Well-known agronomist Denise Maurice died suddenly Nov. 23.
Maurice developed and delivered production information for Canadian farmers, beginning in the early 1980s with Alberta Agriculture when she established a weed herbicide resistance program and first resistance studies in the province.
She had earlier obtained her bachelors and masters degrees in plant science at the University of Manitoba.
She moved to Westco Fertilizers in 1995, where she set up its extension program and began developing the Certified Crop Advisor training program in integrated pest management.
Maurice helped create computer software tools for farmers when establishing thresholds for crop pests and provided scouting information to growers.
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After Westco, she moved to Agricore United in Winnipeg as the company’s crop protection technical manager and later to Viterra when the two grain companies merged.
Maurice returned to her extension and research roots when she joined the Canola Council of Canada in 2009 as its vice-president of crop production, leading a team of agronomists and communications staff.
“The improved economy for production means Canadian farmers are really able to invest in their crops, maximizing yields through improvements in (agronomic) practices and see the results in their businesses,” she said in an interview earlier this year.
“With the improved genetics and tools that they’re going to have at their disposal in the coming decade, it’s a very exciting time to be in prairie agriculture.”
She was a longtime member of the Canadian Weed Science Society and served as its president in 2005. Two years later, she was recognized by the Weed Science Society of America with an Outstanding Industry Member Award.
Her colleagues at the Canola Council of Canada have set up a memorial online at www.canolacouncil.org/denise.aspx.
