Reading Time: 3 minutes Recent hirings at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are a sign that the long decline in research capability is over. “That they’re hiring is very positive,” said Ron DePauw, who established himself as one of the world’s top wheat breeders with his work at AAFC’s Swift Current station. “If you go back to 1973, there were […] Read more
Ottawa opens its wallet: Ag research back on the front burner again
Top scientists hail the end of decades-long plunge in the number of Ag Canada agricultural researchers
Produce sector needs help with CFIA changes
Low margins in the industry leave little capacity to cover rising research costs if an existing formula is scrapped
Reading Time: 2 minutes Sweeping regulatory changes at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and limited funds for research are among the challenges facing fruit and vegetable growers, says Ron Lemaire, president of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association. “The foundation for Canada’s fresh produce supply chain is made up of approximately 25,000 small-, medium- and large-size farms that produce vegetables, […] Read more
New super agency aims to help diversify economy
Alberta Innovates merges four agencies, including two that had been involved in agricultural projects
Reading Time: 2 minutes Four Albertan agencies are merging into one large entity in order to become more cost efficient and competitive. On Nov. 1, Alberta Innovates became a legal entity, absorbing Alberta Innovates Tech Futures; Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions; Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions; and Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. “There’s a lot of stake in this because […] Read more
7 tips for on-farm research tests
Is that shiny new product likely to work on your farm? To separate the heifer dust from the cream of the crop, farmers need to take a hard look at the research behind the marketing claims. John Heard, soil fertility specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, says the best way to learn about good research “is to[...]
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Manitoba winter wheat in good shape
Group pushes for national wheat research strategy
Commodity News Service Canada — Despite heavy rains throughout July, Manitoba’s winter wheat is in good condition moving into desiccation, the head of an industry group says. The Manitoba winter cereals group is also preparing for an upcoming government program by working alongside other Canadian wheat commissions. “Everybody is still pretty happy. The winter wheat can[...]
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New cattle herd for Lakeland College
Reading Time: < 1 minute Lakeland College has developed a new livestock research team, which will manage Lakeland’s livestock research projects, as well as a new herd of 50 cattle for research projects and demonstrations. “Since we already demonstrate a purebred beef herd and an intensively managed beef herd, we thought it was a good opportunity to run a group[...]
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Expert suggestions for the best on-farm research
Here are some key considerations to get the best results from your on-farm trials
Reading Time: 2 minutes When it comes to on-farm research, the key things to remember are preparation, location, and repetition. “The rigour you have to use goes up considerably if you want to turn it into research,” said Dan Heaney, research and development vice-president with Farmers Edge. Long, narrow configurations work better than block configurations for check strips, Heaney[...]
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University of Alberta-led swine study tackles next health frontier
Study focuses on using genomic tools to protect swine exposed to multiple disease threats
Reading Time: 2 minutes If Canada is going to maintain a successful position in the global pork marketplace, swine health and animal care promises to be one of the deciding factors. Sustainable production and competitive pricing will be priorities and swine health and welfare is both a social requirement and necessity for sustainable production. Porcine health management represents a[...]
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Big data on Tactical Farming conference agenda
Conference runs Feb. 10-11 in Calgary
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm data will be in the spotlight at the Tactical Farming conference in Calgary on Feb. 10-11. The conference will have presentations on “climate smart” precision ag (Raj Khosla), on-farm research data (Peter Kyveryga), variable-rate nitrogen for canola (Alan Moulin), using aerial imagery (Patrick Reeg), and transforming data into knowledge (Farming Smarter). The conference is[...]
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Monsanto to shut three R+D centres next year
Chicago | Reuters –– Agrichemical company Monsanto plans to shutter three research and development centers in 2016 with a loss of about 90 jobs, it said Monday, as it restructures operations to cut costs in a slumping agricultural commodity market. The centers are in Middleton, Wisconsin, and Mystic, Connecticut, both of which focus on seed[...]
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