SHARE:  
February 2022


Alliance Innovations
A collaboration between OMAFRA and the University of Guelph
Stories of the Alliance people, places and programs generating impact in the agri-food sector in Ontario and around the world.
In this issue:
  • U of G researchers win plant breeding innovation awards
  • Skills for Research Impact Workshop series
  • ICYMI: Research Impact Case Study series now online
  • Alliance people, places and programs in the media
  • Upcoming events
What's New?
Congratulations to U of G plant breeders!
Two University of Guelph plant breeders have received national recognition for their decades of dedication to genetic improvements in soybeans and dry edible beans, thanks partly to long-term support through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance.
 
Dr. Istvan Rajcan received the 2022 Plant Breeding and Genetics Award, an annual award sponsored by Seeds Canada and Germination and presented to a public- or private-sector researcher for significant contributions to Canadian plant agriculture. Dr. Peter Pauls’s Dynasty dark red kidney bean was chosen as the 2022 Seed of the Year by the Ontario Bean Growers under a nationwide initiative to recognize publicly developed varieties of any commodity.
Skills for Research Impact Workshop Series
Join us online this winter for one or multiple sessions from the Skills for Research Impact Workshop Series!

Faculty, research staff and graduate students interested in enhancing the impact of their research will learn how to successfully plan, execute and evaluate knowledge mobilization activities. Sessions will cover topics that are key to effective research communications and engagement of non-academic audiences.


This workshop series is a collaboration among the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute and the Research Innovation Office at the University of Guelph.

For more information, contact us at kttadmin@uoguelph.ca
Research Impact Case Study Series
Research Impact Case Study series now available online
The Research Impact Case Study series is a compilation of stories that showcase how investments in the Alliance are being transformed into impacts that support a competitive and sustainable agri-food system in Ontario and across Canada.

Readers can explore three different themes that demonstrate the long-term impact of research and knowledge mobilization activities in the agri-food and rural sectors. Through people, places, programs and partnerships, Alliance-funded research is making a difference.
Explore the series by clicking below:
Media
A selection of Alliance people, places and programs cited in popular and trade media.
A long-time food scientist at the University of Guelph whose discoveries in everything from trans fats to chocolate have helped improve human health and agri-food sustainability has been awarded one of Canada’s highest honours.

Believed to be the first of its kind in Canada, U of G’s new “Foundations in Agricultural Management” online certificate course will enable farmers, and especially younger producers, to brush up on their farm business management skills.

For the seventh year running, the University of Guelph ranks second among Canadian comprehensive universities in an annual national survey of top research institutions.

Dave Hooker, field crop agronomist and associate professor at the University of Guelph Ridgetown, says Ontario trials indicate kernel number and weight both make a difference in yield.

In a Jan. 25 segment, Dr. Wayne Caldwell, a rural planning professor, spoke about housing in rural Ontario, and in a Jan. 24 segment, Ashleigh Weeden, a rural studies PhD candidate in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD), returned to discuss attracting and retaining workers in rural towns.

Helping Canada to meet current and emerging threats to its crop plants and food security is the purpose of a new report by an expert panel including a University of Guelph plant scientist.

University of Guelph research could lead to revolutionary new approaches to preventing pneumonia in beef cattle while reducing the use of antibiotics.

Improving human and animal health, ensuring environmental sustainability and further strengthening Canada’s dairy industry are the goals of a newly funded, $6.1-million project headed by a University of Guelph food scientist.

Nearly a decade after its release, the Dynasty Dark Red Kidney Bean has set the bean world on fire and now comprises 90% of all dark red kidneys grown in Ontario.

Legendary soybean breeder Istvan Rajcan knows how to give the seed industry what it wants. His business savvy is one reason he’s the recipient of the 2022 Plant Breeding and Genetics Award.
Events
How can you share your research to inform public policy decisions? Join us to receive expert advice and concrete tips to support your own science-policy engagement efforts.
Make an Alliance Connection

Comments? Feedback? Events or content to include? Email kttadmin@uoguelph.ca.
University of Guelph cornerstone logo
Ontario logo - used with permission