Dalhousie University | Agroalimentaire et agriculture

Principales installations

Research Farm: A 400-ha research farm containing a state-of-the-art feed preparation facility, ruminant animal centre, large pasture and field-trial plots and facilities, an experimental orchard, and a diverse greenhouse complex.

Aquaculture Centre: Provides >8100 ft2 of teaching and research laboratories and controlled rearing facilities for freshwater and seawater species.

Bio-Environmental Engineering Centre: A world-class environmental research facility containing wastewater treatment, constructed wetlands, replicated field plots with distinct tile drainage for contaminants, and lysimetry and GHG monitoring systems.

Grands projets

Assessing Cropping Systems for Soil Health, Carbon Storage Capacity, and Soil Nitrogen Supply as a Basis for Greenhouse Gas (GG) Mitigation Planning: Led by Dr. David Burton, this $2.17 million project, partnering with AAFC, assesses cropping systems for soil carbon storage capacity and nitrogen, for GG mitigation planning.

Agricultural Transformation Through Strengthened Vocational Education (ATTSVE): A $18 million agriculture capacity-building project in Ethiopia supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade & Development, and several other partners.

Automation of blueberry harvesters to improve yield and minimize operator stress: This $1.53 million NSERC project led by Dr. Qamar Zaman, in partnership with DBE, improves blueberry harvesting through precision agriculture technologies.

Chercheurs

Dr. Vasantha Rupasinghe, Killam Chair in Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals. Dr. Rupasinghe’s research focuses on medicinal biochemistry and disease-fighting properties of phytochemicals, and development of value-added food ingredients, natural food additives, and functional foods.

Dr. Stefanie Colombo, CRC Tier 2 in Aquaculture Nutrition. Dr. Colombo is interested in understanding the mechanisms of fatty acid biosynthesis in fish in order to increase tissue storage of essential fatty acids, for optimal fish health and for human consumption.

Dr. Sean Myles, Faculty Research Professor in Agriculture Genetic Diversity. Dr. Myles’s research focuses on using genetic data to detect and dissect the effects of domestication and breeding on various crops, especially grapes and apples.

Programmes spéciaux et apprentissage intégré au travail

Dalhousie’s strategic research direction is grounded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, and features signature research clusters, one of which is Food Security. (SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 17).
Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture hosts the Cultiv8 Sandbox, which provides support for post-secondary students to develop enthusiasm for and pathways to innovation. Through an array of engaging programming, it builds confidence in testing ideas through creativity, exploration, and collaboration, so that students can become more competitive in the 21st-century workforce. It is part of the joint Nova Scotia Sandbox Project hosted by Nova Scotia universities and community colleges.

Partenaires

Acadian Seaplants
Alton Natural Gas Storage
Atlantic Poultry Research Institute
Bragg Lumber Company
Canadian Mink Breeders Association
Doug Bragg Enterprises (DBE)
McCain Foods Ltd.
Organic Federation of Canada
PEI Potato Board
Wild Blueberry Producers of Nova Scotia