The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has received more than $5.18 million in funding for 21 livestock-focused research projects through the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF). The investment is part of a broader $6.94 million allocation supporting 30 projects across five institutions in Saskatchewan. The ADF is funded under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (CAP), a five-year, $3.5 billion federal-provincial-territorial initiative aimed at strengthening the agri-food sector.
USask’s research projects cover various aspects of livestock and forage science, including vaccine development, genomic tools, animal health, and feed strategies. Key projects focus on controlling bacterial mastitis infections, improving cattle vaccine response, mitigating methane emissions in dairy cows, and advancing weaning management for dairy calves.
The funding also extends to interdisciplinary research efforts across USask’s Colleges of Agriculture and Bioresources, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy and Nutrition, Engineering, and the Global Institute for Food Security. Several projects received additional industry support from partners such as the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, BC Dairy, Alberta Milk, SaskMilk, and Dairy Farmers of Manitoba.
ADF 2025 USask Recipients:
- Dr. Meena Sakharkar, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition – Evaluation of hybrid drugs for resistant bacterial mastitis infections – $300,000
- Dr. Cheryl Waldner, Western College of Veterinary Medicine – Impact of micronutrient supplementation on response to vaccination in feeder calves – $167,898
- Dr. Vanessa Cowan, Western College of Veterinary Medicine – Effect of isoflavone supplementation on hemodynamic responses of ergot-exposed cattle – $274,000
- Dr. Sarah Wood, Western College of Veterinary Medicine – Safety and efficacy of overwinter miticide treatments for honey bee colonies in Western Canada – $306,500
- Dr. Martin Reaney, College of Agriculture and Bioresources – Enhancing Dairy and Egg Lipids: A Comparative Study on the Impact of Barley, Wheat, and Canola Phospholipids – $106,250
- Tate Cao, College of Engineering – Increasing Livestock Operation Efficiency through automated Weight Estimation and Reporting via Computer Vision and Machine Learning – $60,000
- Dr. Matheus Costa, Western College of Veterinary Medicine – Towards controlling Ear-tip necrosis in pigs – $120,000
- Dr. Matheus Costa, Western College of Veterinary Medicine – Lab to farm: developing a Streptococcus zooepidemicus vaccine into a practical tool – $120,000
- Dr. Eric Lamb, College of Agriculture and Bioresources – Closing Litter Gaps in Saskatchewan Rangeland Reference Data – $23,470
- Dr. Eric Lamb, College of Agriculture and Bioresources – Efficacy of fire and herbicide for woody plant control in rangelands – $125,300
- Dr. Peiqiang Yu, College of Agriculture and Bioresources – Effects of Organic Acids on Mitigating Enteric Methane Emission by Improving Energy Efficiency in Lactating Dairy Cows – $250,500
- Dr. Lynn Weber, Western College of Veterinary Medicine – Experiential discovery and learning through research in food animal veterinary medicine – $375,000
- Dr. Terry Fonstad, College of Engineering – Roller Compacted Concrete as a Liner of Livestock Pens to Protect Groundwater. Phase 2: Effect of Construction – $489,718
- Dr. Bart Lardner, College of Agriculture and Bioresources – Application of Genomic Tools for Commercial Beef Cattle Producers – $326,000
- Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn, College of Agriculture and Bioresources – Advancing Research, Teaching and Outreach Capacity in Animal Agriculture – $600,000
- Dr. Diego Moya, Western College of Veterinary Medicine – Characterization of behaviour and physiology traits related to chronicity and recovery of feedlot cattle with induced BRD – $60,022
- Dr. Aaron White, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization – Testing E. coli virulence in chickens and development of an anti-E. coli vaccine – $123,000
- Dr. Natacha Hogan, College of Agriculture and Bioresources – Improving hen health, welfare and productivity through novel yeast prebiotics – $256,000
- Dr. Andrew Sharpe, Global Institute for Food Security – Resource development for a sustainable Timothy forage crop in Western Canada – $478,155
- Dr. Gregory Penner, College of Agriculture and Bioresources – Changes in weaning management of dairy calves: Are there benefits of weaning with high-quality forage? – $227,987
- Dr. Volker Gerdts, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization – Enhancing Emergency Preparedness Using Process Analytical Tools (PAT) for Vaccine Manufacturing – $392,517
This investment highlights USask’s leadership in agricultural research and its commitment to supporting innovation and sustainability in Canada’s livestock and forage sectors.
