Research

A demonstration of automation and ag robotics attracted about 170 fruit and vegetable growers to the Ontario Crops Research Centre – Simcoe in early July. 

“The day was a chance to showcase new technologies that solve problems in the ag industry,” said Torin Boyle, site manager at the centre. “It’s a partnership between the Ag Robotics Working Group, Western Fair District, and the University of Guelph.”

U of G-led research delivers agri-food innovation

Engineering a robot to harvest tomatoes, making microplastic-free green composites and using responsible artificial intelligence are among more than 40 University of Guelph agri-food research projects receiving more than $7 million in new funding from the Government of Ontario.

This funding will support U of G research that delivers solutions for Ontario’s farmers, agribusinesses and rural communities

U of G research has revealed some of the reasons new veterinary graduates are not dedicating their futures to attending to food animals, like beef and dairy cows in some areas of rural Ontario, particularly northern Ontario. This research is now informing solutions to improve veterinary access for Ontario’s livestock farmers, grow the economy and deliver home-grown food to Ontarians.

The new system, which could save growers tens of thousands of dollars per year, is based on research from Dr. Keith Warriner, food safety and microbiology professor in U of G's Department of Food Science, and developed and patented by Catharines, Ont., company Clean Works.

A groundbreaking study published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems highlights the opportunities and obstacles facing Ontario potato producers regarding the adoption of best management practices (BMPs).

Huber currently has four active research streams, all with projects underway at the new Ontario Swine Research Centre in Elora.

Read about her projects investigating lactating sows, amino acids, mammary development and novel feed ingredients on the Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) website: Using research to solve practical swine industry problems

This partnership will see students and scientists from both institutions collborating to communicate about the incredibly important and groundbreaking work U of G's Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) does every day.

University of Guelph MSc student Heather Graham, and Drs. Ryan Gibson, and Sara Epp, both in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, published key findings about telework in the Rural Ontario Institute blog: Measuring the Urban Exodus: Statistics Canada Data Trends in Rural Ontario.

The TVO Water Brothers episode titled “Save our Soils” explores the way soil is foundational to clean water and our food supply.