March 4, 2026 – The three Prairie provincial canola grower associations have evaluated and selected 11 canola research projects to receive funding under the Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP) in 2026. This investment includes over $2.4 million from Alberta Canola, SaskOilseeds and Manitoba Canola Growers, as well as over $495,000 from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) and over $1 million from Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), bringing the total investment to $4 million.
Driven by grower associations and supported by a robust, collaborative research priority development and proposal review system, CARP enables the funding of projects that are key to advancing canola productivity and mitigating production threats. The funded projects regularly provide new strategies for managing pests and diseases, addressing emerging threats such as weeds and viral infections, and supporting a more resilient canola crop. Grower associations are pleased to collaborate with the RDAR and WGRF, enabling greater innovation and discovery through aligned research priorities.
“As capacity among public research institutions decrease, grower-led investment isn’t just an option anymore. It’s critical to the longevity of our industry,” says Cheryl Westman, Alberta Canola Research Chair. “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.”
“The WGRF funding of canola research continues to be an investment for the benefit of canola growers,” says Laura Reiter, WGRF Board Chair. “The genetic improvement and disease risks facing canola production need to be researched to find solutions for canola production.”
Clinton Dobson, Vice President, Research, RDAR, said: “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. The strategic approach in the CARP call will drive positive solutions for canola farmers.”
Canola research projects funded in the CARP 2026 intake include:
- Connor Fitzpatrick, University of Calgary – Discovering the Verticillium longisporum genetic determinants of virulence
- Fouad Daayf, University of Manitoba – Sustainable Management of Verticillium Stripe in Canola Through Biocontrol-Based Strategies
- Gary Peng, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Exploiting susceptibility (S) genes in canola against clubroot and sclerotinia stem rot
- Harmeet Chawla, University of Manitoba – Developing Verticillium Stripe Resistance in Canola through Genetic and Molecular Approaches
- Isobel Parkin, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – A MAGIC resource to capture resistance to multiple environmental stressors in Canola
- Jackie Lebenzon, University of Calgary – Overwintering physiology and population modelling of flea beetles in canola
- Miles Buchwaldt, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Integrating Automated Imaging with Real-Time Lysimeter Data for Canola Drought Response Modeling
- Sean Prager, University of Saskatchewan – Integrated Management of Viral Complexes and Co-Infection Risks in Canola
- Stephen Strelkov, University of Alberta – Advancing Genomics-Based Diagnostics for Pathotype Identification in Clubroot
- Yang Xu, University of Guelph – Enhancing Sclerotinia Resistance in Canola through a Novel Jasmonate Regulatory Complex
- Yosra Menchari, Université Laval – Development of a Gene Drive System for the reproductive suppression of weeds
About CARP
CARP is funded by the three provincial grower organizations – Alberta Canola, SaskOilseeds and the Manitoba Canola Growers, and is administered by the Canola Council of Canada (CCC). Additional funds are provided for select CARP projects by WGRF, RDAR and other partners. Proposals are reviewed by the grower association research committees, external expert peer reviewers and with additional agronomic insight from the CCC’s Innovation, Production and Supply team. Since 1994, over $37 million has been invested in canola research through CARP.
The findings from these projects are incorporated into various tools and extension materials, including the Canola Research Hub and the Canola Encyclopedia. More information on CARP can be found at canolacouncil.org.
About WGRF
The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is a farmer-funded and farmer-directed non-profit organization investing in agricultural research that benefits western Canadian farmers. Established in 1981, WGRF has funded over $255 million of research in field crops of interest to western Canadian farmers.
About RDAR
Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) is a not-for-profit organization, mandated to target strategic investments in producer-led, results-driven agriculture research to power the profitability, productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability of agriculture in Alberta. RDAR’s funding comes from the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
For more information, please visit: www.rdar.ca
MEDIA MAY CONTACT:
Michelle Chunyua, Director of Communications
Alberta Canola
(780) 224-7970
michelle@albertacanola.com
Ellen Grueter, Communications Manager
SaskOilseeds
(306) 975-6620
egrueter@saskoilseeds.com
Carrie Livingston, Communications Coordinator
Manitoba Canola Growers Association
(204) 771-8650
carrie@canolagrowers.com
Wayne Thompson, Executive Director
Western Grains Research Foundation
(306) 975-2081
communications@wgrf.ca
Richard Hilton, Manager, Stakeholder Relations and Communications
RDAR
richard.hilton@rdar.ca
Caroline Traweger, Communications Coordinator
Canola Council of Canada
(204) 296-4418
trawegerc@canolacouncil.org