Hume to Be Honoured

At the convocation ceremony for the Ontario Agricultural College June 15 at 2:30 p.m., retired crop science professor Dave Hume will be named University professor emeritus.

Hume began his teaching career at U of G in 1966 and became chair of the Department of Crop Science, which later became the Department of Plant Agriculture, in 1992. From 1999 to 2001, he served as executive director of the U of G/OMAFRA research partnership. In 2001, he was named U of G's interim associate vice-president (research) for agri-food and partnerships. He returned to teach in the Department of Plant Agriculture in 2003 and retired in 2005.

During his career, Hume made significant strides in the expansion of the soybean crop in Ontario. His work also provided the foundation for the expansion of spring canola and the introduction of winter canola in Ontario. He was the first scientist in the world to publish research on day-length insensitivity in soybeans and the impact of cool night temperatures on soybean seed production and to identify the physiological reason for improved yields in modern soybean cultivars.