Morden Research and Development Centre

  • Cereal
  • Clouds
  • Research Scientist

 

The Morden Research and Development Centre (Morden RDC) was established in 1915 in Morden, Manitoba. It is one of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) network of 20 research and development centres. 

The Centre is associated with four satellite locations:

  • The Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM), located at the Albrechtsen Research Centre;

  • The Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (RCFFN), located at the University of Manitoba, Fort Garry campus;

  • The Canadian Centre for Grain Storage Research, located at the University of Manitoba, Fort Garry campus; and

  • The Cereal Quality Laboratory, located in Winnipeg.

Areas of Research

The Morden RDC conducts research in cereal (wheat, oats and barley), pulse, and oilseed (flax and sunflower) crop pathology; genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics; breeding and genetic enhancement of dry beans and soybean; crop production systems; stored-grain products; bioactive and quality traits to improve food for health; and sustainable and profitable agri-systems and agro-ecosystem health.

The Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals focuses on value-added functional foods and nutraceuticals which offer health promotion, performance enhancement, disease prevention, and management. The Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine is dedicated to understanding the potential health-related benefits found in nutraceuticals, functional foods, and natural health products derived from Canadian grown crops and plants.

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

Sector Needs

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

Research is increasing the productivity of cereal, pulse and crops throughout the value chain by developing enhanced germplasm, mitigating crop losses due to diseases and improving food quality. Scientists are identifying and using new resistance genes to reduce losses from pests and disease, addressing threats to the value chain (insects and mycotoxins in stored grains),and developing integrated crop management tools (nutrient and pest management, agronomy) to support the production of major crops grown in western Canada.

Scientists are identifying Canadian crops and agri-food products with bioactive or functional properties of economic interest, studying their nutritional and physiochemical properties, and their bio-functional health and wellness benefits. This identification of food attributes helps to differentiate Canadian agri-food products and ingredients while meeting quality and cost requirements.

The development and implementation of beneficial management practices for improved soil and water quality is enhancing the environmental performance of crop production. This includes research on:

  • Forage and cropping systems
  • Soil nutrient transport
  • Nutrient and manure management
  • Irrigation and drainage management and irrigation scheduling
  • Soil moisture and salinity monitoring

Meet our Scientists

Find out more about the scientists at Morden 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.

Route 100, Unit 100-101
Morden, MB R6M 1Y5
Canada
(204) 822-7556

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Scientists and researchers

Research Assistant
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Andriy Bilichak
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Anfu Hou
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Brent McCallum
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Champa Wijekoon
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Retired - Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Christof Rampitsch
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Jyoti Saini Sharma
PRP-Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Nancy Ames
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Paul Fields
Retired - Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Srinivas Sura
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Thomas Netticadan
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Heather Blewett
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image James Garner Menzies
Research Scientist - Phytopathologist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Lead, Agroecosystem Resilience
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Lovemore Malunga
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Maria Antonia Henriquez
Research Scientist - Cereal, Oilseed and Pulse Pathology
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Natalia V Bykova
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Dr. M Nazrul (Naz) Islam
Research Scientist (Crop Pathology & Soil Microbiology)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Oscar Molina
Research Scientist - Cropping Systems
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Sijo Joseph (Thandapilly)
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Vincent Hervet
Research scientist (entomology)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Xiben Wang
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Publications

  1. K.D. Singh, S.D. Noble, P. Ravichandran, K. Halcro, R. Soolanayakanahally, J. Sangha, E. Brauer, K.T. Nilsen, O. Molina, H.S. Randhawa, R. Ortega Polo, C. Workman, S. Pahari, “Unmanned Ground Vehicle for High-throughput Phenotyping to Quantify Field Crops Characteristics”, NAPPN Annual Conference, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, February, 2024 (Hybrid); https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.170008912.21420303/v1

    2024 - View publication details

  2. You FM, Zheng C, Edwards T, Jia B, Li P, McCallum B, Pozniak CJ, Cloutier S (2023) Quantitative trait loci and candidate genes conferring leaf rust resistance in synthetic hexaploid wheat derived populations. Proc 5th Canadian Wheat Symposium, Vancouver, Nov 13-16

    2023 - View publication details

  3. S. Sura, M.A. Henriquez, S. Walkowiak, D.A. Kaminski, A. Kirk, M.W. Sumarah, N. Kepeshchuk, J. Carlson, P. de Rocquigny and H. Derksen, “NX-Toxins from Fusarium graminearum isolates in western Canada”, Poster Presentation, World Mycotoxin Forum, 14th Conference, Antwerp, Belgium, Oct 9-11, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  4. S. Sura, M.A. Henriquez, S. Walkowiak, D.A. Kaminski, A. Kirk, M.W. Sumarah, N. Kepeshchuk, J. Carlson, P. de Rocquigny and H. Derksen, “NX-Toxins from Fusarium graminearum isolates in western Canada”, Poster Presentation, World Mycotoxin Forum, 14th Conference, Antwerp, Belgium, Oct 9-11, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  5. *Foroud NA, González-Peña Fundora D, Stasiuk S, Sridhar PS, Sharma T, Loewen MC, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Thakor N. Unravelling the cell wall integrity pathway of Fusarium graminearum. 12th International Congress of Plant Pathology. Paris, FRANCE. August 20-25, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  6. 71st Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics,

    2023 - View publication details

  7. 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

  8. Srinivas Sura, Micaela Gray, Jules Carlson, Xiben Wang, Maria Antonia Henriquez, Analytical method for multimycotoxin analysis in cereal grains using an Orbitrap Tribrid Mass Spectrometer, Poster Presentation, American Society of Mass Spectrometry, held in Houston, TX, USA, Jun 4-8, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  9. Bykova NV, Radovanovic N, Huang M, Rampitsch M, Yao Z, Wijesinghe MKPS, Junjie Hu-Skrzenta J (2023) Multilevel regulation of seed dormancy and germination in hexaploid wheat revealed through proteogenomic, redox proteomic, and biochemical approaches. The 5th Conference of the International Plant Proteomics Organization – ThessInPPO2023, Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece, May 22-25, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  10. C. Kodikara, N. Bandara, T. Netticadan, S. Sura, C. Wijekoon (2023 March 30). Bioactive profiling of Prairie Berries. The American Chemical Society Spring Meeting (ACS Spring) March 2023

    2023 - View publication details