Saskatchewan celebrates Global Biotech Week!

Sep 26, 2022

Agriculture Minister David Marit has proclaimed September 26 to October 2, 2022, as Global Biotech Week in Saskatchewan. This week celebrates the role biotechnology plays in the agriculture industry and beyond.

Approximately one-third of Canada's agricultural biotechnology sector is in Saskatchewan and the province is considered a leader in the field. Saskatchewan joins other regions across Canada and around the world to celebrate Global Biotech Week each year.

"Scientists use biotechnology to grow Saskatchewan's economy by developing new crop varieties that are more resistant to disease and pests, weather-related stress and more; delivering vaccines to protect our livestock; and enhancing environmental sustainability of the sector," Marit said. "Global Biotech Week celebrates the work of researchers and raises awareness of the important role the sector plays in agriculture and the life sciences."

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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.