(Guelph, ON, February 1, 2010) - A University of Guelph graduate student from the Department of Plant Agriculture has been awarded the 2009-2010 Seed of the Year Scholarship.

Joel Hemingway, a Master's student, developed an interest in plant agriculture while growing up on his family's hog and cash crop farm near Brussels, Ontario, in Huron County.

"I became interested in plant breeding specifically because I wanted to contribute to the improvement of crop varieties," says Hemingway. "I wanted to make growing crops more profitable and sustainable for farmers."

Hemingway received his undergraduate degree in agriculture and a major in agronomy. He now works with Prof. Istvan Rajcan, and is engaged in soybean research.

"The goal of my study is to identify particular soybean lines, with strong agronomic characteristics and high linoleic acid levels," says Hemingway. "These soybeans could be used or incorporated into a breeding program or to create an economically viable source of high linoleic acid oil for the auto-parts industry."

Prof. Rene Van Acker, Associate Dean of External Relations for the Ontario Agricultural College says people with skills in plant breeding are increasingly in high demand, as the world looks to supply more of its needs from renewable resources. "We are grateful for the Seed of the Year scholarship which helps to support the training and development of experts in this field," he says.

The Seed of the Year competition encourages public breeders to highlight their research accomplishments in developing a new field crop, forage, fruit, vegetable or herb variety. Any publicly developed Canadian variety is eligible to compete.

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For more information, please contact Martin Harry at mharry@secan.com or 1-519-423-6435

November 11, 2009

(TORONTO, ON) - A barley variety with outstanding performance, sustainability, marketability and industry impact topped entries in the fifth annual Seed of the Year competition (east division).

Chapais barley, developed by Jean-Pierre Dubuc of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was named Seed of the Year (east division) today at a recognition event at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.

Chapais Barley is an outstanding sustainable cultivar, as demonstrated by its appearance on the market for more then 20 years. In the past 21 years, approximately 160,000 acres of this cultivar have been planted for seed production. It has large kernels and superior grain quality, but also has a unique degree of tolerance for acidic soils. Chapais is the earliest maturing barley, averaging 89 days, making it well adapted to all growing areas. It has been used as a parent in many breeding lines, successfully producing new varieties such as AC® Encore and AC Alma.

Four other finalists for the east division of Seed of the Year were also recognized at the event. They are Ex Rico 23, a navy bean variety nominated by University of Guelph professor Peter Pauls, technician Tom Smith and breeder Alireza Navabi; Estival, a crisphead lettuce variety developed by Dr. Sylvie Jenni of Horticultural Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Quebec; AC Gehl, a hulless oat variety developed by Bill Collins and Vern Burrows of the Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa; and AC Rigodon developed by Jean-Pierre Dubuc and Andre Comeau of the Soils and Crops Development Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Quebec City.

The Seed of the Year competition encourages public breeders to highlight their research accomplishments in developing a new field crop, forage, fruit, vegetable or herb variety. Any publicly developed Canadian variety is eligible to compete.

The competition was designed by University of Guelph and SeCan, with support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Additional sponsorship was provided by Ontario Bean Producers, Ontario Soybean Growers, Canadian Seed Growers, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association and Ontario Asparagus Marketing Board.

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For more information contact:

Owen Roberts, University of Guelph 519-824-4120 ext. 58278

Martin Harry, SeCan 519-423-6435

Seed_of_the_Year.wmv

Watch this two minute video about the importance of public seed breeding to the Ontario agriculture industry and how the Seed of the Year competition plays a vital role in the continued success of these programs.