(Rural Roots Canada) – Prairie canola growers are investing heavily in new research aimed at tackling disease pressures, pest threats, and environmental challenges facing one of Canada’s most important crops.
The three Prairie provincial canola grower associations have approved funding for 11 research projects through the Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP) for 2026. The projects represent a total investment of roughly $4 million.
Funding includes more than $2.4 million from Alberta Canola, SaskOilseeds and Manitoba Canola Growers, along with more than $495,000 from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) and over $1 million from Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR).
The CARP program is driven by grower organizations and focuses on practical research priorities identified by producers. Through a collaborative review process, projects are selected that aim to improve canola productivity while helping farmers manage evolving threats in the field.
Funded research often targets key issues such as pest and disease management, emerging weed pressures and viral infections, all to strengthen long-term crop resilience.
Cheryl Westman, Alberta Canola Research Chair, says grower investment is becoming increasingly important as research capacity within public institutions declines.
READ MORE: Bayer Invests $45M to Build Canola Research Facility in Manitoba
“As capacity among public research institutions decreases, grower-led investment isn’t just an option anymore. It’s critical to the longevity of our industry,” says Westman. “Being a part of CARP allows Canadian canola growers to fund research that directly impacts their own farms, ensuring they have the tools to remain profitable and productive in a rapidly evolving environment.”
Partners supporting the research say the work will help address both current production challenges and emerging risks.
“The WGRF funding of canola research continues to be an investment for the benefit of canola growers,” says Laura Reiter, board chair of the Western Grains Research Foundation. “The genetic improvement and disease risks facing canola production need to be researched to find solutions for canola production.”
Results Driven Agriculture Research also says the collaborative funding approach helps accelerate solutions for producers.
“RDAR is proud to make key research investments with our funding partners, to address diseases, viruses and weed pressures that hinder producer productivity and profitability,” says Clinton Dobson, RDAR’s vice-president of research. “The strategic approach in the CARP call will drive positive solutions for canola farmers.”
CARP 2026 Funded Research Projects
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Connor Fitzpatrick, University of Calgary – Discovering the Verticillium longisporum genetic determinants of virulence
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Fouad Daayf, University of Manitoba – Sustainable Management of Verticillium Stripe in Canola Through Biocontrol-Based Strategies
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Gary Peng, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Exploiting susceptibility (S) genes in canola against clubroot and sclerotinia stem rot
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Harmeet Chawla, University of Manitoba – Developing Verticillium Stripe Resistance in Canola through Genetic and Molecular Approaches
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Isobel Parkin, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – A MAGIC resource to capture resistance to multiple environmental stressors in Canola
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Jackie Lebenzon, University of Calgary – Overwintering physiology and population modelling of flea beetles in canola
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Miles Buchwaldt, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Integrating Automated Imaging with Real-Time Lysimeter Data for Canola Drought Response Modeling
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Sean Prager, University of Saskatchewan – Integrated Management of Viral Complexes and Co-Infection Risks in Canola
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Stephen Strelkov, University of Alberta – Advancing Genomics-Based Diagnostics for Pathotype Identification in Clubroot
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Yang Xu, University of Guelph – Enhancing Sclerotinia Resistance in Canola through a Novel Jasmonate Regulatory Complex
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Yosra Menchari, Université Laval – Development of a Gene Drive System for the reproductive suppression of weeds
