2021
LIMITLESS A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
AI FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY PUT TO THE TEST WITH LIVESTOCK
LAKELAND’S RESEARCH TEAM & Portfolio Expand
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Active Active livestock livestock research research projects projects underway underway
Lakeland LakelandCollege’s College’sApplied Applied Research Research is is driven driven by technological technologicalinnovation innovation that that will will advance advance agricultural agricultural productivity productivityand andsustainability sustainability in in key key commercial commercial crop andlivestock livestockspecies. species. and Collaborateand andinnovate innovate with with our our research research scientists, Collaborate facultyand andstudents. students.They’re They’re ready ready to to help help provide faculty answersthat thatbenefit benefitwestern western Canadian Canadian producers producers and answers the agriculture value chain. the agriculture value chain. Howcan canwe wehelp helpyou? you?Connect Connect with with us: us: How appliedresearch@lakelandcollege.ca appliedresearch@lakelandcollege.ca lakelandcollege.ca/appliedresearch lakelandcollege.ca/appliedresearch
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Activecrop crop Active researchprojects projects research underway underway
Research projects are conducted partnershipwith withindustry industrypartners, partners,government governmentagencies agenciesand andother otherkey keystakeholders stakeholderson onLakeland’s Lakeland’s award-winning award-winning Research projects are conducted inin partnership Student-Managed Farm Powered by New Holland at the Vermilion, Alta., campus, which features a commercial-scale crop, dairy and beef operation. Student-Managed Farm - Powered by New Holland at the Vermilion, Alta., campus, which features a commercial-scale crop, dairy and beef operation.
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LIMITLESS
LIMITLESS A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
Publication Information Limitless is published by Lakeland College. This is the 9th volume. Throughout the magazine, you will find faces of researchers and innovative staff and students at the college. Special thanks to all Lakeland College employees and partners who contributed information and photographs to this publication. Vermilion Campus 5707 College Drive Vermilion AB T9X 1K5
pplied research actually came first in Lakeland College's history. Before there was a Vermilion School of Agriculture, there was a demonstration farm where the college was established. To this day, Lakeland supports and encourages applied research. Through applied research, students take the lead in learning, gain wider perspectives, have access to additional expertise and build important skills that contribute to industrial innovation. Lakeland is committed to pursuing applied research projects that enhance both teaching and learning as well as support regional economic development.
Lloydminster Campus 2602 - 59 Avenue Lloydminster AB T9V 3N7 lakelandcollege.ca
Stay Connected Join the conversation and share your Lakeland experience online.
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Between issues of Limitless, read stories of innovation and events at lakelandcollege. ca, or subscribe to the Lakeland Link to get up-to-date college news at lakelandcollege.ca/lakeland-link.
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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Table of 6 Message from the President & CEO
16 Livestock research projects
7 Message from the Dean of Agriculture Technology & Applied Research
18 Lakeland College's
8 Meet our team
19 When the bolus hits the
14 Crop research projects 4
LIMITLESS
applied research grows with new agreement rumen, are they all the same?
20 Remote sensing applied to facial recognition in cows and more
22 Soil moisture levels and in-row applied phosphorus rate influence field pea mortality
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Contents 23 Hyperspectral imaging combats yield loses
24 Calibrating a milk fever system
26 Grain drying technology aims to increase profitability and efficiency
28 Garlic's impact on fly management and feedlot cattle performance
30 Does your farm data give you the full picture?
34 Lakeland College develops first Bachelor of Agriculture Technology Degree
35 The importance of agricultural research
36 Campus news A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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pplied research has always been a vital and dynamic part of Lakeland College. It’s one of the ways we give our students a learning experience that goes beyond the classroom and into the future of sustainable agriculture and economic development. It’s an essential part of our commitment to increase our capacity to produce results of value to producers. In this issue of Limitless, we have so much to share and celebrate. Our applied research department continues to expand as we build on our results-driven research partnerships with industry. As you flip through this issue, you’ll see a breakdown of the projects we have underway and our partners. You'll also meet our complete research team, many of whom are new to our Lakeland team thanks to a recent collaboration with government. We received a $1.9 million grant from the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta to expand our research portfolio, including taking over Alberta’s pulse agronomy and beef production systems. Our research scientists and technicians have been busy with our students and industry partners on projects aimed at increasing regional sustainability. We have been calibrating a milk fever testing system and testing boluses and their ability to offset the illness in milking cows. We have also received interesting results from our continued investigation into the effects of feeding garlic to feedlot cattle when it comes to fly management and nutrient intake. We have been testing how increased phosphorus rates affect field pea seed safety and yield potential, as well as how new grain drying technology can increase profitability and efficiency for producers.
Message from the
PRESIDENT
We have also been experimenting with the latest in agricultural technology, from exploring the uses of remote sensing when applied to facial recognition in cattle to using hyper-spectral imaging through drones and camera technology to determine bloom stages of canola and predict grain yield, and determining which agricultural technology brings the highest return on investment to producers. In other exciting agricultural news at Lakeland, we have launched Canada’s only agriculture technology degree, with intake beginning this fall. You’ll find the full stories of these projects and more in the pages ahead. It’s such an exciting time to be involved in agriculture research and education in Canada and we’re so glad you’re coming along on this adventure with us.
Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart President and CEO
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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
I
t is my pleasure to welcome you to another edition of Limitless and all of the happenings in applied research at Lakeland College. Of significance, I am pleased to report that we have expanded our research staff, thanks to significant grants from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and through on-going support from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council IE Extend grant we were awarded last year. Additional staff means more research expertise and a broader array of projects. Starting on page 14 you will see we have a lot of great things happening in applied research! To accommodate growth in our agriculture department and evolve roles, on July 1, 2020 Geoff Brown transitioned from associate dean of Agricultural Sciences to dean of Agricultural Sciences and dean of Environmental Sciences. I assumed the role of dean of Agriculture Technology and Applied Research and my responsibilities include our new Bachelor of Agriculture Technology degree program as well as applied research, the college farm and agriculture continuing education. It is my privilege to work alongside Geoff, as well as Tanya McDonald, senior executive advisor of Agriculture, Research and Advancement, in serving our education and research mandates. Our research initiatives support Alberta’s economy by: • helping industry partners capitalize on new opportunities; • advancing agriculture practices and technologies; • finding solutions to current challenges; • transferring that knowledge to agri-businesses, farms and • ranches; and • providing Lakeland students with learning opportunities that build important skills. Applied research is integrated with Lakeland’s Student-Managed Farm - Powered by New Holland (SMF). Students in the SMF Crop and Livestock Research units work alongside researchers and faculty to develop applied research projects, allocate resources, and work with partners. In forming our research strategies, input from key producer and industry organizations and alignment with the goals of government and other funders is critical. As such, I appreciated the opportunity to be involved RDAR’s consultative process, and to now have a seat on RDAR’s advisory committee. Congratulations to all involved with RDAR on a job well done in transitioning agriculture research in Alberta.
In achieving our mandate, Lakeland is also very appreciative of the $1.9 million grant from the governments of Alberta and Canada to transition key research programs and personnel to Lakeland. To further progress and strengthen applied research in pulse crop agronomy and production, cow-calf production efficiencies and sustainability, animal health and welfare, and new ag technologies, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AAF) transitioned five full time staff as well as supporting resources to Lakeland (see page 8). Many thanks to the Alberta Pulse Growers, Alberta Beef, Agriculture Canada and the various industry partners for their assistance and guidance during the transition of the AAF resources. Our thanks to National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) for the IE Extend Grant which provides funding and staffing for on-going research projects. Under the IE Extend we have recently hired additional staff on both the livestock and crops side to complement our existing research staff. We continue to progress the mandate of our partnership under the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Innovation Network (CAAIN), and specifically through the Pan Canadian Smart Farm project. The Smart Farm Network will allow us to incorporate and beta test technology on our college farm while contributing to a network of “smart” farms that will be able to collect and share data at a national level. CAAIN has funded other technology research projects at Lakeland and we are currently working on a “precision ranching” project submission. I am proud to work alongside a knowledgeable, engaged and highly skilled team! On behalf of our team, we look forward to working with many of you in serving our research and industry stakeholders. On a final note, and most importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our many industry partners and collaborators for your support, be it guidance and mentorship, funding, in-kind contributions, or project proposal backing. We appreciate and value our work with all of you. As demonstrated in this edition of Limitless, together we are progressing applied research that is significant to our economy and we thank you for that!
Josie Van Lent Dean, School of Agricultural Sciences and Applied Research
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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Robyne (formerly Bowness) Davidson B.SC. IN PEST MANAGEMENT, M.SC. IN PLANT SCIENCE PULSE RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Robyne Davidson joins Lakeland College from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. She has been working specifically with pulse crops for the past 18 years, leading a pulse research team conducting trials across Alberta. Davidson works closely with the Alberta Pulse Growers Commission (APG) who fund the majority of her research work. Projects she has been involved with include: • Expansion of red lentil into suitable growing areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan • Introduction, expansion and grower support for faba bean across the prairies • Introduction and suitability of winter pulses • Management of root rot and foliar diseases of field pea
• Evaluation of new germplasm and breeding material from around the world • Agronomic practices and pest mitigation for tannin and low-tannin faba bean • Understanding and mitigating Aphanomyces in field pea and lentil • Adaptability, agronomy and production of blue and white lupin • Annual provincial pulse crop surveys
Davidson is also involved in the registration of new pulse crop varieties through the Prairie Grain Development Committee and monitoring prairie pulse concerns at the Western Forum on Pest Management. Davidson can be found at various conferences and industry events talking with farmers, industry representatives and stakeholders to understand the concerns and challenges the pulse industry is facing. This helps her tailor her work to address those concerns. She believes that any applied research program should be closely tied to industry to remain valuable and relevant. Davidson and her husband Dave operate a 4,000-acre grain farm east of Red Deer, Alta., where they target a four-year rotation of barley, canola, wheat and field pea. Davidson enjoys experimenting on the farm to get a better feel for how the management practices she promotes affect large on-farm production. She feels that being a researcher as well as a farmer makes her stronger in both roles. At Lakeland, Davidson will lead the pulse team in continuing the research program and expanding in many areas. She is looking forward to being part of an expanding, multidisciplinary, industry-focused research team.
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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Trina Dubitz started her career in agriculture in 1998 by volunteering at the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Lacombe, Alta. She was hired on shortly after as an agronomy technician where she researched many crops including canola, wheat and barley for six years. She moved to Alberta Agriculture and Forestry in 2005, working in the pulse pathology/agronomy research department. As a pulse agronomy technician, Dubitz has worked with many crops including faba beans, peas, lupins, lentils and soybeans. She enjoys leading a productive and efficient team and takes pride in providing high quality research information as well as collaborating with diverse research organizations.
Trina Dubitz B.SC.
Dubitz is excited to be making the move to Lakeland College. She looks forward to continuing to do what she loves in the pulse field and the opportunities that an academic intuition offers in an ever growing and vibrant pulse industry.
Dr. Obioha (Obi) Durunna M.SC. IN QUANTITATIVE GENETICS, PHD IN GENOMICS LIVESTOCK RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Before joining Lakeland College, Dr. Obi Durunna was a livestock specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, providing extension and research support to livestock producers. He had also previously worked as a beef researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Since joining Lakeland in 2018, Dr. Durunna has developed a Livestock research program that has a strong applied focus on livestock production systems, especially identifying and developing strategies that advance the beef and dairy sector’s productivity, profitability and sustainability via production efficiency profiling, telemetric applications in livestock production, genetic/genomic evaluations and integrated crop-livestock strategies. Dr. Durunna is also an adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
Emily Gannon ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES DIPLOMA CROP RESEARCH TECHNOLOGIST
Emily Gannon is a Lakeland alumna who began her career as a summer student member of the crop research team for two years before being hired on full-time last October.
Andrea Hanson BEEF EXTENSION SPECIALIST Andrea Hanson has joined the Lakeland College team to assist in the beef cattle research and then share that information with students and grassroots producers. She knows what it is like to get dirty, find a short in the electric fence, manage the forage supply during the growing season, balance a ration and deal with frozen waterers as she grew up on her family’s farm east of Airdrie, Alta., and has managed her family’s cow herd through the years. Before joining Lakeland, Hanson spent over 10 years as a 4-H and then beef extension specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. She has also been a district agriculturist and a crop specialist. Hanson is particularly passionate about pasture and grazing management. At Lakeland, Hanson will be assisting the beef research scientists in various research projects and then developing extension programming for students and producers.
Dr. Susan Markus B.SC IN AGRICULTURE, M.SC. IN RUMINANT NUTRITION, PHD IN ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR BEEF RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Kyle Kipps M.SC. IN SOIL SCIENCE Kyle Kipps has an interest in technology and data-driven decision making. He sees great potential for data and technology to help all producers increase the sustainability of their operations and is interested in learning about how best to apply the proper tools to efficiently manage the resources on the farm. He has taken these concepts and leveraged them to inspire students to take a closer look at their own decision-making in their agricultural education.
Dr. Susan Markus has over 30 years of extensive experience in beef cattle production and sheep nutrition. Dr. Markus is currently involved in a large cow/calf, backgrounding and feedlot operation with her family in Castor, Alta. She has also been a leader in the Paintearth 4-H Beef Club and regularly organizes field trips and educational activities for her club and district. While growing up on a large mixed farm in northern Manitoba, Dr. Markus developed a keen interest in cows and agriculture. That set the path for her future. Dr. Markus started her career with Manitoba Agriculture as an agrologist in Boissevain, Man. She has been with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry for 25 years, initially as a beef and forage specialist and, since 2006, as a livestock research scientist in the Livestock Research and Extension Branch. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta. Her background in extension and adult education allows her to bring the science of animal research and new technologies into the classroom for students and onto the ranch for livestock producers. While Dr. Markus’s research involvement is varied from production, genomics, feed efficiency and nutrition to economics, she maintains a key interest in supporting practical ideas from the livestock industry.
Dr. Adrienne Levay M.SC IN GLOBAL HEALTH, PHD IN LAND AND FOOD SYSTEMS
One of Lakeland College’s newest faculty members, Dr. Adrienne Levay is a member of the team responsible for developing and delivering Lakeland’s new bachelor of agriculture technology program. She is a two-time recipient of the Tri-Council’s Graduate Research Awards for both her Master’s research and her Doctoral Research in addition to being one of the University of British Columbia’s 4-Year Doctoral Fellows during her Ph.D. Dr. Levay has spent the last two years learning and growing, working at Alberta Innovates’ Alberta Data Institute supporting both public and private organizations, in the health and agricultural sectors, to explore the possibilities of using their data to develop solutions for their business challenges. Her research interests, past and present, have included food security, gender and health in the global south, nutrition policy, health systems research, implementation science, realist methodologies, pedagogical approaches to food systems education, and deriving value from data collaborations in agriculture, emerging technologies and the ethics of innovation.
Andrea Kastendieck RESEARCH COMPLIANCE COORDINATOR Andrea Kastendieck has been part of the Lakeland College team since 2008 and part of the applied research department since 2011. She is responsible for financial monitoring and grant reporting.
Laurel Thompson B.SC., M.SC., CCA CROP RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Yuri Montanholi M.SC., DVM, PHD INSTRUCTOR AND RESEARCHER Dr. Yuri Montanholi has a dual appointment at Lakeland College as an instructor and a researcher. As an instructor, he develops and teaches courses for the new agriculture technology degree, as well as provides support for students. As a researcher, he is establishing a research program focused on the development of technologies applied to livestock husbandry, mainly beef, dairy, bison and small ruminants. At Lakeland, Dr. Montanholi intends to expand his activities through an interconnected research and teaching program to assist new professionals and beef producers in increasing their production efficiency while safeguarding the environment and contributing to the strength of their communities. Currently, Dr. Montanholi is leading a research project on applied artificial intelligence for remote animal identification and phenotypes of interest for the livestock industry through a collaboration with OneCup AI.
Laurel Thompson has been contributing to the Lakeland College crop research program since 2016. Focusing mainly on cereal crops, Thompson explores interactions between cereal genetics, agronomic management practices, and the environment to assist producers in making targeted and economically sound agronomic decisions. She enjoys sharing research findings with and learning from crop producers. Prior to joining the Lakeland research team, Thompson worked as an industry agronomist before attaining her MSc at the University of Alberta, where she studied agronomic methods for maximizing feed barley yields. Thompson also enjoys teaching, having taught courses at both the University of Alberta and Lakeland College. Thompson and her husband operate a grain and cow calf farm in the Vermilion area.
JP Pettyjohn B.SC., P.AG. M.SC. (PENDING), CCA INSTRUCTOR AND CROP RESEARCH SCIENTIST JP Pettyjohn began working in small plot crop research as a summer student in 1999 with SARDA a producer-led research group in Falher, Alta. In 2002, he began working for Roy-Boy farms, diversifying 4,300 acres of grain, oilseed and forage seed with a 200 head cow/ calf operation. In 2009, Pettyjohn managing SARDA and became the lead technician. He joined the Lakeland College team as a crop sciences instructor in 2016 and is currently covering Laurel Thompson’s parental lead on the crop research team.
Emma Robb AGRIBUSINESS DIPLOMA CROP RESEARCH TECHNOLOGIST Emma Robb graduated from Lakeland College’s agribusiness program 2020 and joined the applied research team in the fall. She has always had a passion for agriculture, especially sustainability and longevity. Working in crop research allows her to be a part of the up-andcoming techniques and technologies that will ensure a strong future for agriculture.
Dr. Brenda Ralston B.SC. IN AGRICULTURE, M.SC. IN VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY, PHD IN VETERINARY AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES. BEEF RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Dr. Brenda Ralston will be joining the Lakeland College team in the fall of 2021 after 35 years with Alberta Agriculture as a district agriculturist, beef specialist and research scientist. Dr. Ralston is a firm believer that applied research is critically needed today more than ever and that colleges are an excellent fit to carry this out in collaboration with private industry, universities, government and, most importantly, producers themselves. Her guiding principle for applied research is that it must provide a product or practice that the producer can implement in their operation to enhance their efficiency, sustainability or profitability to support the agriculture industry. Dr. Ralston has tried to demonstrate that principle through her collaborative work with industry to assist in bringing livestock pharmaceuticals to market that address animal welfare issues related to management procedures such as castration, supporting the development of an anti-bloat agent that can be used during grazing of alfalfa for enhanced gains, boluses to address metabolic disorders in ruminants, and alternatives to antibiotics for the treatment of non-bacterial scours. She is also interested in practical solutions to address antimicrobial resistance determination on the farm level for targeted selection of antibiotic groups for better animal outcomes and enhanced antibiotic stewardship.
Carien Vandenberg B.SC. IN AGRICULTURE, M.SC. IN ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR ASSOCIATE LIVESTOCK RESEARCHER Carien Vanderberg pursued her master’s degree studying the chicken. From there, she worked with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, various dairy and horse farms in Alberta, and at Old’s College for nine years. In the last four years, she has pursued marketing and manufacturing roles and finds herself happily pulled back into research, livestock, the beautiful west and campus life.
Dr. Ralston looks forward to involving students in research projects and harvesting their great ideas to direct future research initiatives.
Josie van Lent DEAN OF AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY & APPLIED RESEARCH
Trisha Mechor ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE DEANS OF AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND APPLIED RESEARCH AND AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY With a background in human resources, Trisha Mechor has been with Lakeland College for four years, three of which have been spent with the agricultural sciences department.
Before moving into her new position as the dean of agriculture technology and applied research, Josie van Lent spent 13 years as the dean of agriculture sciences. In her new role, she provides leadership and support to applied research, continuing education, Lakeland’s new agriculture technology degree program and the Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland. Van Lent spent the first half of her career working for Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development as a district agriculturist and livestock specialist. Following that, she was employed in the crop service sector as an agronomist with Webb’s Crop Services in Vermilion before moving on to manage the crop input division in north eastern Alberta for the United Farmers of Alberta (UFA). Van Lent and her family also operate a commercial livestock and grain farm, Staden Farms, which includes beef, bison and crop enterprises.
2020-21
CROP RESEARCH PROJECTS Lakeland College's applied research team is driven by one goal: advancing real-world agriculture productivity and sustainability in key commercial crop and livestock species. The following is Lakeland’s complete list of current research projects.
Project Title
Project Lead
Collaborators
Total Project Value
Funders
Date
Enhancing Commercial Agricultural Productivity, Efficiency and Sustainability
T. McDonald, Lakeland
Numerous
$900,000
NSERC
2020-2023
Adapting Innovative Solutions to Increase Barley Profitability in AB: Expanding malt cultivar end-use
L. Thompson, Lakeland
AB Agriculture and Forestry
$187,680
Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Syngenta, AB Barley
2019-2021
Managing Malt Cultivars for Feed End Users
L. Thompson, Lakeland
Battle River Research Group
$24,000
AB Barley Commission
2019-2021
Developing Decision Tools for Fusarium Head Blight Management in W. Canada
Dr. P. Bullock, University of Manitoba
Numerous
$1,590,000
Agronomy Cluster (Canadian Agricultural Parnership)
2019-2023
Surveillance Networks for Beneficial Insects In Relation to Canola Yield
Dr. P. Galpren, University of Calgary
Evaluating Combinations of Crop Input Intensities in Wheat
L. Thompson, Lakeland
BASF
$10,125
BASF
2020-2021
Field Pea Fungicide Evaluation Trial
L. Thompson, Lakeland
BASF
$4,800
BASF
2020-2021
Wheat Variety Trials
L. Thompson, Lakeland
BASF
$52,370
BASF
2020-2022
Exploring Field Pea Seed Safety & Yield Potential Using Phosphorus Management (2 trials)
Student trial with L. Thompson, Lakeland
APGA
$4,950
Zone 5 APGA
2020-2021
Improving N Efficiency & Reducing N Loss Using Urease Inhibitors in Spring Wheat and Canola (2 trials)
L. Thompson, Lakeland
AgXplore
$6,930
AgXplore
2020-2021
Cereal Regional Variety Trials; CWRS, CPSP, Barley, Oats, Triticale
Provincial
Alberta Ag, cereal producer commissions and numerous seed companies
Variable
AB Wheat & Barley Commission (funded by multiple companies & commissions)
Annual
Integrating N Fertilizer Technologies with Superior Genetics to Optimize Protein in CWRS without Compromising Yield, 4R Principles, and Environmental Health (2 trials)
Dr. B Beres, AAFC
Multiple
$3,607,500
Ag Funding Consortium
2020-2021
Examining row placement and P, S fertilizer product effect on wheat production (2 trials)
L. Thompson, Lakeland
Anuvia
$11,890
Anuvia
2020-2022
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$449,987
2019-2022
Project Title
Project Lead
Collaborators
Total Project Value
Funders
Date
Specialized P, K, and S Seed Placed Fertility in Canola
L. Thompson, Lakeland
Mosaic
$14,000
Mosaic
2020-2022
Introducing Crop Producers to New and Improved Cereal Genetics
L. Thompson, Lakeland
SeCan
$9,680
SeCan
2020-2022
Malt Barley Trial
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
CMBTC
$2,333
CMBTC
2020-2021
Exploring a Multifaceted Strategy to Deliver Copper in Wheat
L. Thompson, Lakeland
Yara
$21,963
Yara
2020-2022
Wheat Fungicide Evaluation Trial
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
BASF
$11,880
BASF
2021-2022
Canola Council Variety Trial
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
Canola Council of Canada
$6,600
Canola Council of Canada
2021-2022
Using Hydrated Lime as a Soil Ameliorant to Reduce Aphanomyces Euteiches Severity in Field Pea
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
Alberta Pulse Growers Association
$8,565
APGA Zone 5
2021-2022
Nutrien Wheat Variety Trial
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
Nutrien
$10,800
Nutrien
2021-2022
Canola Performance Trial
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
Sask Canola Development Commission
$7,980
Sask. Canola Development Commission
2021-2022
Calibrating of Bin Drying
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
Top Grade Ag
$18,150
AB Innovates
2020-2021
Data Collection & Utilization of Data for Cropping Decisions
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
$49,000
AB Innovates
2020-2021
Application of Hyperspectral Imaging for Crop Staging and Yield Prediction in Canola (2 trials)
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
$43,960
AB Innovates
2020-2021
Field Scale Research Validation of Variable Rate Technology
J.P Pettyjohn, Lakeland
$8,120
AB Innovates
2020-2021
Pan Canadian Smart Farm Network
Dr. J. Agnew, Olds College. Dr. A. Levay is Lakeland lead
Lakeland, Glacier Farm Media Discovery Farm, MNP
$2,175,000
CAAIN
2020-2023
Cover Crops as Part of a Rotation Strategy to Reduce Pea Root Rot
Dr. S. Chatterton, AAFC
Dr. R. Davidson, Lakeland
$58,000
Agriculture and Agrifood Canada
2021-2023
Investigating the Agronomics of Lupin Production, a New High Protein Pulse Crop for Alberta
Dr. R. Davidson, Lakeland
Koralta, Alberta Pulse Growers
$488,400
Alberta Pulse Growers, RDAR
2021-2023
Agronomy to Mitigate Yield Loss by Pea Root Rot (rotation, intercropping)
Dr. S. Chatterton, AAFC
Dr. R. Davidson, Lakeland
$74,000
AAFC Pulse Cluster, Alberta Pulse Growers
2021-2023
Evaluation of Calcium Based Products to Reduce Impact of Aphanomyces
Dr. S. Chatterton, AAFC
Dr. R. Davidson, Lakeland, Greymont
$60,000
Alberta Pulse Growers and RDAR
2021-2024
Pulse Regional Variety Trials; Yellow Peas, Green Peas, Fababeans, Lentils, Soybeans
Provincial
Alberta Agriculture, Alberta Pulse Growers, and numerous seed companies
$22,560
AgCall sub-contract (funded by multiple companies and commissions)
2021 (Annual)
Evaluation of Market Options for Mycosphaerella Blight Control in Field Pea
L. Blashko, BASF, Dr. R. Davidson, Lakeland
BASF
$9,600
BASF
2021 (Annual)
Cover Crops as a Rotation Strategy to Reduce Pea Root Rot
Dr. S. Chatterton, AAFC
Dr. R. Davidson, Lakeland
$58,000
Alberta Pulse Growers
2021-2023
Enhancing Field Pea and Faba Bean Productivity
Dr. R. Davidson, Lakeland
University of Saskatchewan, Limagrain
$32,400
University of Saskatchewan, Limagrain
2021-2024
Stream Tech, Landview Drones, Thompson Rivers University
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
15
2020-21
LIVESTOCK RESEARCH PROJECTS Project Title
Project Lead
Collaborators
Production and health impacts from seasonal feeding of garlic products to growing cattle
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
University of Calgary (U of C), University of Saskatchewan (U of S), University of Manitoba (U of M), Rannach Community Pasture Society, Government of Saskatchewan, Masterfeeds, Prairie Microtech Inc.
Evaluating sire-progeny links, breeding plans and information management in multi-sire breeding scenarios on commercial herds
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
Feeding garlic powder to cattle: Effects on mineral intake, fly repellence and cattle performance
Antimicrobial Resistance- One Health Consortium
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Total Project Value
Funders
Date
$93,008
Alberta/Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP)
2019-2021
Olds College, West-Central Forage Association
$67,845
Alberta/Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP)
2019-2021
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
U of C, U of S, U of M, Government of Saskatchewan, Masterfeeds, Prairie Microtech Inc.
$119,992
Saskatchewan – Agriculture Development Fund (ADF)
2019-2020
Dr. H. Barkema, U of C
U of C, U of A, U of Lethbridge, Athabasca University, Olds College, SAIT, Mount Royal University
$6,315,000
Government of Alberta, Major Innovation Fund (MIF)
2019-2026
Project Title
Project Lead
Collaborators
Total Project Value
Strengthening Lakeland College's feed efficiency and supplementation research
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
U of S
$117,026
The use of meloxicam oral suspension in post-partum dairy cattle to increase milk production and reduce clinical disease
Dr. S. Zuidhof, Solvet
Solvet, Lakeland, Alberta Milk
2019-2020
Automated infrared and micro-behavior tracking as an estrus detection method in a commercial milking system
Dr. C. Bench, U of A
Lakeland, Animal Inframetrics
2020-2021
Feed effeciency testing
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
Speckle Park & Canadian Charolais Associations
2019-2020
Micro combined heat and power technology
G. Brown, Lakeland
Alberta Milk
Validation of imaging technology for assessing priority traits in Canadian Angus
Dr. Y. Montanholi, Lakeland
Canadian Angus Association, U of C
Evaluation of energy-use and water-use efficiency under the robot and parlour dairy systems
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
On-farm validation of a novel milk fever test system
Dr. J. De Buck, U of C
Student research internship
Funders
Date
Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)- Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI)
capital purchase of SmartFeed Pro units
CAP
2019-2020
$15,600
Alberta Innovates
2020-2021
$22,100
Alberta Innovates
2020-2021
Lakeland
$47,920
Alberta Innovates
2020-2021
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
Highland Feeders Ltd, Feedlot Health Management Services
$60,000
MITACS
2020-2021
Reducing beef production costs through swath grazing complex forage mixtures
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
Ranching Systems Ltd., U of S, Peace Country Beef & Forage Association
$291,539
Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR)
2021-2023
Smart handheld technology for automatic blood analysis: Innovative prediction of sheep pregnancy and litter size
Dr. S. Markus, Lakeland
Olds College, University of Alberta, Ontario Sheep Producers, Alberta Lamb Producers, TRICCA
$248,000
RDAR
2021-2023
Student research internships
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
Trust BIX
$150,000
MITACS
2021
Reducing beef winter-feeding costs through swath grazing of strategicallyconstructed forage mixtures
Dr. O. Durunna, Lakeland
Union Forage
$25,000
NSERC Engage
2021
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
17
L
akeland College’s applied research portfolio has expanded thanks to the governments of
of agriculture researchers. A win-win,” says Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Canada and Alberta. Lakeland
The pulse agronomy program is a mixture of extension and pulse research projects across Alberta that facilitates the growth of the agriculture and food industry and enhances rural sustainability.
is getting a $1.9-million grant to transition two critical agriculture research programs.
This investment in research will also expand research capacity and teaching opportunities for the next generation of researchers in Alberta. The agreement will allow the college to grow and leverage its existing research capacity. This will make way for new learning opportunities for instructors and students as well as more collaboration with industry. The three-year agreement will support Lakeland College to take over pulse agronomy and beef production systems programs in Alberta. “Through these investments in science and research, we are helping to keep our pulse and beef producers on the cutting edge. This agreement with Lakeland College will support producer-led research priorities in these industries, while cultivating the next generation
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The beef production systems program focuses on livestock disease and pathogens, pain mitigation strategies and production efficiency, including beef forage, feed rations and genetics. “This agreement is another exciting step for farmer-led research. Agriculture will continue to have a bright future in Alberta with cutting-edge research and research excellence. The pulse and cattle industry will benefit having this research housed at Lakeland College,” says Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. “This agreement supports a new model for agriculture research and increases Lakeland’s capacity to produce results of value and better serve commercial
crop and beef producers. We are excited to build on our results-oriented research partnerships with industry while also increasing opportunities for student involvement as they develop applied research skills that will serve them well in the future,” adds Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO, Lakeland College. This agreement is part of the Alberta government’s commitment to ensure farmers and ranchers lead agriculture research priorities. Establishing Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), an arm’s-length, non-profit corporation, was the first step to ensure research funding priorities are producer led. Over the long term, RDAR will assume ongoing
responsibility for funding agreements. Alberta’s government has committed $370 million in provincial funding to agriculture research over the next 10 years. “Lakeland College continues to be a leader in agriculture research and this new agreement will only bolster that reputation. Under the stewardship of Lakeland, we can be certain that this project will support Alberta’s hardworking farmers and ranchers.,” says Garth Rowswell, MLA for VermilionLloydminster-Wainwright. “As RDAR interim board chair, in addition to previously announced funding for Olds College, I am delighted that we are now able to support and significantly augment the work being done at Lakeland College. Lakeland College is a very strong post-secondary institution with significant agricultural assets and potential,” says Dr. David Chalack, interim board chair of RDAR. This investment is made possible by the governments of Canada and Alberta through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and the Strategic Research and Development Program. “Alberta Pulse Growers is pleased to learn that Lakeland College will assume the pulse research program from the Alberta government. We have a great working relationship with the College and we look forward to further developing key pulse research projects addressing producer issues together for Alberta’s farmers,” says Don Shepert, chair, Alberta Pulse Growers.
WHEN THE BOLUS HITS THE RUMEN, ARE THEY ALL THE SAME? By: Verhoef W, Zuidhof S, Ralston B, Ross JA, Olson M. Dissolution Rates of Calcium Boluses and Their Effects on Serum Calcium in Dairy Cattle. Vet Med (Auckl). 2021;12:23-32
When a cow starts milking, the demand for calcium from her body increases and depending on the cow’s ability to adapt, she may become hypocalcemic (hypo meaning low, under, below normal and calcemic meaning calcium in the blood); the common term is milk fever. Sometimes she may show no symptoms but end up with other issues such as mastitis, infections, or muscle/nerve damage. The lowest level of blood calcium typically occurs 12-24 hours after calving so it is important to get the calcium into the cow’s bloodstream as quickly as possible to increase her calcium levels to prevent milk fever and other issues. Several commercial calcium boluses have been developed; each with a different calcium formulation. A study was conducted to determine the dissolving rate of each of the calcium bolus types as well as to determine if the rumen pH was affected by the boluses. When the bolus hits the rumen, are they all the same? The study revealed that the ingredients used for the calcium boluses played a large part in how quickly the boluses dissolved in the rumen. For calcium to be absorbed, it must first be dissolved. Calcium chloride and calcium sulphate are passively absorbed through the rumen wall which means the calcium is available quicker. Only when calcium carbonate gets to the small intestine is it absorbed. Three calcium boluses were tested with varying calcium ingredients. Cal-Boost made by Solvet Animal Health, Transition Bolus made by Vetoquinol N.-A Inc and RumiLife CAL24 bolus produced by Genex Cooperative Inc. In all three trials, the quickest bolus to dissolve was the Cal-Boost bolus: dissolving in under 90 minutes. The Transition bolus was next, taking under 180 minutes in two of the three trials and RumiLife took the longest. In all three trials and all three boluses, the rumen pH remained relatively constant. Replacing the calcium levels as soon as possible is the goal of calcium bolus treatment therefore selecting a bolus that dissolves as quickly as possible is an important consideration. It is important that you talk to your veterinarian about a calcium bolus strategy that would work for your management. So, when the bolus hits the answer is no.
rumen, are they all the same? The
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College 19
REMOTE SENSING APPLIED TO Facial Recognition IN COWS AND MORE Lakeland College continues to
By Dr. Yuri Montanholi Instructor & Researcher
build on partnerships to advance on the development and validation of novel technologies to support the demand of the livestock sector for optimizing animal remote monitoring, for enhancing production efficiency, while promoting animal welfare and sustainable production. Through a collaboration with an Alberta based company, OneCup AI (onecup.ai), research on computer vision artificial intelligence is being further
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investigated and optimized as a tool to quickly and precisely identify individual beef and dairy cattle. The technology is also being used to detect the onset of calving in commercial herds using the cattle herds at Lakeland College. With this project, livestock producers will benefit from improved animal identification and earlier prediction of calving. As well, students will have hands-on experience with innovative precision livestock farming tools.
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Among several husbandry practices, calving constitutes a great example of where remote monitoring could be of paramount benefit both for the welfare of animals and the economic success of cow-calf enterprises. At Lakeland College research is underway using BETSY to automatically detect and monitor behaviors at the onset of calving. Calving signs are to be continuously monitored at the College’s dairy (Picture 3) and beef (Picture 4) herds. With the 24/7 monitoring, the imaging system will be able to sense the The assessments in mature animals are being individual changes conducted in dairy and beef cows, as these animal in each cow related types have unique features that can be sensed by to the proximity the imaging system. While Holstein dairy cows have of parturition. distinct black/brown and white patterns, the beef These changes cows have more uniform color patterns with varying include expansion hair length over the seasons. The remote monitoring of the udder, of growing animals is designed to address the facial vulva relaxation, changes occurring on the animals during their rapid disappearance of growth phase. Is BETSY able to recognize a newborn Beef cows close to calving pelvic ligaments, animal and then still recognize the same animal later in mucous discharge, restlessness and their life? We are addressing this question by monitoring newborn heifer calves from “weird” behaviors, among others. Upon birth until their breeding age. During the nursing period, BETSY is able to capture proper development and validation, this images at the automated feeding system (Picture 2), which is visited by the calves combination of artificial intelligence and several times daily. Then, during the rearing phase, BETSY will continue monitoring the imaging analysis will assist producers in juvenile heifers at the rearing pen. Collectively, these studies on facial recognition will earlier and more convenient detection assist to build algorithms and contribute to ensure the robustness of this touch-less and of calving, potentially reducing labor on tag-less identification method of cows. farms especially during the cold months of the year. dvances in animal identification are aligned with Canadian livestock industry strategies to enhance livestock traceability to ensure animal health, food safety, and to enable the use of other precision livestock technologies. Research at Lakeland College is validating and optimizing the application of an automated camera suit developed by OneCup AI, called BETSY (Bovine Expert Training and Surveillance), to perform facial recognition in mature and growing cattle. In fact, the cattle individual recognition is a more encompassing subject under BETSY, by incorporating several body landmarks. Bounding boxes and key points are used to train and enable BETSY’s predictions (Picture 1). BETSY runs in two primary vision algorithms, organized into layers: network for bounding boxes (cow, head, hide, tail, udder, knee, and, hoof) and network for the key points, of which there are approximately 40. Bounding boxes form a natural hierarchy, where each bounding box must reside in a cow. The key points form a graph with natural symmetry. The symmetry is key to accuracy; if BETSY knows where an eye, ear and nostril is, it knows where to look for the opposing eye, ear, and nostril.
Moving forward, other aspects of livestock husbandry will be targeted via imaging automation, including research on early disease detection, support for reproduction (i.e. estrus detection) and, remote monitoring of welfare. This collaboration between Lakeland College and OneCup AI will contribute to shape practical and cutting-edge imagingbased solutions for the cattle and dairy industries in Alberta and beyond, while supporting ever important advanced training of our students. Calf facial recognition at the milking machine
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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“We’ve looked at a couple of different things, not just yield, such as the mortality. In 2019, we found higher mortality as the [seed-placed] P rates went higher. It went up every 15 pounds, between zero and 60. When we got to 45 and 60, we found that mortality was significantly higher, which resulted in fewer plants per square metre than we did from zero to 30,” says JP Pettyjohn, Lakeland’s crop research scientist. He continued to explain that in 2020 they saw little mortality; however, the expectation from 2019 was higher pea mortality with increased seed-placed P levels. The difference between the two years is soil moisture levels.
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s part of an Alberta Pulse Growers Zone 5 funded project, Lakeland College’s applied research department explores field pea seed safety and yield potential by applying increasing rates of phosphorus (P).
SOIL MOISTURE LEVELS AND IN-ROW APPLIED PHOSPHORUS RATE INFLUENCE FIELD PEA MORTALITY 22
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“In 2019, we started with reasonably good soil moisture, but then we saw no rain until early June. We went, after seeding, for almost 30 days with no rain. In 2020, we got significant moisture. The seed-placed P itself is not toxic to the plants, but it draws moisture. Water tends to move from areas of low salt concentration to areas with high concentration. When soil water around the seed is high in salts, water cannot enter the seed to start germination. When soil moisture is high and early rainfall occurs, the salt is diluted more so seeds can absorb water.”
Lakeland's Student-Managed Farm — Powered by New Holland (SMF) crop research unit kicked off the project by looking at field pea P fertility in April 2019. They designed the project with interest in both the seed-safe amount Pettyjohn says they would conclude that of P to place with the in the years with adequate pea seed and the total soil moisture and sufficient rate that would be rainfall, you can apply economically profitable more seed-placed fertilizer We’ve looked at a in the fertilizer side-band. without an effect. However,
couple of different
in the years with low soil They discovered that things, not just moisture and insufficient field peas are sensitive yield, such as the rain, it would have dire to seed-placed fertilizer, mortality. consequences.” Thus, the causing mortality. Yet, P need to determine a safe is not mobile in the soil seed-applied rate is important to ensure for seedling roots to access early in the a healthy and vigorous plant stand every growing season when it is most needed, year no matter moisture conditions. so seed-placement of a maximum safe rate of P with peas is of great interest.
He added that Alberta Pulse Growers
In the second trial, students tested P rates in the side-band from zero to 60 lb/ ac actual P to see how the total applied P amount affects yields, but more importantly, where the best economic return for farmers would be.
Zone 5 is interested in signing off on the third year of trials to test lime soil amendments to combat Aphanomyces at a field scale level. Results from the project will likely become available in 2022.
T
he leading canola disease, sclerotinia stem rot, threatens production and causes yield losses to Canadian producers. To combat this fungal disease, and others,
Lakeland College and industry partners have enlisted the use of drones and camera technology.
The Application of Hyperspectral Imaging for Crop Staging and Yield Prediction in Canola project uses drones and hyperspectral imaging methods to determine the bloom stage of canola fields as well as predictive grain yield quickly and accurately. “We began two experimental trials in spring of 2020 to examine the success of correlating hyperspectral image analysis to canola bloom stage at various degrees and grain yield. The collected data is currently being correlated with the images to develop yield algorithms,” says JP Pettyjohn, Lakeland’s crop research scientist.
HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING COMBATS YIELD LOSSES
Trial 1 is testing four seeding dates and targeting four, eight and 12 plants/ft2 in order to ensure a range of plant staging and degree of branching on the date of hyperspectral image capture. The date of hyperspectral imaging will be determined largely by growing season conditions affecting advancement of canola growth stage. Trial 2 determines the success of hyperspectral imaging during the flowering stage to predict canola yield using a yield gradient created by applying six nitrogen rates. Lakeland College, Alberta Innovates, LandView Drones, Thompson Rivers University and Stream Technologies, hope to support the agriculture industry through improved disease management, input use efficiency, and increased canola production, with environmental benefits including reduction of ineffective pesticide applications. LandView is responsible for acquiring hyperspectral images, analyzing the imaging, and correlating groundtruth data to the hyperspectral imaging data. These correlations will support information surrounding the accuracy of hyperspectral imaging assessment of canola bloom stage at varying stages and plant densities, and of canola grain yield. Stream Technologies Inc. is providing analytics on all the various datasets to create AI-powered algorithms for canola staging and yield. Through alignment of the research with regional and provincial industry needs and dissemination of results to agricultural producers and industry, Lakeland will ensure that net research outcomes reflect the primary goal of sustainably enhancing commercial agriculture in the region, in Alberta and in Canada.
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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CALIBRATING A
MILK FEVER SYSTEM Successful collaboration among Lakeland college, UCVM and Creative Protein Solutions on milk fever detection. By: Dr. Jeroen De Buck, professor and chair in bacterial diseases of dairy cattle, UCalgary Peak Scholar, University of Calgary
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airy producers can be empowered to reduce the impact of cattle diseases by convenient, on-farm sensors.
In the second half of 2020, the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) joined forces with Lakeland College to take an important step towards putting novel diagnostic technology in the hands of dairy producers. This collaboration, supported by the Smart Agriculture and Food Innovation Program of Alberta Innovates, was part of a larger project (“Application of agriculture technologies to optimize production and disease detection”). There are currently no on-farm, inexpensive tests for measuring total bovine blood calcium concentrations, to detect and manage hypocalcemia (so-called “milk fever”) and sub-clinical hypocalcemia. To meet this need, Calciulate, a novel biosensor technology that measures total blood calcium on-farm, was recently developed at UCVM and is being commercialized by Creative Protein Solutions. A small amount of blood is collected, mixed with a liquid, and put into a handheld device. Within seconds, results appear in an app on the user’s cell phone. Dr. Obioha Durunna, livestock research scientist, Amber Sayers, dairy unit manager, and Dr. Jeroen De Buck, professor of bovine bacteriology and CEO of Creative Protein Solutions, collaborated to work towards two major goals. First, they investigated how well a new diagnostic platform technology fit into the workflow on farm. Together, this team worked on fine-tuning the tests, the handheld device and the cellphone app. Secondly, access to calving dairy cows in Lakeland’s Dairy Learning Centre, was critical for
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Milk fever is recognizable in dairy cattle and most dairy farmers are familiar with the signs and symptoms. What goes unnoticed however are the subclinical cases. - Amber Sayers
evaluating the performance of the new test, in comparison to standard lab tests done at Prairie Diagnostic Services in Saskatoon. Milk fever and sub-clinical hypocalcemia are always on the mind of Lakeland’s dairy unit manager “Milk fever is recognizable in dairy cattle and most dairy farmers are familiar with the signs and symptoms. What goes unnoticed however are the subclinical cases. The cow calves but doesn’t show the typical signs of cold ears, wobbly stance, or inability to stand, so you don’t think milk fever. But the cow then has a retained placenta, ketosis or other transition problems that could have started with undiagnosed milk fever after calving,” says Sayers. “Having a quick cow-side test available to diagnostic test available in the days immediately following calving will allow us to treat the subclinical cases and help prevent other transition problems. It is exciting to be part of great research that has such practical application for all dairy farmers. And by incorporating technology such as the app, it is more appealing to modern, tech savvy farmers who already have much of their farm management on their phone.” If they are not well managed, cows often have hypocalcemia or sub-clinical hypocalcemia soon after calving. Acute hypocalcemia, quickly leads to paralysis and loss of consciousness, and occurs in five per cent of dairy cows within days after calving. Subclinical hypocalcemia, is much more common, occurring in up to 50 per cent of cows and 25 per cent of firstcalf heifers.
Subclinical hypocalcemia has been associated with several other conditions in dairy cattle, including ketosis, displaced abomasum, retained placenta, metritis, and mastitis, and decreases in reproductive performance and milk production. In the absence of clinical symptoms, the economic impacts of hypocalcemia go largely unnoticed. A 100-head dairy farm with five per cent milk fever and 50 per cent subclinical milk fever has losses of approximately $7,500 per year. However, proper monitoring and effective management can reduce subclinical milk fever by almost 50 per cent. The cellphone app will enable both the dairy producer and veterinarian to simultaneously have access to the same data, bringing telehealth to the dairy herd. “Calciulate is the first of several diagnostic tests being developed for dairy cattle, all based on the same technology,” says Dr. De Buck. “Similar tests for ketosis and mastitis will follow, so that a single handheld device can be used to test for several dairy diseases and conditions.” On-farm validation of Calciulate during this collaboration is important for this device to become an integral part of on-farm diagnostics, rapidly generating reliable data to guide management, prevention and treatment of low calcium concentrations in dairy cattle. This unique collaboration is a critical step in launching a new on-farm diagnostic tool for milk fever and sub-clinical hypocalcemia. This technology is expected to become a critical tool to improve herd management and cattle health on dairy farms in Alberta, Canada, and the world.
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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Grain drying technology aims to increase PROFITABILITY EFFICIENCY Unexpected weather across Western Canada illustrates how producers are at the mercy of Mother Nature when getting their crop in the bin. This applied research project is close to concluding whether it’s possible to increase profitability on today’s technology-based grain farming operations.
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ogether, Alberta Innovates, Top Grade Ag, Lakeland’s crop research team and the Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland (SMF) crop unit are developing in-bin sensormediated drying procedures to increase profitability and efficiency. “As part of the research project the SMF students dried 8,000 bushels of wheat this fall to field test calibration factors for the Top-Grade Ag in bin drying system. This is the third year that SMF has used in-bin drying to condition their grain, but this year the Top-Grade Ag technology took the guess work out of the drying time. Being able to effectively target a moisture content not only saved the students the frustration of guessing when the grain was dry, but also maximized their profitability by not overdying the grain,” says Kyle Kipps, instructor
Possible results to industry could The Calibration of In-bin Drying provide producers with a low-cost Project involves real-time, farmlevel monitoring of a sensor-based option to managing crop quality in-bin drying system using the SMF. while utilizing existing grain storage The system could help producers infrastructure. This new technology determine when grain will dry rather will turn any aeration bin into a “built than estimating when it will be. for purpose” grain drying system Sensors in the drying bin capture at a fraction of a stand-alone grain humidity, temperature and pressure dryer cost. The benefit of harvesting data to model early is warmer water removal, ambient according temperatures to Graham which result As part of the research project Stuparyk, in much lower the SMF students dried 8,000 a secondgrain drying bushels of wheat this fall to year crop costs and energy technology field test calibration factors usage. student and for the Top-Grade Ag in bin Ryan Lutz, a member of Lakeland’s drying system. the SMF crop agriculture unit’s analysis - Kyle Kipps technician, team. who helped Stuparyk’s responsibility was to install the systems in the college’s organize the grain’s movement grain bin, says, “It was my first time from one bin to another, then take working with this kind of tech, and moisture samples for the study so I didn't know what to expect. I’m that they could calibrate how much impressed. Before this year, we were moisture was leaving the grain. “By just using construction heaters and doing this, we could calibrate the just blowing hot air in the bin. The system to measure moisture levels students put in tons of extra labour, properly. I also entered the data into flipping the bins, turning the grain the website.” over so they didn't get hot spots and The data entered in the website so they knew where the moisture goes to software that calculates was at.” water removal based on the moisture This project, which began in April levels you started with and the bin's 2020, wrapped up in March 2021. drying conditions. A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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Garlic’s impact on fly management & feedlot cattle performance Debates about the impact of feeding garlic products to cattle have plagued producers for years. A good number of producers argue that feeding garlic-infused minerals or salt to their cattle has measurably reduced the abundance of flies or increased the amount of minerals they consume or both. Other producers, just as passionate, claim that garlic had no impact on their herds.
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wo years ago, researchers at Lakeland College set out to collect objective data to clear up the claims. The most surprising thing about their results? Both those who swear on garlic’s efficacy and those who don’t are probably correct – and it might all come down to the type of garlic used.
An initial pilot study led by Dr. Obioha Durunna in Saskatchewan, with support from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and some cattle producers, evaluated the fly-repellence impact of garlic-infused-salt supplement in grazing cows. In that study, they worked with three groups of cow-calf pairs over two years, where some groups received salt supplements infused with garlic powder, and some did not. While the study's findings showed significantly lower fly abundance and defensive behaviours in one of the two groups that received the garlic-infused treatments, the other group that received the same treatment was not as strong. The results from the Saskatchewan study were published in the Sustainable Agriculture Research Journal. For Dr. Durunna, the initial study raised more questions than it answered, and he wanted to look deeper into the impact of feeding garlic on the cow’s overall health with intake and growth performance. His research team at Lakeland received funding from the Government of Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund and Canadian Agriculture Partnership (through the Government of Alberta) to closely study the animal performance outcomes associated with supplementation practices. “It’s a step further,” Dr. Durunna explains. “We wanted to collect additional information that we couldn't collect in the initial study, for example, the actual mineral intake and feed intake, with their growth and efficiency performance in the different groups, which are important information for beef producers. In addition to the control group with no garlic product, we evaluated two levels of garlic powder at 2.5% and 5%, then a 0.3% garlic-oil-based premix. The study will help us answer some important and basic questions everybody wants to know: do garlic products improve growth performance? Which levels stimulate animals to eat more minerals? Does the inclusion affect the rumen microbiome and overall health of the animal? What are the recommended feeding levels, and how much are they eating?” Studying the impact of garlic supplementation on an animal’s mineral intake can provide essential information to producers who may be dealing with nutrient-deficient
cows or in regions where the soil lacks the essential nutrients for optimum cattle production and reproduction. “Because mineral supplementation can ensure the adequate supply of some nutrients to cattle, it’s critical for producers to ensure that the animals are consuming the supplements. If infusing garlic products into supplements can stimulate the animals to consume enough of such supplements, that will give producers another tool that will ensure their animals are receiving all the nutrients they need for excellent health and productivity.” In the first year, the researchers were excited about the results. After the second year, however, they began to suspect the garlic question was more complicated than they’d first assumed. “We crunched the numbers for that first year and saw 19 to 50 percent increase in mineral intake in the groups that received the garlic powder when compared to the control group. It was exciting,” says Dr. Durunna. “But then, fast forward to the second year, and we didn’t see the difference between the treatment groups and the control group. But overall, groups receiving garlic-infused mineral supplement had about 30% greater supplement intake than the control”. The group looked for an explanation for the discrepancy between the two years and found something interesting — the brand of garlic used in each year was different. The researchers sent samples of both garlic brands to a lab in the United States for in-depth profiling to determine if some of the garlic’s active compounds differed between the two years. The results also showed that one of the brands had higher allicin content by about 1000 ppm, but it is unclear about the differences in the observed outcomes given that allicin is quickly decomposed to more stable sulfuric compounds. The results also showed over 90% reduction in allicin if the garlic powder was exposed and would suggest that better storage is required to maintain the integrity of the allicin. The group that received a higher inclusion rate of 5% garlic powder in the mineral supplement had a daily garlic powder intake of about 10 g of garlic powder. There were no adverse health incidents or abnormal blood test results associated with any of the treatment groups. There was no difference in feed intake or growth, or other efficiency measures. “It’s about understanding why the garlic products work for some groups and not for others,” Dr. Durunna says. Based on their findings, they plan to conduct a supplementary trial in the fall. The main messages from their studies show that: 1. All garlic products do not contain the same level of active compounds, affecting their efficacy. 2. Storage conditions affect the quality of garlic powder 3. The study in grazing cows showed lower fly abundance in the groups receiving garlic 4. The study in feedlot steers showed higher supplement intake than the control, but there was no difference in body and growth performance. 5. There was no adverse health associated with feeding garlic products at the recommended inclusion rates.
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College 29
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DOES YOUR
FARM DATA GIVE YOU THE
FULL PICTURE Canadian dairy farmers benefit from technology. While not a replacement for humans, dairy farmers view technology as a critical tool for their success. So how do you make decisions about which technologies to invest your capital in? These are the types of questions that the applied research program at Lakeland College aims to explore. A recent collaboration between Lakeland College, Alberta Innovates’ Alberta Data Institute, and Cybera discovered that finding answers about the use of technology in a complex system, like a dairy barn, is not so straightforward. In 2020, Lakeland College’s 280-head Dairy Learning Centre (DLC) was awarded a grant from Alberta Innovates to compare the energy and water use between a traditional parlour milking system and a robotic milking system to understand which system was most efficient at using energy and water resources, with respect to milk production in a “real-world” setting (in situ). One benefit of dairy barn technologies is that besides milk, they also continuously produce scores of data about operations, processes, and yields. By using these data, it is possible to undertake analyses that can help define and understand the return on investment of these technologies, as well as the efficiencies they introduce. To answer the question of which technologies to invest in for a higher return on investment, the research team decided to take a data science approach. A data scientist is someone who aims “to leverage existing data sources and create new ones as needed in order to extract meaningful information and actionable insights. These insights can be used to drive business decisions and changes intended to achieve business goals.” Cybera initiated a Data Science Fellowship that brought four data scientists from across the province together for one month to work with the DLC. They were tasked with trying to determine which system, the parlour or the robot, used water and energy more optimally. This work involved the DLC staff and faculty extracting relevant historical data from their various sources within the barn, bringing these datasets together in one place, linking the datasets together, and conducting analyses. A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College 31
Cow 231 Milking Info
1 month
Milking information for an individual parlour cow
Milking Performance Parlour
8 months
Milking report for each cow milked in the parlour system
Milk Harvesting VMS
8 months
Information related to each milking in the robotic milker
Maximus Report
3 years
Water usage at different locations in the barn
So, does that mean that this data science project was all for naught?
Power Usage (hourly)
3 months
Power usage for barn, parlour, and robot system, depending on location in the barn
Power Usage (monthly)
3 years
Power usage for barn, parlour, and robot system, depending on location in the barn
PROJECT_ REPORT
5 days (July 2020)
Meteorological parameters at various locations in the barn
While this research was not able to fully achieve the objective of identifying which system is optimal for energy and water use and milk production, the DLC learned a considerable amount about the insights hidden within data they have been collecting.
RESEARCH_PAST_ out
6 days (June 2020)
Meteorological parameters at various locations in the barn
Dairy Comp test day data
July 14, 2020
Official record of milk yield for all cows on a testing day
The existing datasets that were used included the following:
Dataset name
How far back does the dataset go?
What is included in the dataset?
After sharing the Dairy Learning Centre data via Alberta Innovates’ data collaboration platform (dataxch.ai), the data scientists conducted an analysis to understand:
1
water use and corresponding milk yield for both the robotic milker and the parlour system; and
2
energy use and corresponding milk yield for both the robotic milker and the parlour system; then
3
separate models representing relationship between energy and water use and yield were created for both of the systems to determine which system was functioning more optimally.
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iven the data that the researchers had access to, they found that the robotic system used energy and water more optimally than the traditional parlour system. So, should you rush out and buy robotic milkers? Robotic milking systems can be expensive, each costing around $175,000. It’s also important to note that not all cows can adjust to a robot. The project’s results do not consider the amount of hot water needed to clean the milking systems nor the individual power usage for each system, as the DLC does not yet collect this data.
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Ultimately, this project led to some unexpected conclusions. The picture of the two milking technologies, the parlour and the robot, is not yet complete enough to rigorously answer Lakeland College’s original research question. Much of dairy farm technology is fueled by data, such as technologies that aim to optimise dairy production through decreased labour costs, precise feeding and environmental controls, and supporting animal health and wellness. Data in most dairy barns across Canada is collected through many barn and production systems and may ultimately sit in a computer system somewhere and
likely takes considerable effort to access. It is challenging to curate collected data from the different systems that generate data around the barn. There were challenges related to accessing data that spanned back longer than a few months, including, exporting data from systems so that it was available for analysis, and accessing data that included enough detail to understand variations between the two milking systems. In a barn full of data collection technologies, the adage of “water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink” comes to mind. The challenge of data curation is likely a common story on most dairy farms. Across a dairy operation, data is collected by various technologies with different manufacturers but with no pipeline for that data to flow into to provide a full picture of one’s operation and its data assets in a single place. Consider each part of a dairy barn and the myriad of interactions that are occurring at any given moment. Collecting data from each component in a barn and all the interactions therein is an enormous task. Each time a new technology that collects data is added to existing data collection technologies in a barn, another piece of the complex puzzle is added and the picture of the whole system becomes a bit clearer and holistic. At the same time, this makes data curation more challenging. How do we get to a full “digital twin” of a farm operation? The first step might be to ask questions about one component of a farm (e.g. milking systems) and what other components and processes it interacts with and then collect data about those specific processes and interactions. Slowly, a fully detailed picture may emerge.
As part of the work the Data Science Fellowship undertook, a dashboard prototype was created to help Lakeland College organize and access the datasets that the barn collects, using simple filtering and query tools to find whatever data the DLC is interested in using at any given time. Understanding dairy barn data assets and what is needed to ask questions that are important to producers, Lakeland College demonstrates their commitment to beginning to fill some of the data-gaps that would help them complete the full picture. They are taking the learnings from this specific project and installing necessary data collection tools to more robustly answer the question of which milking system produces milk most efficiently and optimally with respect to energy and water usage. They also intend to transfer these learnings about understanding farm operations’ data assets and addressing data gaps as the first step for future data-driven projects. When thinking about your own dairy operation, do your data collection systems provide you with the full picture? Do you know where all the data is being stored and how you can access it and how much of it you can access? And what are your dairy operation’s data assets? Could you use these data assets to inform your decisions? These are the kinds of questions that are emerging in the data-driven agricultural space which are important to organizations like Lakeland College, and others around the province. We are now beginning to understand that finding the answers to these questions are necessary in the race to automate farming. Before the fully automated farm is realized, it will be necessary to understand existing data, identify gaps in existing data, understand how to collect needed data, how to integrate data across a complex system (like a dairy operation), and how to combine data from multiple complex systems (e.g. linking data across multiple dairy operations). If there is to be a future of smart dairy farms, another adage comes to mind: we must walk before we can run.
Prepared by: Adrienne Levay, PhD. Lakeland College Obioha Durunna, PhD. Lakeland College Rajan Patel, PhD. Cybera Alex Tennant, Cybera Badri Venkataraman, Cybera Special thanks: Lakeland College and the Dairy Learning Centre Team, the Data Science Fellows who worked on this project: Surbhi Sachan, Jeremy Braun, Leepakshi Bindra, Jiaqiang Yi
Lakeland College develops first
BACHELOR OF AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY DEGREE Lakeland College is offering Canada’s first degree in agriculture technology. Developed to enable students to keep ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving world of agricultural technology, Lakeland’s bachelor of agriculture technology program offers real-world experience with the latest agricultural equipment, software, hardware and digital devices. 34
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Bachelor of agriculture technology students will complete their on-campus training in Lakeland’s new Agriculture Technology Centre.
tarting in September 2021, the two-year, post-credential program consists of full-time studies at the Vermilion campus and experiential learning practicums off campus, all designed to bridge the gap between emerging technologies and agricultural management and production systems. “Our new degree program will produce graduates who can effectively use emerging technologies and the data they produce in commercial agriculture to provide important answers on return on investment,” says Michael Crowe, Lakeland’s vice president of academic and research. Students will delve into crop and livestock farming and smart agriculture as a management system, including data collection and analysis as well as the use of interpretative tools and programs such as robotics, geospatial tools, artificial intelligence and others. They’ll also learn how to analyze and troubleshoot industry-leading hardware, software and data platforms. Students will operate and adapt the technology and data systems on Lakeland’s Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland. “Graduates of the program will bring unique skill sets into the workforce by blending both agriculture production and agricultural technology expertise. Industry feedback indicated there is a shortage of agricultural professionals who can interface between the two disciplines – our degree program will fill that gap,” says Josie Van Lent, dean of the School of Agriculture Technology and Applied Research. “We greatly appreciate the support and help from industry in the development of this program.”
Courses offered in the bachelor of agriculture technology program include emerging technologies in ag, economics of precision agriculture, precision farming global positioning essentials and GIS for agriculture decision making, as well as specific courses related to the integration and use of ag technology in crops and livestock systems, farms and ranches. The curriculum looks at all platforms and all equipment brands. Students will specialize in either crops or livestock technological applications. Practicums will be completed at agriculture data companies, technology and equipment manufacturers, agriculture equipment dealerships, crop input service providers, private agronomist service companies, crop and livestock service centres, farms, breeding and genomic companies, and other related agriculture industries. Graduates of the program will find employment in a variety of agricultural production fields. The bachelor of agriculture technology program is the culmination of several years of consultation, research and development, says Crowe. It was established in response to demand from industry and students. More than 40 agricultural organizations and companies were consulted during an independent industry needs assessment. A student survey indicated strong interest in a degree program and identified curriculum interests in the area of agriculture technology.
Chinook Contract Research Team
THE IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
TO MOVE THE BAR OF EXCELLENCE EVER UPWARDS While our farmers and ranchers make livestock production look easy by producing the nutritious, safe food we put on our tables every day, a lot of time and money goes into the improvements of farm tools and systems each year to advance the health and welfare of the livestock they care for.
Students in the bachelor of agriculture technology program will complete their on-campus studies and hands-on training in Lakeland’s new Agriculture Technology Centre, which is slated to open later this year. The 8,000-square-foot building at the Vermilion campus will be an on-farm lab where students gain experience working with new ag technologies and analyzing new data-sets.
Take for instance, the recent research into the future development of the lidocaine-loaded castration bands for pain mitigation. To prevent injury and stress as the male calves get older, it is common for cattle producers to castrate male calves at an early age, making them less aggressive and therefore, reducing the incidence of harm to themselves and others, and improving their growth efficiency and carcass quality. You may have used a lidocainebased ointment if you have applied a gel to a canker sore; it numbs the area by blocking nerve signals in your body, giving you relief from the pain. The principle is the same with the lidocaineloaded bands.
Lakeland will also offer three other new programs this fall at the Vermilion campus: agricultural sustainability diploma, post-bachelor certificate in commercial agriculture production and an applied environmental sciences certificate.
Developed and tested in Alberta by Dr. Merle Olson, Nick Allan and their team with Chinook Contract Research, these bands provide pain relief for at least seven days after application. Their laboratory results have indicated that there is a quick release of lidocaine
which helps to numb the area within the first 30 minutes. The field studies examined the effectiveness of the bands in an applied situation and found that the bands’ delivery of lidocaine to the tissues relieved pain and worked as well as if a person were administering the lidocaine in the form of an injection to the tissues. Over the longer period, the bands showed better results as the lidocaine injections wore off while the bands continued to provide therapeutic pain mitigation for at least seven days. Our Alberta cattle producers want to ensure their animals are cared for and healthy. These bands provide another level of assurance to beef producers that they can mitigate pain in their animals while avoiding surgery or administration of injections which take extra time and add stress to the handler and animal. The goal of the research team to have this product available to producers by 2022. With the recent transition of research from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s mandate, Lakeland College has welcomed Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s beef researchers to their team to continue this important research. Watch for more new tools and discoveries as Lakeland continues to build on Alberta Agriculture’s legacy of excellent research. For further information about the Lidocaine bands, please contact: Nick Allan, President Chinook Contract Research Inc. E: nick.allan@ccr01.com T: 403.714.7922
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College 35
LAKELAND’S
BISON CLOSER TO CAMPUS
Half of Lakeland’s 200-head bison herd arrived at their temporary home near Lakeland College’s Vermilion campus on Feb. 25. The date was the first anniversary of the announcement that Armin and Rita Mueller, owners of Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk, were donating money and bison to Lakeland to establish a herd.
Premier Jason Kenney and Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart share a rendering of the renovated WHT Mead Animal Science Centre. They're joined by agricultural sciences students TJ Gonsalves (front row left) and Rianne Harrish (front row right) as well as Lakeland's board chair Scott Webb, Garth Rowswell, MLA for Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright, and Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education (back row from left).
Their gift strengthens the animal science technology program and provides more student-managed learning opportunities for students in the livestock major.
Government of Alberta
Thank you Armin and Rita!
INVESTS IN Agriculture at Lakeland T
he Government of Alberta gave Lakeland College $17.3 million in capital maintenance and renewal funds to invest in the WHT Mead Animal Science Centre.
“Alberta’s Recovery Plan is a bold, ambitious long-term strategy to build, diversify, and create tens of thousands of jobs, now. We are committed to developing world-class post-secondary institutions, and today’s announcement of over $17 million to redevelop the Vermilion campus at Lakeland College, will help us meet students’ evolving needs in the region,” says Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education. The funds allow Lakeland to expand the facility to ensure students continue to have modern spaces for learning and innovation, as well as accommodate new programs and increasing enrolment. “On behalf of Lakeland College, thank you to the Alberta government for investing in our students – our province’s up-andcoming leaders – as well as our campus community. The 100 jobs this project will create is welcome news for our local region. This support opens another chapter of innovation and investment for Lakeland’s award-winning programs,” says Dr. Alice WainwrightStewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College.
GPRC, Lakeland College Partner to benefit ag programming Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) and Lakeland College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to pursue collaborative ventures in Alberta’s strong agricultural region. This student-focused partnership will see both colleges working together to create agricultural educational opportunities that are innovative and inclusive for students. Engaging students, community and industry through agricultural advancements will achieve economic growth, enhance workforce skills and continue commitment to the diversification and innovation of the sector. Working together, GPRC and Lakeland College, will maximize creating educational opportunities in agriculture, collaborative research programs, student-life activities, and the potential for infrastructure and equipment sharing. “Collaboration is a key aspect of what we do at Lakeland College,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, President and CEO of Lakeland College. “It’s essential that we work with our post-secondary partners to ensure that we are giving our students the best opportunities we can while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. We are incredibly proud of our agricultural programming and the innovative student-led learning opportunities we provide through our StudentManaged Farm – Powered by New Holland. I’m excited to see how this partnership evolves in the coming years to best serve our regions and students.” Over the last few years, Lakeland has celebrated the expansion of the Vermilion campus farm and the upcoming addition of a bison operation, as well as new Animal Health Clinic and Dairy Learning Centre, plus the modernization of our G.N. Sweet Livestock Research Facility and Academic Link. “We’re excited to see our growth continue with the government’s investment in this teaching facility. This, combined with future farm upgrades and our new Agriculture Technology Centre, will ensure Lakeland remains a global leader in agricultural education,” says Dr. Wainwright-Stewart. Accessed by 550-plus agricultural sciences students annually, the WHT Mead Animal Science Centre features labs, classrooms and faculty offices. It’s also an academic hub for hundreds of students in our environmental sciences and human services programs. With energy efficiency plans, collaborative student spaces and the addition of new classrooms, the renovated WHT Mead Animal Science Centre will provide a state-of-the-art hub for work-integrated learning.
The partnership, formalized by the signing of an MOU between the two colleges, takes effect on December 10, 2020 and runs until November 20, 2025.
LAKELAND NAMED TOP EMPLOYER Lakeland College is celebrating its fifth consecutive year being honoured as one of Alberta’s Top 70 Employers. Lakeland’s health benefits plan, family-friendly culture and retirement planning opportunities are listed as a few of the reasons the college was selected as one of Alberta's Top Employers. “I am very proud that Lakeland is being celebrated as an outstanding place to work – something I have known to be true during my 38 years with Lakeland,” says Dr. Alice WainwrightStewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College. “Ensuring our teams are supported, connected and informed is essential for everyone’s wellbeing and ability to operate, especially given the challenges we’ve faced with the pandemic to date. I am
humbled by everyone’s commitment and teamwork, and how they continue to go above and beyond. This milestone is a testament to Lakeland’s campus community.” Judges that created Alberta’s Top Employer list noted that Lakeland fosters a healthy, ethical and respectable work environment for all with strong senior leadership support and a number of health and safety initiatives. Recent initiatives include Safe Spaces Training in support of the LGBTQ2+ community, Respect in the Workplace Training in support of a positive work environment and Working Minds training in support of the college’s mental health strategy. Lakeland is one of only five postsecondary institutions in Alberta to be recognized as a top employer for 2021.
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College 37
MNP donates to Lakeland College to grow agriculture technology programming and applied research MNP has donated $90,000 to Lakeland College’s Leading. Learning. The Lakeland Campaign. in support of programming and research initiatives focused on agriculture technology.
“We are excited to help educate students in this program, who will play a critical role in the digital transformation of our Canadian farms,” says Stuart Person, Senior Vice President, Agriculture at MNP.
Applied research will also receive a A portion of MNP’s gift will help fund boost from MNP’s equipment generosity. Half of the for the funding will support Agriculture research projects that Technology We are excited to help will help producers Centre at the educate students in this better understand and Vermilion program, who will play a use new agriculture campus. This technologies. critical role in the digital facility will be home to the transformation of our “MNP recognizes college’s new the contributions of Canadian farms. bachelor of Lakeland College agriculture to the education technology program that starts this fall. of people in the agriculture industry, The two-year post-credential program especially those alumni who are the next – the first of its kind in Canada – is designed to bridge the gap between emerging technologies and agricultural management and production systems.
generation of producers and advocates, and those that we work with now as they continue to take on bigger roles in their own operations and within the
industry. Lakeland has always been acknowledged as a staple across the prairies and given MNP’s history in agriculture and our prairie roots, this is a natural fit,” says Scott Dickson, Director, Livestock Services and VP Hutterite Services at MNP. “Our thanks to MNP for their investment in these important initiatives at Lakeland. Our Agriculture Technology Centre will be a central hub for collecting and analyzing production and sustainability data generated across our Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland. Students, faculty and researchers will use the facility as they work to increase the efficiency and quality of livestock and crops through the development and adoption of new ag technology,” says Dr. Alice WainwrightStewart, Lakeland’s President and CEO. “Together, we’ll continue to advance real-world agricultural productivity and sustainability in commercial agriculture.” The bachelor of agriculture technology program is the culmination of several years of consultation, research, and development. MNP was one of more than 40 agricultural organizations and companies consulted during an independent industry needs assessment that resulted in the degree’s development. MNP is a leading national accounting, tax, and business consulting firm for Canada’s agriculture industry. We have invested more time and resources into understanding agriculture than any other firm. With more than 18,000 agriculture clients and a team of more than 600 agriculture specialists, MNP delivers a diverse suite of services to protect farmers and maximize results. Leading. Learning. The Lakeland Campaign. is the largest fundraising initiative in Lakeland’s history. Launched in 2016, the $11-million campaign is focused on three priorities: expanding student success, empowering the next leaders in agriculture, and results-oriented research. The campaign concludes June 30. Visit lakelandcollege.ca/leading-learning for details.
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Practical education.
HANDS-ON LEARNING. Lakeland College was founded on the belief that students learn best through action. Hands-on learning has always been our default. Whether your focus is crops, animal science, animal health or agribusiness, know that we’ll challenge you to go beyond the classroom in everything you do. lakelandcollege.ca/ag
Apply now to Canada’s only
AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY DEGREE A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES • Agribusiness • Agricultural Sustainability • Animal Health Technology • Animal Science Technology majors • Beef • Dairy • Equine • Livestock • Bachelor of Agriculture Technology • Crop Technology • General Agriculture • Post-bachelor Certificate in Commercial Agriculture Production • Veterinary Medical Assistant BUSINESS • Accounting Technician • Administrative Professional • Business Administration majors • Accounting • General Business • Real Estate Appraisal & Assessment • Small Business & Entrepreneurship • Bachelor of Commerce • Bachelor of Management ENERGY • Heavy Oil Operations Technician • Heavy Oil Power Engineering • Petroleum Management • Sustainable Energy Technology • 2nd Class Power Engineering • 4th Class Power Engineering ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES • Applied Environmental Sciences • Bachelor of Applied Science:
Environmental Management • Environmental Sciences majors • Applied Environmental _ Sciences • Conservation & Restoration Ecology • Environmental Conservation & Reclamation • Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation
FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES • Bachelor of Applied Business: Emergency Services • Emergency Services Technology • Firefighter Training HEALTH & WELLNESS • Clinical Esthetician • Esthetician • Hairstyling • Health Care Aide HUMAN SERVICES • American Sign Language & Deaf Culture Studies • Animal Assisted Wellness • Child & Youth Care • Community Mental Health • Early Learning & Child Care/ Éducation à la petite enfance • Educational Assistant/Aide-élève • Sign Language Interpretation INTERIOR DESIGN TECHNOLOGY ONLINE & BLENDED LEARNING • Animal Assisted Wellness • American Sign Language & Deaf Culture Studies • Bachelor of Applied Business: Emergency Services • Child & Youth Care • Community Mental Health
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Lakeland College Applied Research 5707 College Drive Vermilion Alberta T9X 1K5 Canada Post Publication Mail PM40009099 40
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• Dual Credit • Early Learning & Child Care/ Éducation à la petite enfance • Educational Assistant/Aide-élève • Firefighter Training • Parts Apprenticeship (Years 1 & 3) • Power Engineering (3rd & 4th class) • Renewable Energy & Conservation • Sustainable Energy Technology
TRADES & TECHNOLOGY • Apprenticeship • Automotive Service Technician • Carpenter • Electrician • Heavy Equipment Technician • Parts Technician • Welder • Pre-employment • Electrician • Welder UNIVERSITY TRANSFER • Bachelor of Arts • Bachelor of Commerce • Bachelor of Education • Bachelor of General Studies • Bachelor of Science • Bachelor of Social Work • Pre-Dental Hygiene • Pre-Dentistry • Pre-Medical Lab Science • Pre-Nursing • Pre-Pharmacy • Pre-Veterinary Medicine
