Research

From skin care to brewing to plant greenhouses to cows and horses, five projects will receive funding from the Gryphon’s LAAIR program this year to help researchers pursue research innovations with commercial potential.

The Gryphon’s LAAIR (Leading to the Accelerated Adoption of Innovative Research) program, funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, helps to create new products and services for the growing agri-food sector.

The Government of Ontario has announced a $2.35-million investment in University of Guelph advanced animal research related to livestock health, well-being and productivity.

The growth of the Ontario wine sector depends partly on grapevines’ ability to withstand changing climate—in particular, the more unpredictable deep freezes that challenge the vines’ ability to bounce back in the spring.

Ontario’s goat sector is growing by leaps and bounds, and that’s where field research can be helpful. Agri-food researchers spend time in the field to become familiar with their topic of study. This allows them to learn what producers are facing as they work toward sustainable production.

The Alliance requests Full Proposals (FPs) that address specific research priorities set by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). More information and deadlines are available on the Special Initiatives page.

Ontario’s food system follows a linear model, meaning that our food waste has an end point and is not being repurposed as it would be in a circular economy. As a result, Ontario is saddled with a whopping $12 billion in food waste across the entire value chain, from farmers to retailers to households.

University of Guelph researchers are working to identify areas that will help the province reduce food waste’s economic impact.

A so-called ancient oilseed called camelina is attracting attention in Ontario. Researchers believe it has potential as a superb cover crop here and are field testing it now in research plots in Simcoe, Winchester and Ridgetown.

Camelina, a member of the mustard plant family, originated in Europe. It was first identified in Canada in the mid-1800s. It’s realized significant growth in Western Canada over the past decade among producers who appreciate its winter hardiness and versatility.

The relationship between agriculture and food is a natural one—at least for producers, who nurture it daily. But the agri-food connection is increasingly becoming a “eureka moment” for the public, too. People are waking up to the realization that agriculture precedes food, and that what they see on their plate comes from complex agri-food systems.

To support the demand for goat products, University of Guelph researchers are involved in an intensive, three-year, Ontario-wide herd health and management study.

Prof. Cathy Bauman, Department of Population Medicine, and a team of researchers have surveyed or visited almost 60 goat farmers over the past 18 months to investigate mortalities and management practices among their herds.

The researchers are also wrapping up a project to conduct autopsies on all goat kids under four months of age that died on about half of the farms.

Feed costs represent about 70 per cent of cattle producers’ total expenses. Cattle are under the microscope for contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

And breeding could address both matters.

That’s what one University of Guelph researcher is doing, with help from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance. Using genomics, she’s identifying cattle that naturally use their feed more efficiently.