Areas of Focus

Olds College is located on 3,600 acres of prime farmland in central Alberta, and the Olds College Centre for Innovation’s Crops division has dedicated fields for applied research purposes. Crops research – as small plot trials or full field investigations – is a key part of our research portfolio. With a 3,600 acre farm, greenhouses, labs, and a microbrewery, Olds College is an ideally situated partner with you to address your applied research requirements.

With our constructed wetlands facility, Olds College is the place to go for wetland management solutions, applied research, and education. Our facility serves as a model to demonstrate the way wetlands can help reduce negative impacts on our environment and the increasing demand for clean water. We are producing high-quality recycled water through the removal of sediments, contaminants and undesirable nutrients with the use of plants for phytoremediation and new cold climate technologies, while researching wetlands in cold, high latitude climates. 

The Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) has been developing enhanced cereal varieties for feed, forage, malt, food and bio-industrial uses since 1972. The FCDC is recognized as a world-class research facility that is focusing on producing new barley and triticale varieties, as well as maintaining a vast source of germplasm. The researchers continue to focus on high yield, improved disease resistance, and superior end use quality characteristics. The plant breeders employ traditional plant breeding techniques as well as single seed descent to advance lines at a faster rate.

The Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TACLP) offers resources and services required to move the livestock industry’s technological needs forward. We address industry priorities related to production efficiency, animal health and welfare, and environmental sustainability by giving livestock producers, technology developers and SMEs access to facilities, emerging smart agriculture technologies, testing services, research expertise and training opportunities. The Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TACLP) offers resources and services required to move the livestock industry’s technological needs forward.

Smart agriculture research is the primary way Olds College tests and validates budding technology to enhance the way producers do agriculture. We take new and developing products and test them according to producer needs, comparing them to proven or established standards and technologies. Smart agriculture research works closely with Olds College Smart Farm to enhance agricultural operations at the College through innovation and the integration of technology on campus, providing unique education opportunities for the next generation of farmers.