Research

Researchers at the University of Guelph aim to streamline the use of milk processing byproducts through inclusion in ruminant diets, helping close the loop in dairy production. A multidisciplinary committee of engineers, food scientists and animal nutritionists has been developing strategies to make SNF (byproducts classified as solids-non-fat, such as whey, skim milk and buttermilk) dewatering simpler and more affordable by first removing the proteins with sodium bentonite clay.

Traditional feeding strategies often rely on a gestation diet until sows are moved into the farrowing room. However, this approach may not fully meet the increased and dynamic nutrient and amino acid demands of the transition period, which can affect sow body condition, milk production and ultimately piglet performance. To address this concern, Dr. Nicole Gregory and colleagues from the lab of Dr.

University of Guelph researchers are continuing to explore how an Indigenous planting practice called the “Three Sisters” could contribute to future small-scale, sustainable farming and community-driven research. 

University of Guelph researcher Dr. Rebecca Hallett has been trapping, testing and quantifying canola flower midge (CFM) populations since 2021. Hallett spoke to members of the Ontario Canola Growers during the annual general meeting about her work determining where swede midge and CFM are feeding in this province.

Ontario wheat growers are constantly on guard against fusarium head blight (FHB). In Eastern Canada, FHB is the wheat disease that affects profitability the most.

The aquaculture industry relies on wild-caught fish as the main source of protein and fat in fish feeds. In a trial at the Ontario Aquaculture Research Centre, a U of G research team led by Dr. David Huyben, researcher in the Department of Animal Biosciences, investigated insects as substitutes for wild-caught fish used in fish feed, fishmeal and fish oil.

With support from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, Dr. Rafael Santos, a chemical engineer and researcher in the U of G College of Engineering, has been studying wollastonite’s ability to improve soil and tackle greenhouse gas emissions. He’s digging into questions about how much to apply, which crops benefit the most and how much carbon the calcium-silicate mineral can sequester.

The University of Guelph will lead the construction and revitalization of critical agri-food research capacity, powered by a $41-million investment in Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario (ARIO) research infrastructure from the Government of Ontario. 

This funding commitment reinforces U of G’s role as a cornerstone of Ontario’s agri-food innovation ecosystem and ensures that high-impact research can continue to deliver real-world solutions for Ontario’s producers, agribusinesses and researchers.

Dr. Milad Eskandari is using artificial intelligence (AI) and hyperspectral imaging to transform soybean breeding, enabling faster, smarter and more precise crop selection. The study, funded in part by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, demonstrated that hyperspectral vegetation indices combined with hybrid AI models – including deep neural networks – can accurately predict soybean yield and biomass.

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.