Livestock Innovation Quarterly

Exploring new innovation pathways

CEO commentary – by Kelly Somerville

How does promising research actually get to farms as a product they can use? The pathways may look different across various jurisdictions and sectors, but they all depend on strong connections between the people who generate knowledge and those who can help move it into practice.

Our industry asks a lot of researchers: understanding industry challenges, conducting groundbreaking science, publishing findings, securing competitive funding and demonstrating the meaningful impact of their work.

We also at times look to them to help lead the commercialization and adoption of their discoveries, but more often than not, that’s the part of the innovation chain that requires additional expertise and partners beyond the scope of the research environment.

That was a key theme at this year’s LRIC Symposium, Rethinking Ag Innovation.

Keynote speaker Johnny Park, CEO of the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network (WHIN), understands that journey firsthand. After beginning his career as an engineering professor at Purdue University, he founded a successful agri-tech company focused on pest management and now leads a unique agricultural innovation network in Indiana.

Park’s experience bringing his own applied research through to market illustrated that moving a promising idea from lab to farm is far more complex than is often realized or acknowledged. It requires all manner of innovation partners including researchers, producers, industry organizations, government, and investors to contribute different expertise at different stages.

Ontario is fortunate to already have many of these strengths. We have world-class researchers and research facilities, innovative farmers, engaged commodity and industry organizations, experienced knowledge exchange partners, and governments that recognize the importance of agricultural innovation.

However, there remains opportunity to strengthen and formalize the connections across that innovation chain so that promising ideas can move more effectively into practice and we develop a pipeline that does not rely as heavily on researchers doing the heavy lifting.

That message also emerged from the symposium’s closing panel featuring Deb Whale, President of the Grand River Agricultural Society; Paul Dick of Paul Dick & Associates and International Research Advisory Committee (IRAC) member; and Andy Veilleux, President and CEO of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. Their discussion focused on how we can create stronger pathways for researchers and innovators by bringing together the expertise, infrastructure and support we already have available.

While the panel discussed the potential for a Guelph-based agri-innovation hub, the broader lesson extends beyond any single institution or location. Strong innovation networks make it easier for people to find the right partners, understand farmer needs, access specialized expertise and move good ideas toward meaningful outcomes.

This is precisely where LRIC can add value.

While we are not a commercialization agent or funder, LRIC serves as a trusted convenor, connector and intermediary across Ontario’s livestock research and innovation system bringing industry, government and academia together to identify shared priorities.

We connect researchers with farmers and industry organizations so their work is informed by real-world needs. We introduce livestock agriculture to expertise and technologies from other disciplines and jurisdictions. Through our Getting Research Into Practice work, we also support the exchange of knowledge and the relationships needed to help research generate value for the sector.

Exploring successful innovation models like WHIN provides insight on how Ontario can continue strengthening the connections within our own ecosystem and ultimately make it easier for people with good ideas to find the expertise and partnerships they need.

Recipients of Early Career Research Award announced

Two researchers from the University of Waterloo and the University of Guelph have been awarded a combined $110,000 through the Early Career Research Award (ECRA) program, highlighting the value of bringing diverse expertise together to solve challenges facing Ontario's livestock sector.

Waterloo’s Dr. Veronika Magdanz receives $80,000 to advance a novel reproductive technology designed to improve artificial insemination outcomes, with the remaining $30,000 going to Dr. Heather Murphy of the Ontario Veterinary College to support research examining the transmission of waterborne pathogens in shared water systems and the implications for livestock health.

The announcement was made at the recent LRIC Symposium and annual meeting in Elora.

Magdanz is the first recipient from the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Engineering, marking an important milestone in the ongoing partnership between the university and LRIC that was established to connect engineering expertise with agricultural challenges and encourage innovative approaches to livestock production.

"One of LRIC's strengths is bringing together people and disciplines that might not otherwise work together," says Kelly Somerville, CEO of Livestock Research Innovation Corporation. "Veronika's project demonstrates the potential that exists when engineering expertise is applied to livestock production challenges, while Heather's research addresses important questions around animal health and biosecurity. Both projects have the potential to create meaningful impacts for the sector."

Read full release here.

Don Gordon returns as LRIC chair for another year

Don Gordon, representing Dairy Farmers of Ontario, was elected to serve another year as chair. Sonya Fiorini from Burnbrae is the new vice chair, taking over from RJ Taylor who has stepped down from the board, and Jim White was elected to the secretary position replacing Karen Sanders.

We are also excited to welcome Dr. Mazyar Fallah, the new vice-president (research and innovation) at the University of Guelph, to our board as the new ex-officio board member. Most recently the dean of the College of Biological Science, Fallah assumed his new role at Guelph on May 25.

“There is a strong and long-time collaboration between the University of Guelph and Ontario’s livestock sector, and I’m pleased to be part of the board at LRIC as we work together to continue to drive research and innovation forward for the benefit of the livestock industry in Ontario and beyond,” Fallah says.

LRIC extends its thanks to RJ and Karen for their contribution and service to the organization.

Click here for LRIC’s full board line up: https://www.livestockresearch.ca/board

AGM panel explores the future of agricultural innovation

This year's LRIC Annual General Meeting, themed Rethinking Ag Innovation, featured a thought-provoking panel discussion on how Ontario can accelerate agricultural innovation and the adoption of new technologies.

Moderated by Kelly Somerville, the panel brought together Johnny Park (Wabash Heartland Innovation Network), Dr. Paul Dick (Paul Dick & Associates Ltd.), Deborah Whale (Grand River Agricultural Society) and Andy Veilleux (Guelph Chamber of Commerce) to share their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.

The key takeaways:

• Collaboration is essential. Strong partnerships between researchers, industry, producers and innovation organizations are key to turning good ideas into practical solutions.
• Start at the farm. Focus on farmer needs rather than simply introducing new technologies. Successful innovation begins by understanding the challenges farmers are trying to solve.
• Help producers adopt new tech. The biggest hurdle is often not developing new technologies but helping them be implemented on farm. Building trust, demonstrating value and connecting farmers with trusted advisors will all be critical to ensuring innovation reaches the farm gate.

LRIC part of Engineering Industry Advisory Board

Several years ago, LRIC began making connections with Ontario engineering schools to learn what on-farm challenges – identified by Ontario’s livestock commodities – could be solved with engineering while also hoping to introduce engineers to the career and research possibilities offered by the agriculture sector. 

LRIC’s Director of Operations, Jean Howden, is now a member of the University fo Guelph"s College of Engineering Industry Advisory Board (IAB), alongside representatives from Carlsberg Breweries, GHD, Kinectrics, Grounded Engineering, Marathon Technical Services, Crozier Engineering, Mallot Creek, Denso and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

"It's rewarding to see the relationships we’ve been building grow into meaningful partnerships that can help deliver practical solutions to improve animal health, sustainability and farm productivity, and I’m pleased to represent LRIC and the livestock sector on this board,” says Howden.

Together with Egg Farmers of Ontario, LRIC also helped facilitate a recent tour of the University of Guelph’s Poultry Research Centre at Arkell for engineering faculty, staff and students recently.

Emerging Trends and Opportunities Committee

Wild boar populations have been developing rapidly in Canada over the last 15 years, causing extensive crop and property damage, contributing to soil erosion and water contamination, and creating ecosystem disruption in the areas where they’ve settled. Populations are particularly strong in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

But it’s their disease spreading potential that is most concerning and has gotten the attention of industry leaders, including former Maple Leaf Foods executive Ted Bilyea, who brought the issue to LRIC.

The industry is now pursuing the idea of using a genetic solution to suppress the wild boar population, and Dr. Ray Lu of the University of Guelph has completed a successful gene-drive feasibility study using computer modelling that showed the effectiveness of this approach.

A proposal for a new research project exploring how gene editing could help control Canada's growing feral pig population has been submitted to RDAR, an agricultural research funding organization in Alberta. Led by Lu and Dr. Vilceu Bordignon from McGill University, the project will develop gene-edited boars that produce no fertile female offspring, allowing wild pig numbers to decline over time and making existing control methods, such as hunting and trapping, more effective.

The project will test whether the approach works and brings together researchers, industry and government to explore how the technology could be used in the future. The work could also help guide how Canada regulates gene-edited livestock and demonstrate how new technologies can help solve challenges facing agriculture.

Project partners include Swine Innovation Porc, Canada Packers and other processors.

International Research Advisory Committee (IRAC)

Artificial Intelligence takes centre stage at IRAC meeting

Artificial intelligence is expected to transform nearly every industry in the coming years, and livestock agriculture is no exception.

LRIC's International Research Advisory Committee (IRAC) is working to better understand both the opportunities and the challenges of the technology and how it could shape the future of livestock research and innovation.

Dr. Ricardo Vieira Ventura, a dairy researcher from Brazil and adjunct professor at the University of Guelph, spoke at IRAC’s last meeting and demonstrated practical AI applications already being developed for the livestock sector. His work includes camera vision systems that assess animal locomotion and body condition, along with audio analysis that can detect management issues and provide farmers with earlier, data-driven insights.

The discussion also explored the broader role AI could play across the livestock value chain, from improving animal health, feeding decisions and traceability to accelerating research and enhancing data analysis. Members also emphasized the importance of ensuring AI is adopted responsibly, with appropriate safeguards to address risks such as bias and misuse.

The discussion is helping inform a cross-sector research document on emerging technologies and future research priorities. As AI continues to evolve, LRIC is working to ensure Ontario's livestock sector is prepared to harness its potential while remaining competitive in an increasingly technology-driven world.

Farm visits a cornerstone of mentorship program

Recent visits to Cedar Crest Trout Farms near Hanover and Ken Schaus' beef farm near Walkerton gave participants in LRIC's mentorship program another opportunity to experience Ontario's livestock sector first-hand.

Hosted by former LRIC Vice Chair RJ Thompson, the tour of Cedar Crest Trout Farms introduced the cohort to Ontario's aquaculture industry, while the visit to the Schaus farm provided insights into beef production and on-farm management. Combined with earlier tours to a dairy sheep operation, feed mill and veterinary practice, the program continues to provide participants with a broad understanding of the livestock value chain.

Getting researchers and students out onto farms remains one of the mentorship program's greatest strengths. Seeing agriculture first-hand helps participants better understand the realities facing producers while building relationships that can lead to more practical, industry-focused research.

“When I arrived at OVC in 2020, I knew nothing about the agricultural sector. The LRIC Mentorship program… gave me the opportunity to tour different livestock operations, network with livestock organizations and connect with producers. My first project in the livestock sector was conceived while I was on an LRIC farm tour, and therefore, the program was invaluable in kick-starting my research career in agriculture.”
-Heather Murphy, Tier II Canada Research Chair in One Health and Associate Professor, Ontario Veterinary College Department of Pathobiology

“As a computer science researcher, I began the mentorship programme with little background in livestock science. I gained first-hand insight into the practical welfare challenges and operational constraints of modern barns. These experiences have translated abstract sensor and artificial intelligence concepts into real on-farm use cases that now drive my research agenda and broadened my personal perspective, moving me from a purely technical viewpoint to a more holistic understanding of animal welfare and producer realities.”
-Zhao Zhao, Assistant Professor, School of Computer Science

“The LRIC mentorship program has drastically redirected my research program. I had not envisioned a role for myself in microbiome research beyond swine. Through this program I have come to learn that gut modifiers are a promising strategy for reducing antimicrobial use across the many sectors and there is substantial interest from stakeholders to support research in this field.  More importantly, this mentorship program has shown me how welcoming the farmers and other stakeholders are to new researchers. Prior to this program I hesitated to reach out to individuals due to my own inexperience in their sector and concerns that I would be wasting their valuable time. However, this program has clearly illustrated that although everyone is busy, they are also eager to support new research and happy to share their knowledge and experience.”
-Nicole Ricker, Assistant Professor, Ontario Veterinary College Department of Pathobiology

The current cohort, which includes faculty and graduate students from the University of Guelph as well as a staff member from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, is now entering the final stages of the program. Recruitment is already underway for the next cohort, which will begin this fall. More information is available: https://www.livestockresearch.ca/early_faculty_mentorship_program.

Getting Research Into Practice

Guelph welcomes federal meat science researchers

Two researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's research centre in Lacombe, Alberta, have joined the University of Guelph, bringing valuable meat science expertise to Ontario's livestock sector.

Dr. Óscar López-Campos studies carcass quality and market competitiveness, with research focused on improving how carcass traits are measured and evaluated to help increase value across the beef industry.

Dr. Nuria Prieto specializes in meat quality and sensory evaluation. Her research helps the Canadian meat industry identify product characteristics that consumers value, while improving quality without adding costs for processors and retailers.

Beef Research Day showcases the power of collaboration

Bringing researchers, producers, industry and government together to exchange ideas was the focus of Resilient Canadian Beef: Research to Advance Canada's Beef Sector, held May 20th at the University of Guelph.

Participants from across the beef value chain explored how research can help address environmental, economic and climate-related challenges while strengthening the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of Canada's beef sector.

Presentations highlighted research advances in areas including sustainability, climate change mitigation, resilience and production efficiency, while discussions explored how scientific discoveries can be translated into practical solutions for producers. Just as importantly, the event created opportunities for participants to identify shared priorities, build new partnerships and strengthen connections between researchers and industry.

“Events like Beef Research Day play an important role in bringing the right people together; researchers, industry, government and policy partners, to connect research with the real challenges and opportunities facing the beef sector,” says LRIC CEO Kelly Somerville.

Part of the day also included discussions around the idea of a Protein Innovation Institute at Guelph to bring researchers, industry and government together around shared opportunities and challenges across the protein sector. The concept aims to strengthen collaboration, support innovation, build processing capacity and help ensure new research is translated into practical solutions that benefit Ontario's livestock and protein industries.

Cross Sector Research

The following article highlights innovative research in the poultry industry, using bacteriophages to control salmonella in the guts of laying hens. With gut health a priority in other livestock too, could there be cross-species opportunities for this type of work?

“Many areas of animal health, like gut health, are challenges across the livestock industry, which is why cross-sectoral approaches are so valuable,” says LRIC Director of Operations, Jean Howden. “We often find applicability from learning from others and the big issues facing our sector can’t be tackled by any one commodity on their own.”

Mixing up a killer cocktail to control salmonella in laying hens

As new challenging salmonella strains emerge in the poultry industry in Canada, researchers are working with innovative “natural” options to reduce the risk to bird health and food safety.

Dr. Hany Anany has been focusing on bacteriophages (phages) for more than 15 years. These naturally occurring bacterial viruses are able to target salmonella and other troublesome bacteria found throughout poultry production and processing chain.

Anany, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and food safety team lead based at the Guelph Research and Development Centre, has already successfully incorporated these beneficial antimicrobials into packaging materials to create anti-salmonella, phage-based bioactive packaging for raw poultry. Now he’s applying that knowledge to use phages to control salmonella in laying hens.

“Phages are highly precise, natural tools that target harmful bacterial like salmonella without impacting beneficial microbes,” says Anany.  “Using them to control salmonella in laying hens could help reduce the contamination risk before eggs ever reach the market.”

Anany and his team set out to develop and optimize a phage “cocktail” – made up of four phages – to control salmonella in laying hens over a wide temperature range. The cocktail is working well in the lab. They’re now testing if it can reduce salmonella colonization and shedding in the bird gut, limit contamination of eggs and be applied in the barn environment to further reduce salmonella levels and risk.

Read more

Hany Anany and his research team will feed their phage cocktail to laying hens at the University of Guelph starting this fall. The team include (left to right) Hany Anany, his PhD student Grandon Spoja, University of Guelph collaborator Nicole Ricker and postdoc Alba Park De La Torriente.

Funding opportunities and coming events

For current research funding opportunities, visit https://livestockresearch.ca/call_for_research_proposals.

For LRIC’s events calendar, visit: https://livestockresearch.ca/events

Thanks for reading. We'd love to hear your feedback about LRIC - both about what we're doing and what you think we should be doing! Please contact us at info@livestockresearch.ca with any questions or comments.

The Livestock Research Innovation Corporation is funded in part by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a 5-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative.The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a 5-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri?food and agri?based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

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