USask’s cutting-edge soil science laboratory receives $760K

Soil science plays a crucial role in understanding how plants grow and can be used in research that combats climate change and creates sustainable crops to feed a growing population. USask researchers have long been innovators in soil science research and now a project to upgrade and overhaul the USask soil sciences laboratory has received funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF). The fund supports innovative research and research infrastructure projects across the country. 

Dr. Colin Laroque (PhD), the head of the Department of Soil Science and a professor in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, said this funding will help upgrade the tools and technology of the Bank of Montreal (BMO) Soil Analytical Laboratory to match the skills and expertise of the researchers at USask.  

“We think we’re leaders in this field. To have an outside agency affirm this is a pat on the back,” he said. “We’re updating our science and equipment to be a definite leader in the country.” 

The USask soil sciences laboratory was renamed the BMO Soil Analytical Laboratory in recognition of the support from BMO as part of a $2 million donation received in 2023.

The JELF funding of $761,727 will go towards the purchase and installation of 11 new tools in the BMO Soil Analytical Laboratory. These new devices – including instruments like leading-edge mass spectrometers used for detailed soil chemical analyses – will give researchers a leg up when working on impactful research projects. 

Soil science research includes many facets, including the chemical composition of the soil, nutritional inputs and outputs, microbes living in the soil, greenhouse gas sequestration and emissions, and much more.  

As Laroque puts it, the interest in soil health has been steadily growing over the past few decades. As technology has continued to improve, more and more indicators of soil health have been identified and can be measured using newly developed tools and techniques.  

USask researchers will continue to push the boundaries of soil science research with the support of the JELF funding, and Laroque said these upgraded facilities will attract researchers from beyond campus as well.  

“If you want to be the biggest and best, you should be leading the game, and we do,” he said. “We have some of the best soil science minds in the country in this department, and to keep them working on the cutting edge we need the best tools ... and our partners across the country can use them too.” 

USask is home to many top-tier researchers in the agricultural field and has become a preferred location for companies developing new research technologies to co-ordinate with those working in the industry.  

Thanks to the tremendous level of skill and knowledge in the department, Laroque said the funding and support reflects the breadth and scope of the research happening at USask.  

“It’s not so much that we have one person who is the beacon – it’s the group of beacons that we have,” he said. “Many of these people are leaders in the country, or internationally – we know that, and we’re told that. To put them all on one application, one piece of paper, it’s humbling. That’s why a grant like this can come to our department.” 

Other projects to receive JELF funding this round include:  

Dr. Benjamin Hoy (PhD), Department of History, College of Arts and Science – The Infrastructure of Health, Economics, and Power – $33,482 

Dr. Nicole Webster (PhD), Department of Biology, College of Arts and Science – Saskatchewan Marine Invertebrate Lab for Embryology – $145,604