Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative recipients
Browse the list of projects that received funding through the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI).
Overview
The Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative (OAFRI) provides funding to advance key agri-food research and innovation projects for Ontario.
The OAFRI was launched in 2019. The priorities and focus of the call for applications change each year.
The initiative is jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
2021–22 projects
The 2021–22 call funded two different streams of projects. Projects aimed to maximize the impact of research results by supporting knowledge translation and transfer activities, research synthesis and advancing innovative technologies, services and products by funding market validation and product development activities.
Stream: Knowledge Translation and Transfer
Proposal title | Lead applicant | Start date to end date | Priority | Organization |
---|---|---|---|---|
Conservation Tillage 2025 (CT-2025): Revisiting Tillage 2000 (T-2000) after 30 years to assess the benefits of long-term conservation tillage on crop production | Andrew Graham | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Soil health | Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) |
Best management practices for Varroa Growth assessments | Colette Mesher | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Animal health and welfare | Ontario Beekeepers' Association |
Farmnorth Revitalization - Northern Ontario Agricultural Research Results Hub | Emily Potter | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Innovative products and product improvement | Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance |
Spray on and prefabricated natural coatings as plastic substitutes for sustainable agricultural practices | Erica Pensini | 2022-05-02 to 2023-01-31 | Sustainable production systems | University of Guelph - School of Engineering |
Development and delivery of a training series on climate trends, impacts, on-farm resiliency and risk assessment in Grey, Bruce and Huron counties | Erik Sparling | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Sustainable production systems | Climate Risk Institute |
Research Synthesis: Increasing the Adoption of Environmental Stewardship Practices by Ontario Landowners | Heather Watson | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Sustainable production systems | Farm Management Canada |
Workshop for increasing awareness of hydroxyl-radical and forced air ozone process within the Agri-Food Sector | Keith Warriner | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Food safety | University of Guelph - Department of Food Science |
The use of digital agriculture by Ontario's small farmers: barriers and opportunities | Kelly Bronson | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | University of Ottawa |
Innovative Solutions to Attracting and Retaining Newcomers to Employment in Agriculture | Laura Greaves | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Competitive production systems | Sarnia Lambton Workforce Development Board |
Mobilizing knowledge to enhance municipal capacity to promote and support sustainable production systems in the Niagara Region | Margaret (Amy) Lemay | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Sustainable production systems | Brock University |
Analysis of the adoption of best management practices by crop and livestock producers to improve uptake of agri-environmental programs | Sean Rudd | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Sustainable production systems | Korotu Technology |
Use of blockchain technology to promote and improve food safety | Stanko Dimitrov | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Food safety | University of Waterloo |
Incorporating Windsor-Essex Newcomers in the local Agri-food Industry | Tashlyn Teskey | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Competitive production systems | Workforce Development Board Windsor Essex |
The Ontario Soil Network Challenge: Peer Learning and Influence for Soil Health | Tori Waugh | 2022-04-01 to 2022-12-31 | Soil health | The Ontario Soil Network |
Stream: Commercialization
Proposal title | Lead applicant | Start date to end date | Priority | Organization |
---|---|---|---|---|
Neo-Detox, Aflatoxin Detoxification for Low-Moisture Food | Matthew You | 2022-02-15 to 2023-01-31 | Food safety, | Agri-Neo Inc. |
Optimization of Fermentation Process for Leaf-Aldehyde | Pratish Gawand | 2022-02-15 to 2023-01-31 | Plant health and protection, | Ardra Inc. |
Development of the Use of BioLiNE Fulvic Acid Technology on Ontario’s Horticultural Crops | Mohammad Rahbari | 2022-02-15 to 2023-01-31 | Plant health and protection, | BioLiNE Corp |
PGP2R and PGP4 – Plot Analysis and Regulatory Requirements | Amber Kivisto | 2022-02-15 to 2022-12-31 | Plant health and protection, | BioNorth Solutions |
Designing and Building Custom Yeast Stains for Ontario Craft Brewers | Richard Preiss | 2022-02-15 to 2022-12-15 | Innovative products and product improvements | Escarpment Laboratories |
Pre-commercial Development of a Novel Proprietary Process Using an Engineered Aqueous Solution Enhancer (EASE) for Extraction | Mehdi Nouraei | 2022-02-15 to 2022-12-15 | Sustainable production systems, | Micellae Delivery Systems Inc. |
Osiris 2.0 Prototype Testing | Corey Ellis | 2022-02-15 to 2023-01-31 | Sustainable production systems | The Growcer |
Optimization of Nanolaminate Metal-oxide Barrier Coatings for Sustainable Food Packaging | Kevin Musselman | 2022-02-15 to 2023-01-09 | Food safety, | University of Waterloo |
A Smart Crop Load Management System for Horticulture to Improve Farm Outcomes | Jenny Lemieux | 2022-02-11 to 2022-12-31 | Plant health and protection | Vivid Machines Inc. |
Bioremediation Media Testing | Elizabeth Thorn | 2022-02-15 to 2023-01-31 | Plant health and protection, | Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association |
Light Arabinoxylan Dietary Fiber Product Development | Darian Budarick | 2022-02-15 to 2023-01-31 | Sustainable production systems | Comet Bio |
Validation of Rapid E. Coli Test Kit for Water Quality Testing | George Botos | 2022-02-15 to 2022-12-15 | Food safety improvements | ExactBlue Technologies |
Development of a Zero-turn Autonomous Robotic Platform Equipped with a Mowing Deck and a Mechanical Weeding System for Vegetation Management in Vineyards and Orchards | Sougata Pahari | 2022-02-15 to 2022-10-31 | Food safety | Korechi Innovations Inc. |
Commercialization of Euglena Paramylon as an All-natural Alternative to Methylcellulose | Scott Farrow | 2022-02-15 to 2023-01-20 | Food safety | Noblegen |
Agricultural Applications of a Novel Bio-resin; Alternatives to Plastic Film, Improved Packaging and Erosion Control
| Phil Richardson | 2022-04-01 to 2023-01-31 | Plant health and protection | Biodiffusion Technologies Inc. |
Overhead Harvest Quality Vision Scanner Project | Jeff Chemeres | 2022-02-15 to 2023-01-23 | Competitive production systems, | Dragonfly Information Technology Inc. |
Feasibility Analysis of Hydrogen as an Alternative Energy Source in Field Crop and Livestock Production in Ontario | Tori Waugh | 2022-03-01 to 2022-12-31 | Sustainable production systems | Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario |
Automated, Real-time Detection of Microbial Load in Water | Nisha Sarveswaran | 2022-02-15 to 2022-07-01 | Food safety | Kraken Sense |
Market Validation of Animal-free Gelatin | Fei Luo | 2022-02-15 to 2022-11-30 | Sustainable production systems | Liven Proteins |
Validating the Market for the MonCataLog Prototype in Ontario | Theresa Schumilas | 2022-03-01 to 2023-01-31 | Innovative products and product improvements | Open Food Network Canada |
Containerized Gasification for Small and Medium Waste Producers | Daniel Bida | 2022-04-01 to 2022-12-31 | Sustainable production systems | ReGenerate Biogas |
2020–21 projects
The 2020–21 call funded 21 projects through a $2.76 million investment to provide Ontarians with safer, healthier, and more locally grown and made food items while boosting trade and rural economic development.
Proposal title | Lead applicant | Start date and end date | Priority | Organization |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mitigation and Management of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Resistant Corn Rootworm in Ontario | David Hooker | 2021-06-01 and 2022-12-31 | Plant Health and Protection | University of Guelph |
Agro-based Game Changing Oxygen Scavenger in Reducing Food Wastes in High Barrier Compostable Plastic Packaging | Amar Mohanty | 2021-07-01 and 2022-12-31 | Sustainable Production Systems | University of Guelph |
Finding Solutions to Upcycle Organic Waste Streams: Re(Purpose) Network – Seeing Food Differently | Cher Mereweather | 2021-06-01 and 2022-06-30 | Sustainable Production Systems | Provision Coalition Inc. |
Impact of Changing Temperatures on Bacteria-based Bio-immunization in Crop Plants | Keiko Yoshioka | 2021-07-01 and 2023-01-22 | Sustainable Production Systems | University of Toronto |
High-throughput Breeding (directed evolution) to Improve Reliability of Probiotics in the Field: Applying the Strategy to Reduce Nitrogen and Water in Turfgrass | Manish N. Raizada | 2021-07-01 and 2023-01-22 | Plant Health and Protection | University of Guelph |
Automated Fire Blight Detection and Digitization for Apple and Tender Fruit | Medhat Moussa | 2021-06-01 and 2022-12-31 | Plant Health and Protection | University of Guelph |
Early Alert of Airborne Fungal Disease and the Determination of Fungicide Resistance in Several Southern Ontario Horticultural Crops using Air Sampling Monitoring | Kristine White | 2021-06-01 and 2022-12-31 | Plant Health and Protection | Spornado Inc. |
Early Detection of Grapevine Viruses in Young and Asymptomatic Grapevines using Portable, Sensor-based Hyperspectral Imaging System (SHIMS) | Sudarsana Poojari | 2021-06-01 and 2022-12-01 | Plant Health and Protection | Brock University |
A Metabolomics-based Platform for Standardized Evaluation of Biostimulants | David Liscombe | 2021-05-21 and 2022-03-31 | Plant Health and Protection | Vineland Research and Innovation Centre |
On-farm Augmentation of Indigenous Mycorrhizal Inoculum for more Sustainable and Profitable Canola-soybean Rotations | Pedro Antunes | 2021-04-15 and 2022-10-31 | Sustainable Production Systems | Algoma University |
Development of Innovative Molecular Technology to Identify Strains of Potato Late Blight and Evaluate Portable Testing for On-farm Detection in Ontario Potatoes | Kevin Brubacher | 2021-06-01 and 2021-12-31 | Plant Health and Protection | Ontario Potato Board |
Novel Methods for the Management of Clubroot on Canola and Brassica Vegetables in Ontario | Mary Ruth McDonald | 2021-06-01 and 2022-11-15 | Plant Health and Protection | University of Guelph |
Limits of Detection and Feasibility of DNA-based Detection of Salmonella in Poultry Production | Alex Wong | 2021-06-01 and 2022-12-22 | Food Safety | Carleton University |
Invertebrate Bioconversion of Agri-Food Waste and Bioplastics to Renewable Fertilizer | Rob Nicol | 2021-06-01 and 2022-12-22 | Sustainable Production Systems | Lambton College |
What's the Hold Up? Understanding Adoption of Best Management Practices in Livestock Agriculture | Jean Howden | 2021-07-01 and 2022-12-16 | Sustainable Production Systems | Livestock Research and Innovation Corporation |
Inhibition of Plant and Human Pathogens for the Protection of Food Crops through Enhancement of Rhizosphere Microbial Communities | Robin Slawson | 2021-07-01 and 2022-12-31 | Food Safety | Wilfrid Laurier University |
Effective Digital Simulations for Meat Plant Safety Training: Improving Outcomes Through eXtended Reality Interactive Training | Renuka Waduge | 2021-07-05 and 2022-12-16 | Food Safety | Conestoga College |
Mobilizing Knowledge for the Adoption of BMPs in Ontario's Horticulture Sector | Charles Conteh | 2021-07-15 and 2023-01-31 | Sustainable Production Systems | Brock University |
Improving Ready-to-Eat Meat Food Safety in Ontario Meat Processing Plants: A Positive Deviance Approach | Ian Young | 2021-07-01 and 2023-01-22 | Food Safety | Ryerson University |
Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Environmental Best Management Practices in the Ontario Farm Sector During Times of Structural Change | Michael Drescher | 2021-08-01 and 2023-01-31 | Sustainable Production Systems | University of Waterloo |
Effector-Enabled Mining of Soybean for Novel Immunodiversity | David Guttman | 2021-08-01 and 2023-01-31 | Plant Health and Protection | University of Toronto |
2019–20 projects
The 2019–20 call funded 11 projects through a $1.4 million investment. Projects focused on food safety, trade, market and growth opportunities, automation and bio-based production systems.
Proposal title | Lead applicant | Start date and end date | Priority | Organization |
---|---|---|---|---|
Building a Competitive Production Systems in Niagara and Ontario`s Agrifoods Sector: Accelerating the Adoption of Automation and Robotics Technology | Charles Conteh | 2020-08-10 to 2023-01-27 | Competitive Production Systems | Brock University |
Proposal to Conduct a Study of Automation in the Ontario Food and Beverage Processing Industry | Jason Crawford | 2020-09-01 to 2021-03-31 | Competitive Production Systems | Food and Beverage Ontario |
Investigation of bacteriocinogenic probiotics as an integrated strategy to reduce Salmonella and Campylobacter in broiler production | Riadh Hammami | 2020-09-01 to 2022-08-31 | Food Safety | University of Ottawa |
Comprehensive evaluation of a high throughput culture-independent diagnostic test (CIDT) against standard methods for simultaneous detection of common food-borne pathogens in foods | Shu Chen | 2020-09-01 to 2022-10-31 | Food Safety | University of Guelph (UofG) |
Culture Independent Testing and Monitoring for Controlled Environment Food Safety and Crop Protection | Trevor Charles | 2020-09-01 to 2022-07-31 | Food Safety | Metagenom Bio Life Science |
Evaluation of a High Throughput CRISPR Sequence-Based Method for Identification of Multiple Salmonella Serovars in a Sample from Poultry Production Environments | Shu Chen | 2020-09-01 to 2022-03-31 | Food Safety | University of Guelph (UofG) |
Use of High Pressure Processing (HPP) to Enhance Safety and Self-life of Ontario Processed Meats Without Compromising Quality and/or Additives Inclusion | Shai Barbut | 2020-06-01 to 2023-01-31 | Food Safety | University of Guelph (UofG) |
Control of Salmonella and Campylobacter in Poultry Production and Processing through the application of novel technologies | Keith Warriner | 2021-01-01 to 2022-12-31 | Food Safety | University of Guelph (UofG) |
Development of an oral intervention method to eliminate shedding of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 by pigs | Doug Cossar | 2020-09-01 to 2023-01-31 | Food Safety | PlantForm Corporation |
Analysis and Development of an Agri-Food Waste to Biopesticides Value Chain | Rob Nicol | 2020-05-01 to 2022-12-30 | Sustainable Production Systems | Lambton College |
Building Ontario Food Brands on China’s E-Commerce Market | Ying Jiang | 2020-10-01 to 2022-07-31 | Trade, Market and Targeted Sector Growth Opportunities | Ontario Tech University |