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2009
Farmers support research into natural food preservative
August 20, 2009
Winnipeg -- Research to develop a natural food preservative, derived from cereal grains, is one of five projects supported by western Canadian farmers through the 2009 CWB postgraduate awards program.
If successful, the research could create an important new value-added market for Prairie wheat and barley, which would be used to produce a mould-fighting preservative. Scientists at the University of Alberta's Agri-Food Discovery Place hope to meet the food industry's need for a natural alternative to practices like irradiation and atmospheric packaging for extending the shelf life of food products.
Another funded research project, at the University of Manitoba, focuses on the battle against fusarium head blight in spring wheat, a disease that damages crops in the eastern Prairies each year. At the University of Saskatchewan, one student award recipient will evaluate policies for grain transportation in Western Canada and another will study Australia's Grain Research Development Corporation. The final recipient, a student at the University of Manitoba, will examine the role the CWB plays in the grain-industry supply chain.
"Agricultural research is vital to farmers," said Larry Hill chair of the CWB's producer-controlled board of directors. "Research improves plant genetics, develops new markets for our grain and helps us assess policy issues that affect our bottom lines. Projects funded by farmers through the CWB also help train and develop our next generation of agricultural researchers."
The CWB annually supports research into diverse areas of benefit to western Canadian grain farmers. This year's awards include four graduate fellowships, valued at $33,000 each, and an agricultural economics scholarship valued at $25,000. The funding comes from the CWB's special account, made up of uncashed producer cheques and interest.
More information on the research projects is contained in the attached backgrounder.
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. One of Canada's biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based company sells grain to over 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less marketing costs, to Prairie farmers.
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For more information, please contact:
Maureen Fitzhenry
CWB media relations manager
(204) 983-3101
Cell: (204) 227-6927
maureen_fitzhenry@cwb.ca
2009 CWB postgraduate award recipients
The following students are the 2009 CWB postgraduate award recipients. Photos are available for media use upon request.
Brenna Black, University of Alberta: Natural food preservatives
Brenna will research the potential for using antifungal properties of cereal-associated bacteria to create a natural preservative that can extend the shelf life of food products. Her work, under the supervision of Drs. Michael Gänzle and Jonathan Curtis, aims to provide value-added processing to cereals such as wheat and barley, and to oilseeds like canola. The novel antifungal compounds derived from these grains could extend the storage life of crops and grain products by preventing mould contamination. The research will also investigate the potential for these compounds in protecting crops from fungal diseases like fusarium head blight.
Victoria Gauthier, University of Manitoba: Fusarium head blight
Victoria is examining the increasing prevalence of more aggressive and toxic forms of deoxynivalenol (DON) mycotoxins in fusarium head blight, a disease that results in major losses to wheat yield and quality in the eastern Prairies each year. Her analysis, under the supervision of Dr. Anita Brulé-Babel, will determine if changes in the pathogen will have significant effects on future epidemics and whether additional grading factors will be needed to ensure food and feed safety of wheat. The research will also provide wheat breeders with critical information about the effectiveness of different fusarium-resistant genes against the new types of DON.
Russell Lawrence, University of Saskatchewan: Grain transportation
Russell will develop a simulation model of the western Canadian grain handling and transportation system. Under the supervision of Dr. James Nolan, this working model will allow the merits of alternative competition and regulatory policies to be assessed and compared. Continued reliance on two major railways for grain transportation in Western Canada underscores the need to objectively assess various competition policies to determine what might work best in the public interest.
Katarzyna Bolek, University of Saskatchewan: Australia's GRDC
Katarzyna will examine the impact of recent changes to the Grain Research Development Corporation in Australia, which has recently formed joint ventures and taken equity stakes in private seed companies. Under the supervision of Dr. Richard Gray, she will explore how this developed and the potential advantages for Australian grain producers. This research will address a fundamentally important issue for western Canadian grain producers: lack of funding and coordination for cereal research in Canada poses a long-term threat to the competitive advantages of Canadian grain and its ability to globally compete over time.
Janelle Wallace, University of Manitoba: CWB role in grain-industry supply chain
Janelle will examine the supply chain of wheat and designated barley from producer to consumer and analyze the value added for producers from the CWB's role. Under the supervision of Dr. Jared Carlberg, she will determine if the CWB's volume position can increase savings for farmers through volume negotiation, how costs are lowered and how current performance can be improved to increase individual farm profitability.
