an old horse barn, yet a lot of important work came out of there, she noted. With today’s new technology,


smaller amounts are needed for analysis so racks of glass test tubes have become a thing of the past, with far less glassware needed. The computer has revolutionized how research scientists do their work. Brookes recalls in her first winter with the centre using an old Olivetti computer to hand-punch in data from the summer. To get the averages, she wrote them out on a huge piece of paper, drawing lines for the different treatments, to see what was different. Today, just a few taps on a computer keyboard yields the same results, in a graph, instantly. Science manager for the centre, Sankaran KrishnaRaj notes that what used to take him two or three days can now be done in minutes using computerized technology.


Both agree that today the impact of agriculture on the land, air and water plays a major role in farming: sustainability.


Yet, with the world’s population now at seven billion mouths to feed


with only limited resources, intensive agriculture is important. Sankaran says there is a moral obligation to help people in need, although in Canada there are more resources than in many countries, beginning with more land. Brookes agrees that we can now produce more food than ever before, but notes we must produce it in an environmentally-friendly, food-safe way.


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British Columbia Berry Grower • Fall 2011 11 REDDEN


outside those in agriculture,” she noted. However, she says it’s vital we preserve our food production in Canada. Being able to produce food is basic and it needs to be supported. Today’s research disciplines at


Agassiz include soil, water and air quality, integrated pest management, crop genetic enhancement, crop production systems, livestock production systems and the Agri- Environment Services Branch.


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