Generating solutions

The global demand for food is expected to increase by 35–50 per cent by 2050 as the population grows. To meet this demand and alleviate strain on agriculture, synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are increasingly applied to oilseeds and cereal crops to maximize yields. However, nitrogen fertilizer contributes to nitrous oxide emissions, a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG) that is approximately 300 times more potent at trapping heat than CO2. Increasing the acreage of nitrogen-fixing pulse crops will help reduce use of nitrogen fertilizer. Of these crops, field pea has the lowest carbon footprint, fixes a large amount of nitrogen and is exceptionally climate efficient. It can provide the same amount of protein as animal sources but with less than one per cent of the emissions. A mere doubling of pea crop acreage on the Canadian prairies could reduce CO2 emissions by 0.92 Mt CO2e/year. Despite these climate benefits, pea adoption by farmers has been limited, because pea is highly susceptible to root rot and drought. To address this limitation, this project will use state-of-the-art genomic technologies to increase the quality, profitability and resilience of peas grown in Canada. Enhanced resistance to drought and root rot will lead to increased uptake of field peas in crop rotations. This uptake will enhance grazing lands with improved soil health and increased carbon sequestration, driving an up to 22-37 per cent reduction in GHG emissions. The more resilient pea crop will provide a high-protein, low-nitrogen and higher-value alternative to wheat and canola while contributing to Canadian economic growth, jobs and exports.