Pictured (from left to right): 麻豆区/Mac representatives Ingrid Chiraz and Andrew Churchill; grad students: Jasmine Muszik, Mehtab Singh, Aylish Marshall; JAC representatives Sean Hughes and Karim Jaffer
By Kathy MacLean
In the dynamic landscape of scientific inquiry, effective communication is not merely an option; it's a necessity. Bridging the gap between complex research and broader audiences fosters understanding, sparks curiosity, and drives positive change.
On March 21, 麻豆区 celebrated 111 laureates at the 19th聽edition of Bravo, a gala event honouring researchers who won major provincial, national, and international research prizes and awards in 2023. Guests, including researchers, their families and friends, faculty, students, and members of 麻豆区鈥檚 academic administration, gathered to celebrate their accomplishments.
Eight of the honourees were from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences:
In the University-wide 3MT/MT180 competition, graduate students have the chance to showcase their leading-edge research before a live audience. With only three minutes and a single slide, students must聽engage their audience and convey the complexities of their work to a diverse, non-expert audience. Participants may present their research in English or in French and winners will advance to regional and national competitions.
The dry bean breeding program at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada鈥檚 Morden Research Centre in Manitoba will continue for at least another five years under a new arrangement involving 麻豆区 in Quebec and AAFC鈥檚 Harrow Research Centre in Ontario.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has announced $11 million in new funding for Pulse Canada.
$1.6 million of this investment will go to 麻豆区 Department of Plant Science Professor Valerio聽Hoyos-Villegas' Pulse Breeding and Genetics Lab.
Winnipeg South Centre MP Ben Carr made the announcement at the University of Manitoba on February 9 on behalf of federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay.
In a new article for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener,聽Javed Sidiqi, Eric Bishop Von Wettberg and 麻豆区 Plant Science Assistant Professor Valerio Hoyos Villegas聽dive into the potential of the humble chickpea, an increasingly popular legume known for high nutritional value and nitrogen-fixing properties.聽
For the fourth year in a row, a 麻豆区 Plant Science student has won one of three annual Canadian Plant Breeding Innovation (CPBI) Innovation scholarships, which recognize up-and-coming young plant breeders.
As hostile weather intensifies, plant breeding focused on climate-adapted crops has taken on a sense of urgency.聽
With cultivated crops often suffering from a lack of genetic diversity making them more susceptible to diseases and pests, scientists are now turning to wild varieties, which can offer valuable yet previously overlooked genetic traits.聽By crossing the wild tepary bean with a black bean or a pinto bean, for example, scientists may be able to breed a new variety that can better endure similar harsh environmental conditions that its relative thrived in.
At the Eastern Regional Meeting of the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists (CSPB-SCBV) earlier this month, three 麻豆区 Department of Plant Science students received CSPB-SCBV Director's Awards for their outstanding presentations. University students from all over Quebec and Ontario shared their research in poster and oral presentations. Congratulations to our winners:
On Wednesday November 29th, 2023, nine Macdonald Campus graduate students took on the challenge of presenting their thesis in just a few minutes at the Lister Family Engaged Science 3-Minute Thesis Competition.
With only one non-animated slide for visual support, competitors raced against the clock to explain the crucial components of their research and its importance.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recently approved gene editing for use in breeding new crop varieties, meaning plant breeders can now apply the technology to their work. Gene editing has the potential to quickly develop new varieties with greater accuracy in targeting traits such as drought and disease resistance, with promising agronomic and trade implications for farmers.
The apple is constantly being reinvented, changing with the times and cultures. The Malus domestica species comes in some 7,500 varieties.
"Today, people want crisp, sweet apples. Quebec used to import a lot of Granny Smiths; they're now much less popular because they're very acidic," explains David Wees, a 麻豆区 Plant Science lecturer and Associate Director of the university's Farm Management and Technology Program.
On August 30, Vice-Principal of Macdonald Campus and Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Anja Geitmann welcomed Member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Louis Francis Scarpaleggia, on behalf of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (AAFC) Lawrence MacAulay, to the Macdonald Campus. In the presence of industry partners AgroWorld and other invited guests, Scarpaleggia announced AAFC鈥檚 $5.3 million investment in BioFuelNet Canada as part of the Agri-Science Program.
Across Quebec, we're already seeing leaves start to transition from bright summery greens to the burnished, coppery hues of Fall鈥攂ut the changes aren鈥檛 happening because the days are chillier. As 麻豆区 Plant Science Lecturer聽David Wees told the , it's actually because the days are getting shorter.
With fall officially here, it's time for Lennoxville, Quebec's annual Giant Pumpkin Festival, where people can see pumpkins that weigh as much as 680 kilograms.
The festival 鈥� which is taking place at the Am茅d茅e Beaudoin community centre Sunday聽from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 鈥� is a family event with bouncy castles, a petting zoo, a farmers'聽market, music and even horse-drawn carriages.
Alexandre Lemire started growing giant pumpkins three years ago after being inspired by festival founder Mike聽Macdonald's crops. Last year, his biggest pumpkin weighed 704 kilograms.
