The University of Guelph will co-host two new genomics hubs that will work together to maximize the impact of climate-smart agriculture and genomics research. The hubs – the Agricultural Genomics Action Centre and the Climate Smart-Data Collaboration Centre– will receive $6.6 million in funding from Genome Canada’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems initiative. Nine interdisciplinary challenge teams (ICT) to investigate how […] Read more
Tag Archives genomics
Climate-smart agriculture and genomics research hubs receive federal funds
Dairy farmers challenged to make tough genomics choices
Heifers at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show displayed competing genomic priorities
At Rose Vega Farm near Cambridge, Luke and Kelly Donkers agree that emotion sometimes creeps its way into dairy breeding decisions. But at the recent Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show (COFS), Luke also agreed that when it comes to overall dairy farm profitability, genomics is a valuable tool. “There are probably more grey-haired cows on our […] Read more
New dairy innovations featured at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show
Dairy business leaders’ perception of what consumers expect of Canadian farmers is driving information technology innovation in the sector. The DeLaval dairy equipment company used the 2023 Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show to officially launch in Canada and the U.S. its DeLaval Plus Behavior Analysis tool for monitoring in-barn cow behaviour and herd health. The company’s […] Read more
Ontario Genomics receives major investments to grow cellular agriculture
German-based company and FedDev Ontario contribute millions to develop manufacturing capabilities
Cultivating a Canadian cellular agriculture industry is a driving vision since 2019 for Bettina Hamelin, Ontario Genomics’ founder and CEO. Her vision is becoming a reality with the launch of a brick-and-mortar manufacturing, production and innovation facility in Burlington. “It’s happening. We’re creating an industry in Ontario that’s going to benefit Ontarians,” Hamelin told Farmtario. […] Read more
FedDev boosting early-stage genomics companies through $5.6 funding of BioCreate
Ontario Genomics’ program will assist in commercialize genomics and engineering biology products
Ontario Genomics’ BioCreate program has received approximately $5.6 million to scale and commercialize genomics and engineering biology technology in southern Ontario. Over five years, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) funding will provide 32 high-potential small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) 18 months of intensive business mentorship and access to critical infrastructure to scale-up […] Read more
Beef sector faces genomic roadblocks
Researcher urges industry to make the most of new technology, but producers say it must be worth the time it will require
Glacier FarmMedia – Producers must keep better records in order for the cow-calf industry to use the full potential of genomics to select cattle for desirable traits, says a scientist. “If you’re going to take advantage of any of the new technologies, having a comprehensive individual cow record-keeping system is essential,” said John Basarab, a […] Read more
Bringing rapid genetic testing to the farm
Competition win helped Harvest Genomics bring its technology to the agriculture industry
The last two years have been a whirlwind for Harvest Genomics CEO and co-founder Chris Grainger. After his Guelph-based start-up won the University of Guelph Gryphon’s LAAIR pitch competition in 2020, the company has been on a rapid growth trajectory. Launching a business in the middle of a pandemic was not without its challenges, but […] Read more
Genomics have growing influence on dairy herd management
Identification of beneficial genes is leading to improved economic heifer traits
Dairy cow genetic performance has raced ahead since the advent of genomics, bringing dairy farmers more ways to select for higher profitability cows. More data gathering could create even more capacity for genomic improvement. Christine Baes, Canada research chair in Livestock Genomics at the University of Guelph, who is also a researcher and lecturer at […] Read more
Cellular agriculture makes waves in protein production
Canadian government investment, cellular food policy strategy and regulation are missing yet
Scalable cell-based meat production is a reality now that the world’s first industrial cultured meat facility has been launched. Israel-based Future Meat Technologies (FMT) opened its plant last month and aims to have products on the market by 2022. The facility marks new market potential to compete against traditional agriculture and aquaculture sectors. Why it matters: […] Read more
Genome mapping changes wheat breeding
New technologies help unravel the mysteries of a large, complex organism
Genomic technologies are helping wheat breeders speed the process of finding solutions to longstanding production challenges. But while DNA sequencing and other approaches are a boon for understanding the large and complex wheat genome, in-field testing for yield stability remains a critical part of cultivar development. Why it matters: As the genomes of more wheat […] Read more
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