Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Wheat Commission is investing $970,000 over five years in 13 wheat-related research projects. Projects include: effectiveness and appropriate timing of plant growth regulators; fusarium head blight resistance in spring wheat; development of soft white spring and general purpose spring wheat with higher yield potential; influence of genotype, weather, growing environment, and crop management […] Read more
Alberta Wheat Commission funds research
Pill allows celiac sufferers to ingest gluten
A decade of work at the University of Alberta has created a pill made from antibodies in chicken yolks that binds gluten
Reading Time: 2 minutes Celiac sufferers may soon be able to have their cake and eat it too. University of Alberta researchers have created a pill that uses natural antibodies in chicken yolk to prevent celiac sufferers from reacting to gluten. The natural supplement prevents the absorption of giladin, a component of gluten that people with celiac disease are […] Read more
Guenther: Buffalo bean more than floral for cancer researchers
Buffalo beans adorn the pastures, field edges and even kitchen tables of many Prairie farms and ranches — but the pretty plant is now also being picked for its potential properties as a cancer fighter. Experiments show compounds extracted from buffalo bean leaves have potential to fight a class of cancers that includes multiple myeloma, […] Read more
U of A research could detect Johne’s disease
Currently no reliable test to detect the frequent problem in dairy herds
Reading Time: < 1 minute Johne’s disease is a challenge for the dairy industry. One of the main issues associated with identifying Johne’s is that the calf gets infected at a young age, but symptoms may not show in the animal for years. Johne’s disease is difficult to diagnose and when present, can cause animal mortality, decreased milk production and […] Read more
Study finds riparian areas can restore themselves
A study in Oregon wildlife refuge finds ‘passive restoration’ can have a dramatic impact after cattle removed
Reading Time: 2 minutes Simply removing cattle may be all that is required to restore many degraded riverside areas. An Oregon State University study found removal of cattle from Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in eastern Oregon helped to rehabilitate the natural environment. Riparian, or riverside, vegetation is particularly susceptible to the effects of grazing because cattle tend to […] Read more
Budget squeeze leads to cancellation of new ag research fund
The $200-million Agriculture and Food Innovation Endowment would have generated $9 million annually for made-in-Alberta research
Reading Time: 3 minutes The provincial government has scrapped a $200-million endowment that was to fund innovative agriculture research. When the Agriculture and Food Innovation Endowment account was announced in March, it was praised by Agriculture Minister Verlyn Olson. “Innovation and diversification in all of our sectors are key to Alberta’s long-term success,” said Olson. “The Agriculture and Food […] Read more
Grain research funding announced
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) will invest over $18 million into field crop research in 2015 — more than double the $7.3 million awarded in 2013. Among the projects receiving funding in 2015 are: Genome Canada Large Scale Applied Research Project ($5 million) Systems Approach to Crop Sustainability ($4.3 million over five years, half from […] Read more
Study examines lameness in feedlot cattle and treatment options
Diagnosing the cause of lameness is not easy and so it’s difficult to know how to treat the animal or if culling is the best option
Reading Time: 3 minutes Although feedlot pen riders do a good job of identifying lame cattle needing treatment, there has been very little work done to fully understand lameness in that sector. Knowing the types and prevalence of lameness could help to build better ways to treat and prevent it, says Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein. “We […] Read more
Peace farmers funding research by doing what they do best — farming
Farmers in Alberta’s northwest corner are using sweat equity to fund research that matters to them
Reading Time: 2 minutes At a time when competition for government funding is stiff and every dollar counts, researchers are finding novel ways to finance the work they do. One of the most innovative is the Mackenzie Applied Research Association (MARA). Until last year, the association conducted research in Alberta’s northwest corner with a small staff and limited budget. […] Read more
Long-term investment — not quick-fix funding — needed for forage research
Not only is public funding scarce and the payback too low to tempt the private sector, there’s not many forage researchers left
Reading Time: 3 minutes With many veteran researchers reaching retirement age and research budgets being slashed, regaining lost capacity for long-term forage research will be an uphill battle, said the chair of a national forage association. “To have somebody commit to long-term funding when most of the funding is based on a two- or three-year window is a real […] Read more
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