If Jack Brown had his way, 1 million acres of yellow flowers would blossom every year across the Pacific Northwest.

A million acres of oilseeds was his initial goal “and we’re coming close to 400,000 sometimes,” he said. “I think it was pie in the sky.”

Brown, 64, retired in May from the University of Idaho after 28 years as oilseed breeder. During his tenure he developed new varieties of canola, mustard and rapeseed.

Spring canola was just beginning when Brown began at the university. 

“Quite honestly … the varieties that were around (then) were quite horrible,” he said.

Brown introduced the concept of planting canola early, foraging the crop for livestock and then harvesting the seed. 

Spring canola yields increased fourfold and winter canola yields increased threefold in the nearly 3 decades he worked on the plants.

Brown’s mustard varieties are grown in the U.S. and Europe.

He’s also proud of “revolutionizing” the use of mustards as a green manure bio-pesticide, grown as a cover crop to control nematodes and diseases in potato fields.

He originally planned to retire in 2019, but stayed an extra year to complete some teaching commitments.

He becomes a professor emeritus and will continue his research. He was submitting a $300,000 grant proposal for the program. He said he is “highly confident” the proposal will be successful.

“Actually, the last two weeks I’ve not seen a whole lot of difference,” he said. “I spend as much time on the computer as I normally do, I walk through the fields and look at the canola as I normally do, I’m just not getting paid for it.”

He believes he’s leaving the program in good shape.

He’s concerned that his departure leaves the UI without a faculty plant breeder on campus.

“Who’s going to train the next generation of plant breeders?” he asked. “You cannot teach plant breeding from a classroom; you can only teach plant breeding by having a plant breeding program there.”

The university’s lost a wheat, bean, potato, barley and now a canola breeder, without replacing them, Brown said.

“Jack was a passionate teacher where he shared his love of agronomy,” said Mark McGuire, associate dean of UI’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. “His energy and wit attracted students into plant sciences. Jack also used those talents with producers. He will be missed for his significant contributions.”

Principle research specialist Jim Davis and cropping systems agronomy associate professor Kurt Schroeder will continue Brown’s work, McGuire said.

A search for a new oilseed breeder is projected for 2022 after the economy recovers, McGuire said.

Brown is working on several books and intends to finish research that’s been accumulating over the last decade.

Brown said he most enjoyed working with growers.

“The Pacific Northwest farmers in my opinion are the most progressive, intelligent and the most open-minded group of farmers I’ve ever met, and I’ve met farmers all over the world,” he said. 

Brown’s retirement leaves a “huge void” in public breeding of canola varieties, said Karen Sowers, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Canola Association.

“Dr. Brown provided opportunities for many producers to feel more comfortable about trying canola for the first time, knowing that they could select a variety that was developed and extensively tested in the unique environmental conditions of the PNW,” Sowers said. “He is such an effective educator with his engaging and often humorous delivery style so many of us have experienced.”

Brown’s advice to farmers: keep growing canola. It can be as profitable as winter wheat, and can boost the following winter wheat yield by 25%, he said.

“The biggest compliment is how many yellow fields there are around,” he said.

“His presence will be missed, but I have a feeling we’ll still be seeing him in canola fields for years to come,” Sowers said.