Pictured above: Greenhouse production of sunflower microgreens in biodegradable containers.

By David Wees, agr., Faculty Lecturer, Farm Management & Technology Program and Dept. of Plant Science, FAES

Ah, spring: that time of year when farmers and gardeners can’t wait to plant. Even apartment dwellers want to see some green, but with most of the world’s population now living in urban areas, space to grow may be limited.

On March 21, McGill celebrated 111 laureates at the 19^th edition of Bravo, a gala event honouring researchers who won major provincial, national, and international research prizes and awards in 2023. Guests, including researchers, their families and friends, faculty, students, and members of McGill’s academic administration, gathered to celebrate their accomplishments.

Eight of the honourees were from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences:

The dry bean breeding program at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Morden Research Centre in Manitoba will continue for at least another five years under a new arrangement involving McGill University in Quebec and AAFC’s Harrow Research Centre in Ontario.

In a new article for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, Javed Sidiqi, Eric Bishop Von Wettberg and McGill Plant Science Assistant Professor Valerio Hoyos Villegas dive into the potential of the humble chickpea, an increasingly popular legume known for high nutritional value and nitrogen-fixing properties. 

As hostile weather intensifies, plant breeding focused on climate-adapted crops has taken on a sense of urgency. 

With cultivated crops often suffering from a lack of genetic diversity making them more susceptible to diseases and pests, scientists are now turning to wild varieties, which can offer valuable yet previously overlooked genetic traits. By crossing the wild tepary bean with a black bean or a pinto bean, for example, scientists may be able to breed a new variety that can better endure similar harsh environmental conditions that its relative thrived in.

On Wednesday November 29th, 2023, nine Macdonald Campus graduate students took on the challenge of presenting their thesis in just a few minutes at the Lister Family Engaged Science 3-Minute Thesis Competition.

With only one non-animated slide for visual support, competitors raced against the clock to explain the crucial components of their research and its importance.

The apple is constantly being reinvented, changing with the times and cultures. The Malus domestica species comes in some 7,500 varieties.

"Today, people want crisp, sweet apples. Quebec used to import a lot of Granny Smiths; they're now much less popular because they're very acidic," explains David Wees, a McGill Plant Science lecturer and Associate Director of the university's Farm Management and Technology Program.