AgBio News
Agri-Food Innovation and Sustainability Enhancement Chair demonstrates value of industry collaboration
After a successful five-year term as the Research Chair in Agri-Food Innovation, Dr. Stuart Smyth (PhD) has been reappointed to the renewed Agri-Food Innovation and Sustainability ...
USask researchers develop fast, accurate test to identify toxins in cereal crops
SASKATOON – Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Crop Development Centre (CDC) have developed a fast and accurate method for identifying and quantifying toxins in ...
All we are saying is give peas a chance
As a passionate proponent of plant-based proteins for more than two decades, researcher Dr. Tom Warkentin (PhD) understands better than most the recent rapid rise in popularity of ...
Reducing beef cattle GHG emissions
Eat less beef … save the planet! It’s a common theme on social media and among celebrities. Yet, researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) are working to show that beef...
Scholarship support gives USask student a global perspective on feeding the world
College of Agriculture and Bioresources student David MacTaggart is learning how to feed the future through international conferences and research.
Researchers collaborate at Canadian Light Source to create healthier bread
Ever since early humans discovered how to grind grain, the art of breadmaking has flourished and today bread is the most widely consumed food in the world. The apron has now been r...
USask livestock researchers awarded nearly $7M to improve food sustainability and safety
Twenty University of Saskatchewan (USask) projects have been awarded nearly $7 million through a joint federal-provincial government funding program to advance cattle, swine, and p...
USask Global Institute for Food Security supporting collaborative social science research
University of Saskatchewan (USask) research has received a $675,000 boost from the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) to investigate social science impacts on food security ...
Black is the new green
Shane Olson pioneered rubber recycling 26 years ago while working nights to feed his family. Today, his company is working with Nike.
CWRC commits over $9.6 million to USask Crop Development Centre for wheat research
The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC), a collaboration of the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, the Alberta Wheat Commission, and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Grow...
USask crop researchers awarded $8M to advance food and bio-products for a sustainable future
SASKATOON – Thirty University of Saskatchewan (USask) crop research projects have been awarded a total of more than $8 million through Saskatchewan’s Agricultural Development Fund ...
USask Global Institute for Food Security researchers help crack canola genome
SASKATOON —Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) are members of an international consortium of key academic and global see...
CLS launches nation-wide educational science project
The Canadian Light Source (CLS) has launched a unique initiative that creates opportunities for school students across the country to be directly involved in a national research pr...
Crop development breeds patience for USask wheat researcher
It’s taken 20 years for this particularly purple wheat to go from grain to glass, but it’s all music to Dr. Pierre Hucl’s (PhD) ears.
Bridging medicine and agriculture to prevent age-related illness
If Dr. Christopher Eskiw (PhD) and his co-investigators are correct, the inner workings of brewing yeast could point the way to greater human longevity and the prevention of age-re...
USask students establish bee hotels in Saskatoon
As part of a sustainability course, students are developing bee habitats to provide a safe environment for bees to reproduce.
Canadian Western Agribition contributes $100,000 to USask Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence
REGINA – Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) has announced a contribution of $100,000 over the next decade to the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Livestock and Forage Centre of Ex...
Engineering better egg-free ingredients for vegans
Not many research projects involve a kitchen, but that’s what University of Saskatchewan graduate student Yue He has been using to help develop a better egg replacement for making ...
From the ground up
After a successful first year, the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE) continues to provide unique research opportunities for live...
Striking a balance between the costs and benefits of wetlands
A new research project will look at how to compensate farmers for the costs of keeping wetlands on their properties.
USask team cracks cadmium code in durum wheat
‘Complementary expertise’ key to reducing toxic heavy metal.
Unique chemistry
For an academic with a long-standing interest in carbohydrates, the predominant component in cereal and pulse crops, there may be no better place in the world to conduct research i...
Unearthing agricultural land use on First Nations
Researcher to study land use and soil quality change in order to develop a ‘roadmap’ for First Nations agricultural lands going forward.
Perseverance Farm: The legacy of a grateful alumnus
In 2009, John Hickie mounted a bronze plaque on a large boulder at the entrance to the home quarter on his section of land near Melville, Sask. The plaque pays tribute to pioneerin...
Capt. Sheldon Maerz: Importance of remembrance
Joining the military always felt like a calling for Capt. Sheldon Maerz.
New USask Beef Industry Chair aims to improve sustainability and profitability
Gabriel Ribeiro, the new Saskatchewan Beef Industry Chair at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), will be developing nutritional strategies to improve health, performance and pr...
USask researcher knows breeding more superior pea varieties is more important than ever before
Dr. Tom Warkentin is excited about the increased interest in pea protein and the increase in pea acreages across western Canada.
Where the wild pigs roam
In 2013, Ruth Aschim—along with 99.9 per cent of the population—was unaware wild pigs were roaming rural Canada.<br/><br/>
Developing more nutritious crops to feed a growing world
Using synchrotron light to analyze new varieties of peas could be faster, more environmentally friendly, and help to nourish underfed populations around the world.
Renowned USask Global Institute for Food Security scientist awarded prestigious international food innovation prize
Leon Kochian, Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) at the University of Saskatchewan (Usask), has won the 2019 Arrell Global Food Innovation Award for “global excellence in food...
USask researchers involved in sequencing the pea genome
A six year collaborative project results in a reference guide which will benefit the pea community.
New program opens doors for student start-ups
Five teams were each assigned to explore the business potential of a new USask technology, as part of USask Innovation Enterprise’s summer entrepreneurs program.
USask research study observes plant communities rejuvenated by prescribed burns
Goal to improve habitat quality for bison and other species at risk
USask Prof Moves Bug Lab Across International Border
Moving live insects takes time and precaution.
Dietary restrictions may benefit children with premature aging disease
Eating less may be a key factor for promoting healthy aging and for slowing down progeria, an irreversible disease that makes children age eight time faster than normal.
Leon Kochian: world-renowned research
He is one of the world’s most highly cited researchers, a member of the Agricultural Research Service Hall of Fame, and has been named to Reuters’ list of the World’s Most Influent...
USask-led research teams awarded $24.2M from Genome Canada and partners to improve agriculture through genomic science
Wheat, lentils and livestock will be the focus of a $24.2-million investment over four years by Genome Canada and its partners in three University of Saskatchewan-led research proj...
Remarkable tenure for USask AgBio professor
Take a moment to turn back time 50 years to 1969: Pierre Trudeau was prime minister and Justin Trudeau hadn’t been born yet, astronauts landed on the moon for the first time, the S...
USask-led group awarded $1.65 M to train young scientists for expanding plant protein industry
An interdisciplinary university group led by University of Saskatchewan researcher Michael Nickerson has been awarded $1.65 million by the federal granting council NSERC to train a...
Large crowd gathers for first annual summer field day for producers
Facts, friends and food - and lots of each – combined for a hugely successful first annual summer field day for producers at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence.
USask graduate student earns international award
Deeksha Shetty came to the University of Saskatchewan (USask) to earn her master’s degree, and leaves as the winner of one of the most prestigious agriscience research competitions...
USask research receives funding to restore Indigenous geographic place names
Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada has awarded Dr. Colin Laroque (PhD), professor in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, $36,000 through the Canadian Mountain Netw...
$1.25M awarded to innovative USask early career researchers
Five University of Saskatchewan early career researchers have each been awarded $250,000 over two years by the New Frontiers in Research Fund, a new federal fund designed to promot...
Wild pigs invade Canadian provinces—an emerging crisis for agriculture and the environment
Wild pigs—a mix of wild boar and domestic swine—are spreading rapidly across Canada, threatening native species such as nesting birds, deer, agricultural crops, and farm livestock,...
USask’s Hort Week celebrates 34 years
Gardeners and plant aficionados of all kinds will descend on the city during the 34th annual University of Saskatchewan (USask) Hort Week, beginning May 4.
USask crop scientists help crack the durum wheat genome
University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers played a key role in an international consortium that has sequenced the entire genome of durum wheat—the source of semolina for pasta...
Barley breeding makes for crafty collaboration
When it comes to brewing better beer, most lager lovers might not think to raise a glass in salute to the University of Saskatchewan (USask).
Why agricultural groups fiercely oppose the carbon tax
When the Pan-Canadian Approach to Pricing Carbon Pollution was announced in October 2016, it was met with passionate responses, from supporters and those in opposition.
USask professor honoured for river rescue
An associate professor in the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Agriculture and Bioresources is being honoured in Ottawa for pulling a woman out of the South Saskatchew...
USask students poised for career success, thanks to new RBC-funded program
The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has announced a donation from RBC Foundation to help students develop professional skills, prepare for the demands of the workforce and trans...
USask awarded CFI funding to research new antibiotics and food products
Two researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have been awarded a total of $274,119 by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to buy equipment crucial to studies in...
Benefits of pulses: Good for you and the planet
An illogical revolution has swept the Canadian Prairies and can take over the world. Farmland is now never rested — it is planted and harvested every year — and yet soil health has...
USask Fruit Breeders Receive Prestigious Horticulture Award
Bob Bors and Rick Sawatzky, fruit breeders with the Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, are the joint recipients of the prestigious Stevenson Awa...
USask research turning ethanol waste into Alzheimer meds, industrial products
A University of Saskatchewan research team’s quest to extract protein from more than a billion litres of annually produced wastewater (called thin stillage) at Saskatchewan’s ethan...
Wheat Congress to put USask in the spotlight
There’s something innately calming about the sight of golden wheat swaying in the breeze. And yet, for someone like University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher Dr. Curtis Pozniak...
USask researchers awarded $3.4M for projects to mitigate greenhouse gases in agriculture
SASKATOON – University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS), and the Global Insti...
Big on beef, passionate for poultry
They are both passionate about animal welfare and about research advancements to improve the agriculture industry.
Collaborative research is the key to the LFCE
The newest kid on the block for researchers at the University of Saskatchewan is a world-class facility that brings together under one roof all aspects of raising livestock in a su...
Collaborative research is the key to the LFCE
The newest kid on the block for researchers at the University of Saskatchewan is a world-class facility that brings together under one roof all aspects of raising livestock in a su...
U of S professor earns U.S. award for undergraduate mentorship
University of Saskatchewan environmental scientist Colin Laroque was recognized today with an international award for his dedication to providing innovative and high-quality resear...
Wheat genome blueprint accelerates innovation
Breakthrough research in creating a comprehensive blueprint of the wheat genome will bring disruptive innovation to wheat breeding, predicts University of Saskatchewan crop scienti...
AgBio crop scientists help crack wheat genome code
A University of Saskatchewan (U of S)-led research team has played a key role in an international discovery that will have an impact on the food security of millions of people arou...
AgBio Prof receives early achievement award
Animal and Poultry Science Professor Dr. Karen Schwean-Lardner
U of S student awarded $150,000 US fellowship to advance canary seed research
Food and Bioproduct Sciences PhD student Suneru Perera receives prestigious Research and Professional Development Fellowship from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.
Forage Breeder Receives Innovation Award
Dr. Bill Biligetu awarded 2018 Sask Forage Industry Innovation Award
U of S prof receives prominent international animal science award
On June 4, University of Saskatchewan professor H.A. (Bart) Lardner received the Extension Award from the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS).
#UsaskConvo: Q & A with U of S graduating student Zachary Person
While close to 3,700 students are expected to cross the stage at TCU Place to receive their degrees at Spring Convocation from June 4-7, every U of S graduate has their own unique ...
U of S Faculty Named to Arctic Groups
Dr. Emily Jenkins and Dr. David Natcher have been chosen to represent Canada on the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)
U of S training the next generation of soil scientists
With only hundreds of boarded-up former gas station sites being cleaned up every year, at the current pace it would take centuries to deal with the more than 30,000 contaminated lo...
College of Agriculture and Bioresources helps Telemiracle reach a new record
Telemiracle 42 earned more than $7 million on March 3 and 4, thanks in part to some contributions from members of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.
Twenty-year partnership helping thousands in Ethiopia
Small seeds are powering the goal of feeding tens of thousands in Ethiopia, a country with one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the world.
Ag prof rescues woman from river
A U of S professor is being lauded for pulling a woman out of the South Saskatchewan River over the weekend.
Cream of the crop
The U of S Range Team won first place at the Undergraduate Range Management Exam in Sparks, Nev. earlier this week.
Send out the clones
Tim Sharbel’s groundbreaking research into asexual reproduction would be a global game changer
Mister Canola wears his crown lightly
Canola came of age in Saskatchewan. In the four decades since its debut, it has become the country’s major oilseed crop, exceeding wheat in acreage and value. One of the much-laude...
A&W Canada invests in U of S research centre
A&W Canada has made a substantial investment in the Canadian beef industry with a $5-million donation toward the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excelle...
Experimental economics in transportation policy
Shipping Saskatchewan grain to market is no game, but James Nolan is using experiments in the form of computer games to better understand how Canada’s freight system works, and how...
The path to ending hunger
Food and an end to hunger lie at the heart of agriculture and agricultural research, regardless of geography, crop or culture. In Africa, maize, or corn, is a daily dietary staple,...
The real deal:
In the battle against climate change, this is the work that truly makes a difference
Charting their own course
Couple takes daring leap, swaps traditional grain farming for growing "booze and flowers"
The fruits of success
The temperaments and tastes of the researchers who have shepherded the U of S’s fruit program from its modest beginnings in 1921 have wrought as great an impact as good breeding an...
More From Less
Why North Battleford is the place to be in the (surprisingly big) world of livestock feed
Oil and water
People say oil and water don’t mix, but the exact opposite is what Supratim Ghosh in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources is working to prove with technology that holds sign...
Thinking small
U of S researcher aims to solve a very big problem with some very little 'guys'
Learning Beyond the Classroom: Ecuadorian Agriculture Field Tour
A small group of University of Saskatchewan agriculture students and their professor set out to explore on a 10-day trip to the equator this past February.
Student savours summer with cheetahs
There are few things more mesmerizing in life than to see a cheetah take off at a dash, the drops of black dotting its golden fur blurring together as it races before your eyes.
Student studies vitamin A-boosted chickpeas
In developing countries, more than three million children are at high risk for permanent blindness due to severe vitamin A deficiency.
U of S receives funding for poultry barn lighting research
A Canadian restaurant chain has announced it will support the University of Saskatchewan to expand an important research project examining lighting enhancements and related health ...
Federal funding for livestock and forage centre
A $4.47 million investment by the Government of Canada was announced this morning at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) to support the planned construction of the university’s...
U of S alumni document history of the Agriculture Building
University of Saskatchewan agriculture alumni Bob McKercher and Ted Turner have written a book about a classic Saskatchewan story of communities coming together to fulfill a dream:...