U of C Receives Funds for Genomics Work on Field Peas

Sep 07, 2023

As part the Genome Canada-led Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems (CSAFS) initiative the University of Calgary will receive funding to use state-of-the-art genomic technologies to increase the quality, profitability and resilience of field peas, a Sept. 6 news release said.

The release noted increased uptake of field peas in crop rotations reduces nitrogen fertilizer use and can lead to a 22 to 37 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions while contributing to economic growth, jobs and exports.

“Corteva Agriscience is committed to climate smart cropping systems and we are thrilled to join the PeaCE research team and advance pea breeding through our phenotyping and analytics infrastructure,” Sara Lira, senior research scientist with Corteva Agriscience, said in the release.

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.