Has the bacterium that causes fire blight become resistant to product used to control the disease? Study aims to find out Friday, July 3, 2015 by SUSAN MANNAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers are planning to study pear and apple tree samples to determine if the bacterium causing a destructive disease in those crops is resistant to a control product farmers use.The researchers have started to collect pear and apple tree samples and will also be collecting them next year, says Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher scientist Antonet Svircev. “The project goes for three years.”She is in charge of the project for Ontario, while other scientists across Canada will be collecting samples from other areas and studying them. Svircev is stationed at the federal government’s Vineland Research Station.Researchers will be studying the samples to see if the bacterium, called erwinia amylovora, that causes fire blight carries a gene making it resistant to streptomycin, a product used to control fire blight in Ontario’s commercial orchards since the 1960s.“There are certain genes within the bacterium that tell us there may be resistance,” Svircev says. “We’re looking for these certain genes for resistance in the bacterium. But just because we find the gene doesn’t mean that there really is resistance so we have to do tests in the lab. We have to confirm it.”Fire blight is one of the most destructive apple and pear tree diseases. It kills the shoots of the trees and makes them look like they’ve been scorched by fire. BF New seed branch launched Ontario's corn plantings are up
Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility Friday, June 27, 2025 Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online
Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost Friday, June 27, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online
Health Canada sets rules for drone spraying Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Health Canada has approved the use of drones, also called Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), for pesticide application under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Drones are considered aircraft by Transport Canada, but Health Canada treats them differently due to their unique... Read this article online
Twelve Ontario Agri-Businesses Receive Funding Support Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Bioenterprise Canada has announced the successful recipients of the second call for proposals under the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) Commercialization Stream. Twelve organizations across Ontario will receive support to bring innovative agri-food solutions to the... Read this article online
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Tuesday, June 24, 2025 The 2025 Early Career Research Award was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium. Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded... Read this article online