ROAD TO HIGHER LEARNING
Usask celebrates 100 years of horticulture science
These days, access to fresh fruit and vegetables on the prairies is taken for granted. A century ago, that was not the case. The Prairies was, and still is, expansive grassland, and in the early 1900s it was easy for the leaders of this new province to see the potential for growing grain crops. It was no coincidence that the first stone building on the new University of Saskatchewan campus was the agriculture building (now the historic Peter Mackinnon Building).
But look as hard as you might, there was no orchard in sight. It was a grassy vista that greeted Dr. Cecil Patterson when he joined the faculty of the University of Saskatchewan in 1921, and one year later, become the head, albeit sole faculty member, of the department of horticulture science. During his 40-year tenure, Patterson went on to raise more than 200,000 apple and crab apple seedlings, and introduced an impressive list of prairie-hardy fruit and flower cultivars. Fortunately for Saskatchewan, Dr. Patterson established a tradition of horticultural excellence at the University that carries on to this day.
This year—the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables— the university is celebrating 100 years of horticultural science with an array of activities. “We chose ‘celebrate” for our banner on purpose,” says Dr. Karen Tanino, chair of the celebration committee and professor at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. The celebration will focus not only on past accomplishments, but also the important role horticulture at the University of Saskatchewan (Usask) continues to play in Western Canada and the world.
The year will be marked by free monthly seminars, a speaker series, weekly horticulture posts, banners and a historical account of Cecil Patterson’s life and work. Of special interest to avid gardeners will be cultivar releases from Dr. Bob Bors’ program including a new apple, two dwarf sour cherries and a 100th anniversary coleus group. A special issue of the Canadian Journal of Plant Science will focus entirely on Canadian horticulture, as a contribution to the University’s celebrations. The Patterson Garden—now home to more than 900 different trees and shrubs will have new signage. The College has also established a new scholarship for undergraduate students who demonstrate a high level of volunteer work in horticulture. Information on all of the activities and initiatives is available at www.gardening.usask.ca/hort100.
Although horticulture is typically associated with gardens and home landscapes, its potential as a commercial economic generator is directly related to the university’s 100 years of horticultural research and partnerships. For example, the North 49 Fruit Corporation, headquartered in Alberta, consists of commercial haskap growers who each own a minimum of 5,000 plants. Haskaps— much like elongated blueberries with similar health benefits—were the focus of years of intensive research at the University of Saskatchewan over the past 20 years, led by Rick Sawatzky and Bob Bors, head of the fruit program. The current varietals, widely available at local garden centres, are very prairie-hardy and produce excellent fruit for fresh eating, processing and preserving. Another example is Usask’s development of dwarf sour cherries—work which began over 50 years ago and has resulted in a dwarf sour cherry that can thrive in the harsh prairie climate, has excellent taste and fruit size, and can withstand mechanical harvesting, thus making it commercially viable.
Not only does the success of programs like the haskap and dwarf sour cherry benefit large-scale producers, it also means more and better choices for the individual gardener in both the urban and rural landscape. “That’s what I love about horticulture,” explains Tanino. “It’s not only the science of it, but it’s also our connection to the general public.”
Those connections include a very popular garden hotline, the master gardener program, Hort Week, seminars, workshops and the gardening.usask website containing reliable information on plants, diseases, and basic horticulture to help ensure a successful garden.
The COVID pandemic has spurred significant interest in these offerings, notes Tanino. A recent free online seminar, limited to 200 participants, filled up very quickly, with over a hundred more on a waiting list.
Student interest in horticulture has also grown. Enrolment in the College’s horticultural science programs is at an all-time high. Furthermore, over half the students are from urban centres, demonstrating the increased and broadening awareness of the importance of food security and sustainable agricultural practices.
It is hoped that if Dr. Patterson were alive, he would be pleased with the advancements in horticulture being developed by Usask today. Certainly, the world has changed dramatically since his first days at the University of Saskatchewan. But the critical need for plant research and development has not. It is a challenge our university must continue to address—and a century of accomplishments worthy of celebration.