By Alice McFarlane

First North American veterinary college honey bee research chair at the University of Saskatchewan

Jun 24, 2022 | 12:10 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – Pollinators play an integral role in global food production and agricultural sustainability.

A new research chair position has been created at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

Dr. Sarah Wood is a USask alumnus who earned Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD degrees from the WCVM, and who has worked on research related to pollinator health since 2015.

Wood said her long-term vision for the position is to enhance agricultural sustainability and ecosystem health by studying managed and wild bee species from a veterinary perspective.

“By applying veterinary research tools to address the ongoing challenges to pollinator health and biodiversity, I think we can make impactful change,” Wood said.

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Animal pollinators-most of which are insects-are involved in two-thirds of global food production. Through their work, pollinators help plants grow and produce crops. Among all pollinators, honeybees have the greatest impact on global crop production.

Dean Dr. Gillian Muir said the WCVM is the ideal home for this new research chair and is grateful for the financial support from the industry.

“These partners recognize the need for these discoveries at such a critical time when honeybees and other pollinators are facing major health challenges,” Muir said. “This new research position is an exciting step for our college as our researchers strive to protect the health of both managed and wild pollinators, and in doing so, to improve agricultural sustainability in Canada and throughout the world.”

The new chair position was established through a $750,000, five-year funding commitment from the Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Commission, BASF, SaskCanola, British Columbia Blueberry Council, and Manitoba Canola Growers.

The research chair builds on the strengths of the college’s existing honeybee health research group. The group has expanded its research program in the past seven years with the help of $2 million in industry and government funding support.

The group’s research work focuses on ecotoxicology, pesticide risk assessment and infectious disease. The research chair position will now allow work to expand in these key areas while training a new generation of veterinary professionals, beekeepers, researchers and policy makers.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW