Land assessments; Horticulture partnership
Land assessments
Albertans have easy access to scientific and technical information on environmentally assessed land in the province through a searchable, on-line database.
Environmental site assessments determine the quality of soil and ground water, particularly at retail gas stations and other commercial and industrial sites. They do not mean a site is, or ever was, contaminated.
The on-line Environmental Site Assessment Repository is designed to improve the ability of landowners, realtors and others to access information about assessed sites and make better-informed land management decisions.
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Albertans can search for a site by legal land description, municipal address or by map.
For more information, visit www.environment.alberta.ca/2948.html.
Horticulture partnership
Officials from Ontario’s University of Guelph and the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre signed a research partnership agreement May 6 to collaborate on national and international industry-driven horticulture research initiatives.
The agreement, signed by Kevin Hall, the university’s vice-president for research, and Jim Brandle, Vineland’s chief executive officer, is expected to lead to new ideas and products for Canada’s grape growers and winemakers, fruit producers and professional landscapers.
Possible ideas include new fruit cultivars with health-boosting antioxidants and more food choices at the supermarket.
The agreement builds on research collaborations involving faculty members in the university’s plant agriculture department and will allow Guelph scientists to explore new research collaborations at Vineland, especially in three main fields:
- Consumer insights and product innovation – A new sensory analysis laboratory, directed by a sensory and consumer science expert, will allow researchers to conduct consumer and marketing tests of new wine, juice and horticultural products.
- Applied genomics – A world-leading researcher in applied genomics will use biotechnology and plant breeding to help develop horticulture crops to increase yield, resist diseases and meet consumer demand.
- Horticultural production systems – Researchers in Guelph and Vineland are hoping to develop horticultural technologies and production methods, including cultivation techniques, greenhouse technologies and pest management.
Established in 2006, the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre has received funding from Agriculture Canada and the Ontario agriculture ministry.
Both levels of government will fund Vineland research over a five-year period.
Under the new agreement, the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre will receive $1.75 million a year through the existing University of Guelph-Ontario agriculture ministry partnership agreement for food research, teaching and laboratory services.
