The prairie wheat commissions contributed a total of $17.9 million to 81 wheat research projects during the 2018/2019 crop year.

Of that, the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA) dedicated $2.5 million to 42 projects.

"We're always funding very interesting research," said Lori-Ann Kaminski, research manager for MWBGA. "Of course from the Manitoba perspective, our board of directors has chosen some research priority areas that will be important for Manitoba."

On the list of ongoing projects is over-coming fusarium head blight in cereals.

"Those kinds of projects go all the way from building on genetics to best management practices and how is that disease acting in Manitoba now?," said Kaminski.

Additionally, the MWBGA continues to commit funding to nitrogen management research. 

"We now have varieties in the marketplace that are challenging yield averages of the past and we're excited about that...but then the question comes of what is the best way to feed those crops?", explained Kaminski.

The MWBGA is also funding a multi-disciplinary approach to developing tools and techniques to manage extreme moisture conditions - both drought and excess moisture. Included in this work is the Manitoba Corn Growers, Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers and all three prairie wheat commissions with additional investments from the Province of Manitoba.

"We know that from crop insurance data that about sixty per cent of crop insurance claims are those, and so it's a big cost item for farmers," said Kaminski. 

At the end of the day, Kaminski says the MWBGA is interested in funding research that is going to help Manitoba farmers' bottom line and continues to dialogue with researchers on additional projects moving forward.