Canada to Establish New Indo-Pacific Agricultural Office

Nov 18, 2022

The federal government has earmarked nearly $32 million for the establishment of a new agricultural office in the Indo-Pacific region, a move applauded by Canadian farm groups.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement of the new ag office Friday from Thailand, where he was attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting. The office will form part of Canada’s larger overall Indo-Pacific Strategy, which is expected to be fully released soon.

According to Ottawa, the ag office will help to increase and diversify Canadian agriculture and agri-food exports to the Indo-Pacific, strengthening trade on both sides of the Pacific.

“By engaging with stakeholders, regulators, and policy decision makers, it will deepen partnerships with Indo-Pacific partners to diversify export markets and products, create new opportunities, and position Canada as a long-term, reliable trading partner of choice for the Indo-Pacific,” the government said.

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.