Food security, sustainable farming the aims of new Chair at U of G
Growing crops more efficiently to ensure food security while keeping soils healthy are key goals of a new faculty chair funded this year at the University of Guelph.
News
Holly Byker and Laurie Halfpenny-Mitchell celebrated for exemplary service
Byker is the manager of the eastern and northern Ontario Crops Research Centre sites. She received the Hidden Hero Award. She inspires staff and students with her work ethic and excellent service and has fostered an environment of collaboration and inclusiveness. She has overseen major transitions including new facility construction and structural staffing changes.
Diversifying on-farm land use: Farmers look for municipal guidance when diversifying operations
Farmers are diversifying land use and businesses on their farms, whether related to agriculture or not – such as a winery, wedding venue or winter retreat – to generate additional revenue and support primary production. Emily Sousa, MSc candidate and HQP Scholar, and Pam Duesling, PhD candidate, both in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD), explore the land use policy framework for on-farm diversification with the joint goals of protecting farmland and contributing to agricultural liveliho
Sending barley seeds to space a successful venture for U of G researchers
After exposure to the extreme temperatures, the seeds’ ability to germinate is the successful step Dr. Mike Dixon, a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences and director of the Controlled Environments Systems Research Facility, did not initially foresee but had hoped for.
Sending Barley Seeds to Space a Successful Venture for U of G Researchers - U of G News
Do hock injuries heal? Researchers address literature gaps via Alliance-funded project
Former PhD student Dr. Amanda Armstrong and Dr. David Kelton, Department of Population Medicine, professor and Dairy Farmers of Ontario Chair in Dairy Cattle Health, investigated hock injury healing in dairy cows.
“Our findings have addressed some of the gaps in the literature about hock injury healing,” says Armstrong. “This study provided us with great insight into practices that could be implemented on farms to promote healing of mild and moderate hock injuries.”
Bees Don Backpacks for U of G Pollinator, Insecticide Research
"Farmers will benefit because they’ll know what they need to do to get free pollination services and increase their yields,” Dr. Amanda Licnzer explained, referring to knowing more about a bee's movement and how they choose which flowers they forage on.
Expand your knowledge mobilization skills
Enhance the impact of your research with practical knowledge, skills and tools in these free virtual workshops for students, faculty and staff.
The first session is “knowledge mobilization 101” and future sessions will cover formats like data visualization, infographics and podcasts and engaging with stakeholders working in policy, industry and the community.
The series is a collaboration among the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, Community Engaged Scholarship Institute (CESI) and Research Innovation Office.
Corn School: How much nitrogen is lost when applying in season?
On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, Dr. Josh Nasielski shares what he and his collaborators are learning about the best way to minimize in-season losses using a 4R nutrient management framework — right source, rate, time and place — based on research at three Ontario Crops Research Centres sites in Ridgetown, Winchester and Elora.
Dairy’s gap on the map to net-zero
Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) has a goal to reach net zero on carbon emissions by 2050. Dr. Claudia Wager Riddle, School of Environmental Sciences, consulted with DFC on its net-zero plans. In this Farmtario article, she comments on additives and offsets that could help the industry reach its target.
Read the article: Dairy's gap on the map to net-zero
Plans to reduce GHG emissions ‘Reckless,’ says Dr. Manish Raizada
The U of G researcher, a professor in the Department of Plant Agriculture, says the federal government’s plan to reduce agricultural emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 would mean reducing the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers that are necessary for sustainable harvests.