Alberta wheat, barley commissions hire new research manager

Contributed

If there is one thing to know about the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions' new research manager, Nasima Junejo, it is that agriculture is in her blood. As a multi-generational farmer from Pakistan, her perspective on advancing agriculture has always been from the tractor seat.

Junejo's resume boasts academic weight on hot topics pertinent to today's agricultural climate. Junejo completed her Ph.D. in nitrogen cycling and fertilizer losses. She continued a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta in a similar field. Junejo is certified in 4R nutrient management and is a registered professional agrologist with the Alberta Institute of Agrologists.

Outside of Junejo's academic accolades, she has been a leader for producer-facing organizations here in Alberta, including SARDA Ag Research and Battle River Research Group (BRRG). Thanks to Junejo's extensive experience and education, improvements to each organization's research program were met right away with expanding capacity and complexity of the research conducted.

“During my time at SARDA Ag Research, I was directly involved with over 72 research projects,” says Junejo. “At BRRG, it was a very challenging role to improve the quality of research with limited capacity and resources. Still, it allowed me to learn and polish my skills further.”

Since joining the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, Junejo has risen to the challenge of managing the commissions' dynamic research portfolio. As research is the commission's most significant investment, Junejo is focused on keeping the return for farmers a top priority by focusing on the fundamentals – breeding, production input management, diseases, and weed and pest management.

“I am a producer by nature and look to create a bridge between science and the fields in my new role,” says Junejo. “Science is the solution to agriculture's biggest challenges.”