b'MEET THE MAESTRO OFDURUM BREEDINGCurtis Pozniaks skill in creating groundbreaking wheat varieties has earned him the Plant Breeding and Genetics award.Marc ZienkiewiczCONSIDERING HE ORIGINALLY wanted to be a musician beforea testament to the contribution of his breeding efforts in he ventured into plant breeding, you might call CurtisWestern Canada. In 2022, he received the Queen Elizabeth Pozniak the maestro of durum wheat in Western Canada.II Platinum Jubilee Medal for service in agriculture, on top As the 2025 recipient of the Plant Breeding and Geneticsof numerous other awards over the past decade.Awardsponsored by Seed World Canada and SeedsPozniak has been instrumental in projects like the CanadaPozniaks transformative impact on plant breed- International Wheat Genome Sequenc-ing Consortium and ing has made him a rock star of the plant breeding world.the release of many durum wheat genome sequences. His Over two decades, his work at the University ofgroundbreaking use of next-generation genomic technolo-Saskatchewans Crop Development Centre (CDC), where hegies and digital phenotyping has set new benchmarks serves as director and wheat breeder, has reshaped the futurefor breeding resilient, high-yield crops. Beyond the lab, of wheat genetics. hes championed sustainable agriculture by spearheading His dedication to the wheat industry and his pioneeringclimate-smart initiatives that reduce synthetic nitrogen use efforts in wheat genomics have led to an incredibly produc- and greenhouse gas emissions.tive career, one that has provided tangible economic valueWere at an exciting juncture, Pozniak says. The tools to Western Canada. During his 20-year career as a plantand technologies available today are revolutionizing how we breeder, he has released 22 wheat cultivars in four differentapproach plant breeding. The challenge is integrating these market classes.advancements into practical breeding programs.Some of these varieties are grown widely across theInterestingly, Pozniaks path to plant breeding wasnt Prairies, showing he can deliver cultivars with high geneticplanned. potential and good agronomic traits. His durum wheatI was a touring musician and sound engineer before cultivars were collectively grown on over 1.32 million acresI decided to return to university for an agronomy degree, in 2023, and included prominent cultivars such as CDCwith the intention of going back to my family farm, he Precision, CDC Defy, and CDC Alloy.recalls. It was summer student positions in forage and They represent three of the top six durum cultivarscanola breeding that truly inspired me. Seeing the diversity grown in Western Canada. Assuming an average yield ofin the field and the tangible impact plant breeding can have $33 bu/ac for a durum crop, this would have added $392got me hooked.million to the farm gate last year alone. Key mentors also shaped his career. Pozniak highlights CDC Defy as his favourite variety,Dr. Pierre Hucl, my PhD advisor, allowed me to explore developed in part to improve Fusarium head blight resist- my research ideas while guiding me with his expertise. Dr. ance in durum wheat.John Clarke, a legendary durum wheat breeder, taught me At the time, there wasnt much resistance in durum.the importance of integrating science with plant breeding Seeing CDC Defy become the second most widely grownand the value of commitment.variety in Western Canada is incredibly rewarding. ItsOf course, the admiration is mutual.grown on nearly a million acresthats real impact forHes done something incredible by setting up and farmers. securing funding for the Wheat Molecular Genetics This year, Pozniak was awarded an honourary mem- Laboratory in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. bership in the Saskatchewan Seed Growers Association,On top of that, hes been the principal investigator for sev-a prestigious award given only to a few plant breeders, aseral massive Genome Canada projects, each worth millions. 22 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA JANUARY 2025'