22 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA JULY 2026 THERE’S A MOMENT in nearly every agricultural career when science stops being abstract. For Dr. Kelly Turkington, that moment happened in a canola field. Long before he became one of Western Canada’s most respected plant pathologists with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe, Alta., Turkington was a university student discovering a world hidden beneath the visible symptoms of disease — a microscopic universe of fungal spores, infection cycles, and crop interactions that most people never notice. “I would have to go back to undergrad agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan,” Turkington says. “I took an intro ductory course in plant pathology from Robin Morrall, and he was so passionate about pathology. I just so enjoyed the class.” That curiosity soon evolved into something much larger: a career that would span more than 40 years and help shape disease management strategies across the Prairies. But Turkington’s story isn’t really about pathology, at least not entirely. It’s about how a scientist stays grounded while spending decades inside systems that often reward distance, specializa tion, and certainty. It’s about remaining connected to the people whose livelihoods depend on the work. And above all, it’s about never forgetting where you came from. THE SCIENTIST WHO NEVER FORGOT THE FARM After more than four decades in agricultural research, retiring plant pathologist Dr. Kelly Turkington leaves behind a legacy rooted not only in science, but in humility, relationships, and a deep respect for the people who grow the crops. By Marc Zienkiewicz Science Begins in the Field After taking Morrall’s class, Turkington joined Agriculture Canada and then the University of Saskatchewan Biology Department as a summer student working with on some of the early research into fungicide applications for sclerotinia management in commercial canola fields. The work was gritty and physical. Researchers spent hours in the Melfort and Meadow Lake areas crawling through crops, scouting for apothecia (tiny mushroom-like structures that signal disease risk). “We spent a lot of time on our hands and knees,” Turkington recalls. “That connection to the farm really was something that was very interesting for me, and I found very rewarding.” The Anti-Expert Expert Turkington spent decades studying plant disease systems, collaborating with researchers, agronomists, technical special ists, and industry groups across the Prairies. Yet he remains uncomfortable with the label of “expert.” “People often look at you, ‘Well, you’re the expert. You know everything,’” he says. “I don’t know everything, and I’m not an expert. I have experience.” At Lacombe, he began working closely with researchers George Clayton and Neil Harker. The trio became known AAFC Lacombe Pathology Program Staff 2025, barley scald screening nursery, AAFC Lacombe. L to R: Jackie Busaan (pathology technician), Piper Liska and Hannah Brown (summer students), Sasha Chisholm (pathology technician) and Kelly Turkington. Summer students Kelly Turkington and Andrew Lithgow playing with Ascochyta-infected field pea inoculum at the University of Saskatchewan in 1984.
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