Are Canadian plant breeders utilizing the innovations of gene editing? It would be inaccurate to say that plant breeders in Canada are ‘a dime a dozen’. A rough estimate places the number of professional plant breeders in Canada at 500. Given the recent innovations available to plant breeders, we thought Read more…
The dawning of a new era in ag sustainability Who would have fathomed how significant a day in March 1995 would become in the history of Canadian agriculture? On March 14th, 1995, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approved the two genetically modified (GM), herbicide tolerant varieties of canola for Read more…
By Sara Ingell, University of Saskatchewan Student There is an ongoing debate in the agriculture industry between small family farms and large corporate farms. The controversy between these two different farming operations both have their advantages and disadvantages in regards to their farming practices. Small family farms can not compete Read more…
Unfounded fears of chemicals threaten modern society Chemicals are everywhere and all around us, they compose everything, including ourselves. As the basic elements of all matter, we have identified 118 chemical elements. Of those chemical elements, the human body is composed of oxygen (65%), carbon (18%), hydrogen (10%), and nitrogen Read more…
By Makenna Laventure, University of Saskatchewan Student Food security Food security is defined in terms of people having access to nutritious, safe food, that allows all individuals to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Many individuals are food insecure, especially those living in developing countries. The FAO estimates that in Read more…
Proud of a simple idea 5 years later turning into SAIFood success When I began my Research Chair in Agri-Food Innovation back in October 2014, one objective was to establish a blog that would facilitate the communication of scientific information about agriculture and food production. After some deliberating about titles Read more…
What matters more, time or money when it comes to innovation? Innovation impacts are the ripples of change we experience in our lives and throughout the entire supply chain for products. The impacts of innovation come in a range of forms such as the introduction of new techniques to produce Read more…
By Cheyenne Dumont, University of Saskatchewan Student ‘This gives you cancer’ or ‘that gives you autism’, are a few statements we hear far too often in today’s society. Where are people getting the information that causes them to think that these statements are true? Just a few months ago, I Read more…
By Evan Bronner, University of Saskatchewan Student New markets may be key to Canadian canola success By now, most have heard in the agriculture industry, about the trade dispute between China and Canada over Canadian canola. In March 2019 China banned canola seed from two of Canada’s major exporters; Viterra Read more…
After years of varietal development, the most promising varieties are selected to begin the process of registering them for commercial use. Under Canadian legislation, the Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations govern the testing, inspection, quality, and sale of all seeds. This legislation ensures that all seeds, whether imported or developed domestically, are proven to be safe for production and consumption before they reach the fields of Canadian farmers. In this final blog of the #LabtoField series, we explore how newly developed crop varieties become registered seed for use in Canada.