AG e-news October 11, 2016
News and events from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, October 11 – A Department of Animal Science Seminar will be held in Room 219 Animal Science Building at 10:00 am. Jule Dube-Smith, M.Sc. student, will be presenting the poster “Insights from compost microbiome to form pathogen-suppressive soils”. Maral Rahmani, M.Sc. student, will present the poster “The effect of processing conditions on the nutritive value of Canola meal”. All are welcome to attend.
Tuesday, October 11 – A Department of Entomology Seminar will be presented by DEGSA Invited Speaker (Endowment Fund Speaker Series) Dr. Sarah Hamer, Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, on the topic “Vector-borne disease at the human-wildlife-domestic animal interface: Chagas disease in the southern US”. Refreshments at 10:00 am, seminar begins at 10:10 am sharp in 220 Animal Science/Entomology Building.
Tuesday, October 11 – A Human Nutritional Sciences Graduate Seminar entitled “FREE Living Hulled HEMP Seed and Oil Human Clinical Trial” will be presented by graduate student, Adrianne Cardillo at 3:00 pm in 206 Human Ecology Building.
Wednesday, October 12 – The University of Saskatchewan, in partnership with The Association of Canadian Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and Universities Canada, cordially invite you to attend “Mindshare: Securing Canada’s Food Future The Role of Science in Food Security”, 1 pm to 5 pm (CST). The event will be livestreamed at http://agbio.usask.ca/live%20stream/ beginning at 1 pm (CST) which is 2 pm Winnipeg time.
Tuesday, October 18 – There will be a M.Sc. Thesis Defence by Megan Westphal entitled “Nitrous Oxide Soil Emissions from an Organic and Conventionally Managed Cropping System in Manitoba” at 9:00 am in Room 346 Ellis Building.
Tuesday, October 18 – The 49th Annual Fall Convocation will be held for Agricultural and Food Sciences degree, diploma and graduate students at 3:30 pm in the Investors Group Athletic Centre. Livestreaming available at http://umanitoba.ca/convocation/. You can also follow the celebration on Twitter at #umconvocation.
Tuesday, October 18 – A Human Nutritional Sciences Graduate Seminar entitled “Meat protein hydrolysates and their advance glycation end products as sources of bitter taste modifiers” will be presented by graduate student, Chunlei Zhang at 3:00 pm in the Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, 130 Agriculture Building.
Wednesday, October 19 – The next seminar in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences 2016-2017 Seminar Series will be held at 3:30 pm in the Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, 130 Agriculture Building. Derek Brewin, Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, will present “The Games Firms Play in the Grain Value Chain”. Refreshments will be served at 3:00 pm in the Atrium. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Friday, October 21 – The Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics is pleased to announce that Dr. Joe Glauber will present the Eighth Annual Daryl F. Kraft Lecture. Please join us at the Richardson International Auditorium, 172 Agriculture Building for coffee at 2:00 pm. Dr. Glauber’s lecture, entitled “Whither U.S. Agriculture Trade Policy: Trump, Clinton, BREXIT, WTO, NAFTA and TPP”, will begin at 2:30 pm. Dr. Glauber is a former Chief Economist, USDA and Chief U.S. Agriculture Negotiator WTO Doha Round.
Friday, October 21 – The Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics is also partnering in the 2016 Fields on Wheels conference themed “Grain Complexity: Grow it, Move it, Trade it!” held at Four Points by Sheraton South (2935 Pembina Highway). See agenda and registration details at http://21stfow.eventbrite.ca.
Saturday, October 22 – The Manitoba Association of Home Economists (MAHE) Annual General Meeting and Conference 2016 is at Caboto Centre, 1055 Wilkes Avenue. Aptly entitled “Connect, Create, Communicate”, the Conference will reflect the diversity of our profession and the day will include speakers that will talk about Indigenous food sovereignty, sustainable textiles, and social media as well as display tables from various organizations including Food Matters Manitoba, Investors Group, FB Hospitality Group, and more! There is also a great optional networking event on the night of October 21 where you can meet and mingle with MAHE members. To register for one or both events, and for additional information such as the complete conference schedule, please visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/connect-create-communicate-2016-mahe-provincial-conference-registration-27388552899.
Tuesday, October 25 – A Department of Animal Science Seminar will be held on in Room 219 Animal Science Building at 10:00 am. Alessi Kwawukumeh, M.Sc. student, will be make the scientific presentation “The gut and vaginal microbiome profiles of pregnant sows and their contribution to piglet gut microbiome development”. Zhangbin Cai, M.Sc. student, will be presenting the poster “Characterization of PEDv genetic evolution in the EMS from fall and winter into spring and summer under Manitoba conditions”. Vidura Senaratne, M.Sc. student, will be presenting the poster “Phosphorus utilization on dairy farms in Manitoba”. All are welcome to attend.
Tuesday, October 25 – A Department of Entomology Seminar will be presented by Dr. Brian Amiro, Soil Science, on the topic “Greenhouse gas emissions from Canadian agriculture”. Refreshments at 10:00 am, seminar begins at 10:10 am sharp in 220 Animal Science/Entomology Building.
Tuesday, October 25 – A Human Nutritional Sciences Graduate Seminar entitled “Influence of Energy Intake and Eating Assistance in Long Term Care Residents with Dementia: The Making the Most of Mealtime Study (M3)” will be presented by graduate student, Kelsey Mann at 3:00 pm in the Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre, 130 Agriculture Building.
October 25-28 – In this, the Year of the PULSE, Winnipeg will be host to the 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop. This workshop includes sessions on Genetics and Plant Breeding, Agronomy and Pathology, Environment and Nutrition and Food. The workshop will be held at the Delta Hotel in Winnipeg. There will be an additional workshop pulse protein quality on the afternoon of October 28. To get more information and register go to www.pulseresearch.ca.
Saturday, October 29 – Needing some fun ideas on how to carve your jack ‘o lantern this year? Dress up in your Halloween costume and join us at the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre for the Pumpkin Party from 10:00 am to 2 pm. Pumpkin carving for the kids – bring your own pumpkin please! Complimentary carving stencils and snacks. Children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes. Come and go or bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy on the farm. Admission $5 for age 5 and over. For directions, visit www.ffdc.ca.
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. REGISTRATION WILL OPEN THIS WEEK – Thursday, October 13. 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
The Department of Food Science welcomes Dr. Filiz Koksel who will begin as Assistant Professor of Food Processing effective January 1, 2017. Filiz completed her Ph.D. in 2015 from the Department of Food Science, University of Manitoba. Her doctoral research, advised by Dr. Martin Scanlon, focused on the investigation of the effects of mixing and extrusion processes on the bubbly structure of wheat flour doughs and wheat gluten-starch blend doughs. Following her Ph.D., Filiz was engaged in post-doctoral training at the University of Manitoba, in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan, to investigate the salt-water-gluten interactions in doughs, in efforts to explore sodium reduction opportunities for the baking sector. She has secured funding and access to advanced analytical platforms via the Canadian Light Source for her research studies. Most recently, Dr. Koksel has been working with Dr. Harry Sapirstein to investigate genotypic and environmental factors affecting the quality of wheat.
The Dean’s Office is pleased to announce that Helena Marak has joined the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences Student Services team as the new Community Liaison/ Co-op and Job Placement Coordinator. Helena will be directing our student recruitment efforts and overseeing the student ambassador program. As well, she will be liaising with industry employers to ensure they are aware of our Faculty’s students and to assist them in posting employment opportunities. Helena will also be at work on the rejuvenation of the Faculty’s co-operative education program. Helena has extensive industry experience through her work at Prairie Improvement Network (formerly Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council) where she served as program coordinator and executive director. She can be found in 248 Agriculture Building or contacted via email (helena [dot] marak [at] umanitoba [dot] ca) or phone (204) 480-1488.
The Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre welcomes Kristen Matwychuk as Discovery Centre Coordinator. Kristen graduated with a B.Sc. in Food Science and has worked for the last year at the Centre as a casual staff member at the Centre. She previously worked as marketing and agriculture awareness coordinator in the Food & Agri-Product Processing and Growing Opportunities Branches of Manitoba Agriculture. Contact Kristen at (204) 883-2532 or ffdc [at] umanitoba [dot] ca.
Annemieke Farenhorst, Soil Science, was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion in Calgary on September 29 to provide input to the Advisory Board charged with reviewing Canada’s ecosystem and reporting to the Minister of Science. The Chair of the Advisory Board is Dr. David Naylor, President Emeritus and Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto. Information about the Advisory Board and its review process can be found at: www.sciencereview.ca.
Dilantha Fernando, Plant Science was an invited keynote speaker at the 20th International Crucifer Genetics Conference and the 19th Australian Research Assembly on Brassicas (Brassica 2016), held in Melbourne from October 3-7. Dilantha’s presentation was titled “Advancements made in host-pathogen interactions research in canola in Canada: a look through successes and challenges”.
Check out this amazing video done by Manitoba Agriculture on the organic research done at the University of Manitoba. You’ll recognize several Faculty members in the video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii5KrnoS9V8.
Joanne Thiessen Martens, Plant Science, attended the 2nd Canadian Organic Science Conference in Longueuil-Montreal, QC, September 19-21. She presented results of her recent work on the topics of “Farm System Co-design for Sustainable and Successful Organic Farming” and “Assessing Nutrient Status of Organic Grain Farms on the Canadian Prairie.”
Kabo Masisi, Ph.D. candidate, Food Science, made an oral presentation co-authored by Khuong Le, William Diehl-Jones, Mohammed Moghadasian and Trust Beta on “Consumption of Corn (Maize) Grain May Reduce Incidences of Atherosclerosis” at the Canada-China Symposium on Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology held at the University of Calgary, July 29-August 1.
The Department of Food Science welcomes Dr. Alma Islas Rubio from Centro De Investigacion En Alimentacion Y Desarrollo (CIAD), Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, who joined Trust Beta’s research group on September 3 for one month to work on an on-going collaborative project on “Influence of high fiber cookies produced from brewer’s spent grain on glucose metabolism”.
Trust Beta, Food Science, participated as an invited speaker and panel member at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) Workshop “Bridging the Gap between Agriculture and Human Health” held in Cape Town, South Africa September 19-22. She gave a keynote presentation on “Bioactive compounds in cereal grains targeted at obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer”. She was involved in a panel discussion on “Understanding of science and demystifying the link between agriculture and health”.
Ifeanyi Nwachukwu, a Ph.D. student with Rotimi Aluko in Human Nutritional Sciences, was invited by the Life Sciences Association of Manitoba (LSAM) to share elements of his Ph.D. research project with high school students (Grades 7-12) as part of LSAM’s Global Biotech Week September 26- October 2. Ifeanyi spoke at the Life Sciences Showcase event on Friday September 30, at the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre.
Ifeanyi is also the 2016 recipient of the American Oil Chemists’ Society Thomas Smouse Memorial Fellowship award. The award comes with a $10,000 cash stipend and a $5,000 research fund to be used to pay for travel to professional meetings, and for research expenditures related to his graduate program. Ifeanyi will give an award lecture at the 2017 AOCS Annual Meeting in Orlando Florida, April 30-May 3.
The Aggie Bedpush had another very successful year, visiting eight communities September 30 and October 1 and raising over $9500 for Manitoba Farmers with Disabilities. Donations are still being accepted until November 15 so there is still time to show your support – http://news.umanitoba.ca/aggie-bedpush-rolls-through-manitoba-in-support-of-a-good-cause/.
IN THE NEWS
Rob Gulden, Plant Science, was featured in the article “Herbicide resistance quietly growing problem in Manitoba” in the Manitoba Co-operator (September 29) – http://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/manitoba-farmers-urged-to-be-vigilant-against-herbicide-resistance/.
Funding for the organic research done by Martin Entz, Plant Science, and his team was featured in the article “New funds for organic research” in the Manitoba Co-operator/Organic BIZ (September 29) – http://organicbiz.ca/new-funds-organic-research/.
The 25th anniversary of Martin’s research program was also highlighted in the Steinbach Online article “Glenlea Organic Research Site Celebrates 25 Years” – http://steinbachonline.com/ag-news/glenlea-organic-research-site-celebrates-25-years
Getahun Legesse, Animal Science, and Kateryn Rochon, Entomology, were both featured in Canadian Cattlemen (October 3) regarding their selection for the Beef Research Mentorship program run by the Beef Cattle Research Council -page 6 at http://static.agcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/CCT161003.pdf.
Digvir Jayas, vice president (research and international) and Distinguished Professor, Biosystems Engineering, was quoted in the article “Pulses get waiver extension” in the Western Producer (October 6) – http://www.producer.com/2016/10/pulses-get-waiver-extension/.
PUBLICATIONS
In 2015 over 20% of Canada’s wheat exports went to three countries (China, Japan and Indonesia). Much of that wheat is used to manufacture Asian noodles. A paper in Cereal Chemistry from the U of M (in collaboration with the Grain Research Laboratory) looked at how the quality of refrigerated fresh Asian noodles is affected by a bakery ingredient often used for breadmaking, with a view to maintaining noodle quality for an extended period of time. – Daugelaite, D; Strybulevych, A; Scanlon, MG; Page, JH; Hatcher, DW. 2016. Use of Ultrasound to Investigate Glucose Oxidase and Storage Effects on the Rheological Properties of Cooked Asian Noodles. Cereal Chemistry 93: 125-129
Tenuta, M., Gao, X., Flaten, D.N., and Amiro, B.D. 2016. Lower Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Anhydrous Ammonia Application Prior to Soil Freezing in Late Fall Than Spring Pre-Plant Application. Journal of Environmental Quality 45: 1133-1143.
Braman, M. Tenuta, M.H. Entz. 2016. Selected soil biological parameters measured in the 19th year of a long term organic-conventional comparison study in Canada. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 233 (2016) 343–351
GENERAL NEWS
The Faculty invites applications and nominations for the position of Head, Department of Animal Science. Please see the position posting at: http://umanitoba.ca/cgi-bin/human_resources/jobs/view.pl?posting_id=91289. Closing date for applications is October 13.
The 2016 Annual Undergraduate Student Research Poster Competition will take place Thursday, October 27. 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 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 2016 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 14.