Alberta Innovates invests in Lakeland’s producer-driven research projects

The Lakeland College applied research team is pleased to announce that two of their projects have been successful in their bid to receive additional funding from the Government of Alberta through Alberta Innovates.

“Lakeland’s agricultural research is a critical part of what we offer to our region and province. Our research team is creating paths for increased productivity and sustainability with the work they do and the partnerships cultivated,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of the college. “I am so pleased that Alberta Innovates recognizes and chooses to invest in the important work we are doing to present real solutions to real problems producers face.”

The funds are part of the Smart Agriculture and Food Digitization and Automation Challenge (SAFDAC), which awarded a total of $3.19 million to 10 new smart-ag and food projects. Fifty organizations expressed interest in the contest, with 16 submitting a full proposal. Lakeland’s two projects were awarded $497,600, split between them. Lakeland researcher Dr. Susan Markus’ project investigating the use of handheld devices for automatic blood analysis to monitor sheep pregnancy and predict litter size was awarded $145,000. Dr. Yuri Montanholi’s project optimizing non-contact sensing technologies to enhance sustainability of bison farming was awarded $345,081.

“Thank you to Alberta Innovates and the Government of Alberta for investing in these two important research projects,” says Dr. François Paradis, Lakeland’s new director of applied research. “With your support, we will be able to advance the industry’s best practices for bison herd management and pursue innovative and practical technology to enhance reproductive management in ewes. We are always proud when our research results in tangible information for the producers we work alongside and can’t wait to see the results from these projects.”

SAFDAC’s mission is to support the development of sustainable, smart technologies to increase productivity. Projects they chose to support included hyperspectral optics camera to offer continuous information from Space. Other successful projects included mobile inelastic neutron scattering, an A.I. data recording kit that automates farm machinery, among others.

Lakeland supports applied research to enhance the agriculture industry’s productivity, profitability and competitiveness, support student learning outcomes, and enhance social, environmental and economic outcomes in Alberta and beyond. Areas of focus include key commercial crop and livestock species, as well as agriculture technology. There are currently 39 active projects and 78 unique research partnerships at Lakeland.

Photo: Bison cows and young calves during springtime. Photo by Dr. Yuri Montanholi.