The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences announced today it will suspend all
canola breeding programs. The college has made several
programmatic changes this spring to address shifting priorities
and funding issues.
“Our canola breeding program will be suspended, carefully
preserving all documentation, until canola becomes a more
economically viable crop for the state,” said CAES dean Gale
Buchanan.
The latest change was precipitated by the retirement of one of
the college’s preeminent turf researchers, Ronny Duncan.
Duncan, known around the world for his groundbreaking work with
Seashore Paspalum and Fine Leaf Fescue, will retire July 1.
“To keep our turfgrass research moving forward, we will shift
researchers from less viable crops like canola to turf, one of
the state’s fastest growing crops,” Buchanan said.
Earlier this year, the college announced closure or redirection
of six of its research and extension programs in Georgia.
“We are continuing to look closely at our research, extension
and academic programs,” Buchanan said, “to identify areas where
we can make changes to benefit our clients and students, and to
make the most efficient use of the funds available to the
college, the Agricultural Experiment Stations and the
Cooperative Extension Service.”
