Department of Soil Science 'Soil Science Field Facility'
Term: 2 years, beginning in 2021
Status: Ongoing
Funding Amount: $300,000
Lead Researcher(s): Dr. Tom Yates (University of Alberta)
Funding Partners: Western Grains Research Foundation, SaskBarley, SaskCanola, Province of Saskatchewan, Department of Soil Science (University of Saskatchewan)
Project Description
The Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, is proposing the construction of a new 10,000 sq. ft. Soil Science Field Facility (SSFF), which is essential for maintaining our field research programs. The Department is nationally recognized for its applied, field-based agronomic and environmental research programs. These programs address agricultural issues related to soil health and sustainability, soil fertility and plant production, indigenous agriculture and environmental issues such as adaptation to and mitigation of climate change and its impacts on agriculture. To conduct these field research programs by faculty, technicians and graduate students, the Department utilizes three different spaces for soil and plant drying, soil and plant processing for analytical analysis, storage of soil and plant material from research trials, and maintenance/storage of field equipment and service of field electronic equipment.
The benefits of the Department of Soil Science’s research to Saskatchewan grain producers depends on the Department’s ability to maintain rigorous field programs. Their field facilities are essential for staging and executing this work, and without these facilities, their capacity to mount field research programs will be severely compromised. Soils are a fundamental resource, and the ability to conduct field research programs will allow the department to continue its long history of working with farmers, producer groups and government agencies to improve crop production and maintain or even enhance the sustainability of the province’s land base for the people of Saskatchewan and Western Canada.