This project aims to develop a novel collection of probiotics for animal health, specifically newborn and pre-weaned calves. Probiotics are a safe and sustainable way of ensuring the health of animals in the agricultural industry. The probiotics will be designed to decrease the morbidity and mortality rates in pre-weaned calves, and to increase the long-term […]

It is essential that calves are provided proper nutrition early on in life as they are the future of the milking herd. In addition to milk, many producers opt to provide solid feed, such as grain and forage, to young calves to foster gastrointestinal tract development. Solid feed can be provided as: 1) grain and […]

During the last decade, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) drew the attention to be used as platform for imagery systems for different applications including agriculture applications. Therefore, the proposed research aims to develop the use of UAVs for specific important agriculture applications as weed management. These developments include the use of low-cost imagery sensors for these […]

Solids exist as crystals, amorphous or subcooled liquids. The degree of crystallinity determines the long range order in a solid phase. Molecules when transferred from the solution to the solid phase may take many different crystal forms (polymorphs, solvates/hydrates, salts, co-crystals). Theoretically, there are 230 space groups describing the diversity of a crystalline material. About […]

Plant monitoring by sensor devices and cameras contributes to having better environmental conditions for plant growth, irrigation, and productivity. However, transmitting the plant images or sensor data packets in a wide farm is not available over a pre-existing infrastructure network. A Delay Tolerant Network, which may be composed of human-centric devices (also known as a […]

Infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) causes severe anemia in salmon and has mortality rates that approach 100%. Over the last 30 years, ISAV has caused major disease outbreaks in farmed salmon in Canada, the US, and Chile. In 2012, a confirmed outbreak in Newfoundland prompted the destruction of 450,000 farmed salmon. The virus has caused […]

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) cultivation in Latin American countries contribute 16% to the global production, employing around 2 millions of people, generating profits of around $100 million/yr to chocolate manufacturers. Cacao production is challenged by several fungal diseases that lead to decreased crop yield causing farmers to abandon the cacao business and cultivate other crops that […]

Neonicotinoids are the largest-selling, fastest-growing group of insecticides worldwide. Due to their chemical properties (high water solubility) and current agricultural application practices, neonicotinoids and their mixtures are routinely detected in global freshwater environments. As these compounds can persist in light-limited environments and are highly toxic to invertebrates (particularly arthropods), the effects of long-term exposures to […]

La majorité des essais nutritionnels sont réalisés chez des porcs nourris deux fois par jour avec une quantité restreinte de nourriture. Ces conditions ne sont pas représentatives de la régie alimentaire des élevages commerciaux où les porcs mangent plus de deux repas par jour sans limitation de la quantité ingérée. Or, la féquence et la […]

Population growth and economic development exert significant threats on ecological and environmental systems of rural areas in China. Integrated socio-economic and eco-environmental management is desired for addressing these threats, but is challenged by the conflict of multiple developmental objectives and the intervalness of uncertain system characteristics. Therefore, this project aims to provide scientific support for […]

Beef cattle play an important role in food production worldwide by making use of resources from which humans can derive little nutritional value to provide a nutrient-rich foodstuff containing protein, minerals and vitamins. However, greenhouse gases and ammonia that are produced by the cattle industry are associated with climate change. Producing nutritious beef that meets […]

Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) (Halyomorpha halys (Stål)) is an invasive pest with a large host range that includes many economically important fruits, vegetables, and row crops. Native to Asia, BMSB was first detected in North America in 1998 and since has become established in British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario; and 44 American states. In […]