b'Greg Stamp Evan GillisSeed Sales Manager, StampCanola Breeder, DL Seeds | Seeds | Enchant, Alta. | Morden, Man. | 38 years old39 years old Evan Gillis has a strong Greg Stamp is enjoyingbackground in agricul-double honours after heture and plant breeding. was named a Next-GenHis experience con-Leader by Seed Worldducting research and magazine in 2022. Nowworking as an assistant hes making headlinesbreeder, as well as doing in Germination, and itshis masters degree in because of his growing reputation for knowing how topathology focusing on flax, gave him more specific expe-navigate the complex world of the Alberta seed industry. rience in plant breeding. It led him to the Plant Breeding Hes found big success with farm trials and demon- Academy at the University of California, Davis.strations with customers and on-farm research. The seedHes fast gaining a reputation as someone whos help-side of the business implemented cloud traceability anding take canola to new heights by helping a small-to-sales software and the farm side implemented traceability,medium sized seed company like DL Seeds compete on record-keeping and tracking software. such a large scale with a crop like canola. We were facing the same challenges as our custom- In our breeding process, were doing a lot to make ersso these helped us understand what our customersthings faster. We have to adapt to market changes and dis-needed and gain reputation and trust, he says. ruptions. Competition is high in the canola market, but weAs he continues in his own career, he notes that get- strive to be at the forefront of changes in the industry, he ting active and involved with the industry has helpedsays.expand his skills. Were seeing germplasm coming to Canada from all Farm industry groups, boards and commissions reallyover the worldfrom Australia, Europe, Chinaand helped me grow and learn while also contributing to thewe get to look at it. Big things are coming. We have nurs-ag industry and helping direct it, Stamp says. I also triederies in the field that are full of germplasm that Canada to attend many conferences and events to learn about thehas never seen before, and that we may use someday. Its industry, but what I see now is the learning and visitingexciting to see it on the ground level, many years away between the speakers is just as important. from any sort of actual variety in the field, he says.Chris HewittMarketing LeadSeed Treatments & Inoculants, BASF | Calgary, Alta. | 30 years oldChris Hewitts involvement with seedferent crops or regions, he says. industry committees and organiza- By bringing together these groups, tions in Canada has been a valuablethere is great opportunity to address learning experience. His involve- common issues and challenges that ment with Seeds Canadahe sitsaffect a vast majority of the crop on the Seed Applied Technologiessystem in Canada.Committeeshows his desire toHes had a diverse range of help shape the future of seed treat- experiences within BASF. Hewitt has ment in Canada for years to come. already made a big impact with the He also works closely with BASFslaunch of Teraxxa F4 seed treatment InVigor canola business, helping itin Canadaa game changer for launch its latest seed treatment inno- wheat growers. vations, which directly touch a hugeSeed treatments is a very interest-number of Canadian growers. ing place to be because you get to Its helped me to better under- bridge the gap between crop protec-stand the needs of others in thecan help to improve the industry as ation and the seed industry. Its highly industry and to identify opportunitieswhole. competitive, he says.for collaboration and problem-solv- Its true that many of the chal- Ive found you can make a differ-ing, he says. lenges faced by different membersence in Canadian ag by pushing the Whether the challenges are bigof the industry are the same, evenboundaries for whats next, whether it or small, every effort to address themthough they may be dealing with dif- be yield or otherwise.12GERMINATION.CAMARCH 2023'