Alberta Pulse Growers (APG) selected Dr. Parthiba Balasubramanian, who continues to develop dry bean cultivars with useful traits for farmers, as the winner of the 12th annual Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator Award.
“Each year, APG recognizes a person or organization whose progressive thinking and tireless efforts helped build Alberta’s pulse industry into the flourishing sector that it is today,” said APG Chair Will Muller. “Parthiba has been responsible for developing dry bean cultivars with traits appreciated by growers in Southern Alberta, including myself.”
Alberta pulse farmers and distinguished guests were on hand to celebrate Balasubramanian and his achievements at an award lunch during recent APG Joint Director-Advisor meetings in Calgary.
Farmers recognize Balasubramanian’s research contributions that have demonstrated success and advanced the growth of pulses in their businesses. The strength, consistency and performance of the dry bean cultivars developed by his program regularly provided, and continue to provide, excellent returns to the farm gate.
“Parthiba’s traditional scientific breeding techniques and strong attention to traits combine high yield with early maturity, lodging resistance, and enhanced resistance to white mould and bacterial diseases,” Muller explained. “This is in addition to improved seed quality such as size, shape, colour and colour retention traits for commercial production under irrigated conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan which are held in high regard by pulse farmers.”
Balasubramanian was nominated for the award by APG’s Zone 1, which is comprised of pulse farmers in the Southern Alberta region with the climate to grow dry beans. Fellow scientists celebrated Balasubramanian’s accomplishments in a video that was shown during the ceremony and is available on the APG YouTube channel.
“I am truly humbled to receive this award,” said Balasubramanian, who is based at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Lethbridge Research and Development Centre. “I accept this award on behalf of the team members who have been part of the dry bean breeding program in Lethbridge in the past and in the present. It is their hard work, dedication and work ethic that has made the accomplishments of the program possible. We have been very fortunate to receive funding from various organizations, and it is because of the funding that we have been able to do the things we do in the breeding program.”
The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission represents 5,400 growers of field pea, dry bean, lentil, chickpea, faba bean, lupin and soybean in Alberta. Our vision is to have pulses on every farm, on every plate.
For more information, please contact:
Rachel Peterson, Communications Manager
Phone: 780-986-9398 ext. 108
rpeterson@albertapulse.com
www.albertapulse.com