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Ensuring stability and continuity at Ontario's agricultural research stations during the first 100 days of coronavirus

Submitted by jdavie15 on August 28th, 2020 2:22 PM
The First 100 days of coronavirus header

In July we passed a milestone: 100 days since a state of emergency was declared in Ontario because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many businesses and organizations were forced to pause, re-evaluate, and plan for how they would safely continue operations.

The 15 agricultural research stations across Ontario [1] are home to thousands of animals and time-sensitive crop experiments. With additional biosecurity precautions [2] in place, station staff and researchers continued their essential work – ensuring animals were fed, watered and healthy; planting seeds; reconfiguring pasture land; and maintaining the infrastructure that allows this essential work to continue.

Here is a glimpse into only a few of the research station activities that happened at Ontario's agri-food research stations during the first 100 days of COVID-19.

Animals born/hatched: 322 calves, 89 lambs, 1,828 piglets, 6,783 chicks, 2,226 fish broodstock/ juveniles in hatchery

Vegetables/field crops planted; Elora, Arkell, Ponsonby Rsearch Station Operatons: 500 ha; Emo: 1,015 plots; New Liskeard + Verner: 4,307 plots; Bradford: 5.7 ha; Woodstock: 83 ha (14,600 test plots), 12 Farm Show exhibitor plots planted; Winchester: 3,604 plots

Horitcultural Crops Planted/Started: New Liskeard SPUD Unit: 8 unique crops tissue cultured; 76 strawberry, 14 raspberry culaivars in 220 metres squared of screenhouse; 236,000 mL media prepared; 70,800 plants or 212,400 aseptic hand manipulations with scissors and scalpels. Simcoe: 220 ha planted

 55,882 rainbow trout eggs to commercial hatcheries; 250 ha wheat straw purchased from neighbouring farms; coordinated export of 8 strawberry cultivars; agreements requested by Berry Growers of Ontario and Ontario Seed Potato Growers Assocation.

 New Liskeard | New pasture management research project Alma | 37,576 whitefish fry delivered to a fishery to be grown to market size Guelph | The only National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) trial in Canada Guelph | 59 cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass being tested for drought tolerance Bradford | First year of a 3-year cover crop bio-fumigant trial in Bradford

 New lab, storage and workspace completed

Text version of images:

  • Animals born/hatched during this time: 322 calves, 89 lambs, 1,828 piglets, 6,783 chicks, and 2,226 broodstock/juveniles in hatchery;
  • Vegetables and field crops planted: Elora, Arkell, Ponsonby Research Station Operations: 500 ha; Emo: 1,015 plots; New Liskeard (+Verner): 4,307 plots; Bradford: 5.7 ha; Woodstock: 83 ha (14,600 test plots) and 12 Farm Show exhibitor plots planted; Winchester: 3,604 plots;
  • Horticultural crops planted/started: At the New Liskeard SPUD unit: 8 unique crops tissue-cultured; 76 strawberry, 14 raspberry cultivars in screenhouse; 236,000 mL media prepared; 70,800 plants ( 212,400 aseptic hand manipulations with scissors and scalpels). At Simcoe, 220 ha;
  • Supporting the agri-food industry: 55,882 rainbow trout eggs to commercial hatcheries; 250 ha wheat straw purchased from neighbouring farms; coordinated export of 8 strawberry cultivars; agreements requested by Berry Growers of Ontario and Ontario Seed Potato Growers Association;
  • New pasture management research at New Liskeard; 35,576 whitefish fry delivered to a fishery, in Guelph, 59 cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass tested for drought tolerance + only National Turfgrass Evaluation Program; 1st year of a 3-year cover crop biofumigant trial in Bradford.
  • Equipment installation began at the new Precision Feed Centre in #Elora [3]; 6 new covered bunks substantially complete; 1,218 tonnes of 2020 first-cut hay ensiled. In #Guelph [4], portable rain-out shelter for turfgrass trials constructed. Simcoe, new lab, storage and workspace complete.
Keywords: 
covid-19
Research Stations

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Source URL: https://www.uoguelph.ca/alliance/news/2020/08/ensuring-stability-and-continuity-ontarios-agricultural-research-stations-during-first

Links
[1] https://www.uoguelph.ca/alliance/research-facilities/research-stations
[2] https://www.uoguelph.ca/alliance/research-facilities/biosecurity
[3] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Elora?src=hashtag_click
[4] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Guelph?src=hashtag_click