Fredericton Research and Development Centre

  • Horiculture
  • Agro-Ecosystem Resilience
  • Biodiversity and Bioresources

 

The Fredericton Research and Development Centre (Fredericton RDC) was established in 1912 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It is one of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) network of 20 research and development centres. 

The Centre is associated with two satellite locations:

  • Main laboratory and office complex in Fredericton; and

  • Benton Ridge sub-station – which supports germplasm enhancement activities.

Areas of Research

The Fredericton RDC conducts research on potato cropping systems at all scales. One focus has research scientists collaborating on innovating to bring novel traits, new end uses, disease and pest resistance into potato germplasm using advanced technologies. The Centre’s Potato Breeding Team uses the germplasm to bring new varieties of potato to Canadian and international markets. Other teams look at the performance of crop production systems and how to incorporate a variety of crops, techniques and technologies into potato cropping systems which will grow yields and profits while improving and conserving soil and water, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Centre’s science also looks toward the threats to our production systems, to the new diseases and pests we can expect to challenge us as the climate changes and we assist our agricultural industries to be robust and resilient.

Search Research projects from the Fredericton Research and Development Centre to learn more about what we do.

Sector Needs

The Fredericton RDC carries out innovative research, development, technology and knowledge transfer activities in support of the AAFC's Strategic Plan for Science, which includes: 

Develops potato germplasm for different production areas of Canada and coordinates with the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre to advance potato varieties for Western Canada. New varieties include traits for enhanced yield, environmental sustainability, health benefits, and use in bioproduct applications. Research is conducted to understand potato resistance to bacterial and viral pathogens and insect pests, and study the behavior to develop new ways to control potato diseases.

Research focuses on understanding nutrient dynamics and agro-chemical losses to the environment in potato production systems and developing technologies to predict nutrient deficiency. Fredericton RDC collaborates with AAFC’s Charlottetown Research and Development Centre to develop and evaluate beneficial management practices for enhanced efficiency and environmental sustainability of potato production.

The Plant Gene Resources Potato Collection collects, maintains and generates potato germplasm and their wild relatives. Scientists develop DNA fingerprinting and genotyping technologies to manage potato genetic resources and select core accessions for conservation, research and utilization.

Meet our Scientists

Find out more about the scientists at Fredericton Research and Development Centre through their profiles below.

You can also visit the Fields of Science campaign featuring 11 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists from coast to coast. Discover why they chose to pursue a career in agriculture and learn more about their research.

95 Innovation Road
PO Box 20280
Fredericton, NB E3B 4Z7
Canada
(506) 460-4300

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Scientists and researchers

Image BENOIT BIZIMUNGU
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Cameron Wagg
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Dahu Chen
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image David De Koeyer
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Claudia Goyer
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Fatima Mitterboeck
Biology Study Leader - Bioinformatics
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Jess Vickruck
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Keshav Dahal
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Louis-Pierre Comeau
Research Scientist - Landscape and Soil Carbon
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Helen Tai
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Serban Danielescu
Research Scientist - Groundwater -surface water interactions, Agricultural impacts on groundwater
Environment and Climate Change Canada

 

Image Sheldon William Rex Hann
Biologist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Sheng Li
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Xianzhou Nie
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Xiu-Qing Li
Molecular Genetics Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Publications

  1. Potato greening: gaining an understanding through ‘omics approaches
    K. Dougherty1, T. F. Mitterboeck1*, M. Lague1, M. Zaidi2, B. Bizimungu1, and B. Fofana2. 1Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 4Z7 (e-mail:fatima.mitterboeck@agr.gc.ca); and 2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada C1A 4N6.

    Potato ‘greening’ occurs when tubers are exposed to light, and results from a de novo synthesis of chlorophyll and a simultaneous formation of steroidal glycoalkaloids, which are toxic to humans and animals. Potato is the largest vegetable crop in Canada, and this greening causes substantial loss of products. Currently, there are no potato cultivars that are resistant to light–induced greening available on the market. The goal of this study is to understand the genetic components and molecular mechanisms of light-induced greening, and to use this knowledge to develop gene-editing tools to generate cultivars resistant to greening. From a core germplasm collection of over 800 mutant potato clones, two clones were observed to be tolerant to light-induced greening. These two non-greening clones, along with a greening control, underwent whole genome sequencing as well as transcriptomic sequencing after light exposure. Here, we will show our findings on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and structural variants (SV) that differentiate the non-greening from greening clones. Deploying the non-greening trait into popular potato cultivars would be of high interest to the industry and stakeholders both for tuber appearance, quality, safety, marketability, and food waste reduction.

    2022 - View publication details

  2. Danielescu S, MacQuarrie KTM, Nyiraneza J, Zebarth BJ (2022) Nitrate leaching for a three-year potato rotation in Prince Edward Island, Canada GAC-MAC-IAH-CNC-CSPG Joint Meeting, May 15-18, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    2022 - View publication details

  3. Vickruck, J. et al. 2022. Insecticide resistance varies regionally in the Colorado Potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Northeast Potato Technology Forum, March 2022, PEI.

    2022 - View publication details

  4. Nie X , Singh M, Lavoie J, Bisht V, Shukla M, Creelman A, Mackenzie T, and Lai M. 2022. Assessment of cultivar sensitivity to potato mop-top virus induced tuber necrosis. Northeast Potato Technological Forum 2022 (Virtual). 16-17 March 2021.

    2022 - View publication details

  5. MacKinnon. L. 2021 Colorado Potato Beetle Insecticide Resistance Monitoring Results. Update from PEI Department of Agriculture, for Prince Edward Island Potato News. Jan/Feb 2022. Volume 23 Issue 1. https://peipotatoagronomy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/pnv23n1.pdf

    2022 - View publication details

  6. Moffat, C., I. Scott, S. Hann. 2021. Controlling Colorado Potato Beetles. SpudSmart Innovation Webinar Series, November 30, 2021. https://spudsmart.com/controlling-colorado-potato-beetles-on-your-farm-a-spud-smart-roundtable-webinar-podcast/

    2021 - View publication details

  7. Bumblebee assemblages across habitat types in New Brunswick, Canada

    2021 - View publication details

  8. Bizimungu, B & Soucy, S. 2021. Potato Gene Resources Newsletter 2020/2021, No. 27

    2021 - View publication details

  9. Huang W, Nie B, Tu Z, Li C, Murphy A, Singh M, Song B, Zhang S, Xie C, and Nie X. 2021. 2021. Extreme resistance to potato virus A in potato cultivar Barbara is independently conferred by Ra and Rysto. Tri-Society (Canadian Phytopathological Society, Canadian Society of Agronomy and Canadian Society for Horticultural Science) Virtual Conference on Innovation in Plant Science and Agricultural Resilience. July 5 – 9, 2021. Poster presentation (no. 145)

    2021 - View publication details

  10. Nie X , Singh M, Lavoie J, Bisht V, Shukla M, Creelman A, and Lai M. 2021. Potato mop-top virus, an emerging challenge to potato industry. Tri-Society (Canadian Phytopathological Society, Canadian Society of Agronomy and Canadian Society for Horticultural Science) Virtual Conference on Innovation in Plant Science and Agricultural Resilience. July 5 – 9, 2021. Poster presentation (no. 153)

    2021 - View publication details