Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
The College of Agriculture and Bioresources is a constituent faculty of the University of Saskatchewan, located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Established in 1912, the college has operated for over a century as a primary center for agricultural education, research, and resource management in western Canada. It is situated on the main university campus along the South Saskatchewan River, positioning it within a major agricultural production region. The institution serves undergraduate and graduate students through academic offerings focused on food, agriculture, bioresources, and environmental sustainability.
The academic structure of the college comprises four main departments: Agricultural and Resource Economics, Animal and Poultry Science, Plant Sciences, and Soil Science. Through these departments, the college offers a range of degree, diploma, and certificate programs. Undergraduate offerings include the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness, Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management, and Bachelor of Science in Food and Bioproduct Sciences. The college also administers diploma programs in Agriculture and Agronomy, designed to provide practical training for practical application in farming and agribusiness sectors. Graduate studies include Master of Science, Master of Agriculture, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees across its core disciplines.
Research and practical instruction at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources are supported by specialized campus facilities and extensive land holdings. Facilities include modern laboratories, controlled-environment growth chambers, greenhouse complexes, and specialized processing plants such as the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre partnership facilities. The college manages thousands of hectares of arable land, research plots, and livestock facilities, including the Rayner Dairy Research and Teaching Facility and the Canadian Feed Research Centre. These facilities enable field trials, crop breeding experiments, soil analysis, and livestock nutrition research relevant to northern and temperate agricultural environments.
The college maintains academic strengths in crop development, soil conservation, sustainable land management, animal welfare, and agricultural economics. Its Plant Sciences department, in conjunction with the Crop Development Centre, has bred numerous commercial crop varieties adapted to the Canadian Prairies, including pulses, wheat, barley, and oilseeds. Research in soil science focuses on carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and soil health in dryland farming systems. Animal science programs concentrate on ruminant and poultry nutrition, genetics, and sustainable livestock production practices to enhance regional food security and agricultural efficiency.
As a academic unit within the University of Saskatchewan, the College of Agriculture and Bioresources operates under the governance and institutional accreditation of the university, which is a publicly funded research institution recognized by the Ministry of Advanced Education of Saskatchewan. The college aligns its curriculum with professional standards, allowing graduates of specific degree programs to fulfill the educational requirements for professional designation as an Agrologist (P.Ag.) through provincial regulatory bodies such as the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists.
Students at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources have access to interdisciplinary research initiatives involving other university units, such as the Global Institute for Food Security, the School of Environment and Sustainability, and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. These collaborations support comprehensive studies in areas such as water security, bioproduct development, agricultural technology, and ecosystem management. The combination of classroom instruction, laboratory training, and field-based research provides students with technical knowledge across the supply chain, from raw agricultural production to commercial processing and natural resource administration.
