Grainswest - Winter 2026

Winter 2026 Grains West 16 THE FARMGATE BY GEOFF GEDDES • PHOTO COURTESY OF HARPINDER RANDHAWA AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD Canada crop breeder Harpinder Rand- hawa has made impressive gains in soft white spring wheat breeding in recent years, and AAC Raymond is his latest success. “Soft whites are unique in their end-use potential,” said Randhawa, who works at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre. “Historically, soft white wheats have been grown in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan for milling cookies, cakes and biscuits. Ow- ing to their low protein and high starch content, however, they are also ideal for ethanol and brewing malt.” This new variety has good resistance to pests such as wheat midge and a robust disease package. It also exhibits superi- or drought tolerance, yielding 10 to 12 per cent higher than the check variety under drought conditions. Given Western Canada’s frequent dry spells, this figure is significant. The variety’s attractive characteristics may expand the appeal of soft white wheat for Alberta crop rotations. “AAC Raymond fits multiple rotations, includ- ing pulses and cereals, which gives the grower some attractive options,” said Randhawa. “Given its yield numbers, resistance to stresses, straw strength and end-use quality, it should be a strong addition to farmer’s fields for years to come.” AAC Raymond is now registered and was recently licensed for sale by Herle Seed Farm of Wilkie, SK. As with all variety development, breed- ing AAC Raymond was a lengthy process. “We were seeking certain traits, which involves selecting multiple parents with complementary traits,” said Randhawa. “For example, one parent might be better for end-use quality, while another has a stronger disease package. We may start by crossing two parents and may end up crossing as many as four parents.” Scientists run multiple breeding cycles, as the plant’s genetic makeup is unique to each generation. After seven or eight generations, its genetics become stable enough for farmers to sow. “In Canada, we can grow one generation, then send it to New Zealand where they can grow it from October to February,” said Rand- hawa. “This allows us to move through two generations in one year, reducing the time to develop a new line from 10 years to five.” Each year, breeders screen for mul- tiple traits such as disease resistance, height, plant type, standability and straw strength. This is followed by three years of registration trials, review by a recom- mending committee, registration with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and licensing by a Canadian seed compa- ny. The company then multiplies the seed and distributes it to farmers for commer- cial production. It’s a long journey, but Randhawa feels the time and effort involved has paid off handsomely in the development of AAC Raymond. “In terms of agronom- ic performance, the line will increase grain yield and offer higher net returns for farmers. It’s not too tall and has good straw strength, so it won’t fall flat close to harvest and slow the process or ruin end-use quality.” Based on testing conducted in various regions of Alber- ta, AAC Raymond also has the right maturity range to accommodate the total growing days found within an array of ecological regions. Newsoftwhitewheatdelivers AAC Raymond stands up and stands out The new variety, seen here near Indian Head, SK, delivers superior yield under drought conditions. It also has good straw strength and a robust disease package.