Fusarium fungi infestation causes Canadian grain producers a loss of almost $1 billion dollars per year. Fusarium fungi produce toxins, e.g., deoxynivalenol (DON) which cause toxic effects in animals and possibly humans. We will develop a portable hand-held hyperspectral imaging device to detect, in the field, Fusarium infestation in grains. We will also evaluate the […]

Agricultural use of municipal biosolids has many possible benefits for producers, including improved soil physical properties and fertility supplements for crop production. However, recent concerns with pharmaceutical ingredients, consumer product ingredients, and hormones entering into sensitive ecological environments such as surface or ground water has brought into question the continued use of biosolids in agriculture. […]

Harvesting wheat grains require that the plant be cut from the stem and threshed. When the stem (straw) of the wheat bend due to pest and other factors, losses are incurred during harvesting. To minimize losses, breeders have developed pest-resistant wheat (solid stemmed) as compared to the hollow stemmed. The solid stemmed varieties may lead […]

The overall objective of the proposed initiative is to develop a novel, automated and integrated field operation and berry harvesting system that will identify the root causes of increased loses; increase berry picking efficiency and product quality. Currently, there are 15 to 25% fruit yield losses during the harvesting with the existing commercial blueberry harvester. […]

The agriculture sector is one of the major pillars in the Canadian economy based in cereal, pastureland for cattle, and biofuel (wheat, canola and barley), and was estimated to be a $7 billion industry in 2015 in Alberta. It is also one of the most economically risky activities since the value of the yield is […]

This project is designated to the development of information and communication systems for advanced irrigation systems. An optimal wireless network planning algorithm will be developed to select the optimal locations for relay station placement at a minimum cost. Due to the potential GPS measurement errors in the irrigation area, robust optimization technique will be applied […]

This research will investigate use of calcium oxide treated straw (CaOS) to increase fibre levels in wheat-based feedlot cattle finishing diets. In vitro total gas production will be measured to determine the ideal treatment protocol for creation of CaOS. Further in vitro work will compare fibre digestibility of CaOS to untreated straw, barley silage and […]

Sub-clinical disease results in reduced growth and less efficient use of nutrients, resulting in substantial impact on profitability of pork producers. With the elimination of in-feed antibiotics for growth promotion it is increasingly important to understand the interaction between nutrition and health and nutrient requirements during disease challenge events. Feeding high-fibre feedstuffs reduces the efficiency […]

The planned research aims to validate food allergen and gluten testing tools, and their incorporation in novel quality-management systems used in food production. It will leverage existing methodologies developed by r-Biopharm Canada (r-BPC), over the past decade through its parent company. Beyond a contribution to the validation and enhanced application of these methods on various […]

Wild blueberries are an important crop to this region as this is the only area that wild blueberries are naturally occurring. The changes in wild blueberry crop conditions caused by improved management practices over the past decade has caused increased plant density and leaf foliage. This extra foliage has made it more difficult for the […]

As the consumption of cigarettes declines in North America and Europe market, a company that specializes in manufacturing specialty papers is seeking new opportunities with its natural fiber productions. This research intends to identify new market trends and opportunities for natural fibers in the competitive environment; provide a comprehensive analysis in worldwide natural fiber industries; […]

Emulsifiers, specifically diacylglycerides and monoacylglycerides, have the potential to replace fats and oils high in saturated fats such as palm and thus provide healthy and low-caloric food products. Canola based DAGs and MAGs not only can reduce the saturated fat content and food calories, they also can improve the functionalities of food products. However, they […]