GrainsWest Tech 2020

Tech 2020 Grains West 48 New chairs set the table for innovation Expert insight GRAIN SCIENCE NEWS If you thought being the new kid in school was a lot of pressure, try being the new research chair at a place of higher learning. With the support of industry groups, three agricultural chairs recently appointed by western educational institutions are tasked with prioritizing and planning research efforts. As they take a seat at the farm research table, they aim to contribute to the betterment of the Prairie grain industry. MARYSE BOURGAULT A crop physiologist by training, Maryse Bourgault appreciates the value of re- search in terms of dollars and cents, but said it must also be relevant to farmers. It’s a perspective that will drive much of her activity as the first Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF)-funded integrated agronomy research chair at the University of Saskatchewan, a posi- tion that includes a teaching component. A major research focus for Bourgault is cropping systems and drought tolerance, including the aspect of deep rootedness and its relationship to yield. As well, she is driving the formation of an applied research program at the university. “Applied agronomy research fell out of fashion, and I think it is something we must revive,” said Bourgault. “A lot of CHANDRA SINGH Chandra Singh was recently named the first applied research chair in agricul- tural engineering and technology at the Lethbridge College Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneur- ship (CARIE). The position is fully funded by Lethbridge College. While working as an associate pro- fessor of engineering at the University of South Australia, Singh felt compelled to pursue the position after looking at a southern Alberta agriculture ecosystem map developed by Economic Development Lethbridge. “It was so impressive to learn that the region had over 120 established agri-food businesses located within 50 to 100 kilo- metres of Lethbridge, including big multi- national food processors,” said Singh. Offered the position, Singh returned to Canada where he previously earned a PhD in biosystems engineering from the Uni- versity of Manitoba. He had subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Wheat Board Centre for Grain Storage Research and with OPI Systems, a grain management technology company based in Calgary. As he familiarized himself with the Lethbridge region, Singh also learned of the area’s 900-plus farmers generate revenue of more than $1.1 billion annually and ensure the supply of raw material for the local food processing industry. He felt there was great potential for research in agricultural engineering and technology. He identified a research gap in post-har- vest storage, handling and processing of the region’s crops, and filling that gap will be a central theme in his research. “The region has suffered significant crop losses in the past few years due to adverse harvest weather conditions. My research focus will involve creating risk-based grain management strategies, including handling and drying, that opti- mize quality and minimize energy costs. For example, high temperature drying is very costly and may not be the best option for a grower or for a certain crop quality.” With efficient drying systems and capacity, a crop can be harvested as soon “I’m so lucky to be surrounded by experts from different fields in this new role. My vision is to bring us together and form synergies that have never been explored before.” —Maryse Bourgault people are good at either field work or lab work, but if you’re [working in the lab] and you don’t know how to sample or have a grasp of what’s happening in the field, you can end up misinterpret- ing the data.” In working to create a facility that embodies this balance, Bourgault said she is perfectly supported by the university’s wealth of knowledge in multiple disciplines. “I’m so lucky to be surrounded by experts from different fields in this role. My vision is to bring us together and form synergies that have never been explored before,” she said. “If we can take a step back and get a broader perspective on aspects like cropping systems and drought toler- ance, we may better identify the issues that warrant more attention.” Photo:Courtesyof theUniversityofSaskatchewan