AAFC Sector Science Strategies

Transcription

1 AAFC Sector Science Strategies Presentation to Seed Sector VCRT February 18-19, 2014

2 Context Science and Technology Branch research will be aligned to specific ag sectors including cereal, pulse and oilseeds. The strategies will: Outline STB s objectives and focus areas for research, development and knowledge transfer Define roles of STB in collaboration with industry, universities, other government departments, Provide a framework for scientists to propose work Inform resource allocation within AAFC 2

3 Strategic Objectives Four broad strategic objectives, representing the major scientific challenges facing 21 st century agriculture: Increasing agricultural productivity from both an individual commodity and a systems perspective e.g. crop rotations, Enhancing environmental performance E.g. Commodity footprint, sustainably metrics. Improving attributes for food and non-food uses e.g. nutritional attributes; use of agri-products in pharmaceuticals, bio-chemicals, industrial fiber Addressing threats to the value chain e.g. weeds, insects, disease, safety of production systems 3

4 Strategic Objective Improve attributes for food and non-food uses Research market driven genetics and production practices To be competitive, Canadian producers require access to crops and varieties that maintain or boost marketability. Public sector institutions and industry/agribusiness will play a joint role in providing producers with varieties that reflect market demands germplasm development programs consider quality components of oil, protein, fibre and lipids breeding and germplasm development to incorporate attributes specific to end-user needs, Agronomic research and enhanced production systems for production of consistent and marketable products. rotation, seeding rate, fertility regimes along with understanding of associated climate and soil factors as it pertains to crop quality 4

5 Strategic Objective Improve attributes for food and non-food uses Maximize health potential of cereals - Build on cereal and pulse health attributes. Barley beta-glucan enhancement Oat avenanthramides enhancement Wheat protein quality and gluten strength consistency 5

6 Strategic Objective Increase agricultural productivity Increase the genetic potential of cereal and pulse crops Tools to increase the rate of genetic gain ie: genomics; marker-assisted breeding, genome-wide selection and genome editing Increase the harvest index by modifying carbon partitioning in favour of grain Increasing solar radiation capture increasing leaf area Increase photosynthesis efficiency Development of hybrid and synthetic crops with adaptation for Canada s climatic conditions. 6

7 Strategic Objective Increase agricultural productivity Increase cereal, pulse and oilseed ability to achieve genetic yield potentials - Breeding crops for superior tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses; and developing improved production systems Heat and drought tolerance in current crops. Increased tolerance to early season and late season frosts. Ongoing genetics and germplasm improvement work to decrease losses to disease or insects (e.g., fusarium, aster yellows, midge). Agronomic systems or techniques to decrease losses from crop specific insects or diseases. 7

8 Strategic Objective Enhance environmental performance of production systems Develop integrated crop management (ICM) practices to reduce the impact of insects, disease and weeds on production systems ICM practices combine the strategic use of crop protection products with other cultural methods to control pests in agricultural systems with resulting production efficiencies, and reduced footprint per unit of production. Improved efficiency of nutrient utilization crops with enhanced rooting, improved microbial interactions, nutrient acquisition and/or physiological nutrient use efficiency. Agronomic research to effectively match crop inputs with nutrient needs while maximizing yield potential. 8

9 Strategic Objective Address threats to the value chain Improve cereal safety by reduction of mycotoxins research on specific food-borne toxins as related to production practices agronomy and genetics approaches that can lower DON or OTA levels Monitoring to detect and mitigate emerging cereal mycotoxin issues associated with climate change or changing production practices. 9

10 Strategic Objective Address threats to the value chain Mitigate emerging biotic treats to Canadian cereal and pulse production Formulating mitigation strategies for emerging threats posed by pathogens to which little or no resistance exists at present (e.g., Ug99). Recognizing and mitigating atypical insect pest threats caused by the introduction of new crops into Canada, climatic conditions causing range expansion in previously unknown insects or the accidental introduction of foreign insects Utilise the AAFC genetic collections as the basis of science necessary to maintain resiliency against future threats to the sector 10

11 Summary Four Broad Strategic objectives relevant to the cereal pulse and oilseeds sectors. Focus areas outline STB roles, relevant to a public science provider Many science activities will be needed to achieve these objectives. Activities will be informed by sector and partners, and influenced by resources, collaborations, emerging priorities. Implementation in Questions and discussion - Thank you 11