AIC Notes - May 31, 2012

AIC Notes Issue 2012-21 May 31, 2012

In This Issue

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food Releases Report on Growing Forward 2

The State of Canada's Science Culture

Fertilizer Efficacy No Longer CFIA's Lookout

Nova Scotia to Merge to Merge Three Ag Research, Extension Agencies

Soil Microorganisms are at the Heart of the New Green Revolution

FCC Supports Initiative to Improve Perceptions of Agriculture

Modern Hybrid Corn Makes Better Use of Nitrogen, Study Shows

Researchers Find Health Benefits in P.E.I. Wild Roses

Funding for Optimizing Animal Feed

National AUTO21 Funding Supports Green Car Parts, Safer Roads

Taking Climate and Agriculture Lessons from the Ancient World

FAO Develops New Online Portal for Food Production

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food

Coming Events

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food Releases Report on Growing Forward 2

The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food has presented its report to Parliament on the Growing Forward 2 policy framework. The Committee heard from a large number of witnesses from the agriculture sector. The report includes discussion on science and innovation, marketing and trade, consumer demands, and the biotech industry, among others. It notes the need to support research capacity and states "A number of witnesses cautioned that scaling back the federal government's basic scientific research and preliminary applied research, shortening planning horizons and concentrating projects near the downstream end of the research continuum could result in Canada losing important strategic stakeholders."

The full report can be read here.

The State of Canada's Science Culture

The Minister of State (Science and Technology) on behalf of the Canada S&T Museums Corporation, Natural Resources Canada, and Industry Canada has asked the Council of Canadian Academies

to assess the state of Canada's science culture.

Over the past 30 years, public interest and debate has been steadily growing in Canada and abroad over the need to foster a science culture as part of the national science and technology agenda. In this period, significant government and private investments have contributed to the development of hundreds of individual science culture programs and institutions.

Now more than ever the volume of programs and data support the need for a national examination of issues, such as the performance indicators that best reflect the vitality of Canada's science culture, and a need to understand where Canada ranks internationally. The expert panel will be asked to consider these and other questions such as what factors influence an interest in science among youth; what are the key components of the informal system that supports science culture; and what strengths and weaknesses exist in the Canadian system.

Assessments of science culture can focus either on science in the general culture, or the culture among scientists. This assessment will focus principally on the former, with additional interest in understanding the underlying connections among entrepreneurship, innovation and science. By gaining a better understanding of the elements of a science culture system and the measures of its success, this assessment will inform policy analysis and help to direct public and private investments in a constructive and timely way.

The full assessment process includes a rigorous peer review exercise to ensure the report is objective, balanced and evidence-based. Following the review and approval by the Council's Board of Governors, the complete report will be made available on the Council's website in both official languages. More information about the Council's process can be found here.

AAC Press Release, May 30, 2012

Fertilizer Efficacy No Longer CFIA's Lookout

Citing its focus on protecting health and safety, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it will no longer regulate the effectiveness of fertilizers sold in Canada.

The agency confirmed Friday that from now on, its activities in the Canadian fertilizer and supplement sectors "will concentrate on verifying that products are safe for humans, plants, animals and the Canadian environment."

CFIA said it will also continue "to verify that products are properly labelled to avoid product misrepresentation in the marketplace and protect consumers."

Shedding the focus on efficacy is done with the goal of "allowing CFIA resources to focus on protecting the health and safety of Canadians," the agency said. It added that the change "also provides industry with greater flexibility, reduced costs and less red tape."

The agency said Monday it will work with "industry and other stakeholders" to develop an implementation plan for the tightened focus.

Fertilizers and supplements -- that is, substances other than fertilizers that "improve the physical condition of soils, or plant growth" -- that are imported into and/or sold in Canada are governed under the federal Fertilizers Act and Regulations.

Regulated products under the Act include farm fertilizers, micronutrients and various lawn and garden products as well as supplements such as water-holding polymers, microbial inoculants and composts.

CFIA's safety assessments on those goods examine "all ingredients" in a fertilizer or supplement, including its active components but also its "formulants, carriers, additives, potential contaminants and byproducts that might be released into the environment as a result of product's use and application to soil."

Until now, CFIA's assessments have also been expected to ensure the efficacy claims on a product label are "supported by scientifically valid information" and a product's benefits are "substantiated in a clear and definite way."

Factors that CFIA evaluators have until now considered when evaluating product performance include "product application rates, nutritional requirements of the target crop, usage pattern, frequency of application, current agricultural practises, appropriate statistical methods, research trial designs, and Canadian climate and soil conditions."

The CFIA, in late 2011 and early 2012, undertook a review toward a regulatory system that "fosters consumer choice and enables improved business opportunities by building flexible regulatory frameworks that are anticipatory and proactive in mitigating risks (and that) facilitate innovation and support competitiveness."

The review was also meant to put the agency's "primary focus" on safeguarding Canada's food supply and its animal and plant resource bases.

Country Guide, May 29, 2012

Nova Scotia to Merge Three Ag Research, Extension Agencies

Three provincial-level agriculture research, development and extension agencies in Nova Scotia will join its ongoing consolidation of ag services through a merger by the end of next month.

The province on Friday announced the forming of a new Crown corporation, Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc., combining the agencies now known as AgraPoint, the Atlantic BioVenture Centre and AgriTECH Park.

Perennia will be based at AgriTECH Park at Bible Hill and will also operate an office at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre in Kentville.

"We will offer industry a single point of contact to address their primary production, food safety, product development and incubation needs, as well as link them to researchers and other government resources that can offer additional services," Jo Ann Fewer -- director of business integration and planning for AgraPoint and NSAC, and CEO of the new merged agency -- said in a release Friday.

"Perennia is the perfect vehicle to work with department staff and industry to help producers and processors become more competitive, adopt new and innovative agricultural practices and create higher-margin products," provincial Ag Minister John MacDonell said in the same release.

"It is important to ensure producers succeed for rural communities since farmers spend more than 60 per cent of their income within 30 miles of their farms and 90 per cent within Nova Scotia."

The merger follows the province's announcement late last month that it would move its agriculture department's head office, now based in Halifax with 34 staff, to the Truro-Bible Hill area by the end of this year.

Truro-Bible Hill is already home to 141 provincial ag department staff, a number of federal ag agencies and commodity groups, and the provincially-operated Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC), which this fall becomes the agriculture campus of Dalhousie University.

The Perennia merger will involve 40 employees and is expected to be complete by the end of June, the province said Friday.

AgraPoint, which began in 2001 in Kentville as the Agricultural Development Institute and is closely linked to NSAC, is a Crown corporation tasked with providing "development services" to build the value-added segment of Nova Scotia's ag industry.

AgraPoint also provides for-fee ag services such as nutrient management planning, dairy nutrition training, site assessments, efficacy trials and event planning, as well as no-cost and cost-recovery ag extension and applied research work such as crop tests under contract with the provincial ag department.

The Atlantic BioVenture Centre, set up in 2005 at Bible Hill as an operating division of NSAC, is meant to work with the primary and processing sectors in both the agrifood and aquafood sectors on value chain developments and technology transfer, based on a "development requiring research" philosophy.

AgriTECH Park, which bills itself as "Atlantic Canada's Bio-economy Village," was set up in 1998 on a rural property near NSAC and serves as the college's commercialization wing for the agrifood, marine and environmental sectors.

The park, which houses a number of public- and private-sector agencies, offers leasing and business support services for bioscience start-ups and other companies in growth or development mode.

Country Guide, May 30, 2012

Soil Microorganisms are at the Heart of the New Green Revolution

An interview with researcher Chantal Hamel

Chantal Hamel, a soil microbiologist who works at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), is clear: "We must innovate. The nitrogen in synthetic fertilizers is derived from expensive processes. Reserves of phosphorus are measured in decades; the mines will be empty someday. In addition, the cultivation of biofuels is now competing with food crops and mobilizing soils and inputs. And there will be 8 billion people on Earth in fifteen years!" The alternative is to develop farming practices based on the properties and activities of soil microorganisms to allow crops to feed effectively.

The concept behind Hamel's work is simple. It is based on the association of soil fungi and bacteria with plants to ensure their mutual survival. The plant captures carbon from the air to produce energy, in the form of sugars, through photosynthesis. Fungi and bacteria, which cannot photosynthesize, need this energy. So, they settle on the roots of plants, absorbing sugars provided by the plant in exchange for minerals that they draw out of the air and soil. This process is free, natural, requires no human intervention and allows both the plants and microorganisms to gain access to the materials that they need to survive.

"The nitrogen supplied by microorganisms does not cost anything, while it is very expensive to industrially capture nitrogen from the air in the form available to plants," says Hamel. The Haber-Bosch process, used to fix nitrogen from using extreme pressure applied at very high temperatures is very energy intensive. The energy required for this operation represents 70% of the cost of the generated nitrogen fertilizer. Yet, soil microorganisms can perform this role for free, and merit closer examination than what they currently enjoy.

Read more here.

Written by Nicole Boudreau, Organic Federation of Canada, on behalf of the Organic Agriculture Centre of

FCC Supports Initiative to Improve Perceptions of Agriculture

Canadian producers are invited to share their stories of pride about living and working in the agriculture industry on Facebook, Twitter and a new website called www.agriculturemorethanever.ca.

Agriculture More Than Ever is a multi-year initiative to change perceptions about agriculture. It's designed to close the gap in perceptions between producers and the public. A Farm Credit Canada (FCC) survey of 4,500 producers and agribusiness operators revealed that 80% feel their farm or business will be better off in five years and 79% would recommend a career in an agriculture-related field. Although most producers are optimistic, they tend to downplay what they love about the industry when talking about it. So perhaps it's no surprise that a recent survey of the Canadian general public revealed a prevailing assumption that agriculture was unlikely to have a bright future. It's this disconnect that Agriculture More Than Ever is designed to address.

"Image matters. To attract the people, skills and investment needed to meet the growing demand for food, those of us involved in agriculture have a responsibility to promote the industry," said Greg Stewart, FCC President and CEO. "As Canada's leading agriculture lender, FCC is uniquely positioned to support an effort to improve perceptions Canadians have about an industry that contributes $130 billion dollars to our national economy. This doesn't mean there aren't industry challenges, but overall, the future of agriculture has never looked more promising."

Changing perceptions is an industry-wide initiative.

"FCC is excited to work with partners across the industry to show Canadians that agriculture is modern, vibrant and diverse which provides tremendous business and career opportunities," said Lyndon Carlson, FCC Senior Vice-President, Marketing. "We look forward to engaging farmers and agribusiness professionals across the value chain to share the stories behind the industry and enlighten Canadians about Canada's role as one of the world's leading food-producing nations."

Agriculture is a major economic force in Canada:

- The agri-food industry is Canada's largest employer, accounting for one in eight jobs or 2.2 million people.

- Canada is the fifth largest exporter of agri-food and seafood products in the world. Agriculture accounts for more than $44 billion in exports.

- 97% of population growth over the next 20 years will take place in developing countries. When those countries gain additional income, they will spend it on food. Canada is one of few countries that can deliver.

Canadian agriculture is a modern, vibrant and diverse industry, filled with forward-thinking people who love what they do. For the industry to reach its full potential and to ensure its long-term viability, Agriculture More Than Ever asks those involved in the industry to champion agriculture by engaging in more frequent discussions regarding what's going well within the industry - filling in information gaps, responding to misguided perceptions and telling the success stories about the industry, online and offline. The story of Canadian agriculture is one of success, promise, challenge and determination. The greatest storytellers are the 2.2 million Canadians who live it every day. To join the cause or learn more, visit the website.

FCC Press Release, May 28, 2012

Modern Hybrid Corn Makes Better Use of Nitrogen, Study Shows

Today's hybrid corn varieties more efficiently use nitrogen to create more grain, according to 72 years of public-sector research data reviewed by Purdue University researchers.

Tony Vyn, a professor of agronomy, and doctoral student Ignacio Ciampitti looked at nitrogen use studies for corn from two periods - 1940-1990 and 1991-2011. They wanted to see whether increased yields were due to better nitrogen efficiency or whether new plants were simply given additional nitrogen to produce more grain.

"Corn production often faces the criticism from society that yields are only going up because of an increased dependency on nitrogen," said Vyn, whose findings were published in the early online version of the journal Field Crops Research. "Although modern hybrids take up more total nitrogen per acre during the growing season than they did before, the amount of grain produced per pound of nitrogen accumulated in corn plants is substantially greater than it was for corn hybrids of earlier decades. So, in that sense, the efficiency of nitrogen utilization has gradually improved."

Vyn and Ciampitti's analysis covered about 100 worldwide studies. Of those, 870 data points were taken from the earlier period through 1990, and 2,074 points were taken from studies after 1990, when transgenic hybrids started hitting the market. All studies involved analyses of total nitrogen uptake and grain yield by corn plants at maturity, usually in response to multiple nitrogen application rates.

Grain yields in these research studies averaged about 143 bushels of corn per acre over the last 21 years compared with an average of 115 bushels in the previous 50 years. Those studies showed that in the earlier period, one pound of nitrogen applied to a field produced about 49 kilograms of grain. In the more recent period, the same amount of nitrogen produced about 56 kilograms of grain.

About 90 percent of the corn data points examined in Vyn's study evaluated nitrogen rates between zero and 250 pounds per acre. Over both periods, the average rate of nitrogen fertilizer distributed in experimental fields was nearly the same - 124 pounds per acre in the earlier period vs. 123 pounds in the later period.

Vyn said genetic improvements have led to corn plants that require less space around them, allowing growers to squeeze more plants into an acre. Research fields from the modern era averaged about 28,900 plants per acre - about the average final plant populations in Indiana cornfields in 2011 - compared with 22,800 plants per acre from 1940-1990.

"The maximum individual plant nitrogen uptake stayed exactly the same despite the average gain of 6,000 more plants per acre," Vyn said. "The modern plants are just more efficient at taking nitrogen up and utilizing it than they were before."

Vyn and Ciampitti are working toward methods to increase grain yields further by investigating the contribution of nitrogen to plant biomass and yield formation processes in high-yielding hybrids under a wide range of nitrogen inputs and production stress factors. Knowing that modern hybrids are sustaining a reasonable quantity of nitrogen uptake even under progressively higher plant densities is a good start, Ciampitti said.

"We are getting clues on how plants have already improved nitrogen use efficiency, and we will use that to push for further increases," Ciampitti said. "We finally feel like we're shedding some light on what traits plant breeders should select for to increase nitrogen efficiency even more."

Vyn and Ciampitti plan to further investigate how water use efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency are tied together, as well as how plants can achieve more tolerance to environmental stresses.

Agriculture Week, in AgriLink, May 29, 2012

Researchers Find Health Benefits in P.E.I. Wild Roses

If federal researchers have their way, some P.E.I. farmers could soon be leaving potatoes behind in favour of a new, more fragrant crop.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is researching the possibility of farming wild roses for their health benefits. The key is in the rose hips - the fruit of the plant.

Researchers have found that the rose hips in one variety of P.E.I.'s wild roses contain anti-inflammatories.

"In the future, the potential is there for just about anything you want," said Sylvia Wyand, a technician with the government department. "It can be used in the nutraceuticals, it can be used in cosmetics, it's used for arthritis treatment in Denmark."

Wyand has been collecting data about the bushes for the last few years. The variety of rose has now been named after her: Sylvia-Arlene.

"It's pretty satisfying because those of us that are involved in research, you're always trying to find something new, something novel, something better than what's out there already," she said.

"We compared our rose hips to other provinces and we have seen a big difference, not only in terms of chemical composition, but also in bio-activity," said Bourlaya Fofana, an AAFC research scientist.

Government researchers have applied for the breeders rights which would allow them to farm Sylvia-Arlene.

They said the wild roses could be the future for alternative farming in P.E.I.

"I think it could be a very unique industry," said Kevin Sanderson, an AAFC research scientist. "It could be a cottage industry, where farmers would have small plantations."

Sanderson said they could also start making tea.

Rose hips are already harvested in Europe, and used for their anti-inflammatory effects.

The researchers hope to have the breeding rights for Sylvia-Arlene by this summer, just in time for the roses to bloom.

CBC News, May 23, 2012

Funding for Optimizing Animal Feed

The federal government has provided funding of $133,000 to Alberta Milk to support a pioneering study on how to maintain high milk yields while reducing the use of amino acids in animal feed.

Conducted by the University of Alberta Dairy Research and Technology Centre, the study will show how reducing the use of specific amino acids (the basic building block in proteins) in the diet of dairy cows could allow producers to optimize the protein content in their cattle's food intake, resulting in lower feed costs and mitigating the environmental impact on their farms and waterways through reduced excretion of excess nutrients. Nutrient intake and milk yields will be measured throughout the two-year study to eventually enable farmers to strike the right balance between protein intake and milk yields.

"This project is an excellent example of the importance of research partnerships and how collaboration among multiple stakeholders benefits the lives of Canadians," said Lorne Babiuk, University of Alberta Vice-President (Research). "The University of Alberta is proud to partner with Alberta Milk and the University of Calgary on this project which could have a substantial impact on the dairy industry."

This investment comes from the Government of Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP). CAAP is a five-year (2009-14), $163-million initiative that aims to help the Canadian agricultural sector adapt and remain competitive. In Alberta, CAAP is delivered by the Agriculture and Food Council of Alberta (AFC).

AAFC Press Release, May 25, 2012

National AUTO21 Funding Supports Green Car Parts, Safer Roads

Better car parts and safer roads are the goals of two new million-dollar, University of Guelph-led research projects announced today.

Headed by Prof. Lana Trick, Department of Psychology, and Prof. Amar Mohanty, Department of Plant Agriculture, the projects are among 40 nationwide to be funded by a $22-million investment announced in Montreal by Gary Goodyear, minister of state, science and technology.

The funding comes from AUTO21, part of the national Networks of Centres of Excellence program, and from Canada's automotive sector. Nearly 200 academic researchers will contribute to the 40 projects, which will also help train about 400 graduate students.

"These projects illustrate the depth and breadth of Guelph's research in both innovation and practical application," said Kevin Hall, vice-president (research).

"Our researchers are combining traditional crop science and cutting-edge technology to produce environmentally friendly, high-performance car parts. They're also coming up with practical ways to reduce automobile collisions and improve safety. This work is representative of the exceptional creative capacity at Guelph."

Trick heads the Convergent Evidence from Naturalistic, Simulation and Epidemiology Data (CENSED) Network, along with Jeffrey Caird at the University of Calgary. By learning how cellphones and other distractions contribute to auto collisions, the researchers hope to help improve road safety. Automobile accidents are a leading cause of injury and death in Canada and cost hundreds of billions of dollars in damages every year.

Mohanty will lead the "Hybrid Biocomposites for Automotive Applications" project with Mohini Sain of the University of Toronto. They received more than $600,000 from AUTO21 in 2009 for a similar initiative.

They hope to use novel high-performance biocomposites in car parts, substituting petroleum-based products with renewable biomaterials.

"Hybrid biocomposite technology provides a unique opportunity for creating a sustainable competitive advantage, as it combines the benefits of different types of bioplastics with the eco-friendly characteristics of crop-derived biofibres," Mohanty said.

"Ultimately these new bio-materials will provide the opportunity to implement green auto parts and, at the same time, reduce the carbon footprint. It is taking a big step to leave a small footprint."

Prof. Manjusri Misra, School of Engineering, will also work on the project.

The research will take place in U of G's Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre. Directed by Mohanty, who holds the Premier's Research Chair in Biomaterials and Transportation, the centre studies the use of new industrial crops and biomass for green composite materials in car parts, building materials and packaging.

University of Guelph Press Release, May 30, 2012

Taking Climate and Agriculture Lessons from the Ancient World

For over 35 years, University of Toronto Mississauga archaeology professor Gary Crawford has been studying the ancient archaeological and ecological past of China, Korea and Japan to shed light on the environmental issues of the present.

Now, with recent funding from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Crawford will be able to bring his work - and the work of international researchers - to a new level by establishing the Centre for Historical Ecology in Northeast Asia at U of T Mississauga.

"Archaeological research in Asia has developed over the years and there are so many fascinating projects but most of the research groups aren't collaborating," Crawford explains. "I've always had a dream that if we could get the principal researchers together to consider similar issues, we could advance our thinking about what happened in the past very quickly."

By studying the responses of early people to climate change and investigating the impact of human populations on local ecology during the time span between 20,000 to 3,000 years ago, modern society can better understand contemporary issues such as global warming, sustainability and innovations in crops.

"Northeast Asia has faced many ecological shifts-some natural, while others were caused by people through agriculture and urbanization. When the last Ice Age ended, the climate went from an intense deep freeze to milder conditions by about 13,000 years ago, quickly cooled for a thousand years, then became quite warm from about 8,000 to 4,000 years ago," Crawford says.

Over time, people engineered their environment in various ways in response to these changes. The research team will explore the extent to which the different cultures in Northeast Asia successfully constructed their worlds to meet the challenges of their time and place.

"Climate has not been constant, so the challenges that we're facing, our ancestors faced - how did they deal with it?"

The Centre for Historical Ecology in Northeast Asia will play a key role in finding answers to that very question by providing opportunities for collaboration amongst researchers from all over the world. So far, the centre boasts an impressive list of partners including:UC Berkeley, Archaeological Research Facility; Stanford University, Stanford Archaeology Center; University of Oregon, Center for Asian and Pacific Studies; the Royal Ontario Museum; Shandong University; German Archaeological Institute, Berlin; Chinese Acadenmy of Social Sciences; Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at The Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Hakodate Jomon Culture Centre.

Over the next three years, the centre will act as a central communication hub to enable ongoing collaboration, facilitate learning opportunities for graduate students at the different partner institutions, and organize rotating workshops hosted at each institution beginning with U of T Mississauga in the fall.

The workshops will allow the partners to develop a common research agenda, present and discuss research findings and brainstorm ways to share their insights on dealing with current environmental issues with the general public through exhibits and lectures.

Crawford believes that with federal funding programs such as SSHRC, Canada is able to take the initiative to develop such valuable partnerships and leverage the knowledge of the ancient past to contribute to solving today's problems.

"This project has no limits, that's what's exciting about it. There are going to be unanticipated discoveries from our meeting of the minds," Crawford says. "Those surprises, those unexpected developments of knowledge are incredibly satisfying."

Carolyn Wong, University of Toronto Mississauga, May 30, 2012

FAO Develops New Online Portal for Food Production

Increasing global food production to meet the growing appetites of an increasing population will require more food to be grown on already producing agricultural lands. To help increase the productivity of land already in production, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has partnered with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) to create a new online data portal that will identify areas for increased food production while maintaining natural resources and facing the challenge of climate change.

The portal-the Global Agro-Ecological Zones Interactive Data Access Facilities-offers access to what IIASA Director/CEO Pavel Kabat calls "the most ambitious global agro-resources assessment ever conducted." "The objective was to assemble a vast wealth of data information and make this available in a way that is most accessible to land use planners and specialists to help close yield gaps and promote the sustainable intensification of agricultural production," Kabat said.

The GAEZ system is an extensive inventory of the world's agricultural resources and related data and is organized around five thematic areas:

1. Land and water resources, including multiple spatial layers of climate, soil, terrain, land cover, irrigation potentials, protected areas, population density, livestock density and accessibility, etc.

2. Agro-climatic resources, providing major climatic indicators important for assessing crop growth, development and yield formation. GAEZ's spatial agro-climatic inventories of the prevailing thermal and moisture regimes and growing periods are used for estimating crop suitability and potential yields.

3. Agricultural suitability and potential yields, including information on yield constraints, crop calendars, and production potential estimates for 11 major crop groups, 49 major crops and 92 crop types. Productivity estimates are made for rain-fed farming, rain-fed farming with water conservation and gravity, sprinkler and drip irrigation systems.

4. Actual yields and production, consisting of spatially explicit crop production estimates including crop harvested area, yield and production figures for 23 major commodities.

5. Yield and production gaps, which provide important information on locations with differences between actual achieved and potential attainable yield and production under different management scenarios.