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Glen Hawkins, seed production manager and pulse breeder for DL Seeds and chair of the Prairie Recommending Committee for Pulses and Special Crops, sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz to chat about what’s new in pulses and what role new breeding techniques could play in the future of the crop. Interview conducted at the recent Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) meeting in Banff, Alta. on March 1. Hawkins says while genomics tools and new breeding techniques have a lot of promise in crops like canola, pulses are a different matter and we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. Genomics, molecular biology, and sequencing have made significant advancements in recent years, particularly in canola genomes, he notes. The utilization of genomic information in crop breeding has opened new avenues for improving crop traits, such as yield, quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Genomic data can also facilitate the development of more efficient and sustainable crop management practices, he adds. However, it is true that research in some crops, such as pulses, may receive less investment than crops with higher market share and profitability. “Despite that, the development of genomic resources in pulses can also have big impacts on improving their productivity and sustainability,” he said. The use of genomic tools can help identify genetic markers associated with important traits, accelerating the breeding process and enhancing the efficiency of crop improvement.

Dana Maxwell, CEO of Manitoba’s Ag-Quest and chair of the Prairie Recommending Committee for Wheat, Rye and Triticale (PRCWRT), sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz in Banff, Alta. Feb. 28, to talk about this year’s Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) meeting and what leadership lessons she’s learned leading the family business. In wheat, rye and triticale, there were 19 lines recommended this year — nine Canadian Western Red Spring, three Canada Prairie Spring Red, two Canadian Western Amber Durum, one Soft White, one fall rye, one spring triticale and two winter triticale lines. The PRCWRT is, at the moment, keeping status quo in regard to its merit assessment methodology for wheat diseases in Western Canada, but the committee is looking at potential changes or updates to the assessment. “While there doesn’t seem to be any immediate pressure to shift the current merit definition or focus on different diseases, we’re always keeping an eye out for any new diseases that may arise,” Maxwell said. The five priority diseases that the committee is currently focusing on are stem rust, leaf rust, stripe rust, common bunt and fusarium head blight. These are considered to be amongst the most important diseases facing wheat in Western Canada at the moment. However, the committee is also facing a challenge in how to efficiently assess candidates for suitability for both western and national registration. “This is particularly important if a line is supported by another geographical recommending committee and is seeking national registration. The committee wants to ensure that they have all the necessary information to make an informed decision and support what CFIA does as the registrar.”

Tom Steve, general manager for Alberta Wheat and Barley, sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz in Banff, Alta. on Feb. 28, 2023 to chat about why the Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) is such an important organization and how he learned the ins and outs of the annual meeting over his decade of participation. Interview conducted at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.  

By identifying the specific characteristics that affect end-use quality in different food systems, Marta Izydorczyk’s research program at the Canadian Grain Commission’s Milling and Malting Grain Research Laboratory can help breeders develop varieties that are optimized for those systems. This could lead to more efficient and effective use of crops and greater value for producers, processors and consumers alike. Izydorczyk sat down with us this week at the meetings of the Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC) in Banff, Alta. happening this week. She also serves as chair of the Prairie Recommending Committee for Oats and Barley (PRCOB). It iss a somewhat unusual year for the PRCOB, with a whopping six oat lines and 12 barley lines up for consideration, including some hullless barley lines ideally suited to the food market. These unique lines offer high levels of beta glucans, which are beneficial for human nutrition, she said. The dark colour of one of the lines may offer antioxidant properties, which adds to its nutritional value. Another line has even higher levels of beta glucans than previous high-beta-glucan lines, making it a potentially valuable replacement for previous varieties. “The ability to make health claims associated with these lines will also likely increase their appeal to consumers,” she added. Additionally, the PRCOB looked at two hulless barley lines suited to the brewing and distilling industries. With higher extract and no hulls, they could potentially offer advantages over previous varieties. Because there are no hulls, waste is reduced and the barley become easier to use and the lack of spent grain may simplify the brewing process for breweries. One line is suited to distilling due to the fact is produces no glycosylated nitrile, a precursor of a compound known to be carcinogenic. As distilleries like to use barley varieties that won’t produce this compound, this line would be ideally suited for distilling due to its lack of hulls and the fact it won’t produce glycosylated nitrile, she said. Listen to our podcast episode for more!

Tom Greaves, president of Pitura Seeds and the Manitoba Seed Growers Association (MSGA), sat down with Marc Zienkiewicz at the recent MSGA annual meeting to discuss what he learned over the past year as president and what’s in store for the next year of his two-year presidency. “There’s a lot of different files we worked on this last year. The biggest one is Seed Regulatory Modernization. That’s a topic that’s we’re working on with with national; it’s a huge file that isn’t going to be resolved in the next month, but it’s one that we need to continue to engage with and work with as we move forward,” Greaves says. “Another big accomplishment over this last year was the signing of an affiliation agreement between CSGA and the provincial branches. It really just formalizes our relationship between CSGA and the provincial branches as to how we work and how we can collaborate as we move forward.” Pitura Seeds started 2023 off with a bang, announcing today that it’s released its very first exclusive yellow pea variety. The variety, which will be called PS Boost, is projected to be launched commercially in spring 2025. This variety has been specifically bred for the protein market, according to the company. Developed by DL Seeds, PS Boost has strong agronomic attributes, and has been performing well across the Prairie provinces in both co-op registration trials and regional variety trials. “When selecting for this variety, there was a focus on making sure the variety had strong agronomics for our farmers, while also meeting the quality characteristics that our end use protein partners are looking for,” Greaves, said in a statement today. “We see this variety as a step towards building the protein market in Western Canada, which will create opportunities for everyone that wants to get involved”. Pitura Seeds will be looking to further build its distribution network across Western Canada with seed growers and retailers that are interested in PS Boost, he added.

Seeds Canada is about to head to Ottawa for its first in-person semi-annual meeting. An exciting agenda is planned, including a big reveal: three Seed Regulatory Modernization (SRM) task teams have finished their work, and will talk about their findings and some potential areas for change that could come out of the SRM process. Listen to this week’s podcast for a sneak peek! To register for the meeting visit seeds-canada.ca/en/2022-semi-annual-meeting/.

  It’s that time of year again — time for the Corteva Agricultural Sciences Symposium at the University of Guelph. This year’s symposium takes place Nov. 16 at the University of Guelph, and is being held both virtually and in person. The theme this year is Agriculture to People: Agronomy, Sustainability, and Global Impact. Speakers will cover topics such as crop production, sustainability, and global impact in agriculture. This daylong hybrid symposium is completely free to attend. The event includes an in person poster session, and speakers from a variety of backgrounds. While the event is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience, it is completely organized by agriculture students at the University of Guelph. “We really wanted to look at big-picture issues this year,” says organizer Kristian Amadek, PhD candidate in genetics and breeding in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph. Speakers include Dave Charn, research director at Corteva Agriscience; Yvonne Lawley, assistant professor, University of Manitoba; Dan Ramdath,  senior research scientist, AAFC; Andy VanLooke, associate professor, Iowa State University; and Angela Kross, assistant professor, Concordia University. There will also be a talk from grad student Marco Pepe, who will shed some light on new research being done by University of Guelph plant science researchers on psychedelic mushrooms. The University of Guelph is one of the first Canadian universities to be granted a licence to cultivate mushrooms that produce psilocybin, which remains a controlled substance in Canada. Researchers hope to uncover other substances these mushrooms contain and whether they have any therapeutic value alone or in combination with psilocybin. To register for the event visit plant.uoguelph.ca/PS-Symposium.

The Do More Agriculture Foundation (Do More Ag) recently released its new Mental Health Support Stickers, designed to promote mental health on farms and at businesses where support and resources are needed, according to a release. The stickers will contain a QR code that can scan the user’s current location and offers the crisis line and local agriculture resources catered to the specific province or territory. The stickers are available in both English and French. Purchase the stickers here. Source: Do More Ag Earlier this year, Do More Ag launched its Embracing the Awkward campaign. Additional workshops available from the not-for-profit Canadian organization include the ‘Talk, Ask Listen Workshop’ and ‘AgCulture.’ “Agriculture is an industry steeped in hard work and resilience; these traits can make it hard for producers to talk about mental health. We want to help break down the barriers surrounding talking about mental health and work together to end the stigma that keeps people from reaching out when they need support and/or starting a conversation with someone they think is struggling,” shared Megz Reynolds, executive director of Do More Ag, in a past release. For Mental Health Awareness month, Reynolds joined Seed World Group for the podcast episode “How to Promote Mental Health in Agriculture.”  “We may not all deal with a mental illness at some point in our lives, but we all are going to have challenges with our mental health at some point,” says Reynolds in the episode. “I think we, especially in agriculture, have normalized some indicators. Do you have a short fuse? Are you always tired? Are you eating more or eating less? Are you consuming alcohol more than you should be? These are all things that we’ve normalized in the industry as personality traits, but they are often all symptoms of an underlying mental health or mental illness that we need to be dealing with or seeking professional help for.” Listen to the full episode here:  For more information on the Do More Agriculture Foundation, visit their official website. Read More: Do More Ag Announces New Executive Director Megz Reynolds Do More Ag Launches Course to Teach Mental Health Professionals About Ag Talk It Out With Do More Ag

Andrew Horgan, National Association of Plant Breeders 2022 Borlaug Scholar and Texas A&M grad student, sits down to chat about working with fruit and how an experience with a failed coffee startup taught him some valuable lessons in business. Interview conducted Aug. 9 at the NAPB annual meeting in Ames, Iowa.

Sarah Jones is a PhD student in Plant Breeding in the Soynomics group at Iowa State University and a 2022 National Association of Plant Breeders Borlaug Scholar. Studying with Dr. Danny Singh, she researches phenotyping strategies to improve drought tolerance in soybean. She sits down with Marc Zienkiewicz at the NAPB annual meeting in Ames, Iowa, this week to talk about her work and how football and a carrot inspired her to be a plant breeder.