Reading Time: 5 minutes Good things generally don’t happen by accident in science — they’re the result of countless hours of trial and error, replication and peer review. However, University of Saskatchewan researchers may be looking at the closest thing to a scientific miracle: A natural seed treatment that increases germination in just about any crop you can name, […] Read more
Happy accident: Researchers discover promising new seed treatment
How it works is still a mystery, but new compound boosts germination, root development, and resistance
New dean of agriculture named for U of S
Soil science prof Angela Bedard-Haughn takes over Aug. 15
One of Western Canada’s major post-secondary ag institutions will get a new hand at the wheel this summer. The University of Saskatchewan announced Wednesday it has named soil science professor Angela Bedard-Haughn as the dean for its College of Agriculture and Bioresources for a five-year term starting Aug. 15. Raised on a family farm in […] Read more
Albertan wins $20,000 4-H scholarship
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta’s Courtney Taylor is one of four winners of 4-H Canada’s Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction. The $20,000 scholarship is awarded to students who “demonstrate 4-H values in the way they live their lives” and have become exceptional leaders through the program. Recipients are also paired with a mentor to help guide them in their […] Read more
New research will produce tools you can use, says cattle health expert
The new five-year $2.35-million research program will first tackle bovine respiratory disease and Johne’s disease, as well as antimicrobial resistance
Reading Time: 3 minutes A major new research program will help cattle producers manage two key diseases in their herds — and they can expect to have new tools in their hands in just a few years. “We’re looking at new approaches for managing important issues like bovine respiratory disease and other production-limiting diseases such as Johne’s disease,” said […] Read more
Better barley: There’s a long wish list for brewers and feeders
Yield is No. 1 for growers but elements such as ‘Lox,’ beta-glucan, and acid detergent fibre are key, too
Reading Time: 5 minutes Ask most barley producers what they want in a variety and the answers won’t surprise you: Better yield, standability and disease resistance. But when it comes to buyers, it gets a little more complex. Both foreign and domestic customers — especially beer makers, but also feeders — are looking for traits few people even thought […] Read more
Wild pigs a growing problem not many seem to care about
Alberta is the only province with a control strategy — but it’s still in the pilot program phase
Reading Time: 4 minutes Since their numbers are unknown and the wily animals are rarely spotted, it’s been easy to ignore the problem of wild pigs. But given their potential to spread disease, that’s a mistake, says the country’s leading — and pretty much only — expert on wild boars. The animals — whose population has mushroomed in the […] Read more
Wheat breeders get a cheat sheet
‘Breeder chip’ doesn’t make the process faster but ups the odds of hitting pay dirt
Reading Time: 4 minutes Plant breeding is strictly a numbers game — but researchers have found a way to improve the odds with help from a new tool called a ‘breeder chip.’ “Breeding is like a lottery. The more tickets you buy, the greater the chance of success,” said Curtis Pozniak, a professor of plant sciences and wheat breeder […] Read more
University of Calgary researchers chosen for beef mentorship program
Initiative helps scientists better understand the needs of the beef sector and how it adopts research
Reading Time: 2 minutes Two University of Calgary researchers, along with a pair of Saskatchewan scientists, have been selected for the 2018-19 Beef Researcher Mentorship program. The program pairs researchers with beef industry leaders and provides them with a travel budget so they can attend industry meetings, producer workshops, and farm tours. The goal of the program is to […] Read more
Animal science professor Red Williams, 93
Memorial services will be held “at a later date” for renowned Prairie animal science professor Charles “Red” Williams, who died Monday at age 93 leaving a legacy of work in livestock care and ag extension. Williams, born in Regina and raised on farms in Saskatchewan and Alberta, served in the Second World War on the […] Read more
Don’t risk a wreck in your cow’s reproduction this spring
Breeding timing makes a difference in open rates and so do vaccinations and copper deficiency
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you want to make sure that you get calves on the ground, pay attention to body score, when you calve, and vaccinations. That was the message from Cheryl Waldner, a professor in large-animal clinical sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. “You need to get the cattle cycling […] Read more
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