Québec City, Quebec, Canada
July 15, 2013

Rob Bruns, formerly of AgriPro is the recipient of the 2013 Canadian Plant Breeding and Genetics award. The award, co‐sponsored by the Canadian Seed Trade Association and Germination magazine, is presented annually to a public or private sector researcher who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of Canadian plant agriculture
through research in plant breeding and genetics.

According to his nominator: “Long before it was fashionable for a private company to breed wheat varieties for western Canada, Rob Bruns was building partnerships to develop adapted wheat varieties, said Peter Entz of Richardson International. “Whether you pick up a current provincial seed guide or one from ten years ago, products that started with Rob’s program dominate.”

Some of the wheat varieties from Rob Bruns’ program include 5700 PR, 5701PR and SY985 in the Canadian Prairie Spring Wheat Class. His program’s 5602HR emerged as the only Canadian Western Red Spring Wheat Variety with a good rating for resistance to Fusarium Head Blight.

Although he was based in the United States, Rob Bruns was a strong contributor to the Canadian quality system. He was a member of the Quality Evaluation team of the Western Wheat Recommending Committee for many years, working constructively to deliver varieties that suited the Canadian system. “Rob certainly left his mark in Canada – through the varieties that were registered; the partnerships he developed; his work on the Quality Evaluation Team; and the people he mentored along the way,” said Mr. Entz. “I am proud to have nominated him for this award.”

Rob Bruns received the Canadian Plant Breeding and Genetics Award at the annual awards ceremony during CSTA’s 90th Annual Meeting in Québec City.

Website: http://cdnseed.org

Published: July 22, 2013