Ontario Grain Farmer August 2022

18 WHEN IT COMESto witnessing advancements in Ontario field crops, David Morris has had a front-row seat. But he wasn't a bystander. Morris is one of the longestserving secretaries on the Ontario cereals and corn committees — two organizations dedicated to the performance testing of hybrids and varieties to help growers make the best seed decisions for their farms. With a tenure that spans more than 25 years, Morris recently retired from the Ontario Cereals Crop Committee (OCCC) and Ontario Corn Committee (OCC) in November 2021. Often working in a supporting role, Morris' dedication to extension and disseminating valuable information to help provincial growers grow their best crops are his legacy. "I have great memories of touring the province to inspect OCC trials with Dave," says Greg Stewart, agronomy lead with Maizex and longtime OCC member. "Dave's unique advantage was that he had a full understanding of the past and an eye to the future." Over the years, the roles of the cereal and corn committees have evolved, but the purpose remains the same — to support the provincial field crop sector by coordinating performance testing and disseminating research results to Ontario growers. The OCCC is also responsible for recommending cereal variety registration, a service the OCC provided until 1996, when corn hybrid licensing was discontinued. EARLY DAYS Morris says he was always interested in research and extension. After graduating with a master's in crop science from the University of Guelph, he started his career in extension as an assistant ag rep in Brant County with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) in 1975. After gaining experience, Morris moved to the OMAF Soils Dedicated industry champion retires DAVID MORRIS — A LEGACY IN FIELD CROP EXTENSION Jeanine Moyer MEMBERS OF THE ONTARIO CEREALS COMMITTEE INSPECT PLOTS ON A TOUR IN 2014. PHOTO COURTESY OF ONTARIO CEREALS COMMITTEE. and Crops Branch with territories across southwestern Ontario. "I met plenty of interesting people and learned a lot about a variety of field crops," he says. "My job was to update growers with the latest information and help them solve crop production problems." One of his responsibilities was representing OMAF on research committees, and in 1979 Morris joined the OCC. At the time, the committee was still involved in registering corn hybrids, testing and evaluating performance trials. Morris joined the Publications Committee that produced the results for growers to reference when making seed selections, and the Deletions Committee that oversaw removing hybrids from the recommended list. Over time, Morris moved through the committee, becoming chair in the mid-1980s and secretary in 1989. He took a short break from the committee when he changed careers in the early 1990s, resuming his role as secretary in 1997. "I saw a lot of changes in the corn industry during that time," says Morris. "Like the removal of the registration requirements for corn that allowed Ontario growers to access the latest genetics faster. It was a good thing, but it also changed how the committee worked and our contributions to the industry." In 2009, Morris was approached by the Ontario Forage Crops Committee to be their secretary and, again in 2012, he was asked to serve as secretary to the OCCC. "There was a time when I was working with three crop organizations, all serving an important purpose to conduct research and share the results with producers," says Morris. "David always worked behind the scenes, coaching committee chairs, keeping meetings running and providing the necessary institutional knowledge of the OCC," says Marty Vermey, Grain Farmers of Ontario senior agronomist. "He will be missed." Industry News

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