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Six Faculty of Agriculture researchers receive NSERC Discovery Grant funding

Six researchers at the Faculty of Agriculture on the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus have received close to $1 million dollars in support through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) 2017 competition for the Discovery Grants program, scholarships and fellowships.

“At the core of every research project, every laboratory and every discovery, there are people,” explained Dr. B. Mario Pinto, President, NSERC. “NSERC empowers these people to build an innovative, prosperous and inclusive society. NSERC Discovery Grants, scholarships and fellowships provide thousands of top researchers, students and fellows with the foundation they need to concretize their research ambitions and explore the unknown.”

The Discovery Grants Program supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances.

“NSERC Discovery grants provide our researchers with the power to discover and it is through this fundamental science that we will continue to advance the agricultural industry and human health issues, regionally, nationally and globally,” said Dean and Campus Principal Dr. David Gray “Important research into robotics and automation, natural health products to prevent or reduce the risk of cancer, soil health implications of biosolids and more are taking place at the Faculty of Agriculture.  We are very proud of their success.”

Dr. Scott White $115,000 
Department of Plant, Food and Environmental Sciences

Scott White is investigating creeping herbaceous perennial plants which commonly occur as weeds in agricultural and natural ecosystems in Canada, with many species causing significant economic losses in agriculture and environmental damage in natural ecosystems. As such, his research will contribute new knowledge that will improve perennial weed management in natural and agricultural plant communities in Northeastern North America.

Dr. Gordon Price $135,000 
Department of Engineering

The concentration of wastewater solids in urban environments is a rapidly growing issue in Canada and globally. The land application of biosolids has the capacity to introduce hundreds of tons annually of chemicals related to human activity into agricultural systems.  Dr. Gordon Price studies the impacts of using municipal biosolids in agricultural soils.  This funding will support the continued research in this emerging area examining soil health implications of using amendments, such as biosolids, that are regularly applied in agricultural environments.



Dr. Vasantha Rupasinghe $195,000 
Department of Plant, Food and Environmental Sciences

Dr. Vasantha Rupasinge, Professor and Killam Chair of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, is investigating the chemopreventative properties of cool climate fruits such as apples and haskap with the aim of developing natural health products to prevent or reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.  His research could also contribute to a reduction in the social and economic burdens associated with emerging high cancer rates in Canada. 

Dr. Svetlana Yurgel $140,000 
Department of Plant, Food and Environmental Sciences

The goal of this research is to identify a novel bacterial pathway for synthesis of the vitamin, riboflavin. This vitamin plays an important role in the establishment of infection by many pathogenic bacteria with plants and animals. This research promotes the development of drugs preventing the growth of the pathogen and controlling bacterial infection.

Dr. Balakrishnan Prithiviraj $130,000
Department of Plant, Food and Environmental Sciences

This proposed research program will add new knowledge on the genetic basis of root-microbe interactions. The genes identified in this research program will aid in the development of crop varieties that can selectively promote beneficial microbes in the rhizosphere. Development of such crop varieties will reduce the use of agricultural inputs like fertilizer, pesticides and water ultimately contributing to sustainable agricultural practices.

Dr. Young Chang $100,000
Department of Engineering

Lowbush blueberry is a dominant horticultural crop in Canada with 80 per cent being harvested mechanically. With a short season and an aging labour force, harvester automation is a necessity for the lowbush blueberry industry.  Dr. Chang is working to develop a new era of agricultural automation and robotics.  A five per cent increase in harvesting efficiency due to automation and deep learning technique would result in $55 million of revenue to the industry per year.  This system can be easily transferred to other cropping systems and other agricultural sectors like animal behavior analysis and aquaculture.  Well-trained people from this program will work within different agricultural sectors, providing a good foundation of highly skilled Canadian agricultural automation and robotics personnel.