AG e-news November 2, 2016
News and events from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, November 8 – A Department of Animal Science Seminar will be held on in Room 219 Animal Science Building at 10:00 am. Peris Munyaka, Ph.D. student, will make the scientific presentation “Piglet and mice models of inflammatory bowel disease: The impact of prebiotics, probiotics, and prepartum use of antibiotics”. All are welcome to attend.
Tuesday, November 8 – A Department of Entomology Seminar will be presented by Dr. Olivier Tremblay-Savard, Department of Computer Science, University of Manitoba, on the topic “Algorithms for the analysis of RNA evolution”. Refreshments at 10:00 am, seminar begins at 10:10 am sharp in 220 Animal Science/Entomology Building.
Thursday, November 10 – An Advanced Plant Science Seminar will be held in the Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, 130 Agriculture Building at 3:30 pm. Dr. Sanjaya Gyawali, formerly of (ICARDA) International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, will be presenting “Participatory Plant Breeding: Concept, Practices, Challenges and Successes”. All are welcome to attend. Coffee at 3:00 pm in the Atrium.
Friday, November 11 – The University of Manitoba will be closed for Remembrance Day.
Tuesday, November 22 – A Department of Animal Science Seminar will be held on in Room 219 Animal Science Building at 10:00 am. Kelsey Fehr, M.Sc. student, will make the poster presentation “Bovine mammary gland health: The impact of bedding materials”. Brittany Byron, M.Sc. student, will make the poster presentation “Relationship between RFI classification of beef cattle and intake on pasture”. All are welcome to attend.
Tuesday, November 22 – A Department of Entomology Seminar will be presented by Dr. Nicola Koper, Natural Resource Institute, University of Manitoba, on the topic “Effects of oil and gas development on grassland songbirds”. Refreshments at 10:00 am, seminar begins at 10:10 am sharp in 220 Animal Science/Entomology Building.
Wednesday, November 23 – A Soil Science Seminar will take place at 12:30 pm in Room 346 Ellis Building. Dr. Xiaofeng Wang, Visiting Scholar, Department of Soil Science, will present. Topic TBA.
Wednesday, December 14 and Thursday, December 15 – The 2016 Manitoba Agronomists Conference themed “Advances in Crop Scouting: Balancing Technology with Technique will be held in Room 172 Agriculture Building and via webcast. The cost is $225. Register by December 4 to take advantage of the early bird rate of $185. Registration closes December 9. Register early for Winnipeg as space is limited. Graduate students are invited to attend as well as submit posters. Poster requirements and deadlines as well as registration information are on the MAC website at www.manitobaagronomists.ca. Any inquiries can be directed to the MAC Coordinator, Rachel Sydor at mbagconf [at] umanitoba [dot] ca or 204-474-8473.
STAFF AND STUDENT NEWS
Megan Colwell, an Entomology Ph.D. student in the Currie lab, won the Canadian Association of Apiculturists student Merit award which includes a cash prize of $600 and all expense paid trip to the American Bee Research Conference in Galveston Texas in January.
Karlee Dyck, M.Sc. student with Miyoung Suh in Human Nutritional Sciences, received the Faculty of Graduate Studies Student Achievement Award.
Martin Entz, Plant Science, presented a paper entitled “Transplanted Dutch ways in the West Prussia Delta 300 years later” at the Mennonites, Land and the Environment Conference held at the University of Winnipeg, October 28-29.
Dilantha Fernando, Plant Science, was invited by the Canola Council of Canada to introduce a new blackleg management strategy (Rotation of R-genes in canola cultivars) to the industry and growers at the Canola Discovery Forum held at the Fairmont in Winnipeg last week. The method stems from extensive work carried out in Dilantha’s lab over the last 5 years with his graduate students and collaborators from Canada, Australia and France. The new management tool would help reduce the disease in growers fields while maximizing the yield potential, and minimize trade issues on canola seed exports. Dilantha’s talk was titled “Introducing R-gene labeling in canola in Canada: making durable canola production possible”.
Trust Beta, Food Science, attended the annual meeting of the International Society of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods held in Orlando, Florida October 9 to 13. She presented a talk co-authored by Gong Jian Fan, Victoria U. Ndolo, Mangani Katundu, Rachel Bezner Kerr, and Susan Arntfield on “Variation in phytochemical content and antioxidant capacity of three bean varieties grown in different locations” in the session on Bioactives in Pulses and Legumes.
The 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop was held in Winnipeg October 25-28. Read a summary of the event, including student award winners, at http://news.umanitoba.ca/national-pulse-workshop-held-in-winnipeg-a-success/.
Nasibeh Y. Sinaki, Ph.D. student in Food Science, attended the Pulse workshop and presented a poster titled “Pulse Purees: An Arsenal of Consistencies (Texture) for Product Development Opportunities in the Food Industry”. The team members are Nasibeh Y.Sinaki, Tyler D.C. Beaulieu (2), Kelly J. Beaulieu, Michael Sarazin, Helen-Ann Dillon, Martin G. Scanlon .
Following the closure of the 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, a special Pulse Protein Quality Workshop was held during the afternoon of October 28. Consumers are consistently demanding new food products that contain higher protein levels. Perceived linkages between enhanced satiety and performance in association with higher protein intakes are key drivers of this trend. Additionally, plant-based protein sources are garnering substantial interest by consumers and industry seeking new options to enhance the protein content of foods. The Pulse Protein Quality Workshop provided an opportunity to explore the potential for utilizing pulse protein flours, concentrates and isolates to enhance the protein quality and content of food products. This session explored: a) Current regulatory definitions for protein quality: James D. House, University of Manitoba; b) Genetic and environmental factors influencing pulse protein quality: Matthew Nosworthy, University of Manitoba; c) The effect of processing on pulse protein quality: Andrea Stone, University of Saskatchewan; and d) case studies exploring opportunities for utilizing pulse ingredients. For the latter, Linda Malcolmson (Independent Consultant) and Paulyn Appah (Food Development Centre) discussed opportunities and challenges for meeting protein content claims in breads and snack foods, respectively. Over 60 participants registered for the workshop, which was co-organized by the University of Manitoba (J. House) and the University of Saskatchewan (M. Nickerson).
The Nutrition Education Community Outreach student group has made a great video highlighting the resources of the Nutrition Education Library. Check it out at http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/dept/hns/programs/Library.html.
IN THE NEWS
The research of Dilantha Fernando, Plant Science, was featured in Grain Central, an Australian agricultural newspaper in the article “Genetic breakthrough to combat blackleg disease in canola” – http://www.graincentral.com/cropping/genetic-breakthrough-to-combat-blackleg-disease-in-canola/.
Derek Brewin, Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, was quoted in the Manitoba Co-operator (October 27) in the story “Wide basis costs farmers billions” – http://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/did-the-wide-basis-put-3-5-billion-in-the-pockets-of-grain-companies/.
On the same topic, Derek was featured in the Winnipeg Free Press (October 29) article by Laura Rance entitled “Perfect the system: regulate grain for more profits” – (subscription required) http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/agriculture/perfect-the-system-regulate-grain-for-more-profits-399131471.html.
Derek was also noted in the Manitoba Co-operator (October 27) article “Grain profits tough to track” – http://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/tough-to-track/.
Carson Callum, M.Sc. student in Animal Science with Kim Ominski, was featured in Canadian Cattlemen (October 24) in the article “Does feed efficiency affect fertility?” – read it on page 30 at http://static.agcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/CCT1610241.pdf.
Sue Arntfield, Food Science, was interviewed by the Western Producer’s Ed White in advance of the 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop – http://www.producer.com/2016/10/pulses-no-longer-in-a-dusty-corner-of-farming-and-the-ag-research-world/.
PUBLICATIONS
Keith C Bamford and Martin Entz. 2016. Management of organic hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) cover crops in the establishment year. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 10.1139/CJPS-2016-0142.
Hamm, A.C., Tenuta, M., Krause, D.O., Ominski, K.H., Tkachuk, V.L., and D.N. Flaten. Bacterial communities of an agricultural soil amended with solid pig and dairy manures, and urea fertilizer. Applied Soil Ecology 103: 61-71.
Lindquist, E.E., T.D. Galloway, H. Artsob, L.R. Lindsay, M. Drebot, H. Wood, and R.G. Robbins. 2016. Illustrations by K.W. Wu and B. Flahey. Maps by T. Naughton. A handbook to the ticks (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae, Argasidae) of Canada. Biological Survey of Canada Monograph Series. 321 pp. (In this publication, all authors and illustrators are from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the UofM, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the U.S. Army, and Parks Canada.)
Fan, G. and Beta, T. 2016. Proximate composition, phenolic profiles and antioxidant capacity of three common bean varieties (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Journal of Food Chemistry and Nanotechnology 2(3):147-152. http://dx.doi.org/10.17756/jfcn.2016-023
GENERAL NEWS
Certificate of Merit Call for Nominations – The Certificate of Merit is presented by the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and the School of Agriculture in recognition of leadership with agricultural organizations and outstanding service to the community at large. Each year two Certificates of Merit are presented, normally, one to a graduate of the Agriculture Diploma program, and one to a graduate of the Agriculture Degree program. Nominations are considered by the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences Executive Committee and must be received no later than January 15, 2017. Nominations should include a letter from the nominator describing the nominee’s leadership contributions and service to the community. Letters of support may also be included. More information including a list of previous recipients can be found at http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/school/merit.html.
Beginning January 9, 2017, and continuing for 11 Mondays, the non-credit Horse Production and Management course will be offered by the Department of Animal Science. Learn techniques of horse mastership that will allow you to provide quality care for your equine partner. This series of lectures deals with the principles of horse production and management, including anatomy and physiology, genetics, selection and breeding, reproductive management, nutrition, stable and pasture management, health and welfare, and equine behaviour. The class is capped at 20 students. For more information and to register go to http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/dept/animal_science/programs/Horseproduction.html.
The 2016 Manitoba Agronomists Conference (MAC) has put out a Call for Grad Student Posters. MAC will be held on December 14 and 15. All grad students are welcome to submit a poster for our poster session. This is a great networking opportunity and offers students a chance to learn about current developments in the industry. Attendance is free for grad students who submit a poster. It is standing room only and does not include lunch. For all requirements and deadlines for submitting a poster, please visit http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/agronomists_conf/poster_submission.html. To learn more about the conference generally, visit www.ManitobaAgronomistsConference.ca. Any questions, please contact mbagconf [at] umanitoba [dot] ca.