Presentation about how research scientists help farmers fight crop diseases includes hands-on experiments for students
Chris Manchur, a past graduate of Gilbert Plains Collegiate Institute in Gilbert Plains, Man., recently returned to the school to give a presentation about agriculture through a microscope. Manchur is a master’s student at the University of Manitoba, studying plant sciences. He had received funding to provide a science experience to rural students who otherwise don’t have access to this type of equipment. Students were then asked to write newspaper articles about the presentation, including this one.
On Dec. 7, Grade 11 and 12 students at Gilbert Plains Collegiate Institute in Gilbert Plains, Man., sat in on former GPCI student Chris Manchur’s “Agriculture through a Microscope” presentation.
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The presentation aimed to give rural high school students a chance to experience science in a way that would otherwise be out of reach for them because of their rural location. Manchur made the presentation relatable by centring it on agriculture, the main economic stimulus in the area.
Manchur is attending the University of Manitoba as a master’s student in the Department of Biological Sciences. He got into agriculture from his experience on his family farm, along with a project he did in a high school course called Topics in Science. This is where he learned about genetically modified organisms and the Golden Rice situation.
After graduating in 2015, Manchur went to the U of M to obtain a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from 2015 to 2020, where he studied plant biotechnology and crop protection.
Then he pursued a master’s degree in agricultural sciences. His work focuses on researching new biotechnologies, more specifically, replacements for current fungicides with the more environmentally friendly RNAi technology.
Manchur uses his degree to help farmers control crop diseases by introducing a technology called RNAi (RNA interference). It has potential to become the next generation of fungicides because it can remain environmentally friendly, unlike modern chemicals, which carry the risks of being toxic and environmentally hazardous.
Manchur focused his presentation on the problems that farmers and others in agriculture face. That includes droughts, floods, costs of fertilizer and seeds, and crop prices.
However, farmers’ biggest threat is crop disease. Manchur explained that diseases can lower yields, which impacts farmers’ profits and the amount of food available around the world.
Manchur spoke about four diseases in the presentation and explained how a single disease can reproduce into numerous variants called strains.
During his presentation, Manchur conducted two experiments with the assistance of the GPCI students. In the first experiment, he presented a method called gel electrophoresis, which is a laboratory method used to separate DNA, RNA, and protein fragments according to their molecular size.
This technique allowed students to see which strain of a disease they were working with. In the second experiment, he used a method called disc diffusion assays, which is a method to test the effectiveness of different concentrations of fungicide.
In the experiment, five petri dishes were contaminated with a certain pathogen and then five separate concentrations of fungicide, ranging from as high as 1,000 parts per million to 0.01 p.p.m., were placed in each petri dish respectively. The idea was to pinpoint the lowest concentration that supplied enough protection from the pathogen, without the concentration of fungicide being too high. This can help farmers lower costs and lessen the environmental impact of their sprays.
Toward the end of his presentation, Manchur spoke to the future high-school graduates in the school about post-secondary education opportunities in agriculture. He provided information about the University of Manitoba, the agriculture programs it offers and scholarships offered for those programs. Along with quizzing the students about everything they learned, prizes such as sweaters and water bottles were offered to those who participated in answering his questions.
The presentation was eye-opening and provided an excellent opportunity to see the real-world applications of science beyond our general high-school courses.
