Diverse Field Crops Cluster: Resilient agriculture, reduced footprint

Farmers are already feeling the effects of climate change as pests and diseases adapt quickly to variable temperatures and moisture levels. The Diverse Field Crops Cluster (DFCC) is addressing climate change challenges by developing special crops that are more tolerant to water and heat stress, reduce greenhouse gases and increase carbon sequestration. These crops will give farmers viable crop rotation options and generate value-added products that contribute to economic growth.  

In May, the federal government announced $8.12 million in funding for DFCC through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriScience Program – Clusters Component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Combined with industry contributions of $7 million, the total value of the five-year project is more than $15 million.  

Managed by Ag-West Bio, DFCC is a coordinated group of organizations representing four crops: camelina, flax, mustard and sunflower. The goal is to increase the hectarage seeded to diverse crops, resulting in an agricultural ecosystem that is resilient to climate change – while also being profitable. 

DFCC research activities are aligned with outcomes in three areas: 

1. Benchmarking GHG emissions: Comparing emissions of diverse crops to that of wheat and developing best practices for nitrogen use efficiency.

2. Development of camelina’s agronomic qualities and resilience: Beneficial management practices (BMPs) and additional data for carbon accumulation will lead to greater use of camelina as a new oilseed crop and a viable alternative for production on poorer quality land.

3. Improving genetic resiliency, yields and disease resistance in rotation crops: Increasing yields and disease resistance in mustard, flax and sunflower will result in these crops being more competitive with other crops.

Project titles and Principal Investigators: 

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) program for diverse crops
Dr. Kate Congreves (USask)

Integrated approaches for genetic improvement of flax
Dr. Bunyamin Tar’an (USask) and Dr. Frank You (AAFC-Ottawa)

Camelina crop and germplasm development-harnessing for climate resiliency
Dr. Christina Eynck (AAFC-Saskatoon) and Deb Puttick (Smart Earth Camelina)

Climate smart condiment mustards for crop productivity and resilience
Dr. Bifang Cheng (AAFC-Saskatoon) and Dr. Howard Love (Mustard 21)

Breeding and experimental hybrid screening of confection sunflowers
Katherine Stanley (Manitoba Crop Alliance)

Impact assessment study
Dr. Richard Gray, (USask)

For project details, visit dfcc.ca 

Photos: iStock photos

This article first appeared in Ag-West Bio’s 2024 Annual Report.

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