Blog: Meet a Researcher

Filiz Koksel is an associate professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences (FHNS) at the University of Manitoba (UM). She was appointed Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein in July this year.

Born in Winnipeg while her father was completing graduate studies at UM, Koksel grew up in Turkey, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in food engineering from Middle East Technical University in Ankara. She later returned to Winnipeg to complete her PhD in food science at UM and joined the Department of FHNS as a faculty member in 2017.

She lives in Winnipeg with her husband and their five-year-old daughter.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at UM.

My research focuses on food processing, transforming ingredients, both plant-  and animal-based, into nutritious, appealing foods. These processes range from mixing or milling for bakery applications, to extrusion cooking, which is a process used for making puffed snacks like Cheetos or breakfast cereals like Cheerios. Extrusion also allows us to produce a wide range of plant-based meat alternatives.

Broadly, my research explores how to process different ingredients from cereals, pulses, oilseeds and other materials into foods that are both nutritious and appealing to consumers. We test at the ingredient, processing and food levels, and measure a wide range of quality attributes.

We look at nutritional quality; for example, whether proteins or starches are digestible. Starch digestibility affects how quickly blood sugar spikes, while protein digestibility affects how efficiently our bodies absorb amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

Another key area is techno-functionality, which refers to how food components interact with other components in their environment (e.g., water or oil). Can they bind oil and water? Form stable emulsions or strong gels? These properties are important for shelf life, stability and product texture.

Finally, we study the physical and sensory quality of the products, including appearance, texture and mouthfeel, all critical to consumer acceptance. Are high-protein snacks as crispy as their starchy counterparts? Do high-fibre cereals remain crunchy in milk? Why are plant-based meats sometimes chewier or gummier?

We’re also exploring advanced oxidative processes (AOP) in the “Decontaminating stored flax’ project funded by Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnerhip (a joint federal, provincial and territorial program). Led by Dr. Jitendra Paliwal in collaboration with Dr. Claudia Narvaez, this project aims to reduce the microbial load in flaxseed – a growing concern, as flaxseed is increasingly consumed raw, such as sprinkled on yogurt. The decontamination work (a combination of UV light, hydrogen peroxide and ozone treatment) happens in Dr. Paliwal’s lab and my team studies whether flaxseed’s techno-functional properties, like water binding and gel formation, change after treatment.

What got you interested in this area of work?

My biggest influence was (and still is) my father, also a food scientist specializing in cereal products. He worked in a government lab in Turkey, and I remember visiting him as a child on Take Our Kids to Work Day. Watching cereal scientists test bread dough quality felt like playing in a giant Play-Doh factory, it was fascinating.

I was also very fortunate to have Dr. Martin Scanlon, now the dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at UM, as my PhD supervisor. He gave me the freedom to explore areas that genuinely interested me, which shaped both my research direction and how I mentor students.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

Farmer support is essential for sustaining my research program. Their funding enables us to train students who often stay in Manitoba and become future industry experts. It also ensures that research findings flow back to the people who make the work possible. We regularly share reports and are always open to discussing results and implications directly with farmer organizations.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

Food safety in flax and other grains is a major issue. While my focus is on techno-functionality, our team includes Dr. Claudia Narvaez, a food microbiologist, so we can address multiple aspects of the problem.

As flax becomes more popular for its nutritional benefits, microbial contamination has become a growing concern. Conventional treatments exist, but they can be costly or compromise quality. We are looking for safer, more cost-effective methods that maintain product functionality and help farmers expand markets, improve product quality and gain economic value from their crops.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Five years ago, before I had my little one, my answer would have been very different! Most of my time now revolves around caring for my family. When I can, I enjoy live music and discovering new restaurants and cafes around Winnipeg.

What is the best part of your job?

Definitely being around students. While much of my time is spent writing grants and papers, I still spend time in the lab. I have a great team of M.Sc. and PhD students, research assistants and post-doctoral fellows. Their energy and curiosity keep the work exciting, and some days, I learn more from them than they do from me. It’s rewarding to watch them grow into the next generation of scientists and mentors.

What are you excited about for the future of agriculture?

Although my research has mainly focused on plant-based foods, my new chair role expands into hybrid and animal-based systems. I’m excited to explore how both sectors can work together toward sustainable and balanced protein production, which is vital for Manitoba’s agricultural future.

What is your favourite food or meal to cook?

I love baking bread. I have this passion for bread since my PhD, which focused on bubbles in bread dough, as they play a crucial role in texture and quality. Gas bubbles make up 10–15 per cent of dough after mixing and expand to 70–80 per cent in the final loaf. Without them, you’d have a dense brick instead of soft bread! For me, baking is meditative—a chance to slow down, unplug and just enjoy the process (even if the results aren’t always perfect).

Check out @foodprolab on Instagram or connect with Filiz Koksel on LinkedIn.

Justin Pahara is a research scientist and project lead in nanotechnology (biotic stresses and adaptation) at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Lethbridge. He earned an undergraduate degree in immunology and infection and a master’s in cell biology (cancer research) at the University of Alberta before completing a PhD in chemical engineering and biotechnology at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

Pahara lives on one of the longest-running family farms in Lethbridge County, established in 1918.

Where did you work before AAFC?

Before AAFC, I was in commercial entrepreneurship at Amino Labs, an educational biotechnology company that creates kits and tools for high school teachers and home learners to learn about genetic engineering and biotechnology. I created the main core technology for the company.

What got you interested in this area of work?

When I was young, I wanted to be a doctor, but during undergrad I became more interested in how medicines were created and who created them rather than prescribing them. That led me more toward research.

I was drawn to a gap within the space: most labs focus on developing RNA, but few focus on how to reliably deliver it to targets. I already had a background in nanotechnology from my chemical engineering studies, and the bigger question became how to apply it to agriculture. This felt like an area where I could make an impact.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at AAFC.

We focus on molecular delivery, engineering nanostructures about 10,000 times smaller than a human hair to go into different organisms. A current project funded in part by Manitoba Crop Alliance is “Screening RNA penetration to achieve gene knockdown in plants for the development of Smart Crop Technologies.”

Most crop treatments today are broad-spectrum, like insecticides or herbicides, and can impact a lot of different organisms and plants in our ecosystem beyond the target. As part of our program, we are working on building highly targeted crop treatments that only target what we want.

That is where RNA interference comes in. Plants and cells have mini-immune systems that chop up harmful RNA, from a virus for example, to prevent it from replicating. By sending in smaller pieces of RNA with the nanostructures we’re developing, we can tell plants to knock down or lower the expression of specific genes.

The challenge is delivery. Our focus is getting these nanostructures into plants, insects and fungi so they could be used by farmers. We’re looking at crop treatments like seed coatings or sprays that could work in the field.

This project began in April 2025, building on past research and learnings within our programs. We are targeting two genes to show proof of principle within this project. One is green fluorescent protein from jellyfish in engineered plants, which glows green under UV light. The other is EPSPS, the enzyme targeted by glyphosate (Roundup). Kochia, a widespread weed across the Prairies, is becoming very resistant to glyphosate. By studying it, we’re hoping to find new approaches for controlling this highly resistant weed.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

It’s important because farmers decide what matters most to them, and most of our research is externally funded by farmers. Our lab is engineering technology focused, and we want to build things that are useful to farmers.

Funding from producer groups is a step towards creating something useful, rather than “pie in the sky” research that may only be useful decades later. Our goal is to de-risk these sophisticated technologies so the industry can carry them forward. Ideally, we enable small and medium-sized enterprises in Canada to develop these technologies since they often lack the capacity or resources of multinational companies.

Without farmers, this research wouldn’t happen and we’d have to rely on multinational companies, who may or may not pursue these types of solutions.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

Although the benefits aren’t immediate, we hope by the end of the decade to start getting some next-generation crop treatments out the door. We focus on crop treatments that farmers need, while navigating regulatory aspects, since nanotechnology and RNA applications are very new.

One of the cool things about RNA is that it can be tweaked like code. There’s a very high likelihood that we’ll be able to invent a system with RNA and the nanoparticle that goes into a target, and if that target develops resistance, we can adjust the code slightly and the overall product stays effectively the same. Regulators currently treat each change as a new or different formulation, so part of our work is learning more about regulation and opening dialogue to help pave the way for more efficient adoption.

I’m also open to hearing from farmers about their challenges. Feel free to email me at justin.pahara@agr.gc.ca. This helps us make our nano formulations more practical. For example, we’ve built specialized spray chambers that allow us to safely spray these nano formulations, and we used industrial nozzles like a farmer would. This allows us to develop treatments in a realistic context early on, rather than finding out later that something won’t work in the field.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

We do a lot of gardening and grow a lot of food we eat. I’m into clean energy, we have solar systems and I’m also writing a sci-fi novel for fun.

What’s the best part about your job?

Exploring the unknown. Our lab builds things that don’t exist. We don’t know how they’ll work or how to get there, which makes the little wins exciting. A big part of that is working with a great team.

Follow @jpahara on X (formerly Twitter).

George diCenzo is an associate professor in the Department of Biology and cross-appointed to the Department of Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University. He also holds an adjunct professor position at the University of Manitoba (UM) in the Department of Microbiology.

diCenzo completed his undergraduate and PhD studies at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, before moving to Italy for his postdoc at the University of Florence.

He lives in Kingston, ON, with his partner, Rebecca Doyle, who’s also a professor that studies rhizobia and rhizobial inoculants for agriculture.

Where did you work before Queen’s University?

Before joining Queen’s as an assistant professor, I was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Florence in Italy.

What got you interested in this area of work?

It was partly by chance. I was always interested in biology, sciences and research. At one point, I thought I’d be more involved in medically related research. In my second year of undergrad, I was trying to get into a lab to do research in the summer and got one offer for a spot that following summer, Turlough Finan’s Lab, which studied rhizobia. It was more fundamental research, but it was with this agriculturally important bacterium. I took that position, worked in the lab that summer and I really loved working there and all the research we were doing.

I went back the summer after my third year, stayed for a fourth-year thesis and did my PhD thesis all in that same lab. So, in a way, I got into the broader area of working with rhizobia by chance; it was the one lab that gave me a spot when I first applied, and I really enjoyed it.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at Queen’s and the UM.

There are three main aspects of my research. One is fundamental work with rhizobia, nitrogen-fixing bacteria that interact with legume plants. We study their genomics, metabolism and diversity to build new knowledge that can support agriculture.

Another area is plastic biodegradation, which is separate from our agriculture work. We’re looking for microbes and enzymes that can break down different plastics for recycling. That’s where my cross appointment to the Department of Chemical Engineering comes in.

And then there’s my applied research in microbial agriculture, where we’re looking for bio-inoculants for different types of crops. Some of that is rhizobia for legumes like beans, some involves other potential microbes that might benefit non-legume crops. That’s the focus of the “Bio-inoculants for the promotion of nutrient use efficiency and crop resiliency in Canadian agriculture” (BENEFIT) project, which I co-lead with Ivan Oresnik at the UM.

The BENEFIT project is funded through Genome Canada by the governments of Ontario and Manitoba, and various grower groups including Manitoba Crop Alliance. It brings together 16 professors across six universities. Broadly speaking, the goal is to try and reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers, or supplement their use, with microbial products, like bacteria and fungi. These microbes can help plants fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphorus, take up nutrients from the environment and some can even have effects on pests, diseases or stresses like cold temperatures.

Microbial inoculants already work well for legumes like soybeans, peas and lentils, where they form a specific interaction with the rhizobia to provide nitrogen to the plants. For crops like wheat and barley that can’t form this interaction with rhizobia, microbial products have historically been less effective. As part of this project, we’re tackling some of those challenges with hopes to develop new microbial products that are more reliable for growers.

To do this, we’ve generated a library of over 2,000 microbes isolated from Canadian soils. The idea is that microbes from Canadian soils are already adapted to our conditions and are more likely to succeed in Canadian fields. We’re now working on characterizing these microbes, looking at how well they’re able to promote plant growth, starting with lab trials and eventually moving to field trials.

We’re also looking at the economics and environmental impact, asking “what level of performance would make these bio-inoculants valuable for growers and for the industry to produce?” The main crops we’re focused on are wheat, barley, canola, beans and peas, with a smaller part on kale. The project is still in its early years. We only have preliminary results at this point; however, we are seeing some promising results for beans that I’m excited about.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

It’s essential. We don’t get core funding from the universities, so all of our research relies on funding from external sources. Support from farmers allows us to hire people and cover costs associated with doing the work.

Farmer funding is also critical because many government programs require matching dollars from industry. For example, with the Genome Canada grant every dollar from farmers helps us unlock another dollar from government. That leverage means their contributions go even further.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

Our goal is always to make results public, so farmers or companies can use them to create products that directly benefit farms. If we find a new microbial product, for example, the goal would be to make it commercially available so farmers can access it.

That said, research is never guaranteed. We’re doing everything we can to develop bio-inoculants that can potentially help farmers, but sometimes science doesn’t deliver the results we hope for. It’s important to not overpromise, but with continued support, we’re optimistic that in a few years we’ll have exciting updates to share.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

I like going for hikes with my dog, and I also like watching the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to get eliminated from the playoffs. I still cheer for them every year, regardless.

What is the best part about your job?

There’s lots I like about my job, but if I must pick one, it’s the discovery aspect. With research, we’re always asking questions and trying to find answers to those questions with experiments. I find it a lot of fun when we get results from new experiments, and sometimes answers to those questions, and we’re the first people in the world to know what that is. It’s a lot of fun to be able to do that and spend the time thinking about these things.

What is your favourite food or meal to cook?

Homemade pizza. I have a pizza stone for my barbecue, and making a nice Italian-style pizza on it is the best.

Follow @George_diCenzo on X or connect with him on LinkedIn.  

Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Nandika Bandara is an associate professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Food Proteins and Bioproducts in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba (UM).

He completed his undergraduate degree in agriculture specializing in food science and technology at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He then worked in the industry for four years before moving to Canada to do his master’s degree in food science and technology and his PhD at the University of Alberta.

Where did you work before UM?

After completing my PhD, I began a postdoctoral fellowship (PDF) position at the University of Guelph in the Department of Food Science, supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada PDF scholarship. I stayed there five months before I got an assistant professor role at Dalhousie University.

What got you interested in this area of work?

When I was in middle school, there was a 50^th anniversary of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya, the oldest university in my country. A family friend was staying in our home, going to university, and he took me to that celebration exhibition. After seeing all the animals, equipment and different farming systems, I knew agriculture was something I would really like. I selected agriculture as my high school major and went directly to that same university for the agriculture degree program.

Tell us a bit about what you are working on at UM.

My research program focuses on improving the protein and bioproduct industries using biopolymers generated in agriculture and food processing. I have three main research themes:

1. Sustainable technologies for protein processing and functionality improvement: Developing nonthermal processing, fermentation, and dry and wet protein fractionation technologies to produce functional protein ingredients.
2. Advancing fundamental knowledge related to protein utilization: Using advanced analytical and material characterization techniques to understand protein functionality.
3. Advancing circular bioeconomy in the alternative protein industry: Use byproducts and waste material from agriculture (oilseed meal, for example) to produce new food ingredients and develop biopolymers for use in sustainable packaging, wood adhesive and other polymer applications.

In a project funded in part by Manitoba Crop Alliance, we are working with sunflower meal from the commercial oil extraction process. One of the biggest challenges with sunflower meal is that it contains chlorogenic acid, which makes the meal green. This chlorogenic acid will co-extract during traditional protein extraction methods. If you bake something with the sunflower protein, it turns green due to a reaction between chlorogenic acid and amino acid.

In this project we developed two new protein extraction methods where we can get rid of those colour compounds and produce an off-white colour sunflower protein. This work focuses on developing protein ingredients and using the remaining material (cellulose and lignin) for value-added applications.

Then we will look at how sunflower protein can compete with other proteins. Right now, the plant protein market is dominated by soy and pea protein to a certain extent. The oil is still the main component, but if we can get a food commodity from the sunflower meal it will increase the value of the crop for farmers.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

Farmer based funding is huge. This is the second time I have received farmer-based funding for value-added research. To see that farmers are interested in value-added opportunities is encouraging. You can increase primary production to a certain level, but eventually you will hit a ceiling, right? When you cannot go beyond that, you must generate more income from the existing resources you have. That is how you advance the industry, not just by trying to increase yields, but by generating value for the other components.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

If we can commercialize sunflower protein, farmers will get additional value for sunflowers, not just for the oil. If everything goes well for this project, we will get the sunflower protein as a protein ingredient. That is one revenue stream. If we can break down the lignin and cellulose and produce the other platform chemicals, that can be another revenue source. It is important to increase yields, and it is important to focus on agronomic practices, but at the same time, the future will be based on value-added opportunities.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

I play cricket. We have both competitive and recreational playing opportunities here in Winnipeg.

What gets you most excited about your work?

Working with trainees and seeing them become successful. I have 23 trainees, and they are extremely successful. For example, they have received national and international awards. American Oil Chemists’ Society, which is involved with the sunflower industry, has two major awards for students: the Thomas Smouse Memorial Fellowship and the Honored Student Award. For two consecutive years, one of my trainees won the Thomas Smouse Memorial Fellowship, and in 2025, another student won the Honored Student Award.

The Institute of Food Technologists, an international society, offers the Feeding Tomorrow Fund, a graduate scholarship program, and presents approximately 90-100 scholarships each year globally. Last year, Canadian students received 10, and my trainees got seven of them. For three consecutive years, my trainees have secured the grand prize in the graduate student competition at the Manitoba Materials Conference. I have also had trainees advance to lead international student societies (American Oil Che), which brings me great satisfaction to see them succeed.

What is your favourite food or meal to cook?

Authentic Sri Lankan food! I really enjoy cooking. I invited my entire research group for dinner recently and they really loved the authentic Sri Lankan foods we have.

Connect with Nandika on LinkedIn.

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Rebecca Hallett is the Interim Associate Vice President Research of the Agri-Food Partnership in the Office of Research at the University of Guelph (U of G). She holds a bachelor’s in biogeography from the University of Toronto, as well as a master’s in pest management and a PhD in entomology from Simon Fraser University (SFU). Following her PhD, she spent two years working as a postdoctoral researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon. She lives in Guelph with her husband and has two adult children.

What was your previous role at the U of G?

I’ve been a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences since 1998. Before my current role, I was Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the Ontario Agricultural College, which includes six departments that focus on food, agriculture, communities and the environment.

What got you interested in entomology?

I must give some credit to my dad. He has always been very devoted and academic about his hobbies. When I was a tween, he began collecting insects. I went into botany because I always loved plants, but the insect connection was there.

When I got to SFU, there were exciting things happening in entomology and fewer opportunities in integrated pest management on the botanical side. I had done some travelling and volunteering in India and thought I might get into international agricultural development work. When I couldn’t use this experience as part of my master’s, I connected with a Canadian entomologist working on a development project in Indonesia. I went to work with him and my move into entomology happened. I knew I wanted to be a scientist from a young age, but I really wanted to do something that was going to solve problems. So, agriculture and entomology were ways for me to do that.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at U of G.

My current position oversees the university side of the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA); U of G; and Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario, whose research stations we operate as part of our research activities.

My training was in chemical ecology using insect pheromones and host plant compounds to manipulate insect behavior for pest management, which has been a theme throughout my work. I work closely with OMAFA, various crop specialists and the provincial entomologists to look at invasive or emerging pest issues that affect Ontario agriculture.

I also collaborate with Jocelyn Smith on the “Mitigation and management of Cry1F resistance in European corn borer in Canada” project, of which Manitoba Crop Alliance is a funding partner. Jocelyn is the scientific lead and we co-advise graduate students.

Two aspects I’ve been most closely involved in are work by master’s students Emily Glasgow and Jenna Straughan. Emily looked at potential links between pheromone races and BT susceptibility, and the heritability and fitness implications of the field-evolved Cry1F resistance trait. Emily graduated a couple of years ago and we’re now co-advising Jenna on related work. Her focus is the phenology of European corn borer and its occurrence in Ontario, number of generations and use of degree-day modelling to predict adult flights. She’s also done work on isotope detection and the relationship between pheromone races and host plant types, testing whether they are as separated on distinct host plants as the literature indicates.

This work is key to understanding the pest’s life history and timing of occurrence, and has implications for integrated resistance management strategies.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

Support from farmers is extremely important, as they tell us what they need and what challenges they are facing. Today, so much research funding is reliant on leveraging funds provided by industry. I’ve only seen that trend increase through my career as a faculty member. Many of our funding programs are dependent upon showing that what we are doing is important to industry or to the agricultural sector. So, the funding provided by producer organizations is critical to making research – and solutions to the challenges growers are facing – happen.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

Ideally, through these research projects we can return results to growers. We aim to get that research into practice to help to inform their management practices and decision-making.

Some of the most rewarding things I’ve done have been those that have resulted in changes and improvements for growers in terms of pest management and decision-making. We did one of the first insect-based apps, Aphid Advisor, for example. It considered the natural enemies (mainly lady beetles) that were being seen on soybean plants at the same times as aphids to adjust the decision as to whether an insecticide spray would be needed. In the end, we were able to deliver a service that they could use to improve their decision-making. This is one example of a research idea coming from growers – they saw the lady beetles in their soybean fields and wanted to know what contribution they were making to combatting the soybean aphid.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

My husband and I really enjoy travel. We spend a lot of time talking about where we might go next and what we might do there. We have a little “pandemic trailer” we bought to do some camping and we plan to do the west coast of Newfoundland this summer.

What gets you most excited about your work?

Trying to make a difference. In all the roles I hold as a professor and administrator I try to lead from a place of caring and I want to help solve problems. That motivates me.

Any favourite travel experiences you’d like to share?

I absolutely love Southeast Asia: the people, the food, the climate and the biodiversity is incredible. I learned to scuba dive last year. We went to Raja Ampat in eastern Indonesia, which is one of the most biodiverse marine environments in the world, and it was great. If you’ve been to the Caribbean, there are about 57 species of coral there. Raja Ampat is part of the Coral Triangle and there are over 600 coral species, so all the little ecological niches for all these different organisms to occupy is amazing. We saw such incredible things, from nearly microscopic creatures almost too hard to see to ocean manta rays with 15-foot wingspans floating over top of us. It was just mind blowing.

Follow @RHHallett on X.

Maria Antonia Henriquez is a research scientist in wheat pathology at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Morden Research and Development Centre (RDC).

Born and raised in Colombia, she completed her bachelor’s degree in agronomy and master’s degree in plant breeding at the National University of Colombia. She moved to Canada and received her PhD in plant pathology at the University of Manitoba (U of M), which was followed by postdoctoral research at the Brandon RDC.

Henriquez is the president-elect of the Canadian Phytopathological Society. She lives in Morden with her husband Oscar Molina, who is also a research scientist at the Morden RDC, leading the Integrated Crop Production Systems Agronomy program.

Where did you work before AAFC?

Before moving to Canada, I worked as a research assistant at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) for five years. CIAT is part of CGIAR, formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, a global research partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security.

What got you interested in this area of work?

My father had a big impact on my decision to get into agriculture research. At home, he had a large library with books and encyclopedias covering a wide range of topics, including science, philosophy, medicine and history. When I was nine or 10 years old, he challenged me to find different topics to discuss with him. During my childhood and adolescence, reading those books became my hobby. I spent hours in the library every day, and science and genetics got my attention. I also got inspired to do research with plants. During my bachelor courses and when I did my thesis, I became passionate about plant pathology and plant-microbial interactions at the molecular level. That was my starting point – I will always remember those years.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the Morden RDC.

In my research program, we are using cutting-edge technologies and bioinformatic tools to find innovative and sustainable technologies to enhance genetic resistance and management strategies for Fusarium head blight (FHB) and leaf spot diseases in wheat. I work closely with breeders, plant pathologists, geneticists and agronomists to incorporate disease resistance into Canadian wheat cultivars and conduct applied plant pathology work in terms of crop rotations, development of biopesticides, digital agriculture and disease surveillance.

Many of these projects are funded partially by Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA). I am leading the project “TEN-TG: A tilling and genome resource for FHB improvement” along with Curtis Pozniak from the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan. In this project, we are working with AAC Tenacious, the only FHB-resistant wheat cultivar registered in Canada. We have identified AAC Tenacious mutants that are susceptible to FHB. As we are sequencing the genome of AAC Tenacious, we are going to compare the DNA sequence of those susceptible mutants with the genome of AAC Tenacious to pinpoint the exact mutations resulting in the susceptible phenotype. This comparison will tell us with a reasonable degree of confidence that those genes are in fact involved in resistance. We anticipate this research and the genetic resources we are developing will have an impact in the future with variety development in Canada.

In a digital agriculture project, I am collaborating with Chris Henry from the U of M and Chris Bidinosti from the University of Winnipeg in developing automated systems for detecting and assessing FHB in wheat using machine learning and imaging technologies. By creating both indoor and outdoor automatic systems, the project seeks to expedite the breeding of FHB-resistant wheat cultivars, a model that could be easily adapted to other cereal crops.

I am also leading a project with Steve Robinson where we are evaluating RNA-based fungicides for controlling FHB in field trials. We are currently testing the best combination of RNA-based solutions in yield plots and comparing those biopesticides with traditional fungicides.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

Funding and support from farmers are essential to fostering innovation, supporting research and development, and leads to the creation of more efficient farming techniques, crop varieties and pest management solutions. This funding is very important. It allows us to explore sustainable agriculture practices that can reduce chemical inputs, enhance soil health and preserve biodiversity. I am grateful for the support from farmers to my research.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

The funding and support we receive from growers is a step closer to finding solutions to problems that affect the sustainability of the farms. The economic and social impacts extend beyond the individual grower, affecting the entire agricultural sector. By backing different research initiatives, farmers help us ensure their voices are heard and their challenges are addressed.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Cycling, reading, gardening and listening to music.

What is the best part of your job?

There are so many things, but I would say the opportunity to work towards solutions for problems affecting Canadian agriculture. Particularly, working with important cereal diseases, such as FHB, but the most important is working in collaboration with a diverse group of people from AAFC, government partners, the private sector and universities.

Who or what inspired you?

My father. He is the most intelligent person I have met in my life, and his deep knowledge and understanding across various subjects was exceptional. Endless conversations about the power of the mind, critical thinking and personal values, like integrity, compassion, forgiveness, resilience and strong work ethic, shape who I am as a person. He was always challenging me and telling me to look at things from a different perspective or look for the answer in a different way. That has really stuck with me.

Hiroshi Kubota is a research scientist in sustainable cropping systems at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Lacombe Research and Development Centre (RDC). Originally from Japan, he earned his bachelor of science in agriculture at the Tokyo University of Agriculture, focusing on tropical agriculture.

Kubota lives in Lacombe, AB, with his wife and two young daughters.

Where did you work before AAFC?

After I graduated from my undergraduate degree, I travelled for a couple of years. I went to Papua New Guinea and Australia before returning to Japan to save money for my graduate studies in Canada. I came to Canada in 2009 and did my master’s degree in plant science at the University of Alberta. After I completed my master’s, I continued my PhD there before starting my current position with AAFC.

What got you interested in this area of work?

My uncle’s volunteer work as a science teacher in Africa influenced my interest in agriculture. Growing up without the internet, I was fascinated by his stories and the photos he shared – both the positive and challenging aspects of life in Africa.

One story about children suffering from poverty and malnutrition made me want to help. The first thing that came to mind was medicine, but I quickly realized I did not like the sight of blood.

That is when I started to think about agriculture as a career and chose to study in Japan. I was not from a farm family. Everything I learned about agriculture at university fascinated me, and I enjoyed my time there. After graduation, I was ready to volunteer in Africa when the program was cancelled. I was still interested in agriculture and decided to come to Canada to learn more about crop production here.

Tell us a bit about what you’re working on at AAFC.

In my daily work at AAFC, I spend time developing new research ideas that resonate with current and future challenges that farmers face. I make it a priority to connect with colleagues and stakeholders through various channels. I feel fortunate to work with a dedicated and experienced technical team, which enables me to focus on the broader aspects of our research instead of needing to check the plots every day. Together, we are trying to address the issues.

Now I’m the lead of the GROW Barley framework for the next seven years. My focus is on improving barley agronomy in Western Canada. Good agronomy is critical to improving competitiveness with other crops. Significant investments by industry and government are made in variety development, but the adoption of those new varieties is slow compared to other crops due to the complexity of the barley industry.

There are several barley agronomy studies underway in Western Canada. Through the GROW Barley framework, I intend to address gaps in existing or ongoing barley agronomy research activities. The first GROW Barley project was supported for funding, and I am excited about starting the project this spring.

Outside of GROW Barley, I am leading three barley-related projects this year and am grateful for the industry’s support for this research. The first project focuses on determining optimal seeding rates of five new feed barley varieties from different genetic backgrounds, including varieties from Western Crop Innovation, the University of Saskatchewan, AAFC Brandon and Nutrien. The other two projects are malting barley studies evaluating agronomic practices to achieve uniform maturity.

What can you say about the value of farmers providing funding and support to your organization?

Support and funding from farmers are invaluable to me as a research scientist. I’m fortunate to be in Western Canada, where both industry partners and farmers actively contribute to advancing research. This funding makes it possible for me to conduct work that directly benefits farmers, and I am deeply grateful for the trust and support I have received. It motivates me to ensure the research I conduct delivers practical, meaningful outcomes for the agricultural community.

How does that farmer funding and support directly benefit farmers?

When considering research projects, I review research priorities from crop commissions and, when possible, speak directly with farmers. Since the crop commissions represent farmers, I trust that I’m hearing their key challenges. My focus is on developing research ideas that are practical and beneficial, ensuring the outcomes have a direct impact on the farm.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Outside of work I like to do physical activities, although with two little kids it can be hard to find time for hobbies! I love skiing and swimming. I used to be on a competitive swimming team from Grade 6 to 12 in Japan.

What is the best part about your job?

Connecting with stakeholders in the industry. As a relatively new research scientist, and a non-Canadian-born one, it is important for me to understand Canadian agricultural systems as much as I can. Farmers, industry stakeholders, commodity organizations and colleagues are always welcome to share their thoughts, experiences and challenges. This collaboration helps me to provide the best scientific information possible.

How do you celebrate agriculture?

I love eating and cooking, and I try to eat locally grown crops as much as I can. My kids are two and five, and we try to let them experience any agriculture-related activities as much as we can.

What’s your favourite movie?

I am a huge fan of Star Wars.

Follow @HiroshiKubota2 on X.