Livestock Innovation

Coming events

February 23 - June 22: International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare

Click here for more information

Funding opportunities

Please visit LRIC's website for more information on any of the following funding opportunities:

• Egg Farmers of Canada funding call: Deadline March 1, 2022
• Biosecurity for African Swine Fever Preparedness, OMAFRA: Deadline March 21, 2022
• Advancing Beekeeper Business Capacity, Canadian Agricultural Partnership: Open
• Honey Bee Health Management, Canadian Agricultural Partnership: Open
• Addressing Agri-Food Sector Labour Force Challenges, OMAFRA: Open

LRIC in the news

Ontario Hog Farmer, February 2022: Collaboration necessary to move research from the lab to the farm

Ontario Beef, February 2022: Beef at Guelph will make it easier, faster to access research results

News release, February 3, 2022: Early career research award launched; Published February 4 in Ontario Farmer, Stratford Beacon Herald, Norfolk & Tillsonburg News, The Londoner, Brantford Expositor, Paris Star Online, Chatham Daily News, Pembroke Observer, Edmonton Journal, Saskatoon Star Phoenix.

Sector-specific

Poultry: Can orange corn help alleviate footpad dermatitis in broilers?

Orange corn, which contains higher levels of carotenoids than yellow or white corn, was found to reduce the severity of footpad dermatitis in broilers. It also contributed to improved bird growth by boosting weight gain, the study by a U.S. team of researchers found. 

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Swine: Breeding for reduced mortality

Danish researchers at the University of Aarhus are investigating whether increasing piglet mortality rates are a consequence of current breeding goals, which focus on increasing litter sizes. A possible solution could be a focus on breeding for survival to weaning instead of the current standard of day five after birth, suggest researchers.

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Beef: New research to tackle reproductive failure in beef cattle

Researchers from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and Simon Fraser University have just launched a project to develop a genomics-based diagnostic tool to address reproductive failure. Breeding problems are estimated to cost Canadian ranchers $280 million annually.

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Dairy: Study to improve dairy industry competitiveness, sustainability

A new five-year initiative into dairy microbiology aims to boost the competitiveness and sustainability of the Canadian dairy industry. Led by the University of Guelph, the Dairy Alliance research will look at improving control of microbial ecosystems to improve dairy product quality.

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Aquaculture: U.S. researchers bredding new generations of Atlantic salmon

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture are working to address genetic improvement, growth, development, health and sustainable production systems for Atlantic salmon at the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Centre in Maine.

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Cross-sector

Food waste: How to use food waste for good

This BBC Future explores different ways the agri-food supply chain could reduce food waste, from increasing automation and repurposing byproducts to controlled envrionment agriculture.

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Climate change: U.S. supports "climate-smart commodities"

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has announced the United States plans to invest over $1 billion USD into "climate-smart commodities". These are commodities produing using practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester carbon.

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Gut health: Northern reindeer make new probiotics a reality

Russian scientists have isolated a new bacteria from the gut of Northern reindeer that could boost feed conversion in ruminants. It's part of research by the St. Petersburg Federal Research Centre into what helps these animals survive in the harsh conditions of the Arctic environment where food can be scarce and of low nutritional value.

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On the horizon

Environment: The search for carbon neutral protein

Although some climate advocates are pushing for animal-free diets to reduce carbon-emissions, others are pushing to make dairy and eggs more sustainable.

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Alternative protein: China focuses on cultivated meat and other "future foods"

The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has for the first time included alternative protein products into its five-year plan for economic development. Specifically mentioned technologies include cell-cultured meat, synthetic egg analogs and recombinant proteins.

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Thanks for reading. We'd love to hear your feedback about LRIC - both about what we're doing and what you think we should be doing! Please contact us at info@livestockresearch.ca with any questions or comments.