February 2024

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 agri-food innovation on display during Premier visit
• U of G Innovation of the Year awarded 
• Moving the needle: Evaluating the use of needle-free injection technology in piglets
• Skills for Research Impact advanced sessions
• Upcoming events
• Alliance people, places and programs in the media

BDCC director Dr. Amar Mohanty displays biocomposite pellets to Dr. Charlotte Yates, U of G president, and Premier Doug Ford

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop visited the University of Guelph to learn how the University is helping develop commercial solutions to challenges in sectors across Ontario’s economy through technology research and innovation.

The pair toured the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC) and had a chance to interact with GIGAS, the Guelph Intelligent Greenhouse Automation System. 

“We were thrilled to share with the premier and the minister two outstanding examples of agriculture and food research and innovation at the University of Guelph,” said Dr. Rene Van Acker, interim vice-president (research).

“Our researchers develop technologies that are commercialized here in Ontario to solve real-world global problems, while embedding student training in all of our research efforts. Our collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, underpins our capacity to be world leaders in this regard.” 

A University of Guelph innovation that uses genetic selection methods to reduce methane emissions in dairy cattle has received the University’s Innovation of the Year Award for 2023. 

The annual awards from the Office of Research and the Research Innovation Office recognize researchers for creative strategies or products that make a difference in people’s lives. 

The team behind this year’s winning innovation comprises an international collaboration of researchers and industry partners, including U of G researchers Dr. Christine Baes, Dr. Flavio Schenkel and Dr. Saeed Shadpour from the Department of Animal Biosciences in the Ontario Agricultural College, as well as Dr. Filippo Miglior from Lactanet Canada and Dr. Francesca Malchiodi from Semex.  

This research was funded by various organizations including the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance.

Dr. Terri O’Sullivan believes swine farms are missing an opportunity for using needle-free injection technology in young piglets. The technology – with potential economic benefits for producers and welfare benefits for animals – has been available for some time but has not been widely adopted in Ontario hog production.

O’Sullivan and colleague Dr. Ron Johnson are examining ways to reduce needle use on farm, specifically by using a needle-free injection device (NFID) to administer iron and meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), to young piglets at processing/castration within the first four days of life. They hope to generate evidence-based data to support the use of the technology that will help promote uptake and greater adoption of NFID technology on farms.

Enhance the impact of your research with the winter Skills for Research Impact advanced sessions!

NEW in-person advanced sessions include:

March 5: Creating Fact Sheets and Policy Briefs (in-person)

March 12: Accessible Knowledge Products (in-person)

For more information, contact us at kttadmin@uoguelph.ca.

A selection of Alliance people, places and programs cited in popular and trade media.

Northern-centric solutions needed to address vet shortage: researcher (Feb. 13, SooToday.com)

U of G researcher Dr. Sara Epp presents the latest findings on her Alliance-funded project Accessing Food Animal Veterinarians in Northern Ontario during the 2024 Northern Ontario Ag Conference in Sudbury.

Using research to solve practical swine industry problems (February, Livestock Research Innovation Corporation)

U of G researcher Dr. Lee-Ann Huber discusses using the Ontario Swine Research Centre for four projects relevant to the swine industry.

2024 Ontario Agriculture Hall of Fame inductees (Feb. 5, Farmtario)

Dr. Tina Widowski, professor in the Ontario Agricultural College's Department of Animal Biosciences at U of G, will be inducted into the Ontario Agriculture Hall of Fame. Read more about her achievements: Dr. Tina Widowski recognized for significant contributions to agriculture with induction to Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame – Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare.

How individual cow personalities affect milking performance (Jan. 31, Farmtario)

With funding in part from the Alliance, researchers at U of G are looking at the connection between a cow’s personality and her milking performance. A recent study conducted by Dr. DeVries and PhD student and HQP Scholar Anna Schwanke shows effects of personality traits on performance in an automated milking system.

Cultivating collaboration: University of Florida and University of Guelph join forces for ANR communications project (Jan. 22, ProgressiveDairy.com)

The University of Florida and the University of Guelph have cultivated a new science communication collaboration to engage college students in an international podcast production. A team from the University of Florida visited U of G to make connections and prepare for the work, touring the Ontario Dairy Research Centre, Ontario Beef Research Centre and Ridgetown Campus, among other locations.

Dr. Katie Wood: Methane & cattle health (Jan. 17, The Beef Podcast Show)

In this insightful episode of The Beef Podcast Show, special guest Dr. Katie Wood, an associate professor from the University of Guelph, offers a wealth of knowledge about cow feed efficiency, gut health, and methane emissions.

Rotational advantages (Jan. 17, Farmtario)

Amélie Gaudin has been following the results from long-term studies on rotational diversity since earning her PhD from the University of Guelph. She cites research projects into crop rotation that began in 1980 and are still underway at the University of Guelph’s Elora Research Station. Using data, Gaudin provides a better reflection of the benefits of diverse rotations. 

Researchers working together to better understand the value of diversity in crop rotations (Jan. 12, RealAgriculture)

Research from long-term trials at the Ontario Crops Research Centre in Ridgetown shows that diversifying corn-soy rotations to include wheat can have a significant impact on corn and soybean yields, increasing yields of the two crops between six and 17 bushels per acre.

What's the value of farmland in Ontario? U of G survey wants to know (Jan. 11, Elora Fergus Today)

The University of Guelph is conducting a survey to gather information on rental rates and farmland value across different counties in Ontario. 

Comments? Feedback? Events or content to include? Email kttadmin@uoguelph.ca.

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.