40% of Western Canada’s Durum Comes From Him. Now He’s an Agronomy Hall-of-Famer

The Canadian Society of Agronomy (CSA) has named Dr. Curtis Pozniak a 2025 CSA Fellow — the organization’s highest honour for members with a decade or more of dedicated service to the science and profession of agronomy in Canada.

The CSA, a non-profit society that promotes agronomic research and fosters connections among professionals across the country, grants the Fellow designation to individuals with a distinguished record of service. Pozniak’s work in wheat genomics and applied breeding fits the bill — and then some.

Since joining the University of Saskatchewan in 2003, Pozniak has become a recognized leader in developing high-yielding, resilient wheat and durum varieties. He currently leads the Durum and High-Yield Breeding and Genetics program as the Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program Chair and serves as director of the Crop Development Centre.

Under his leadership, 23 wheat and durum varieties have been released — and today, nearly 40% of the durum grown in Western Canada can be traced back to his breeding efforts.