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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. | |
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In this issue:
- KTT funding call open - submit your proposal
- Growing Ontario Solutions: Highlighting #AllianceImpacts
- KTT events highlight expertise and research findings
- READ: U of G researcher using technology to improve sustainability of indoor farming
- Upcoming events & workshops
- Alliance people, places and programs in the media
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The Alliance's Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) Funding Program aims to accelerate the impact of agri-food and rural research. Applications are open for two funding streams:
- KTT Research projects advance the science of KTT in the agri-food and rural sectors and contribute to the scholarly literature by developing or assessing KTT activities or approaches.
- KTT Mobilization projects disseminate and mobilize existing research.
For more information on the KTT Funding Program, including how to apply, click the below button.
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KTT funded projects: Getting science off the shelf
U of G researchers are using the KTT funding program to advance the science of knowledge translation and transfer, and create activities that support the dissemination of existing research in the agri-food and rural sectors.
Explore previously funded KTT projects
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Growing Ontario Solutions: Highlighting #AllianceImpacts | |
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Did you know?
University of Guelph researchers leveraged Alliance investments to attract $4M+ in new funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada - expanding their research projects and generating new knowledge.
Learn more about #AllianceImpacts in Growing Ontario Solutions 2021/22, a digestible summary of the Alliance's annual report.
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U of G places 2nd in National Research Rankings
Research funding supports U of G faculty, technical staff and graduate students across seven colleges and 15 research centres owned by the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario and operated by U of G through the Alliance.
Read more
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KTT events highlight expertise and research findings | |
School of Environmental Sciences Grad Student Symposium | |
On February 2, the School of Environmental Sciences (SES) hosted a full day of graduate student research presentations for OMAFRA staff, U of G faculty and other graduate students.
With 14 podium presentations and 28 poster presentations, participants gained knowledge on a variety of research topics.
The Alliance-funded projects included:
- Maximize SOC under cover cropping: insights from long-term experiments in North America
- Suitability of Euonymus spp. for box tree moth survival and development
- Impacts of 4R fertilizer management and use of cover crops on greenhouse gas emissions in winter wheat production
- Managing cannabis aphid in odour space
- Breeding honey bees colonies for Low Varroa Growth (LVG) in Ontario
Interested in learning more?
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AFL chemistry staff share expertise with OMAFRA during KTT event | |
On February 2, the Agriculture and Food Laboratory (AFL) welcomed 10 OMAFRA staff to a webinar to introduce new chemistry methods available to OMAFRA that will benefit the agri-food sector.
Topics included:
Inhibitor testing of goat milk: Advantages of rapid testing
- Review of inhibitor block vs rapid test
Chemical analysis using QuEChERS approach: ‘quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe’
- How it applies to AFL
- Opportunities associated with this approach to testing
Polar pesticide determination by liquid chromatography/electrospray spectrometry
- Review of accredited multiresidue method for polar pesticides used to control weeds/grasses, as well as desiccant/defoliant in agricultural practices
Interested in learning more?
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READ: U of G researcher using technology to improve sustainability of indoor farming | |
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Pump technology developed by a University of Guelph researcher may help save almost half of the energy used for irrigation by Canada’s growing number of indoor farms, including greenhouses, vertical farms and hydroponics facilities.
Dr. Wael Ahmed, a professor in the School of Engineering within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, has adapted his pump technology for indoor farms. The new airlift pumping technology called FloLft uses air, requires no moving parts or lubrication, creates no noise or vibrations and needs little maintenance. The technology needs lower capital investment than traditional pumps and integrates easily with growing columns for vertical farming. Besides its promise for indoor farming, the new FloLft pump may benefit other agri-food applications, such as food processing and production.
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Support from the Alliance:
Dr. Ahmed uses the following Alliance resources to conduct his research.
Tier 1: Research project operating funding
Gryphon's LAAIR: Funding for the development of new products, processes and technologies
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Upcoming Events & Workshops | |
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Reusable Research Data Made Shiny
February 21 - 24, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Hybrid Event
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Do you have reuse in mind when collecting research data? Do you know how to tidy your data to make it reusable?
Join Michelle Edwards, director of agri-food data strategy and Lucas Alcantara, manager of research centre data from the University of Guelph to learn the best practices for data organization, documentation, and sharing using R-Shiny. Participants will receive hands-on training and guidance, as well as the opportunity to network with other researchers and learn about the latest data management and sharing developments.
The workshop is available online or in-person at the Ontario Dairy Research Centre, but limited spaces are available for both options.
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Ontario Turfgrass Symposium
February 22 & 23, University of Guelph
| As Canada’s foremost event for the turf sector—including lawn care, sports turf, golf, recreation facilities and nursery sod—the annual Ontario Turfgrass Symposium offers sessions on the latest research and innovations in turf management. | |
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8th Annual Rural Symposium
Thursday, March 2, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Hybrid Event
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The Rural Symposium is an annual opportunity for University of Guelph graduate students to showcase their rural research to policy makers, policy analysts, and program staff from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The event facilitates knowledge mobilization and network building between graduate students at the University of Guelph, researchers, and OMAFRA. | |
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2023 FARE Research Symposium
Friday, March 3, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Hybrid Event
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Join the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) for a morning of research and networking. Learn about current research and how it is making an impact. | |
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Ontario Agri-Tech Pitch Competition
Friday, March 24, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Watch Online
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The Research Innovation Office at the University of Guelph is excited to announce the Ontario Agri-Tech Pitch Competition in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs.
By uniting farmers, academics, agri-tech entrepreneurs and investors, this event will raise awareness about the problems worth solving and showcase investible companies.
Join online to watch as the next generation of new Ontario-based agri-tech start-up companies battle it out to be best in class.
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Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE)
April 26-29, University of Guelph
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Hosted by the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) at the University of Guelph, the theme of Technology, Pluralism and Inclusiveness in Agriculture, Food, and Environment speaks to their goal of providing an engaging experience to learn about agriculture, food and environment from international and cross-cultural perspectives. | |
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A selection of Alliance people, places and programs cited in popular and trade media.
Breeding innovations: Oat and soybean variety development (Feb. 1, Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine)
New cultivars developed by Dr. Istvan Rajcan's soybean breeding program offer enhanced value and opportunities for value-added markets, as well as genetic resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and white mould.
Managing Ontario’s devious weed duo (Jan. 26, Farmtario)
At the 2023 Ontario Agricultural Conference, Alliance-funded researcher Dr. Peter Sikkema talked about keeping soybeans weed-free and how to deal with herbicide-resistant fleabane and waterhemp in corn and soybean.
U of G Research Makes Growing Greenhouse Industry More Efficient (Jan. 26, U of G News)
Alliance-funded research has led to the development of a model that will help growers reduce energy use thanks to technology. The model, which has been tested in six greenhouses (mostly in Essex county), means researchers can test scenarios before they are implemented at the farm level, potentially reducing the risk to farmers.
Social media as a disease detection tool (Jan. 17, U of G, Office of Research)
U of G disease surveillance research builds on Alliance-funded software that combines machine learning and AI to monitor social media.
How deadly bird flu sparked explosive outbreaks in 2022 — and why it matters for global health (Dec. 17, CBC)
Dr. Shayan Sharif talks avian influenza transmission with CBC News.
University of Guelph teams achieve six top-five finishes in animal welfare assessment competition (Dec. 13, U of G, OAC)
What do a chicken, a cow, an octopus, a dog and a cat have in common? All were a part of this year’s American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) animal welfare assessment contest, with University of Guelph competitors walking away with multiple wins and top-five finishes.
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Make an Alliance connection | |
This newsletter is produced by the University's Office of Research. The views expressed are the views of the University and do not necessarily reflect those of OMAFRA. Questions regarding the OMAFRA-University of Guelph Agreement can be addressed to omafrago@uoguelph.ca. | | | | |
