Research

Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Multiple projects/principals
• Project Dates: Spanning 2016 through 2024
• Abstract/Summary: POGA has compiled a handout of all supported nitrogen-related projects completed (as of June/24). This is a quick-reference document to provide producers with a listing and brief description of each project, and links to their reports.

Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: In Progress
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Emily Cranston, University of British Columbia
• Project Dates: 2024
• Abstract/Summary: This project will aim to contribute to the development of novel oat oil emulsions (wet) and oat oil powders (dry), which could be suitable for food/beverage, personal care and cosmetics, and household product development. These new products would extend the shelf-life of oat oils (and products made from them), which would enable cost savings for transportation and logistics management to move them to processing facilities.
  
  The objective of this study is to explore the isolation of cellulose-based nanomaterials from oat hulls and to use these as stabilizers in dried oat oil powders and oat milk powders.

Research Topic: Insect/Disease/Weeds

• Project Status: In Progress
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Charles Geddes
• Project Dates: 2023 – 2028
• Abstract/Summary: As every farmer knows, weeds are one of the major pests on farms. That’s why POGA has agreed to help fund a project to monitor new weeds and herbicide resistance on current weeds in western Canada so hopefully producers, scientists and chemical companies can stay ahead of the curve.
  
  Objectives are to:
  
  - Establish the Prairie Weed Monitoring Network (PWMN), a network of federal researchers, provincial specialists, and academics guiding weed biovigilance for the prairie region.
  - Complete the seventh set of weed abundance surveys in the prairie provinces since this series of provincial surveys began in the mid-1970s.
  - Complete the fifth set of pre-harvest herbicide-resistant weed surveys in the prairie provinces since this series of provincial resistance surveys began in the early-2000s.
  - Complete the third set of post-harvest herbicide-resistant kochia and Russian thistle surveys in the prairie provinces since this set of provincial surveys began in the early-2010s.
  - Complete a spatial risk assessment for the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds in prairie cropping systems by integrating data from weed surveys, species-specific biology, cropping systems, and herbicide sales/use.
  - Develop tools to forecast weed community behaviour and range shifts in response to management factors and climate change.
  
  This project aims to develop the Prairie Weed Monitoring Network (PWMN) and to implement a
  comprehensive weed biovigilance strategy, including: weed monitoring, risk assessment, and
  forecasting for the prairie region of Canada. It will include detailed assessments of (i) weed
  abundance in 4000 fields, (ii) herbicide-resistant (HR) weeds pre-harvest in 800 fields, and (iii)
  HR kochia and Russian thistle post-harvest in 800 fields, across the prairie provinces. These data,
  and those of past surveys, will be leveraged along with other open data resources to conduct
  spatial risk analyses for the evolution of HR weed biotypes of greatest concern and where they are
  most likely to occur, in addition to the development of a tool to forecast weed community shifts in
  response to management factors and climate change. Overall, this coordinated suite of objectives
  will provide farmers, agronomists, agricultural industry, researchers, and policy makers with
  information required to manage weeds effectively, anticipate new weed threats to farming
  systems, and mitigate selection pressure for HR weeds.

Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Bill May, Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation (IHARF)
• Project Dates: May 2016 - Febuary 2017
• Abstract/Summary: This project aimed to: 1) validate, under local conditions, research showing that oat requires moderate amounts of N and that test weight declines as N rate is increased; 2) expose growers to new oat cultivars that may be better than cultivars currently grown in the trial area; and, 3) determine if the test weight of current oat cultivars vary in the stability of their test weight as the N rate is increased. Four oat cultivars were chosen specific to each location (two popular and two new cultivars with potential). N rates used (kg N/ha): 40, 60, 80, and 120.

Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Lingyun Chen at the University of Alberta
• Project Dates: July 2016-June 2019
• Abstract/Summary: The project focused on the development of a ready-to-drink oat-based beverage that is fortified with omegas, vitamin D, and other nutritional ingredients that are essential to the diet of cancer patients. The objectives of the project are:
  
  1. Develop a processing to concentrate protein and beta-glucan from oat grains
  2. Develop a ready-to-drink beverage enriched in beta-glucan and protein by combining oat and pulse and determine if this development results in shelf-stable products
  3. Enhance the beverage with nutrients known to be deficient in cancer patients (omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D) and study the acceptability of the beverage with the cancer patients.

Research Topic: Fertility/Climate/Environment

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Mike Hall
• Project Dates: April 1, 2023 – Feb 28, 2024
• Abstract/Summary: This project aims to determine the yield and test weight response of oats to 15% and 30% reductions in optimum rates of N. The specific rates of soil plus fertilizer N tested will be 125 lb/ac, 106 lb/ac, 88 lb/ac and no applied N. Two varieties of oats will be used in this project – CS Camden and CDC Arborg.

Research Topic: Insect/Disease/Weeds

• Project Status: In Progress
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Thomas Turkington
• Project Dates: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2028
• Abstract/Summary: The goal is to further develop and formalize the Prairie Crop Disease Monitoring Network (PCDMN), including annual in-person and/or online meetings. The group also will look to further develop and refine survey protocols, and continue work on disease information and awareness initiatives for a wider range of crops and diseases.
  The PCDMN Quick Disease Reporter Tool will be refined, and work will be done to develop disease assessment and risk assessment tools, as well as blackleg pathogen mapping. The network is also continuing their weekly cereal rust risk forecasts from mid-May to early June; new for 2023 is the addition of oat crown rust.

Research Topic: Insect/Disease/Weeds

• Project Status: Completed
• Abstract/Summary: This survey provides a record of seed-borne pathogen trends in pulse and cereal crops and allows for continued tracking of diseases over time. The interim seed quality data, from the time of harvest until the end of December, provided early insights into seed quality trends and helped to identify potential pathogens of concern and their prevalence across the province.
  
  The survey is intended to provide a benchmark for annual seed-borne pathogen levels across the province. Low disease levels of seed produced during 2021 has been a positive outcome of a challenging growing season.  Largely attributed to extreme drought conditions during the growing season and at the time of harvest, interim data indicates a large proportion of pathogen-free pulse (lentil, field pea, chickpea) and cereal (barley, durum, oat, and spring wheat) seed.
  
  The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture compiled the maps, which show the mean infection levels of the samples as well as the historical trends across all pathogens and crops.
  
  This project was funded by the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG), Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (SaskWheat), Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley), and Saskatchewan Oat Development Commission (SaskOats)

Research Topic: Insect/Disease/Weeds

• Project Status: In Progress
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Christian Willenborg
• Project Dates: April 2018 - March 2023
• Abstract/Summary: Wild oat management is perhaps most challenging in oat crops because the genetic similarity between the two species precludes selective control with herbicides. However, it may be possible to utilize new technology with current herbicides to better manage wild in oat crops. This project sought to assess the competitive ability of modern oat cultivars, as well as to test whether combining inter-row spraying with weed wicking could improve wild oat control.
  
  Multiple inter-row and wicking applications of herbicides at the 2- and 4-leaf crop stages provided the best combination of crop yield and minimum wild oat in the harvested sample. By employing inter-row spraying with modern competitive oat cultivars, growers should improve wild oat management in tame oat production.

Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: In Progress
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Lingyun Chen
• Project Dates: March 2022 - February 2024
• Abstract/Summary: A dietary pattern that provides plant protein, dietary fiber and low fat has been shown to decrease the risks of chronic diseases (obesity, cardiovascular disease). The high-quality milling oats in Canada are good sources of both dietary fiber and plant protein. The long-term goal of this research is to develop high quality protein and fiber ingredients from oats for healthy food development.
  The short-term objectives in the next 2 years are to develop technology innovations to combine protein and dietary fiber from oats and pulse to fabricate:
  1. Fat replacers for low fat dairy/dairy substitute product development; and
  2. Texturized vegetable protein products for meat analogue applications.
  This research will provide opportunities to add value to oats and pulses as two major crops in western Canada. The food products high in both plant protein and dietary fiber will provide consumers with healthy choices, and help control the prevalence of obesity in the society and lower the risks of chronic disease.

Research Topic: Insect/Disease/Weeds

• Project Status: Completed
• Principal Investigators: Paul Bullock (University of Manitoba) and Randy Kutcher (University of Saskatchewan)
• Project Dates: April 2018 - March 2023
• Abstract/Summary: Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a fungal disease affecting cereal crops in Canada that reduces productivity and produces mycotoxins in the grain. This fungal disease is caused by a number of Fusarium species of which Fusarium graminearum is considered the most important because of its abundance, its toxin producing ability and its impact on grain quality and yield. Currently the most important practices recommended to cereal growers for FHB management include non-host crops in the rotation, resistant cultivars, and application of fungicides.
  
  Cultural management of FHB of cereals, in particular crop rotation or the sequence of crops grown, can play a major role in an integrated management approach to FHB (Gilbert and Haber 2013), as well as many other pest and agronomic issues. However, there are no studies in Canada that clearly indicate the impact on FHB of various cereals due to the previous crop(s) cultivated.
  
  The goal of this research is to improve yield and quality in Canada through the implementation of effective crop sequences to mitigate FHB.

Research Topic: Intercropping/Other

• Project Status: Completed
• Abstract/Summary: The Government of Saskatchewan, The Government of Manitoba, The Government of Canada and POGA combined efforts in this report to look at barriers to entry and opportunities for oats in Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) countries as well as China.