2025 Research Showcase: Feet in the Field, Eyes on the Stars

Post-Harvest Crop Storage

Dr. Singh is the Senior Research Chair in Agricultural Engineering and Technology at the Advanced Postharvest Technology Centre at Lethbridge Polytechnic and an RDAR professor.

He is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and a Professional Agrologist (P.Ag.) with nearly 15 years of combined academic and industrial research experience broadly focused on minimizing post-harvest crop and quality losses.

Dr. Singh leads research on post-harvest storage, handling and processing of grains, sugar beets and potatoes; natural air in-bin grain drying and aeration; high-temperature drying; mathematical modelling of stored crop ecosystem; sensing, automation, machine learning; and non-destructive quality and safety evaluation of agri-food products using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Chandra Singh will be participating in the poster showcase with his Lethbridge Polytechnic students, presenting the following research:

"Minimizing Shrink Loss in Potatoes in Storage", presented by Dr. Sunday Olakanmi, Post-doctoral Fellow

"Development of Mathematical Models to Predict Airflow Distribution and Heat Transfer in Bulk Storage of Sugar Beets", presented by Dr. Mohit Singla, Post-doctoral Fellow

"Non-Destructive Quality Testing of Potatoes using NIR Hyperspectral Imaging and Machine Learning", presented by Dr. Saipriya Ramalingam, Research Scientist

"The long-term storage stability of sugar beet mash", presented by Dr. Rajpreet Kaur Goraya, Research Scientist

"National Potato Variety Trails in Alberta", presented by Vaidehi Patel, Research Associate

Animal Health and Care

Dr. Brenda Ralston is an RDAR Professor of Livestock Health at Lakeland College.

Over her career, Dr. Ralston has supported and conducted multi-disciplinary livestock research for the poultry, dairy, lamb, horse and pork industries in pain control and pathogen mitigation. Brenda aims to bring all partners into her research, including livestock producers, industry organizations, industry partners and businesses, academia, governments, research funders and students.

She has developed livestock pharmaceuticals, devices, and practices that address animal welfare issues. Examples of her successes include:

· The Care-Ring anesthetic elastrator band reducing the pain of castration.

· Oral Meloxicam for bovine and equine pain relief.

· An anti-bloat treatment to reduce animal discomfort when grazing alfalfa and to enhance weight gain.

· Practical solutions to address antimicrobial resistance at the farm level for targeted selection of antibiotic groups for better animal outcomes and enhanced antibiotic stewardship.

Dr. Ralston is a recipient of the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) Award of Distinction for her work.

Brenda is also a cattle producer and works with her family on their century farm, Twin Lakes Ranch.

Dr. Ralston will be participating in the poster showcase, presenting her research: "Scratching the Surface: Investigating the Nature and Potential Causes of Itchy Cattle".

Adopting Beef Cattle Genetics

Dr. Kajal Latimer is the project lead for a $3.8 million project (RDAR led with $980,000) that will increase Canadian cattle producers' ability to make data-driven decisions based on genomics and economically benefit their operations. RDAR’s investment of $978,000 will be used to develop a genetic selection tool that equips producers with breeding data to select the best replacement heifers to improve their herds.

As the Canadian Angus Association's geneticist, she monitors genetic conditions and advises members on using genetic tools to balance and optimize healthy herds and economic gain.

Kajal is passionate about genetics and their ability to enhance production, contributing to more successful farmers and a memorable dining experience for beef consumers. Kajal knows that our business, even at its most scientific, is a people business; and is committed to creating value at every level for every member.

Dr. Latimer will be participating in the poster showcase, presenting her research: "Heifer Select Program - Leveraging genomic technology and collaborative producer education to support better heifer selection programs for the Canadian cow herd".

PREP support for on-farm forage crop research

Claude Lavoie is a third-generation dairy farmer and one of the managers of Entreprises Lavoie 1999 Inc., a family-operated dairy farm in St. Isidore, Alberta. After earning a double major diploma from Olds College in 1999, Claude gained valuable experience working in southern Alberta feedlots and overseas in Australia before returning to the family farm in 2002.

He now oversees the daily operations, maintenance and production of forages, supporting both farm operations and external sales. Claude is also involved in the daily activities of the 450-head milking herd, which produces average of 37 kg of milk per cow daily.