Saskatchewan has one of the most innovative bioscience clusters in the world,” beams a proud Bob Bjornerud, the province’s minister of agriculture.
Saskatchewan is home to 30 per cent of Canada’s ag biotech industry, along with row after row of crops and genetics companies. But if Saskatchewan is hot, Saskatoon is exploding.
Bjornerud credits it to “state-of-the-art research and development infrastructure.” Others agree.
Ag scientists around the world are in constant contact with research here, and the city of 200,000 is routinely getting onto the agenda at more board meetings of the world’s biggest ag corporations. Not only have the big names arrived, but they are investing, building, expanding and putting down roots.
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It’s a city flush with start-ups too, and angels and promoters, and some of the smartest ag brains and brightest entrepreneurs on the planet. New companies sprout at Saskatoon, many of them on the very cutting edge of all things new in crop production.
It didn’t just happen. Assembling Saskatoon’s critical mass of expertise, facilities and brain power has taken time, perseverance and dedication.
Home of the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon also boasts Innovation Place, a research park rivalling the best in North America. It’s home too, to some of the biggest players in agriculture, such as Bayer CropScience, Cargill and Dow AgroSciences.
Saskatoon can lay claim as well to a series of game-shifting, monumental achievements, including: pulses as a rotation staple for Saskatchewan, now a $1.6 billion industry; Harrington barley, the gold standard for malting barley for decades; and, more recently, significant advances in canola breeding, such as hybridization.
Today’s success started when the city learned first hand what it takes to not only be a world leader in the labs, but to seamlessly integrate research and commercialization in a way that makes a real difference for farmers.
Much of that learning happened at the Crop Development Centre (CDC), the field crop research wing of the University of Saskatchewan. Scientists there have released nearly 300 crop varieties since the centre was founded in 1971, and the centre has pioneered a host of innovative links with businesses.
“Saskatchewan’s dominance of the world pulse market would not have happened without the Crop Development Centre,” says Dorothy Murrell, managing director of the CDC. She credits the success of the pulse industry to the fantastic group of self-motivated and dedicated researchers at the centre.
“In the 70s, there wasn’t really a pulse market here,” Murrell says. “Now, Saskatchewan producers account for the majority of Canada’s $1.6 billion export market, and most of the pulses grown are CDC varieties.”
While Saskatoon may be the birthplace of Canada’s pulse industry, however, it’s not the only crop type that benefits from the work happening here. There’s a hardy oat and barley breeding program that has produced Harrington, the long-running king of the malting barley market, and the more contemporary CDC Copeland. The CDC has a successful flax program as well. “Eighty per cent of the flax acres grown in Saskatchewan are CDC varieties,” Murrell says.
Crop development goes beyond new varieties, of course. There are specific traits within the crop types that exist because of the CDC. The Clearfield trait in lentils was developed at the centre, giving the notoriously non-competitive crop a real edge over weedy invaders.
The CDC has the only canaryseed breeding program in North America. “Canaryseed growers can thank the CDC for a hairless variety, which if you’ve ever handled canaryseed is a real benefit,” Murrell says.
The CDC has several wheat victories to its credit too, including CDC Teal, the Clearfield wheat known for its baking properties.
Murrell is understandably proud of the CDC’s heritage, but is equally excited about what’s in the works at the centre. A new durum breeding program is underway, with a focus on incorporating cutting-
edge genomic tools to speed up the development of new varieties. Bursting with confidence, the centre is looking in unexpected directions too, including development of ancient grain varieties such as spelt.
CDC hasn’t been alone, however. Innovation Place was created 30 years ago on 80 acres adjacent to the university as a place to nurture businesses that could grow out of the research and skills at the school.
One of its clients is Performance Plants Inc., one of several companies on the cutting edge of molecular research at Saskatoon. While its head office is based at Kingston, Ont., Performance Plants has been busy developing a drought tolerant trait for canola at Saskatoon.
Malcolm Devine, vice-president of agricultural crops for the company, says their staff of 12 at Saskatoon takes gene discoveries and works to incorporate them into varieties. Greenhouse trials and field trials follow to prove a new gene works the way it should, and then the gene technology is sold to a canola breeder.
“Unlike some traits that are derived from bacteria or other sources,” Devine explains, “we use genes that already occur within the canola plant.”
The drought-tolerance gene currently being evaluated naturally occurs within certain plant populations — it’s up to Performance Plants to isolate and evaluate the gene, then work with it so breeders can starting moving it into commercial lines. “That’s where our development ends,” Devine says. “We’re not out to create new varieties.”
Devine’s company is currently working on a new trait — heat tolerance — that on the surface seems
edge genomic tools to speed up the development of new varieties. Bursting with confidence, the centre is looking in unexpected directions too, including development of ancient grain varieties such as spelt.
CDC hasn’t been alone, however. Innovation Place was created 30 years ago on 80 acres adjacent to the university as a place to nurture businesses that could grow out of the research and skills at the school.
One of its clients is Performance Plants Inc., one of several companies on the cutting edge of molecular research at Saskatoon. While its head office is based at Kingston, Ont., Performance Plants has been busy developing a drought tolerant trait for canola at Saskatoon.
Malcolm Devine, vice-president of agricultural crops for the company, says their staff of 12 at Saskatoon takes gene discoveries and works to incorporate them into varieties. Greenhouse trials and field trials follow to prove a new gene works the way it should, and then the gene technology is sold to a canola breeder.
“Unlike some traits that are derived from bacteria or other sources,” Devine explains, “we use genes that already occur within the canola plant.”
The drought-tolerance gene currently being evaluated naturally occurs within certain plant populations — it’s up to Performance Plants to isolate and evaluate the gene, then work with it so breeders can starting moving it into commercial lines. “That’s where our development ends,” Devine says. “We’re not out to create new varieties.”
Devine’s company is currently working on a new trait — heat tolerance — that on the surface seems
Ag-West Bio
“We’re a catalyst,” explains Darcy Pawlik, vice-president, life sciences and regulatory affairs with Ag-West Bio, a membership-based Saskatchewan organization that nutures the development of bio businesses. “We serve three purposes: help commercialize new agriculture technologies, add brand value to Saskatchewan products, and, lastly, help companies navigate the policy and regulations affecting commercialization.”
What that looks like in practice can vary. Ag-West has and still does offer seed money to fledgling business.
More and more, however, Ag-West is taking on a collaborative approach to helping Saskatoon-based businesses succeed. “We’ll act as go-between with government, universities and funding,” Pawlik says.
Ag-West has 85 members, from corporations, to associations and individuals involved in bioprocessing, natural health products and biotechnology.
Camelina, a non-food oilseed, is just one crop that has recently benefited from Ag-West’s work. “We’ve been supporting work into alternative crops for biofuel, keeping in mind the social and cultural aspects of crop development while being cognizant of the economics of production,” Pawlik says.
Bringing an entirely new crop to market is fraught with regulatory hurdles and hang-ups, Pawlik says Ag-West provides tools for companies to help wade through all that.
Ag-West also commissions market studies and brings in experts, things that may be cost prohibitive if each company were on its own, Pawlik says. “The human capital component is one that’s often overlooked.”
similar to drought tolerance, although the two are very different. “Canola is susceptible to heat blast, where flowers abort when temperatures reach the high 20s or low 30s during flowering,” Devine says. “This trait will decrease the number of aborted flowers in high temperatures.”
The heat tolerance trait is in the early stages yet, but Devine notes it was only discovered three or four years ago in the lab. The speed at which technology goes from discovery, to field trial, to commercialization has significantly increased in recent years thanks to technology advancements.
The type of research Performance Plants does could realistically be done just about anywhere canola will grow. So why do it at Saskatoon?
“There are two reasons, really,” Devine says. “One is funding. 10 years ago there was funding available to attract new business to the area. But perhaps the biggest draw is the canola cluster that has established itself there.”
The canola cluster
The cluster Devine is referring to is embodied by the very visible settling in of the big seed and line companies. Cargill recently expanded its farm and processing capacity at Clavet, just outside of the city. Monsanto, Viterra and Pioneer Hi-Bred have a presence here, just to name a few, and most recently Bayer CropScience announced its expansion of its office and research facility.
Rod Merryweather, North American oilseeds operation manager for Bayer CropScience, agrees that Saskatoon has become a plant biotechnology hub, especially for canola.
“This is something 20 years in the making,” Merryweather says, referring to Bayer’s grand opening of their facility planned for this July. The company bought Plant Genetic Systems in 1989 and has been investing, building and expanding ever since. The current facility houses 40 people, but that number will likely grow to 60 or more over the near future.
“In the past 15 years, canola has seen an excess of 25 per cent yield increase because of all the hard work largely centered at Saskatoon,” Merryweather says. “That’s more than double the increases made in cereals over the same time frame.”
Herbicide tolerance is partly responsible for the canola yield jump, but so is hybridization, something that was not the norm just a few short years ago.
Developing hybrids is important work in increasing yield, but so is building in disease tolerance to yield robbers such as sclerotinia, clubroot and blackleg. “Disease tolerance is so important,” Merryweather says. “Every one per cent infection of sclerotinia in a field causes a half-bushel per acre yield drag.”
“Saskatoon is quickly becoming a global centre of excellence for our canola breeding and development at Bayer CropScience,” Merryweather says. “From here, we see an increased focus on more traits and enhancing the quality and uses of canola. We want the crop to maintain its hold as a market leader.” CG
Ag-West Bio
“We’re a catalyst,” explains Darcy Pawlik, vice-president, life sciences and regulatory affairs with Ag-West Bio, a membership-based Saskatchewan organization that nutures the development of bio businesses. “We serve three purposes: help commercialize new agriculture technologies, add brand value to Saskatchewan products, and, lastly, help companies navigate the policy and regulations affecting commercialization.”
What that looks like in practice can vary. Ag-West has and still does offer seed money to fledgling business.
More and more, however, Ag-West is taking on a collaborative approach to helping Saskatoon-based businesses succeed. “We’ll act as go-between with government, universities and funding,” Pawlik says.
Ag-West has 85 members, from corporations, to associations and individuals involved in bioprocessing, natural health products and biotechnology.
Camelina, a non-food oilseed, is just one crop that has recently benefited from Ag-West’s work. “We’ve been supporting work into alternative crops for biofuel, keeping in mind the social and cultural aspects of crop development while being cognizant of the economics of production,” Pawlik says.
Bringing an entirely new crop to market is fraught with regulatory hurdles and hang-ups, Pawlik says Ag-West provides tools for companies to help wade through all that.
Ag-West also commissions market studies and brings in experts, things that may be cost prohibitive if each company were on its own, Pawlik says. “The human capital component is one that’s often overlooked.”
similar to drought tolerance, although the two are very different. “Canola is susceptible to heat blast, where flowers abort when temperatures reach the high 20s or low 30s during flowering,” Devine says. “This trait will decrease the number of aborted flowers in high temperatures.”
The heat tolerance trait is in the early stages yet, but Devine notes it was only discovered three or four years ago in the lab. The speed at which technology goes from discovery, to field trial, to commercialization has significantly increased in recent years thanks to technology advancements.
The type of research Performance Plants does could realistically be done just about anywhere canola will grow. So why do it at Saskatoon?
“There are two reasons, really,” Devine says. “One is funding. 10 years ago there was funding available to attract new business to the area. But perhaps the biggest draw is the canola cluster that has established itself there.”
The canola cluster
The cluster Devine is referring to is embodied by the very visible settling in of the big seed and line companies. Cargill recently expanded its farm and processing capacity at Clavet, just outside of the city. Monsanto, Viterra and Pioneer Hi-Bred have a presence here, just to name a few, and most recently Bayer CropScience announced its expansion of its office and research facility.
Rod Merryweather, North American oilseeds operation manager for Bayer CropScience, agrees that Saskatoon has become a plant biotechnology hub, especially for canola.
“This is something 20 years in the making,” Merryweather says, referring to Bayer’s grand opening of their facility planned for this July. The company bought Plant Genetic Systems in 1989 and has been investing, building and expanding ever since. The current facility houses 40 people, but that number will likely grow to 60 or more over the near future.
“In the past 15 years, canola has seen an excess of 25 per cent yield increase because of all the hard work largely centered at Saskatoon,” Merryweather says. “That’s more than double the increases made in cereals over the same time frame.”
Herbicide tolerance is partly responsible for the canola yield jump, but so is hybridization, something that was not the norm just a few short years ago.
Developing hybrids is important work in increasing yield, but so is building in disease tolerance to yield robbers such as sclerotinia, clubroot and blackleg. “Disease tolerance is so important,” Merryweather says. “Every one per cent infection of sclerotinia in a field causes a half-bushel per acre yield drag.”
“Saskatoon is quickly becoming a global centre of excellence for our canola breeding and development at Bayer CropScience,” Merryweather says. “From here, we see an increased focus on more traits and enhancing the quality and uses of canola. We want the crop to maintain its hold as a market leader.” CG
