A new Beef Industry Integrated Forage Management and Utilization chair will be established at the University of Saskatchewan to connect the study of soils, plants, animals, economics and ecosystems to tap into forage crops鈥� full range of benefits.
鈥淭he chair will help to address concerns raised for a number of years by producers searching for expanded forage management information,鈥� said Matt Bowman, chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council and a producer from Thornloe, Ont.
鈥淲e need the science in order to better manage complex forage systems, implement effective utilization strategies and understand the associated environmental benefits created through the dynamic soil-plant-animal interface.鈥�
Funding for the research chair will be provided from a variety of sources. Industry contributions include $2.5 million from the Beef Cattle Research Council and $1 million from the Saskatchewan Cattlemen鈥檚 Association. The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan will provide $750,000 through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The Global Institute for Food Security at USask will contribute $320,000.
鈥淭he role of rangeland and forages in our ecosystem cannot be taken for granted,鈥� said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. 鈥淩angeland plants increase the resilience of the ecosystem and create natural benefits such as carbon sequestration and soil stabilization, as well as for pollinators. This new research chair position will help further our understanding in these areas.鈥�
鈥淭his research chair will work with partners from across the province to develop practical tools for producers,鈥� Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said. 鈥淭his investment will help grow the livestock sector and bring us closer to achieving the goals outlined in Saskatchewan鈥檚 Plan for Growth, including our target to increase livestock cash receipts to $3 billion.鈥�
A 2012 assessment concluded lack of research and development investment in the Canadian forage industry meant advances in forage had not kept pace with developments in other crops. The beef and cattle industry is increasingly seeing forages as a high-value feed source.
鈥淪askatchewan is looking to increase crop production and livestock cash receipts as a means of economic growth. This new chair will create momentum to meet this objective, and support the agricultural industry worldwide,鈥� said USask Vice-president Research Baljit Singh. 鈥淪trengthening this sector and bolstering food security is a focus of USask as we provide research the world needs.鈥�
There鈥檚 growing recognition that forage crops play a critical role in nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, promoting biodiversity, and protecting wildlife habitat. The livestock industry believes the value of these environmental and ecological benefits complement forages鈥� economic impact.
鈥淔orage production and utilization is the foundation of beef cattle productivity and competitiveness,鈥� said Saskatchewan Cattlemen鈥檚 Association chair Arnold Balicki. 鈥淎fter years of advocacy it is gratifying to see this position created via partnership between producers, government, USask and GIFS.鈥�
The new research chair will be located in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at USask, as a joint appointment between the Department of Plant Sciences and Department of Animal and Poultry Science. Among key roles will be to ensure USask is at the leading edge of research on use of forage in the beef industry, connect expertise in the field locally, nationally, and internationally, and grow funding support for research.
鈥淭his is a great opportunity for GIFS and the Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Research Centre program that we manage on behalf of USask, as it gives us the opportunity to work together with partners 鈥� government, industry and USask鈥檚 College of Agriculture and Bioresources 鈥� to deliver value to the agriculture and food sectors,鈥� said GIFS CEO Steven Webb.
鈥淭his collaboration will help us advance the sectors in a manner that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.鈥�
The international search will begin this summer and USask anticipates filling the position before the end of 2021.
