Research chair named

February 5, 2010

A pulse crop researcher has won a prestigious national research position to conduct studies on lentil genetics that could lead to more resilient and nutritious varieties.

Bert Vandenberg, a professor of plant sciences in the Crop Development Centre, has been awarded a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Industrial Research Chair which comes with some $3.8 million from NSERC and the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. Over the next five years, Vandenberg will investigate lentil genetics to increase disease resistance and add nutritional value to the crop. His research program will also use new genetic technologies to assist in breeding lentil varieties.

More than 30 per cent of the global lentil supply originates from crop varieties developed by Vandenberg. “It took the Canadian industry 15 to 20 years to get into first place globally with lentils,” he said in a university release. “This funding and research program will help guarantee that Saskatchewan pulse producers will stay on top.”

Canada is one of the world’s leading lentil producers, with Saskatchewan producing 99 per cent of the country’s total lentil crop.