Scan assesses meat and fat | DEXA and near infrared technology could provide more reliable data for meat grading
LACOMBE, Alta. — Visual appraisal plays a large part in meat grading, but instruments with a basis in human medicine could add a new dimension to how pork and beef quality is assessed. “We are just in the investigation process to see how far we can go with the quality aspects,” said Jennifer Aalhus, an […] Read moreTag Archives Research
Researchers toil to make safe, tastier meat
Meet the team at Lacombe, Alta. | Agriculture Canada’s research centre has a century-long history of innovation
LACOMBE, Alta. — The contributions of a small team of meat scientists toiling in the laboratories at Agriculture Canada’s Lacombe Research Centre have often gone unsung. Over the years, the internationally trained scientists have been responsible for developing a beef grading program and inventing food safety systems employed throughout North America. They have also made […] Read more
Researchers partner to study Manitoba fields
Runoff from crops | Project takes a closer look at crops, production and water quality
SIOUX VALLEY, Man. — Henry Wilson bends over to inspect a device that looks an awful lot like R2D2 from Star Wars. The Agriculture Canada research scientist from nearby Brandon is standing on a flat area of a hilly field, still covered with canola stubble and patches of snow in late April. He releases the […] Read more
Prion diseases adapt, spread
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. — Research at the University of Alberta is shedding light on the complexity of prion diseases. Researchers have discovered that these diseases can adapt to spread to other animals and other species. A prion is an infectious agent in the form of a misfolded protein. All known prion diseases affect the structure […] Read more
Helicopter, nets used for moose research
Moose migration problematic | Hunters happy, farmers not so much as moose wander Highway 11
Moose have traditionally been associated more with boreal forest than prairie farmland. However, a researcher from the University of Saskatchewan says it isn’t difficult to find the animals alongside a busy stretch of highway that cuts through central Saskatchewan, connecting the province’s two largest cities. Ryan Brook, who works in the university’s agriculture college, said […] Read more
Buffer crop keeps GMOs out of organic corn
Gene blocking system | The hybrid corn protects a field from GMO drift
GUELPH, Ont. — A new corn variety may provide organic growers exactly what they need: a buffer zone between fields of genetically modified and organic corn. The buffer is a genetic advancement that creates a technological barrier between corn fields. The hybrid, known as PuraMaize, features a gene blocking system that solves the problem of […] Read more
Manure is on the menu
Soil bacteria | Antibiotic residue in manure reduced when introduced to this helpful bacteria
Agriculture Canada researchers in London, Ont., have identified a strain of soil bacteria that can help eliminate traces of a common livestock antibiotic from soil. The lead researcher says it could help clear soil and water of antibiotic residue and reduce the likelihood that antibiotic resistant bacteria will evolve. Agriculture Canada researcher Ed Topp said […] Read more
Trials seek optimal forage nutrition
Maximizing quality | Forage council tests nutritional value of different barley varieties
Research into forage quality and new barley varieties continues to make gains and provide valuable options for producers, says a livestock consultant. “Quality in is quality out, at the end of the day, so we’re trying to push the bar on what type of quality the producer has available to them but at the same […] Read more
Diamondback moth genome to help improve pest control
A team of scientists from China, Australia, the United States, Britain and Canada has decoded the genome of Plutella xylostella, better known as the diamondback moth. The pest, which feeds on members of the brassica family of crops, including canola, mustard, broccoli and cabbage, causes $4 to $5 billion in crop damage per year, the […] Read more
PAMI celebrates advances in agriculture
PAMI celebrates advances in agriculture
HUMBOLDT, Sask. — Air drills, tractors, sprayers and combines have been recognized as the Big Four of agricultural innovations that led Saskatchewan to build a $6 billion grain and oilseed industry. The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute of Humboldt, Sask., celebrated 35 years of innovation by naming the equipment as critical tools in the industry. “To […] Read more
