Todd Reid, Ph.D. Candidate

Ph.D. Advisor: Dr. Dean Spaner, University of Alberta

I grew up in Corner Brook on the west coast of Newfoundland and knew nothing of farming beyond the kitchen gardens kept by my family. I started my university career at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook knowing only that I was interested in science. It was during the summer after my second year, spent as a research assistant in the Biology Department, which a love of plants and the natural world grew within me. I became focused on Biology and moved to St. John’s to finish my degree at Memorial University. When I graduated, I found a job with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and that opened my eyes to the world of farming and agricultural research. I completed a Masters degree in Biology at Memorial University in 2002 in collaboration with AAFC.

After a few years of doing sporadic contract work with AAFC, Provincial Agriculture and even a landscaping company, I was offered an opportunity to do a Ph.D. under Dr. Dean Spaner at the University of Alberta, whom I met during my time with AAFC. Only after I began work with Dr. Spaner did I come to truly appreciate organic agriculture and what it can accomplish both for producers and the environment.

I started my Ph.D. under Dr. Spaner in September 2004 with help of a fellowship from the Canadian Wheat Board. My field work began in the summer of 2005 after a long winter of literature review and project development. My research projects associated with organic agriculture are as follows:

A. Two studies investigating the genetics of competitive ability in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum).

1. In the first study I am using a population of wheat developed from a cross between AC Barrie and Attila. The population consists of 79 sister-lines which have slight differences in their growth, including differing height and tiller capacities. I intend to determine how these differences are inherited and then compare the best and worst lines under organic and conventional management systems. This may lead to the development of cultivars better suited to organic management systems.

2. The second study involves a different population of wheat which has been genetically mapped. Here I am looking for sections of the genome which are associated with yield maintenance and how the wheat adapts under competition.

B. I am also investigating the role of gibberellin sensitivity in spring wheat dwarfing genes on early root development and root growth over time. This study involves the use of new spring wheat cultivars bred by the CSIRO Plant Industry Company in Australia. These unique spring wheat lines may provide a new basis for improving adaptability, and rooting vigour.

While specific genes for height and tiller capacity (recognized competitive traits in wheat) are known, how competition changes the physical expression of the genes is not clearly understood. It is my belief that while conventionally bred varieties perform adequately under organic conditions; yields can be improved still further by developing cultivars suited specifically for organic environments. Locating genes associated with competitive ability will accelerate the breeding process and provide a basis for the development of new organic wheat varieties. The new Australian wheat lines may provide increased rooting ability for spring wheat, increasing competitive ability and improving yields of organic wheat.

If you have any questions please email me at todd.reid@ualberta.ca