Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 4410 Words of Wisdom Early-career plant breeders might be able to learn a lesson or two from Peter Franck, president of PZO (Pflanzenzucht Oberlimpurg) and CEO of ACS Genetics, and the winner of this year’s Canadian Plant Breeding and Genetics Award. This third-generation seedsman says the keys to success lie in understanding farming and farmers. “It’s very important to understand the real problems that farmers face — be it day-to-day, seasonal or long term,” Franck says. “As a young person, the best thing you can do is to work closely with farmers — walk plots with them and listen. They know exactly what they want in the future.” Additionally, he says you must be a student of the environment, in general. “Take note of the day length, the heat, or lack of, and differences between climates,” he says. “Work to understand how plants interact with the environment.” This type of work cannot be done in an office or at the computer. “Plant breeders must be out in the field looking at plants and working to understand when the plant is in harmony with its surroundings.” Lastly, Franck reminds: “Never forget that the market makes the final decision in the success of a variety.” This gave way to ACS Genetics, a subsidiary of PZO that’s active in both Canada and the United States. Franck contin- ued his work with red wheat in Canada, partnering with a number of companies, including C&M Seeds. Planting Seeds of Success At that time, 95 per cent of the wheat acres in Ontario were planted with soft white winter wheat, says Ellen Sparry, C&M Seeds genetics manager. Wheat acres annually were around 500,000 for winter wheat and 20,000 for spring wheat. “It was Dr. Franck’s experience with red wheat, and the opportunity it would bring to growers, millers and end users that encouraged C&M to begin a joint testing program,” she explains. “This was the first major research effort directed toward red wheat in Ontario since the turn of the century.” Since then, Sparry says that nine hard red winter and four hard red spring varieties have been registered and released in Ontario from Franck’s breeding program. These new varieties had greatly improved agronomic and quality traits over the earlier releases, Sparry says, making note of Maxine, Carlisle, Harvard, Princeton and Keldin — all of which have had major market share. Of the spring varieties, Quantum was the first and brought a huge yield increase for growers over previous varieties. The introduction of Quantum, soon nicknamed “Bin-buster,” led to record-setting spring wheat acres and yields in the prov- ince, according to Sparry. At the peak of Quantum’s commer- cial life, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs showed that spring wheat acres had nearly doubled from 120,000 in 2001 to 205,000 in 2006. As further proof of the strength of Franck’s breeding program, Quantum is still available for sale in Quebec, which gives the variety a commercial lifespan of nearly 14 years. Recent introductions of Sable and Wilkin now hold a large portion of spring wheat acres in Ontario, and Wilkin has set a new yield standard for hard red spring wheat. Setting the Bar For his contributions to the seed industry, Franck is being honoured with the 2016 Canadian Plant Breeding and Genetics Award, which is given annually by Germination, in partnership with the Canadian Seed Trade Association. “Over the years, Dr. Franck has demonstrated excellent knowledge of plant breeding and genetics, and a strong understanding of the interaction of genetics by location and environment,” Sparry says. “This understanding has led to the introduction of many varieties improved for both agro- nomic and end-use quality traits, bringing financial opportu- nity to all parts of the value chain from grower to end user.” Through his work, he has partnered with a number of com- panies including La Coop fédérée, C&M Seeds, Seed-link Inc., CANTERRA Seeds, Brett-Young and Vandaele Seeds Ltd. Christian Azar, a plant breeder with La Coop fédérée, has been working with Franck since 1996. “His understanding of the Canadian crop production system is remarkable and profound,” Azar says. “He never hesitated to roam our coun- try in search of answers to pending questions.” That’s one thing that has influenced Franck’s success. “I allow myself to be curious,” he says. “Sometimes that means being able to explain why I’ve had such a long day when I get home, but I allow myself to be fascinated with what I do.” It’s that fascination that has made Franck a pioneer in the red wheat industry. His work coupled with that of peers led to new wheat classes, including soft red winter wheat, beyond the original soft white winter wheat. His work has provided incalculable dollars worth of opportunity for the whole value chain much beyond the growers. Julie Deering