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Projections show that food production must double by 2050 to feed the world's growing population. We are working to strengthen Saskatchewan's agricultural leadership with new science, technology and policies to help feed a hungry world adequately, safely and sustainably. 

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Now showing 1 - 16 of 16
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    Assessing spatial distribution and quantification of native trees in Saskatchewan’s prairie landscape using remote sensing techniques
    (Taylor and Francis, 2024-12-11) Shafeian, Elham; Mood, Bryan; Belcher, Kenneth; Laroque, Colin
    The importance of trees in non-forest landscapes has been the focus of only a few studies. However, these trees provide many important ecosystem services. In this study, we mapped and quantified these trees using Sentinel-2 (S2) and very high-resolution (VHR) Google satellite imagery without any field campaigns. We performed a Random Forest (RF) classification to map the spatial distribution of native trees in different scenarios. The optimal model showed an overall accuracy and kappa of 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. We mapped 40,500 km2 of tree cover, including native tree cover (approximately 29,565 km2 ≈10.5%), excluding plantations, regional and provincial parks, and water bodies in the Canadian prairie region of Saskatchewan. According to our results, the highest numbers of native trees were found in the eastern and northwestern parts of the study area – cluster “BLK_1” and the “Black” soil zone, with total cover of 5,388 and 13,233 km2, respectively. The lowest numbers of native trees were found in the southwest side of the study area – cluster “BRN_6” and the “Brown” soil zone, with total cover of 2.38 and 979.5 km2, respectively. This research is important as detecting and quantifying native trees is an integral part of studies on carbon sequestration, economics, and effective management strategies.
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    Sustainable agro-waste pellets as granular slow-release fertilizer carrier systems for ammonium sulfate
    (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024) Steiger, Bernd; Bui, Nam; Babalola, Bolanle; Wilson, Lee
    In this study, several granular biocomposite carrier systems were prepared that contain biomaterials (chitosan, torrefied wheat straw and avian eggshells) as additive components at variable composition. The biocomposites were loaded with ammonium sulfate (AS) by two methods: (1) in situ addition of AS during pellet preparation, and (2) an adsorption method of AS after pellet preparation. Characterisation was carried out via spectroscopy (XRD, FT-IR) and complementary methods (TGA, acid stability). The pellet system (C1) by method (1) contained ca. 22 mg per g NH4+, whereas pellet systems by method (2) contained up to ca. 40 mg per g NH4+. The mol-ratio of NH4+ : SO42− varied from 2.18 (C1) to 2.72 (CW72), 2.97 (CW20), 2.64 (CW21) and 3.20 (CW22). Release studies in water showed that C1 pellets released almost 100% NH4+ within 3 h, while release varied from ca. 60% (CW72), ca. 40% (C20), 20% (C21) to 10% (CW22). By comparison, the systems prepared through method (2) showed a marginal increase of the release profiles up to 96 h. Granular AS carrier systems prepared by method (2) displayed greater mechanical stability and AS content versus the systems prepared by method (1). We demonstrated the ability to tailor the physico-chemical properties of such biocomposite carriers and highlight their promising potential as slow-release fertilizer systems.
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    Thermodynamics of Microbial Decomposition of Persistent Carbon in Erosion-Buried Topsoils
    (Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2025) Mitchell, Amanda; Helgason, Bobbi
    Hillslope erosion in hummocky landscapes can lead to the accumulation of C-rich topsoil in depositional positions that eventually becomes buried if erosion persists. Our objective in this study was to evaluate the persistence of SOC and the thermodynamic efficiency of the microbial community in C-rich buried surface horizons from five sites with varied texture and organic matter contents. Surface Ah (0-10 cm) and buried surface (Ahb) horizons were isolated from intact cores, sieved (<2 mm) and incubated under ideal conditions of temperature and moisture. Ahb soils had an average organic C content (25.6 mg OC g-1 soil) similar to the corresponding Ah soil (30.9 mg OC g-1 soil). Using isothermal calorimetry, we determined that Ah horizons produced significantly more heat and CO2 but had smaller calorespirometric ratios than Ahb soils, under both basal (841 vs 3106 kJ mol-1 CO2-C) and glucose metabolism (627 vs. 697 kJ mol-1 CO2-C).100-day basal respiration was nearly four times greater in Ah vs. Ahb horizons. While MAOM correlated with basal heat production in both horizons, it only correlated with C persistence in the Ah horizons (Rho = 0.67, p < 0.01), suggesting variability in C persistence was not primarily driven by organo-mineral bonds in Ahb horizons, although energy use efficiency is. Microbial community structure in Ahb horizons was distinct from the surface soils, and changed minimally during incubation, suggesting co-development of the community as decomposition proceeded over the decades of burial, leading to persistent C. These relatively large volume buried surface soils may provide unique opportunities to understand microbial hotspot C processes that are typically difficult to isolate at a spatially explicit scale (e.g., an aggregate interior). We propose that the co-development of distinct microbial communities in C-rich buried horizons leads to more thermally stable SOC, but further research is required to test this hypothesis.
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    Evidence of the need for crop-specific N2O emission factors
    (Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2024-12) Shorunke, Akeem T; Helgason, Bobbi; Farrell, Richard E
    Crop residues are an important source of N for subsequent crops and contribute to cropping system nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Oilseed residues, particularly canola (Brassica napus L.), can instigate higher N2O emissions compared to pulse and wheat crop residues but the reason for this disproportionate emission response is unknown. To determine the quantity and source of N2O emissions, we conducted an incubation experiment (84 d) using 15N and 13C labelled residues of canola, wheat, flax, pea and investigated key N-cycling gene abundances, microbial abundance and community structure using PLFA and soil C and N dynamics. Residue addition of all types significantly increased microbial abundance and abundances of denitrification and nitrification genes. Canola residue resulted in significantly greater nosZI abundance. Lower incorporation of canola residue 13C into PLFA and higher 13CO2 emissions suggests that canola residue C was used less efficiently (i.e., less for growth and more for respiration), depleting O2 and stimulating denitrification. The magnitude of N2O emission from residue-amended soils was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the unamended control soil and differed with residue type: canola > pea = wheat > flax > control. The canola residue emission factor was 1.56% of residue N – significantly higher than that of wheat (0.99%), pea (0.95%) and flax (0.18%). This higher canola emission factor resulted from greater residue-derived (1.47%) N2O as well as residue-induced (0.65%) soil emissions. The combined use of stable isotope tracing of 15N2O and 13CO2 and microbial characterization quantified differences in residue-derived N2O emissions from common crops that were linked to differences in microbial abundance, community structure and activity.
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    Avian influenza virus circulation and immunity in a wild urban duck population prior to and during a highly pathogenic H5N1 outbreak
    (Veterinary Research, 2024-11) Wight, Jordan; Rahman, Ishraq; Wallace, Hannah; Cunningham, Joshua; Roul, Sheena; Robertson, Gregory J; Russell, Rod; Xu, Wanhong; Zhmendak, Dmytro; Alkie, Tamiru N.; Berhane, Yohannes; Hargan, Kathryn; Lang, Andrew S.
    Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses were first detected in St. John’s, Canada in late 2021. To investigate the patterns of avian influenza virus (AIV) infection and immune responses subsequent to the arrival of H5N1, we sampled the wild urban duck population in this area for a period of 16 months after the start of the outbreak and compared these findings to those from archived samples. Antibody seroprevalence was relatively stable before the outbreak (2011–2014) at 27.6% and 3.9% for anti-AIV (i.e., NP) and H5-specific antibodies, respectively. During the winter of 2022, AIV-NP and H5-specific antibody seroprevalence both reached 100%, signifying a population-wide infection event, which was observed again in late February 2023 following a second H5N1 incursion from Eurasia. As expected, population-level immunity waned over time, with ducks seropositive for anti-AIV-NP antibodies for approximately twice as long as for H5-specific antibodies, with the population seronegative to the latter after approximately six months. We observed a clear relationship of increasing antibody levels with decreasing viral RNA loads that allowed for interpretation of the course of infection and immune response in infected individuals and applied these findings to two cases of resampled ducks to infer infection history. Our study highlights the value of applying both AIV surveillance and seroprevalence monitoring to provide a better understanding of AIV dynamics in wild populations, which may be crucial following the global dissemination of clade 2.3.4.4b H5Nx subtypes to assess the threats they pose to both wild and domestic animals, and to humans.
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    The effects of dietary cation-anion difference and dietary buffer for lactating dairy cattle under mild heat stress with night cooling
    (Journal of Dairy Science, 2024) Bertens, Claire; Stoffel, Clayton; Crombie, M. B.; Vahmani, Payam; Penner, Gregory
    The objective of this study was to investigate the interactive effect of DCAD and dietary buffer supply on DMI, ruminal fermentation, milk and milk component yields, and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) permeability in lactating dairy cattle exposed to mild heat stress. A total of 16 lactating Holstein cows, including 8 ruminally cannulated primiparous (80 ± 19.2 DIM) and 8 noncannulated multiparous (136 ± 38.8 DIM) cows, were housed in a tiestall barn programmed to maintain a temperature-humidity index (THI) between 68 and 72 from 0600 h to 1600 h followed by natural night cooling. The experimental design was a replicated 4 × 4 Latin rectangle (21-d periods) with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement. Diets contained a low DCAD (LD; 17.5 mEq/100g of DM) or high DCAD (HD; 39.6 mEq/100g of DM) adjusted using NH4Cl and Na-acetate, with low (LB; 0% CaMg(CO3)2) or high buffer (HB; 1% CaMg(CO3)2). In addition to measurement of feed intake, ruminal fermentation, and milk and milk component yields, a ruminal dose of Cr-EDTA and an abomasal dose of Co-EDTA were used to evaluate total and postruminal gastrointestinal tract permeability, respectively. Treatments had no effect on DMI, ruminal short-chain fatty acid concentrations, or ruminal pH. Feeding HD improved blood acid-base balance, increased urine volume by 4 ± 1.5 kg/d, and increased milk fat by 0.14 ± 0.044 percentage units and milk fat yield by 36.5 ± 16.71 g/d. HB reduced milk fat percentage by 0.11 ± 0.044 percentage units and had no effect on milk fat yield. The HB treatments reduced urinary excretion of Co by 27% and tended to reduce urinary Cr excretion by 10%. Across all treatments, 72% of the Cr recovery was represented by Co suggesting that much of the permeability responses were postruminal during mild heat stress. Overall, increasing DCAD through greater Na supply during mild heat stress improved blood acid-base balance and may increase milk fat yield. Dietary inclusion of CaMg(CO3)2 improved postruminal GIT barrier function despite a lack of low ruminal pH. Because there appeared to be a limited interactive effect between DCAD and buffer, increased DCAD and the provision of buffer seem to independently influence physiological and performance responses in lactating dairy cows exposed to mild heat stress with night cooling.
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    Validation of an in vivo dual permeability marker technique to characterize regional gastrointestinal tract permeability in mid-lactation Holstein cows during short-term feed restriction
    (Journal of Dairy Science, 2024) Bertens, Claire; Seymour, Dave; Penner, Gregory
    This study evaluated the effects of short-term feed restriction in lactating dairy cows on regional permeability of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and the recovery of DMI, ruminal pH, and milk yield. In addition, sampling methods for a novel dual marker technique to characterize total GIT and post-ruminal permeability were validated. Six ruminally cannulated lactating Holstein cows were blocked by parity (3 primiparous, 3 multiparous; 189 DIM ± 25.2) and enrolled in a crossover design. Experimental periods included a 5-d baseline phase, 5-d challenge phase (CHAL), and 2 wk of recovery (REC1 and REC2). During CHAL, cows received either 100% ad libitum feed intake (AL) or 40% of ad libitum feed intake (FR). To assess total-tract and post-ruminal permeability, equimolar doses of Cr-EDTA and Co-EDTA were infused on d 3 of CHAL into the rumen and abomasum (0.369 mmol/kg BW). Following infusions, total urine and feces were collected every 8 h over 96 h, and blood samples were collected at h 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32, 40, 48, and 64. The plasma area under the curve (AUC) for Cr and Co were calculated. By design, DMI for FR was reduced by 60% during CHAL and remained 19% lower than AL during REC1 but was not different from AL in REC2. Mean ruminal pH for FR was greatest during CHAL and least during REC1, with no differences detected between AL and FR in REC2. The duration that pH was <5.8 was least for FR during CHAL and greatest during REC1, which were different from AL and were no longer different between treatments in REC2. Milk yield was the least for FR during CHAL and REC1 and no longer different from AL in REC2. Feed restriction reduced milk fat, protein, and lactose yields by 26%, 31%, and 31%, respectively. Plasma Cr AUC was 34% greater and Co AUC tended to be 35% greater for FR than AL on d 3 of CHAL. Urinary Cr recovery after 48 h was not affected by treatment; however, urinary Co recovery was 36% greater for FR than AL. Positive correlations between plasma AUC and urinary recovery for Cr and Co were detected. It was determined that blood samples collected at h 2, 8, 20, 40, and 48 could predict the total plasma Cr and Co AUC within 1.9% and 6.2%, respectively. In summary, short-term FR in lactating dairy cows increases permeability of the total GIT and may increase permeability of the post-ruminal regions, with more than 60% of the permeability occurring post-ruminally. After FR, cows experienced low ruminal pH and a sustained reduction in milk yield. When using Cr- and Co-EDTA to evaluate regional GIT permeability, plasma AUC can be used as an alternative to urinary Cr and Co excretion. In addition, blood samples collected at h 2, 8, 20, 40, and 48 result in adequate prediction accuracy, at least when comparing GIT permeability for lactating dairy cows exposed to AL and FR.
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    Effect of sodium concentration and mucosal pH on apical uptake of acetate and butyrate, and barrier function of the isolated bovine ruminal epithelium
    (Journal of Dairy Science, 2023-10) Bertens, Claire; Mutsvangwa, Timothy; Van Kessel, A. G.; Penner, Gregory
    This study was conducted to investigate the role of Na+ on ruminal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) absorption and barrier function when isolated ruminal epithelium was exposed to high and low pH ex vivo. Nine Holstein steer calves (322 ± 50.9 kg of body weight) consuming 7.05 ± 1.5 kg dry matter of a total mixed ration were euthanized and ruminal tissue was collected from the caudal-dorsal blind sac. Tissues were mounted between 2 halves of Ussing chambers (3.14 cm2) and exposed to buffers that contained low (10 mM) or high (140 mM) Na+ with low (6.2) or high (7.4) mucosal pH. The same buffer solutions were used on the serosal side except that pH was maintained at 7.4. Buffers used to evaluate SCFA uptake contained bicarbonate to determine total uptake or excluded bicarbonate and included nitrate to determine noninhibitable uptake. Bicarbonate-dependent uptake was calculated as the difference between the total and noninhibitable uptake. Acetate (25 mM) and butyrate (25 mM) were spiked with 2-3H-acetate and 1-14C-butyrate, respectively, and were then added to the mucosal side, incubated for 1 min, and tissues were analyzed to evaluate rates of SCFA uptake. Tissue conductance (Gt) and the mucosal-to-serosal flux of 1-3H-mannitol were used to assess barrier function. There were no Na+ × pH interactions for butyrate or acetate uptake. Decreasing mucosal pH from 7.4 to 6.2 increased total acetate and butyrate uptake, and bicarbonate-dependent acetate uptake. Flux of 1-3H-mannitol was not affected by treatment. However, high Na+ concentration reduced Gt and prevented an increase in Gt from flux period 1 to flux period 2. The results of this study indicate that although providing more Na+ to the ruminal epithelium does not affect SCFA uptake or mannitol flux, it may help stabilize tissue integrity.
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    An investigative study to utilise the Fusarium-damaged wheat as a feedstock for the black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia Illucens)
    (Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 2024) Kumar, V; Ochoa Sanabria, carlos; Tanaka, Takuji
    This study investigated Fusarium-damaged wheat kernels (FDK) as a potential feeding substrate for black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens; BSFL). Fusarium-damaged kernels are considered unsuitable for food and feed due to the presence of mycotoxins. Mycotoxins, like deoxynivalenol (DON), pose health risks when consumed by animals at concentrations exceeding the limits established by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. However, BSFL have shown higher tolerance to mycotoxins, suggesting that FDK may be used as a feeding substrate for BSFL intended for animal consumption. To assess this, three FDK-based diets with varying concentrations of DON (4.49 ± 0.08 ppm, 6.04 ± 0.02 ppm, and 6.83 ± 0.04 ppm) and a healthy wheat-based diet (0 ppm DON; control diet) were formulated to grow the larvae. The diets were fed to larvae to assess their preference based on DON concentration. Concurrently, the accumulation of DON in BSFL biomass and its effects on growth parameters were evaluated. The larvae showed no preference for any DON concentration. The DON levels accumulated in the BSFL biomass were minimal, regardless of the DON concentration in the feed (P<0.05), with the highest recorded at 0.87 ± 0.04 ppm compared to 6.83 ± 0.06 ppm in the diet. Despite the potential harm of FDK to animals, the growth parameters of BSFL improved, with larvae on FDK-based diets reaching a live body weight of 185.0 ± 3.2 mg compared to 177.6 ± 4.2 mg for the control on Day 15. The nutritional profile remained nearly identical across all DON concentrations (∼41% crude lipid and ∼39% crude protein in dried biomass). These findings suggest that BSFL raised on FDK-based diets can be used effectively for feed purposes.
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    Novel hydrothermal modification to alter functionality and reduce glycemic response of pea starch
    (Carbohydrate Polymers, 2024-10) Cheng, Fan; Sun, Gexiao; Xuehong, Li; Warkentin, Thomas; Ai, Yongfeng
    Despite being an effective and clean-label method, heat-moisture treatment (HMT) is not commonly used for starch modification in industry due to the difficulty of scale-up. This study aimed to develop a novel method of using extrusion combined with high-temperature drying (EHTD) as an alternative to HMT for starch modifica- tion. Pea starch was subjected to extrusion at 37.5 % moisture level and with a low-temperature profile (≤ 65 ◦C), followed by immediate heating at 130 ◦C for 1 h. EHTD significantly damaged the granules, altered the X- ray diffraction pattern, and reduced the relative crystallinity of pea starch. Overall, EHTD-modified pea starch exhibited increased gelatinization temperatures and decreased gelatinization enthalpy change, lowered pasting viscosity and gel hardness, as well as enhanced enzymatic resistance than the native pea starch. More impor- tantly, in a human feeding trial (n = 20 healthy participants) to monitor plasma glucose response over a period of 2 h after consuming water-boiled sample (35 g starch, dry basis), EHTD-modified pea starch exhibited 22 % reduction (p < 0.01) in plasma glucose incremental area under the curve as compared to the native counterpart. The results indicated that EHTD could be a new simple and clean-label method to produce functional and low- glycemic starch ingredients.
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    Effects of rosemary extract addition on starch bioavailability and antioxidant properties of extruded pet foods
    (Animal Feed Science and Technology, 2024-07) Ren, Yikai; Bokshowan, Elise; Warkentin, Thomas; Weber, Lynn; Ai, Yongfeng
    This study aimed to investigate the effects of rosemary extract (RE) addition on the starch digestion and antioxidant properties of extruded pet foods. Pet foods were extruded using rice, round pea (RP), and wrinkled pea (WP) flours as the sole starch sources with RE incorporated at levels of 0 (control), 1.0, 10.0, and 30.0 g/kg (RE0, RE1, RE10, and RE30, respectively). High-amylose WP pet food exhibited lower damaged/gelatinized starch content compared with rice and RP pet foods. The total phenolic contents and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability of the pet foods notably increased after the addition of RE, showing a clear upward trend as the incorporation level was elevated. RE10 (except for rice) and RE30 significantly decreased the starch digestibility of pet foods according to in vitro testing, with the greatest reduction observed for the high-amylose WP sample. Although RE1 did not significantly impact the overall in vitro and in vivo starch digestibility, the treatment consistently postponed the peak times of postprandial blood glucose responses to all the three extruded diets in beagles. The results indicated that RE effectively enhanced the antioxidant properties of extruded pet foods and slowed starch digestion rates.
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    Important roles of coarse particles in pasting and gelling performance of different pulse flours under high-temperature heating
    (Food Chemistry, 2024-02) Lee, Dong-Jin; Cheng, Fan; Li, Dongxing; Ding, Ke; Carlin, Janelle; Moore, Emily; Ai, Yongfeng
    Dehulled pea, lentil, and faba bean grains were milled into flours with 0.5- to 2.5-mm sieves. As the particle size decreased, damaged-starch contents of the flours from the same pulse crop increased. At a holding temperature of 95 ◦C in RVA, peak and final viscosities and gelling ability of the flours generally increased as the particle size decreased. When the holding temperature increased from 95 to 140 ◦C, pasting viscosities of pea and lentil flours and gel hardness of lentil flours gradually decreased. In contrast, pasting viscosities and gel hardness of faba bean flours reached the highest values at 120 ◦C. The comparison of the pulse flours varying in particle size across the three market classes revealed that coarse particles comprising agglomerated starch, protein, and dietary fiber (i. e., particles of the second peak in the bimodal particle-size distribution curves) showed significant correlations with certain important functional properties of pulse flours.
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    From Tailings to Tree Tops: Understanding Metal(loid) Chemistry and Movement in Gold Mine Tailings Restoration
    (College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 2024-09-25) Lundell, Levi; Stewart, Katherine; Peak, Derek
    There are hundreds of abandoned and active metal mine tailings cells, containing a variety of toxic metal(loid)s, across Canada’s boreal forest. Many of these tailings are either being naturally or actively revegetated, but how boreal plants interact with substrate metal(loid)s is poorly understood. By understanding how tailings chemistry affects plant growth, and if plants sequester these toxic elements in their tissues, ecologically sound restoration of these sites can be improved. I am studying boreal plants growing in gold tailings using traditional lab techniques and spectroscopic and imaging methods from the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron.
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    What do Lygus like? Looking for potential trap crops to reduce faba bean damage
    (Springer, 2024-10-05) Aguiar‑Cordero, Teresa; Prager, Sean
    Grain legumes, such as faba bean (Vicia faba L.), are crucial for protein supply and soil fertility enhancement through nitrogen fixation. However, faba bean cultivation is challenged by Lygus plant bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae), which cause significant crop damage and seed quality loss. This study aimed to evaluate Lygus preferences between faba bean and alternative crops to develop effective management strategies. We conducted choice bioassay experiments under laboratory conditions and field plot experiments. Laboratory results indicated sex-based host preferences, with males favoring faba beans and females preferring canola. Field studies showed that faba beans adjacent to canola had higher Lygus abundance and damage compared to those next to peas, flax, and safflower. Safflower and sunflower demonstrated potential as trap crops to reduce Lygus damage to faba beans. Our findings provide insights into Lygus behavior and suggest that a combination of trap cropping, and targeted insecticide use could mitigate the impact of Lygus infestations on faba bean cultivation.
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    Biochar Amendments to Improve Soil Phosphorus Fertility and Retention in Canadian Prairie Soils
    (Springer Link, 2024-09-06) Dannhauser, Anèl; Schoenau, Jeff J.; Hangs, Ryan D.; Patra, Biswa R.; Dalai, Ajay K.
    The utilization of biochar, a carbonaceous substance derived from pyrolysis, has been extensively investigated in various agricultural settings. However, applying biochar to Canadian prairie soils without additional fertilizer treatments generates minimal benefits for crop productivity. This study investigated the effects of biochar amendments, with and without addition of Triple Superphosphate (TSP) fertilizer, on phosphorus (P) availability and retention in Canadian prairie crops and soils. Specifically, the study assessed crop yield, P uptake and recovery by canola plants, soil P retention, infiltration rates and P losses in simulated snowmelt runoff. Controlled environment and field studies were conducted with biochar and TSP fertilizer on nutrient deficient soils in the Saskatchewan Brown and Black soil zones. Under both growth chamber and field conditions, biochar derived from canola hull, manure, and willow feedstocks were shown to contribute some available P for plant uptake, with observed recovery of biochar P by canola up to ca. 50% of that found for TSP fertilizer. Among these biochar feedstocks canola meal biochar was least effective in supplying plant available P in the year of application. Willow biochar applied alone, or co-applied with TSP, may be an effective strategy for reducing P losses in snowmelt runoff compared with TSP alone and willow biochar also contributed to increased water infiltration. Biochars can potentially benefit canola production by enhancing P nutrition and recovery. Moreover, a balance may be obtained between biochar supplying P during the growing season, while reducing P losses in the spring snowmelt runoff.
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    Growth Promoting Strategies to Enhance Calf Health and Performance
    (College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 2024-09-25) Krahn, Olivia; Lardner, Herbert A. (Bart)