News Release
11/10/2003

ACOA supports collaborative Ornamental Horticultural Development project between NSAC and Memorial University

On September 11, 2003 the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and Newfoundland and Labrador's representative in the federal cabinet, announced that project “PLANT ATLANTIC - Research and Development of Ornamentals for the Atlantic Nursery and Greenhouse Industry” was selected to receive one million dollars ($1,000,000) in funding under the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF).

Memorial University's Botanical Garden (MUN) will take leadership for this program named "PLANT ATLANTIC" to establish a home-based production industry for Atlantic Canadian hardy ornamental plants. The Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC), a key collaborator in this project, will receive close to $220,000 of the $1.0 M.

Dr. K. Wilf Nicholls, director of the MUN Botanical Garden and leader of this AIF project, states that “the goal of this project is to employ biotechnological methodologies such as tissue culture and micro-propagation in partnership with classic hybridization, plant exploration and selection in the discovery of new ornamental plants”. Industry partners will then commercially produce and market these new ornamentals to local, national and international markets.

NSAC President Philip Hicks said: “This collaboration amongst Atlantic partners epitomizes just how well the Nova Scotia Agricultural College is closely interconnected with similarly well-established institutions of higher learning and research. MUN’s Botanical Garden is an internationally-recognised showcase of botanical quality and strength; accordingly I fully expect both partners in this project to reap benefits for their communities and for the region and for the long-range benefit of our Atlantic economy.

NSAC’s role involves developmental work on micropropagation protocols and selection of suitable species. Dr. Kris Pruski (Department of Plant and Animal Sciences) will lead research on tissue culture methodology, and professors Lloyd Mapplebeck and Carol Goodwin (Department of Environmental Sciences) will look at selection and evaluation of suitable species.

The “PLANT ATLANTIC” project was among 10 Newfoundland and Labrador projects selected for AIF financing in round 2. These projects represent a mix of private sector, university and community college initiatives located throughout the province and the Atlantic region. Federal Industry Minister Allan Rock said the Atlantic Innovation Fund is playing an integral and successful role in allowing the region to build its own innovation acumen. "The Atlantic Innovation Fund is an important part of Canada's Innovation Strategy, and a very good example of how the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the region's innovation capacity by encouraging new ideas and new partnerships," said Minister Rock.

NSAC Contact:

Dr. Kris Pruski
Department of Plant and Animal Science
Nova Scotia Agricultural College
(902) 893-6032
kpruski@nsac.ns.ca