Research

Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Lingyun Chen at the University of Alberta
• Project Dates: March 2021 – Oct 2024
• Abstract/Summary: This project is a continuation of Dr. Chen’s previous work to address industry interest in using fractionated oat ingredients as a source of food product innovation. Research indicates that from a diabetic management perspective, a mere 1% decrease in glucose levels among diabetics can lead to a 21% decrease in death and a 37% decrease in heart attacks. Therefore, developing convenient diabetic-friendly drinks can help reduce the cost of treating people in Canada.
  
  The specific objectives in the next two years are to:
  1. Study competitive advantages of Canadian oats for development of healthy oat milk products; special emphasis will be placed on oat varieties that are high in yield, protein and beta-glucan.
  2. Optimize processing to enhance recovery of oat nutritional components into a nutritionally enhanced oat milk drink with significantly improved protein and beta-glucan content.
  3. Study peptides with anti-diabetic effects from oat protein for functional oat drink development and evaluate the drink hypoglycemic effect through in vivo test in diabetic animal model.

Research Topic: Intercropping/Other

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Lana Shaw, South East Research Farm (SERF), Garry Hnatowich, Jessica Pratchler, Robin Lokken, and Chris Holzapfel, Brian Nybo
• Project Dates: 2019 – 2021
• Abstract/Summary: This project will look at how to grow oat and pea together as a grain crop, how to separate grain components using slotted screens, and the effect of varying oat seeding rates in intercrop with pea on yield and agronomic parameters.Peas and oats are both relatively low value crops in the rotation compared withcanola. They are both beneficial to have in a crop rotation in terms of nitrogen useefficiency and mycorrhizal associations. Intercropping oats and pea in a mixed graincrop may result in a more resilient and valuable product with reduced need forherbicides and nitrogen fertilizer. Oat may have beneficial effects on pea disease orreduce weed pressure, which has implications for herbicide-resistant weeds like kochia. An oat-pea intercrop may be agronomically and economically suitable for many of thecrop zones found in Saskatchewan. An intercrop may reduce the need for glyphosate applications by reducing weed competition and may also improve soil aggregate stability. This project is funded by the ADOPT program.

Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Northeast Agriculture Research Foundation (NARF).
• Project Dates: April 2022-February 2023 and April 2023-February 2024
• Abstract/Summary: The purpose of this demonstration was to highlight the impact of fertilizer placement and rate on oat establishment, seed yields and quality. Oat response to various macronutrients has been investigated, and research has shown that oats are responsive to additions of nitrogen and sometimes phosphate. Prior research has not included different fertilizer placement methods. Some research in this area has been done on wheat, showing different responses and impacts from various placements. The intention is to demonstrate different fertilizer placements at seeding, and determine where or not these affect plant stands, yields, or crop quality. This project was run for two years (2022 and 2023 growing season) and funded by ADOPT.

Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Mike Hall, through AgriARM
• Project Dates: April 2022 – Feb 2023
• Abstract/Summary: The objective of this project is to demonstrate the response of a modern oat varieties to the historically recommended rate of 60 lb N /ac against the more recently suggested recommendation of 90 lb N/ac, and to determine the relative importance of adding phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) for these different nitrogen (N) recommendations in eastern Saskatchewan. The influence of treatment on oat yield, lodging and test weight will be determined. This project is funded by the ADOPT program.

Research Topic: Variety/Trials

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Brianne McInnes at the Northeast Agriculture Research Foundation (NARF) and Chris Holzapfel at Indian Head Agricultural Research (IHARF)
• Project Dates: April 2022 – February 2023
• Abstract/Summary: This project will look at the responses of different oat milling varieties to applications ofthe registered plant growth regulators (PGRs) Moddus and Manipulator. Through previous research, both products have been found to decrease plant height, which diminishes the risk of lodging in cereal crops. Lodging has the potential to cause yield losses of 7-35% in cereal crops and can subsequently lead to significant reductions in grain quality. Plant height in oats is often increased with enhanced fertility as more available N results in more rapid plant growth. It is suspected that different varieties will respond differently to PGR applications as a result of different genetics for yield, lodging, and height characteristics.

Research Topic: Variety/Trials

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Mike Hall, through AgriARM (Applied Research Management)
• Project Dates: April 2021 – February 2022
• Abstract/Summary: Many oat millers will no longer accept oats treated with pre-harvest glyphosate. Losing this harvest management tool forces many producers to leave oats standing in the field longer, creating a greater risk of poorer grain quality and higher harvest lost.The objective of this project is to help producers select milling oat varieties that are more likely to maintain yield and grain quality when harvested late. Lodging, shatter loss, grain quality and yield between six commonly grown milling oats will be compared between ideal and late harvest timings. This project is funded by the Saskatchewan Agriculture Demonstration of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) program.

Research Topic: Oat Breeding

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Kirby Nilsen, AAFC Brandon Research Centre
• Project Dates: April 2018 –March 2023
• Abstract/Summary: Developing milling quality oat cultivars suitable for organic production in western Canada, and potentially across Canada. Dr. Nilsen will evaluate and identify germplasm with high levels of genetically conferred disease resistance, and develop oat cultivars with durable resistance, especially to oat rusts, with acceptable milling qualitysuitable for organically managed production systems in western Canada, and for the ever-increasing organic markets.

Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Elwin Smith and Dr. Danny LeRoy
• Project Dates: April 2018 – October 2022
• Abstract/Summary: While some short rotations are currently profitable, the lack of diversification in a cropping system can be detrimental to maintaining crop yield and profitability. This study will look at determining the net return and the variability of net return, associated with cropping systems of different rotation length and diversity of crops. This project has now been completed.

Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Sijo Joseph, AAFC
• Project Dates: August 2020 – March 2023
• Abstract/Summary: The objective of this project is to provide scientific evidence of the specific health attributes of oat protein in reducing abnormal levels of cholesterol and glucose, and thereby generate preliminary data for an oat protein health claim petition. Ultimately, the Canadian oat industry could capitalize on new opportunities for marketing efforts with new evidence promoting the health benefits of adding oats in a diet. This information will enable the Canadian oat industry to meet consumer expectations in search of value-added oat products both at home and worldwide.

Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Yongfeng Ai, University of Saskatchewan
• Project Dates: January 2019 – February 2023
• Abstract/Summary: This project addressed two interlinked but distinct research gaps:
  1) investigate the effects of milling/processing of pulse and cereal flours on their physicochemical functionality in foods.
  2) determine the impact of milling on nutritional benefits of pulses and cereals with a focus on postprandial glycemia and insulinemia.
  The first priority will generate the new knowledge and technologies needed in the food industry to produce high-quality food ingredients with functional versatility, and the latter will support future health claims to promote the consumption of heathy pulse and cereal products.

Research Topic: Intercropping/Other

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Kui Liu with AAFC
• Project Dates: April 2021 – March 2024
• Abstract/Summary: Intercropping pea with oat or canola enhances biodiversity and likely increases resource (e.g. nitrogen, water, and phosphorus) use efficiency. The improved quality and quantity of straw from the intercrops likely affect straw decomposition, soil carbon and N dynamics, and soil health. In this study, the effects of intercropping on soil particulate organic matter carbon and N will be determined. This study will be conducted at three sites in Saskatchewan. This project is co-funded with ADF and will be completed in 2024.

Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Fran Walley, University of Saskatchewan, Richard E. Farrell(co-PI)
• Project Dates: January 2020 – June 2023
• Abstract/Summary: The goal is to develop new estimates for crop nutrient uptake and removal, as the current information regarding crop nutrient uptake and removal does not reflect current crop yields, and the grain and straw nutrient concentration estimates are not adequately reflective of current varieties. Also, there is no consistent data regarding micronutrient uptake and removal. This project is co-funded by ADF.