U of S Crop Development Centre Names New Director

Jun 17, 2020

A wheat breeder and plant geneticist will be the new Director for the University of Saskatchewan's Crop Development Centre.

Dr. Curtis Pozniak takes over from Interim Director Dr. Pierre Hucl and will begin his five-year term on July 1st.

"As the new director, I will continue to work with our funders, partners, and producers to advance our core vision to be the premier field crop breeding organization in Western Canada."

Pozniak received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1999, his PhD in plant genetics, and breeding in 2002 from the U of S.

He has been a faculty member in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources since 2003.

Pozniak has released 15 new varieties since 2003, has published a number of peer-reviewed research papers and leads an extensive research program.

Dr. Mary Buhr, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources says his multi-faceted excellence will lead the CDC to continue innovations in developing crops the world needs.

"Curtis has provided our producers with numerous popular varieties of durum wheat and been a leader in global science breakthroughs such as cracking the wheat genetic code."

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.