Features Agronomy Plant Breeding
Navabi joins University of Guelph

April 15, 2014, Guelph, Ont. – Dr. Ali Navabi has joined the University of Guelph as a professor in wheat breeding.  

Navabi joins the University of Guelph from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) where he has been
acting as a bean breeder in the AAFC/University of Guelph Bean Breeding Program since 2008.

“Dr. Navabi brings extensive experience in plant breeding and genetics, including 15 years of wheat
breeding," said Henry Van Ankum, Chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario, in a press release. 

Navabi has contributed to graduate teaching and has been an active advisor of graduate students at the
University of Guelph. As well, he is currently the editor of the Canadian Journal of Plant Science.

“I am very excited and believe that this partnership is providing great opportunities for Ontario wheat, as an
integral part of the cropping system,” says Navabi. He plans to work with public and private stakeholders in establishing a university-based wheat breeding program to support sustainable and profitable wheat production in Ontario, and to train the new generation of plant breeders, according to the release.

Navabi will start this new position on May 1. His research will focus on creating novel wheat varieties
with enhanced productivity, disease resistance, pest resistance, and enhanced utility in crop rotation systems.