AG e-news June 5, 2018
News and events from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
News and events from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday, June 6 – The Department of Animal Sciences presents a Special Research Seminar with Dr. Roland Kröbel, Agriculture and Agri-Food Lethbridge on the topic “Estimating the sustainability of agricultural food production systems in Canada” at 10:00 am in Room 130 Agriculture Building. Refreshments provided and all are welcome!
Thursday, June 7 – The afternoon session of the 139th Annual Spring Convocation begins at 3:00 pm and features the graduands of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences including M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs. The Faculty is once again planning a convocation celebration that will take place in the Atrium from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Please join us in congratulating the Class of 2018!
June 10-13 – The 17th Canadian Animal Health Laboratorians Network (CAHLN) Annual Meeting, Adapting to Emerging Animal Diseases will take place at the University of Manitoba. The CAHLN Annual Meeting is a forum for knowledge exchange and networking among animal health laboratorians from across Canada, providing valuable continuing education to those working in both research and diagnostic laboratories. The meeting is an ideal setting for graduate students to present their research and discuss it with experts in their field of study. Call for Abstracts is open now until May 1, 2018 http://cahln-rctlsa.com/2018-cahln-annual-meeting/
Thursday, June 14 – There will be a M.Sc. (Food Science) Thesis Defense at 10:00 am in 245 Ellis Building. Yuwei Song will present “Effect of processing on bioaccessibility and antioxidant capacity of carotenoids from maize”.
Thursday, June 14 – The Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals invites you to join them for a Fundraiser BBQ with all proceeds going to Heart & Stroke Big Bike Challenge. Event runs 12:00 – 1:00 pm in the RCFFN atrium (196 Innovation Drive). RSVP attendance to rcffn [at] umanitoba [dot] ca.
Thursday, June 14 – Blue Bomber game at Investors’ Group Field. Parking restrictions will be in effect most parking lots starting at 6:00 pm. Complete details about alternate parking locations and other event dates are listed at http://umanitoba.ca/parking/igf.html.
Tuesday, June 26 – There will be a Department of Soil Science M.Sc. Thesis Defence at 2:00 pm in 344 Ellis Building. Ruidong Mi will present “Microbiological quality of drinking water from First Nations communities in Manitoba”.
Tuesday, June 26 – This will be the first of three Organic and Ecological Farming Field Walks organized by the Natural Systems Agriculture group. Join them in Libau, MB, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, where the walk will explore growing organic wheat, flax, soybean and alfalfa in very low soil P conditions – effects of struvite on the crop and weeds; effect of residual P on green manure growth and nodulation; effect of historical manure application on green manure growth and nodulation; and no-till organic wheat seeded into cover crops – weed control options. Directions: 1 km east of highway 59 on Road 84N (40 km north of Winnipeg). Site is on the north side of the road.
Wednesday, June 27 – The inaugural Food Systems Research Group Graduate Student Symposium takes place at the University of Manitoba. Registration is open and all are welcome to attend! Want to learn more about research taking place at the UofM on our shared food system? Visit the F3S website at https://uomfssc.wordpress.com/home/ to register today! Student registration is only $15 (non-students $60) – only until June 15.
July 14 – August 25 – Check out the summer family events Saturdays (and one Thursday) at the Bruce D. Campbell Farm & Food Discovery Centre, beginning with an Insect Investigation on Saturday, July 14. Cost: $5.00 + GST per person over 5 years old; $3.50 + GST per child 3-4 years old. Call 204-883-2524 or email ffdc [at] umanitoba [dot] ca for more information. See the entire summer schedule at http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/discovery_centre/events.html.
July 10-19 – Registration for the Crop Diagnostic School held at the Ian N. Morrison Research Farm is now open. The full day sessions will be offered from July 10 – 13 and July 17 – 19. There is a discounted fee ($50) for University of Manitoba staff and students for the session held on Tuesday, July 10 but space is filling up fast. The fee for all the other dates is the full price of $175. For more information see http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/crop-diagnostic-services/manitoba-crop-diagnostic-school.html. Please call 204-745-5663 and register with Courtney Enns.
Wednesday, July 25 – Crops-A-Palooza is is a one day, hands on, free, in-field learning interactive event that brings together the best research and agronomy extension professionals and farmers to learn how to grow the best crops. Several Faculty members will present including Rob Gulden, Amy Mangin, Megan Bourns, Don Flaten and Kristen MacMillan. This free event runs 9:00 am – 3:00 pm in Portage la Prairie. Learn more and register online at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/crops-a-palooza-2018-registration-45358067200.
Thursday, July 26 – This will be the second of three Organic and Ecological Farming Field Walks organized by the Natural Systems Agriculture group. Join them in Glenlea, MB, from 2:30 to 4:30 PM, where the walk will explore long-term organic vs. conventional rotation plots – focus on weeds, soil health and economics (year 27); manure application in organic systems to restore crop productivity and soil carbon; restoring poor-performing organic grain-only plots by intensifying green manure additions; and testing oat varieties under organic production (conventional oat varieties and organically bred oat varieties). Directions: Turn west off Hwy 75 at “Research Station Road” at the Glenlea research farm (20 km south of Winnipeg) and follow signs.
Thursday, August 9 – This will be the third of three Organic and Ecological Farming Field Walks organized by the Natural Systems Agriculture group. Join them in Carman, MB, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, where the walk will explore mechanical weed control in cereals, dry edible beans and green manures. Includes in-crop tillage, CombCut and inter-row tillage; grazing warm-season cover crops and cover crop mixtures; testing oat varieties under organic production (conventional oat varieties and organically bred oat varieties); seed increases of farmer-bred wheat lines – what are the possibilities for farmers to breed and market their own varieties?; using spring fallow to control Canada thistle; and moisture conservation in organic cropping systems. Directions: 1.8 km west of the junction of Hwy 3 and 13 at Carman.
August 12-17 – The International Biotechnology Symposium themed “Supporting a Healthy World” will be held in Montreal and is co-organized by the National Research Council of Canada, McGill University, the University of Waterloo, and BIOTECanada. From disease-resistant crops to vaccines that keep livestock healthy, biotechnology has a big role to play in the sustainable development of our natural resources. This event is held every two years in a different country. IBS2018 is a great opportunity for science faculty and grad students to attend, network, and present their latest research. The call for abstracts has been extended to May 11 and the early bird registration discount to July 3. See details at http://www.ibs2018montreal.org/en/index.html.
September 13 – There will be an NSERC Scholarships and Fellowships Information Session in the Senate Chamber Room – E3-262 Engineering from 9 am to 12 noon. NSERC staff will give a presentation on how to prepare a scholarship or fellowship application. Please register for a spot at https://manitobagrad.hobsonsradius.com/ssc/eform/N70B0GC0M00kx6700tBal.ssc
September 29 – There is a pre-ISNN-conference course add-on entitled “Precision Nutrition in Practice” which is hosted by Dr Martin Kohlmeier and Olivia Dong. Cost: $125 (plus 5% GST). Details and registration at www.isnn2018.org.
September 30-October 3 – Save the date for the 12th Congress 2018 International Society of Nutrigenetics-Nutrigenomics which will take place in Winnipeg, MB. The Scientific Program will include presentations from internationally renowned speakers on cutting edge areas of research and new discoveries in genetics/genomics, and nutrition. Check out the website at www.isnn2018.org. (See call for abstracts in General News below)
November 27-28 – Presented by the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association, the Regenerative Agriculture Conference themed “Adapting to Today’s Food and Farming World” will be held at the Victoria Inn in Brandon, highlighting opportunities to boost farm profits using farm systems and ground level-thinking that enhances available natural resources such as healthy soil and intact grasslands. The conference will feature speakers from across North America, including Martin Entz, Plant Science, who will discuss and demonstrate how livestock and grain farmers can apply the principles of regenerative agriculture. Learn more and register at https://mfga.net/conference/.
STAFF AND STUDENT NEWS
The Department of Entomology is pleased to announce Kyle Bobiwash has joined the staff as Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology, and the Faculty’s first Indigenous Scholar, effective June 1. Kyle’s research interests include pollinator habitat use in agroecosystems and pollinator characteristics that lead to increased crop pollination. His research will also explore to what degree regional land use influences other beneficial arthropods. Kyle will be co-teaching AGEC 3510 Agroecology this fall. He defended his Ph.D. in Biology-Pollination Ecology at Simon Fraser University, and did his M.Sc. in Pollination Biology at McGill University.
Rotimi Aluko, Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, and two of his students, Olayinka Olarewaju and Temitola Awosika attended the American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) conference in Minneapolis, May 6-9. At the conference, Rotimi formally received the “AOCS Fellow” award. He was also the guest speaker at the Protein and Co-Products Division Dinner event where he gave a presentation on “Networking Tools for Professionals”.Temitola Awosika (MSc student) received the second place student poster presentation award for her work titled “Inhibitory activities of pea protein-derived protein hydrolysates against α-amylase and α-glucosidase”. At the same conference, Michael Eskin was presented with the Stephen S. Chang Award which recognizes scientists or technologists who have made decisive accomplishments in research for the improvement or development of products related to lipids.
Filiz Koksel, Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, gave a talk at the Manitoba Materials Conference on May 8 on “Food for thought: A multidisciplinary approach to food processing and quality”. At the same conference, two of her undergraduate students, Poznma Mann and Elyssa Chan, collaborator Dr. Tugrul Masatcioglu of Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey, and Filiz presented a poster titled “Textural analyses of puffed red lentil and yellow pea snacks produced by blowing agent assisted extrusion cooking.”
The 24th North American Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation conference was held at the University of Manitoba May 20-23, hosted by Dr. Ivan Oresnik in the Faculty of Science. Rob Gulden, Plant Science, chaired the Agronomy and Agriculture of Nitrogen Fixation section, and two other Plant Science members were invited presenters – Kristen MacMillan on the topic “Advancing soybean and pulse agronomy in western Canada” and Yvonne Lawley on the topic “Crop rotation and nitrogen fixation in soybean”.
The Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences held a pasteurization short course May 31-June 1. The course provided instruction in include the operation and regulatory requirements of Vat and High Temperature Short Time (HTST) pasteurization, equipment design and function; CFIA procedures for evaluation of HTST pasteurizer; and included a hands-on testing exercise of HTST equipment at the University of Manitoba pilot dairy plant.
Peter Jones, Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (RCFFN), attended the Genomics round table meeting on May 30 with the Honourable Ralph Eichler, Minister of Agriculture at the Legislative Building. The meeting was to discuss the future of Canadian genomics and Genome Canada. The roundtable involved Cabinet Ministers and their respective Deputy Ministers, and representatives from the University of Manitoba.
Michael Janzen, RCFFN Research Development Officer, participated on May 29 in the Food & Beverage Manitoba Industry Day & Annual General Meeting.
At the recent Manitoba School Science Symposium held at the end of April, the RCFFN sponsored two awards. The Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals Special Award – Senior was presented to Marika Watral of Grant Park High School for a project entitled, “Comparison of Probiotic Potency”. Marika compared levels of Lactobacilli bacteria in probiotic pills, to some pro- and pre-biotic foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt and kimchi. She found prebiotic supplements contained higher counts of lactobacilli. The Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals Special Award – Junior was presented to Moinak Deb of Acadia Junior High School for a project entitled, “Addressing Diabetes: Cinnamon versus Metformin”. Moinak assessed the efficiency of cinnamon at reducing blood glucose levels in a male subject in comparison to a standard diabetic medication. He found that cinnamon was just as capable of reducing blood glucose levels as metformin.
IN THE NEWS
David Lobb, Soil Science, was quoted in the article “Tillage erosion costing farmers billions” in Country Guide (May 31) – https://www.country-guide.ca/2018/05/31/tillage-erosion-costs-billions/.
Martin Entz, Plant Science, was interviewed in the article “Start the organic transition on a high note” in Organic Biz (May 29) – http://organicbiz.ca/start-the-organic-transition-on-a-high-note/.
The Food and Human Nutritional Sciences dairy pilot plant gets a shout out in this story about Tropi Gelato – https://pembinavalleyonline.com/local/after-milk-increases-12-times-in-price-venezuelan-man-moved-to-altona-to-start-gelato-business.
Megan Bourns, Soil Science, was featured in the article “Feeding change: Ensuring our food has something to eat” on UM Today (May 24) – http://news.umanitoba.ca/feeding-change-ensuring-our-food-has-something-to-eat/
Jason Gibbs, Entomology, and his namesake bee were featured in multiple articles – UM Today – http://news.umanitoba.ca/finally-a-bee-for-friendly-manitoba/, CBC – http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/emoji-bee-new-smiley-face-bee-named-after-university-of-manitoba-researcher-1.4671289, Winnipeg Free Press – (paywall) https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cuckoo-bee-named-after-u-of-m-prof-483106773.html, SouWester – (paywall) https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Little-bee-represents-big-things-about-eco-diversity-484316101.html.
Kateryn Rochon, Entomology, was quoted in the story “https://globalnews.ca/news/4218669/insect-repellent-natural-deet/” in Global News – https://globalnews.ca/news/4218669/insect-repellent-natural-deet/.
Derek Brewin, Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, was interviewed in the artcle “Mega-merger aftermath examining the fallout” in Western Producer (May 17) – https://www.producer.com/2018/05/mega-merger-aftermath-examining-the-fallout/
Martin Scanlon, Associate Dean Research, was interviewed in the article “The emerging field of digital agriculture” in the Farmers Voice (Spring 2018) – see page 10 at https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b43985_8a15c72f6007471385f4922abd59a061.pdf.
Alumna Jill Verwey (AgDip/88) was also featured in the Farmers Voice magazine (Spring 2018) in the story “Jill Verwey: Keeping the family farm in the family”. Jill’s two daughters are Spring 2018 graduates, Lindsay in Diploma and Rachael in Degree – see page 4 at https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b43985_8a15c72f6007471385f4922abd59a061.pdf.
The participation of students in the Diploma in Agriculture program, including their successful resolution regarding farmland levies at the KAP AGM were featured on page 16 of the Farmers Voice – https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b43985_8a15c72f6007471385f4922abd59a061.pdf.
PUBLICATIONS
Enzymes have become ubiquitous process aids in today’s food industry. Two researchers in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences have recently developed a novel technique to show how enzymes that rely on oxygen for their activity alter dough properties as early as the first few minutes of the breadmaking process.
Koksel, F., Scanlon, M. G. (2018) Investigation of the influence of bakery enzymes on non-yeasted dough properties during mixing. Journal of Cereal Science. 79: 86-92.
Koksel, F., Masatcioglu, M., 2018. Physical properties of puffed yellow pea snacks produced by nitrogen gas assisted extrusion cooking. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 93: 592-598.
Prieto, Ó. López-Campos, S.P. Suman, B. Uttaro, A. Rodas-González, J.L. Aalhus. 2018. Exploring innovative possibilities of recovering the value of dark cutting beef in the Canadian grading system. Meat Science. 137:77-84. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.11.013
Nelson Huerta-Leidenz, Oscar Atencio-Valladares, Julio Rodriguez, Nancy Jerez-Timaure, Gerardo Vargas, Argenis Rodas-González. 2018. Predictability of lean product, bone, and fat trim in beef carcasses from Costa Rica. Meat Science. 143, 223-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.05.012
Agomoh, I., Zvomuya, F., Hao, X., Akinremi, O. O. and McAllister, T. A. 2018. Nitrogen Mineralization in Chernozemic Soils Amended with Manure from Cattle Fed Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 82 :167-175, doi:10.2136/sssaj2017.08.0282
Liu, J., Kleinman, P.J.A., Aronsson, H., Flaten, D., McDowell, R.W., Bechmann, M., Beegle, D.B., Robinson, T.P., Bryant, R.B., Liu, H.B., Sharpley, A.N., and Veith, T.L. 2018. A review of regulations and guidelines related to winter manure application. Ambio. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-018-1012-4
Abdullah MMH, Marinangeli CPF, Jones PJH, Carlberg JG. 2017. Canadian Potential Healthcare and Societal Cost Savings from Consumption of Pulses: A Cost-Of-Illness Analysis. Nutrients. Jul 22;9(7). pii: E793. doi: 10.3390/nu9070793.
GENERAL NEWS
A reminder that the Canadian Dairy Commission Scholarship is currently open for competition. Please submit your complete application to agawards [at] umanitoba [dot] ca by June 11, 2018 at noon.
Call for Abstracts for ISNN2018 – Present your latest discoveries! The 12th Congress of the International Society of Nutrigenetics-Nutrigenomics is September 30-October 2. All abstracts will be published in Lifestyle Genomics. Abstract deadline is June 15, 2018. Check out the preliminary program online and submit your abstract today for one of the 10 sessions – www.isnn2018.org.
Do you have high blood pressure? RCFFN under the direction of Dr Peter Jones, Principal Investigator, is conducting a study to investigate the effects of Hemp Protein on high blood pressure. The study is open to men and women who meet the following criteria: ages 18-75 years, elevated blood pressure and non-smoker. Participants will be compensated for their contribution to this study. More information phone: 204-474-9989 or email hempproteinstudy [at] umanitoba [dot] ca.
Volunteers needed for food study testing the effect of peas on appetite and blood sugar levels after a meal. We are looking for healthy non-smokers aged 18-40 who are not taking medication or supplements that affect blood pressure/lipids, blood sugar, or digestion. You will be asked to attend a total of 4 clinic visits @ IH Asper Institute (arrival time between 7:30AM and 10AM). At each visit, you will eat muffins or chili with or without peas. After eating the muffins or chili, you will be asked to stay for 3 hours and provide blood and urine samples and complete questionnaires about your appetite. The visit will end with a pizza lunch. An honorarium will be provided. If you are interested or would like more information please call 204-258-1318 or email peas [at] sbrc [dot] ca.
Volunteers needed for food study testing the effect of peas on blood sugar levels after a meal. We are looking for healthy non-smokers aged 18-40 who are not taking medication or supplements that affect blood pressure/lipids, blood sugar, or digestion. You will be asked to attend a total of 3 clinic visits @ IH Asper Institute (arrival time between 7:30AM and 10AM). At each visit, you will eat soup with or without peas. After eating the soup, you will be asked to stay for 2 hours to provide blood samples and complete questionnaires about your appetite and the food you ate. An honorarium will be provided. If you are interested or would like more information please call 204-258-1318 or email peas [at] sbrc [dot] ca.
Volunteers needed for barley waffle study. We are looking for healthy non-smokers aged 18-40 who are not taking medication or supplements that affect blood pressure/lipids, blood sugar, or digestion. You will be asked to attend a total of 5 clinic visits @ IH Asper Institute (arrival time between 7:30AM and 10AM). At each visit, you will eat waffles made with different amounts of barley fibre. After eating the waffles, you will be asked to stay for 2 hours to provide blood samples and complete questionnaires about your appetite and the food you ate. An honorarium will be provided. If you are interested or would like more information please call 204-258-1318 or email barley [at] sbrc [dot] ca.