Research projects (Lethbridge Research and Development Centre)
The Lethbridge Research and Development Centre (Lethbridge RDC) supports innovative research, development, technology and knowledge transfer activities relevant to seven of the nine Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Sector Science Strategies.
Forages and beef; Dairy, pork, poultry and other livestock
Lethbridge RDC has a national mandate for research on feedlot finishing of beef cattle, with a focus on enhancing productivity, reducing adverse environmental impacts, addressing concerns regarding food safety (with a production focus), including antibiotic resistance, animal health and welfare, and mitigating disease threats and their vectors.
Cereal and pulse; Oilseeds; Horticulture
New varieties (potatoes, beans, wheat, triticale, rye and forages) and sustainable crop production and protection technologies are developed for crops on dry and irrigated lands, adapted to Canadian prairies. Discovery type science and innovation is using novel technologies, such as remote sensing and imaging technologies, plant biotechnologies and increasing the integration with biological science, breeding, agronomy and farming.
Agro-ecosystem productivity and health
Lethbridge RDC’s research includes: nutrient cycling associated with cropping and livestock production; monitoring crop and environmental health using remote sensing and imaging technologies; and ecological modeling to understand the impact of various management practices at the farm level on the local environment.
Biodiversity and bioresources
Lethbridge RDC’s germplasm and collections facilitate increasing agricultural productivity and environmental performance while contributing to building capacity to cope with threats along the agriculture value chain.
| Project number | Lead researcher | Project title | Budget* | Duration: start | Duration: end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-000607 | Balasubramanian, Parthiba | Dry bean cultivars for southern Alberta and Saskatchewan (2012-17): Development of pinto bean and yellow bean cultivars with high yield and seed quality | $732,712.04 | 4/1/2012 | 3/31/2022 |
| J-001024 | Graf, Robert | Development of premium quality western Canadian winter wheat | $527,688.02 | 4/1/2014 | 11/30/2019 |
| J-001027 | Bourchier, Robert | Establishment, impact and spread of the first biocontrol agents for Swallow-worts and Knotweeds in North America | $224,408.00 | 4/1/2015 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001152 | Laroche, André | Development of a highly sensitive, specific and rapid detection system for stripe rust spores in the field | $62,929.65 | 4/1/2015 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001186 | Randhawa, Harpinder | Development of spring wheat (Soft White Spring and General Purpose) with higher yield potential for Alberta’s bio-economy | $368,000.00 | 4/1/2015 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001273 | Yang, WenZhu | Develop value-added applications of by-products derived from food processing | $162,106.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001347 | Catton, Haley | Accounting for natural enemies in a dynamic action threshold for cereal leaf beetle | $159,000.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001348 | Abbott, Wade | Non-antimicrobial alternatives for improving innate immune health, colonization resistance, and environmental performance of swine | $349,912.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001349 | Hao, Xiying | Management strategies to improve rangeland soil health and productivity | $352,505.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001350 | Alexander, Trevor | Technology development of alternatives to subtherapeutic and metaphylactic antimicrobials used in the beef industry | $749,700.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001352 | Smith, Elwin | Conserving soil resources and increasing the productivity of cropping systems for the Canadian Prairies | $370,117.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001353 | Lu, Zhen-Xiang | Enhancement of protein and resistant starch contents in field pea to promote its uses in functional food application | $229,950.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001355 | Inglis, Douglas | Novel innovations to mitigate relevant Campylobacter jejuni subtypes in the poultry supply chain | $399,999.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/29/2019 |
| J-001360 | Hao, Xiying | Novel vs. traditional manure/compost to conserve soil resources and improve soil health | $704,756.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001380 | Floate, Kevin | Diversity and ecosystem function of insects in cattle dung on pastures | $209,243.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001381 | Koenig, Karen | Phytobiotics as alternatives to antimicrobials in beef cattle production | $252,340.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001404 | Baines, Danica | Prebiotics, a novel tool to prevent pesticide exposure in bee pollinators | $105,000.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2020 |
| J-001407 | Larney, Francis | Evaluation of best management practices for mitigation of hormone transport in surface runoff from manured soils | $427,194.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001409 | Ellert, Benjamin | Agricultural sustainability and biogeochemical cycling: Soil processes influencing nitrogen dynamics, and assessment of plant availability and environmental mobility | $187,005.00 | 4/4/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001411 | Kroebel, Roland | Measuring and assessing Canadian rangeland and other agricultural best management practices with the enhanced whole-farm model Holos | $530,225.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001428 | Graf, Robert | Enhancing the stability of recent yield advances in western Canadian winter wheat |
$879,999.38 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2020 |
| J-001519 | Carcamo, Hector | Biology and management of pea leaf weevil in support of faba bean and field pea production | $176,957.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001554 | Carcamo, Hector | Validation of lygus and other insect pest thresholds in commercial farms throughout the Prairie Provinces | $426,960.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001565 | Chatterton, Syama | Epidemiology of chocolate spot of faba bean | $128,817.00 | 12/1/2016 | 3/31/2020 |
| J-001591 | Catton, Haley | Managing wireworms in southern Alberta wheat fields with crop rotations and beneficial insects | $224,621.00 | 5/1/2017 | 10/31/2020 |
| J-001598 | Randhawa, Harpinder | Integrated management of stripe rust in wheat for Alberta | $142,000.00 | 4/1/2016 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001599 | Aboukhaddour, Reem | Identifying resistance to tan spot disease in winter and durum wheat | $176,674.70 | 4/1/2017 | 4/30/2020 |
| J-001600 | Chatterton, Syama | Cover crops as part of a rotation strategy to reduce pea root rot and other management options | $531,100.00 | 4/1/2017 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001629 | Chatterton, Syama | Cover cropping as part of a rotation strategy to reduce pea root rot | $330,905.49 | 4/1/2017 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001652 | Schwartzkopf-Genswein, Karen | Incidence and characterization of feedlot lambs and ewe flock lameness in Alberta | $215,909.00 | 10/1/2017 | 9/30/2019 |
| J-001713 | Chatterton, Syama | Epidemiology of chocolate spot of faba bean | $159,109.60 | 4/1/2017 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001720 | Acharya, Surya | Selection of clonal propagated alfalfa and sainfoin plants under grass or legume competition | $77,653.00 | 7/3/2017 | 3/31/2022 |
| J-001736 | Ziemienowicz, Alicja | Nitrogen fixation in triticale and wheat | $499,990.00 | 3/1/2018 | 2/28/2021 |
| J-001745 | Chatterton, Syama | Investigating agronomic practices to remove barriers to faba bean production in Alberta | $30,000.00 | 4/3/2017 | 3/31/2019 |
| J-001753 | Geddes, Charles | Weed seed-suppressive soils: managing herbicide-resistant weed populations at the source | $313,267.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001755 | Singer, Stacy | Unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind abiotic stress tolerance in Medicago sativa and adoption of advanced molecular breeding technology for alfalfa improvement | $305,800.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001763 | Dergousoff, Shaun | Identification of mosquito and Culicoides midge species and their vertebrate hosts | $311,654.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001782 | Sheedy, Claudia | Science, adoption and adaptation of pesticide rinsate biobeds to support Canadian agro-ecosystems resilience and protect water resources | $233,732.00 | 4/2/2018 | 3/30/2021 |
| J-001784 | Ellert, Benjamin | Inferring the influence of agricultural management and other human activities on soil constituents relevant to soil health and function | $333,969.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001790 | Janzen, Henry | Elucidating and exploiting rhizosphere processes for improved soil health and productivity | $318,586.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001807 | Beauchemin, Karen | Mitigating methane emissions to improve the environmental performance of forage-fed ruminants | $249,897.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001808 | Larney, Francis | Integrating multiple beneficial management practices (BMPs) in organic cropping systems: Soil health, weed and insect interactions | $154,076.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001809 | Chatterton, Syama | A decision support system for Aphanomyces root rot | $197,947.00 | 4/2/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001818 | Bourchier, Robert | Enhancing biological control of invasive plants in British Columbia | $1,450,000.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-001822 | Alexander, Trevor | Using a microbiome-based strategy to develop next generation bacterial therapeutics for mitigating bovine respiratory disease | $199,978.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001832 | Laurie, John | Precision breeding in wheat mediated by engineered haploid inducers | $310,000.00 | 3/1/2018 | 2/28/2021 |
| J-001966 | Larney, Francis | Assessment of occurrence of synthetic hormones (melengestrol acetate and trenbolone acetate) and beta agonist (ractopamine) in cattle operations and associated environments | $54,725.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2021 |
| J-001968 | Singer, Stacy | Improving abiotic stress tolerance in alfalfa through the simultaneous down-regulation and/or genome editing-mediated knockout of mulitple genes | $311,575.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2022 |
| J-001972 | Yang, WenZhu | Determining the minimum fibre requirement for feedlot cattle and improving the empirical prediction of ruminal pH | $293,575.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-001973 | Abbott, Wade | Evidence-based prebiotic-probiotic solutions for improving gut health and feed efficiency in cattle | $539,550.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-001974 | Acharya, Surya | Novel sainfoin cultivars for enhancing production efficiencies of pasture and beef cattle and building capacity in forage breeding | $483,604.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2022 |
| J-001975 | Schwartzkopf-Genswein, Karen | Assessment of strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of the most common causes of lameness in feedlot cattle | $445,293.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2022 |
| J-001980 | McAllister, Tim | Identification of genetic and microbial makers for Escherichia coli O157 super-shedders through longitudinal biopsy and monitoring | $121,330.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-001981 | McAllister, Tim | Investigating antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors of Mycoplasma bovis | $124,025.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2022 |
| J-001982 | McAllister, Tim | A regionalized life cycle impact assessment model for the quantification of Canadian beef production impacts on biodiversity | $5,600.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-001983 | McAllister, Tim | Further strategies to enhance the use of wheat grain in feedlot diets | $196,750.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-001989 | Geddes, Charles | Management of glyphosate-resistant kochia in western Canadian cropping systems | $823,350.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-002004 | Beres, Brian | Delivery of an innovative winter wheat agronomic package to achieve sustainable wheat production in the Canadian Prairies | $1,072,614.97 | 4/1/2018 | 3/30/2023 |
| J-002007 | Schwartzkopf-Genswein, Karen | Effect of rest stop duration and quality on the behaviour and welfare of cattle transported by road | $333,236.01 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2022 |
| J-002008 | Alexander, Trevor | Characterizing the microbiome of beef cattle to identify risk factors that affect respiratory health | $382,537.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-002042 | Inglis, Douglas | Mitigation of intestinal inflammation for poultry and production health | $509,299.94 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-002043 | Inglis, Douglas | Rationale-based mitigation of relevant Campylobacter jejuni strains within the broiler production continuum | $558,592.00 | 4/1/2018 | 3/31/2023 |
| J-002045 | Sheedy, Claudia | Tools and strategies for mitigating pesticide impacts on wetlands to improve sustainable crop production | $180,000.00 | 12/5/2017 | 12/1/2020 |
| *: The budget amount represents the forecast total project costs (not actual spending), including any offsets by revenues received from outside agencies/partners. It includes operations and maintenance funds used to purchase goods or services. It does not include salary dollars for staff working on the projects or any grant or contribution funds provided to outside partners for work on the projects. | |||||
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