Starting at the turn of the 20th century and through the 1920s, the Federal Agricultural Research Stations and the College of Agriculture at the U of S conducted vigorous extension programs aimed at helping immigrant farmers who had come to the Canadian prairies to own land and engage in dryland farming. Those farmers faced enormous challenges managing their dryland farms. They needed appropriate science-based knowledge and suitable prairie-based production techniques in order to succeed.

The initial idea of the profession of agrology started in the drought years of the mid-1930s as a means of protecting farmers. Professors and scientists from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) and the Federal Government Research Stations were concerned about the quality of information being provided to farmers who were facing serious hardship in their operations. Similar situations were occurring in Quebec resulting in the first legislation forming the Ordre des agronomes du Québec in 1937.

During the 1940s, agriculture became even more important in order to feed war-torn Europe, which gained additional momentum in the post-war years. The need and demand for appropriate science-based extension to farmers increased. It became imperative that the agri-food sector be protected from those who were not trained or qualified to provide knowledge and sound advice about agriculture production.