Brooks, Alta. (Rural Roots Canada) — Rice, mung beans and small-seeded chickpeas may not be the first crops that come to mind when thinking about agriculture in Alberta, but crop research scientist Dr. Manjula Bandara is exploring their potential to diversify the province’s fields.

After earning his PhD from the University of Saskatchewan, Bandara went on to conduct research projects in both Sri Lanka and Canada. In 1999, he began a position at Crop Diversification Centre South (CDC South) as a research scientist. His work has spanned over two decades and a variety of specialized crops.

That work came to an unexpected end in 2020 when government cuts led to the closure of CDC South. Bandara took the opportunity to retire, but left with research he felt was unfinished.

“I feel that I did not finish my profession; I still wanted to continue,” says Bandara.

He didn’t have to wait long for that opportunity as the County of Newell’s CDC South revitalization project has breathed new life into the research centre just outside of Brooks.

Today, he’s researching crops he believes could have potential for Canadian producers and international markets.

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One of his current projects focuses on small-seeded Kabuli chickpeas. So far, his research team has diversified two selected chickpea varieties, including a white-coloured variety that Bandara says has attracted interest for its appearance and consistent quality.

The smaller seed could also provide an affordability advantage to Canadian growers and producers, making the crop worth further exploration, Bandara says.

Chickpeas are not the only potential crop he’s testing for Alberta.

He is collaborating with Dr. Michele Konschuh, an Irrigated Crop Scientist at the University of Lethbridge, to test three major rice varieties and determine whether rice could have potential as a value-added crop in Alberta. Growing rice in Alberta and Canada presents a significant challenge.

“We need to wait ninety days to a hundred and five days for the crop to mature, so that is the challenge that we are facing,” Bandara says. He adds that they must be frost-free during those days, which is just one of the challenges the crop faces.

Another of Bandara’s interests focuses on studying a crop typically grown in warmer regions: mung bean. Mung bean is a short-duration crop used heavily by the sprout industry in North America. Bandara says the crop could possibly be grown in Canada and might be profitable for Canadian farmers. However, adapting the crop to Alberta’s colder conditions has presented challenges, such as disease development.

Researchers are working to acclimatize the crop and develop varieties better suited to local growing conditions.

“So, those are the major crops that I am working on as a retired research scientist,” Bandara says with a smile.

Much of Bandara’s current work is heavily rooted in the experience he has gained at CDC South. He says at one point, agricultural research extended beyond crop trials and into training the next generation. The centre’s 700 acres of land, specialized labs, and growth chambers provided students with hands-on experience that would not have been possible to gain in a regular classroom setting.

“They would work with us as summer students, and they would get paid, and they would gain knowledge; it was an indirect training centre,” Bandara says.

For Bandara, the value of CDC South extends beyond the research conducted there. He says the centre provided opportunities for researchers, students and the broader agricultural community to learn and develop new approaches to crop production. He believes the facility has the potential to return to that prominence with the County of Newell stepping back into the facility.

He hopes to see it operating at full capacity again in the near future.

For now, Bandara continues the work that began there, testing crops and technologies that could offer new possibilities for agriculture.