Martin Mau, a senior researcher at the University of Saskatchewan’s Global Institute for Food Security, examines mature boechera plants that are setting seeds in one of the institute’s climate chambers.

Game-changing breeding technique makes progress

University launches a four-year research project into apomixis, a ‘disruptive technology’ for plant breeding

University of Saskatchewan researchers are making good progress on a “disruptive technology” that will turn crop breeding on its head. Apomixis is a form of asexual seed production found in numerous wild plant species such as buttercups, Kentucky bluegrass and St. John’s wort. “The mother plant makes seeds that have embryos that are genetic clones […] Read more

Shutting down small hog operations in China and moving production to large farms could result in a herd reduction that is the equivalent of almost the entire herd in the United States. This would drastically affect supply in the Asian country and in markets such as this one in Beijing.

The long-term African swine fever implications

Some analysts think the effect on the Chinese swine herd could be catastrophic

Analysts think African swine fever could destroy China’s hog herd, forcing it to significantly increase meat imports. African swine fever is about to unleash the most profound changes in meat and feedgrain markets that farmers will see in their lifetime, says a market analyst. Shawn Hackett, president of Hackett Financial Advisors, said a “pandemic of […] Read more