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TopCropManager.com looked to two U of G professors for advice on breeding and growing adzuki beans in Ontario. There are not enough of the beans to meet demand from Japan and South Korea, according to the article.

Dr. K. Peter Pauls, professor in the Department of Plant Agriculture, leads an adzuki bean-breeding program; the goals of which include devleoping improved varieties for Canadian producers that fetch premium prices in international markets.

The exhibit also highlighted U of G's partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Visitors took in information about food history, collaborations, food security, climate change and soil health.

See the exhibit round-up here.

Protecting human and poultry health is the goal of University of Guelph researchers developing an artificial intelligence (AI) system to predict early outbreaks of avian influenza.

Dr. Rozita Dara, a professor in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, is working with Dr. Shayan Sharif and Dr. Zvonimir Poljak, professors in the Ontario Veterinary College, and postdoctoral scholar Samira Yousefinaghani to build a surveillance system that can predict the occurrence of avian influenza in a region.

Clean Works uses ultraviolet light with a mist of ozone and hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate fruits, vegetables, food packaging and N95 masks.

Dr. Keith Warriner, professor in the food science department, helped create the process.

“This technology is a game-changer in food safety worldwide,” said Allan Schmidt, president at Vineland Estates Winery, who is a Clean Works convert.

When all is said and done, how do you know it worked? Go beyond the anecdote and learn to use evaluation techniques to assess the impact of your KMb efforts.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

“If we were to look at agriculture in the month of April, we could ask: ‘How many extra days can we get when the temperature is above zero degrees?’” said Dr. Ramesh P. Rudra, a professor with the School of Engineering in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

A University of Guelph study of COVID-19 in small and rural communities emphasizes that government policy needs to include the pandemic experiences of those communities.

Dr. Leith Deacon, a professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) at the Ontario Agricultural College, conducted a large-scale quantitative survey in nine Ontario counties. He and his team examined how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted those living in small and rural communities to help governments develop more informed policy.

Drs. Andria Jones-Bitton and Briana Hagen in the Ontario Veterinary College, working with a team of agriculture and mental health stakeholders, designed a mental health literacy program for farmers and the agricultural community. 

Watch their interview with Dr. Malcolm Campbell, vice-president (research).

The new E. Alan (OAC ’60) and Jule A. Cameron Chair in Ecological Pest Management will be funded by a $3-million gift from Alan, a graduate of the Ontario Agricultural College, and his wife, Jule.

The new faculty member will study ecologically based pest management strategies such as biological controls, semiochemicals (e.g., pheromones), and chemical and biological pesticides with minimal environmental impact.  

The last Skills for Research Impact session of 2022 runs Tues., Nov. 22 from 1-2:30 p.m.

Learn more and register.