Dr. Ronald Howard, Plant Pathologist, Pest Management Branch, Agriculture Research Division, Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development

DOW AGROSCIENCES/ASTECH INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
Keeping Food Supply Abundant and Safe

As consumers, we tend to take the food on our plates for granted. We can do so because researchers like Dr. Ronald Howard work in their labs and in farmers’ fields protecting crops from pests such as weeds, insects and diseases.

“One of the eternal challenges to crop producers is plant diseases,” Dr. Howard says. “We try to give growers up-to-date information so they can cope with crop diseases to minimize losses in yield and quality.”
For the past 33 years Dr. Howard has worked as a plant pathologist, researcher and manager at the Alberta Crop Diversification Centre South (CDCS). During that time he has studied about 50 different types of crops and the diseases that plague them.

Whether it’s tomatoes, potatoes or grains, Dr. Howard has the ability to work with producers to help them understand the diseases that affect their crops and how to manage them.
“My goal is to try to answer the questions that are at the top of the producers’ minds,” Dr. Howard explains. “What is this disease? Where did it come from? What can we do about it?”
In his quest to answer these questions, Dr. Howard collaborates with colleagues in provincial and federal research stations, university faculties, private sector companies and consultants, and teams of agriculture producers.

“My role is to study disease issues to contribute to the overall body of knowledge on pest management strategies for crops,” he says.