Basic HTML Version
t takes a surge of lively discussions before
those new, impressive varieties can be potentially
planted for profit.
In 1933, talk of new varieties was likely the order of the day
when the Associate Committee on Field Crop Diseases and
the Associate Committee on Grain Research first met to review
their findings. Thereafter, following committee expansions and
name changes, the Prairie Grain Development Committee
(PGDC) eventually formed in 2007, acting as a convention of
conversation about the development of improved cultivars of
grain crops in the Prairies.
The PGDC’s recommending committees advise regulatory
agencies regarding legislation and regulations on breeding,
cultivar production and sector development; facilitate scientific
discussions concerning research planned to improve the
grain sector; and organize an annual meeting to talk about
innovation.
The annual meeting is the organization’s greatest asset,
according to PGDC Chair Tom Fetch.
“It’s great to have all these people come together,
discussing the value of lines that may get registered,” he said.
“Also, it’s a time to just talk about new ideas with producers,
plant breeders and those in the industry. There are very few
meetings like this that encompass the whole spectrum of those
who represent different growing organizations.”
With respect to variety registration, the PGDC looks at
varieties that may get picked up by the industry. As soon as
those varieties are talked about at PGDC meetings, they have
potential to go commercial.
The spice
of life
Recommending committees
provide a blueprint for
profit in the future
AC Barrie was a variety that changed the landscape when
certified sales began in 1997, becoming the dominant cultivar
in 1998, said Fetch, who was the former chair of the disease
evaluation subcommittee of wheat, rye and triticale.
“AC Barrie had half of the wheat acres in the late 1990s to
early 2000s. It really got popular. That isn’t the case some of the
time, where certain varieties make it through but don’t get used
by producers. But when they do become popular, it’s great.”
The PGDC’s recommending committees are wheat, rye and
triticale; oat and barley; pulse and special crops; and oilseeds.
The committees’ roles differ based on how they approach
variety registration. Generally, they determine if candidates are
suitable for registration in Canada, sending them to the Canada
Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for final analysis.
“Committees have become more diverse, which includes
private companies, seed companies and growers,” Fetch said.
Having representation from the entire value chain is essential,
said Syngenta Canada’s Francis Kirigwi, the secretary of the
wheat, rye and triticale committee.
“We need to have representation, as each member from the
value chain plays a key role, talking about varieties, farmers and
the market.”
Fundamentally, Kirigwi’s mantra is “farmer first, farmer last.”
“We talk to producers and other value chain participants to
knowwhat’s needed, not what’s fancy for the scientists,” he said.
Breeders in the oat and barley committee submit potential
lines to the Canadian Grain Commission to be evaluated for
quality, agronomy and disease. After two years of testing,
varieties then go up for registration and committee members
Winter
2015
Grains
West
36
by JEREMY SIMES • ILLUSTRATION BY iStock PHOTO
Feature
I