USask leads livestock research with massive government investment
Nearly $4.7 million in support from the provincial and federal governments is going to innovative livestock-focused agricultural research projects and partnerships led by the University of Saskatchewan (USask).
By Matt Olson, Research Profile and ImpactSeventeen USask-led livestock and forage projects — including three studies based at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) — are receiving funding from this year’s Agriculture Development Fund (ADF), a joint fund between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada.
Included in that $4.7 million, the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at USask received nearly $1.8 million as part of the renewal of a multi-year partnership to continue research and knowledge transfer programs to engage with industry producers. In addition, the Prairie Swine Centre also received funding in the amount of $2.15 million for the renewal of a multi-year research partnership supporting applied swine research and knowledge transfer initiatives.
The funding was announced on Jan. 21 by Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald and Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture David Marit. In total, 27 projects and partnerships across Saskatchewan received support from the ADF.
“This funding is a show of faith from all levels of government that the research undertaken here at USask will have a positive impact on Saskatchewan and the world,” said USask Vice-President Research Baljit Singh. “Our leading agricultural research helps set USask apart as a world-leading research institution.”
The ADF program is supported by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (S-CAP), a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities, and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
Projects that received ADF funding at USask include groundbreaking research into livestock animals such as chickens, cows, and bison, as well as innovative projects that explore topics in the economics and health and safety of agri-food production.
"USask researchers develop new knowledge, tools, and products and instil this new knowledge in the next generation of innovators. Our partnerships with funders allow us to be responsive to industry's needs and advance Saskatchewan’s position as a leader in agriculture,” said Dr. Trever Crowe (PhD), acting dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.
"This support from the government and our industry partners enables the essential and interdisciplinary research needed to address relevant and current issues of food security, production efficiencies and policy.”
WCVM-based funding recipients
Dr. Susantha Gomis (PhD), Department of Veterinary Pathology, WCVM
Topic: "Cholera toxin as a mucosal immunomodulator to control Salmonella colonization in broiler chickens."
ADF funding: $97,500
Co-funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR)
Dr. Dinesh Dadarwal (BVSc&AH, PhD), Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, WCVM
Topic: "One test, one result: advancing reproductive loss diagnostics for small ruminants using the ReproSeq panel."
ADF funding: $222,000
Co-funded by Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board
Dr. Susan Detmer (DVM, PhD), Department of Veterinary Pathology, WCVM
Topic: "Regional vaccine development for the control of influenza in pigs."
ADF funding: $150,000
USask-based funding recipients
Dr. Bill Biligetu (PhD), College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "Development of novel hybrid bromegrass cultivars for western Canadian beef and forage sector."
ADF funding: $195,315
Co-funded by Alberta Beef Producers, Manitoba Forage Seed Association, Results Driven Agriculture Research, Saskatchewan Cattle Association, and Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission
Dr. Bill Biligetu (PhD), College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "Enhancing the productivity and sustainability of alfalfa through the development of high yielding and high nitrogen fixing cultivar.
ADF funding: $145,916
Co-funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research, Saskatchewan Alfalfa Seed Producers Development Commission
Dr. Eric Lamb (PhD), College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "How long to wait? Forage recovery following intensive grazing"
ADF funding: $83,577
Dr. Karen Schwean-Lardner (PhD), College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "Innovative and sustainable platform enrichments to advance broiler welfare in Canada."
ADF funding: $40,000
Co-funded by Canadian Poultry Research Council, Saskatchewan Chicken Industry Development Fund
Dr. Lifeng Zhang (PhD), College of Engineering
Topic: "Development of green surface microbial decontamination and egg washing processes."
ADF funding: $210,000
Dr. Bryce Warner (PhD), Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization
Topic: "Development of a sheep model to investigate Cache Valley virus disease, antiviral immune responses, and vaccine countermeasures."
ADF funding: $175,000
Co-funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research, Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board
Kathy Larson, College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "Unpaid labour on Saskatchewan cow-calf operations"
ADF funding: $66,000
Dr. Kaidi Wang (PhD), College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "Plasma-activated water as a sustainable solution to control Campylobacter in poultry processing facilities."
ADF funding: $207,000
Dr. Jeffrey Chen (PhD), Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization
Topic: "MSX-1: a novel bovine tuberculosis vaccine."
ADF funding: $450,000
Dr. Flavia van Cleef (PhD), College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "Impact of annual forage species diversity on fermentation dynamics, digestibility and nutrient utilization in rumen simulations."
ADF funding: $206,724
Dr. Trever Crowe (PhD), College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "Advancing sustainable bison production through grazing management and ecosystem services enhancement in Saskatchewan’s Prairies."
ADF funding: $257,301
Dr. Natacha Hogan (PhD), College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "Development and use of novel testing strategies to understand and mitigate toxicity of ergot alkaloids in beef cattle."
ADF funding: $239,975
Co-funded by Alberta Beef Producers, Saskatchewan Cattle Association
Dr. Gregory Penner (PhD), College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Topic: "Fine-tuning dry-rolled barley grain processing for finishing beef cattle."
ADF funding: $139,007
S-CAP Partnerships
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO): "Turning science into solutions: strengthening communication and knowledge translation for producers through VIDO core funding." Funding: $1,797,313
- Prairie Swine Centre (PSC): "Applied swine research and knowledge transfer program supporting Saskatchewan swine producers." Funding: $2,150,000
Click here to view the Government of Saskatchewan background fact sheet listing all 2026 livestock and forage research funding initiatives.
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