Ground-breaking work using probiotics to reduce the spread of harmful bacteria in livestock has been selected as the University of Guelph’s 2018 Innovation of the Year. The innovative biopeptide technology is the culmination of 15 years of research led by Guelph food science professor emeritus Mansel Griffiths and is now being commercialized by MicroSintesis Inc. […] Read more
Tag Archives University of Guelph — page 19
Probiotic wins University of Guelph innovation of year award
The biopeptide technology reduces spread of harmful bacteria in livestock, and could have human uses
Marc Carere acclaimed as Sheep Farmers of Ontario chair
Heather Little and John Hemsted are the new vice-chairs of the organization
Ontario Sheep Farmers elected its officers for 2018-19 and recognized the achievements of some of its members at its recent annual general meeting in Alliston. District 7 director Marc Carere was acclaimed as chair. Carere, his wife Helen and son Matt operate Ballinahistle Farms, a large commercial ewe flock and lamb feedlot. He replaces Rob […] Read more
Evaluating cover crops for the long term
Too early to assess corn and wheat yields, but the benefits to tomatoes already seem clear
It’s widely recognized that cover crops boost soil organic matter, but their long-term agronomic and economic benefits are less well understood. Researchers at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown and Elora campuses have undertaken some long-term studies to identify the impacts of cover crops in some growing conditions and management styles common to southwestern Ontario. Why […] Read more
The potential in specialty soybean oils
Ontario growers, experts in identity-preserved crops, are waiting for market demand to drive processing capacity for the value-added crops
A lack of processing capacity continues to hamper Ontario growth in higher-value oil soybeans. Specialty oils have potential to be the next value-added commodity crop in Ontario, especially high-oleic and high-linoleic soybeans, but they are not quite ready for the field yet. Why it matters: Ontario farmers are skilled in managing identity-preservation systems and that […] Read more
Dairy parlours, feed monitoring and genetic indices see innovations
The latest dairy technologies launched at World Dairy Expo
Robotic teat washing coming for parlours Automations continue to arrive in milking parlours. First there was data recording and automatic shutoffs, then teat spray robots. There have been some attempts at full robotic milking, but adoption has been slow. The next step in the parlour milking process that begs automation is teat washing. There have […] Read more
Can Canada break away from U.S. livestock pricing?
Canadian prices have plunged in concert with the U.S. market’s response to that country’s disruptive trade agenda. Some are asking whether Canada can decouple to a pricing mechanism more closely tied to global fundamentals
Pork, beef and other meat prices in Canada have been driven down over the past two months to where farmers are losing money on most animals they ship. The decline is mostly driven by tariffs placed on U.S. pork by China and Mexico in retaliation for American tariffs on steel and aluminum. Canadian pricing is […] Read more
The legal mess of farm data ownership
Digital Data Control: Laws in many countries are of little help determining who owns agricultural data
Worldwide, more and more farmers are using big-data software systems to increase farm productivity and profitability. A major and often-cited barrier to more widespread adoption, however, is the lack of farmer trust when it comes to data ownership. That lack of trust can be warranted. According to some data law experts, ownership ambiguity can have […] Read more
Edible bean growers could get more weed control options
Ridgetown College research shows that older chemistries can help control glyphosate-resistant weeds in strip till
When the Weed Society of America challenged its members to evaluate weed pressure on field crops, Peter Sikkema found that in Ontario edible beans were most challenged by weed pressure. “The crop I work on that is most affected by weed interference is dry beans,” the professor at University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus said at […] Read more
Breeders look to bump up adzuki bean yield
The high-value bean consistently yields less than other edible beans, but breeders are trying to change that
Adzuki beans are prized by Japanese buyers for taste and colour and used in many Asian foods, including soups and desserts. But it’s hard to convince growers in Ontario to plant them because of their lower yield. There’s not much doubt about the lower yield, says Chris Gillard, an associate professor at the University of […] Read more
Livestock transport regulations could drive change
Studies show national standards are mostly being met for cattle rest, but experts say humans involved need consideration too
Everyone involved in the process has responsibility for maintaining animal welfare when shipping beef cattle, especially animals trucked long distances. If anything goes wrong, then it needs to be communicated back down the shipping chain. Those were the key messages from Kincardine-area feedlot operator Steve Eby during a session on moving cattle long distances during […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
