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OAC Prof Recognized for Outstanding Service to Agriculture Industry

January 22, 2010

Dr. Peter Sikkema, a weed management specialist and associate professor in OAC’s Department of Plant Agriculture at the Ridgetown campus, has been named as the recipient of the T.R. Hilliard Distinguished Agricultural Extension Award for 2009.  The award was presented to Sikkema by OAC dean Rob Gordon at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus early in January, in conjunction with the annual Southwest Agricultural Conference.  

“Dr. Sikkema is highly regarded locally, provincially, nationally and internationally for his applied research in field crop weed management,” said Gordon. “His work is respected by his academic peers, and is highly valued by Ontario growers and agribusiness groups as well for its real impact on agricultural crop protection.”

A faculty member in Plant Agriculture since 2003, Sikkema has developed one of North America’s largest field crop weed management programs and is described by his nominators as an exemplary mentor and leader. Among his innovative approaches to extension has been the development of a Weed Management website for producers and agriculture industry personnel to improve weed control and reduce the incidence of crop injury.  The site has been visited over 80,000 times since 2004.

The Hilliard award, first presented in 1983, was established by the OAC Alumni Foundation to recognize individuals who are making significant contributions in agricultural extension in the province of Ontario. Sikkema’s nomination for the 2009 award was supported by a variety of grower groups, including the Ontario Soybean Growers, the Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board, the Ontario White Bean Growers, the Ontario Coloured Bean Growers’ Association and the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers.