The following piece is from our sister publication, Germination.
At the July 6, 2022 Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA) annual general meeting, a resolution was passed calling on CSGA to work with Seeds Canada and other seed industry partners to to make vigour testing a standardized seed test in Canada, and to see that a minimum standard for vigour is developed for major crop kinds.
The resolution was spearheaded by Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association president Mike Shewchuk. It comes just days after news broke about emergence issues being reported in Western Canada with certain canola hybrids.
“Most canola growers know about some of the difficulties that were experienced with some of their crops this year. Canola coming out of the ground that didn’t have leaves on it, and just sat there for weeks on end,” Shewchuk said.
“I feel this is something that needs to be put forward and become a standardized test. A vigour test would provide a lot of transparency in regard to the seed that we’re putting in and paying a lot of good money for. Vigour testing would be a great starting point.”
Rennick Passes Torch to Connell, Awards Handed Out
The meeting was held virtually again this year, but next year’s CSGA annual meeting will be held in person in St. John’s, N.L. Joe Rennick, who served as president over the past two years, passed the torch to Dale Connell, who operates Connell Seeds in Palmerston, Ont.
A number of awards were also handed out, as it’s been two years since the awards portion of the annual meeting was held.
Joe Hickson (Lindsay, Ont.) / Robertson Associate Award
Becoming a seed grower 35 years ago, Joe Hickson started with Maple Arrow soybeans. He continues to produce pedigreed soybean seed with his brother and has branched out into both spring and winter cereals for seed production. Hickson sits on many boards, including as a Grain Farmers of Ontario director, the Ontario Seed Growers’ Association and Farm & Food Care Ontario.
Kevin Runnalls (New Liskeard, Ont.) / Robertson Associate Award
In 1980, Runnalls and his wife purchased their first farm on the land his great grandfather established in 1902. He began as a contract grower and became a seed producer in 1989. He and his sons now manage 6,000 acres of crop production. He’s sat on the Ontario Seed Growers Board, the Canada Seed Institute Board, and the CSGA board. He was CSGA president from 2016 to 2018. Today, Kevin represents CSGA on the Canadian Federation of Agriculture board.
Peter Szentimrey (Branchton, Ont.) / Robertson Associate Award
Peter Szentimrey is involved in almost every aspect of seed production, seed processing and registration. He prides himself on the hard work and dedication that goes into each bag of Szentimrey Seeds. He also runs a commercial grain elevator and seed processing plant. A second-generation seed grower, he received his Variety Maintainer status in 2014. He was active on various boards, including Golden Horseshoe Soil and Crop, Brant Soil and Crop, and recently completing his term of past president with the Ontario Seed Growers’ Association.
Cathy Breadner (Lindsay, Ont.) / Honourary Life Award
Cathy Breadner started her career at Maple Leaf Mills in Oakwood, Ont., where she trained to be a seed analyst. She then established Canadian Seed Lab and spent 32 years managing daily operations, training future analysts and graders, and advocating for the industry. Breadner has also worked a certified auditor across Canada with the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI). Retired in 2021, Breadner runs a family sheep farm with her husband Jim, son Isaac and daughter-in-law Heather.
Helen Booker (Guelph, Ont.) / Honourary Life Awar
Helen Booker is an associate professor and plant breeder who leads the wheat program at the University of Guelph focusing on improved winter wheat production in Ontario. This includes large field-scale experiments and evaluation of breeding lines. Previously an associate professor and flax breeder at the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, she co-developed six flax cultivars and was sole breeder of two new flax cultivars for production in Canada. She has published 31 peer-reviewed publications, seven cultivar descriptions, and authored or co-authored three book chapters.
Istvan Rajcan (Guelph, Ont.) / Honourary Life Award
Born and raised in Novi Sad, Serbia, Istvan Rajcan graduated from the University of Novi Sad with a bachelor of science in agriculture. He began his career a research assistant in sunflower breeding. Moving to Canada in 1991, he is a professor in the department of plant agriculture at the University of Guelph. He holds a PhD in canola breeding and genetics and has developed more than 70 soybean cultivars. He leads a soybean breeding and genetics program, and his research explores genetic variation for yield and disease resistance traits. Rajcan has trained 46 graduate students at the masters or PhD level. He has received several awards including the 2022 Canadian Plant Breeding and Genetics Award. He has co-edited two books, published 10 book chapters and more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles.
Doug Stirling, Chatham-Kent, Ont. / Honourary Life Award
Doug Stirling began working for the federal department of agriculture as a summer student sampling seed and fertilizer and crop inspections in 1973. After graduating from the University of Guelph, he earned an inspector-officer position with AAFC, working there for almost 35 years. During his career, he helped shape and change Ontario and Canada programs and policies. He was a major contributor to the certification program for pedigreed seed crop inspectors, setting a nation-wide standard.
Alireza (Ali) Navabi (Guelph, Ont.) / Clark-Newman-Clayton Award (Posthumous)
Alireza Navabi was a dedicated plant breeder, researcher, educator and an extremely active member within the agriculture sector. He began his career as a research officer in central Iran after graduating Shiraz University with a bachelor of science in agronomy and plant breeding. With a master of science in plant breeding, he moved to Edmonton, Alta. in 1998 to start his PhD focusing his research on genetic resistance to rust diseases of wheat. In 2016 he was inducted as a fellow of the Canadian Society of Agronomy and was recognized as a seed champion by the Ontario Seed Growers’ Association in 2018. Involved with numerous scientific/professional societies and committees, he published 65 peer reviewed papers, 30 variety disclosures and gave over 100 conference presentations both nationally and internationally. Navabi passed away on March 10, 2019. His dedication to his work and his devotion to those around him will always be remembered.
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