Research

A University of Guelph researcher is using artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to improve how crop diseases are detected and managed, making the process faster, more accurate and more efficient for farmers.

Dr. Gurjit Randhawa, a professor in the School of Computer Science within the College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences, collaborated with Dr. Aitazaz Faroque of the University of Prince Edward Island to apply machine learning tools to detect crop diseases in potato fields on Canada’s Atlantic coast.

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.

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.

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.

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 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. 

We are better prepared than ever to meet another pandemic threat, according to Dr. Rozita Dara, researcher in the School of Computer Science in U of G's College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

Not just because we have vaccines or treatments, although those are critical. But because we have something that can change the game entirely: artificial intelligence (AI).

Every year, Canadian dairy farmers turn over about one-third of the cows in their milking herd. Dr. Todd Duffield’s interest in cull cows – or “market” cows as he calls them – was sparked several years ago while working as a provincial veterinary inspector and visiting local auction marts in Ontario.

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.

The dark red kidney bean dubbed Dynasty has earned the University of Guelph’s 2024 Innovation of the Year award.