A Washington State University plant scientist may have discovered how to accomplish double nitrogen fixation in soybeans. Plant biologists have tried for decades to enhance the symbiotic relationship between legume plants and soil bacteria, in which rhizobia bacteria provide the plant with nitrogen and the legume gives carbohydrates to the bacteria for energy. Mechthild Tegeder […] Read more
Tag Archives Research
GM beef not for dinner any time soon
Consumers will not likely have genetically modified beef on their plates any time soon, a committee tasked by the federal agriculture minister to study GM animals has reported. Andrea Brocklebank, executive director of the Beef Cattle Research Council, told the committee that GM cattle have been developed to produce antibodies for rheumatoid arthritis treatment and […] Read more
Video: Sowing seeds of crop destruction
MORDEN, Man. — Bob Conner sounds like a proud papa when he shows off a patch of withered, wilting, dying bean plants. “This is our white mould nursery,” he explained to a group of bean growers, agronomists, advisers and agriculture researchers. “We will be irrigating if we have to…. We want to create the ideal […] Read more
Genomic study aims to improve breeding selection
Researchers use DNA to predict traits that affect feed efficiency, calf’s weaning weight and other factors to maximize profits
KINSELLA, Alta. — Ongoing work to select beef cattle with better feed efficiency shows that improvements are possible, but it’s slow going. Work at the Roy Berg Kinsella Research Ranch in east-central Alberta has evaluated the genetic progress of a crossbred herd of 400 cows as well as purebred Charolais and Angus herds. Data is […] Read more
University of Guelph gets $77 million from feds for sustainable food research
The federal government has made a massive commitment to sustainable food, as it is investing nearly $77 million to support an innovative research program at the University of Guelph. The program is called Food From Thought. The research will focus on information systems, big data and how digital tools can be used to produce more […] Read more
Swift Current research centre receives $35 million
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay today announced $35.3 million for infrastructure at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre. Construction of new laboratories has been underway since May 2015 but the project had not been previously officially announced. Once construction is complete, current labs will be renovated into office space. MacAulay […] Read more
Knowing the sire helps producers when culling bulls
LANIGAN, Sask. — Preliminary DNA information is raising more questions than answers about multi-sire breeding, according to University of Saskatchewan researchers working in conjunction with the Western Beef Development Centre. Stacey Domolewski and Crystal Ketel, along with their supervisor, Bart Lardner, recently presented the first of three years of data collected for a DNA parentage […] Read more
DuPont Pioneer expands Saskatoon research centre
The old DuPont Pioneer Saskatoon Research Centre has received new life as it expands to focus more intently on research and development efforts surrounding an emerging market. The centre has been in operation for over 25 years, but has traditionally looked only at canola. This year, ultra-maturity hybrid corn and T-series soybean varieties have been […] Read more
Scientist aims to unravel secrets of soil biology
Understanding soil bacteria can help develop biological alternatives to chemicals for nutrients and pest control, says researcher
LONDON, Ont. — A microbiologist at Agriculture Canada’s re-search centre in London looks to better harness the power of soil biology. Ze-Chun Yuan and his team are screening 3,000 soil bacterial isolates and have found a dozen bacterial species with potential. At least one of them, Paenibacillus plymyxa CR, has multiple positive functions. It is […] Read more
Field trials on non-GM, tolerant flax coming soon
A California company continues to make strides in its quest to develop a non-genetically modified, herbicide tolerant flax crop. Cibus has created glyphosate resistant flax that is doing what it is supposed to do in a laboratory setting, said Greg Gocal, chief scientific officer for Cibus. “We’re really encouraged by how the crop performs in […] Read more
