Two students from the University of Saskatchewan and one from the University of Alberta were selected based promising research conducted at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels that address critical challenges facing the barley industry.

Sheila Andrade received a $6,000 scholarship for her groundbreaking research at the University of Saskatchewan using synchrotron-based X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography to identify Fusarium-damaged kernels in barley. The study could revolutionize Fusarium Head Blight assessment, assisting breeders in selecting more resilient barley varieties.

Suman Bagale, a master’s student at the University of Alberta, received a $4,000 scholarship for his work exploring the root system architecture of barley. He compared older and modern barley varieties, aiming to enhance lodging tolerance through improved root traits and nitrogen use efficiency. His work holds potential for increasing barley yields and resistance.

Jessa Fox, an undergraduate student at the University of Saskatchewan, received a $2,000 scholarship for her thesis on bacterial leaf streak (BLS) in barley. By developing optimized inoculation methods for BLS, her research could improve the reliability of data on BLS infections, enabling future studies to identify barley varieties with greater disease resistance.