In Finland, farmers who have transitioned to regenerative agriculture are forming a regenerative professional partnership with nature in their decision-making, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows.
Published in Agriculture and Human Values, the study explored the framework of the professional partnership in decision-making between Finnish regenerative farmers and nature. The study involved 86 farmers participating in the Carbon Action Project.
Regenerative agriculture is grounded in maximising soil cover, photosynthesis and microbial activity, while minimising disturbance. This enables food production that revitalises ecosystems and comprehensively strengthens their resilience in a changing climate and operational environment. Regenerative agriculture takes a holistic approach to well-being, encompassing ecological, economic, social and spiritual dimensions. Previous studies have shown that regenerative agriculture is more about a farmer-led social movement and personal journey than about specific farming practices.
“Regenerative agriculture is, fundamentally speaking, a way of living and expressing oneself in the world, co-creating with nature. Each farmer’s farm is their own creation,” Doctoral Researcher and lead author Soja Sädeharju of the University of Eastern Finland says.
Partnership with nature sets a framework and stands at the core of regenerative decision-making
Professional decision-making by farmers is intertwined with their connection with nature. Farmers participating in the study reported a deep connection with nature that guided their professional decisions, while also acknowledging the need to utilise nature to earn a living. To resolve this conflict, farmers developed a regenerative professional partnership with nature, as conceptualised in the study. This framework includes, as components contributing to decision-making, the farmer’s connection and relationship with nature, the roles of both the farmer and nature within this relationship, and communication and interaction between them.
The study examined this farmer–nature partnership in decision-making not only at the level of individual farms but also from a planetary perspective, paying particular attention to its ethical dimension. The study highlights a relational approach between humans and the world that transcends humanity.
“In the heart of regenerative thinking and regenerative practices is acknowledging nature’s agency and including it in deliberation and decision-making. However, this kind of thinking remains unfamiliar in Western cultures, where nature is traditionally viewed as a resource that is devoid of reason, and the property of humans,” Sädeharju notes.
Empirical research into the professional partnership between humans and nature remains limited. The present study offers a new perspective on the internal dimensions of decision-making among farmers practising regenerative agriculture. The study also deepens our understanding of nature’s agency by verbalising the tacit interactions between humans and nature.
“This understanding enables the genuine inclusion of tacit partners such as nature and future generations, and the adoption of a multidimensional perspective in decision-making.”
The study was funded by the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation and by the Research Council of Finland.
Caption: The left image shows the tomato-picking robot and camera. The right image shows a ‘robot-eye view’ of the tomatoes. Red represents mature fruits, green indicates immature fruits, and blue indicates selected harvesting targets. Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University
In the agricultural sector, labor shortages are increasing the need for automated harvesting using robots. However, some fruits, like tomatoes, are tricky to harvest. Tomatoes typically bear fruit in clusters, requiring robots to pick the ripe ones while leaving the rest on the vine, demanding advanced decision-making and control capabilities.
To teach robots how to become tomato pickers, Osaka Metropolitan University Assistant Professor Takuya Fujinaga, Graduate School of Engineering, programmed them to evaluate the ease of harvesting for each tomato before attempting to pick it.
Fujinaga’s new model uses image recognition paired with statistical analysis to evaluate the optimal approach direction for each fruit. The system involves image processing/vision of the fruit, its stems, and whether it is concealed behind another part of the plant. These factors inform robot control decisions and help it choose the best approach.
The model represents a shift in focus from the traditional ‘detection/recognition’ model to what Fujinaga calls a ‘harvest‑ease estimation’. “This moves beyond simply asking ‘can a robot pick a tomato?’ to thinking about ‘how likely is a successful pick?’, which is more meaningful for real‑world farming,” he explained.
When tested, Fujinaga’s new model demonstrated an 81% success rate, far above predictions. Notably, about a quarter of the successes were tomatoes that were successfully harvested from the right or left side that had previously failed to be harvested by a front approach. This suggested that the robot changed its approach direction when it initially struggled to pick the fruit.
Ultimately, Fujinaga’s research highlights the nuance involved in fruit-picking for robots with factors including fruit clustering, stem geometry, background leaves, and occlusion all being important. “This research establishes ‘ease of harvesting’ as a quantitatively evaluable metric, bringing us one step closer to the realization of agricultural robots that can make informed decisions and act intelligently,” he said.
Fujinaga sees a future where robots will be able to independently determine whether crops are ready for harvest. “This is expected to usher in a new form of agriculture where robots and humans collaborate,” he explained. “Robots will automatically harvest tomatoes that are easy to pick, while humans will handle the more challenging fruits.”
A monitoring system devised by the University of Cordoba ascertains the flowering stages of each hive, with high precision, exploiting data on bees’ behavior
Beekeeping has existed for millennia, as evidenced by a painting in the Cueva de la Araña (Valencia), more than 8,000 years old, depicting a human figure collecting honey from a hole in a rock, with bees hovering around. This relationship between humans and bees is essential not only to obtain honey, pollen and wax, but also to conserve the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.), responsible for the pollination of thousands of crops.
The success of hives and beekeeping depends on flowering periods, which are irregular because they depend greatly on the season, rainfall, and temperatures. Reducing uncertainty and knowing the precise duration of flowering periods was the goal of a team from the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering and the Department of Zoology at the University of Cordoba, which has been working for years on hive monitoring systems providing beekeepers with accurate data in real time.
The system designed allows them to ascertain the exact flowering time for each hive, from the beginning of the day until it ends, thanks to a weight sensor. “By observing how the weight of the hive varies throughout the day, and analyzing the curve that results from the weight measurements every 5 minutes, we obtain information about the current flowering stage,” explained Andrés Gersnoviez, lead author of the work.
Contrary to what one might think, it is not only the weight gain of the bees, loaded with nectar, that reveals the moment of flowering, but also when the bees begin to leave to forage (collect), the number of bees that leave and enter the hives, and how much time they spend outside them, among other things. “If you know when the hive’s minimum weight occurs, which is when they go out to look for food, and when the maximum occurs, you know that they have already returned. In addition to this, knowing if that minimum and/or maximum have a peak or valley shape, as well as the difference in weight from the beginning of the day until it ends, all together tells us how long it has taken them to return, and the success they have had in their searches, which allows us to pinpoint the flowering phase,” the researcher explained.
With the data obtained from the hive sensors, the team designed a classifier using Artificial Intelligence algorithms with factors that describe the weight curve and relate that data to flowering. Once they had met their objective, they went further. “We saw that, within the flowering period, we could distinguish between an earlier stage and an end one,” Gersnoviez said. In this way, a system is obtained that is capable not only of determining whether flowering is impending, occurring, or finished, but also of distinguishing between an initial and a final flowering stage.
Technology to facilitate beekeeping
Beekeepers usually work with several apiaries featuring 40 or 50 hives. These apiaries are miles apart, sometimes hundreds, so knowing exact flowering times without having to visit them saves beekeepers time and allows them to carry out this age-old activity more efficiently. According to José Manuel Flores, a researcher who has participated in the work on the Zoology side, this helps to enhance harvests. “The system tells you that the flowering will end in a few days. This allows beekeepers to plan where to go to in order to collect the honey. If you arrive too early and the flowering hasn’t finished, you’re losing the part of the harvest that the hive can still generate. Conversely, if you arrive late and the flowering finished days before, the bees are already feeding on that honey, and part of the harvest is also lost.” It is especially useful for those who produce monofloral honey (of a single variety, such as orange blossom, chestnut, eucalyptus, or avocado, among many others), since, if it is not collected once the flowering is finished, the bees can take nectar from other flowerings of more distant crops, in which case the honey is no longer monofloral, and loses added value.
The monitoring system created through these teams’ collaboration provides much more information. Thanks to these sensors — which measure hives’ weight humidity and temperature data every 5 minutes, and that can be consulted remotely via a computer — beekeepers can also track the changes that occur and verify whether there are any health problems, predators nearby, or any kind of interference, without having to actually visit the apiary.
A November 22, 2025 Nanowerk Spotlight article by Michael Berger presents a very different kind of robot than the humanoid kind often seen in movies, popular culture, and news clips, Note: A link has been removed,
Plant robotics shows how living movement and sensing can power biodegradable machines that work with natural environments, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional robotic materials and actuators.
Robots are increasingly used in outdoor settings such as farms, forests, and conservation sites, where tasks involve sensing, monitoring, or gentle interaction with plants and soil. These environments highlight a basic problem in robotics. Most machines rely on durable materials such as plastics, metals, and electronic components that do not break down when left in the landscape. When a robot reaches the end of its service life or fails in the field, its remains can persist in soil or water. That persistence conflicts with the aims of environmental protection and long-term land management.
Efforts to address this issue have explored biodegradable plastics, gels, and natural fibers. Some materials lose strength when exposed to moisture or ultraviolet light. Others degrade too quickly or produce forces that are difficult to harness. These challenges have encouraged researchers to rethink how robots generate movement and respond to their environment. Instead of reproducing natural mechanisms with synthetic parts, engineers are examining whether the mechanisms in living systems could support robotic functions directly.
Plants present a straightforward case for this shift. They bend toward light, change shape as humidity rises or falls, alter posture through daily cycles, and react to touch with rapid movements. They do all of this without motors or batteries. Their actions come from growth, which lengthens tissues; internal water pressure, which changes cell shape; and structural layers that swell or shrink with moisture. These mechanisms respond to clear stimuli such as light, gravity, temperature, water, and mechanical contact. Each process follows consistent physical rules.
Advances in plant science now allow these movements to be measured at high resolution. Researchers can track bending angles, measure forces in the ranges of milli-newtons to newtons and record electrical signals that travel through plant tissues. Thin, flexible electrodes can attach to leaves without adhesives and without damaging the surface. These electrodes can stimulate movement with controlled electrical inputs or record the plant’s own electrical responses. These developments reveal that plant motion is not only an outcome of biological adaptation but also a reliable source of mechanical work.
his idea is the focus of a detailed perspective published in Advanced Science (“Plant Robotics for Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Robots: Insights from Actuation Characteristics”). The paper introduces plant robotics, a field that uses living plants as actuators or sensors within robotic systems. It surveys how plants move, the stimuli that trigger those movements, and the forces and speeds plants can generate. It also reviews early devices that use plant-based actuation for gripping, locomotion, seed dispersal inspired movement, and environmental response.
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Plant robotics offers a model in which robots operate on the same timescales as natural systems, rely on renewable energy, and break down after use. These systems could support environmental restoration, monitoring, or gentle manipulation in places where synthetic machines are impractical. By treating plant motion as a design tool rather than a biological curiosity, this field opens the possibility of machines that integrate into natural cycles rather than disrupt them.
It took me a few times to fully appreciate the approach to robotics described in Berger’s November 22, 2025 article.
Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper, which offers more depth and an accessible writing style,
Plant Robotics for Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Robots: Insights from Actuation Characteristics by Kazuya Murakami, Misao Sato, Yu Ikeda, Tatsuhiro Horii, Yukari Nagatoshi, Miki Fujita, Toshinori Fujie, Yasunari Fujita, Jun Shintake. Advanced Sciences Volume 13, Issue 15 Special Issue: Sustainable Materials in Soft Robotics and Electronics 13 March 2026 e12896 First published online : 14 November 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202512896
Brandie Weikle’s June 21, 2026 article for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Radio programme What on Earth explains how the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz has affected Canadian agriculture and the reasons for how that may lead to new fertilizer technology adoption, Note Links have been removed,
It sounds like weird science and some have dismissed it as “snake oil.”
But an emerging crop fertilizer technology is gaining interest amid an acute shortage caused by wars in the Middle East. Though research is in early stages and has not yet been peer-reviewed, the method is also being explored as one possible way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from traditional chemical fertilizers.
The cold plasma method essentially replicates lightning, similar to the novelty lightning globes popular in the ’90s.
The fertilizer is made on site at individual farms, a potential advantage as geopolitical conflicts disrupt supply.
About one-third of the world’s fertilizer is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has been severely restricted since the beginning of March [2026]. Compounding the problem, Iran is a major producer of fertilizer and nitrogen, and its industry has been damaged by airstrikes.
Jeff Harrison, chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario, said that has pushed fertilizer prices sharply higher.
“Expenses are exceeding revenues this year, and that’s not a pretty picture for farmers,” said Harrison, who grows corn and soybeans in Quinte, about 100 kilometres from Kingston, Ont.
Weikle’s June 21, 2026 article provides scientific details about ‘lightning fertilizer’,
To understand how cold plasma fertilizer works, it helps to get a handle on the vocabulary. Plasma is a word used to describe a component in your blood, but it has a different meaning in physics.
“If you put energy into liquids, you can make them gaseous,” said Stephan Reuter, a professor of plasma physics from Polytechnique Montréal who is researching plasma fertilizer. “And if you put more energy into these gases, you can transfer these gases into a plasma.”
Lightning is plasma. The northern lights are plasma. The little shock you get when you walk across a carpet and then touch a light switch is plasma, he said.
Lightning is a natural fertilizer because its energy converts nitrogen in the air into a form plants can absorb, Reuter told What on Earth. That combines with rainwater to make nitric acid, and falls onto soil as liquid fertilizer.
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Next, Weikle’s June 21, 2026 article covers the current situation in Canada, Note: Links have been removed,
A couple of different North American manufacturers are making devices that mimic this process.
Machines made by U.S. company Green Lightning are the most widely distributed in Canada. They are sold here by Nytro Ag Corp., run by Chris Nykolaishen, a farmer who grows wheat and canola near Kamsack, Sask.
Since starting in 2024, he said he has sold about 200 Green Lightning machines to 82 farms. Some larger farms have bought two or more machines, but that is a small group among the 189,874 farms counted in Canada’s last census.
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The most common Green Lightning system, the Thunder 365, is not quite two metres high and about 1.2 metres wide and deep. Nykolaishen said it costs $66,500.
A plasma reactor inside each machine creates the kind of colourful lightning seen in novelty globes. From there, it breaks apart nitrogen molecules to make nitrous oxide, Nykolaishen said.
That is sent into a special chamber, where it is infused into water to make nitric acid, becoming liquid fertilizer.
Nykolaishen recommends farmers start with a small trial in their first season and get to know the specifications, including the need for a reverse-osmosis system to filter the water.
Hard-won cynicism
That cautious approach is more appealing for farmers, he said, because many “look at this as if it’s snake oil.” The cynicism is hard won, he said.
“There’s been a lot of things that have come through agriculture that just haven’t worked out.”
For those who do make the leap, Nykolaishen said the system can produce 36,500 gallons (about 140,000 litres) of fertilizer a year if run continuously. That is enough to fertilize 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of wheat and canola with no other fertilizer, or a larger farm when combined with other products.
Each season, the farmers he works with are refining the system, but they need more data.
“The hard thing about agriculture is you really only get one shot at R&D every year, so you gotta make sure you make it count,” he said.
In these images supplied by Stephan Reuter, left, a professor of engineering physics at Polytechnique Montréal, the middle photo shows plasma filaments moving between two metal electrodes. The filaments generate reactive molecules from air, which are brought into water to make liquid fertilizer for hydroponic plants. At right, a technology demonstration used in high school and CEGEP settings. (Submitted by Stephan Reuter)
Reuter’s team at Polytechnique Montréal has funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to test cold plasma fertilizer. He said it is the only team in the country doing so.
The group is testing the fertilizer in a greenhouse setting on hydroponic lettuce. The findings are relevant, Reuter said, but not an apples-to-apples comparison for soil in a field of wheat or corn.
A credible “tutorial review” explaining the cold plasma method and its potential advantages was published in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal RSC Sustainability in 2025, but the research is so new there are not yet peer-reviewed studies.
There are also questions about how well the system will work at scale and integrate with existing farm equipment, since many farms use rigs designed to spread dry, granular fertilizer, not liquid.
But that wasn’t a problem on the Yorkton, Sask., farm near the Manitoba border where Jordan Keep and his business partner tried the system for the first time last year.
“We were already running liquid fertilizer, so we didn’t have to change much in terms of our seeding equipment,” he said.
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Climate benefits are covered in Weikle’s June 21, 2026 article, which also features an embedded radio segment (27 mins. 49 secs.) about ‘lightning fertilizer’ and Canadian agriculture.
620 CKRM: The Voice of Saskatchewn offers both a radio segment and an online January 19, 2026 article by Kevin Hursh featuring Chris Nykolaishen and lightning fertilizer,
The idea of farmers making their own liquid nitrogen fertilizer on-farm with a system called Green Lightning has been around for a few years and it continues to expand.
The Canadian distributor is a family business called Nytro based in Kamsack. Nytro had a booth at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show in Saskatoon [Saskatchewan] last week and will have a booth at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon [Manitoba] this week.
The Green Lightning theory is the same as how a lightning storm creates some nitrogen that falls with the rain. In this case, electricity is the lightning that produces nitrogen within water. The basic Green Lightning factory has been a six-head unit making 100 gallons a day using about $4 worth of electricity.
A larger, insulated unit within a 10-foot sea can is now available. It can generate 500 gallons of product a day with an electrical cost of $30 to $35 a day.
President of Nytro Chris Nykolaishen says the nitrogen content is equivalent to 3 pounds of N per gallon of water.
“We’ve done replicated plot trials to see if that is an effective rate in which you could use it, and the trials have been positive,” said Nykolaishen, “It’s difficult to measure because of the lack of salt in the product, but we’re using a TDS meter, and with the lab that we use, we’ve developed a formula that you can easily determine the amount of nitrogen you have in the product based on a parts per million basis.”
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Currently, 65 farmers across Canada use the machines, he added.
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Cost is the big driver. The Green Lightning price per pound of nitrogen is far less than conventional fertilizer, even after factoring in the capital cost of the units.
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Weikle’s June 21, 2026 article notes this cautious response from the federal government,
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In an email to CBC, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) said it recognizes innovation will play a role in the future of fertilizer use in Canada, and that plasma-based fertilizers have the potential to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.
“At the same time, conventional fertilizers and manure continue to play a critical and indispensable role in supporting crop production, food security, and farm productivity in Canada,” the email said.
In response to a question about how AAFC will help farmers cope with the current fertilizer shortage, the statement said, in part, that it’s working with partners to “identify supply pressures ahead of the 2027 growing season.”
Stephan Reuter is an assistant professor in physics of plasmas and spectroscopy.
He is also Head of TransMedTech [chair for plasma medicine].
His research involves the interaction of non-thermal plasmas with liquids and diagnostic methods such as ultrafast laser spectroscopy, spectral imaging, and single-shot techniques. Studied application fields are plasmas for medicine, environment, and material synthesis.
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Plasma for Infinitesimal Reactions
Plasma (singular state of the matter, lightning is a common example) are able to generate highly reactive species at low temperature. They are qualified as excited. Generate those reactive species help to induce chemical reactions at low temperature, which couldn’t happen in the wanted conditions. In low-temperature plasma, there are highly reactive species -electrons, and other «cold» molecules. The results are unbalanced medium and a loss in thermodynamic equilibrium.
Thus, it’s possible to create chemical reactions in new media such as microorganisms, living and non-living (nano-scaled structures). More precisely, those researches are focused on the plasma-liquid interfaces of plasma sources.
Nano-magic for lab/living and society
The principal purpose is to advance plasma medicine for diagnostic, medical care, food safety or materials.
According to recent developments in science, Pr Reuter’s approach follows sustainable development principles at the economic scale (positive economic impact), social (health) and environment (responsible plasma sources).
As for TransMedTech, there’s this on its About page,
History
Officially launched in 2017, the Institut TransMedTech (iTMT) is a transdisciplinary open collaboration initiative that aims to develop innovative medical technologies to meet the needs of the healthcare community and train the next generation of the medical technology sector.
The Institut TransMedTech was born of an initiative led by Polytechnique Montréal, with the collaboration of 4 other founding institutions (CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, CHUM, Jewish General Hospital of Montreal) and some 30 other partners. Three other institutions joined in 2023: HEC Montréal, the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (IUGM) and the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI).
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Lightning as fertilizer? What an extraordinary time we live in.
This explanation of how this research relates to food security is direct from the paper’s introduction and helped me, Note: Links have been removed,
The constantly growing world population has caused nations to struggle with food shortages, while farmers face crop turbulence with weed competition. (1) Weeds have developed resistance to herbicides, chemical compounds used to protect plants against them, for the last 60 years. Also, herbicides can be easily driven through leaching, drifting, or running off into the water and accidentally harming off-target plant species, animals, and humans. This highlights the need for new techniques to be developed and implemented. (2,3) Over time, the use of nano-enabled agriculture has demonstrated efficiency in delivery of herbicides (nanoherbicide) by increasing herbicidal activity and decreasing environmental impact. (4) Nanoherbicides can be derived from diverse materials (organic, inorganic, or hybrid), with organic nanomaterials being highlighted for their eco-friendly properties and effectiveness that may minimize risks to nontarget organisms and ecosystems. (5,6)
Lignin is a sustainable, natural, and organic macromolecule derived from agricultural waste. It comprises a complex phenolic structure in plant cell walls, formed by benzene units in aromatic regions and hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, and ether functional groups in aliphatic parts. This arrangement allows the formation of diverse structures (e.g., capsules, triangular, and spherical), with spherical lignin nanoparticles (SLNPs) being well known for their smooth surfaces. (7,8) SLNPs are usually prepared using the antisolvent precipitation method, where aggregation forms nanoparticles with hollows attributed to π–π interactions in the benzene rings and shells formed by hydrogen bonding among carboxylic–phenolic groups in water and forming hydrophobic core/hydrophilic shell structures. (9) Recently, lignin has been explored to design nanodevices in the agricultural sector. (10) For instance, lignin-based nanoparticles can be stored for extended periods, (7) possess UV-blocking properties that may prevent active ingredients from degradation, (11) promote controlled release of active ingredients, (5,10) and lignin-composited nanocapsules have been studied as nanoherbicides. (12)
Hopefully that made this description more understandable. From the paper’s abstract,
Recent advances in nanoscience have reduced herbicide usage while maintaining crop yields, and sustainable materials, such as lignin, have emerged as promising nanocarriers for herbicide delivery. Spherical lignin nanoparticles (SLNPs) with atrazine (SLNPs_ATZ) were designed, characterized, and applied to nontarget and target plants in this work. SLNPs_ATZ displayed spherical shapes with sizes near 178 nm by dynamic light scattering (DLS), and 136 nm by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), with a 74.2% loading efficiency and a 43.26% release percentage after 168 h. Chemical computational modeling revealed lower gap energies between atrazine and lignin, indicating strong carrier/bioactive interactions. Hydroponic experiments were conducted with butterhead lettuce with sublethal doses of atrazine (30 μg/L) for 28 days, and lettuce treated with SLNPs and SLNPs_ATZ showed no significant changes in root length/shoot area compared to the control. Lipid peroxidation and catalase (biochemical tests) showed significant differences between lettuce treated with atrazine and all other treatments. Gene expression of catalase-1 (CAT1) and GST6 genes indicated a possible stress tolerance in lettuce by SLNPs. Moreover, PER51 gene results indicated damage from SLNPs_ATZ and ATZ. Based on the weed control assessment, seeds/seedlings showed possible germination/development interference by SLNPs_ATZ. These findings highlight lignin as a sustainable molecule for developing nanocarriers with potential effects on gene expression and improved weed control.
There’s more to this posting than the virtual panel, as intriguing as I found the combination of agri-food with defence industrial strategy but those come later, with less detail. First from a May 28, 2026 Canadian Science Policy Centre (CPSC) notice (received via email),
June 4 [2026]: Sowing Security: The Agri-Food Sector and Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy
Join us on June 4 [2026] from 12:00–1:30 PM EST for a timely “Deep Dive” panel exploring the intersection of food security and national resilience. In an era of growing global volatility, food security is no longer just an agricultural issue—it is a cornerstone of national security. As Canada advances its Defence Industrial Strategy [DIS], this session will examine how the agri-food sector can support stable, innovative, and secure supply chains. Featuring experts from research, industry, and policy, the panel will highlight the role of agricultural innovation and food sovereignty in strengthening Canada’s security, including discussions on protecting critical food infrastructure, leveraging dual-use agri-tech, and enhancing resilience against emerging global and environmental threats.
Distinguished Research Chair in Agri-Food Biosecurity, Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies, University of Guelph
Sharif led various research programs, training initiatives and agri-food research centres owned by the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario and operated by U of G, including those at the Ridgetown Campus. He also oversaw the Laboratory Services Division and fostered relationships with a range of public- and private-sector partners.
Sharif is a professor of immunology whose research focuses on poultry diseases, such as avian influenza. He is dedicated to developing innovative vaccines to control these infections. Additionally, in the past, he led the Poultry Health Research Network, collaborating with experts from academia, government and industry. More recently, he was instrumental in establishing a translational health initiative at the University, bridging veterinary and human health research to translate laboratory discoveries into treatments for both animals and humans.
[Panelists]
Virginia Mulligan
Director of Agriculture and Food Innovation, Alberta Innovates
Virginia Mulligan is Director of Agriculture and Food Innovation, where she designs and delivers strategic programs that support innovation and sustainability in Alberta’s agriculture sector, with additional experience in forestry and energy. She has been involved in developing and delivering initiatives that surface promising technologies and turn ideas into practical tools for end users. Her work supports a diverse portfolio of projects focused on improving resource efficiency, strengthening on-farm practices, and enabling more informed decision-making across the sector. Virginia works closely with industry, academia, and government partners to ensure this work is well informed, collaborative, and responsive to evolving needs. She brings a practical, systems-level perspective on the role of innovation in advancing sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.
Brodie Berrigan
Senior Director of Government Relations and Farm Policy, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
As Senior Director of Government Relations and Farm Policy at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), Brodie Berrigan plays a key role in coordinating the organization’s policy development and government relations, with leadership on files including risk management, food security, labour, trade and transportation.
Prior to joining the CFA, he spent many years working for the Government of Canada across several departments, including Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Privy Council Office, and Employment and Social Development Canada.
Mr. Berrigan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from the University of Ottawa, a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from Carleton University, and a diploma in Business – Agriculture from Algonquin College.
Dana Dickerson
Director of Market Development and Sustainability, Grain Farmers of Ontario
Dana Dickerson is Director of Market Development and Sustainability at Grain Farmers of Ontario. Working on behalf of 28,000 farmers who grow barley, corn, oats, wheat, and soybeans, Dana focuses on strengthening existing markets and creating new demand across food, feed, fuel, beverage, and bioproduct sectors. She works closely with farmers, processors and governments to encourage value‑added processing innovation in Ontario, grow grain exports, and support farmer and customer sustainability.
Ian Affleck
Vice President – Plant Biotechnology, CropLife Canada
Ian Affleck, is the vice-president of plant biotechnology for CropLife Canada. In this role, Affleck works with domestic and international agricultural stakeholders and governments on the development of policies, regulations, and science related to plant biotechnology. Prior to joining CropLife Canada, Affleck worked at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for 10 years. His work there focused on the regulation of novel plants and new varieties. Affleck holds a B Sc from Nova Scotia Agricultural College and a Masters from the University of Guelph. Affleck has been involved in agriculture from an early age, having grown up on a potato farm in Bedeque, PEI.
I have a few more items from the CSPC’s May 28, 2026 notice. In the order in which they appeared,
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Deadline Extended to June 19 [2026]:
Call for French Editorial Series Vol. 2
The deadline to submit editorials for the French Editorial Series Vol. 2 has been extended to June 19, 2026! This volume features a call for editorials entitled: “Collaborating to Innovate: Building Scientific Bridges Across Regions and Sectors in Canada.”
Scientific collaboration between francophone and other linguistic communities across Canada continues to face challenges due to silos and regional disparities, despite the strong potential for pan-Canadian collaboration. This call seeks proposals that foster scientific collaboration in Canada and create networking opportunities across regions and disciplines, including but not limited to biomedical sciences, social sciences and humanities, natural sciences, and engineering.
For more details and to submit an editorial, click below.
Deadline Extended to June 5 [2026]: Science MeetsParliament (SMP) Federal
2026 Applications
CSPC is excited to announce that the deadline for the SMP Federal 2026 program applications has been extended to June 5, 2026! SMP Federal returns in 2026 following a successful 2025 program. This initiative connects scientists and parliamentarians, fostering dialogue and strengthening evidence-informed policymaking in Canada. SMP Federal will take place November 23 – 24, 2026 in Ottawa, preceding the 18th annual Canadian Science Policy Conference.
For more information on eligibility criteria and to submit an application, click the button below.
Canadian Forum on SocialInnovation (CFSI) Symposium – June 3 [2026]
CSPC and Partners present Canadian Forum on Social Innovation (CFSI) Symposium, From Fragmentation to Coherence in Canada’s Science and Innovation Ecosystem
In a knowledge-driven economy, Canadian universities play a central role in advancing the country’s science and research strategy by generating and mobilizing the talent and knowledge that support economic, social and public innovation, national competitiveness, effective regulation, and societal well-being.
On June 3rd 2026 in Calgary, AB, the CFSI Symposium will launch the Strategic Science and Innovation Leadership Initiative (SSIL) and convene a high-level national dialogue on the science and research strategy Canada needs to support a more holistic approach to conceiving, implementing and maintaining the conditions for inclusive prosperity. The CFSI SSIL Symposium will bring together higher education, industry and nonprofit leaders, policymakers, research and community funders and capacity builders to examine how science and research can support Canada’s ambitions across all sectors.
More information is available on our website, or visit the registration page below to join the conversation in Calgary.
A bane of farmers’ existence, it’s estimated that plant-eating pests are responsible for the loss of up to 40 per cent of pre-harvest yields globally. But a new generation of crop treatments that target only “bad” bugs could mean big gains for the Canadian agriculture sector, improving pest management tools in an industry that in 2024 generated over $142 billion.
Dr. Justin Pahara and his team at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Lethbridge Research and Development Centre are designing new screening methods to learn whether current crop treatments are effective. Their end goal, however, is to develop a method for using nanotechnology to deliver specific chemicals into pests based on their unique DNA – without harming helpful insects.
For example, through methods developed and tested at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, the researchers found that lygus bugs contain regions of enriched minerals pointing to certain proteins that could one day be targeted with tailored agents to prevent them from eating crops. The lygus bug is a common agriculture pest that feeds on many crops, including canola. Pahara and his team’s innovative methods are published in the Canadian Journal of Chemistry.
“We all need food, and if farmers cannot grow their products efficiently and make a living out of it, it’s a problem,” says Pahara. “We need new tools for pest management. Insects are becoming more tolerant to chemicals in the same way antibiotic resistance works in humans.”
Developing targeted pest treatments would also make “carpet bombing” insects with harmful pesticides a thing of the past.
“The ‘spray-and-pray’ approach ends up also killing beneficial bugs such as pollinators, and predatory insects like spiders, wasps, and beetles that help maintain a healthy ecosystem,” says Pahara.
The first step was to study how pesticides get into pests in the first place, how the nanomaterials get into their bodies and where the substances accumulate, information that will help design better solutions.
Pahara and his team used the BioXAS beamline at the CLS to create X-ray images of cutworms and lygus bugs, showing what chemicals were present in the insects and where.
Then, the group developed special software to explore the bug images in 3D models using virtual reality, so they can take an even “closer look” at the inside of the insects’ bodies.
“Designing new approaches is a very challenging problem and people have been working on it for decades, but with little success,” says Pahara. “Ultimately it’s our job at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to pass on what we learn to Canadian industry to solve key technical problems so industry can take over with less risks.”
Now that Pahara and colleagues know their screening test works, they are expanding their research to weeds and fungi pests and will be able to start testing the delivery of nanomaterials developed by both AAFC and the NANO division of the National Research Council of Canada into insects’ bodies.
This brief CLS video offers a description of how the synchrotron was employed for this project,
The last time I had a pineapple and nanocellulose story it was from Brazil (see my March 28, 2011 posting). This September 23, 2025 news item in Nanowerk describes some more recent research, Note: Links have been removed,
Food waste has long been a global challenge, but a new study shows it may also be part of the solution to desertification. Published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts (“Evaluating Nanocellulose from Food Waste as A Functional Amendment for Sandy Soils: Linking Fiber Structure to Water Dynamics, Soil Mechanics, and Plant-Microbes Interactions”), the research demonstrates how pineapple peels, typically discarded in large quantities by the juice and hospitality industries, can be transformed into nanocellulose fibers that dramatically improve the properties of sandy soils.
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Caption: Study shows food waste-derived nanocellulose boosts sandy soil water retention, nutrient storage, and plant survival in arid regions Credit: Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science & Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
Led by an international team of scientists, the study focused on converting pineapple peels into fibers through mechanochemical treatments including shredding, alkali processing, bleaching, and ball milling. The resulting fibers, ranging from macro to nanoscale, were then tested in three types of desert sands commonly found in the United Arab Emirates: lithic, quartz-rich, and calcareous sands.
The results were striking. Soils amended with nanocellulose fibers exhibited up to 32.7% greater water-holding capacity and a 58% reduction in permeability compared to untreated sand. Evaporation rates slowed by over half, while soil cohesion and compressive strength improved four-fold in some cases. Importantly, nutrient retention also increased, with phosphorus retention nearly doubling in fiber-treated sands.
Plant growth experiments using cherry tomato seedlings further validated the amendments’ benefits. At moderate concentrations (0.25–1% fiber by weight), plants showed higher survival rates, more leaves, and healthier development compared to controls. However, excessive fiber content (3%) reduced survival, underscoring the need for optimized application levels.
Beyond agricultural performance, the study also assessed the biodegradation of fiber-reinforced soils. While compost-rich environments promoted microbial activity, nanocellulose fibers in sandy soils remained structurally stable, indicating their durability under arid conditions. This resilience could ensure long-term benefits for desert agriculture.
The findings align with broader circular bioeconomy goals, suggesting that food waste can be repurposed into high-value agricultural inputs rather than ending up in landfills. With the Middle East and North Africa importing more food than they produce, the approach offers a sustainable way to recycle organic residues into resources for local farming.
By linking fiber structure to soil mechanics, water dynamics, and plant-microbe interactions, the research provides a roadmap for restoring desert soils and improving food security in arid climates. As the authors note, future work should refine soil-water retention models and explore scaling the process to integrate other agricultural by-products, paving the way for broader adoption in sustainable land management.
A March 26, 2026 notice from Ingenium, Canada’s museums of science and innovation (comprising the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum) received via email and available for a limited time here lists some upcoming attractions, Note: I am highlighting only one of the listed events in addition to the farm event listed first,
Hop into spring at Easter at the farm!
Celebrate the joys of spring at Easter at the farm at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum! From April 3 to 6, 2026, the barns come alive with family-friendly activities, hands-on learning, and plenty of adorable newborn animals.
Meet fluffy chicks, ducklings, lambs, and other spring arrivals while discovering how farmers care for animals during this busy season. Enjoy interactive egg-themed demonstrations and experiments, explore the journey from cacao to chocolate (with sweet samples along the way), and take part in crafts and games designed for all ages. Guests can also groom a calf, attend special animal presentations, and relax with bilingual family movie screenings throughout the day.
It’s the perfect way to spend the Easter weekend — combining outdoor fun, agricultural discovery, and unforgettable moments with the cutest residents on the farm.
Advanced tickets are required, and this popular event often sells out. Special event pricing applies.
Faith Fyles: In Full Bloom is a new exhibition at the Ottawa Art Gallery developed in partnership with Ingenium. It explores the life and work of Faith Fyles, the first woman appointed as a botanist with Canada’s Department of Agriculture. Fyles combined botanical research with artistic illustration, transforming close observation of plants into both scientific knowledge and visual expression. Contemporary artists expand on her legacy through works inspired by beadwork, plant dyes, photography, and agricultural histories, highlighting women’s ongoing relationships with the natural world.
Here’s more about Faith Fyles and the exhibition, from the Ottawa Art Gallery/Galerie d’art d’Ottawa (OAG/GAO)’s About page for the exhibition, Note: A link has been removed,
Faith Fyles: In Full Bloom
March 7, 2026 – September 27, 2026 Level 4
Faith Fyles, Barbara Brown, Deborah Margo, Marie-Jeanne Musiol, Susan Geraldine Taylor, Stephanie Tenasco, and Sarah Potter
This exhibition explores the intersection of art and science through the life and work of Faith Fyles (1875 – 1961), the first woman to be appointed as a botanist with Canada’s Department of Agriculture. The exhibition traces her distinctive dual careers at Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm (CEF): first as a botanist and then as an artist, with both roles often merging in one project. Fyles collected botanical specimens, researched plant diseases and documented plants and fruits in several media and styles. Fyles navigated a gendered bureaucracy while creating and sharing knowledge about Canadian agriculture during its rapid expansion in the early twentieth century.
Fyles’ legacy is reinterpreted through lenses of land, labour, and scientific craft in contemporary works presented throughout the exhibition: Stephanie Tenasco celebrates Algonquin beadwork traditions and enduring relationships with the natural world; Deborah Margo’s dye experiments are based on the histories of women’s knowledge-making and deep connections to plant life; while Marie-Jeanne Musiol’s Kirlian photographs propose a new kind of herbarium; Barbara Brown brings visibility to the often-overlooked labour of women farmers engaged in sustainable practices across the region; and Susan Geraldine Taylor’s hand-coloured prints of the CEF highlight its centennial and advocate for the protection of its landscapes.
The works by these artists expand and add complexity to Fyles’ legacy. The works reveal the many ways women continue to observe, document and care for the natural world.
This exhibition is a unique collaboration between the Ottawa Art Gallery and Ingenium-Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation. Drawing on Ingenium’s large horticultural art and artefacts collection, the exhibition team launched a research project that has shed new light on Faith Fyles’s life and career—and uncovered previously undocumented works.
Curators: Rebecca Basciano, Meghan Ho, Dr. William Knight, Dr. Cindy Stelmackowich Curatorial Coordination: Erin Bruce Curatorial Research Assistant: Casarina Hocevar Exhibition Design: Barbara Suhr Graphic Design: Leah Ross and Mathieu Kirchmayer Technical Team: Stephanie Germano, Dan Austin, Rob Keefe, Mark Garland, Neil Hossack, Fen Prior-Delahanty, Esma Gardner Jones, Sabrina Ferrari, and Evalyn Shields. Editors: Matt Harrison, Véronique Couillard French Translation: Marie-Camille Lalande Photo Documentation: House of Common Studio
Institutional Lenders and Partners: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Government of Canada Canadian Agriculture Library Canadian Museum of Nature Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation Library and Archives Canada National Film Board of Canada Royal Botanical Gardens (Canada) University of Guelph
Sponsored by:
This exhibition was also realized with the support of the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
For decades, the work of Faith Fyles, a scientific artist based in Ottawa, quietly shaped Canada’s agricultural science. Now, in a partnership between Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation and the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), Faith Fyles: In Full Bloom brings renewed attention to Canada’s first woman botanist and a pioneering scientific artist whose career was rooted at Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm.
Untitled [Faith Fyles at her easel], c.1930, photograph. Courtesy of Vanessa Nugent.
Arriving at the Farm in 1910 as a seed analyst, Fyles became the first woman in Canada’s Civil Service to hold a scientific position when she was promoted to assistant botanist. At a time when few women were permitted to pursue scientific careers, she conducted fieldwork across the country—often travelling alone—collecting and identifying hundreds of plant specimens for the National Herbarium. Her research ranged from poisonous plants affecting farming to germination experiments on wild rice along the Rideau River, where she identified and named a previously undocumented fungus species.
In 1920, Fyles broke new ground again when she became the first artist appointed to the Central Experimental Farm’s Horticulture Division. There, she produced hundreds of meticulous paintings of apples, berries, and other plant varieties developed in Ottawa’s experimental orchards. These works were not merely decorative illustrations; they were scientific tools, recording colour, form, and internal structure with precision so that new varieties could be studied, promoted, and shared with growers across the country. Today, her paintings form an extraordinary visual archive of Canadian agricultural innovation.
Educated at McGill University under the mentorship of trailblazing botanist Carrie Derick, and having studied art in Paris and London, Fyles uniquely bridged scientific rigour and artistic skills. Her career unfolded during a period of rapid agricultural expansion in Canada, and her contributions helped shape both the scientific record and the visual culture of that era.
Faith Fyles: In Full Bloom not only revisits this remarkable Ottawa story but also places it in conversation with contemporary artists who expand and reinterpret her legacy. Our next story will explore how their works explore themes of land, knowledge, and care for the natural world, reminding us that the relationship between art and science remains as vital today as it was in Fyles’ time.
This exhibition is a unique collaboration between the Ottawa Art Gallery and Ingenium-Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation. Drawing on Ingenium’s large horticultural art and artefacts collection, the exhibition team launched a research project that has shed new light on Faith Fyles’s life and career, and uncovered previously undocumented works.
The exhibition “Faith Fyles: In Full Bloom” runs at the Ottawa Art Gallery/Galerie d’art d’Ottawa (AGO/GAO) until September 27, 2026.
