A professor from Ridgetown will be inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame in November.
Field Crop Weed Management Professor at the Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph Dr. Peter Sikkema told CK News Today he's thrilled with the honour.
"It's rather humbling and rewarding. Hopefully, we made contributions that were of benefit to Ontario farmers and beyond," said Sikkema.
Dr. Sikkema admitted he fell into his career by luck.
"It was serendipity. It wasn't good planning on my part at all. I just happened to have a summer job that focused on weed management and because of that I did my Masters Degree at the University of Guelph in weed management," he added.
Sikkema's research program focuses on the development of precision weed management programs in corn, soybean, edible beans, and cereals to improve the level of weed control, reduce crop injury, increase crop yield, and maximize net returns to Ontario producers.
Sikkema is very proud of his international recognition for his pioneering work identifying herbicide-resistant weeds in corn, soybeans, small grains, and edible beans to better manage weeds in fields.
"We were the first group in Canada to confirm a glyphosate-resistent weed biotype and since then there's been a number of different weed species that have evolved resistence to glyphosate," Dr. Sikkema noted.
Glyphosate is a herbicide designed to kill weeds.
Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame Chair Phil Boyd said it's important to recognize the lifetime contributions individuals have made to strengthening the world-class agri-food industry that Canadians enjoy.
Boyd said the 2025 inductees reflect groundbreaking work in various fields.
Dr. Sikkema will be formally inducted on November 8, 2025 at a ceremony in Victoria, British Columbia.
He was nominated by Grain Farmers of Ontario.
