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BMO’s $2 million donation to University of Saskatchewan to accelerate research critical to the future of food in Canada

April 24, 2023 – USask has received a $2 million from BMO, which will aid in accelerating and strengthening the College of Agriculture and Bioresources’ research ecosystem. These programs focus on research and training in one of USask’s signature areas, and aim to ensure that farmers and agronomists are “at the cutting edge of production and environmental practices that support global food production,” states a press release. 

A multi-donor initiative, the new research chair position will focus on accelerating the science and adoption of regenerative agriculture, through detailed assessment of management practices aimed at preserving and restoring agroecosystem health while maximizing yield and profitability.

The soil analytical laboratory will aim to alleviate a critical bottleneck in digital agriculture research and provide key analytical capabilities for research in regenerative agriculture. The new laboratory will:

• Expand current capability for characterizing soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, a cornerstone for quantifying regenerative agriculture impacts
• Build high-throughput spectroscopic capability for rapid assessment of a range of soil properties, including plant-available nutrients
• Facilitate rapid characterization of the soil and plant microbiome, an indicator of soil health and function
• Enable data integration across multiple analytical platforms, building a soil database that can be mined to better understand the interactions between soil function and above-ground crop performance
• Create world-leading training opportunities for students in some of the world’s most advanced agriculture practices right here in Saskatchewan

BMO’s gift is part of the university’s upcoming Be What the World Needs campaign.