Do you devote enough time to your winter wheat crop? Experts from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs are wondering. They’re curious enough to make the basics of winter wheat disease management a key part of the University of Guelph’s recent Diagnostic Days event in Ridgetown. Why it matters: OMAFRA staff remind […] Read more
Tag Archives University of Guelph — page 21
Scout your winter wheat
Wheat often doesn’t get the focus of other crops on the farm, but it might pay to get back to basics
Edible beans and the soybean cyst nematode
Some varieties of edible beans are highly susceptible to SCN — Ontario researchers are working to figure out why
The nematode’s resilience and prevalence in all of Ontario’s major soybean-producing areas makes managing the pest a challenge, though not impossible. Farmers growing edible beans under processing contracts can keep soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) under control through strict rotation schedules of crops that don’t include SCN-susceptible soybean varieties, as well as crop scouting and soil […] Read more
Tarif-fying or not?
What does the escalating global tariff war mean for Ontario farmers?
The global trade dispute between a protectionist United States and many of its trading partners, including Canada, the European Union and China has Ontario farmers struggling to deal with an unknown outlook. There have been little hiccups on trade in the past, but since the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, which morphed into the North American […] Read more
How weeds outsmart you
Herbicide resistant weeds proliferate in unexpected ways, making scouting more important than ever
For two scorching-hot days in July, farmers and crop consultants attending the University of Guelph’s Diagnostic Days event at Ridgetown College heard about the birds and bees – of herbicide resistant weeds. A session hosted by Dave Bilyea, research technician at the Ridgetown campus, reviewed the state of herbicide resistance in Ontario and across North […] Read more
China develops its own version of Enviro-pig
A researcher who worked on the University of Guelph Enviro-pig now works with Chinese universities
Chinese researchers are moving forward with a transgenic pig similar to the Enviro-pig developed at the University of Guelph. In a paper published May 22, in a biochemistry and chemical biology journal, scientists from South China Agricultural University and China Agricultural University, wrote about transgenic hogs that grow faster and have less impact on the […] Read more
Ontario farmers well served by public farm input information
Efforts underway to increase amount of comparative farm input price data
The costs of seed, chemicals and fertilizer vary year to year and it can be difficult for producers to know if they are paying a fair price. Producers can check various retailers and shop around for the best deals, but that can use up valuable time. Why it matters: As farms grow, shaving a few […] Read more
Recruiting outside of ag schools
New-graduate program brings in aggies and non-aggies
A program that linked new graduates, many from non-agriculture programs, with agriculture companies, could provide lessons to the sector in how to recruit new employees. Why it matters: The agriculture industry has a chronic shortage of workers, with the University of Guelph reporting that each of its graduates usually has four jobs waiting for them. […] Read more
Studying the complex issue of food waste
There’s lots to be figured out yet in how to manage food that goes to waste
We’re just at the start of being able to understand the extraordinarily complex problem of food waste. A panel discussion at the Arrell Food Institute outlined just how much we need to figure out in order to reduce the vast amount of food that is thrown out in the world each year. In Canada it’s […] Read more
Loblaw expects to buy more Ontario produce
Changing ability to produce and store Ontario fruit and vegetables and consumer demand to drive growth in ‘local’
Supermarket chain CEO Galen Weston pledged an increased commitment to Ontario-grown produce and promised to “lean in” to a growing market for vegan foods during a speech to kick off a high-profile, first-ever food security thinktank event in Toronto. Why it matters: Grocery stores are where food trends hit the mainstream, so the food moves […] Read more
Managing poultry euthanasia
A large research project is looking at how farmers can finetune the humane death of poultry on their farms
Poultry producers across North America should soon have access to expert advice about the most practical, effective ways to deal with euthanasia on their farms. Why it matters: In both the U.S. and Canada, the past decade has seen enhanced regulation related to on-farm euthanasia, driven largely by a desire to decrease the potential for […] Read more
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