Please join us in congratulating Henry Alexander Cordoba Novoa, Ph.D. candidate in plant breeding and genetics at McGill University's Macdonald Campus, on receiving the Roger Krueger Memorial Scholarship, awarded by the Seed Science Foundation at the American Seed Trade Association Leadership Summit held in Nashville, TN on June 15–19, 2024. This award recognizes Henry's outstanding research, integrity, and professionalism and his passion for the future of agriculture and the seed industry.

Génome Québec and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – secteur nature et technologies (FRQ), have announced the 15 research projects that have won major funding through the third round of the Genomics Integration Program – Agriculture and Biofood, Forestry and Environment, including two led by McGill University researchers in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The total investment, including public and private partners, represents nearly $3.6 million.

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.