A coalition of Prairie crop groups has pledged nearly $20 million in funding to develop new varieties of wheat.
“We are helping tackle some of the biggest challenges on the farm, like disease, pests and tough weather, while keeping our focus on the quality standards our customers count on,” said Dean Hubbard, chair of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC), in a Tuesday news release.
The coalition includes Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (Sask Wheat), Alberta Grains and the Manitoba Crop Alliance. It pledged $19.9 million over three years to a core breeding agreement with Agriculture Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).
The agreement will support development of Western Canadian wheat varieties with resistance to diseases like fusarium and rusts, and to pests like orange wheat blossom midge and wheat stem sawfly, the release said.
AAFC will also work on varieties that can withstand environmental stressors like heat and drought.
The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition also holds core breeding agreements with the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre, the University of Manitoba and the University of Alberta.
