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Agriculture Roundup for Wednesday August 18, 2021

Aug 18, 2021 | 11:05 AM

MELFORT, Sask. — Drought and wildfires have created challenging conditions for farmers and ranchers.

It’s important to take care of mental wellbeing in times of crisis, especially when much of prairies are affected by extreme weather events.

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is partnering with rancher and mental health provider Cynthia Beck to share practical tips and strategies to help producers cope.

Register here for this virtual event.

The Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan is using cutting-edge laser synchrotron technology to image live plants and allow for more efficient crop breeding.

Real-time imaging with a specially designed semi-portable source of synchrotron radiation analyzes how a plant mobilizes and redistributes key minerals at the whole-plant level to survive under nutrient-limiting stress conditions.

The goal of the project is to develop more efficient plants with better nutrient uptake and distribution.

GIFS Senior Research Fellow Dr. Emil Hallin said the information will help breeding programs to develop varieties with more efficient nutrient acquisition and utilization.

“This will reduce fertilizer input costs for farmers and increase environmental sustainability of agriculture,” Hallin said. “Our hope is to extend the research into other important crops such as wheat, sorghum and soybeans.”

alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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