Research

Showcasing the success of Partnership programs and research

Dr. Brendan Daisley, a young man with a short beard, wears a lab coat and poses outside a brick building with several colourful bee boxes/hives and a laptop

More Honey Bees Dying, Even as Antibiotic Use Halves

A new study led by University of Guelph researchers and funded in part by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance is the first large-scale project to assess antibiotic usage trends and their impact on honey bee health in Canada.

The withdrawal of antibiotics, following recent regulation changes, was one of the top predictors of honey bee overwintering mortality — a result that surprised lead author Dr. Brendan Daisley.

OAC Agri-Food Economics Grads Examine Farmland Values; MSc Eases Transition to Industry Careers

Climate change is reshaping farmland - influencing crop yields, water availability, overall productivity and land values. Understanding these changes is crucial for farmers, policymakers, and economists alike. Two recent graduates of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) have published their research in the Journal of Land Economics, exploring the impact that climate change might have on farmland values – the results are surprising.

Dr. Shayan Sharif and six members of his lab pose in lab coats

Predict, Prevent, Contain: Inside U of G’s Fight Against Avian Flu

At the University of Guelph, the fight against avian flu is campus wide. It’s underway in virology and animal health labs, in offices and lecture halls, across training platforms and AI solutions and in test tubes filled with innovative vaccines.

Investment into research, laboratory testing and infrastructure from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance helps put U of G researchers everywhere they can be: in labs and on farms, developing new vaccines, analyzing bird samples and using AI to forecast outbreaks.

One piglet walks ahead of a large group at the Ontario Swine Research Centre

Research Uncovers Innovative Approaches to Prevent Boar Taint

Dr. Jim Squires and his research team are developing precision approaches to predict and control boar taint, a significant issue in the swine industry. This Alliance-supported research is expected to offer Ontario producers new ways to prevent boar taint without castration, leading to double-digit gains in growth and feed conversion.

Read the story: Research uncovers innovative approaches to prevent boar taint | University of Guelph

The inside of the modern Ontario Beef Research Centre barn is a wide hall with a line of automated feeding bins down one side

Alliance research impact: "Beef on dairy" calves help dairy farmers capture new market opportunities

The advent of sexed dairy semen has brought new options for Canadian dairy farmers. The best cows and heifers can be bred to ensure production of female calves, and older or lower-quality cows can be bred with beef semen to deliver a new revenue stream of crossbred calves. These “beef on dairy” calves are born on the dairy farm and raised as a beef animal for market.

 Dr. Michael Steele believes there is much we need to learn about this new market segment. 

U of G pomology professor interview about Alliance-funded research among top 6 podcast episodes from The Grower

The Grower is Digging Deeper behind its May 2024 cover story and speaking with Dr. John Cline. He shared information on his most recent trials with a plant growth regulator for peaches and nectarines, that could shave 40 to 50 per cent off the time required to hand thin. That’s new technology eagerly awaited by Canadian growers with 8,600 acres of tree fruit.

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