Do you have staff on hand that can conduct high-quality research? Have a project idea that can improve plant health in the floriculture industry? Then you might be eligible for research funds.
Keep reading to see the specific types of projects that are eligible for funding.
Background
The Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative (OAFRI) is a grant available to help eligible organizations fund agri-food research projects. The goals of the initiative are to:
- fund demand-driven research that can support agri-food policy, programs or the marketplace
- improve knowledge or technology to help Ontario’s agri-food sector businesses address challenges
- help agri-food businesses expand market opportunities locally and globally
This initiative combines and builds on the success of the former OMAFRA New Directions and Food Safety Research Programs. It is jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Eligibility
To be eligible for funding, the lead applicant must:
- be located in Ontario
- demonstrate that you have the capacity to perform quality research
- be part of one of the following: a university or college
- a research organization, institute, or foundation
- an industry organization or business
- a non-government organization
- a municipal or indigenous government or government agency
Priority Projects
Only projects with specific objectives are being considered. In the Plant Health stream, these include:
- Biology of current and emerging pests
- Mating disruption and sterile release programs for horticultural pests
- New applications or IPM technology techniques (e.g. fixed sprayer systems, storage fogging, sanitation, drones or automated pest monitoring) to reduce labour, reduce worker exposure and minimize REIs
- Distribution of pesticide resistance pests, and improved management practices to reduce selection pressure
- Automation and data management software (e.g. vision systems, scouting software) to improve pest detection and plant health decision making
- New or more effective on-farm plant pest diagnostic techniques and tools for difficult-to-detect pests or pests that require early diagnosis and intervention
Projects in the in the Sustainable Production Systems Stream (relevant to greenhouse crops) include:
- Social, behavioural and economic barriers to the adoption of best management practices in different productions systems
- Efficacy of agricultural biologicals from plant and soil microbiomes for plant protection, for increasing crop productivity and for substitution of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
More Information
More information on these projects, as well as contact information and applications can be found at Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative | Ontario.ca
Source: onfloriculture.com