Dr. Surya Acharya, at centre with award -- Photo credit to BCRC media release

By Dori Modney with files from the BCRC

Lethbridge researcher receives 2021 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Research and Innovation

Sep 1, 2021 | 4:00 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — Dr. Surya Acharya is well known for the volunteer hours he gives to helping out or organizing multi-cultural events. Chances are, most people know that Dr. Acharya is also a research scientist and forage breeder at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research centre just east of the city.

However, there’s a lot more to know about this man. For instance, he received the 2021 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Research and Innovation on Wednesday, September 2.

The award was presented virtually, at the 2021 Canadian Beef Industry Conference, to recognize the positive impacts of his research on beef industry advancement.

Matt Bowman, chair of the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) and a producer from Thornloe, Ontario, noted Acharya is respected and appreciated by academics and producers alike.

“His work addresses real industry obstacles with solutions that consider producers’ needs through direct communication with stakeholders.”

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Dr. Acharya specializes in breeding legumes and his latest research looks to develop new cultivars of legume species with improvements in yield, nutritional quality and persistence, among other traits. His breeding approach incorporates multiple factors to best serve the needs of end-users, including beef producers. He also assisted in the development of the online Forage U-Pick tool, which helps western Canadian producers choose appropriate forage species for their operations.

While researchers may be thought of as being bound to their research labs, Acharya seeks out producer input at industry events and asking for feedback through agricultural media.

His involvement in the industry extends to academic conferences and the publishing of producer-targeted articles detailing his recent work. As the author of more than 180 scientific manuscripts, five books, eight book chapters, 16 review articles, and contributions to more than 285 other publications, he is an expert at communicating with both producer and scientific communities.

Along with his recognized work in forage breeding, Dr. Acharya’s greatest accomplishment has been developing more than 25 commercial perennial forage and native grass species.

Beside his work at the Lethbridge Research Centre, Acharya is also an adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba, University of Saskatchewan, China Agricultural University and the University of Lethbridge. He holds a Master of Science in Agriculture focusing on Agricultural Botany from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology and received a Ph.D. in 1979 from the University of Saskatchewan in Crop Science.

The Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation is presented annually by the BCRC on behalf of Canada’s beef industry stakeholders. Established in 2015, the award recognizes scientists and academics who are actively involved in strong research programs aligned with industry priorities. The recipient is selected by a committee comprised of beef producers, industry experts and retired beef-related researchers across the country.

Past recipients at can be found at http://www.beefresearch.ca/about/award.cfm.

(Above photo L to R — Beef producer Darren Bevans, BCRC Science Director Reynold Bergen, BCRC Executive Director Andrea Brocklebank, beef producer Doug Wray, 2021 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research & Innovation recipient Dr. Surya Acharya, beef producer and BCRC Vice Chair Craig Lehr, AAFC Forage Breeder Hari Poudel, beef producer and BCRC Council Member Graeme Finn and AAFC Forage Agronomy Technician Brandon Eisenreich)