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AG e-news February 25, 2019

News and events from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

February 25, 2019 — 

News and events from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tuesday, February 26 – A Department of Entomology Seminar will be presented by Dr. Paulo Wanderley, Universidae Federal da Paraíba on “The attack of Varroa in the arid regions of Brazil”. Refreshments at 10:00 am, seminar begins at 10:10 am sharp in 220 Animal Science/Entomology Building. All are welcome.

Tuesday, February 26 – A Department of Animal Science Seminar will be held on in Room 219 Animal Science Building at 11:30 am. Brandon Hanson, M.Sc. student, will be giving a poster presentation on “Within and between animal variation in intake with the use of a novel feeding system for beef cattle” and Sean Yeo, M.Sc. student, will be giving an extension presentation on “Disease surveillance using the specific high-sensitivity  enzymatic reporter unlocking platform to detect nucleic acids”.  All are welcome to attend.

Tuesday, February 26 –  A Human Nutritional Sciences Program Seminar will take place at 3:00 pm in Room 207 Human Ecology Building, with graduate student Lisa Back presenting a seminar entitled: “Dying to Talk: Using Nutrition Indicators to Support End of Life Conversations”

Tuesday, February 26 – The Faculty along with the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association invite you to a special screening of the documentary “Before the Plate” in Room 219 Animal Science Building. Doors open at 5:30 pm, documentary starts at 6 pm, with a post-event discussion moderated by Myrna Grahn, Manager, Farm and Food Discovery Centre.  Before The Plate follows young farmers and industry experts to show the general population what a modern Canadian farm operation looks like, and answer the most pressing questions consumers have about their food. The event and your popcorn are free – you are just asked to register your seat at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/before-the-plate-screening-tickets-56507395140.

Wednesday, February 27 – There will be a Ph.D. Oral Defence by Jongwoong Kim, Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Animal Science, entitled “Dietary Energy Utilization in Swine” at 9 am in Room 339A University Centre. Faculty, students, staff and general public are welcome to attend.

Wednesday, February 27 – The Soil Science Seminar Series will feature Department of Soil Science alumna Wara Chiyoka (Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions) who will present “Why Environmental Consulting?”  at 12:30 pm, in 346 Ellis Building.

Wednesday, February 27 – The Food Systems Research Group research knowledge sharing series continues with the seminar “An Offering: Lakota Elders Contributions to the Future of Food Security” by Dr. Mary Kate Dennis, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at 3:00 pm in 409 Tier Building. Learn more about the talk at http://news.umanitoba.ca/fsrg-talk-an-offering-lakota-elders-contributions-to-the-future-of-food-security/.

Thursday, February 28 – There will be a Special Plant Science Seminar hosted by the Plant Science Graduate Students Association with sponsorship from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences Endowment Fund. “Green Revolution 2.0: Towards a Natural Systems Agriculture” will be presented by Dr. Tim Crews, Director/Research and Lead Scientist, Ecology Program, The Land Institute, Salina, Kansas, at 3:30 p.m. in the Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, Room 130, Agriculture Building. Coffee at 3:00 p.m. in the Atrium. Everyone welcome.

Thursday, February 28 – The 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) Heat #3 will feature SIX students in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, running from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm in E3-270 Engineering Building. Come cheer on the presentations of Sarah Slagerman (Biosystems Engineering), Zena van de Poel (Human Nutritional Sciences), Avery Simundsson (Biosystems Engineering), Brendan Brooks (Soil Science), Lucy Wang (Biosystems Engineering), and Myra Van Die (Plant Science).

Saturday, March 2 – Professional home economist Getty Stewart is facilitating two Applied Skills in Food Preparation workshops on campus. “What’s for Dinner with Canada’s New Food Guide” will take place from 11 am to 1:30 pm and “Eating Greener – Reducing Food Waste At Home” will be from 3 pm to 4:30 pm.in the Barbara Burns Food Innovation Laboratory, room 410 Human Ecology Building. Cost for each workshops is free for Food and Human Nutritional Sciences students and $10 for general public. Also offered on March 2 will be a Food Handlers Certificate Course facilitated by FoodSafe Manitoba.  All three workshops are being organized by the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre, with support from the Endowment Fund.  To register email ffdc [at] umanitoba [dot] ca. Spaces limited. See more details at http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/discovery_centre/events.html.

Saturday, March 2 – There will be a free public conference on “Climate Change and Transportation in the Canadian Shield” hosted by the Transport Institute. It runs 8:30 am – 4:30 pm in the Robert B. Schultz Theatre, St. John’s College. More details at http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/management/ti/3450.html

Tuesday, March 5 – A Department of Entomology Seminar will be presented by Lavanya Ganesan, Department of Entomology on ““Survival of three stored product insects at cold temperatures: Understanding the effect of acclimation on survival of different life stages”. Refreshments at 10:00 am, seminar begins at 10:10 am sharp in 220 Animal Science/Entomology Building. All are welcome.

Tuesday, March 5 – A Department of Animal Science Seminar will be held on in Room 219 Animal Science Building at 11:30 am. Marion Mogire, M.Sc. student, will be giving an extension presentation on “Broiler feeding strategies for low crude protein diets” and Janghan Choi, M.Sc. student, will be giving a poster presentation on “Stability of encapsulated thymol during a feed pelleting process and in vitro release profile of microparticles with simulated pig gastric and intestinal fluids”.  All are welcome to attend.

March 5-6 – The annual Soils and Crops Workshop hosted by University of Saskatchewan is themed “Mind your P, and Bring Your Qs!”. Day 2 of the event is the Northern Great Plains 4R Fertilizer Management Symposium which will feature a presentation of the 4R Fertilizer P Management Review, a review  of P fertilizer research in the Northern Great Plains compiled by Cindy Grant, Soil Science.  She and Don Flaten will present and discuss, with an aim to gather feedback and identify knowledge gaps. Learn more and register at http://www.usask.ca/soilsncrops/registration/index.php.

Friday, March 8 – A M.Sc. Thesis Defense by Yuwei Song, M.Sc. Food Science, entitled “Effect of processing on bioaccessibility and antioxidant capacity of carotenoids from maize” will take place at 9:00 am in Room 346 Ellis Building.

March 11-12Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference – West 2019 will be at the Hyatt Regency Calgary. Annemieke Farenhorst, Associate Dean (Research) will be participating in a panel discussion. Learn more about the conference and registration at https://www.advancingwomenconference.ca/2019west/.

Wednesday, March 13 – The Real Dirt on Farming Speak Up Training – This presentation skills workshop is geared towards farmers, agri-food industry professionals, and farmers’ market vendors interested in learning how to give effective presentations and speak to non-farmers about agriculture. Participants will leave with a USB key filled with the customizable Real Dirt on Farming PowerPoint presentations, speaking notes, and a copy of the Real Dirt on Farming booklet. Workshop includes lunch, please indicate dietary restrictions. Location & time: Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre, 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Cost: $30. Register to ffdc [at] umanitoba [dot] ca by Thursday, March 7.

Wednesday, March 13 – The next RCFFN Coffee Talk will feature Pinar Eskicioglu, Human Ethics Coordinator, University of Manitoba will be conducting an ethics refresher 10:00 am to 12 pm at the Lecture Theatre, Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, 196 Innovation Drive.

Wednesday, March 13 – The next seminar in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences Seminar Series will be held at 3:30 pm in the Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, 130 Agriculture Building. Dr. Pat MacKay, Senior Scholar, Department of Entomology, and Dr. Robert J. Lamb, Emeritus Research Scientist, Department of Entomology, will present “Exploring Population Dynamics: 20 Years of Data on a Manitoba Insect”.  Refreshments will be served at 3:00 pm in the Atrium. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Thursday, March 14 – Agilent will be hosting a Cannabis Testing Solutions Seminar in the Lecture Theatre, Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. It will be a day of cannabis technical presentations where you can speak with the experts in the increasingly complex regulatory environment. See the agenda at https://eventscalendar.umanitoba.ca/site/fafs/event/cannabis-testing-solutions-seminar/.

Saturday, March 16 – It’s time once again for Discover Agriculture in the City, a free event featuring interactive displays from key organizations in the agriculture industry that will take place downtown at the Forks Market from 10 am to 4 pm. This event allows urban Canadians to explore and discover the important role agriculture plays in their lives. Come see the University of Manitoba Food Fight at 10 am in the South Atrium featuring our very own food product development students. For more information, visit http://aginthecity.ca/.

Tuesday, March 19 – The Department of Animal Science will be hosting a Special Seminar in honour of Dr. T. K. Cheung, a former student of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences who has made significant contributions to the Department of Animal Science. Our guest speaker this year is Dr. Hans H. Stein, Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, who will be giving a talk in 219 Animal Science Building at 11:30 am.  The title of his talk is “Current Research in Swine Nutrition”. All are welcome to attend.

Friday, March 29 – The Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM) is hosting a “Rapid-Fire Research Symposium 2” from 12:30 pm to 5 pm in the Samuel Cohen Auditorium at St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, 351 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg. Includes 7-Minute Trainee Presentations, career development session and netowrking and awards reception. Abstract submission is free and open to trainees – deadline February 22 email to rrs [at] sbrc [dot] ca (300 words max). Event registration is free and open to everyone – deadline March 15. Send an email to rrs [at] sbrc [dot] ca to register free of charge – include your name and department.

Friday, May 10 – The Department of Statistics is offering the workshop “Introduction to R” 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm, Friday, May 10, 311 Machray Hall.  $30 course fee. Space is limited to 35 seats.  Registration deadline: May 6. To register for this workshop, please email consulting [at] stats [dot] umanitoba [dot] ca.

June 11-14 – The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) 2019 Conference will be hosted by the University of Manitoba, Red River College and Universite de Saint-Boniface at the RBC Convention Centre with the theme “Guiding the Journey: Learner-Teacher-Learner.” Complete details and registration at https://stlhe2019sapes.ca/.

 

STAFF AND STUDENT NEWS

Laurie Connor, Senior Scholar in Animal Science, was honored at the 2019 Manitoba Swine Seminar held on February 6-7 at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg for her 27 years of service on the Seminar Planning Committee. Laurie not only served as a member of the committee but she also chaired the committee for many years

Cindy Grant, Soil Science research associate with Don Flaten and recently-retired Senior Research Scientist at AAFC-Brandon, was recently recognized with the 2019 Canola Award of Excellence from the Manitoba Canola Growers Association. Read more about Cindy’s award at https://www.canolagrowers.com/about-mcga/canola-award-of-excellence/.

Kristen MacMillan, Plant Science, will be presenting her soybean seeding agronomy research at the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers Regional Getting it Right Production Meetings in Dauphin and Stonewall, MB on February 26 and 28.

Chad Lawley, Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, presented a keynote address at the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society Annual Policy Conference in Ottawa on February 15. The title of the talk was “Evaluation of Agri-Environmental Policies and Program Impacts: Building Credible Evidence in Agri-Environmental Policy.”  He also presented an invited talk at the Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute conference, “Optimizing Land Use for Sustainable Growth,” in Calgary on February 22. The title of the talk was “Factors affecting land use choices and agronomic practices.”

Kateryn Rochon, Entomology gave a workshop on ticks on February 19 to Nature Manitoba, a not-for-profit organization that promotes an appreciation and understanding of nature.

Don Flaten and Francis Zvomuya, Soil Science, delivered keynote presentations at the 62nd Annual Manitoba Soil Science Society (MSSS) meeting, which was held in Winnipeg on February 7-8.  Don presented “Manure, the Gift that Keeps on Giving: An Overview of the Long-Term Manure and Crop Management Study at Glenlea” and Francis presented “Soiled Soil: Counting the Health and Function Costs”.

Three Soil Science graduate students won prizes for their presentations at the MSSS meetings: Megan Bourns (with Don Flaten, 1st prize oral), Christy Anderson (with Annemieke Farenhorst, 3rd prize oral), and Priscillar Wenyika (with Mario Tenuta, 3rd prize oral).

Megan Bourns and Mayowa Adelekun (with Wole Akinremi) were recipients of Soil Science Society of America (Nutrient Management & Soil and Plant Analysis Division) travel awards at last month’s International Soils Meeting in San Diego.

 

IN THE NEWS

Don Flaten, Soil Science, was quoted in the article “Soil tests may not tell the whole story of phosphorus” in Country Guide (February 22) – https://www.country-guide.ca/crops/soil-tests-may-not-tell-the-whole-story-of-phosphorus/

Mario Tenuta, Soil Science, was interviewed on Farmscape (February 22) in the article “Researchers Seek Options to Reduce Resource Use in Producing Pork ” – read or listen to the interview at https://www.farmscape.com/f2ShowScript.aspx?i=26938&q=Researchers+Seek+Options+to+Reduce+Resource+Use+in+Producing+Pork+.

Jason Gibbs, Entomology, was quoted in the article “World’s Largest Bee Is Spotted For First Time In Decades” on NPR (February 21) – https://www.npr.org/2019/02/21/696626918/worlds-largest-bee-is-spotted-for-first-time-in-decades.

Francis Zvomuya, Soil Science, was interviewed in the CBC story “Drone footage shows extent of oil spill near St. Lazare, Man.” (February 20) – https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/drone-footage-st-lazare-1.5027263.

Rhea Teranishi, M.Sc. student in Animal Science, was profiled in the article “Q&A with graduate student Rhea Teranishi” on UM Today – http://news.umanitoba.ca/qa-with-graduate-student-rhea-teranishi/.

Rob Gulden, Plant Science, was featured in the article “Controlling volunteer canola in soybeans” in Grainews (February 19) – https://www.grainews.ca/2019/02/19/controlling-volunteer-canola-in-soybeans/.

Jordan Bannerman, Entomology, was interviewed for the article “Stormy weather impacts 2019 insect forecast” in FCC Express (February 14) – https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/ag-knowledge/knowledge/stormy-weather-impacts-2019-insect-forecast.html.

Yvonne Lawley, Plant Science, was interviewed on Manitoba Farm Journal – listen to the February 14 edition at the 16:54 mark – https://pembinavalleyonline.com/radio/mb-farm-journal.

Kristen MacMillan, Plant Science, was interviewed on Manitoba Farm Journal – listen to the February 13 edition at the 00:30 mark and the February 14 edition at the 22:19 mark – https://pembinavalleyonline.com/radio/mb-farm-journal.

Myrna Grahn, Farm and Food Discovery Centre, was interviewed on Farmscape (February 12) in the article “Consumers want information on food from someone they can trust” – read or listen to the interview at https://www.farmscape.com/f2ShowScript.aspx?i=26924&q=Consumers+Want+Information+on+Food+From+Someone+they+Can+Trust.

Alumnus Keenan Wiebe (DipAgric/13) provided the opinion piece “A farmer’s life: working the land with modern technology” to CBC (February 10) – https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/fourth-generation-farmer-1.5011776.

David Lobb, Soil Science, was interviewed on Manitoba Farm Journal  – listen to the February 1 edition at the 05:38 mark and the 21:40 mark – https://pembinavalleyonline.com/radio/mb-farm-journal.

 

PUBLICATIONS

Biologists identify honeybee ‘clean’ genes known for improving survival – The key to breeding disease-resistant honeybees could lie in a group of genes – known for controlling hygienic behaviour – that enable colonies to limit the spread of harmful mites and bacteria, according to genomics research conducted by Amro Zayed (York University) who worked on the study with 13 bee biologists from York University, University of British Columbia, University of Manitoba, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. (https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/yu-bih021519.php). Brock A Harpur, M Marta Guarna, Elizabeth Huxter, Heather Higo, Kyung-Mee Moon, Shelley E Hoover, Abdullah Ibrahim, Andony P Melathopoulos, Suresh Desai, Robert W Currie, Stephen F Pernal, Leonard J Foster, Amro Zayed. Integrative Genomics Reveals the Genetics and Evolution of the Honey Bee’s Social Immune System. Genome Biology and Evolution, 2019; DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz018

 

GENERAL NEWS

Would you like to test your cardiovascular health?  Natural dietary supplements may reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors by improving blood lipid profiles, reducing inflammation and improving endothelial function.  The purpose of this study is to see if the dietary supplement Cardioflex can improve cardiovascular disease risk factors in healthy adults.  You may be able to participate in this study if you: Are a healthy individual between 30-65years.  Perform less than 150 minutes of moderate to rigorous physical activity per week, are capable and willing to commit to drinking a supplement once per day for 90 days and have not used prescription cholesterol or blood pressure medication in the last 3 months.   For more information call or email: 204-272-1555 or cardioflex [at] umanitoba [dot] ca.

University of Manitoba alumnus James Burns [BComm/51, LLD/87 (Hon.)] passed away on February 11, 2019. Aside from his tremendous professional success, Burns—an Officer of the Order of Canada–was an esteemed philanthropist. His generous support of the University of Manitoba reflected his varied interests and passions. Burns established student awards in history, nursing and graduate studies. In 2006, he named the Barbara Burns Food Innovation Laboratory located in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences after his late wife. Read more at http://news.umanitoba.ca/remembering-james-burns-business-giant-alumnus-philanthropist/

The Endowment Fund Committee of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences is once again seeking proposals from students, alumni, and academic and support staff of the Faculty for special projects requiring funding. This year, approximately $240,000 is available to fund a variety of projects, from teaching equipment/projects to student competitions and field trips. The fund has also been allocated for visiting scientists and lecturers, conferences and workshops, and library acquisitions.Please submit an application via email to Heather Wiebe at heather [dot] wiebe [at] umanitoba [dot] ca by NOON Thursday, February 28, 2018. Complete Endowment Fund details and application form are available online at: http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/endowment/index.html.

Our fiscal year end of March 31, 2019 is just around the corner. Visit our Year End at the University website (http://umanitoba.ca/admin/financial_services/comptrollers/yearend.htm) to review the Year End Guidelines & Schedule for 2018-19 which includes frequently asked questions, key deadline dates, checklists and your Financial Services contacts to help you through the process.

Manitoba Open Farm Day – Applications are now open for Open Farm Day Host Sites to register for the upcoming Manitoba Open Farm Day September 15, 2019.  Please go to www.openfarmday.ca and click on Register Your Site – scroll down and “Click Here” to continue to read information and fill in the application.  Deadline to register is Tuesday April 30, 2019.  Help us celebrate 10 years of Open Farm Day in Manitoba!

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