USask researcher aims to reduce fertilizer use through plant cross-breeding

Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for plant growth and development in agriculture. Canada is the top producer and exporter of field peas in the world, with Saskatchewan being home to 54 per cent of pea growing area. 

“Canadian agriculture relies heavily on inorganic nitrogen fertilizers to achieve higher yield in crops,” said Dhillon, whose research is being conducted in the USask College of Agriculture and Bioresources. “These nitrogen fertilizers are one of the most expensive and energy-intensive inputs in our agricultural systems.”  

Although these fertilizers come with financial costs for producers, they also come with environmental concerns related to nitrous-oxide emissions from application.  

“There is a critical need to reduce nitrogen fertilizer usage in Canadian agriculture,” said Dhillon. 

To address this need, Dhillon’s study examines how nodules on the roots of the pea plant hold onto nitrogen and investigates possible genetic combinations of pea varieties that can be bred to increase this ability.  

The work is supervised by Dr. Tom Warkentin (PhD), a USask plant sciences professor and Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair in Pulse Crop Breeding and Genetics.