closeness to the land led him to study agricultural sciences at the Agricultural University of Iceland in Hvanneyri, a tiny, idyllic rural community on the country’s west coast. There, he focused on soil health but turned to the genetics of woodland strawberries to complete his undergraduate and master’s degrees. With his sights set on pursuing a PhD in the United States, he accepted what he thought was a temporary role as a barley research assistant. “Fate happened,” said Hilmarsson. “I continued working on barley research in Iceland and have been here ever since.” He now leads the Vala Plant Breeding Program at the university where he once studied. The government-funded initiative aims to increase Iceland’s self-sufficiency and bolster its food supply through the production of barley, oats and winter wheat. Hilmarsson is driven by the progress he has seen in the initiative. “The only reason I get up in the morning is because it’s helping farmers and improving the livelihoods of our people on this island,” he said. Such drive is necessary to overcome the challenges he’s up against. Early in his career, he learned to take the unexpected in stride and sees surprising results as a good thing. “I’ve tried to adopt the view that problems are exciting. As a scientist, if something comes out that is unexpected, that is amazing, and you should get excited about it.” He’s confident the program will deliver surprisingly positive results. LITTLE LAND, HARSH ELEMENTS Historically, Iceland’s agricultural sector focused heavily on livestock breeds introduced by Viking settlers that include cattle, goats and sheep, grazers that rely heavily on abundant grasses that thrive in the cool conditions. A source of great pride for Icelanders, production of the animals is supported by national research programs. A 2021 report by Iceland’s Ministry of Industry and Innovation notes the country has been surprisingly self-sufficient in agricultural production. At the time, horticultural production of vegetables supplied 43 per cent of consumption, livestock farming close to 90 per cent, 96 per cent of egg and 99 per cent of dairy. Domestic grain production, however, stood at just one per cent of consumption. Icelandic consumption of sheep has declined significantly in recent years. Poultry has become the most consumed animal protein, with eggs and pork also gaining popularity. Chickens and pigs require feed containing cereals such as wheat, barley and oats, crops historically unsuited to Iceland’s harsh climate. Reliance on imported feed is considered a food security risk. To grow cereals in this northerly country is tricky. The same study admits estimates of the extent of arable land are approximate but suggests between 200,000 and 600,000 hectares are suitable for crops and fodder. It also suggests two thirds of this may potentially be sown to grain such as barley. Very little grain is now grown on the Island, but its potential is tantalizing. Much of the soil contains volcanic ash, sand and permafrost, while its high-organic, peat-based soils are deep and rich. Given their quality, said Hilmarsson, Iceland could be an agricultural powerhouse, if only it was located 10 latitudinal degrees southward. As in Western Canada, the country’s growing season runs from late April through September. However, soil and air temperature remain quite cool. Even early crops such as barley struggle to mature. Located just south of the Arctic Circle, Iceland experiences long daylight hours in summer. Though this approaches 24 hours per day in June, Hilmarsson noted Iceland gets the fewest sunshine hours of any European nation. “These daylight hours would be great if it ever stopped raining.” Close to harvest, crops face extreme pressure from heavy rain and strong winds that test straw strength and standability. Farmers commonly harvest grain with moisture levels as high Each spring, Hrannar Smári Hilmarsson travels 10,000 kilometres across Iceland to seed barley research plots. As he works against unforgiving elements and sluggish soil temperatures, his quest is to deliver self-sufficiency in grain production for the island nation.