The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) received a $1 million gift from the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) for the College of Agriculture and Bioresources' Phytotron Renewal Project.
The phytotron is a controlled environment plant growth facility that enables three full cycles of plant production in one year. Individual chamber environments can be controlled for temperature, light and humidity, enabling testing and selection in a range of conditions including drought and frost simulation. The facility underpins plant and soil science research and teaching in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.
"The Crop Development Centre's pulse breeding team relies heavily on facilities at the U of S, particularly the phytotron, to develop new pulse varieties of economic importance to our industry," says Murray Purcell, SPG chair. "In 2009, $1.8 billion worth of pulse crops were exported from Saskatchewan. This would not have been possible without the new pulse varieties developed here at the University of Saskatchewan and the use of the phytotron."
Given the challenges of climate change, infestations of new pests and diseases, environmental degradation, and global population growth and food requirements, the phytotron enables experiments that will help develop: plants and crop varieties that are more productive and nutritious; hardier plants and crop varieties that will survive weather extremes and are more resistant to pests and disease; healthier soil techniques to allow plants to make more efficient use of soil nutrients; and plants that will help in the remediation of soils that have suffered environmental damage.
About SPGSPG represents more than 18,000 pulse crop producers in Saskatchewan.
About U of SThe U of S is committed to excellence in serving Saskatchewan and Canada. The College of Agriculture and Bioresources is a signature component of this mission through its research, teaching, outreach and technology transfer.
