The Western Grains Research Foundation has helped the University of Saskatchewan department of soil science obtain high tech research equipment.

The Research Foundation has contributed over 800 thousand dollars for two isotope mass spectrometers at a cost of 1.1 million dollars.

The equipment help study how carbon and nitrogen move through the soil.

For example, the machines help track crop residue decomposition.

Nutrients can be traced in different crop residues to see how they affect soil fertility for upcoming crops, and quantify the amount of nutrients provided by the residue.

This helps predict fertilizer requirements.

Other applications include adjusting management to improve nitrogen use efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil carbon sequestration and find which pulse varieties are more successful in fixing nitrogen.

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