Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

2000 College Street
Sherbrooke, Quebec
J1M 0C8

Telephone: 819-565-9171

Latitude: 45.368672
Longitude: −71.830031

Search Scientific Staff and Expertise (Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre) to learn more about the expertise of agricultural scientists working at this centre, and to find a list of their research publications.

Search Research projects from the Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre to learn more about what we do.

The Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre was established in 1914 in Sherbrooke, in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec. The centre is the only Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research centre specialized in innovative research primarily for the Canadian dairy and swine industries.

The centre leads research in three key areas:

Environmental sustainability

Dairy and swine production systems

Dairy and swine health and welfare

Facilities at the Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre

Modern laboratories (5,820 square metres) and animal facilities for dairy cattle and swine, sows and their breeding, growing and finishing

Specialized facilities for:

radioimmunoassay
cell culture
molecular biology and genetic engineering
meat quality evaluation
metabolic cages and equipment for individual feed intake evaluation
environmental laboratories
bioreactors
an olfactometry laboratory

Current research activities

Improving nutrition efficiency while minimizing the negative environmental effects of dairy and swine production

Improving swine welfare

Investigating ways to reduce the greenhouse gas contribution associated with livestock production

Studying the biology of lactation in both dairy and swine

Investigating ways to minimize stress and optimize the immune system of dairy cows and swine

Investigating the use of biological products and processes for treating farm wastes

Results of our research

Enhancing the sector’s productivity

Identified B-complex vitamin requirements for high-production cows
Reviewed essential amino acid requirements for cows
Identified fatty acid requirements in fertility control for cows
Enhanced knowledge in genetics, physiology and biochemistry of dairy production
Identified vitamin requirements for sows and boars
Developed an individual feeding system for animals housed in groups (pork)
Enhanced knowledge of lactation physiology in sows
Discovered genetic markers for meat quality (pork)
Developed a DNA vaccine against bovine mastitis

Enhancing environmental performance

Developed a procedure for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in cows
Developed an anaerobic fermentation system for animal waste. The key feature of this system is that it can function at low temperatures

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