Lakeland College ranks 33rd overall on Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges list in the 2022 rankings compiled by Research InfoSource Inc.
Research InfoSource Inc. surveyed post-secondary institutions across Canada, analyzing research income, funding and partnerships, as well as the number of faculty and students involved in research in 2020-21.
Lakeland sits in second place in the annual survey for college research income growth. In 2020-21, Lakeland’s research income grew 251.8 per cent. Lakeland ranks 19th in the survey in the area of college research intensity funding per researcher.
“We’re excited to share the results of this national survey with our team and many partners. It reflects the incredible progress Lakeland’s applied research department has made in growing our team, our capacity for projects and overall investment in research that’s relevant to both producers and industry,” says Dr. Todd Sumner, Lakeland’s vice president of academic and research.
During the 2020-21 fiscal year, Lakeland secured $3.05 million in total sponsored research income, collaborating with a range of government, industry and post-secondary partners to continue to advance real-world agricultural productivity and sustainability in key commercial crop and livestock species, as well as agriculture technology.
Lakeland has an extensive land base and multiple facilities at the Vermilion campus that support student learning and applied research. This includes a 3,700-plus acre farm featuring beef, bison, dairy and equine herds, the Agriculture Technology Centre, Dairy Learning Centre, G.N. Sweet Livestock Research Facility, and land dedicated to crop trials. In addition, our scientists conduct research at various other sites across Alberta and Western Canada including on-farm projects in collaboration with producers.
1,803 hours of faculty engagement in research
14 faculty involved in research
42 non-faculty staff supporting research
Four researchers
16 technicians
122 unpaid students exposed/participating in research projects
33 paid students participating in research projects
998 cumulative number of students to date involved in applied research activities
21 active projects
15 unique research partnerships with industry/organizations
A key research project Lakeland spearheaded in 2020-21 was the calibration of in-bin drying. Lakeland collaborated with Top Grade Ag to develop accurate in-bin sensor-mediated drying procedures in conjunction with agronomy-based optimal harvest timing to increase profitability and efficiency on today’s technology-based grain farming operations. Forty-eight students were engaged and involved in the harvest season and had exposure to the project, industry partner and technology.
“At Lakeland, enhancing the agriculture industry’s productivity, profitability and competitiveness is our tactical focus. With each project, we work to support student-learning outcomes as well as enhance social, environmental and economic outcomes for our province,” says Dr. François Paradis, director of Lakeland’s applied research department. “We look forward to sharing the results of current projects underway to advance this vital industry.”
Maximizing feed barley yield while minimizing lodging
Investigating the agronomics of lupin production, a new high protein pulse crop for Alberta
Reducing beef production costs through swathgrazing complex forage mixtures during winter in Alberta
Health impacts of feeding garlic products to growing cattle
Development of a neonatal mineral and vitamin supplement to improve health in livestock
Optimization of non-contact sensing technologies to enhance sustainability of bison farming
Precision ranching: Remote assessment of bull activity under range conditions to improve pregnancy rate
Smart handheld device for automatic blood analysis: Innovative prediction of sheep pregnancy and litter size
Automating replacement heifer selection
5. Welcome messages from Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO and Dr. François Paradis, director, applied research
6. Lakeland’s applied research department finds new home in rejuvenated mead building
7. Lakeland and Alberta Wheat and Barley to present WheatStalk
7. Lakeland welcomes new director of applied research
8. Federal and provincial partnership expands Lakeland’s GrowSafe trial
9. Research staff
Swath grazing
At Lakeland College, we are committed to inspiring lifelong learning and leadership through experience, excellence and innovation. Our applied research division is a critical component of helping us transform the future through innovative learning.
Our researchers conduct crop and livestock trials that are rooted in the everyday life of producers in our region. They are grounded explorations into agricultural products, technologies and processes that are designed to enhance the sustainability and profitability of the industry, that will have a direct and meaningful impact on our agricultural partners.
Applied research is even more than that at Lakeland, however.
It is an opportunity for the students on our Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland to gain hands-on, real-world experience. Each year, hundreds of animal science technology, agribusiness, agriculture technology, crop and dairy students get their hands dirty helping with research trials.
No matter what their path, Lakeland students are invested in creating a sustainable future for themselves, our region and the agricultural industry. It’s a foundational part of a Lakeland College education – and we could not do it without the innovation, creativity and excellence that happens everyday with our applied research team. I can’t wait for you to discover the amazing things happening in our research division.
Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart President and CEO Lakeland CollegeWelcome to the 2023 edition of Limitless, which outlines what keeps our applied research staff busy throughout the year. With the ongoing support from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Results Driven Agriculture Research, Alberta Innovates and our industry partners and funders, our team remains effective, innovative and relevant to Alberta’s agriculture producers.
Lakeland currently has 21 crop and 22 livestock projects underway and has received an average of $2.85 million per year in sponsored research revenue over the past three years. Throughout this magazine, you will learn about our researchers, some of their projects and how we are progressing with research that applies to Alberta farmers and ranchers.
In forming our research strategies, input from key producer and industry organizations and alignment with government and other funders’ priorities is critical. Our team has done an excellent job at engaging our various stakeholders in meaningful ways leading to projects that have a real impact for the agricultural community.
We continue to progress the mandate of our partnership under the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Innovation Network (CAAIN), specifically through the Pan Canadian Smart Farm project. The Smart Farm Network will allow us to incorporate and beta test the technology on our college farm while contributing to a network of “smart” farms that can collect and share data at a national level. CAAIN has funded other technology research projects at Lakeland, and we are currently also working on a “precision ranching” project evaluating various technologies to improve livestock production in Alberta and Western Canada.
On behalf of the Lakeland College Applied Research team, we look forward to working with many of you in serving our research and industry stakeholders. I thank our many industry partners and collaborators for your support, guidance and mentorship, funding, in-kind contributions, or project proposal backing. We hope to see you on our campus for our Crop and Livestock Field days and to have the privilege to continue working with all of you!
Dr. François Paradis Director, applied research Lakeland CollegeLakeland’s applied research department
In a unique blend of technological sophistication and agricultural tradition, Lakeland College celebrated the grand opening of the rejuvenated WHT Mead Building at the Vermilion campus on Sept. 28, 2022
Amilestone in campus renewal, the facility is home to more than 600 agricultural sciences students perfecting the practical skills Lakeland graduates are known for and industry wants.
The 35,214 sq. ft. WHT Mead Building features collaboration spaces, labs, classrooms and faculty offices for the School of Agricultural Sciences and Applied Research. Technology is infused throughout the building for in-person and virtual learning. It’s also home to the Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland headquarters, which is a planning space for animal science technology and crop technology students who manage Lakeland’s crop, livestock and research units.
The Government of Alberta invested $17.3 million to rejuvenate the WHT Mead Building, which was originally constructed in 1964. Synergy Credit Union also contributed to the new interactive learning space, gifting $150,000 to the project.
We’re thrilled to celebrate this muchneeded investment in campus renewal with the opening of the WHT Mead Building. Thank you to the Government of Alberta for continuing to see and support the value of a Lakeland education. We’re also grateful for the support of Synergy Credit Union,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland.
“Today’s celebration is about more than classrooms. It’s about ensuring
our students have the facilities to learn and collaborate, to build foundational skills and grow their expertise to go beyond the classroom and put their education into action. It’s about ensuring our graduates are ready to thrive and drive innovation as leaders throughout commercial agriculture sectors, creating a sustainable future for this vital industry and our region.
Designed to today’s energy modelling codes and requirements, the WHT Mead Building was built to accommodate future enrolment growth. Over the past 12 years, enrolment in agricultural sciences programs has increased 200 per cent.
Lakeland College is proud to partner with the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission this summer to present the 2023 WheatStalk tour as part of the college’s annual crop field day on July 25.
“We are pleased to partner with the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission to present WheatStalk,” says Dr. François Paradis, Lakeland’s director of applied research. “The mission of the commission aligns very well with what we do here at Lakeland, with both of our organizations being dedicated to increasing agricultural sustainability and profitability through research and education. I am excited to welcome producers to our campus to learn about the important work we are doing in crop research and to learn from the experts in the field.”
Producers are invited to attend the joint annual field day and WheatStalk to learn about the latest agronomic practices to implement onto their
farms. This year’s topics include tackling weeds, lupin as a new high protein pulse crop, enhanced efficiency fertilizer in wheat, managing barley lodging and canola verticillium insights. The event will also include a walk through of various crop trial plots and an equipment demonstration.
“Working in partnership with Lakeland College to host WheatStalk allows us to bring crop research directly to the farmers in Alberta,” says Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension manager for the Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley. “WheatStalk makes for a great day of agronomic learning in the field and will showcase the ongoing work of the Alberta Wheat Commission’s investments in wheat research. We look forward to working alongside Lakeland College to develop a great field day event at their campus in July.”
July 25, 2023
Vermilion, Alberta
Dr. François Paradis has taken the helm of Lakeland’s applied research department, bringing with him 20 years of experience in the agricultural and livestock sectors.
“It’s an honour to welcome Dr. Paradis to our award-winning applied research team,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College. “Under his leadership, our research contributions to agricultural sustainability and profitability will continue to grow. I am excited to see the innovative ideas he brings with him and to see the evolution of our research team.”
Dr. Paradis holds a master of science in animal science from Laval University and a PhD from the University of Alberta with formal training in bovine and porcine reproductive physiology. He has also done a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Ottawa and worked with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supporting research in beef cattle.
Dr. Paradis has spent the last eight years as a senior administrator at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.
•
“I have a passion for agricultural research and innovation,” says Dr. Paradis. “I am very much looking forward to working with the applied research team at Lakeland College to develop science-based solutions for the agriculture industry.”
“Working in partnership with Lakeland College to host WheatStalk allows us to bring crop research directly to the farmers in Alberta.”
- Jeremy Boychyn, Agronomy research extension managerfor the Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta
Barley
The applied research team at Lakeland College has more than doubled its capacity for production efficiency assessment research with the help of a grant from the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta.
The $324,856.27 grant was provided through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership – Adapting innovation solutions in agriculture program, a federal, provincial and territorial initiative. With it, Lakeland was able to add GrowSafe locations to an additional five pens in the research facility, which added 20 feed intake stations and 10 additional in-pen weighing equipment. Formerly, the college had four pens fitted with GrowSafe systems in the G.N. Sweet Livestock Research Facility, for a total of 16 automatic feed intake stations and eight in-pen weighing stations.
“Cattle producers work hard every day to take care of their animals and ensure we can continue to access their high-quality products,” says Minister of Agriculture and AgriFood Marie-Claude Bibeau. “This investment will help drive innovation for Canadian cattle producers through cutting-edge research and science. Now more than ever, it’s important to invest in the future and find new ways to advance innovation and sustainable growth, and this project will do just that.”
“One of Lakeland’s livestock research strengths is in feed efficiency, supplementation and reproductive studies,” explains Dr. François Paradis, director of applied research at Lakeland. “With feed accounting for up to 70 per cent of costs in livestock operations, identifying production-efficient animals and determining which feed additives and forage species are most efficient is important to producers’ bottom lines. We have been working with GrowSafe equipment since 2011, allowing us to conduct trials in our feed-efficiency test centre, and with the increased demand for these sorts of investigations, increasing our capacity was critical.”
Cattle are equipped with an identification tag that is read while the animal is at the feeding trough, allowing researchers to track feed intake to evaluate the most effective means of improving production. Similarly, weights are recorded every time cattle go to drink, allowing real time monitoring of weight gains. The combination of both technologies reduces the testing time from 70 days (without in-pen weighing) to 50 days, saving money and increasing efficiency.
“This increase in GrowSafe-equipped pens will enable us to conduct our studies using larger sample sizes,” Paradis says. “We have also had to turn down requests from various breed associations looking to profile replacement heifer candidates because of limited bunk space, and the additional stations will increase our capacity for these studies. The data we collect will have both commercial and research value that will advance our knowledge of genomic and phenotypic mechanisms associated with livestock production efficiency.”
The new GrowSafe equipment was installed in mid-March. Each year, approximately 80 agricultural sciences diploma and bachelor of agriculture technology students use the GrowSafe equipment as part of their Lakeland education.
“This investment will help drive innovation for Canadian cattle producers through cutting-edge research and science.”
- Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Andrea Hanson
Research assistant and extension specialist
Andrea joined the Lakeland College team to assist in the beef cattle research and then share that information with students and grassroots producers.
Trina Dubitz
Pulse agronomy technician
Trina has worked with many pulse crops including faba beans, peas, lupins, lentils, and soybeans and she enjoys the variety of work involved in small plot research.
Janet Nowosad
Livestock research technician
Janet manages the day-to-day animal care for the cattle on site as well as providing support to the researchers’ various projects.
Tina Moir
Animal care coordinator and administrative support
Tina started at Lakeland College in September 2022 working dually as Administrative Support for Applied Research and as the Animal Care Coordinator. Prior to joining Lakeland College, Tina worked in health care for 30 years.
Emily Gannon
Research Technologist, Crops
Emily graduated from Lakeland College as an environmental student and has since been a part of the Lakeland College crop research team as a tech for three years. She works with pulse and cereal crops, collecting data and maintaining yearly research plots.
Carolyn Jackson
Research Technologist, Crops
Carolyn Jackson has worked for various academic and private institutions before joining Lakeland’s pulse research program in April 2022. Jackson is working out of the Crop Diversification Center North in Edmonton, Alta. to support the pulse program’s field research activity.
Carien Vandenberg
MSc, Livestock research associate
Carien has extensive experience in applied agricultural research including preference testing, efficacy studies, data summarization, product development, grant writing, reporting, and engaging learners.
Postdoctoral fellow
Tobi’s research interests center on feed efficiency, utilization of raw materials/ by-products for animal nutrition, and reduction of greenhouse gas in livestock using dietary means.
Livestock research technician
Kailynne graduated from Lakeland College in 2017 and was one of the first members to start the foundation of what was then called Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland (SMF) research unit and is now known as SMF Extensive Grazing Unit.
Tori Lloyd
Research Compliance Coordinator
Tori provides regulatory, ethical, contractual, fincial and policy compliance monitoring, maintenance and reporting.
Mason Jackson
Research Associate, Crops
Mason is an Applied Research technician located out of Edmonton. He has developed a passion for agriculture field research, particularly when it comes to pulse crop agronomy and drone imagery. He takes care of multiple field sites throughout central Alberta.
Research Technologist, Crops
Jonelle worked at the Field Crop Development Center Lacombe in the cereal breading program, at Agriculture Canada in their canola and cereal agronomy program, and Agriculture Canada’s insect and weed programs. Jonelle returned to the Alberta Agriculture pulse crew in the summer of 2017 and 2018 was made a permanent research technician.
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.
Driving around rural Alberta in the winter, it’s not unusual to see cows grazing in a swathed forage crop, but it would be quite unusual to see younger classes of cattle in that same grazing environment. Dr. Obioha Durunna is conducting a three-year field study at Lakeland College, funded by RDAR, CAP and Saskatchewan ADF that may change some producers’ perspectives, especially those looking to add growth and frame to yearlings over the winter at a lower cost than traditional feeding.
This project aims to evaluate a cereal monoculture crop (oats) against a diverse forage mixture (sometimes called a cocktail crop or cover crop) and determine the production costs and profitability of the mono vs. diverse crop mixtures. With feed accounting for 60+ per cent of the variable costs of most cattle operations, finding ways to reduce these costs puts money back in the producers’ pockets.
The results of this project will provide producers with data to make more informed decisions about the species of plants to use in a swathgrazing situation and how to make it suit their operation’s objectives.
For this three-year study, Lakeland College has provided a 30-acre site for Dr. Durunna’s project. The site was divided into six five-acre paddocks. He seeded the areas with either SO1 oats or a commercial forage blend from Union Forage that consisted of oats, turnips, rapeseed and forage peas. The project started in 2021 and is now in its second year.
In the first year of the project in 2021, all crops were planted on Jun. 4, with swathing done on all plots on Aug. 16, 2021. The exception was 30-ft strips in the forage blend treatments to provide insight into the potential for additional growth from potential late rains with the forage blends. A month later, the remaining crop was swathed.
In the fall of 2021, the paddocks were set up with electric fencing dividing the field into six long paddocks. Forty-two 600-weight crossbred steers (seven per paddock) were randomly assigned to each of the paddocks and,
Dr. Obioha Durunna
Research scientist, Livestock
over the course of the study, were provided fresh swath with the fence moved 40 ft every two or three days. Windbreaks and free-choice minerals were available in all paddocks.
Throughout the study, body weights were collected every two weeks to determine the gain of the animals. At the start of the trial, a rumen pH/temperature bolus was inserted in the rumen of two steers in each paddock for further data capture. Steers went on trial on Nov. 3, 2021, and finished on Jan. 26, 2022. Results from the 2021/22 winter swath grazing season showed no difference in average daily gain between the steers in both treatments. The forage blend had better overall feed quality than the oats monoculture, which suggests that adopting a diverse forage mixture may provide more benefits in the long term from more nutritive feed and reduced production risk resulting from unpredictable weather conditions. The diverse diet may also reduce the need for supplemental protein and other nutrients for yearling cattle which would, in turn, reduce the input costs through the costly winter months.
In the second year of the trial, paddocks were seeded on Jun. 7, 2022, with the same treatment as the first year, and swathing took place on Sept. 2, 2022. As in the first year, a 30 ft area was left to grow and was swathed a month later on Oct. 5, 2022.
Since the 2022 growing season was more productive, more animals were added for the 2022/23 grazing season, with sixty 600-lb steers separated into six
groups of 10 steers per paddock. During the trial half of the animals in each paddock were fitted with NoFence collars to learn more about how the technology works in cold weather and how it could be used to manage animal movement during swath grazing. The other 5 steers in the paddock received a rumen bolus to monitor pH and temperature. The steers went on trial Nov.15, 2022, and were taken out of the paddocks on Jan. 20, 2023.
Although more biomass was produced in 2022 and more animals were turned out, the days on feed was 67 days, a result of the higher snowfall during the feeding period. Further testing will be conducted in the spring of 2023 to determine the amount of forage that was not able to be utilized by the younger class of cattle. Typically, cows are more efficient foragers and can dig through the snow to get to the feed source more effectively. An essential aspect of swath grazing is limiting animal access to the windrows, which requires additional time to move the fence every few days. If the animals had full access to the entire paddock from the start, they would selectively graze all the grain and fines from the swaths, leaving coarser leaves and stems for later. While it may seem easier to turn the cattle out and let them fend for themselves, the nutritional consequences are too great. In addition, snow plays a role in feed accessibility and can impact intake.
Project:
A growing number of beef producers are using mineral supplements infused with phytogenic additives such as garlic powder as alternative fly control options and to increase mineral intake in their beef herds. Conflicting accounts of this practice’s impact on repelling flies and stimulating minerals consumption have often led to indecisiveness for new adoptees due to little scientific evidence.
Objective:
Measure supplement intake alongside fly abundance and other performance and health parameters in feedlot steers receiving different levels of garlic powder in their mineral supplement.
Outcome:
Two feeding trials were conducted at Lakeland College, Vermilion, Alberta, Canada. The first study ran in 2019 and 2020 with 208 crossbred steers (104 per year). The second trial was conducted with 80 steers in 2021.
The results showed that infusing garlic powder into free-choice mineral stimulated voluntary consumption in feedlot steers but did not affect other performance parameters, liver abscess scores and health indicators. Fly data were below the economic thresholds in all groups. The low fly abundance was related to the low hatch rate in confined feedlot settings. Old or stale garlic powder (> 1 yr) was less effective in stimulating intake. Proper storage is required to maintain the allicin content of the garlic powder.
Sponsors:
Dr. Brenda Ralston holds a B.Sc. in agriculture from the University of Alberta, M.Sc. in veterinary parasitology from the University of Calgary and a Ph.D. in veterinary and biomedical sciences from Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia.
Dr. Ralston grew up on her family’s century farm northeast of Calgary, where she remains today helping with their commercial cow/calf, forage, and grain operation with her husband Phil and son Mark. After 35 years with Alberta Agriculture as a district agriculturist, beef specialist, and most recently a research scientist, Dr. Ralston transitioned to Lakeland College in the fall of 2021.
Amain premise of a Lakeland education is the opportunity to engage in the real world before becoming a part of it. For Justin Kane and Ronya Wittwer, that meant participating in an applied research project to determine the viability of using a supplement given to calves that will assist producers in addressing potential challenges with vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
“It’s neat to be involved in something other people are going to benefit from,” Wittwer says. She is an animal science technology student majoring in beef and records keeper for the Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland (SMF) purebred unit. “We’re doing this for cattle producers everywhere to see if this supplement works better.”
The supplement, Vitaferst, is given orally to calves at one-to-three days of age. The intent is to improve neonatal health and immunity in the calves, potentially reducing the need for antibiotics later in life. It’s designed to increase levels of vitamins and minerals which the calves may not receive enough of from milk or colostrum. Carien Vandenberg, Janet Nowosad and their team of farm staff and students collected blood samples to measure vitamin and mineral levels in the calves to track the effectiveness of the supplement, which is where the student volunteers came in.
“Because it’s an oral supplement, it’s much less stressful on the calves and you don’t need to restrain them the same way,” says Kane, research coordinator for the commercial beef SMF.
“The researchers in the trial wanted student volunteers to help, so they came to each SMF group looking for volunteers to be involved,” Wittwer says.
Preliminary mineral data from the analyzed blood samples of neonatal calves and their dams taken from the Lakeland College cow herd and calves from local producer herds indicate that cows had sufficient iron ug/mL and selenium levels. All calves in the study were deficient in selenium, with between 30-50% iron deficient each year. Following supplementation, between d0 and d3, there was a significant increase in blood iron concentration and an upward trend in selenium concentrations (vitamin results will be available later).
Producers should consult with their nutritionist and veterinarian to ensure adequate levels in the cows prior to calving.
“Because it’s an oral supplement, it’s much less stressful on the calves and you don’t need to restrain them the same way”
- Justin Kane, research coordinator for the commercial beef SMF.
Kane stepped up, as did Wittwer. “Other members came out to help with moving calves, weighing them and everything else. There were always helpers coming in,” he says.
Both Kane and Wittwer are grateful to have been involved in a project that will have a lasting impact on the beef industry.
“It was interesting talking to the researchers about what they are looking for in the blood and why they were doing the trials,” says Wittwer.
“It will be pretty interesting to see the results,” Kane agrees.
This project is funded by NSERC and is supported by Lakeland researchers Brenda Ralston and Andrea Hanson in collaboration with industry partners: Alberta Veterinary Laboratories/Solvet, Chinook Contract Research and Vermilion area cow-calf producers.
Hypothesis:
If a cow is provided with pain relief following calving, we hypothesize that the negative impact on cows can be reduced and productivity improved.
Objectives:
• To demonstrate partum administrarion of Meloxicam Oral Suspension (MOS) in dystotic lactating dairy reduces pain (for up to 3 days as measured in Plasma Substance P (P<0.05))
• To demonstrate post-partum administration of Meloxicam Oral Suspension (MOS) reduces inflammation (for up to 14 days) as measured by a significant reduction in Plasma Haptoglobin (P<0.05) in dystotic lactating dairy cattle.
Sponsors:
Alberta Milk, AVL, Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Chinook Contract Research, Lakeland College, RDAR
Hypothesis:
The analgesic product lidocaine can be delivered through impregnated castration bands to testicles and tails to address pain associated with castration and tail docking in calves and lambs.
Objectives:
Demonstrate the efficacy of a lidocaine-impregnated elastrator band and demonstrate the presence of Lidocaine residues or metabolites in tissues adjacent to the band and in distant tissues.
Conclusion:
This project aims to provide a practical, cost-effective solution to producers to provide effective pain control during band castration and tail docking in calves and lambs without requiring any further steps (or equipment) than currently utilized by producers. This technology will also contribute to animal welfare and thus, public confidence in the industry.
Sponsors:
Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Lamb Producers, AVL, Chinook Contract Research, Lakeland College, RDAR, Solvet
Hypothesis:
The incidence of itchy cattle in Western Canada is caused by a variety of factors that must be assessed at each individual affected operation before a successful treatment/management strategy can be adopted to address the source and alleviate the symptoms.
Objectives:
To provide insight into the cause and potential prevention/treatment of itching beef cattle in Western Canada.
Potential causes:
• Ectoparasites (lice, mites).
• Bacterial and fungal pathogens (e.g. ringworm).
• Environmental allergies (plant, fungal, parasitic).
• Environmental irritants (dry air, freezing of skin, chemicals).
• Nutritional deficiencies.
• Nutritional toxins (mycotoxins). Scratching is an annoying problem, but it also can reduce productivity and value when animals are sold for meat and breeding.
Sponsors: AVL, BCRC, Chinook Contract Research, Lakeland College, Solvet, Universite de Monreal
When Walker Balan and Wylee Squair began their practicum working with Lakeland College’s research team, they learned that bison and cattle are entirely different animals.
The two practicum students both graduated with agribusiness diplomas before deciding to enrol in the bachelor of agriculture technology in 2021, the first year the program was offered. Both from cow-calf backgrounds, they jumped at the opportunity to complete their practicums working with Dr. Yuri Montanholi at Lakeland College on a project on remote sensing applied to bison farming, which is being funded by Alberta Innovates and highly endorsed by the Canadian Bison Association.
“Taking the bachelor program was an intriguing opportunity, especially with it being the first one in Canada,” Balan says. “There’s a lot to learn. I don’t come from a bison background at all, it was just taking a leap to learn new things.”
The projects the two students are working on are designed to find hands-off ways to monitor and work with bison.
Lakeland College’s bison herd kicked off 2023 in their new home located south of Vermilion thanks to a donor-driven land purchase.
The purchase of land is the culmination of the plan to increase Lakeland’s overall approach to demonstrating a commercial scale mixed-farm operation as part of the Student-Managed Farm – Powered by New Holland (SMF) and support Lakeland’s new bison operation. It was made possible by a historic $4 million donation in Feb. 2020 from Armin and Rita Mueller, specifically for that purpose.
“With bison, you need a hands-off approach,” Squair explains. “These projects allow you to track what’s going on with them without getting too close.”
Balan adds, “Every time you physically work with bison, it sets them back in production. They lose efficiency. We are trying to take away the stresses and setbacks that come with physically handling bison in the production system using technologies like infrared cameras, drones, and a remote walk-over weigh scale.”
An important part of the agriculture technology degree’s practicum experience is making industry connections. In July, Balan and Squair attended the International Bison Convention in Saskatoon, where they met producers, scientists and students from all over North America and Europe. The conference is only held every five years.
“They were really keen on what we were doing and intrigued to learn about it,” Balan says. “It’s rewarding to see that what we’re doing might make a difference to the bison industry.”
Squair agrees, saying, “It’s validating to know that there is interest in what we’re doing and a demand for it. It’s a good feeling knowing that we put all this work into it and there is a professional interest in it.”
“Partnering with our community is an essential part of learning at Lakeland. We are honoured that Armin and Rita decided to support us on this incredible venture,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College. “This is the biggest gift Lakeland has ever received and the impact it will have on our students, our campus and our farm will be a long-lasting one. We’re honored that Rita and Armin have entrusted us with carrying on their legacy in the bison industry.”
The newly purchased land consists of eight contiguous quarters, handling facilities, outbuildings, fencing and full services. Lakeland purchased the land for $7,780,000.
Lakeland is the first post-secondary institution in the country with a commercial bison operation. It expands its animal science technology program, offering students the opportunity to work hands-on with commercial-sized mixed farm operation.
“They were really keen on what we were doing and intrigued to learn about it,” Balan says. “It’s rewarding to see that what we’re doing might make a difference to the bison industry.”
- Walker Bala, Bachelor of Agriculture student
Project:
On larger bison cow-calf operations and/or rangeland settings it is hard to assess calving data (i.e., which cows have calved and date of calving) due to the husbandry challenges imposed by this species resulting into minimal handling. In this study, we are using drone imaging to identify which cows have calved, the cow-calf pairs and performing herd inventory. This data combined will result in crucial information for the producers to better manage their herds.
Process:
We are using a DJI Matrice 300 RTK drone and program flight paths over the pasture to scan the entire cow herd. A Zenmuse H2O Series visual camera mounted on the drone is being used to record aerial footage. Cows are being identified by using the camera to visually confirm each cow’s dangle tag.
The footage is being first analyzed by a judge to identify training sets (i.e., calf nursing on cow or being within proximity). As the study progresses, the imaging analysis will be automated for developing an artificial intelligence package to evaluate the videos.
Sponsors:
Alberta Innovates, Lakeland College, NSERC
Researcher:
Dr. Yuri Montanholi
Collaborator:
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
Funder:
AAFC
Timeline:
Sept. 1, 2022 - Mar. 31, 2023
Dr. Yuri Montanholi has a dual appointment at Lakeland College as an instructor and a researcher.
As an instructor, he teaches courses on livestock technology, remote sensing and precision agriculture economics in the bachelor of agriculture technology program, 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 bison, beef, dairy and small ruminants.
At Lakeland, Dr. Montanholi is expanding his activities through an interconnected research and teaching program to assist new professionals and livestock industry stakeholders in increasing their production efficiency while safeguarding the environment and contributing to the strength of their communities.
Contacts:
W. Balan | W. Squair | R. Vicentini | J. Galbraith | Y. Montanholi
Sponsors:
Alberta Innovates, Lakeland College, NSERC
Currently, Dr. Montanholi is leading a series of research projects, including a pan-Canada study on livestock traceability automation with Canadian Cattle Identification Canada, a study to develop remote sensing strategies to monitor bison in a hands-free manner that is mainly funded by Alberta Innovates, as well as a study funded by Alberta Environment and Parks to develop best practices for utilizing and protecting rangelands.
Agriculture is an international industry and Courtney Wallace, a bachelor of agriculture technology student (BAgTech) at Lakeland College, saw that firsthand last summer.
She and her mentor, Dr. Yuri Montanholi, research scientist and instructor at Lakeland, went to the European Federation of Animal Science 2022 conference in Porto, Portugal. Wallace presented findings of a research project she was involved with through her practicum at OneCup AI to the livestock experts in attendance.
Through the project, Wallace and other employers at OneCup AI are investigating the use of artificial intelligence in individually identifying dairy heifers and calves. “Identifying the animals is the basis for everything you need to know,” Wallace explains. “Being able to identify them leads to being able to track her feed intake, reproductive behaviors, and other phenotypes of relevance for the dairy industry. It just gives you the knowledge that this is a specific animal, and this is what’s happening with them.”
The study used four imaging processing models to identify the animals to gauge success levels. They tracked the heifers by their heads, both with and without tags, and by their whole bodies, also with and without tags. They also investigated how many images of each heifer would be necessary for proper identification.
“In the results, the lowest accuracy was 89 per cent and the highest was 98 per cent,” Wallace says. “Sometimes even I have a hard time identifying different animals. The AI system being accurate 98 per cent of the time compared to my 50/50 guess was very impressive.”
OneCup AI is based in Vancouver and has cameras and data sites in various places, including many cameras on Lakeland’s Vermilion campus spotting dairy and beef cattle 24/7.
“Mentorship with Yuri has been so important throughout this whole process. I don’t have a scientific background and I’ve never written a paper. I’ve collected data but never followed the whole process through,” Wallace says. “Yuri would meet with me on an almost daily basis to review the presentation. Without him, this practicum placement, this presentation, this project, and my future career probably would not be shaping in such interesting way. I’ve learned a lot from him, definitely.”
Presenting at the conference, working with Montanholi, completing her practicum and part-time position at OneCup AI, and her hands-on experience in the BAgTech program have had a profound impact on Wallace and the way she sees the role of science and technology in agriculture applied to precision livestock farming.
“It’s changed the way I view not only the agriculture industry, but also the requirements we expect from students to be able to handle research projects and technologies,” Wallace explains. “It’s so important that we can bring those research projects and technologies to producers. We can give them more effective tools to make the industry more sustainable.”
“Mentorship with Yuri has been so important throughout this whole process. I don’t have a scientific background and I’ve never written a paper. I’ve collected data but never followed the whole process through,” Wallace says. “Yuri would meet with me on an almost daily basis to review the presentation. Without him, this practicum placement, this presentation, this project, and my future career probably would not be shaping in such interesting way. I’ve learned a lot from him, definitely.”
- Courtney Wallace, Bachelor of Agriculture studentProject:
This project investigates the image identification and development monitoring of dairy calves and heifers, from birth to breeding to assist with the development of imaging protocols and data handling.
Process:
Continuous video footages of replacement Holstein calves were recorded using 11 cloud-connected surveillance cameras (Reolink, model RLC- 511W-5MP) individually installed in three indoor maternity pens and eight outdoor rearing pens. Imaging collection started on May 2021, a total of 74 replacement females were monitored to date. Animal identification is being devised through the development of convolutional neural network, and related techniques, to identify unique features based on color pattern and whole-body biometrics to be validated by the ear tag.
Sponsors:
Alberta Innovates, Lakeland College, NSERC, OneCup AI
Dr. Susan Markus has over 30 years of extensive experience in beef cattle production and sheep nutrition being currently involved in a large cow/calf, backgrounding, and feedlot operation with her husband and four children in east central Alberta. She holds a PhD in animal behaviour from the University of Alberta, a master’s in ruminant nutrition from the University of Manitoba, and a B.Sc. in agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan. Her background in extension and adult education allows her to bring the science of animal research and new technologies into the classrooms for students and onto the ranch for livestock producers. While Dr. Markus’ 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.
Just like we’re told not to judge a book by its cover, don’t judge a heifer solely by her looks. For producers who retain replacement heifers, weaning includes selecting heifers for the breeding herd, which comes with a price.
Dr. Susan Markus with Lakeland College applied research, along with summer student Katrina Gallan, are working on a heifer development project to investigate the use of remote sensing, genomics, and other new technologies to better predict the success (stayability) of a replacement heifer in the cow herd. This project is funded by RDAR, CAP, CAAIN, BCIDF. To date, their checklist includes:
Okay, here is where judgment is required. It is important to analyze the feet and legs of the heifer (also evaluate her dam and sire), as those legs and feet need to carry her around for the next six to eight years if she’s going to pay for herself. A producer also needs to evaluate the frame, muscling, and udder and teats of the heifer by evaluating both those of her dam and what her sire has produced in the past. If her mother had udder and teat issues or her father passed on poor conformation, chances are they will be a recurring problem in the herd in the future.
The heifer needs to be at 55-65 per cent of her mature body weight at breeding. The lower percentage level (55 per cent) of mature body weight works if the heifers are visually exposed to a bull prior to breeding season. The presence of a bull arouses the heifers and can stimulate estrous. If the heifers are to be artificially inseminated (AI’d) and they won’t be seeing a bull, then those heifers likely need to be closer to 65 per cent of their mature body weight when bred.
Reproductive tract assessment (reproductive tract scoring, RTS, on a scale of one to five) can be done by a qualified vet using ultrasound at a reasonable price, comparable to pregnancy checking. This scan will identify immature or abnormal ovaries and uterus as well as find freemartins. It should be done no more than 60 days before breeding or bull turn out dates. Just because a heifer is born single doesn’t mean she is reproductively sound. Cases have been found where a single-born heifer was a freemartin. The likely explanation is that the heifer had a bull calf sibling, in utero that died and was reabsorbed so was never known. The research found strong correlations between those heifers who ended up open and their RTS being low. It is an excellent assessment to avoid turning reproductively unsound females out to valuable pasture resources for breeding.
With time and proper handling, some animals will become more docile but a heifer that is easily excitable likely won’t improve. Based on remote sensing rumen bolus technology that Dr. Markus’ team has implemented in this project which provides daily water intake frequency, internal temperature, and activity indicators to alert for cycling (estrus), the flightier heifers (based on a chute exit score) did not settle after processing and had elevated temperatures, reduced water and/or feed intake for a longer time period, resulting in poorer gains. It always makes for a more pleasant day when animals aren’t jumping fences and getting the rest of the herd riled up.
Generally, hybrid vigour is an indicator of longevity and efficiency. In a commercial herd, knowing the breed composition of the females allows the manager to mate the females with another breed to maximize hybrid vigour of the offspring. Hybrid vigour is known to improve your weaning weights, disease susceptibility and hardiness of the offspring. Producers have been surprised by the breed compositions of some of their females when they have done a breed composition test. Assuming the breed composition based on coat colour alone fools many of us - it’s something to consider to better sort females into breeding groups.
The financial risk of developing replacement heifers that don’t perform is reduced when they are evaluated beyond their external conformation. A better understanding of what their genetic makeup is and ensuring that their reproductive tract will support a fetus are all worthwhile assessments. Identifying sub-fertile heifers early provides the opportunity to move them into a later breeding program to allow them to mature or market them at an optimal time and reduce the overall cost of the replacement heifer program on the ranch.
Hypothesis:
Reduced pregnancy rates under large expansive pastures are attributed to the physical separation between bulls and cows during the breeding season, resulting in cycling cows going unmated as bulls lack motivation to breed due to environment, overworking early in the breeding season, injury or any combination of these.
Conclusions:
Project:
The prolific nature of sheep means feeding and animal welfare programs 45+ days after breeding are most effective if ewes can be classified and sorted into relevant management groups based on the number of lambs they are carrying.
We have identified promising metabolite biomarker panels indicative of both pregnancy and litter size (PLS) at ~50 days after breeding and propose to design a handheld point of care (PoC) tool to deliver real-time PLS results within minutes of collecting fresh blood (via an ear prick).
Critical issues:
Critical issues to solve include further engineering, chemistry and computational process optimization. Current lab-based colorimetry and/or electro-chemical assays need to be enhanced for on-farm use with micro-fluidics for inclusion into the handheld tool. Additionally, integration of a whole blood collection method, serum separation method, metabolite identification and biomarker interpretation using sensors and computer processing are required in one device.
Outcome:
Such lab-on-chip technology holds promise for future livestock diagnostic endeavors. Developing a handheld device capable of high-throughput, ease of operation and analysis to function on a farm is a unique product that can serve international markets and would be considered as a proof of concept to develop similar technology for other species, particularly for the cattle industry.
Sponsors:
Alberta Innovates, Alberta Lamb Producers, Lakeland College, Olds College, Ontario Sheep Farmers, RDAR, TMIC, University of Alberta
Objectives:
• Identify bull location and intervene to improve mating opportunities.
• Apply the CERES GPS tag to obtain real-time location and activities to monitor the field distribution and disposition of bulls and cows during a rangeland breeding season to improve animal inventory retention.
Numerous issues with tag retention and frequency of location data reduce the practical use of these tags on the ranch. In addition, functionality of the tags is limited to temperatures above -15C rendering the tags inoperable during cold weather. We have sourced a Norwegian product to work around some of these issues for the next breeding season.
Sponsors:
Highland Feeders Premium Alberta Beef, Lakeland College, RDAR
Dr. Adrienne Levay has a dual appointment at Lakeland College as an instructor and a researcher.
Dr. Adrienne Levay joined Lakeland College as an instructor and researcher in 2020 and is the acting program head for the new bachelor of agriculture technology program. She obtained her PhD from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems in 2018 and her master of science in global health from the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta in 2012. 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 four-year doctoral fellows during her PhD. Her current applied research activities include acting as the Lakeland College project lead with the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network (PCSFN) and collaborating with the Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Institute (EMILI), Saskatchewan Polytechnique, Assiniboine College, Global Open Data For Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) to develop extension materials for contributing to improved data literacy among producers.
Bridging the gap between producers and the rapidly evolving world of agriculture technology is a foundational aspect of Lakeland College’s new bachelor of agriculture technology (BAgTech). This spring, students in their first year of the program were tasked with planning and hosting an educational networking event and tradeshow to feature emerging technology and also allow the BAgTech Class of 2023 the opportunity to share their practicum experiences before convocation in June.
The students’ event, Farm 4.0: The Future of Agriculture, was held at the Vermilion Regional Centre on Apr. 13. It functioned as an open house, ag tech tradeshow and networking opportunity, welcoming industry partners, keynote speakers, and over 200 guests.
The keynote presentation focused on the Pan-Canadian Smart Farm network and the event also showcased tours of the college through the day.
BAgTech program practicums took Lakeland students all over the world, experiencing a spectrum of different emerging agricultural technologies. At Farm 4.0, they returned to campus to share their experiences in panel discussions. Discussion topics included:
• Data collection and business management
• Field variability and viable rate in crop production
• Data collection using precision agriculture technology
• Drone applications in agriculture
• Data collection using precision agriculture technology
• Technology implementation in cattle production
• Remote sensing applications in livestock
Project:
The Pan-Canadian Smart Farm Network (PCSFN) started as a collaboration with Olds College, Glacier Discovery Farm and Lakeland College, since then a number of additional partners have been added including: the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence, Lethbridge College, EMILI - Enterprise Machine Intelligence & Learning Initiative and MBFI - Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives. The goal is to develop a network of farms adopting new and emerging technologies where capacity and expertise can be leveraged to explore and validate (or invalidate) technologies for producers.
As a new initiative, the PCSFN’s applied research activities are meant to demonstrate the value of network collaboration, sharing insight, expertise, and data.
This past year, the network collaboratively explored the relationship between high resolution and low resolution meteorological data collection and how this may influence the usefulness of commercially available disease model predictions.
Essentially, the PCSFN aims to ask the question: is one weather station on the side of the field “good enough” to provide the insight needed to make crop management decisions?
Funders:
The Canadian Agrifood and Intelligence Network
When producers look to select new varieties, they need unbiased yield, maturity, and disease package data. Lakeland College works with multiple collaborators to collect high quality data for pulses and cereals in the Lakeland region. All the varieties are planted in small plots where they are equally maintained with approved practices. Throughout the year height, lodging resistance, and other traits are recorded before the plots are harvested to collect yield data. Regional variety trails are run by industry groups with funding from producers, privates companies, and public funders.
Objectives:
• Test new and existing varieties in various soil types and climates.
• Demonstrate varieties to producers through local field tours.
• Inform producers on the performance of varieties.
• Test disease and pest packages.
Projects:
• Pea and Faba Bean Co-Ops. Collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan and funders to test out potential varieties in a pre-registration setting.
• Pulse Regional Variety Trials.
• Field Peas, Lentils, Soybean, Faba beans.
• Collaboration with Alberta Pulse growers to collect yield and trait data for publishing in seed guides.
• Cereal Regional Variety Trials.
• CWRS Wheat, CPSR Wheat, Triticale, Barley, Oats.
• Collaboration with Alberta Wheat and Barely to collect yield and trait data for publishing in Seed guides.
Daniel Pucko first became involved in agriculture with 4-H, before graduating with a diploma from Lakeland College. He went on to earn a BSc in agriculture from the University of Alberta in 2019. After working as an operation support technician and a field breeding agronomist testing small breeding plots of canola and soybeans, Daniel joined the Lakeland College research team in 2022, managing cereal and pulse research projects
Daniel Pucko
Robyne Davidson is the pulse and special crops research scientist with Lakeland College based in Lacombe. She has numerous years of experience in the agricultural industry conducting research trials on a wide variety of field crops within government, academia, and the private sector. She has been working with pulse crops for the past 20 years leading and conducting pulse research trials across Alberta.
The sustainability of cropping systems can be improved by increasing diversity and incorporating pulse crops into rotation. Recently, pulse crops have gained a lot of attention as consumers are demanding a transition towards plant-protein based diets to ensure global food security and address concerns around climate change and the environment. Pulses are well-known for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, thus reducing energy consumption and making them particularly suitable for low-input systems. As a rotational option, they provide a source of diversification to break insect, disease, and weed cycles and optimize nutrient management.
Robyne Davidson, along with her research team in Lacombe, have been trialing lupin in their pulse crop plots for the past five years. She has a three-year project funded by RDAR and the Alberta Pulse Growers to study the agronomics of lupin production in Alberta. Davidson and her research team and projects moved from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation to Lakeland College in 2021.
As a cool season crop, lupin performs well under temperatures below 25 degrees and in areas that
What are we doing to make sure we have the best, most competitive pulse crops?
Projects:
• Breeding competitive field pea varieties from strong genetics. Evaluation of green and yellow field pea
• Genetic material bred under European conditions for success in Alberta and across Western Canada.
• Development of improved pea cultivars to enhance Canada’s leading role in international pea markets. Evaluation of green and yellow field pea genetic material bred in Saskatchewan for success in Alberta and across Western Canada.
• Faba bean elite breeding material. Evaluation of tannin and non-tannin faba bean genetic material bred in Saskatchewan for success in Alberta and across Western Canada.
• Breed for top-performing field pea varieties for grain yield, high protein, maturity, standability and seed size. Evaluation of green and yellow field pea genetic material bred in Alberta for success across Western Canada.
Funded by:
Alberta Pulse Growers, Canadian AgriculturalPartnership, Crop Development Centre USASK, Limagrain, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers
Partners:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, University of Alberta, University of Saskatchewan
receive an average of 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation spread out throughout May to July. Drier conditions throughout August promote timely and even maturity for harvest. Lupins prefer the neutral to slightly acidic soil pH values (5.5-7.0) found across most of central Alberta. Lupin is a competitive choice for producers as it can be seeded early, has excellent nitrogen fixing abilities, resistant lodging, is easy to harvest, has no major disease or insect issues, has intercropping benefits and is adapted to areas of Alberta not suitable to other pulse crops.
The beneficial effect on subsequent crops reinforces their suitability for crop rotations. Preliminary research
shows lupin has resistance to Aphanomyces euteiches - a devastating pathogen of other pulse crops such as field pea and lentil. To ensure success, producers would need to choose clean, well-drained fields as broadleaf herbicide options are currently limited and, despite the large woody root, lupin does not tolerate water-logged conditions for more than a few days. Seeding early and applying pre-seed herbicides would give the crop a competitive advantage and ensure timely maturity. There are tremendous prospects for lupin in the fractionation industry where components are separated and used for ingredients in snack foods, non-dairy milk substitutes, highenergy drinks, desserts, pet food, and cosmetics. The crop is high in fibre, low in starch, and very high in protein. Of all pulse crops
Canola production in Canada has grown to about 20 million tons annually, generating approximately one-quarter of farm crop receipts. Not only does canola add to the national economy, it contributes more than 207,000 jobs. Grown primarily in Western Canada, canola turns the countryside yellow when it blooms in the summer, covering about 20 million acres. While the number of acres used to grow canola has remained steady, total production has increased due to more productive varieties. The Canola Council of Canada’s goal is to have a producer’s average yield of canola hitting 52 bushels/acre by 2025.
Dr. Haider Abbas, a research scientist with Lakeland College in Vermilion, is on a mission to help the council realize their goal. Since the mid-20th century, Environment and Climate Change Canada has determined that the average temperature across the western provinces has increased 1.9 degrees Celsius. Canola is a cool season annual and it was not developed for prolonged periods of heat and drought. Dr. Haider’s work will focus on improving producers’ productivity, profitability, and sustainability by exploring resource use efficiency and identifying strategies to achieve the genetic potential of a canola crop in a stressful environment.
The canola research program at Lakeland College is putting efforts into generating reliable information for local producers to develop strategies to grow canola and cope with changing conditions. Small plot research projects for 2023 will involve evaluating new varieties, seed treatments, precision weed control, seed and foliar applied crop inputs, and soil amendments.
available to Alberta producers, lupin has the highest percentage of protein ranging from 32-40 per cent. Field pea, the current crop choice for protein fractionation, averages around 25 per cent, whereas faba bean, the previously highest protein crop, ranges from 28-32 per cent. As a plant-based protein source, lupin protein concentrate has reliable water and oil absorption and high levels of gelation properties for use in many food applications. Lupin is an excellent choice for aquatic feed, and because the protein is so high can be used with great success in livestock feed rations.
Reseach scientist, canola
Dr. Haider Abbas is leading the canola research program at Lakeland College. He holds a PhD in agriculture and co-authored 20+ peer-reviewed publications. He did his collaborative work at research centers in Beijing, China, and Kew, UK. Dr. Abbas has more than 20 years of research experience, the last decade of which were spent as part of the R&D teams of Ag-Quest, Cargill, and Dow AgroSciences/Corteva.
Researchers, ag specialists, producers, instructors and students gathered at Lakeland College’s Vermilion campus last summer to gain a greater understanding of Lakeland’s research projects for Field Days. The event was a behindthe-scenes opportunity to see what goes into agricultural research and to see Lakeland’s projects first-hand.
Crop trials were showcased on Agronomy Day, July 12, with researchers discussing their various projects aimed at testing and exhibiting new crop varieties, including faba bean, soybean, lentil and more, as well as addressing issues currently impacting producers.
On Livestock Field Day, August 25, guests toured research facilities on campus, learning about Lakeland’s precision ranching, neo-natal supplementation trials, bison handling projects and more.
In 2023, Lakeland Crop Field Day will be July 25. Livestock Field Day will be September 7. RSVP today!
Agronomy/Crop: July 25, 2023
Livestock: September 7, 2023
