August 2021


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:
  • 2020-21 Agri-Food Yearbook digital version available
  • Webinar recording: Harvesting data at Ontario's agri-food research centres 
  • Q&A with graduate student researcher Jacob Evans
  • Alliance people, places and programs in the media
  • Upcoming events and more
What's New?
Banner with the top right corner curled with the text Ontario Agri Food Innovation Alliance research 2020 Agri Food Yearbook
2020-21 Agri-Food Yearbook digital version is now available!
This year’s edition features research during the pandemic, a celebration of 65 years of long-term crop rotation, and much more.
For the past 10 years, the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance has delivered this issue of Research magazine in mailed hard copy with your subscription to Ontario Farmer and through our network of partners and colleagues.

Now we want to hear from you. What stories do you value the most? What else would you like to see?

Please take a moment to tell us via this five-minute survey at uoguel.ph/yearbook-survey.
Cover of 2020-21 Yearbook publication
Webinar available: Harvesting data at Ontario's agri-food centres
On June 8, U of G researchers hosted a webinar on harvesting data at Ontario’s agri-food research centres. The panel focused on the new research station data access portal at the Elora Research Station and discussed how new data resources are being used to inform and advance dairy and beef research.

The recorded webinar can now be viewed online. Sit back with a cup of coffee and learn more about data advancements and next steps at the research station.

Panellists included the following U of G professors:

  • Host: Dr. Beverley Hale, associate vice-president research (agri-food partnership), University of Guelph
  • Dr. Christine Baes, Department of Animal Biosciences, and Canada Research Chair in Livestock Genomics
  • Dr. Katie Wood, Department of Animal Biosciences
  • Dr. Rozita Dara, School of Computer Science
Focus ON: Q&A with graduate student researcher
Graduate student researcher Jacob Evans wearing a black cap and sunglasses standing in a corn field in front of a piece of equipment.
Graduate student researcher Jacob Evans longs to be on the front line of events that consolidate efforts to develop and share climate-smart solutions to ensure our water, air and soil are sustainable for generations to come.
 
He studies climate change and its overwhelming and obvious effect on our planet, including changing weather patterns. Jacob is interested in how agricultural innovations can help address climate change issues. 

We caught up with him to learn more about his research goals. 
Do you know a graduate student researcher who is working at one of Ontario’s agricultural research centres or receives Alliance funding and would like to share their journey? 
 
Contact us at kttadmin@uoguelph.ca to help us tell their story.
Focus ON: ONTARIO ANIMAL HEALTH NETWORK
OAHN logo with a photo of a green pasture beside it and under it ten circle images of animals.
Coordinated by Animal Health Laboratory (AHL), the Ontario Animal Health Network (OAHN) is a collaborative way of looking at animal health and welfare, and disease surveillance that best serves provincial and national interests.

OAHN’s core objectives are to provide a communications platform for topics concerning animal health and welfare issues within Ontario; identify existing or emerging animal health and welfare issues and trends; and contribute expertise to prevention, detection, and response activities. The desired outcome is to enable veterinarians to make more informed diagnostic and treatment decisions based on current disease information in Ontario.

OAHN seeks to form a regular line of communication with as many veterinarians across Ontario as possible, both to collect information about disease seen in practice (in a user-friendly way), and to share pertinent animal health and welfare and disease information regularly. They utilize multiple media platforms to disseminate information such as infographics, podcasts, videos, webinars, newsletters and social media channels. 

With a focus on multiple species, 10 expert networks consisting of veterinarians from private practice, Ontario Veterinary College, the AHL, and OMAFRA interpret surveys, data, updates, and research to produce veterinary reports, actionable items, and producer reports to provide a greater knowledge and informed decisions on animal health. The networks communicate regularly with the objective of baseline health monitoring and identifying changes in disease trends, in order to mitigate the risk of epidemics before they arise.

The OAHN website offers both a public and producer side that offers quarterly producer reports and resources for each species network. Veterinarians can also register to access further reports. There are currently 948 registered veterinarians who utilize OAHN’s resources with 160 new registered users just in 2020-21.

Funded by the Alliance, the OAHN continues to be dedicated to early detection of and respondes to emerging infectious diseases in Ontario’s animal populations.
Media
A selection of Alliance people, places and programs cited in popular and trade media.

With Alliance funding, plant breeder Dr. Jay Subramanian has been developing new peach and plum varieties to appeal to both consumers and growers.

The discovery of corn silk microbiome by Alliance researchers may help improve breeding and farming practices to avert costly and harmful fungal outbreaks, protect one of the world’s three most important food crops and increase food security globally.

The renewed partnership with Bioenterprise will help ensure Alliance-funded research is better connected to industry commercialization opportunities.
Events
REGISTER: Beef at Guelph Research Day – Saturday, Aug. 14

Beef Farmers of Ontario, the University of Guelph and OMAFRA are excited to host a free producer Research Day in August, highlighting research at the University of Guelph. This virtual meeting will allow producers across the province to learn more about research on campus, "tour" the barns and pastures and ask questions.
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