In the project: “Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Canadian Beef Industry through the Development and Adoption of Genomic Tools” (Awarded to Dr. John Basarab project PI through a NSERC-SSHRC Alliance grant in sustainable agriculture), one of our goals is to better understand the barriers to adoption of genomic tools for beef producers. To accomplish this, we are engaging producers directly. Project co-applicant Dr. Xiaoli Fan and PDF Dr. Huan Chen have developed an online questionnaire to gather insights on awareness, attitudes, barriers, and potential support needs related to the adoption of genomic technologies by Canadian cow-calf producers. These findings will inform future research and policy initiatives that support the use of genomic tools to improve the profitability and sustainability of the Canadian beef industry. The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete and results are anonymous. We invite Canadian beef producers reading this to participate, use this link or the QR code below to access the questionnaire.

This project is exploring several approaches to address the use of genomic tools for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Canadian beef industry. As a large multi-institution project, we can approach the challenge of reducing GHG in beef production from multiple angles utilizing the expertise of our various excellent team members. Here we will overview the project to show how this questionnaire fits into our project framework.

First, we are developing novel genomic tools such as genomic enhanced Expected Progeny Difference (gEPDs) for enteric methane emissions to factor into a sustainability multi-trait selection index. These genomic tools can help quantify GHG emission reductions through selection decisions by selecting for lower emitting and more efficient animals. You can read about the animal trials being used to develop the phenotypic dataset for this goal here. To enhance the capability of enteric emission phenotype collections from beef cattle, we are also developing a proxy measure for enteric emissions by using fecal near infrared spectroscopy. The feasibility of this approach was originally assessed by our project collaborator Dr. Amélie Vanlierde with Walloon Agriculture Research Centre (CRA-W, Gembloux, Belgium). This has shown promise as a suitable proxy measure for enteric emissions. This will allow for low cost phenotype collection for enteric emissions to supplement the present project dataset and future efforts to quantify enteric emissions (read our previous article on the topic here). Next, we are developing a carbon offset framework for cow calf producers to incentivize adoption. In the regulated or voluntary carbon markets, industrial emitters can purchase “offset credits” associated with reductions from quantified projects to lower their net emissions. More simply put, this is a framework that can result in producers getting paid for practices that reduces GHG emissions. Beneficial management practices (BMPs) are being developed to help producers understand how to apply genomic tools in their operations for better sustainability and profitability outcomes. These BMPs will tie into the carbon offset protocol development. Finally, these practices are being piloted by cow calf producers to support adoption. By working with the producer partners and analyzing the data they supply, we can quantify the economics and GHG reduction achieved and projected through the pilot project work. To read more about the pilot project and to get involved read more here.

We are grateful for the opportunity to lead this large scale project. We can only be successful in our goals with the participation of Canadian beef producers. This survey and the activities of the producer pilot are great ways to stay informed on the developing approaches and have your voice heard in the process. Please feel free to reach out with any questions! lsgentec@ualberta.ca

 

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 Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) hosted its fourth annual Research Showcase in Edmonton on January 21st. Nearly 400 individuals involved with Alberta’s diverse agriculture industry attended, showing how much interest there is in hearing the latest developments in agriculture research and innovation. The event featured presenters and a selection of specially chosen research projects, all highlighting the impact RDAR is having on agriculture research and development, not just in Alberta, but across Canada. 

RDAR’s Research Showcase is being consistently viewed as an important industry event, which has been reflected by the year-over-year growth in attendance, with an approximate 25% increase over 2025. 

Another indicator in the event’s popularity is interest in researchers wanting to showcase their work. Twenty-two projects were showcased this year, highlighting a variety of projects, including: 

• defining optimum seeding rate for new feed barley varieties 

• Field border delineation using imagery deep learning for advancing digital-first ambitions in crop insurance 

• Genome wide association study to identify markers for stripe rust virulence and resistance in diverse Canadian wheat panels 

• Assessment of the population structure of E. coli O157 from cattle and associated food safety risks 

• Developing an antimicrobial resistance surveillance program for bulk tank milk 

• Expanding opportunities for Western Canadian faba bean (Vicia faba) as a feedstuff for broiler chickens and laying hens and mineral composition of Alberta pasture grass over the grazing period 

• Engineering Next-Generation Phages to Protect Dairy Calves from Johne’s Disease 

The full list of projects and the presenting researchers may be viewed here. 

A short program, hosted by Real Agriculture’s Shaun Haney, complemented the poster presentations. Greetings from the Government of Alberta – from both the governing United Conservative Party and the opposition New Democratic Party – illustrated non-partisan support for agriculture in Alberta. A fireside chat with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation’s Deputy Minister Jason Hale also showed the support the Department has for RDAR and its initiatives. Two significant projects were highlighted, and a producer panel discussing the benefits of on-farm research rounded out the program. 

The first highlighted project presentation was from the CEO and co-founder of Cellar Insights, Terry Sydoryk. He has over 25 years of senior leadership experience building and scaling companies in Canada’s innovation ecosystem. Cellar Insights is an ag tech company that uses advanced sensing and cloud analytics to help potato growers protect crop quality and maximize marketable yield in long-term storage. Cellar Insight’s potato storage solution helps potato growers reduce post-harvest losses through evidence-based storage management. By translating real-time data into practical decision making, this project supports more efficient use of inputs, protects producer revenues, and advances broader policy objectives related to food security, waste reduction, and climate-smart agriculture.

The second featured project presentation was delivered by Kim Sturgess, founder and Vice President of WaterSMART Solutions Ltd., a services organization committed to improving water management through better technologies and practices across western Canada and beyond. Kim has led the development of collaborative watershed management models and systems over the last 20 years and has supported water management planning in industry and government. 

WaterSMART’s work on creating operating models for irrigation districts provides a roadmap for water use efficiency by advancing data-driven decision tools, scalable best practices, and adaptive management strategies. The roadmap supports sustainable irrigation policy objectives by helping producers optimize water allocation, enhance drought preparedness, and safeguard ecosystems. It is also used to advocate for policy changes with both municipal and provincial governments. 

The final segment of the program was the RDAR Producer Panel. Three Alberta based producers were invited to speak to the audience about their experiences with adopting new innovations on farm, as well as exploring their past interactions with the research community. Doug Wray, Angela Kumlin, and Tasha Alexander participated in the conversation with Shaun Haney. All three stressed that researchers need to listen to producers about the challenges they are facing and identify proposals and solutions that will rise to meet these. Moreover, all stressed that solutions need to be practical and feasible, and trial and error is the general “research” done on farm. 

RDAR now looks forward to delivering its summer event – Round-Up on June 17th, when the organization will take a more practical and producer focused look at the benefits of early adoption and on-farm innovation in Alberta. 

If you would like to view the RDAR Research Showcase, in part, or as a whole, please follow these links: 

• The 2026 RDAR Research Showcase can be viewed in full here. 

• The Cellar Insights presentation can be viewed here. 

• The WaterSmart presentation can be viewed here. 

• The RDAR Producer Panel can be viewed here. 

• To see the selected poster projects for this year’s Research Showcase and to learn more about the researchers involved, click here . 

 

In January this year Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approved pigs produced by gene editing to be resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) viruses for use in food^[1],[2]. Canada joined the US, Brazil and some other countries in determining that these pigs are as safe as conventional pigs used to produce food. Gene editing enables precise changes to be made to the DNA of an organism to change its phenotype. In this case to breed pigs resistant to PRRS, a devastating disease. PRRS is estimated to cost the Canadian industry $180 million³ and US industry $1.2 billion⁴ annually. Scientists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna were awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the tool or “molecular scissors” that was used to generate the PRRS resistant pigs. Other gene edited livestock include cattle that are more heat tolerant. These cattle are approved for sale in the US, however, they are not yet approved in Canada.

Will we be eating pork from these pigs soon and if so will we know? Health Canada states that as they found no health and safety concerns, no special labelling is required for foods from the PRRSV-resistant pigs. We have featured articles about this topic previously in the newsletter (see for example genome editing opportunities in agriculture, and  here, here, here, and here).

Former CEO Graham Plastow was invited to forecast the future of gene edited livestock at the Visions III conference on animal genetics and genomics at Iowa State University in 2021⁵. His paper “who is going to eat ChickieNobs⁶?” after the engineered, brainless chicken parts in Margaret Attwood’s “Oryx and Crake”, looked at what would be required for successful introduction of these novel gene edited foods. “The opportunities for new technologies in animal genetics and breeding are not derived from the precision of the technology, the nutritional equivalence of the products, or whether such products can be distinguished from conventional products. They come from the benefits they bring to consumers and why scientists and businesses want to provide them. Shared value takes into account a broader set of societal needs and not just economics. Taking this approach can help companies to look at potential problems that will create barriers or “hidden” costs for taking technologies to market. Giving consumers the choice to determine how they benefit from these opportunities can help create markets rather than approaches that push technology first and create hurdles and objections.”

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^[1] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/01/canada-approves-pigs-resistant-to-porcine-reproductive-and-respiratory-syndrome-viruses-for-use-in-food-and-feed.html

^[2] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/genetically-modified-foods-other-novel-foods/approved-products/porcine-reproductive-respiratory-syndrome-virus-resistant-pigs/document.html

³  https://www.ahwcouncil.ca/pdfs/AHC_Gaps%20Analysis%20Report_February%2013_EN.pdf

⁴Osemeke, Onyekachukwu, et al. “Economic Impact of Productivity Losses Attributable to Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus in United States Pork Production, 2016 to 2020.” Preventive veterinary medicine (2025): 106627.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167587725002120

⁵https://genetics.org.uk/events/visions-iii-star-gazing-into-the-galaxy-of-animal-genetics-and-genomics/

⁶ Margaret Attwood, “Oryx and Crake” p202, 2003 McClelland & Stewart Ltd. Toronto.