Key Takeaways:
- Innovative Crop Research: The Diverse Field Crops Cluster (DFCC) researches five key crops: camelina, flax, carinata, mustard, and sunflower.
- Significant Funding: The project has received over $15 million in combined federal and industry funding to enhance agricultural sustainability.
- Climate Resilience: DFCC aims to create a more resilient agricultural ecosystem by providing farmers with alternative crops that can withstand climate change impacts.
- Economic and Environmental Benefits: Research initiatives target improving yield, disease resistance, and benchmarking greenhouse gas emissions to boost economic growth and environmental sustainability.
- Collaborative Effort: DFCC’s success is driven by collaboration among various agricultural organizations and stakeholders.
The Diverse Field Crops Cluster Latest Funding
With new federal and industry funding, the Diverse Field Crops Cluster (DFCC) is set to enhance environmental sustainability in Canada’s agriculture sector. This ambitious initiative focuses on innovative research for five crops: camelina, flax, carinata, mustard, and sunflower.
Objective of the Diverse Field Crops Cluster
The primary goal of DFCC is to provide farmers with viable crop alternatives to include in their rotations. This diversification is expected to create a more profitable agricultural ecosystem while also increasing resilience to climate change. By pooling resources, DFCC aims to advance these crops faster, ensuring that farmers can benefit from cutting-edge research and developments.
Federal and Industry Investment
The project has garnered substantial financial backing, with the federal government committing up to $8.12 million through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriScience Program – Clusters Component. This initiative is part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Coupled with industry contributions exceeding $6 million, the total investment in the five-year project surpasses $15 million.
Key Research Projects
DFCC’s research initiatives are multifaceted, targeting several critical areas:
- Yield and Disease Resistance: Efforts are underway to improve yield and disease resistance in flax and mustard.
- New Crop Development: Camelina is being developed as a new oilseed crop suitable for cultivation on poorer quality land.
- Greenhouse Gas Benchmarking: The project aims to benchmark greenhouse gas emissions in diverse crops, which can lead to significant environmental benefits.
Crops that exhibit greater tolerance to water and heat stress can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration. Furthermore, these diverse crops offer value-added products that can stimulate economic growth and development.
Government and Industry Support
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, emphasized the importance of supporting research to increase the yield and profitability of diverse field crops, making the sector more resilient to climate change. “Undoubtedly, our farmers are among the first to feel the impacts of climate change. That’s exactly why we’re supporting this important research,” he said.
Karen Churchill, president and CEO of Ag-West Bio, expressed gratitude for the continued support of DFCC, highlighting the benefits of providing farmers with viable crop alternatives. “The goal with DFCC is to give farmers viable alternatives to include in their rotations, which will help create an agricultural ecosystem that is more profitable while also being more resilient to climate change,” she stated.
Collaborative Power
Carol Ann Patterson, DFCC’s project manager, underscored the value of collaboration in advancing agricultural research. “The benefits of pooling resources go beyond financial. The knowledge gained through research and shared with DFCC members and farmers helps these small-acreage crops advance much faster,” she noted.
Partner Organizations
The crops under the DFCC umbrella are supported by several key organizations, including Mustard 21 Canada Inc., Smart Earth Camelina Corporation, Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission, Western Grains Research Foundation, Manitoba Crop Alliance, Nuseed Canada, and Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission.
