Virtual Event
Canadian Potato Summit 2022
February 2, 2022 at
12:00pm ET
VIEW VIDEO 12:55pm - 1:25pm
Better varieties, faster: Updates on AAFC’s potato breeding program
Speakers:
- David De Koeyer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fredericton
- Erica Fava, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fredericton
David De Koeyer
David De Koeyer is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and leader of AAFC’s National Potato Breeding Program with research activities at Fredericton and Lethbridge Research and Development Centres. Since 2001, Dr. De Koeyer has worked on potato genetics and breeding. He obtained his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from the University of Minnesota and started his career with AAFC working with cereal crops. His research interests include improving the efficiency and effectiveness of plant breeding and incorporating beneficial diversity into crops to meet the needs of farmers in Canada and in the developing world.
Erica Fava
Erica Fava has a B.Sc. in Plant Science and an M.Sc. in Horticulture from McGill’s Macdonald College. Over the years she has worked with private industry trialling new pest control products, with Quebec’s agricultural insurance program and as the New Brunswick’s Environmental Farm Plan Coordinator. Erica joined Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in New Brunswick working on integrated cropping systems, pesticide risk reduction, and minor use pesticides. Currently Erica is co-ordinating the National Potato Variety Trials as the Biologist and Industry Liason for AAFC’s Potato Breeding Program.
