Lethbridge Research and Development Centre
The Lethbridge Research and Development Centre (Lethbridge RDC) was established in 1906 in Lethbridge, Alberta. It is one the largest facilities within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) network of 20 research and development centres.
The Centre is associated with one satellite location: Vauxhall Research Farm.
Areas of Research
The Lethbridge RDC leads research on beef cattle production systems (health and welfare, food safety, microbiology); crop production (agronomy, breeding, genetics, pathology) and sustainable production systems under dryland and irrigated conditions associated with farming in a semi-arid climate.
Research activities focus on supporting the long-term competitiveness of the sector while reducing the environmental footprint of agricultural practices and maintaining the health and productivity of the agro-ecosystem.
Search Research projects from the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre to learn more about what we do.
Sector Needs
The Lethbridge RDC carries out innovative research, development, technology and knowledge transfer activities in support of the AAFC's Strategic Plan for Science, which includes:
Lethbridge RDC has a national mandate for research on feedlot finishing of beef cattle, with a focus on enhancing productivity, reducing adverse environmental impacts, addressing concerns regarding food safety (with a production focus), including antibiotic resistance, animal health and welfare, and mitigating disease threats and their vectors.
Lethbridge RDC’s germplasm and rumen microbe collections support research programs by providing a long-term repository of microbial diversity. The world-class collection includes anaerobic rumen fungi, a broad representation of rumen bacteria including those that are prominent in fibre digestion, and plant-associated fungi and bacteria (pathogenic and non-pathogenic isolates).
New varieties (potatoes, beans, wheat, triticale, rye and forages), sustainable crop production and protection technologies are developed for crops on dry and irrigated lands, adapted to the Canadian prairies. Discovery type science and innovation are conducted using novel technologies, such as remote sensing and imaging technologies, plant biotechnologies and increasing the integration with biological science, breeding, agronomy and farming.
Lethbridge RDC’s research includes nutrient cycling associated with cropping and livestock production; monitoring crop and environmental health using remote sensing and imaging technologies; and ecological modeling to understand the impact of various management practices at the farm level on the local environment.
Meet our Scientists
Find out more about the scientists at Lethbridge 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.
More information
Scientists and researchers
Publications
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C. Wijekoon, S. D. Singer, R.J. Weselake, S. Acharya (2019 July 7-10) Metabolomics-Assisted Applications in Nutritional Genomics and Crop Improvement. Plant Canada conference. Guelph. Student poster presentation judge. Oral presentation by C. Wijekoon.
2023 - View publication details
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Published by Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation
2023 - View publication details
Mar 2023
ISBN 978-1-4601-5240-9
© 2023 Government of Alberta.
This publication is issued under the Open Government Licence – Alberta (http://open.alberta.ca/licence).
This publication is available online at https://open.alberta.ca/publications/9781460152409
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Ensing, DJ, RS Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, and CE Moffat. 2023. 30 years of biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in British Columbia. Alberta Invasive Species Council Annual Conference and General Meeting. 07-08 March 2023. Olds, AB.
2023 - View publication details
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Norris, C.E., Gorzelak, M., Arcand, M., Bruhjell, D., Carlyle, C.N., Dyck, M., Ellert, B., Entz, M., Geddes, C.M., Hao, X., Janovicek, K., Larney, F., May, W., Luce, M.St., Van Eerd, L.L., Zhang, T., Beck, R., Cowen, T., Liptzin, D., Morgan, C.L.S. (2023). The story of long-term research sites and soil health in Canadian agriculture. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, [online] 103(1), 164-190. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjss-2021-0174
2023 - View publication details
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Tidemann BD, Sharpe S, Geddes CM (2023) Curious and Concerning False Cleavers (Galium spurium) response to Quinclorac. Western Society of Weed Science Annual Meeting, Boise, Idaho. Feb 27 - March 2, 2023. Poster # 36
2023 - View publication details
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Ensing, DJ, RS Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, and CE Moffat. 2023. Variable biological control of invasive spotted knapweed in BC. Invasive Species Council of British Columbia Annual Forum. 28 Feb – 02 March 2023. New Westminster, BC.
2023 - View publication details
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Khanal, N., Azooz, R., Lupwayi N., Otani, J., and Yoder, C. (2022) Integrating perennial forage seed crops in the cropping systems in western Canada: An agroecological and economic assessment. Oral presentation in the 3rd NAPA Biennial Scientific Conference held on site (in Atlanta, GA) and virtual hybrid mode on May 27-29, 2022.
2023 - View publication details
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Dhaubhadel, S., Halane, H., Islam, N., Chatterton, S., Renaud, J., Zhang, Y. (2023) Host-pathogen interaction: Identification of pea signals that trigger Aphanomyces euteiches. 12th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop. Windsor, CA Feb 19-22.
2023 - View publication details
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Ensing, DJ, RS Bourchier, R De Clerck-Floate, V. Miller, S. Turner, P. Weyl, and CE Moffat. 2023. Research on invasive plant species biological control a AAFC’s Summerland Research and Development Centre. 2023. Okanagan College Speaker Series, 06 Feb 2023, Penticton, BC.
2023 - View publication details
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Liu, X.; Floate, K.D.; Gorzelak, M.A.; Holman, D.B.; Hrycauk, S.; Kubota, H.; Lupwayi, N.; Neilson, J.A.D.; Ortega Polo, R.; Petri, R.M.; Tran, L.; Wang, H.; Wilches, D.; Yang, X.; Zorz, J.; Guarna, M.M. Prairie Agroecosystems: Interconnected Microbiomes of Livestock, Soil and Insects. Agriculture 2023, 13, 326. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020326
2023 - View publication details
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