Alberta Canola’s Research Symposium Refines
Targets for Research Investment

Alberta Canola hosted its third annual Research Symposium at the Alberta Canola Conference in Red Deer on January 23, 2025.

The Research Symposium exists to share information about current and future priority areas of canola research in Alberta. The Canola Council of Canada’s Jay Whetter moderated the day, which featured insights from Breanne Tidemann (AAFC – Lacombe), Stephen Strelkov (University of Alberta), Paul Galpern (University of Calgary), Boyd Mori (University of Alberta), Edel Perez Lopez (Laval University), Ian Epp (Canola Council of Canada) and Nate Ort (University of Saskatchewan). These individuals were chosen because of their backgrounds in canola research and their consistent leadership in creating and completing high-quality research projects.

“The format of the symposium was really engaging,” says Alan Hampton, Chair of the Alberta Canola Research Committee, “the discussions provided insight that will help drive our research priorities and funding decisions in the future.”

 After interactive panel discussions, farmer and industry attendees were asked to provide input into Alberta Canola’s research priorities for this year’s research funding calls.

Alberta Canola participates in three annual funding calls:

• The Agriculture Funding Consortium (AFC)

• Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP)

• Agriculture Development Fund (ADF)

Alberta Canola also participates in the larger federal Agriculture Policy Framework group, which leads the development of the Canola Agriscience Cluster under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (S-CAP) and occurs every five years.

All research that Alberta Canola funds must focus on finding the best ways to grow canola, finding solutions to pest management, or increasing the demand for canola. We fund a mix of short-, medium- and long-term research projects based on the needs of farmers in Alberta.

To identify these needs, Alberta Canola’s research staff engages with our farmer-director Research Committee, with other canola farmers, and with the wider research and innovation world. The Research Symposium in Red Deer featured an activity where farmers (and industry) in attendance ‘invested’ funds (Symposium Bucks) in areas that they thought were the most important for research funding. The Symposium Bucks were deposited in boxes labelled with different areas to target research investment. After the event, the ‘bucks’ in each box were counted and the top six funding targets for the upcoming funding calls are:

• Diseases

• Abiotic Stresses

• Weeds

• Fertility & Nutrient Management

• Market Development

• Insects

MOVING FORWARD

The top five target areas for research funding have been expanded to include more specific research project ideas including those developed by the Canola Council of Canada’s steering committees and subject matter experts. You can find the detailed research targets at albertacanola.com/research.

As we look toward 2026, researchers are urged to address these updated research targets when developing projects, ensuring that proposed innovations align with real-world farming needs and market opportunities.

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH?

• Learn about ongoing and previously funded canola research in the Canola Council of Canada’s Research Hub and see what projects Alberta Canola has funded on our website.
• Tell us about what is important to you:
  • Attend future Alberta Canola events to ask questions and help build research targets that are relevant to you and your region.
  • Start a conversation with Alberta Canola’s Research Manager (Contract) (autumn@albertacanola.com).

If you are a researcher and want to be successful in your funding application, make sure you clearly communicate how the knowledge and/or technology created by your proposed project will be beneficial and adoptable for canola farmers in Alberta. Strong methodology is important, as is a clear return on investment for the Alberta farmers whose service charge dollars fund Alberta Canola’s research programs.