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Tag Archives Science — page 2

There are many opportunities outside of farm work for people in agriculture.
News

Providing a place to change the world

Agriculture is a rare sector where people can make a difference with their work

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The agriculture sector needs to recruit workers but marketing to a new generation will require innovative thinking. The industry not only needs to diversify the sectors it pulls talent from, it also has to update the backstory of agriculture to be more inviting to those who’ve not grown up on the farm. “This industry has […] Read more
Two and half decades after herbicide-resistant crops came onto the market, scientists have now adopted newer techniques to design crops.
News

Is the transgenic era over?

New genetic technologies, especially editing, could make genetic modification a rarely used tool

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Glacier FarmMedia – The era of genetically modified crops may be over. Two and half decades after herbicide-resistant crops came onto the market, scientists have now adopted newer techniques to design crops. That’s because the new technologies are more efficient and partly because the strict regulations on GM crops have become a barrier to innovation. […] Read more
Soybeans in the greenhouse that have been inoculated by the beneficial bacteria.
Crops, News

Beneficial bacteria found to boost crop yields, increase drought tolerance

Ontario-developed product still coming to market, will be applied as liquid

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A Canadian crop nutrition company is using Trent University research into yield-boosting microbes to bring a new bioinoculant to market. Toronto-based NutriAg Ltd. and biology professor Dr. Neil Emery have received funding through a program supporting genomics-based technologies to refine and commercialize the innovation. The beneficial microbes discovered by Emery and his team have been […] Read more
The illustration shows bacteriophages attacking bacteria.
News

What’s old is new again in bacterial control

Bacteriophages are finding more uses in food processing, but not yet in internal medicine

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A virus discovered a century ago could become a powerful weapon against disease and antimicrobial resistance in the livestock industry, according to an expert in the Canadian government. Why it matters: Bacteriophages could be an antidote to antimicrobial resistance, which is undercutting options for antibiotics at a time when global demand for meat is rising. […] Read more
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Fraser: In ag marketing, emotions need to start trumping facts

Emotional transparency 'actually goes a long way'

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Go to an agricultural event and someone will inevitably point out how bad farmers are at getting their message to consumers. As annoying as it is, those comments underscore an increasingly important theme in Canadian agriculture: communication. It used to be enough to grow and market your crops, but that has changed dramatically over the […] Read more
The protein structure solved by the study.
News

Researchers unlock key to photosynthesis

Science notes: It is hoped that the finding can mean more productive crop yields

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Scientists have solved the structure of one of the key components of photosynthesis, a discovery that could lead to photosynthesis being ‘redesigned’ to achieve higher yields and meet urgent food security needs. The study, led by the University of Sheffield and published in November in the journal Nature, reveals the structure of cytochrome b6f – the […] Read more
A caption of thousands of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cell colonies imaged through a fluorescence scanner.
News

Protein that triggers plant defences to light stress identified

Science notes: Finding could play role in protecting crops from harsh clime conditions

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A newly discovered protein turns on plants’ cellular defence to excessive light and other stress factors caused by a changing climate, according to a new study published in eLife. Plants play a crucial role in supporting life on Earth by using energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars and oxygen, a […] Read more
Sugar beets are one of the crops where Vive products are used.
Crops, News

Nanotechnology breathing new life into existing crop protection products

A Canadian company creates ways that can help the products to be transported or work better

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A University of Toronto graduate school project is now extending the life of widely used crop protection products. Vive Crop Protection’s trademarked Allosperse Delivery System uses nanotechnology to create new application methods for existing biological and conventional crop protection products. Why it matters: With few fully new chemicals coming to market, making existing products work […] Read more
G20 nations meet on many topics, including agriculture science.
News

International agricultural scientists affirm commitment to science-based decisions

The G20 scientists are taking a greater look at Canada’s Living Laboratories approach to research

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A recent meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) Agricultural Chief Scientists has resulted in greater attention to plant pests that move across borders and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Living Laboratories research approach. The meeting, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), is an opportunity to discuss major challenges to sustainable agricultural production. Ministry spokespeople […] Read more
An international team of more than three dozen researchers published a paper showing the potential of citizen science in agriculture and food research.
News

Citizen science can play role in addressing agricultural challenges

Science Notes: Local sampling and input can play a role in making agriculture research more efficient

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An international team of more than three dozen researchers has published a paper highlighting the potential of citizen science to address pressing research challenges in agriculture and food systems. One key to capitalizing on such efforts, the researchers find, may be to build stronger ties between citizen science and agricultural extension efforts. “We define citizen […] Read more

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