ARDROSSAN, Alta. — Millions of acres of wheat on the Prairies haven’t gone unnoticed at Pioneer DuPont’s new Edmonton Research Center. “Spring wheat is a 25 million acre crop out here, so anytime there’s 25 million acres of crop it attracts interest and attention,” said Ian Grant, Pioneer DuPont president, whose company is only working […] Read more
Tag Archives Research
Corn’s future touted for West
ARDROSSAN, Alta. — The main focus at Pioneer DuPont’s new Edmonton Research Center may be canola, but corn will play an important role in the centre’s future. John Soper, vice-president of crop genetics research and development in charge of the company’s plant breeding projects around the world, said it is possible to have a full […] Read more
Additional financial support will assist Canadians pursuing international ag fellowship
An international program designed for Canadians with a career in agriculture has received new funding support. Glacier Media, a Canadian owner of print and online publications, which includes The Western Producer, has committed $15,000 per year. Three Canadians are selected annually for the prestigious Nuffield scholarship, founded by Britain’s Lord Nuffield in 1947. Eight countries […] Read more
Money, time needed to boost wheat yield potential: breeder
WIth the development of new varieties, western Canadian producers can push their wheat yields even further. Give researchers some time — and some money — and the crop’s agronomic performance will continue to improve, said Ron DePauw, senior principal wheat breeder with Agriculture Canada. “The opportunities that exist to make better varieties are very large,” […] Read more
Researcher discovers field sequence affects yield
Flax thrives when planted after wheat | The secret lies with beneficial fungi that flourish in wheat fields and boost uptake
About 10 years ago, Marcia Monreal, an Agriculture Canada scientist at the Brandon Research Centre, was part of a field experiment that demonstrated how flax yields are influenced by crop sequence. Monreal and her Ag Canada colleagues found that flax yields are significantly higher if the preceding crop is wheat and lower if the previous […] Read moreStudy focuses on rumen acidosis
SASKATOON — Rumen health is an animal welfare issue, say re-searchers, and its effects on cattle health are now being explored. Greg Penner, an assistant professor and researcher from the University of Saskatchewan, is exploring the effects of sub-acute rumen acidosis, the kind that doesn’t kill the animal but may affect its health and productivity. […] Read more
Mutated gene linked to Parkinson’s
Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan have helped identify a genetic abnormality linked to Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Ali Rajput, a Parkinson’s expert at the university, was part of an international team that discovered the link between a mutated version of the DNAJC13 gene and most forms of the degenerative brain disease. Rajput called the discovery […] Read more
BASF shifts research to markets, trends
CHICAGO, Illinois — German based BASF is moving most of its plant and biotechnology research and development to North America. Peter Eckes, who heads the company’s plant science business, said the move reflects the regional growth potential of the agriculture industry in the Western Hemisphere. He said the chemical company invests a disproportionately large amount […] Read more
Scientists study crop-killing cutworms
Prairie project | Researchers collaborate on three-year, $525,000 project
The makers of the movie Alien could easily have been inspired by the sight of parasitic wasps emerging from the body of a cutworm. As wasp life begins, the cutworm dies. The scenario is playing out in laboratories at Agriculture Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre, as well as in fields across Canada. It is a welcome […] Read more
Genetic diversity key to honeybee health
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. — A new study has discovered that greater genetic diversity in worker bees leads to colonies with fewer pathogens and a greater number of helpful bacteria to ward off disease. The study documented the communities of active bacteria harboured by honeybee colonies. It also identified four important microbes in honeybees previously associated […] Read more
