Producers and farm workers are exposed to whole-body vibration (WBV) on a regular basis when operating farm machinery. The short-term effect of WBV include cognitive impairment and musculoskeletal disorders, such as low back pain. To aid in promoting worker cognitive and musculoskeletal health, rest and/or activity breaks may provide relief from these hazards and can […]

Agricultural runoff transports nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) that act as environmental pollutants in fresh and coastal marine ecosystems. Both chemical fertilizers and animal manure release substantial P and N to runoff and leaching despite current conservation efforts. While recent research has shown that struvite could be a viable P supplement for […]

Apples are among Canada’s most valuable fruit crops, and the improvement of apple varieties is crucial for the success of the industry. Breeding apples is expensive and time consuming, requiring decades of investment. A better understanding of the relationship between genetics and fruit traits will allow for more efficient breeding. Current apple breeding techniques make […]

This internship is with EcoSafe Natural Products Inc., a consulting and contract R&D company specializing in research and development for companies in pesticides, fertilizers, personal care and other specialty areas of industry. In this project, the research team will study the vitalization of different constituents of botanical pesticides over time; the emission pattern and persistence […]

The Ontario beef industry is a significant part of the agricultural economy, accounting for the highest farm cash receipts in the sector. Through linkages to other parts of the economy, beef production employs thousands of Ontarians and generates $1.4 billion for the provincial economy. The industry is under threat, however, from such challenges as trade […]

The project will focus on providing methods to secure the supply of Northern Spy apples for Chudleigh’s Ltd, an major international bakery located in Southern Ontario. Northern Spy, an apple cultivar discovered in the state of New York nearly 200 years ago, has a number of desirable attributes for baking, most notably for pie making. […]

The ripening of fleshy fruits such as apple, pears and tomatoes results in a coordinated change in texture, nutritional characteristics, color, flavor and aroma, and initiates senescence processes that reduce shelf life. Fresh market apples are often treated with 1-methylcyclopropene and stored under controlled atmosphere conditions to delay ripening and extend the supply period to […]

The research project involves examining spring barley purelines and mixtures of purelines through yield trials at multiple locations across Ontario. The data from the trial will be analyzed with the appropriate analysis of variance, enabling Hyland Seeds to adapt the current barley breeding program to a program that selects the best barley mixtures. The benefits […]

The recently introduced variety, Honeycrisp, is well-suited to the Annapolis region. Already planted in over 350 acres, Honeycrisp sells for four times the price of other apples. Unfortunately this variety has a major flaw – a tendency to biennial bearing through a strong tendency of producing only spurs and no substantial shoot growth. We need […]

The generation of agricultural biomass is a key component of Ontario’s emerging bioeconomy. Miscanthus, a warm-season, perennial grass is being considered as a bioenergy crop due to its high yield potential and favourable combustion qualities. One of the primary obstacles to commercializing and establishing miscanthus in Ontario is the poor cold tolerance of some of the genotypes under consideration. Research […]

The objective of this research is to estimate the total production cost and its components for chicken producers in Saskatchewan, with different technologies and size, using a survey analysis. The results of this research are expected to provide a ranking on efficiency of different technologies and scales of production (efficiency in terms of both total […]

This project is designed to determine best management practices for a devastating disease of turfgrass that is currently controlled primarily by multiple fungicide applications. By assessing appropriate cultural practices aimed at reducing disease development it is our hope that we can reduce fungicide applications for this disease. In addition, the development of a rapid and simple diagnostic tool would […]