When Eric Putt died this spring, it was fitting that Morden, Man., became his final resting place.
It was in that community of southern Manitoba that Putt, known among his peers as the grandfather of the sunflower crop, established a distinguished career that influenced sunflower research around the world.
“He loved the Red River Valley and he spent much of his working life there,” said his son, David Putt.
Putt devoted much of his career to sunflower variety development. He worked as a plant breeder for almost two decades before becoming director of Agriculture Canada’s Morden research station in 1965.
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At the height of his career, Putt was considered one of the top five sunflower experts in the world.
He is credited with making improvements to sunflower varieties in Canada that ensured sunflowers a place among the special crops grown in Manitoba.
“He was very good at delivering sunflower varieties that were high yielding and were able to grow in this area very well,” said Mel Reimer, executive director of the National Sunflower Association of Canada. “He was a very important individual for that crop.”
Under Putt’s guidance, several scientists were assembled at the Morden research station to concentrate on sunflower development. The breeding program improved yield and quality as well as resistance to diseases for the crop, which at the time was grown mainly for crushing for its edible oils.
The development of sunflower varieties with good rust resistance was among his noted achievements. The rust resistance was eventually adopted for sunflower varieties in other countries.
By the late 1970s, there were at least 350,000 acres of sunflowers grown in Manitoba, mainly in the south-central region. Manitoba continues to lead sunflower production in Canada, with expectations that 250,000 acres will be planted this year.
During his career, Putt established close ties with sunflower breeders in other countries. The sharing of knowledge helped to advance sunflower development elsewhere, but also proved valuable for Canadian growers.
Among other things, Putt’s connections enabled him to gather genetic material from Russia that would set the foundation for the development of hybrid varieties in Canada, said Reimer. Hybrids offered the promise of higher yields.
A funeral service for Putt was held May 10 in Morden. He died a month earlier in Kelowna, B.C., where he had retired with his wife, Marjorie.
