Grainswest - Spring 2026

Spring 2026 Grains West 10 THE FARMGATE ON JULY 22 OF LAST YEAR, Western Crop Innovations (WCI) held its inaugural field day at its farm facil- ity near Lacombe. Overcast but bright, drizzle was the order of the day, and guests were dressed appropriately in multicoloured rubber boots and rain- coats. Curious about the organization, which launched April 1, 2024, this event drew about 150 farmers and assorted ag industry representatives. As chair and area farmer Kevin Bender welcomed the assembled guests in the shelter of the farm’s spacious service garage, the event felt like a birthday celebration, albeit a damp one. In the field a short time later, the well- timed moisture added to the good cheer and gave the research plots a healthy glow. A familiar face among the breeding staff of WCI’s forerunner, the Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC), Yadeta Kabeta led a presentation among the bar- ley plots. Breeder Mazen Aljarrah spoke on the triticale plots. The varieties now in play include cultivars that began devel- opment under FCDC and will be seen through to completion under WCI. For example, TR22669 is a two row semi-dwarf barley developed for malt but registered for feed in 2024. It has a prom- ising disease package, has performed favourably against check varieties and is well suited to farmers who wish to push yield by maximizing inputs. Another feed grain now in the works, FB24623 did very well in the 2024 growing season de- spite very dry conditions. It will be sub- mitted to the Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) in 2026. “We’re excited about this line,” said Kabeta. WCI inherited a string of breeding success stories from FCDC. In February 2025, the PGDC approved all five new WCI varieties submitted for registration approval—two barley and three triticale. Among these, a dual-purpose barley variety, FB23618 produced five per cent higher grain and forage yield than check varieties. A rarity, it also shows interme- diate to high resistance to all priority-one diseases. It has been licensed to FP Genetics. Approved the year prior, malt- ing barley variety TR21665, has great agronomic characteristics, and yields five per cent higher than AAC Synergy. A spring triticale variety with excep- tional yield and quality, T318 was adopt- ed as a new check variety by the Prairie Recommending Committee for Wheat, Rye and Triticale. A significant devel- opment, it was given the designation in 2024, the same year it was recommended for registration. It has been licensed to SeCan. Additional recent successes are now in farm fields. Available to farmers since 2024, AB Standswell is licensed to Mastin Seeds. A six row, semi-dwarf smooth awned variety, it has high forage quality but is well suited to grain production. AB Maximizer, a two row variety licensed to Canterra Seeds, was made available to farmers in 2025. Derived from food and general purpose barley Canmore, Maximizer is a strong forage variety with higher yield and better disease resistance. Focusonfeedandforage Western Crop Innovations continues to solidify its barley and triticale breeding program Last summer, the inaugural Western Crop Innovations field day drew a large and enthusiastic crowd despite wet weather.