In an op-ed celebrating Food Day Canada, Dr. Rebecca Hallett, associate vice-president research (agri-food partnership) at the University of Guelph, talks about how U of G researchers are leading the way with public plant breeding programs.
Plant breeding for local growing conditions, in addition to disease resistance and higher yields, is an important and hidden part of the food system behind every meal.
In May 2003 a cow in northern Alberta tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), leading 40 countries to restrict imports of Canadian beef cattle and meat. From 2002 to 2003, cattle and calf farm cash receipts dropped by 33 per cent: a loss of $2.5 billion.
A resilient Ontario livestock sector is one in which producers can adapt to disruptions like market shifts or disease outbreaks, producing healthy animals and accessing markets for their sale. Find out how the Ontario Animal Health Network (OAHN) plays a pivotal role in preparedness, early detection and response. Read the story: Building a Resilient Livestock Sector: Role of the OAHN.
Each year, roughly 7,000 farmers, consultants and contractors step into physical and virtual classrooms to learn how to responsibly manage nutrients like manure, apply pesticides safely and protect the land they depend on. It’s part of an essential system of regulatory training programs delivered through the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus with funding from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Government of Ontario and U of G.
Canada’s food system is one of our country’s strengths, but success depends on the capacity to develop talent, advance innovation and convene partners.
Read the article on U of G News, republished from Innovating Canada. Read the original article here.
New Alliance-supported research shows practical soil care practices improve health, resilience and long-term farm productivity across Ontario. Read the story in Farmtario: Golden Horseshoe study highlights paths to soil improvement across soil types.
The Ontario Beef Research Centre has continued to evolve since its opening in 2019 into what’s now a hotbed of genetics, feed and methane-reduction projects aimed at providing producers with farm-level tools, writes Farmtario reporter Diana Martin. Read her takeaways from the event Resilient Canadian Beef: Research to Advance Canada’s Beef Sector, which took place in Elora on May 20.
Meeting the demand for grown-in-Ontario fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes involves more than putting seeds in the ground—it takes scientific expertise in breeding, genetics, biotechnology and more—specialities that are highly concentrated at the University of Guelph, Canada’s top agricultural university. Meet some of the U of G researchers who are experts in plant breeders and livestock genetics, all working to bring fresh, Ontario produce to market:
PVY is one of the most economically significant diseases for Canadian potato farmers – and it’s especially challenging for seed growers, who are required to keep PVY levels under a very low threshold. A team of Canadian scientists that includes U of G professor Dr.