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Title: A dedication: Hugh A. Daubeny (1931-2015): A wonderful small fruit legacy including a critical driver of the Rubus-Ribes Symposia.

Author
item Finn, Chad
item Martin, Robert
item BAUMANN, TOM - University Of Fraser Valley
item STRIK, BERNADINE - Oregon State University
item KEMPLER, CHAIM - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item DOSSET, MICHAEL - British Columbia Blueberry Council

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2015
Publication Date: 6/18/2015
Citation: Finn, C.E., Martin, R.R., Baumann, T., Strik, B.C., Kempler, C., Dosset, M. 2015. A dedication: Hugh A. Daubeny (1931-2015): A wonderful small fruit legacy including a critical driver of the Rubus-Ribes Symposia. Abstract for: International Rubus and Ribes Symposium, June 18-24, 2015, Asheville, North Carolina.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Dr. Hugh Daubeny had a productive career as a strawberry and red raspberry breeder with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. As part of that career, he could be considered the “patron saint” of the Rubus-Ribes symposia as he was instrumental in the early development, hosted two symposia, attended all of the symposia and was a constant cheerleader of the meeting. Hugh earned a BSA (1953) from the University of British Columbia and his Ph.D. (1958) from Cornell University. He was hired to establish a raspberry and strawberry breeding program with what was later called Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. During his career he developed 18 floricane red raspberry and 9 strawberry cultivars. His most important cultivars were ‘Tulameen’ red raspberry, which has been a huge cultivar for many years and was probably the most widely grown raspberry cultivar in the world, and ‘Totem’ strawberry which was the primary strawberry grown in the Pacific Northwest from the 1970s to about 2010. He was also highly regarded for his collaborative effort with other plant breeders around the world and his germplasm was readily exchanged with many breeding programs. His collaboration with Derek Jennings in Scotland and Elizabeth Keep and Vicky Knight in East Malling were particularly productive as the germplasm exchanged led to significant improvements in each programs breeding material. Throughout his career, especially in the context of Rubus-Ribes Symposia, he was known for spending time with newly hired, young breeders to get to know them, provide advice and to set up germplasm exchanges. In addition to receiving lifetime awards from the Lower Mainland Horticulture Improvement Association, the Canadian Society of Horticultural Science, the American Pomological Society, the American Society for Horticultural Science, and McGill University, he was beloved for the incredible kindness, wisdom, and positive energy he exuded. Finally, part of what made him so approachable was his notorious bouts of being the “absent minded professor”. He was one of a kind and will be missed.