��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge welcomes new Research Chair in Potato Science

caroline.zentner — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 17:17:15 +0000

Funded by a consortium of association and industry partners, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has appointed Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko as Research Chair in Potato Science.

The local potato industry is poised to benefit from Yevtushenko’s experience as a plant biologist and from his expertise in potatoes, a plant he has studied for more than 25 years.

“This is a dream job, tailored for me,” says Yevtushenko, who assumed the position on Jan. 4. “Thanks to the Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA) and the remarkable people at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ who have the vision for the potato and agriculture in Alberta, I can start this program in a relatively short time.”

The PGA, McCain Foods, Lamb Weston and Cavendish Farms made a $1 million investment over five years to establish the Chair in Potato Science. Western Canada has few researchers dedicated to the potato industry and the new Chair will enhance and expand the current capacity.

“Dmytro’s arrival in southern Alberta is a result of unprecedented collaboration between the potato industry and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” says David Hill, Director of Development, Southern Alberta Agriculture Program. “For the potato growers and processors to have had the long-term vision, insight and dedication to work with the U of L to enable a potato research program focused on the needs of the industry is significant. This initiative is a key element of the renewed focus on agriculture and agri-business that is being pursued by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its partners. It is an exciting time for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the students who will benefit from participation in this program.”

The PGA is a non-profit potato grower organization working to increase the success of the Alberta potato growing industry, currently worth $1 billion annually.

“Local growers and processors welcome Dr. Yevtushenko and we are eager to start working with him,” says Terence Hochstein, the PGA’s executive director. “Our membership identified a need for university-level research and education in the potato industry and we are excited to have Dr. Yevtushenko and his expertise available to us.”

“Potatoes are a very large part of the economy here in southern Alberta and it’s very important for the people involved in the potato industry to have a feeling that the problems involved are being addressed by research,” says Dr. Joe Rasmussen, a U of L biology professor and Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Ecosystems. “It’s also important for the potato growers to have access to trained people who are ready to work in their industry. Students will gain higher education in an area they would not have had before and in a field that has potential employment for them in this region.”

Yevtushenko plans to co-ordinate his research programs with the needs of the local industry. His major research interests are in the areas of plant biotechnology and breeding, with focus on crop improvement and food safety using modern techniques that involve molecular biology, plant tissue culture, and genetics. While he has researched many plant species, he prefers working with potatoes. His experience working in the plant biotechnology industry has given him an appreciation for the concerns of producers. He has a broad range of research expertise, including development of potato genotypes with wide-spectrum disease resistance and large-scale production of virus-free seed potatoes in vitro. Among other projects, his research plans include improvement of tuber yields through epigenetic enhancement of current potato cultivars and speeding up the potato breeding process using innovative methods.

Yevtushenko is eager to get started and he’ll be visiting local potato farms and facilities in the next few weeks. His lab is being retrofitted in a construction trailer near Hepler Hall, where he will conduct research until lab space becomes available through the Destination Project construction. After it opens this summer, he’ll be starting his research projects. In September, Yevtushenko will teach a course in plant breeding and genetics with a component specific to potato agriculture. He also plans to have students working in his lab and, in the future, he hopes to develop co-operative opportunities for students.

“Potato growers are interested in a new generation of young people who will graduate from university and come to farms with knowledge of potato science,” says Yevtushenko. “Surprisingly, there is a shortage of qualified people in potato agriculture and when they need to hire someone, they hire people from the United States and from Europe.”

Yevtushenko was born in central Ukraine and attended Kiev State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, as it was then called. He’d wanted to be a scientist ever since he was in middle school and he arrived at university wanting to study nature and the environment. He discovered a passion for plant biology and completed a PhD at the Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering in Kiev. He came to Canada for a post-doctoral fellowship at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph. Since then, he’s worked at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria and held various positions in private industry, gaining a broad range of experience in business and research in the process.

Potato Growers of Alberta, partners, create new research Chair

trevor.kenney — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 16:48:46 +0000

Research capacity in Alberta’s potato industry will be significantly enhanced due to a $1 million investment in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge by a consortium of association and industry partners.

The U of L will receive the funds over five years from the Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA), McCain Foods, ConAgra Lamb Weston and Cavendish Farms to establish a Chair in potato science.

The U of L will receive funds over five years from the Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA), McCain Foods, ConAgra Lamb Weston and Cavendish Farms to establish a Chair in potato science.

“Growers and processors identified a need to expand research in this critical field,” says Terence Hochstein, the PGA’s executive director. “There are only a handful of researchers dedicated to the discipline throughout western Canada and we expect this new Chair will greatly enhance and complement the current capacity that exists.”

The Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA) is a non-profit potato grower organization that aims to increase the success of the potato growing industry in Alberta. To accomplish this, the PGA works on three fronts: education and extension, marketing and promotion, and research.

Alberta’s potato industry is worth over $1 billion annually, including $165 to $180 million in farm gate receipts.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will immediately begin its search for a scientist with demonstrated experience in the potato industry. As well, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will be seeking a researcher who is able to collaborate with producers and industry partners.

In addition to building research capacity, Hochstein hopes that U of L graduate and undergraduate students benefit from the Chair and that future capacity is created for the industry.

“One of the consortium’s long-term aspirations is that through student-research activities and related interactions, more agriculturally-focused students will consider a career in the potato industry,” says Hochstein. “While the potato industry is big business in Alberta, family farms continue to be a significant contributor to both seed and consumption potatoes.”

U of L President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon, says the PGA investment recognizes the commitment the U of L is making to Alberta’s agriculture industry.

“This investment, coupled with the recent donation made by Cor Van Raay, illustrates the leadership role that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge plays in agriculture,” says Mahon. “We recognize agriculture as a dominant industry in southern Alberta. We will continue to respond to the economic, social and quality of life needs of southern Albertans.”

Acting Vice-President (Research), Dr. Lesley Brown, says existing research strengths at the U of L will enhance the work performed by the new Chair.

“The work done by this new Chair will complement existing U of L agricultural research strengths like water, epigenetics and remote sensing,” says Brown. “The U of L has a history of successful interdisciplinary projects and this new expertise will not only expand capacity for potato research, but will inform many other important areas as well.”

UNews - Terence Hochstein

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge welcomes new Research Chair in Potato Science

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