Dr. Surya Acharya Receives 2021 Canadian Beef Industry Award For Outstanding Research And Innovation

An innovative and industry-engaged forage breeder has been granted the 2021 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation. Dr. Surya Acharya received this award today at the 2021 virtual Canadian Beef Industry Conference to recognize the positive impacts of his research on beef industry advancement.  

“Dr. Acharya is respected and appreciated by academics and producers alike,” said Matt Bowman, chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council and a producer from Thornloe, Ontario. “His work addresses real industry obstacles with solutions that consider producers’ needs through direct communication with stakeholders.”   

Dr. Acharya is a research scientist and forage breeder at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Lethbridge, Alberta, where he specializes in breeding legumes. His current research focuses on developing new cultivars of legume species with improvements in yield, nutritional quality and persistence, among other traits. His unique approach to plant breeding incorporates a consideration of multiple factors to best serve the needs of end-users, including beef producers. Indeed, many of Dr. Acharya’s past cultivars are appreciated for their practical use in solving industry challenges, such as his AC Oxley II and AC Veldt cicer milkvetch varieties, both of which are much quicker to establish than predecessors. Similarly, he assisted in the development of the online Forage U-Pick tool, which aids western Canadian producers in choosing appropriate forage species for their operations.  

Dr. Acharya’s most recent project aims to enhance the lipid content of legume vegetative tissues to improve their energy content for grazing livestock. Using conventional and genomic breeding techniques, his team has been able to select for plants with approximately five percent lipid content, compared to virtually none in the original plants. His project will have environmental benefits by using conventional breeding to reduce methane production through increased digestibility, which will allow western Canadian alfalfa producers to export to nations that avoid the GMO designation.  

“This project is another example of Dr. Acharya’s commitment to offering practical benefits to industry through consideration of a variety of important factors, making him an exemplary recipient of the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation,” Bowman added. 

To best address industry needs, Dr. Acharya has actively sought out producer input through attendance at a variety of industry events and by directly asking for feedback through agricultural media. He is actively involved in industry and academic conferences and regularly publishes producer-targeted articles detailing his recent work. He also has offered his time to multiple journals, as president of the International College of Nutrition from 2005 to 2007 and as the current chair of the Alberta Forage Industry Network. As the author of more than 180 scientific manuscripts, five books, eight book chapters, 16 review articles, and contributions to more than 285 other publications, he is an expert at communicating with both producer and scientific communities. 

While Dr. Acharya has received much recognition for innovations in forage breeding, perhaps his greatest accomplishment has been developing more than 25 commercially released perennial forage and native grass species. His native grass cultivars are still used in reclamation projects, while his legume varieties have helped producers mitigate bloat risk and solve challenges with salinity and hardiness.  

Dr. Acharya is an adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba, University of Saskatchewan, China Agricultural University and the University of Lethbridge, as well as a guest professor at Inner Mongolia Agriculture University. He holds a Master of Science in Agriculture focusing on Agricultural Botany from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology and received a Ph.D. in 1979 from the University of Saskatchewan in Crop Science.  

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The Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation is presented annually by the BCRC on behalf of Canada’s beef industry stakeholders. The award recognizes scientists and academics who are actively involved in strong research programs aligned with industry priorities, continually engage with industry stakeholders and demonstrate their passion and long-term commitment through leadership, teamwork and mentorship. Nominations are accepted by the BCRC from industry stakeholders and must be accompanied by letters of support from industry stakeholders and scientific colleagues. The recipient is selected by a committee comprised of beef producers, industry experts and retired beef-related researchers located across the country. The award was established in 2015. See past recipients at http://www.beefresearch.ca/about/award.cfm. 

Nominations for the 2022 award must be submitted to the BCRC by May 1, 2022.  Eligible nominations from previous years will be considered for the 2021 award, which will be presented at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in August 2022. 

For further information, contact: 

Tracy Herbert
Extension and Communications Director
Beef Cattle Research Council
306-850-5026 | herbertt@beefresearch.ca 

RDAR makes $630,060 Investment in Antimicrobial Research to Support Livestock Producers

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) is investing $630,060 to support the collection of antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data from Alberta and Canadian cattle feedlots. This study will improve animal health and antimicrobial stewardship by understanding AMU trends and guiding management practices in feedlots.

“This research will have practical value for Alberta’s feedlots, supporting sound management and increasing the competitiveness and profitability of our industry globally. It will also go a long way to assure our consumers and create confidence that beef cattle producers are not only producing high-quality beef but are doing it in a sustainable manner that places human and environmental health on a high priority.”

Clinton Dobson, RDAR Director of Research

Please view the attached file or visit our News Room to read our announcement and be sure to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Together, We Can Reduce Food Waste, Fight Climate Change, and Strengthen Our Food Systems

The Food Waste Reduction Challenge is currently accepting applications for Streams C and D. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2021.

Edmonton, AB – More than $5.7 million will be invested by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) to fund Alberta Applied Research Associations (ARAs) research programs.

To date, eight ARA research projects have been approved for funding through RDAR’s new Accelerating Agricultural Innovations (AAI) program, with more proposals expected to be assessed, reviewed, and funded in the coming weeks.

“There is a real excitement surrounding these ARA proposals. We are starting to fund projects that will bring research information directly to producers. We are at the beginning stages, and we are keeping the momentum moving by making sure that researchers have the support they need to accelerate Alberta’s agriculture industry.”

Clinton Dobson, RDAR Director of Research

Forage Program

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High quality hay and forage can be hard to come by, but we have solutions and financial incentives that you can put to work on your farm.

By participating in the Forage Program, you will:

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2021 Alberta Forage Industry Network (AFIN) Leadership Award Presented to Christine (Chris) Fulkerth

Purpose of the AFIN Leadership Award: To recognize and acknowledge leadership in Alberta’s diverse Forage and Grasslands Sector, by individuals who have provided initiative and direction in the areas of management practices, research, extension or promotion of the economic and/or environmental benefits of the forage industry (native rangeland, seeded pasture or hayland) in the province of Alberta. The award recognizes individual(s) that exemplify or enhance the goals of AFIN and whose leadership has impact of provincial and/or national significance.

The recipient of the 2021 AFIN Leadership Award, Christine Fulkerth is the past Chair of the AFIN Board and her  leadership and influence on the forage industry is felt locally, provincially and nationally!  

Christine, a Professional Agrologist, is a Plant Science Instructor at Olds College since 2001. Christine has gained respect from all AFIN members for her leadership style and was selected unanimously for the award by the Board members. She is held in high esteem by her students and has been a mentor to many over the years. 

Christine holds a B.Sc. Degree in Biology from Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta,  a Master’s Degree in Plant Science from the University of Alberta and a Diploma in Integrated Pest Management from Olds College. With these credentials, Chris is a very competent and multi skilled agrologist, serving as an excellent mentor to her students. 

Prior to her teaching appointment at OIds College,  Christine  worked on a number of research projects.  with Alberta Research Council, Forestry Canada, Canola Council of Canada, West Central Forage Association and Prairie Turfgrass Research Centre. 

Christine is well connected in the agricultural field and is a member of a number of professional agricultural related associations and societies. She grew up on a mixed farm between Edson and Whitecourt, Alberta. Her family still operates the farm, allowing Chris to return to her grassroots often.. Christine and her husband, Ben reside in Olds. They love travelling and spending as much time  outdoors as possible. Chris says she “is passionate about agriculture and passing on that enthusiasm to future leaders in Agriculture especially in the Forages and Grasslands sector”! 

This award winner epitomizes the essence of the AFIN Leadership Award as an industry leader at a multitude of levels. She joined AFIN soon after its establishment in 2010 and served on the AFIN Board ever since. In spite of her busy schedule as an instructor she effectively chaired the AFIN Board for four years and continues on the board as past chair and representative to the Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association. 

Please join us in congratulating Christine for this award.

Retaining Canada’s Grasslands Using Carbon Offset Markets and a Roadmap to Quantify Grassland Soil Organic Carbon