MCA Contributes $500,000 Toward Prairie Crops & Soils Research Facility

May 12, 2021

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is contributing $500,000 to the University of Manitoba (UM) towards the building of the Prairie Crops & Soil Research Facility (PCSRF).

Construction of the new facility will begin next year.

“I thank our research collaborators at MCA for their leadership and vision in the support of the new PCSRF, one of the Faculty’s most significant renewal strategies for research in crop production. This gift represents investment in agricultural research by Manitoba’s farmers that will foster the development of integrated and resilient agronomic systems to the benefit of Western Canadian producers,” says Dr. Martin Scanlon, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, UM.

The PCSRF will increase the capacity for crop research and allow scientists to better integrate soils, crop, entomology and livestock research to make crop production in Manitoba more sustainable.

“MCA wishes to express our gratitude for the UM’s continued commitment to the improvement of facilities and equipment that are so essential for advanced modern research and the training of highly qualified personnel,” said Fred Greig, Chair of MCA. “We anticipate this expansion and modernization of research capacity at the UM will accelerate the growth and health of our industry by putting innovative solutions in the hands of our farmer members.”

Farmers in Manitoba will benefit from research topics including agronomic and cropping systems for optimized performance and longer-term sustainability, weed management, advanced crop protection, new cultivars and crops, profitability of nutrient strategies, and carbon benefits of crop production practices.

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Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.