AG e-news October 1, 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
Monday, October 1 – The Fall Food Systems Research Group research knowledge sharing series begins with the special presentation “The nexus between food literacy, food security and disadvantage” by Dr. Danielle Gallegos, social nutritionist and Professor at Queensland University of Technology at 3:30 pm (refreshments at 3:00) in Richardson International Auditorium, 172 Agriculture Building.
Tuesday, October 2 – A Department of Animal Science Seminar will be held in 219 Animal Science Building at 10:00 am. Megan Donnelly, M.Sc. student, will be giving an extension presentation on “The effects of drought on forage and beef cattle production in Canada”. All are welcome to attend.
Tuesday, October 2 – A Department of Entomology Seminar will be presented by Joseph Tonin, Department of Entomology on “DOC-mediated effects on lake food webs”. Refreshments at 10:00 am, seminar begins at 10:10 am sharp in 220 Animal Science/Entomology Building. All are welcome.
Tuesday, October 2 – A Human Nutritional Sciences Program Seminar will take place at 3:00 pm in 240 University College, with Dr. Danielle Gallegos presenting “Food literacy/food security”.
Wednesday, October 3 – The Science First Guest Speaker Series will tackle the topic “Manitoba’s Carbon Tax” 7 pm – 9 pm at The Fairmont Hotel – Harrow Room. Among the guest speakers is Dr. Nazim Cicek, Biosystems Engineering. The event is free for Science First members, $10 for general public. Please register by emailing: info@sciencefirst.ca. See more information at https://www.facebook.com/events/292052718291671.
Thursday, October 4 – An Advanced Plant Science Seminar will be held in the Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, 130 Agriculture Building at 3:30 pm. Dr. Martin Entz, Katherine Stanley, Joanne Thiessen Martens, Michelle Carkner and Iris Vaisman will present “The U of Manitoba organic agronomist training program: Approaches and accomplishments in the last 3 years”. All are welcome to attend. Coffee at 3:00 pm in the Atrium.
Friday, October 5 – The Farm and Food Discovery Centre is hosting a Dairy Day. Explore the dairy barn and learn about how we get milk to make cheese and yogurt. Finish by helping make some fresh ice cream! Pre-registration required, activities between 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. To register or for more information, visit www.ffdc.ca or email ffdc@umanitoba.ca.
Tuesday, October 9 – A Human Nutritional Sciences Program Seminar will take place at 3:00 pm in Room 207 Human Ecology Building, with Dr. Heather Blewett, CCARM, presenting “Clinical outcomes of flax muffin trial”.
Wednesday, October 10 – There will be a Soil Science Ph.D. Defense presented by Nicholson Jeke at 1:00 pm on 346 Ellis Building. Nicholson will present “Wetland and Terrestrial Phytoremediation of an End-of-Life Municipal Lagoon Using Cattail (Typha spp.)”.
Thursday, October 11 – An Advanced Plant Science Seminar will be held in the Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, 130 Agriculture Building at 3:30 pm. Dawn R. D. Bignell, Associate Professor of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, will present “What Does it Take to Make a Plant Pathogen? Insights from the Common Scab Pathogen Streptomyces scabies”. All are welcome to attend. Coffee at 3:00 pm in the Atrium.
Thursday, October 11 – Join us as we celebrate 50 Years with Dr. Michael Eskin. The evening will include music and presentations. Free admission, cash bar. Doors open 6:30 pm, program starts at 7:00 pm in Marshall McLuhan Hall, 66 Chancellor Circle, University of Manitoba. Please RSVP no later than Monday, October 8 to fhns.generalenquiries@umanitoba.ca.
Tuesday, October 16 – A Department of Animal Science Seminar will be held in Room 219 Animal Science Building at 10:00 am. Faith Omonijo, M.Sc. student, will be presenting a scientific presentation on “Development of novel microparticles for effective delivery of thymol and lauric acid to pig intestinal tract” to be followed by Rhea Teranishi, M.Sc. student, giving an extension talk on “Is your forage working for or against your cow herd?”. All are welcome to attend.
Tuesday, October 16 – A Human Nutritional Sciences Program Seminar will take place at 3:00 pm in Room 207 Human Ecology Building, with Adriana Mudryj presenting “Against the Grain: Characterizing dietary gluten avoidance in the Canadian pediatric and adult population”.
October 13 and 27 – Manitoba Rural Women’s Day is scheduled for October 13 (Virden, MB) and October 27 Morris, MB). Registration fee of $25. This includes snacks, lunch, door prizes, multiple speakers and display tables. Learn more at http://www.mbwi.ca/manitoba-rural-womens-day-2018/.
Tuesday, October 23 – A Department of Entomology Seminar will be presented by Gina Karam, Department of Entomology on “Stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) phenology, parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and population dynamics on southern Manitoba dairy farms”. Refreshments at 10:00 am, seminar begins at 10:10 am sharp in 220 Animal Science/Entomology Building. All are welcome.
Tuesday, October 23 – A Human Nutritional Sciences Program Seminar will take place at 3:00 pm in Room 207 Human Ecology Building, with Geoff Hicks presenting “Can vitamin A rescue fetal alcohol sprectrum disorders?”.
Wednesday, October 24 – Save the date for the 10th Annual Kraft Lecture, which will feature Dr. Daniel Sumner, Frank H. Buck, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis, and the Director of the University of California, Agricultural Issues Center. Lecture will take place at 3:00 pm in Richardson International Auditorium, 172 Agriculture Building. There will be refreshments beginning at 2:30 pm. Title TBA.
October 26 and 30, November 13 – The Department of Statistics is offering the following workshops: “Survey Data Analysis Using SPSS” Day 1: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, October 26, 311 Machray Hall and Day 2: 1:00 am – 4:00 pm, October 30, 108 Machray Hall. Registration deadline: October 24. To register for this workshop, please email consulting@stats.umanitoba.ca. $30 course fee. Space is limited to 25 seats. They are also offering “Data Visualization using R: Statistical Graphs and Animation” 9:30 am – 1:00 pm, November 13, 311 Machray Hall. $25 course fee for each day. Space is limited to 25 seats. Registration deadline: November 9. To register for this workshop, please email consulting@stats.umanitoba.ca.
Tuesday, October 30 – A Human Nutritional Sciences Program Seminar will take place at 3:00 pm in Room 207 Human Ecology Building, with Kathy Vagianos presenting “The role of diet in inflammatory bowel disease”.
Wednesday, October 31 – The second seminar in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences 2018-2019 Seminar Series will be held at 3:30 pm in the Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, 130 Agriculture Building. Ryan Cardwell, Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, will present “The Evolution of Canada’s International Food Assistance Policies”. Refreshments will be served at 3:00 pm in the Atrium. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Friday, November 2 – Save the date! The 23rd Annual Fields on Wheels Conference is themed “Cross-border Trade and Post-CTA Transport Policy Changes”. This one-day conference will take place at the Four Points South Hotel, Winnipeg. More details including complete speaker list, and online registration at http://ctrf.ca/?page_id=4668. Early bird registration ($295 plus GST) ends October 19, regular registration $345 plus GST.
Wednesday, November 14 – “Intercropping Workshop: Getting the most out of every acre” is full-day workshop is an opportunity to hear from producers and researchers on the practice of intercropping. Intercropping is a farmer-led practice gaining credibility as a way to improve yields and decrease pest and disease pressure. Learn about successful practices, approaches, equipment modifications and the financial implications for your farm business from farmers and researchers. Brandon, MB – Keystone Centre, MNP Theatre. $30/person or $50 for 2 people from the same farm. Lunch and snacks included. Contact Katherine Stanley to register: Katherine.stanley@umanitoba.ca or 204-898-4122.
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
Thea Green, School of Agriculture, received a 2018 Manitoba Agri-Safety Award last week at The Safetys, a fall gala event where Manitoba safety organizations present awards to individuals and organizations for their achievements in occupational health and safety. Thea’s award was presented by the Manitoba Farm Safety Program. She was nominated for her work in developing safety plans for the Glenlea Research Station and a farm safety course for Diploma students.
Among the recently announced winners of the Manitoba Beef Producers bursary are undergraduates Talyia Tober, University 1, and Matthew Fossay, Agribusiness. Their essays can be read in Cattle Country (page 8-9 – http://www.mbbeef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Cattle-Country-September-V4.pdf).
Plant Biotechnology student Melina Audette recently received the Proven Winners Innovations in Plant Breeding Scholarship valued at $5000. See more of the story here https://www.provenwinners.com/2018_scholarship_winners.
The 37th Aggie Bedpush ran September 28-29 in a variety of communities across Manitoba, this year in support of Ronald McDonald House. A large team of students pushed the familiar burgundy bed on wheels through Portage la Prairie, Gladstone, Minnedosa, Killarney, Baldur, St. Claude and Carman. Donations can still be made online at https://www.rmhcmanitoba.org/how-you-can-help/make-a-donation/donate-online/donate,to-rmh.
Over the summer, three current and one former Food and Human Nutritional Sciences students completed 3-month research practicums after securing Queen Elizabeth Scholarships and MITACS funding. Bhanu Pilli worked with a maternal child nutrition program implemented by the UM Centre for Global Public Health in Uttar Pradesh (India); Anika Dhalla and Maureen Cooper worked with a project researching sugar-sweetened beverage taxation in Hubli, Karnataka (India); and Darren Fife – currently in Faculty of Education – worked in Melbourne (Australia) on a project comparing Food and Nutrition Human Ecology curricula between the provinces of Victoria and Manitoba.
On September 21, the Faculty hosted a tour from the Canadian Farm Writers Federation annual national conference. Members of the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences including Michel Aliani, Donna Ryland, and Miyoung Suh made presentations, and in the afternoon, Peter Jones and Michael Janzen hosted the group at the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. The CFWF18 conference was co-chaired by Crystal Jorgenson, Dean’s Office.
The grand opening of the new Dairy Farmers of Manitoba Discovery and Learning Complex was held on September 13. The new 60-cow facility features modern dairy production infrastructure that will enable research, teaching and outreach. Special guests included Minister of Agriculture Ralph Eichler, DFM executive member Scott Gilson and UM Vice President (Research and International) and Distinguished Professor Dr. Digvir Jayas. Read more at http://news.umanitoba.ca/new-u-of-m-facility-enriches-dairy-research-and-education/.
The Faculty hosted a tour from Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Purdue University representatives on September 17 at the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. Faculty researchers explored potential collaborations with the visitors. Earlier in the day, ISDA signed a MOU with Manitoba’s Department of Agriculture to foster co-operation in key areas including agricultural research, trade, investment and youth leadership. http://news.umanitoba.ca/agricultural-and-food-sciences-plays-host-to-visitors-from-indiana/
IN THE NEWS
Qiang Zhang, Biosystems Engineering, was quoted in the story “Gestating sows benefit from narrow slat and slot widths” on mysteinbach.ca (September 21) – https://www.mysteinbach.ca/news/3451/gestating-sows-benefit-from-narrow-slat-and-slot-widths/
The new dairy facility opening was covered by several media outlets – https://steinbachonline.com/ag-news/agriculture-news-mb/video-u-of-m-opens-new-dairy-research-facility https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Udderly-luxurious-research-centre-opens-493517941.html and https://www.producer.com/2018/09/new-funding-for-manitoba-research-facility/
Don Flaten, Soil Science, was quoted in the article “Crop residue burning down, but not out” in the Manitoba Co-operator (September 13) – https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/crop-residue-burning-down-but-not-out/
Ranjan Sri Ranjan, Biosystems Engineering, was featured in the article “7 teaching tips to consider for your classroom” in University Affairs (September 26) – http://news.umanitoba.ca/university-affairs-teaching-tips-to-consider-for-your-classroom/
Qiang Zhang, Biosystems Engineering, was interviewed on Farmscape (September 21) in the story “Gestating Sows Benefit from Narrow Slat and Slot Widths” – read the transcript or listen to the interview at http://farmscape.ca/f2ShowScript.aspx?i=26711&q=Gestating+Sows+Benefit+from+Narrow+Slat+and+Slot+Widths
Francis Zvomuya, Soil Science, was quoted in several media stories about soil contamination at Weston School and the Point Douglas area of Winnipeg – https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-soil-ndp-point-douglas-1.4821339 https://winnipegsun.com/news/local-news/lead-contamination-in-point-douglas-kept-from-residents-report and https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/weston-lead-report-soil-school-1.4822196
The research by Ryan Cardwell and Chad Lawley on supply management was referenced in the Maclean’s article “Don’t kill supply management for Trump, kill it for us” – https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/dont-kill-supply-management-for-trump-kill-it-for-us/
Myrna Grahn, Farm and Food Discovery Centre, was interviewed on Farmscape (September 10) in the story “Farm and Food Discovery Centre Ready to Accommodate Larger Numbers of Visitors” – read the transcript or listen to the interview at http://farmscape.ca/f2ShowScript.aspx?i=26694&q=Farm+and+Food+Discovery+Centre+Ready+to+Accommodate+Larger+Numbers+of+Visitors
The Participatory Plant Breeding program was featured in an article on PEI food and farm publication Salty Island (September 1), with quotes from Plant Science’s Katherine Stanley – http://saltyisland.com/farmers-participating-in-organic-plant-breeding/
PUBLICATIONS
Argenis Rodas-González. 2018. Quality differences in bison carcasses. Smoke Signal, Canadian Bison Association, June 2018, pp 22-23.
Slater J, Falkenberg T, Rutherford J, Colatruglio S. Food literacy competencies: A conceptual framework for youth transitioning to adulthood. International Journal of Consumer Studies. 2018;00:1–10. https://doi-org.uml.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/ijcs.12471.
Slater, J, Mudryj, A. 2018. Are we really “eating well with Canada’s Food Guide”? BMC Public Health. 18:652. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5540-4.
Jeke, Nicholson N. and Francis Zvomuya. 2018. Flooding depth and timing effects on phosphorus release from flooded biosolids in an end-of-life municipal lagoon. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 229: doi: 10.1007/s11270-018-3827-9.
Omonijo FA, Kim S, Wang Q, Gong J, Lahaye J, Bodin LC, Nyachoti M, Liu Song, and Yang C. Development of novel microparticles for effective delivery of thymol and lauric acid to pig intestinal tract. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2018, 66(37): 9608-9615.
Hassan YI, Lahaye L, Gong MM, Peng J, Gong J, Liu Song, Gay C, and Yang C. Innovative Drugs, Chemicals, and Enzymes within the Animal Production Chain. Veterinary Research. 2018, 49:71.
Madhyastha, Sri and Marquardt, R. 2018. Mini-Review – Aptamers (Chemical Antibodies) for the Mitigation of Mycotoxins in Domestic Livestock. Journal of Dairy & Veterinary Sciences 7(3):2018; ISSN 2573-2196.
Lasisi, Ahmed A., Wole Akinremi, Mario Tenuta and Doug Cattani. 2018. Below-ground plant biomass and nitrogen uptake of perennial forage grasses and annual crops fertilized with pig manures. Agric. Ecosys. Environ. 268:xxx-xxx. DOI:10.1016/j.agee.2018.08.006
Blake, William H, Pascal Boeckx, Brian C. Stock, Hugh G. Smith, Samuel Bodé, Hari R. Upadhayay, Leticia Gaspar, Rupert Goddard, Amy T. Lennard, Ivan Lizaga, David A. Lobb, Philip N. Owens, Ellen L. Petticrew, Zou Zou A. Kuzyk, Bayu D. Gari, Linus Munishi, Kelvin Mtei, Amsalu Nebiyu, Lionel Mabit, Ana Navas and Brice X. Semmens. 2018. A deconvolutional Bayesian mixing model approach for river basin sediment source apportionment. Scientific Reports (2018) 8:13073. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-30905-9. (Published online 30 Aug. 2018)
GENERAL NEWS
The Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences has partnered with the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) to offer tutoring in writing for graduate students in the Faculty. The writing tutors are Desmond Essien and Hannah Oduro-Obeng and they will offer four hours of tutoring each week through the fall and winter terms. Tutoring sessions run in the Dafoe Library with the following Fall Schedule: Hannah: 6:00-8:00pm on Tuesdays; Desmond: 11:30am – 1:30pm on Thursdays. Graduate Students: Appointments must be booked through the ALC’s online booking system. The procedure to book appointments is outlined at http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/graduatestudies/writingtutorsupport.html.
Volunteers needed for Almond Study – The University of Manitoba is conducting a study to investigate the effect of almonds on gut health. The study is open to men and women who are aged 18-75 years, with an elevated waist circumference and who are non-smokers. Participants will be compensated for their contribution to this study. For more information email almondstudy@umanitoba.ca.
The 2018 Annual Undergraduate Student Research Poster Competition will take place Thursday, October 25. It’s a great opportunity for members of the university community and the general public to see the relevance, value, and outstanding caliber of research being conducted by young researchers at the University of Manitoba. Please encourage undergraduate students to participate in this event. Students may wish to present the results of an undergraduate honours thesis completed in the previous academic year; present the results of a summer 2018 research project; or present an original research/scholarly/creative works project that was completed in an undergraduate course. See http://umanitoba.ca/postercompetition/ for further details. The deadline to register is Friday, October 12.
From October 12 to November 30, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is surveying stakeholders on the state of the agricultural workforce in Canada. All farm owner-operators, agricultural workers and supporting stakeholder groups will have an opportunity to provide valuable input to guide future action on labour shortages. New national, provincial and commodity-specific forecasts of agricultural labour supply and demand to 2029 will provide up-to-date labour market intelligence to the agricultural industry. Beginning October they invite you to complete the online survey – https://cahrc-ccrha.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8b2f4e6541485c31a03086416&id=1fd4144ca5&e=bca19f69ca.