2005 OCIA Research and Education Scholarship Winner

Jacqueline Pridham, a second year graduate student at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, was selected as the recipient of the Organic Crop Improvement Association International (OCIA) Research & Education 2005 Scholarship. Pridham, from Stevensville, Ontario, will use the $1,000 award toward research on the suppression of weeds and diseases within organically managed Canadian spring wheat. The study will evaluate strategies to encourage successful organic production, as well as increased genetic diversity. Her research project should be completed by January 2006.

Jacqueline chose spring wheat because of its market value and scale of organic production in Manitoba. The study will be comprised of three trials: a wheat cultivar mixture trial, a wheat with intercrops/cover crops trial, and a late-seeded wheat with intercrops trail. The trials will be located at the University of Manitoba's Carman research station and at a certified organic farm in Clearwater, Manitoba.

"We are excited to present this award to Jacqueline," said Liz Sarno, a member of the R&E Board of Directors. "Jacqueline has already shown a great deal of initiative on this project, expanding her test trials from 6 to 20. We were quite impressed with the level of her work and commitment," said Sarno.

In becoming more familiar with the production constraints faced by organic producers, as well as the environmental and health concerns that agricultural production raises, she hope to more capably represent issues in the future as an environmental lawyer. "My research project demonstrates the importance of maintaining diversity within an ecosystem, and how it is essential to designing production systems which attempt to work with nature," said Jacquline. She expects that her scientific background will allow her to better understand environmental concerns and to defend the protection of diversity in the environment.