My first cellphone was a Motorola bag phone, and when I first hoisted that puppy into my tractor back in the ’90s, I was pretty sure it represented the pinnacle of modern communication. It weighed about five pounds, was the size of a breadbox, and had enough wattage to double as an arc welder.

Canada has developed a brand of its own when it comes to Canadian agricultural products. People around the world who eat anything labelled “Product of Canada” know they are getting a quality product. That label is sought out at grocery stores both here in Canada and worldwide.

After a dozen years of research, University of Alberta wheat breeder Dean Spaner, PhD, has scored two major wins for prairie wheat producers. For now, they are known as BW947 and PT765, two newly registered Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat cultivars notable for their combination of high-yield, early-maturation, good protein and improved disease tolerance. When they become available to commercial producers two to three years from now, these two cultivars may become known as something else entirely.

In Canada, it is a national sport to claim that our country is trailing our competitors in innovation. There is no doubt that both government and industry spend a great deal on research—and there are serious questions about whether Canadians reap the economic benefit from these investments. However, it is my opinion that investments in agriculture have resulted in rapid adoption and tremendous returns both to producers and society.

NANCY AMES IS A CEREAL RESNancy Ames is a cereal research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and holds degrees in crop science, plant science and food science.