Yukon innovator sees potential in duckweed as local source of animal feed

A Yukon man is hoping to turn a tiny aquatic plant into a thriving duck farm about 50 kilometres west of Whitehorse.

Alexandre Poitras is one of four finalists in Yukon's 2016 Innovation Prize, which is sponsored by the Yukon government and Yukon College.Eachfinalistreceives$10,000 to help further develop theiridea, and a chance at winning the $60,000grand prize.

"If I can manage to get it, [it]will definitely help me to set the whole infrastructure I need for that production and developing the farm and making it profitable," Poitras said.

He wants to start growing duckweed using a hydroponics system.

He's reluctant to talk about those details, but says duckweed, high in protein, makes an excellent source of feed for livestock including chickens, pigs and even horses. Poitras wants to use it for feeding ducks.

"I was trying to find a way to grow a source of feed for animals here in the Yukon. Ihave to importalways grains, which most of the people do, and it's pretty costly, thenyou've got to pay for all the transport and all.So, just trying to find a way to grow local feed for the livestock," he says.

Poitras says he'll raise the ducks for eggs and for meat.He says duckweed is native to Yukon so it is not an invasive species.

This year's theme of the Yukon Innovation Prize is food security and agriculture. The selection committee chose the finalists out of 28 proposals.

Besides Poitras, the candidates are Maxime Dugre-Sasseville, whose thermodynamic greenhouse could extend the Northern growing season; Bob Mellett, whois developing an aquaponics system to manage the growth of fish and plants; and Sharon Katz who is investigating a Yukon native plant that could be used as a non-toxic source of ink for food packaging.

The winner will be announced on June 15.