Meet Prof. David Wolyn Descriptive Transcript

Summary: Prof. David Wolyn describes his research in plant breeding and genetics in asparagus and Russian dandelion.

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Text: :60 Second Snapshots
Meet the Profs of the Ontario Agricultural College

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Text: Prof. David Wolyn
Department of Plant Agriculture
David: My research is involved in plant breeding and genetic studies in two crops.
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First I work with asparagus, and in asparagus
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we're trying to develop new cultivars with improved yield, quality, disease resistance, longevity and winter hardiness.
I also have a second crop I am studying and it's Russian dandelion, which is an interesting plant species because it produces natural rubber.
And we're trying to take this weed and turn it into a crop so that we can actually produce natural rubber here in Ontario, rather than importing it from Southeast Asia.
And all this is important because we'll develop new cultivars that will be picked up by the industry and ultimately will have a positive effect on industries and the consumers as well.
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David: The most exciting aspect of my work is actually releasing a new cultivar.
I still get quite excited every time I go into a grocery store and see our Guelph Millennium asparagus hybrid on the shelves for sale.
I'm also quite excited that someday I'll be driving on a tire with rubber
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coming from our dandelion breeding program.
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Text: www.uoguelph.ca/oac
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