$1.2 million for the purchase of corn and soybean research equipment was announced by MP Candice Bergen near Homewood, Manitoba this past weekend.
The Manitoba Corn Growers Association is collaborating with the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the University of Manitoba in purchasing research equipment to be used at 11 sites across the province. Specifically, the money will be used to buy weigh wagons, trucks, planters, a tractor, a fertilizer applicator, a combine, a row crop combine header, a grain analyzer, and tillage equipment.
“The Manitoba Corn Growers Association is pleased to be the recipient of $1.2 million in research funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada. This project benefits not only farmers and researchers, but also the Western Canadian economy,” noted MCGA president Myron Krahn in a news release . “This equipment will allow us to carry out research in various eco regions throughout the province so that row crop research can be well-replicated and provide results that are relevant to producers in their specific growing area.”
MPSG’s executive director Francois Labelle also welcomed the federal investment.
“These funds will allow researchers in Manitoba to continue supporting our crops and cropping systems by performing advanced research with precision and accuracy using equipment that mimics what producers are actually using on their farms,” he said. “For example, the mid-row banding unit will allow Dr. Yvonne Lawley to accurately measure and enhance the 4R fertilizer application system thereby helping to improve the health of our environment. The joint collaborative efforts of MCGA and MPSG were key to success of this application.”
Bergen called it “an excellent example of how industry, academia and government can work together to strengthen the economy.”
@MBCornGrowers and @MbPulseGrowers join @CandiceBergenMP at R-Tech to announce $1.2M from @WD_Canada for research! pic.twitter.com/v0b71ETGPj
— Karin Rose (@CornKarin) June 6, 2015
Related:
- Soybean Research in Manitoba Gets Funding Boost
- Soybean School West: Seeding Rate, Inoculant and Seed Treatment Decisions
- Corn School West: The Greenseeker, N-Rate Ramps & An App for Readings