OntAG Admin's Blog – February 2011 Archive (5)

Identifying Fusarium Head Blight Symptoms in Spring Wheat

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a complex and potentially devastating disease for Manitoba farmers. Identifying field areas with high levels of FHB infection and Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) is important when making harvest management decisions. Recognizing FHB symptoms is key to identifying infected wheat heads, but first, we need to identify the parts of a wheat head to properly make disease assessments. Premature bleaching of wheat heads and spikelets. Orange-pink sporulation or white/orange superficial fungal growth on the seams of glumes and spikelets. Dark purple-brown discolouration of the stem right below the wheat head (peduncle). White, chalky and shrivelled kernels (i.e., FDK). There are many diseases and abiotic stresses that can be confused with FHB infection and we saw an excellent example of this in 2024. Farmers and agronomists were finding wheat heads that had a salmon-pink colour on spikelets and glumes.The affected wheat heads were empty or had only a few shrivelled

Global Institute for Food Security at USask becomes Canada’s first Revio PacBio Certified Service Provider

The Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) has joined an elite group of global service providers that offer researchers access to specialized equipment and scientific expertise in genetic sequencing. Powered by leading-edge technologies and a world-class team in its Omics and Precision Analytics Laboratory (OPAL), GIFS is now the first Revio PacBio Certified Service Provider in Canada. The designation recognizes GIFS as a trusted source for high-quality sequencing and data generation utilizing PacBio’s sequencing technology. “The Global Institute for Food Security’s world-class technology platforms help researchers and organizations to scale and accelerate their research and development. As a PacBio Certified Service Provider, our partners know they can depend on GIFS to deliver high-quality, HiFi data to advance their projects,” said GIFS CEO Dr. Steven Webb (PhD). “Today, GIFS’ Omics and Precision Analytics Laboratory uses high-thr

Three Farmers Foods' Winning Snacks Backed by Strategic Investment to Further North American Growth

Three Farmers Foods Inc. ("Three Farmers" or the "Company"), Canada's leading brand of whole roasted pulse-based snacks, has closed its latest equity financing round. The round welcomed Farm Credit Canada ("FCC") as a strategic partner alongside continued support from a distinguished group of existing investors including our Founding Farmers, District Ventures Capital, Export Development Canada (EDC), Golden Opportunities Fund Inc. ("Golden") and PIC Investment Group Inc. This investment positions Three Farmers to further expand its North American footprint while continuing to deliver protein packed, high-quality snacks to consumers. Following the success of its Saskatoon manufacturing expansion, Three Farmers has successfully optimized operations to scale production and meet increasing demand. "We are thrilled to have this additional support from our investment partners and to welcome FCC as a strategic partner in our journey," said Natasha Vandenhurk, CEO of Three Farmers. "FCC's d

Message from Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Bell Let's Talk Day 2025

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, issued the following statement to mark Bell Let's Talk Day:

John Deere Announces its 2025 Startup Collaborators

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) announced the names of 6 companies chosen for its 2025 Startup Collaborator program. The John Deere Startup Collaborator program was launched in 2019 to enhance and deepen the company's interaction with startup companies whose technology could add value for ag and construction customers.