Saskatoon youth wins national agriculture science award

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

When 14-year-old Ronan Lefol heads back to high school in Saskatoon this fall, he’ll have quite a story to tell his science class.

Ronan was one of seven young Canadians to have their research work honoured by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Saguenay, Quebec, earlier this summer.

Ronan’s particular project was in the field of bioherbicides, a relatively new and emerging area of study focusing on the use of biological agents to control weeds.

Every prairie farmer knows all too well about green foxtail, a grass that can infest grain fields because it grows faster than most other forms of foliage.

Scientists have isolated a fungus, Pericularia setariae, that specifically attacks the weed. However, the fungus only occurs naturally in very low populations. In order to use it more effectively for the broader control of green foxtail, researchers need to find ways to carry the micro-organism into farm fields in a more viable application process.

Enter Ronan Lefol.

Ronan sought to find a medium for distributing the fungus’ spores that would be suitable for conventional field spraying methods and techniques. He discovered that the most effective way to attack green foxtail without damaging other plants was to mix these spores with sunflower oil and a Tween 80 surfactant, which aids in the blending and efficient dispersal of these agents using water.

His work netted him three awards at the science fair, as well as a $1,000 prize from AAFC.

“I was really surprised to win,” Ronan told AAFC. “As soon as I saw that another project was getting an award, I thought I was going home empty-handed.”

Ronan worked with AAFC research scientist Dr. Russell Hynes on the project. “He helped me a lot and took time to answer my questions,” said Ronan.

According to Dr. Hynes, the respect was mutual.

“Ronan is a budding young scientist,” he said. “He’s keen, bright and very hard-working. He asked great questions and showed a lot of interest.”

Dr. Hynes feels the research work to which Ronan contributed may very well have commercial applications in the future. Some might also consider it to be a more environmentally friendly form of weed control, since it uses a naturally occurring fungus, rather than a synthetically produced chemical, as its active agent.

When asked about Ronan’s future as a scientific researcher, Dr. Hynes stated, “I’d say he’s well on his way to being among the next generation of rising scientists in Canada.”

That would suit Ronan just fine. He noted that he enjoys both marine biology and agriculture at present, but one thing is certain: “I will definitely be studying in the field of science.”

His home province will certainly be rooting for him to choose agriculture!

For further information, contact:
Dr. Russell Hynes, Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Phone: (306) 956-7638