Saskatoon-based Western Grains Research Foundation has announced 267 thousand dollars for the Conservation Learning Centre south of Prince Albert.

Research Foundation executive director Garth Patterson says the Conservation Learning Centre is using the funds for a new plot combine to improve crop research for a wide variety of agronomic trials.

The Conservation Learning Centre has had research projects from various commodity groups as well as the University of Saskatchewan and the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute.

The Western Grains Research Foundation says the 267 thousand dollars is part of a 32 million dollar initiative to improve crop research.