Advancements in agricultural science

A team of researchers from our Grain Research Laboratory has developed new DNA-based methods to identify and quantify trace amounts of other grain contaminants in semolina and pasta made from durum wheat.

Our Grain Research Laboratory team developed a new DNA-based identification method, which allows them to distinguish between 124 commonly grown barley varieties in Canada.

Wheat is an important grain for many food products around the world, and the fungal disease Fusarium head blight can be a threat to wheat growers and end-use buyers. We examined wheat samples for Fusarium species and presence of mycotoxins.

With over 500 wheat varieties currently registered in Canada, and another 125 nonregistered or deregistered varieties available to be grown, DNA identification is an important part of Canada’s grain quality assurance system.

Dr. Tigst Demeke and his team have developed a new laboratory procedure that lets scientists detect and quantify up to four GM events with a single test.

Dr. Bin Xiao Fu and Dr. Kun Wang investigated how protein content and gluten strength affect the firmness and microstructure of cooked durum wheat pasta.

In the most robust study of ergot in Canadian grain to date, teams from the Grain Research Laboratory identified trends in ergot incidence and severity in western Canada over the past 25 years.

Dr. Tigst Demeke and his team have developed a new laboratory procedure that lets scientists detect and quantify up to four GM events with a single test.

Dr. Sean Walkowiak and his co-authors explore how functional genomics have the potential to revolutionize how new varieties of important cereal crops such as wheat and oat are bred.

The Grain Research Laboratory’s Bread Wheat and Durum research team studied different durum varieties and kernel sizes to better understand the factors affecting milling quality.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Ning Wang have developed a new, more accurate method for measuring the oil absorption capacity of pulse flours, protein concentrates, isolates, starch and fiber.

Dr. Marta Izydorczyk and her team found a new way to add value to barley that’s harvested with protein content too high to receive the malting grade.

Wheat breeders, millers and bakers need reliable and rapid methods to test the functional and end-use quality of wheat and wheat flour so they can better create the products that people around the world enjoy like breads and pastas.

The Canadian Grain Commission’s Grain Research Laboratory, in collaboration with a Canadian wheat customer in Japan, studied how the mixing process affects dough behavior and how this knowledge could be used to improve the quality of bread and other wheat products.

Growing solid-stemmed wheat varieties is the most common way to prevent wheat stem sawfly damage, which causes approximately $350 million in losses in North America each year.

A team of researchers from the Canadian Grain Commission’s Grain Research Laboratory and the University of Manitoba adapted a medical research method so they could analyze individual components of gluten, a key contributor to wheat quality, in a very high level of detail.

In 2019, many farmers were unable to finish harvesting much of their canola after early snowstorms buried crops that remained in fields.

Deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin, is toxic to animals and humans.

Consuming oats contaminated with mycotoxins can be hazardous to human and animal health.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a disease that infects wheat crops and reduces their quality and yields.

Scientists in the Canadian Grain Commission’s Grain Research Laboratory conducted the first multi-year survey of mycotoxins in Canadian oats.