Key Takeaways
- BASF Agricultural Solutions is investing $27 million CAD to expand and transform its Canola Breeding Centre of Innovation in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with construction starting this spring.
- The expansion will integrate precision-controlled environment growth systems, high-throughput automation pipelines, and genomic selection capabilities to accelerate hybrid development.
- A new advanced research-grade glasshouse will be built to support future hybrid breeding programs addressing disease pressures and agronomic challenges.
- The investment marks 30 years of BASF's InVigor® hybrid canola program and is intended to benefit canola growers in North America, Europe, and Australia.
- The project contributes to economic growth and competitiveness in Saskatchewan while supporting BASF's global canola innovation strategy.
BASF Invests $27M CAD to Expand Saskatoon Canola Breeding Centre
BASF Agricultural Solutions has announced a $27 million CAD investment to expand and transform its Canola Breeding Centre of Innovation in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Construction is set to commence this spring.
Scope of the Expansion
The facility expansion includes two primary components. The first is the development of new infrastructure to support precision-controlled environment growth systems and high-throughput automation pipelines. These systems are intended to enable genomic selection at scale, allowing for faster and more precise breeding decisions across all InVigor® programs.
The second component is a new advanced research-grade glasshouse designed to support future hybrid breeding programs. This addition aims to strengthen BASF's capacity to address evolving disease pressures, agronomic challenges, and market demands.
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