Scientific achievements in agriculture

Amaranth weeds are coming to the Prairies, and researchers are helping farmers stay a step ahead.

AAFC scientist is constructing a wetland on an Alberta dairy farm to treat wastewater into irrigation water for cattle feed crops.

Dr. Keshav Dahal is developing a prediction model that uses a light-based tool to help potato producers improve their nitrogen management practices, minimize damage to crops, and protect the environment.

AAFC researchers in Nova Scotia uncover how salicylic acid is reducing fungicides applications in Honeycrisp apples.

Dr. Wheeler, researchers, and farmers discover the value of low tunnel technology and alternative potato varieties to support northern agriculture.

AAFC scientists pinpoint disease-resistant genes in diploid potatoes that can assist in the breeding of future common scab disease-resistant potato varieties.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers are helping fight the daisy invasion with a natural ally.

More than a dozen scientists are collaborating to address the impacts of a major disease affecting potato producers.

Researchers are helping Prairie producers understand nitrogen and its optimal application.

Just as with smart farming, remote sensing and digital phenomics can be applied to agricultural research.

By putting science to good use in the circular economy, we found a way to reuse the liquid from cheese production to create a sports drink.

Whether it be winter camelina or tree biomass as fuel, or value-added products like oat starch or flax mucilage, AAFC researchers in the Prairies are on the bioproduct case!

By painting a portrait of the current situation, identifying possible solutions as a team and developing an action plan, farmers are gaining the tools they need to improve sustainability of their farms.

A recently completed research project provides Maritimes farmers with the missing ingredient for improving corn quality.

Dr. Samir Debnath developed a new micropropagation technique that speeds up the breeding of new berry varieties, like lingonberry.

Through multiple networks, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists are collaborating to provide timely information on Prairie crop pests, including insects, weeds and diseases. It’s all about integrated pest management!

AAFC researchers in Nova Scotia have collected 3 years of data proving at-home sensory evaluation is positively changing the small fruit breeding program, saving time, and improving efficiency.

AAFC researcher Dr. Michelle Franklin has a promising new sustainable pest management tool to help cranberry growers combat blackheaded fireworm.

The Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre is a unique partnership involving Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Their goal is to develop economically and environmentally sustainable irrigation practices. Outlook.

Living Lab – Atlantic research reveals benefits of residue tillage which disturbs soil less than other tillage methods.

A new web tool helping farmers take the guesswork out of controlling fusarium head blight.

Wine grape growers in Nova Scotia are no strangers to potentially devastating frost events. There’s no need for wine fans to worry, AAFC scientists have recruited the industry’s biggest “fan” to help.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers are working to discover new solutions to protect farmers from a rapidly-emerging threat: tan spot disease in wheat.

Trading feed supplements for seaweed – AAFC researcher in Nappan, Nova Scotia discovers the potential of seaweed to help reduce methane emissions in beef heifers.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers find strong link between improved gut health and consuming purple potatoes.

Producers, scientists (Etienne Lord, Jean-Philippe Parent, Jacynthe Masse) and stakeholders meet periodically to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

Cover crop research shows their ability to suppress fusarium crown and root rot in barley and soybean crops.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists learn that cover crops mixed with manure provide a good one-two punch for farmers looking to improve soil health and grow more potatoes.

Scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are collaborating with the W8banaki Nation to identify and develop techniques for restoring sweetgrass and its benefits in the agro-ecosystem of the Nation's traditional territory. Their work was initiated during the first Living Lab – Quebec project with the Union des producteurs agricoles.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists are studying grasslands to understand how genetic diversity improves environmental sustainability potentially increasing soil carbon stocks and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers in the Prairies are working together to find new solutions that help producers win the fight against the most challenging weeds.

Dr. Raju Soolanayakanahally explains how wetlands and riparian areas on the prairies provide ecological benefits such as water purification, habitat, increased biodiversity and benefits to farmers such as drought and flood mitigation.

Researchers and farmers are impressed after testing an innovative tiller and bed shaper specifically designed for rocky soils common to Newfoundland.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists pinpoint drought-resistant genes in diploid potatoes that can assist in the breeding of future drought-resistant potato varieties.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada scientist, Dr. Serban Danielescu, launches new hydrology tools to help farmers and water resource professionals worldwide be more environmentally sustainable.

AAFC and the Pye Centre are growing together for the benefit of Northern agriculture farmers and local communities in Labrador.

Known as Canada1Water (C1W), the project is Canada’s first 3D model describing the entire water (hydrological) cycle of Canada. It tracks every part; from evaporation and transpiration to precipitation and snowmelt runoff. It will show how water is stored and moved across Canada’s different landscapes, like the Rockies in the west and the Canadian Shield in central Canada. What’s more, the model will predict how the groundwater and surface water could be affected by current and future climate conditions, as well as shifts in land use.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist, Dr. Erin Smith, and biologist, Dr. Tobias Laengle, collaborate with a farm in Nova Scotia to test the first commercial on-farm biobed in Atlantic Canada.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers create the perfect recipe for wheat breeding in the 21st century.

Three Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers discover game-changing methods to help cattle farmers improve efficiency and increase productivity, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Drs. Nicholas Tinker and Wubishet Bekele helped create the world’s first genetic reference map for oats, opening new opportunities for this incredibly diverse crop.

Who says you can’t have it all? Researchers from many departments and agencies have teamed up to create sustainable solutions using natural features on agricultural landscapes that not only benefit farmers, but environmental, human and animal health as well.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Dr. Hao Xu and her team have discovered that large rootstocks can aid in alleviating heat stress and reducing sunburn damage in apple crops.

Imagine if you could design a customized crop treatment program that targets the specific pests that are present in your field – with less spraying.

An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist has made a series of discoveries that show potential for cranberries and blueberries to help manage gut-borne diseases in chickens.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Dr. José Ramón Úrbez-Torres and his team are helping growers fight grapevine trunk diseases with a number of sustainable measures.

Our very own Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientists at the Morden Research and Development Centre in Manitoba are learning more and more about lingonberries and have high hopes for this promising crop. Learn about its health benefits and cultivation.

Scientist Marie Thérèse Charles of the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Center has carried out research to treat strawberry diseases using UV-C rays. This viable alternative to pesticides could have a major beneficial impact on greenhouse production.

A new easy-to-use calculator helping farmers irrigate potato crops at the right time and with the right amount of water.

New research from Dr. Rishi Burlakoti and his team aims to help growers tackle an infectious disease affecting a favourite summer fruit – the raspberry.

After almost a decade of research, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Dr. Beatrice Amyotte and her team release three new strawberry varieties. Dive into the research behind breeding these delicious berries.

AAFC scientists studied the behaviours and winter survivability of wireworms to develop management strategies to reduce populations feeding on potato crops.

Agriculture and Agri-Food researcher Dr. Paul Abram is studying the potential for controlling spotted wing drosophila by introducing its natural enemy – a parasitoid wasp.

An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research team has discovered how harmful bacteria behave in communities called "biofilms" that can live on the surfaces of food processing facilities.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Dr. Meghan Vankosky is using historic and current data to map out and model the impacts of climate change on western Canada's most wanted pest populations.

The Yield Enhancement Network marks the end of its fourth growing season with year-over-year yield increases and optimism for the future of the initiative and industry.

Phosphorus fertilizer can build up in the soil and harm the wider environment when used in excess to what a plant actually needs. Researchers are helping farmers reduce environmental impacts and cut fertilizer costs by tapping into what's already there.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Dr. Kevin Floate has developed the first comprehensive guide to discover and understand the faecal friends that provide big bug benefits.

A collaborative four-year study though Living Lab – Atlantic deems cover crops as a "win-win" for farmers and the environment.

New Living Lab – Atlantic research proves the effectiveness of the latest enhanced efficiency fertilizer technology, with the same potato yields and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers are studying clubroot genetics to help producers stay ahead of this crop disease.

In Nappan, Nova Scotia, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist Yousef Papadopoulos is developing new grass and legume mixtures for cattle forage to improve the quality of meat and growth results. These beef trials are ongoing. Learn about the initial successes of this project.

What role do pollinators play in our ecosystems? Is their presence desirable or detrimental? Why opt for riparian strips? Dive into the collaborative research activities of the Living Lab project in Quebec to find out.

Agriculture and Agri-Food researcher Michelle Franklin is helping the biovigilance community combat agricultural pest threats with a new standardized tool for pest surveys.

Scientists with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are taking a walk on the wild side by providing their expertise in genetic research and biodiversity to conserve Canada's wood bison population. This research is not only good for the wild population, but could also lead to discoveries that can be applied in the agricultural industry.

The FAO has declared 2023 the "International Year of Millets" and to mark the occasion AAFC is sharing some of the research on millet being done across the country.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists use antioxidants to boost immune response in potatoes and prevent late blight disease.

Prince Edward Island Research Scientist, Dr. Jason McCallum, is studying wild hops from the Maritimes and developing the best varieties into viable crops for producers and the craft brewing industry in Atlantic Canada. The project is continuing its experimentation but it's already turning heads in the brewing industry.

A six-year, $30-million digitization project unlocks data from millions of plant and insect specimens.

Crops grown in greenhouses were thought to follow a strict sleep cycle just like the growers that care for them, but a new lighting discovery shows that crops can perform just as well under continuous light, while lowering energy costs for the grower.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Dr. Masoumeh Bejaei is looking into ways to measure human perception of apples with the help of instruments.

Every so often, an invention intended for one use evolves into something different and the resulting impact is far greater than its original purpose.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research has identified genetic qualities that make potato varieties more tolerant to heat-stress and determined the biological mechanisms that result in heat-sprouting.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Dr. Suzanne Blatt is researching an eco-friendly method to protect cucurbit crops from the striped and spotted cucumber beetle.

Overcoming COVID-related challenges to completing in-person lab work for food safety research brings about robotic invention for team at London Research and Development Centre.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers establish the Prairie Biovigilance Network to cultivate a collaborative approach to protecting good crops from bad pests.

Scientists are studying abrasive or projectile weed control on several high-value crops, aiming to help farmers reduce use of herbicides.

PEI-based Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist is studying heritage malt barley varieties that farmers can grow in Eastern Canada and the brewing industry is taking notice.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers get a leg up on canola disease, by completing the first large scale resequencing of the blackleg pathogen in the world.

Using more amber and blue LED lights and fewer red lights shown to improve nutritional quality of greenhouse-grown microgreens.

Environmental friendly processing technologies used to extract Vitamin E from canola seeds for enhanced canola oil and other future health and medical uses.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers find innovative integrated solutions to help dairy producers take advantage of nutrient-rich manure in the field, increase on-farm feed, and reduce their potential impact on the environment.

A vast list of accomplishments, a strong voice and tireless collaboration with the agriculture industry has led Dr. Christine Noronha to her latest accolade.

Stepping out of the potato's shadow, the cereal breeding program is paying dividends for farmers in Atlantic Canada with a new barley variety and a unique honour bestowed upon it.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists are using a new biomethanation facility to degrade organic matter through fermentation. This unique process converts manure, slurry and other livestock waste into bioenergy and bioproducts with economic and ecological value for livestock farms.

Dr. Audrey Murray has her sights set on protecting one of the Island's and world's most precious resources – water.

AAFC scientists have developed predictive tools to help reduce food waste in Canada. Their modelling will identify food refrigeration and distribution weaknesses in order to improve food management systems across the country.

Is a market for sweet white lupin ripe for the taking? AAFC scientists are collaborating with a Calgary-based agri-business and farmers to take the pulse on growing this potentially valuable crop across Canada.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists study a unique charcoal-like material called "biochar" as a soil amendment and discover its positive effect on soil health and the environment.

Understanding the protein-building behaviour inside the common bean reveals pathways to future functional food and cultivar development for protein-enhanced beans.

An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher has identified an antibody aimed at treating E. coli in pigs for improved livestock health and human safety.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists are studying how native Prairie forages – the kind bison used to rely on – might benefit both the ecosystem and cattle producers of today.

Diverse crop rotations including corn are a sustainable management practice that can improve crop response to changing climate conditions and restore soil health.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists are working with field crop producers to help them choose better rotation systems that include cover crops.

Living Lab – Atlantic collaborators are constructing new wetlands on Prince Edward Island farms and conservationists, including Ducks Unlimited Canada, are taking notice of this important effort to preserve the environment.

In 2020, the innovative Yield Enhancement Network expanded its reach across the Maritimes to more than 55 grain producers working together alongside researchers to achieve higher yields.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists discover enzyme that promises to remedy toxin-contaminated food and feed, helping corn producers, animals and the biofuel industry.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has led the first project to sequence a Canadian variety of malting barley, which down the road will improve the breeding process for new varieties.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers have discovered a rare chemical in buckwheat that affects wireworms while buckwheat can also be used as a soil amendment to suppress soil and root diseases.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers collaborate with Government of Yukon researchers and a Labrador farmer to find ways to increase crop production in northern Canadian communities.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers discover substitute for red clover in potato crop rotation. Using soybean will increase potato yield and reduce environmental impact, by reducing nitrogen leaching in soil and water.

Testing by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers leads to the development of new highly-anticipated insecticide that effectively kills wireworm in potato, corn, and cereal crops.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada team discovers a gene in pinto bean that causes postharvest seed coat darkening as the beans age. This finding will save farmers/processors money and please consumers with faster cooking times.

By looking at how plants respond to environmental stresses, plant physiologists across Canada are working to help ensure Canadian farmers can grow successful crops year after year.

Two AAFC scientists (Ben Ellert and Katelyn Lutes) have achieved international recognition in what might seem like an unexpected category: a children's book contest.

Sustainable farming: AAFC researcher identifies cover crops that improve soil health and combat erosion, protecting potato fields in winter.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers discover genes that likely differentiate Green Mountain and Hindenburg potato varieties and that might be responsible for common scab resistance in some varieties of potatoes.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers developed a new chemical separation method that reduces the time and expense necessary to separate out chemical components from plant extracts to create new natural products. This method can be used for quicker development of new bio-pesticides, antibiotics and more.

Researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have invented a very promising device to make food quality and authenticity control more affordable, faster and easier to perform.

The Plant Gene Resources of Canada (PGRC), Canada's national genebank for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, is celebrating its 50th year of preserving crop genetic diversity. This important work contributes to national and global food security.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists are working in partnership to prove the health benefits of lingonberries and make it easier for producers to grow it.

In a recently published study of heat stress, Dr. Xiu-Qing Li's team at the Fredericton Research and Development Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) raised the temperature on 55 of Canada's most popular potato varieties and found that some varieties can take the heat better than others.

AAFC teams up with Microsoft Research to create winning team in International Greenhouse Challenge using Artificial Intelligence.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers discovered a new antibiotic resistant gene that is making a common antibiotic less powerful, but berries may hold the solution.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers team up to identify ways manage waste that contain antibiotics and antimicrobial resistant genes.

Ground hemlock (Taxus canadensis), also known as Canada yew or eastern yew, is a native evergreen shrub that can be found in forests throughout eastern Canada. Ground hemlock is a low-spreading and relatively slow-growing shrub. Interest in commercial production of ground hemlock is due to its paclitaxel (Taxol®) content, which is used as a chemotherapy drug to treat several types of cancer.

An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist has developed a genetic method that could slow the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds which affect vegetable production in Canada.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers look into the benefits of intercropping chickpea and flax.

Introducing Contarinia brassicola: a newly discovered midge that could be damaging canola in Saskatchewan

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists are discovering new ways to improve the productivity of quinoa crops for farmers.

Canadian Space Agency launches RADARSAT-Constellation Mission satellites. Find out what's in it for agriculture.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers discover characteristics in the chemistry of Maritimes wild hops that could be attractive to the brewing industry.

AAFC researchers have investigated a way to improve the sustainability of biocontrol agents.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers lead a collaboration aimed at detecting antimicrobial resistance.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists at the Lethbridge Research Centre in Alberta are developing methane mitigation strategies for the beef and dairy industries.

Opalescent apple juice has lots of pulp, which enhances its sensory properties. However, just like cut apples, this juice turns brown with time. This browning reaction is caused by an enzyme, polyphenol oxidase or "PPO." The natural organic acids present in apple juice give it its characteristic slightly acidic taste. PPO functions very well at this level of acidity. However, by slightly increasing the acidity of the juice, it can be inactivated.

Researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada offer a robust biobed design that provides a safe and effective solution for managing pesticide waste disposal on Canadian farms.