Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
February 25, 2013
Seed of the Year - West was proud to announce CDC Bethune Flax, as the winner of Seed of the Year in 2012. Part of the western award is a $4000 scholarship awarded to a student enrolled in a western Canadian university currently completing a masters or Ph.D in plant breeding or genetics. The Seed of the Year – West Committee is pleased to announce that Marley Boyce is this year’s Seed of the Year scholarship winner.
Marley is in her first year of graduate studies at the University of Manitoba. Marley’s research involves the identification, characterization and genetic mapping of a new leaf rust resistance gene in spring wheat. “My hope is to identify a new and useful source of resistance to be used in future breeding efforts,” said Marley. “I am honored to have been awarded this scholarship and to represent the next generation of plant breeders dedicated to this invaluable cause.”
As the breeder responsible for CDC Bethune, Dr. Gord Rowland was asked to select the scholarship winner. “I was very impressed with Marley’s strong academic record, as well she has very good practical experience in plant breeding through her summer employment,” said Dr. Rowland. “Marley is a very deserving scholarship winner.” Dr. Rowland will be given the Seed of the Year Award during the luncheon at the Flax Research Workshop in Saskatoon February 26, 2013.
Seed of the Year is designed to provide recognition to publicly-developed varieties that have made a significant contribution to the economy, agriculture, and the Canadian public in general. Although the name, Seed of the Year indicates the contribution in a particular year the program is much broader reaching and considers total lifetime achievement and contribution over time. It is important to recognize the value of the contributions of our public plant breeding programs, as well as encourage the entry of new plant breeders to the industry.
Seed of the Year would like to acknowledge and thanks its sponsors: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Alberta Barley Commission, Canterra Seeds, Cargill, Parrish & Heimbecker Limited, Canadian Seed Growers Association, Viterra, Richardson International, SeCan and Western Grains Research Foundation.
For more information on Seed of the Year, as well as application forms for next year please visit www.seedoftheyear.ca/west
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