Vlado Puskaric

Vlado Puskaric received his degree in plant breeding from the University of Zagreb in the former Yugoslavia in 1962. He worked at the university until 1968, when he immigrated to Canada and joined Pioneer.

Puskaric's contribution to Canadian agriculture is undeniable. During his 33 years of service at Pioneer Hi-Bred Production, Ltd., he developed key inbreds that created nearly 50 early maturity corn hybrids. These hybrids have been grown on more than 31 million acres across the northern Corn Belt.

In 1994, Puskaric was recognized by the Canadian Seed Trade Association as the first commercial plant breeder to receive that organization's highest honor, the Seed Achievement Award.

Puskaric retired from Pioneer in 2000. Four years later, he received the prestigious Canadian Plant Breeding and Genetics Award. His tremendous contributions to early plant genetics have made corn a viable and successful option for farmers in Manitoba and other northern corn growing regions.