Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
July 24, 2015
Ontario corn breeder Dr. Francis Glenn is the 2015 recipient of the annual Canadian Plant Breeding and Genetics Award. The award is co‐sponsored by the Canadian Seed Trade Association and Germination magazine. It is presented annually to a public or private sector researcher who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of Canadian plant agriculture through research in plant breeding and genetics.
According to nominator Dave Baute, President of Maizex Seeds Inc., market acceptance for products from Dr. Glenn’s distinctive breeding program is testament to the value of his work. “For 35 years, Dr. Francis Glenn has pursued a unique approach to breeding high yielding, silage specific corn hybrids,” said Mr. Baute. “His is the only corn program in North America devoted to the improvement of digestibility of both fibre and grain parts of the corn plant.”
Dr. Glenn is the developer of the GL62 corn inbred line. The line crosses with many unrelated lines, producing hybrids that are consistently taller and higher yielding. They also provide increased fibre digestibility, higher sugar content, more digestible starch and a slower rate of maturity, which provides a longer window for silage harvest. Dr. Glenn has developed 5 inbred lines for silage production since 1992 and they are still in use. He has developed, tested and supplied all leafy hybrids in wide use by hybrid seed companies in all maturity zones of Canada, and in the USA, New Zealand, Chile, France, Italy and Hungary.
Dr. Glenn continues to deliver new innovative products which have resulted in an overall increase in milk production in Canada. He also offers many of his new lines with leading edge herbicide resistant and insect protected traits. His ability to adapt and compete in the ever changing corn technology market is remarkable.
Also active on the policy and advocacy side of the seed industry, Dr. Glenn was instrumental to the work to remove corn from the variety registration system, and was one of the creators of the Commercial Plant Breeders Committee of the CSTA serving as its secretary and then Chair.
Dr. Glenn received his award in Windsor at the 92nd Annual Meeting of the Canadian Seed Trade Association.
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