Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is proud to announce a funding commitment of over $835,000 for the renewal of two essential technician positions at the University of Manitoba through 2029.

For the last five years, two WGRF-funded technicians have provided indispensable support for agronomic research. The impact of this support has been far-reaching, with advancements in crop rotation management, tillage practices, cover crop integration, grain intercropping, soil health assessment, fertilizer management, and farm machinery innovation.

Over the next five years, the Long-Term Cropping Systems Technician will maintain critical support and coordination for several long-term agronomic studies at the University of Manitoba. Meanwhile, the Field Crops Research Technician will extend their support to undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows in both Plant Science and Soil Science.

 “Technicians are our front-line people, who are on the ground doing the valuable work of applied research and training. We have observed real growth in faculty numbers, research output, skills training, and knowledge translation activities in agronomic sciences at the University of Manitoba, which can be directly correlated to excellent technical support enabled by WGRF in their initial investment,” said Martin Scanlon, Dean, UM Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences.

“The dedicated support for technician positions by WGRF over the next five years will continue to have a transformative effect on the capacity for crop research at the University of Manitoba and directly benefit western grain farmers,” said Scanlon.

This commitment marks another step in the ongoing partnership between the University of Manitoba and WGRF to enhance and expand agronomic research and training capacity. With previous support, the NSERC/WGRF/Fertilizer Canada Industrial Research Chair in 4R Nutrient Management was established in 2020, followed by the Integrated Crop Protection Chair (Weed Science) in 2022.

“We are excited to continue our collaboration with the University of Manitoba, which plays a crucial role in advancing agronomic research,” said Laura Reiter, WGRF Board Chair. “Technicians are instrumental in the success of any agronomy research program. Their skills and knowledge are critical to implementing and managing sophisticated field experiments,” Reiter added.

The direct support for technician positions by WGRF over the next five years will continue to transform the capacity for agronomy crop research at the University of Manitoba, directly benefiting western grain farmers.