Special Edition: September 2026

Growing Ontario agri-food together: A collaboration between the Government of Ontario and the University of Guelph

Also in this issue:

• KTT-M funding program open for applications
• Upcoming events
• Alliance people, places and programs in the media

L to R: Dale Cowan, Dr. Isabelle Acklin, Peter Johnson, and Dr. Peter Sikkema

Weeds have always been a part of farming. Herbicide-resistant weeds changed the stakes.

Thanks to investment through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, Ontario farmers were not facing the challenge alone.

Through decades of Alliance-supported research, Dr. Peter Sikkema, professor emeritus in the Department of Plant Agriculture, Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, helped Ontario agriculture stay ahead of an evolving threat. His work provided practical, science-based solutions that helped growers control herbicide resistant weeds, minimize yield losses, and safeguard profitability before the issue became a much larger crisis.

The Ontario Interactive Animal Pathogen Dashboards

Transforming Disease Response in Ontario’s Livestock Sector

Emerging and existing animal diseases remain one of the most costly and disruptive threats to Ontario’s agri-food sector—triggering culling, trade restrictions, supply chain shocks and long-term economic damage, which also have implications for farmer mental health and animal welfare.

Today, that reality is changing.

The Ontario Interactive Animal Pathogen Dashboards (OIAPD) give veterinarians, industry leaders and policymakers near real-time visibility into disease trends, transforming how risks are detected, understood and managed.

The Alliance Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) Funding Program is designed to enable and enhance the positive impact of research, amplifying the use and benefit of research for Ontario’s agri-food sector and rural communities.

Applications are being accepted until Dec. 7, 2026 for projects that support the delivery of activities, products or services that drive knowledge into action and get research into practice for the benefit of Ontario and Ontarians. These activities include synthesis, engagement, dissemination and brokering between researchers and research users. Funding may be used to support projects that build collaborations, networks and capacity.

Town Hall Information Session

Date: September 29, 2026

Time: noon–1 p.m.

Location: In-person, U of G, room UC441

Virtual: Join on MS Teams

• Meeting ID: 239 134 669 572 350
• Passcode: tc6yB6dq)

A selection of Alliance people, places and programs cited in popular and trade media.

U of G student receives inaugural award for beef cow research (July 29, Guelph Today)

U of G PhD student Madeline McLennan was recently named the first recipient of the Dr. Ira Mandell Research Award. Presented by the Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) with recommendations from the BFO Research Committee, the award is worth $2,500 and recognizes exceptional research in the province's beef sector from master's, PhD and post-doctoral researchers at recognized Ontario universities and colleges.

U of G scientist Dr. Jay Subramanian in the news

Subramanian appears in numerous media outlets to talk about breeding peaches to be more resilient to climate change, and the affects of recent flooding in the Niagara region. Read a sampling of the stories:

• Canada’s last peach breeder is growing fruit for the future (July 31, The Narwhal)
• Peach trees in Ontario's Niagara region under threat due to recent historic flooding (Aug. 26, CBC News)
• Flooding in Niagara could push prices higher for peaches and plums next year, warns U of G expert (Aug. 17, CP24)

WheatScanR app uses smartphone camera to improve farm yields (Aug. 4, CTV News)

An app developed by U of G PhD student Riley McConachie uses artificial intelligence and deep learning to provide a near-instant assessment from a simple smartphone photo, distinguishing between healthy and infected plant tissue within seconds.

Organic matter goes fast and comes back slowly (Aug. 11, Farmtario)

Dr. Kimberley Schneider, researcher and professor in U of G's Department of Plant Agriculture, says soil organic matter levels can be used as a shorthand means of determining a field’s overall bill of health. This is part two of an article series highlighting Soils at Guelph’s five soil health indicators, and the Making Sense of Soil Health campaign.

Ontario researchers using AI to breed a better bean (Aug. 17, CTV News)

Harvesting "super beans": U of G researchers in the Ontario Agricultural College are using artificial intelligence to breed a better bean.

Repairs a part of the learning curve with ag robotics (Aug. 23, Farmtario)

At the AgRobotics Working Group Demo Day at the Ontario Crops Research Centre - Simcoe, centre Manager Torin Boyle outlined a trial currently being run in collaboration with Haggerty Robotics using a made-in-France autonomous buggy for between-row weed control cultivating in squash.

50 years of the Elora Management Trial (Aug. 27, Better Farming)

50 years of long-term trials at the Ontario Crops Research Centre in Elora: U of G researcher Dr. Adrian Correndo explains the value of time when it comes to helping grain farmers making better crop management decisions. 

First-ever dual-mode herbicide targets resistant weeds (Aug. 29, Manitoba Co-Operator)

Peter Sikkema, a retired professor at U of G's Department of Plant Agriculture, said the dual mode-of-action classification of a new herbicide is scientifically interesting, but the practical resistance-management principle is not new.

Comments? Feedback? Events or content to include? Email alliance@uoguelph.ca.

This newsletter is produced by the University's Office of Research. The views expressed are the views of the University and do not necessarily reflect those of OMAFA. Questions regarding the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance can be addressed to alliance@uoguelph.ca.