Soybean research project lands provincial grant

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/02/2025 (206 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University’s Bryan Cassone has been awarded the Research Manitoba Innovation Proof-of-Concept Grant for his pioneering project on soybean disease diagnostics.

Cassone, alongside co-investigators Baljeet Singh from Assiniboine College and Chris LeMoine from BU, is developing an innovative molecular-based tool for the rapid and accurate detection of root and stem diseases in soybean crops, a press release issued by BU on Monday stated.

The funding from Research Manitoba will enable the research team to set for launch commercially, Cassone explained.

“The funding makes us ready for an innovative molecular-based diagnostic tool for rapid, economical and accurate detection of the province’s most important soybean root and stem diseases,” Cassone said. “This technology will assist in disease surveillance programs and allow producers to make informed management decisions every year.”

Soybeans are one of the most economically significant crops in Manitoba, with 1.3 million acres seeded in 2024. However, conventional disease detection methods are often unreliable and impractical for large-scale implementation.

The release added the new diagnostic innovation will provide farmers with an accurate, cost-effective and rapid means of detecting four of the most common and economically damaging root and stem pathogens of soybeans. The project aims to optimize the tool for widespread commercial use in Manitoba and other major soybean-growing regions.

The research team has outlined three key objectives to advance the commercialization of the diagnostic tool, including validating the utility of the diagnostic tool across multiple growing seasons, assessing the tool’s ability to detect diseases early in the growing season before symptoms develop and evaluating the tool’s capability to detect pathogens in soybean seeds.

Once these objectives are achieved, the tool will be ready for commercialization, significantly reducing the application of costly and unnecessary pesticides while improving crop yield and quality.

The invaluable collaboration and dedication of the team for this project is appreciated, Singh said.

“Research grants are highly competitive, and securing this funding is a testament to the significance of our work,” Singh said. “I am grateful to Research Manitoba for granting this opportunity, and I look forward to making meaningful research contributions to this project.”

LeMoine said the funding will enable the team to catalyze the development of an accurate and economical diagnostic tool for common soybean diseases in the region.

“By taking our research out of the lab and into the field, we hope that this tool can be broadly used for disease surveillance and to inform pathogen mitigation strategies,” LeMoine said.

The university celebrates the collaboration behind the project, said Bernadette Ardelli, BU’s vice-president of research and graduate studies.

“This research exemplifies the power of local partnerships. By bringing together expertise from both Brandon University and Assiniboine College, we are strengthening Manitoba’s agricultural research landscape,” Ardelli said. “The support from Research Manitoba highlights the importance of fostering homegrown innovation, and I am thrilled to see this collaborative effort drive real solutions for producers in our region.”

» The Brandon Sun